Since its founding in 1977, the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) has been a national user facility, where researchers from universities and companies across the country can access state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization tools, and learn to use them with the help of a knowledgeable technical staff. CNF fabrication facilities are amounst the most extensive and advanced in the country, supported by over 20 technical staff.

Over the years, the CNF user community has expanded at a steadily increasing rate, to the point that ~300 external research users take advantage of the facility, in addition to approximately an equal number of internal-to-Cornell users. 

CNF maintains a comprehensive tool set (more than 120 major tools including tools for advanced lithography, etching, deposition, film growth, and characterization).  Most significant among these tools are two 100 KeV electron beam lithography tools, a JEOL 6300 and a JEOL 9500FS. In addition CNF offers extensive advanced photolithography services, including a deep UV stepper,  and a broad array of thin film etching and deposition resources.  With these resources, CNF provides a broad range of advanced molecular-, nano-, micro- and macro-scale capabilities, adaptable to the needs of individual users and integrated in complex and advanced experiments. CNF supports projects across the breadth of nanotechnology with extensive resources and expertise for electronics, materials science, biology, chemistry, physics, etc. Particular emphasis at CNF has been on fabrication at the smallest dimensions, and many significant scientific results of recent past, from single molecule transport measurements, spin-torque coupling, nanotube transistors and mechanical oscillators, to power-adaptive nano-transistors, have resulted from the use of these resources.

CNF's ~600 active research users represent a very diverse range of disciplines, including materials, chemistry, electronics, magnetics, MEMS, optics, biology, electro-mechanics, and bio-systems. Within these broad field, CNF particularly makes its mark with high resolution, high precision patterning, to features smaller than 20 nm. CNF has ongoing efforts to enable growth in new fields, through (1) advertising the capabilities of the CNF and its network partners at conferences and in field-specific workshops, (2) employing specialized field-liaison staff with expert knowledge in the new disciplines as well as fabrication techniques, (3) providing expert staff assistance in new user project planning and for process support, and (4) publicizing the successful execution of projects in the new directions.

CNF has been particularly effective in supporting start up ventures, We have established relationships with several foundries to aid in the transfer of technology from laboratory scale development to small scale production.

Cornell University's commitment to the CNF is embodied in the new facilities in Duffield Hall, a $100M investment by Cornell which was occupied in 2004.  This facility provides 16,000 sq. ft. of new clean room space together with a large area of additional laboratory and office space outside the clean room dedicated to user project support.  The same building houses shared facilities of the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR; multiple TEMs) and the Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC; bio-characterization resources), which can be made available to all CNF users.

Experise: Broad scope in Nanotechnology; Optoelectronics, Chemistry, MEMS, Characterization, Materials, Electronics, Applications to Life Sciences; Advanced lithography facilities