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The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) exemplifies NIST’s core mission to promote U.S. innovation and
industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security
and improve our quality of life. The CNST endeavors to provide science and industry with the necessary measurement methods,
standards, and technology to facilitate the development and productive use of nanotechnology from discovery to production.
In this way, we hope to drive innovation in nanotechnology and the related frontier areas of science and technology.
The CNST is specifically dedicated to developing the measurement methods and tools needed to enable nanotechnology.
It is organized to serve as an agile, multidisciplinary, problem oriented research organization dedicated to partnering with
interested parties from industry, academia, and government to achieve common goals. At its core is a multidisciplinary research
program composed largely of postdoctoral scientists led by a smaller cadre of established scientists. The large number of
postdoctoral fellows allows the Center to be agile and continuously adjust its program directions based on the needs of the field.
By offering collaborative opportunities, the research program also offers access to nanoscale measurement and fabrication capabilities
not elsewhere available. The CNST also offers access to the CNST Nanofab, operated by professionals dedicated to serving users and
offering access to state-of-the-art tools within an economical cost-sharing model. With a strong dedication to providing a rigorous
and stimulating intellectual environment, the CNST seeks to be a place of learning for its industrial, academic, and government
partners from summer undergraduate interns to senior investigators.
CNST will:
- provide measurement methods, standards and technology to support all phases of nanotechnology development from discovery to production;
- develop and maintain the Nanofab, a national facility with state-of-the-art nanoscale fabrication and measurement capabilities;
- allow access to prototype fabrication and measurement tools with capabilities beyond the commercial state of the art;
- provide small companies access to sophisticated and expensive nanotechnology tools and the opportunity to do rapid prototyping;
- apply a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving that involves partnering with industry, academia, and other government agencies;
- serve as a hub to link the external nanotechnology community to the vast measurement expertise that exists within the NIST Laboratories; and
- help to educate the next generation of nanotechnologist.
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The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology consists of two distinct components: the Research Program and the Nanofab.
The CNST Nanofab, which will be described in more detail below, is a fee-based, shared use facility accessible through a
proposal review process. Its purpose is to make the expensive and frequently scarce equipment and methods needed for both
nanofabrication and nanoscale measurement available to both the NIST and the external nanotechnology communities in efficient
and effective ways.
The CNST Research Program is designed to respond to nanoscale measurement needs that have been identified by a diverse set of
approaches including workshops, interviews, the U.S. Measurement System Survey, industrial roadmaps, direct industrial contacts,
research community input, government reports, NIST laboratory staff, and CNST Research Staff. The CNST Research Program is
currently focusing on measurement needs in three program areas: future electronics; nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing; and
energy transport, storage and conversion. We will be constantly monitoring the emerging needs for nanoscale measurement and
will adjust our program accordingly.
The scope and operation of the CNST Nanofab and the program and operation of the Research Program will be formally reviewed
periodically by its own National Research Council (NRC) assigned panel as part of the NIST NRC Review process. In addition,
the NIST Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology has established a Subcommittee on Nanotechnology which will advise and
monitor the progress of the new Center. These external panels will assist us in such areas as the selection of research
program areas, policies for operation of the Nanofab, coordination with other facilities and programs, etc. In addition,
CNST has and will continue to solicit input from a wide range of individual external experts to assist further with its
priority setting and operation.
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The CNST is a highly multidisciplinary organization that identifies, establishes, and maintains needed core competences
in nanoscale science and technology. These competences allow CNST researchers to solve measurement problems in collaboration
with partners from industry, academia, government agencies, or other NIST programs. The research program will provide new
measurement methods, new instruments, new processes for nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing, best practices for use of
commercial instrumentation, standards, and reference materials. The process of developing and demonstrating a new tool set
for nanotechnology will certainly also generate significant new discoveries in nanoscale science and technology and other areas.
The staffing model for the CNST reflects the need to be agile in response to the needs of a rapidly changing new field.
The permanent research staff is supplemented by a large cadre of postdoctoral fellows who bring enthusiasm, ideas, and
experience along with the newest methods under development elsewhere. During their stay, they will gain experience working
as part of a team in a large, active multidisciplinary environment, learn the latest measurement and fabrication methods,
and broaden their perspective through interactions with a full spectrum of research partners in industry, academia, and
government laboratories.
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CNST will endeavor to be a magnet to bring together a broad community to work on its measurement mission, including:
- The staffs of the CNST Nanofab and Research Program, including:
- A large cadre of postdoctoral fellows
- Staff from other NIST Laboratories
- Technical staff from companies, both large and small
- Academic staff dedicated to nanotechnology measurement science, including:
- Staff from the University of Maryland who are partnering with us to help operate CNST
- Staff from other government agencies
- Distinguished researchers from the international nanotechnology community
The external researchers listed above will interact with CNST in a wide variety of ways:
- Some may be on-site users for several days a year; others will be on site full time for several months or a year or two
- Some will use our Nanofab; others will participate in collaborative research in our Research Program
- Some will prepare samples in their own facilities for measurement here; others will fabricate structures here and measure them in their home facilities
- Some may be part of an external organization but be formally stationed at CNST to interact with us
- Some may be on sabbatical leave from their university, company, or government agency learning new skills or teaching them to us
- Some may be here to collaborate with other areas of NIST and make use of our facilities as part of that collaboration
- Some may be students working on research that leads to a degree or summer undergraduate students that we are hosting to give an
extraordinary research experience in the hopes of attracting them to a life in science
Participants receive:
- Access to a highly skilled, multidisciplinary staff interested in solving their measurement problems
- Access to the Nanofab with state-of-the-art equipment and policies designed specifically to solve measurement problems from discovery to production
- Access to one of a kind prototype tools that offer unique measurement capabilities
- With CNST serving as a portal, access to the vast measurement expertise and resources of the NIST laboratories
- Access to a stimulating scientific and technological environment that results when a large group of scientists and engineers from diverse disciplines
and institutions meet to solve common problems
NIST will receive:
- An awareness of challenging new measurement problems to be solved
- Access to those in industry who best understand the requirements for new measurements and can help us to set priorities for solution of those problems
- Expertise that resides in industry, academia, and other government agencies that will help us achieve our mission
- Access to students and postdoctoral scientists that can help us achieve our immediate goals and may someday become NIST staff
- Access to specialized tools, samples, or processes of an industrial scale not generally available in research laboratories
To help new external users establish a working relationship with the CNST, the CNST-University of Maryland Cooperative Program will provide competitively
awarded travel grants for approved users of the CNST facilities. More information is available on the travel grant webpage.
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The CNST Nanofab provides a means to access advanced nanofabrication and measurement instrumentation on a fee-based, shared use basis.
It includes tools for patterning semiconductor and other materials via photolithographic, electron beam, or nanoimprint lithographic
methods as well optical, electron, and ion based measurement tools. It is located in both a 19,000 square foot cleanroom (which includes
8,000 square feet of class 100 space) and in an adjacent laboratory building (216) of NIST’s Advanced Measurement Laboratory (AML) complex.
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The CNST mission, briefly put, is to focus on solving nanoscale measurement problems that are encumbering the development of
nanotechnology. The missions of the DoE and NNIN networks are more general and include, for example, providing the necessary
resources for discovery research in nanotechnology.
The DoE Nanocenters provide access to tools based on an external, peer review system and only charge for proprietary services;
non-proprietary services are free. The NNIN Centers charge a fee for proprietary services and require only a project review
for safety, potential impact on cleanliness, efficient use of tools, etc. The NSF-supported NNIN Centers also offer the academic
community a rate that is substantially less than their proprietary rate.
The CNST Nanofab operates in a very similar manner to the NNIN centers in terms of cost to users. Both charge hourly fees for tool use.
As CNST has a specific measurement mission, some portion of the Nanofab charges may be waived (as discussed below) for projects that
advance nanoscale measurement and, thereby, the productive use of nanotechnology. With a fee waiver, CNST costs are expected to be similar
to the academic rate at NSF-supported NNIN facilities.
But since the CNST’s mission is different — to facilitate partnering with users to solve measurement problems —
we are not trying to specifically encourage discovery research, as is the case with the DOE and NSF centers. Rather, we aim to encourage
the production of nanotechnology-based applications.
The staff time in the DoE centers is typically split between research and user support on a 50-50 basis, with each staff member doing
both functions. At the NNIN centers, the staff only does user support. At CNST, the Nanofab is operated by Process Engineers on staff
who generally come from the semiconductor industry and are 100% dedicated to user support. The Research Program staff is dedicated to
research on new measurement methods 100% of the time and interact with users through collaborative research projects.
The use of the modified-NNIN model positions CNST very well to accomplish its mission. It allows CNST to focus its resources to remove the
encumbering nanotechnology measurement problem. It allows us to encourage those industrial, academic, and government agencies eager to
partner with us on solving measurement problems that although critical to industry, might not receive high marks relative to discovery
research in a peer review process. It allows industrial users to perform proprietary research in the Nanofab, should they choose, without
endangering their intellectual property rights.
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Industrial, academic, government, and foreign personnel may use the facility as Outside Users.
To use the Nanofab, all users submit a brief proposal—see the How to Become a User pages for NIST Staff
and External Users for the complete application process. The CNST Nanofab staff will review the project to see that it is safe to do,
that it will not compromise the cleanliness of the facility or degrade the tools, that it will not unduly prevent others from using necessary
tools, and is compatible with the available resources. Following approval, users sign an agreement, establish an account, and transfer funds
to cover anticipated costs. All cleanroom users must take orientation, cleanroom protocol, and safety training and pass a safety examination
before they are allowed in the clean room. Users of tools located outside the cleanroom do not require the cleanroom safety course or test.
Users will also need to be trained or demonstrate proficiency on the tools they wish to use themselves. Outside users may need to fulfill
some additional requirements related to site security. Time is generally scheduled on a first-come-first-served-basis for proposers whose
projects are accepted by the CNST Nanofab staff.
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The Nanofab staff offers three levels of assistance to the users:
- Equipment training: The users are given hands-on training on any specific tool they require. This is a basic training which allows the
user to operate the tool in a safe manner and run a standard process recipe. The training itself is free of charge (no charge for staff time
or tool usage). The only charge is the base cleanroom entry fee if the equipment is located in the clean room.
- Tool operation: CNST Process Engineers can operate the tool for you to run a pre-determined process recipe. This will incur a charge for
the time of the Process Engineer in addition to the normal hourly usage cost of the tool.
- Process Development: If your project requires the development of a non-standard process aimed at specific goals, Nanofab staff will assist
the user in developing the process recipes to reach this goal. Examples: achieving a given thin film roughness, use of non-standard substrates,
plasma etching of a new material, etc. This requirement should be clearly identified and discussed during the initial interview with the Nanofab manager so
the technical aspects as well as financial cost estimate of the development can be accurately evaluated. Process Engineering
time plus normal hourly usage of the tool will be charged.
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The CNST Nanofab operates in a similar fashion as regard to costs as do facilities in the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure
Network (NNIN). Each tool has an hourly cost of use based on the full cost recovery for using that tool. This includes the cost of
most supplies, maintenance, training, etc. There is also a nominal hourly charge for cleanroom use that covers gowning, incidental
supplies, etc. The hourly rates for using the CNST tools are similar to the full cost recovery rates charged for proprietary research
at the NNIN Centers.
CNST has a specific mission: to provide measurement solutions to advance the productive use of nanotechnology. Consequently,
CNST encourages this research direction. NIST has developed policies and procedures for granting a partial waiver of fees for
users doing non-proprietary, CNST mission-related research.
With fee waivers, rates are expected to be similar to those charged at DoE Nanocenters and NSF-supported NNIN academic centers.
Research not intended to be published will not be eligible for a waiver.
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There is a very wide range of interactions possible with CNST. The type of interaction agreed upon for your project will
be based on whether your research is proprietary or nonproprietary and the level of collaboration, and will include appropriate
provisions governing intellectual property. NIST has a long record of cooperation — formal and informal — with
outside organizations. Agreements used to formalize these collaborations include Cooperative Research and Development Agreements,
Guest Research Agreements, and Facilities User Agreements. Each type of agreement describes in detail the protection and ownership
of intellectual property under that agreement. The agreement used to formalize your collaboration with the CNST will include the
intellectual property provisions that are most appropriate for that collaboration.
External users performing proprietary research in which NIST employees do not participate generally will retain all intellectual
property rights. External users conducting collaborative research with NIST employees will negotiate appropriate intellectual
property terms in their agreements.
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The research program staff performs CNST mission research, i.e., developing enabling measurement methods, currently within
three research programs: Future Electronics; Nanofabrication and Nanomanufacturing; and Energy Conversion, Storage, and Transport.
This is typically done in collaboration with partners from NIST, industry, academia or other government agencies. Generally, the
prototype measurement or fabrication tools under development in the research division are more advanced than the commercial
state-of-the-art tools available in the CNST Nanofab.
Research projects currently underway, include:
Nanomagnetics
Atomic scale characterization and fabrication
Nanoscale measurement and fabrication using laser-controlled atoms
Modeling nanostructures in mesoscopic environments
Nanomanufacturing and nanoparticle assembly
Metrology for electron-beam lithography
Research projects currently being initiated and staffed include:
Future Electronics Program:
Characterization of Nanophotonic Devices
Characterization of Transport in Nanoscale Devices
3D Measurement of Dopants and Defects
Characterization of Nanotube Electronic Devices
Spin Metrology
Measurements for Nanomanufacturing/Nanofabricaton Program:
Scanned Force Microscopy for Detection and Quality Control
Coupling Nanoscale Properties to Macroscopic Behavior
Forces between Nanoparticles
Simultaneous Multi-function Nano-probe Measurement
Tools for Manipulating Material on the Nanoscale
Measurement for Energy Storage, Conversion, and Transport Program:
Nanoscale Carrier Dynamics
Atomic Imaging of Catalytic Reactions
Areas of core competence currently include scanned probe measurements, modeling and simulation, nanofabrication,
nanomagnetics, nanophotonics, and transport.
Interacting with the CNST Research Program
You can make a CNST researcher aware of whatever nanotechnology measurement problems, you or your industrial sector have or
expect to have, to help guide the research of this Program. However, more direct interactions are available through collaboration.
By contacting the CNST or reviewing the CNST web site, you can find the tools or projects of value to you and then you can contact
the relevant individuals to discuss possible collaborations. Work with the Research Program is generally through collaborations
because of the special nature of the tools and techniques used. Examples of recent collaborators include Intel, Advanced Microsensors,
IBM, Georgia Tech, Princeton, University of Chicago, FEI Corporation, Johns Hopkins University, Texas A&M, Argonne National Laboratory,
Cornell University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Cambridge, Arizona State University, Naval Research Laboratory, Seagate,
and the Army Research Laboratory. Other collaborations with major organizations are in various stages of discussion and planning.
Most of these collaborations involve the use of a prototype tool in the CNST Research Program. A good example of how a user can benefit
from the collaborative use of prototype tools in CNST is provided by the SEMPA tool, which provides a leading way of imaging magnetic
nanostructure and was first developed at NIST. A commercial version of SEMPA was recently developed. However, SEMPA has been available
and used at NIST by industry, government, and academia through collaborative
arrangements for almost 20 years.
Proprietary work undertaken by members of the Research Program is charged at a full recovery rate.
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The CNST staff and leadership have engaged the internal and external communities extensively to solicit their input on the program
and operation of CNST. The staff and leadership have been meeting frequently with industry, university, and government experts in
nanotechnology. During this time, the CNST Director and his staff have met with scores of organizations and individuals, both in
Gaithersburg and around the country. Interactions included visits to several nanocenters/nanofabs (e.g., Oak Ridge, Berkeley,
UT Austin, U Maryland, SEMATECH, SUNY Albany), discussions with nanocenter leadership (e.g., Cornell, Brookhaven, Sandia,
Stanford, Argonne), and discussions with nanocenter program leadership (i.e., NSF, NNIN, and DoE).
Additionally, the CNST staff has participated in numerous meetings, workshops, and needs gathering activities in order to best develop
the Center’s research priorities. They have both interviewed and solicited the written input from the NIST staff, and through
the U.S. Measurement Survey, from the external community as a whole, on the needs for additional nanoscale measurement methodology.
They have invited nanotechnology leaders to lecture at CNST and conducted in depth interviews with each speaker. They have both
contacted and hosted numerous representatives from industry, academia, and other government agencies and discussed extensively their
needs for measurement methods and access to nanofabrication tools. The CNST is greatly indebted to all for the advice we have
received and continue to receive.
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