The goal of the NNCI Site @ Stanford University is to provide open, cost-effective access to state-of-the-art nanofabrication and nanocharacterization facilities for scientists and engineers from academia, small and large companies, and government laboratories. Under the NNCI umbrella, external users will be able to gain access to the Stanford Nano Shared Facilities (SNSF), the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF), the Microchemical Analysis Facility (MAF), and the Stanford Isotope and Geochemical Measurement and Analysis Facility (SIGMA). Each year, already over 1,000 researchers made use of the shared facilities to further their research programs. Open access to these facilities will not only promote the progress of science but also accelerate the commercialization of nanotechnologies that can solve a broad array of societal problems related to energy, communication, water resources, agriculture, computing, clinical medicine, and environmental remediation.

Stanford’s shared nanofacilities offer a comprehensive array of advanced nanofabrication and nanocharacterization tools, including resources that are not routinely available, such as an MOCVD laboratory that can deposit films of GaAs or GaN, a JEOL e-beam lithography tool that can inscribe 8-nm features on 200-mm wafers, a NanoSIMS, and a unique scanning SQUID microscope that detects magnetic fields with greater sensitivity than any other instrument. The facilities occupy ~30,000 ft2 of space, including 16,000 ft2 of cleanrooms, 6,000 ft2 of which meet stringent specifications on the control of vibration, acoustics, light, cleanliness, and electromagnetic interference. The staff members who will support external users have acquired specialized expertise in fabricating photonic crystals, lasers, photodetectors, optical MEMS, inertial sensors, optical biosensors, electronic biosensors, cantilever probes, nano-FETs, new memories, batteries, and photovoltaics.

Stanford is creating and assembling a comprehensive online library of just-in-time educational materials that will enable users of shared nanofacilities at Stanford and elsewhere to acquire foundational knowledge independently and expeditiously before they receive personalized training from an expert staff member.