center for nanostructures

S a n ta C l a r a U n i v e r s i t y

The Jesuit University in Silicon Valley

Partners and Sponsors• John&SusanOcampo

• NASA

• DepartmentofDefense

• Hitachi

• RadianceTechnologies

• NationalUniversityofSingapore

• UniversityofCalifornia

• StanfordNanofabricationFacility

• ZhejiangUniversity

center for

Nanostructures

SCUOMC-7957A

5/101,500

For further information, contact:Cary Y. Yang,Directorcyang@scu.edu

Drazen Fabris,AssociateDirectordfabris@scu.edu

CenterforNanostructuresSantaClaraUniversity500ElCaminoRealSantaClara,CA95053408-551-1712

www.scu.edu/cns

“ The CenTer for

nanosTruCTures

is a great place to

expose students to

cutting-edge science,

to educate them on how

the science develops

into new technologies,

and to sharpen their

analytical and hands-on

skills in the process.”

Cary yang, DireCTor

FPO

Center for Nanostructures TheCenterforNanostructures(CNS)pursuesinterdisciplinaryresearchandeducationthroughpartnershipswithotheruniversities,industry,andgovernment.TheseeffortsallowCNStopositionSantaClaraUniversityasanationalcenterofinnovationinnanostructuresresearch.CNSbringstogetherengineeringandsciencefacultyandstudentstocollaborateoninnovativeresearch.

ResearchTheCenterforNanostructureshasreceivedapproximately$5millioninfundingfromgovernmentandindustrysponsorsforseveralresearchprojects,withtheobjectiveofimprovingreliabilityandperformanceofelectricalcomponentsinintegratedcircuits.Projectsfocusonthermalinterfacematerialsforbetterheatdissipationandnovelelectricalinterconnectmaterialsforenhancedperformance.UndergraduateandgraduatestudentsinCNScarryoutexperimentsonmaterialssynthesis,devicefabrication,electricalcharacterization,andnanostructuralanalysis.TheCNSresearchenvironmentallowscontinuousinteractionamongstudents,faculty,andvisitingresearchers.

TheCNSfacilityconsistsoftheNanoelectronicsLaboratoryoncampusandtheNanostructureFabricationandCharacterizationFacilityatnearbyNASAAmesResearchCenter.TheNanoelectronicsLaboratoryhousesstate-of-the-artinstrumentationinaclass100cleanroom.

Majorequipmentinthesetwolabsincludesahigh-resolutionscanningelectronmicroscopeequippedwithananomanipulatorsystem,anelectricalmeasurementsystemconsistingofawaferprobestationandparameterandnetworkanalyzers,aplasma-enhancedchemicalvapordepositionsystem,asputteringsystem,athermalresistancemeasurementsystem,andanatomicforcemicroscope.

Center for Nanostructures

Advancements at the NanoscaleNanoscalescienceandtechnologyisanewfrontierinengineeringdealingwiththecreationoffunctionalmaterials,devices,andsystemsatalengthscaleoflessthanonehundrednanometeroroneten-thousandthofamillimeter,oraboutonethousandtimesthinnerthanahumanhair.

Researchinthisrapidlygrowingfieldfocusesonhowthenovelproperties—physical,chemical,biological,electrical,magnetic,mechanical,andoptical—ofvariousnanomaterialscanbeexploitedforawidevarietyofapplications.Demandforenhancedperformanceandincreasedreliabilityinelectronicsystemsandadvancementsinbioengineeringarefuelingtheenormousgrowthinthishighlycompetitivefield.

Education and OutreachNanoscalescienceandtechnologyisahighlyinterdisciplinaryfieldincorporatingallbiologicalandphysicalsciencesandengineering.TheCenteriscontinuallydevelopingeducationprogramsandcurriculaatbothundergraduateandgraduatelevelstocomplementitsresearchactivities,wherebypedagogyandknowledgecreationarewellintegrated.

TheSchoolofEngineeringofferscoursesinnanoscalescienceandtechnology,nanomaterials,andnanoelectronicstosupporttheCNSandotherrelatedprograms.

Recognizingandaddressingthecriticalneedforcultivatingthenextgenerationofengineers,CNSalsosponsorssummerfellowshipsforhighschoolteachersundertheIndustryInitiativesforScienceandMathEducation(IISME)Program.TheCenterforNanostructuresregularlyhostslocalmiddleandhighschoolstudentsparticipatinginvariousscienceandtechnology-relatedprogramsinSiliconValley,introducingthemtonanoscienceandtheexcitingopportunitiesavailableinthisfield.CNSalsoregularlyhostsseminarsthatattractindividualsfromindustryandacademia.

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor

deposition system

Carbon-based nanostructures for next-generation

computer chip technology