Quantum Dots Project Wins New Venture Challenge

A group of students from the University of Utah won a $100,000 prize at the regional CU Cleantech New Venture Challenge on April 20th for their work in commercializing a new method of manufacturing quantum dots. Read more from the KSL news story.

SMBB Grand Opening

The SMBB Building Dedication and Ribbon Cutting ceremony was held on April 19th. Please check out the promotional video that gives a great overview of the SMBB building and its role in the USTAR initiative.

Local news station, Fox 13 featured a news story about the event. KUTV also stopped by to do their news story about early and accurate detection of diseases.

You will also want to check out the list of media coverage about the event at innovation utah's website.

Micron Microscopy Core Operational

All tools from the surface lab in MEB have been moved into the Micron Microscopy Core in the Sorenson Molecular Biology Building and are now online and operational.  These include:

 
• AFM, Bruker Dimension Icon
 
• dbFIB, FEI Helios NanoLab 650
 
• Ellipsometer, Woollam Spectroscopic
 
• Microscope, Polyvar MET
 
• Optical Profiler, Zygo NewView
 
• SEM, FEI Quanta 600 FEG
 
• SEM, Hitachi S-4800
 
• XPS, Kratos Axis Ultra DLD
 
• XRF, Eagle III Microspot

For more information on a specific tool, please visit the equipment web pages.

Utah Nanofab Move to Sorenson Molecular Biology Building Update

The new Sorenson Molecular Biology Building (The USTAR building) was given a temporary occupancy permit on December 12th.  We are happy to say that our move is progressing smoothly with the first of our staff members already relocated, and we look forward to moving the Surface Lab into the new Micron Microscopy Core by mid-February, along with the dicing and packaging labs.  In order to keep our community of lab members informed on all the changes, we will be posting news updates regularly on our website.

New Instruments Coming On-line

During the same week we received occupancy in SMBB, we installed two brand new instruments in the Micron Microscopy Core, A Hitachi S-4800 UHR SEM (with Oxford EDS), and an FEI Helios 650i dual-beam SEM/FIB (with omniprobe and gas injectors for metal deposition (Au, Pt), and etch (XeF2, H20 (for organics), and iodine).

Move Progress

We are currently in the beginning stage of a transitional period as we move our tools from MEB to SMBB.  We will be maintaining both facilities during this period until we are able to move all of our equipment to the new labs.  We are moving tools in groups based on priority as moving funds become available, with an eye toward minimizing downtime for any given process, or ensuring that a comparable process is online while another is being moved.  You can always view our current plan online.  We will continue to keep that page up to date.

Staff Contacts

The staff office space has largely been completed and half of our staff have already formed an "away team" to manage all the projects and issues related to life in the new building.  During the transitional phase of the move, many of our staff will be spending their time split between our two locations.  If you need to contact a staff member, please check the staff contact page for up to date phone numbers and other contact information.

Welcome to Steve Pritchett, New Senior Process Engineer

The Utah Nanofab is pleased to announce the hiring of Steve Pritchett as a Senior Process Engineer supporting the nanofab transition into the SMBB(USTAR building).

Come talk with Steve when you need assistance in developing or characterizing new processes, as he specializes in dep, etch, and CMP processes.  You can find him in 1280 MEB, fab office phone (801) 585-5676 or email spritchett@eng.utah.edu

Steve comes to us with a wealth of electronic packaging, semiconductor device and optical products manufacturing experience. At MOXTEK Steve covered thin film deposition and capacity/fab expansion projects. At Fairchild/National Semiconductor, Steve worked in process development for thin films and for product development their CSP’s (Chip Scale Packages).  The CSP work involved bumped contacts, wafer grind and etch for thinning and backmetal. Steve started his career at a small company acquired by National Semiconductor, Comlinear Corp., where he supported hybrid and MCM electronic product fabrication and assembly, based on a ceramic thin film substrate in hermetically sealed packages.

Neural Interfaces Conference in Salt Lake City

Headquarters Hotel: Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown Hotel

Sponsorship Information:

Richard A. Normann, PhD

normann@utah.edu

Conference Co-Chairs:
Richard A. Normann, Ph.D. and Florian Solzbacher, Ph.D., University of Utah

Registration and other information available at the website.

nanoUtah interview on KCPW

KCPW featured an interview with Dr. Florian Solzbacher and Michael O’Malley in their city views segment.  You can find the broadcast audio on their website.  The interview is in the second part of the broadcast.

Deseret News Article: Nanotechnology and the Pac-12

The University of Utah’s move to the Pac-12 promises exciting times ahead from an athletic perspective. Although less publicized, joining the ranks of some of the world’s most prestigious research universities ushers in even more exciting times for Utah’s economy.

One area of research, in particular, stands out as an unparalleled opportunity. Perhaps the largest impact for the U. may take place on a much, much smaller playing field in the realm of nanotechnology research and development.
Slice a meter-long object a billion times and you have the unit of measurement called the nano. Nanotechnology deals with the manipulation of particles at the atomic and molecular level. This science is affecting everything from medicine and energy to computing and telecommunications. It promises to make the likes of drugs, solar panels, chip manufacturing and wireless components faster, cheaper and more efficient. For example, fiber optic lasers are being studied at the U. to heat up extremely small gold nanorods inside cancer cells. This process consequently burns the cancer cells from the inside out.

Through the leadership of USTAR — the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative — the University of Utah is quickly becoming a national leader in the commercialization of nanotechnology research. The upcoming completion of a major new building on the Utah campus will further position the university for success in the sciences.

Coming in December: A new, UHR 3D micro-imaging capability

With many thanks to FEI Company for the extended evaluation we have enjoyed of the Quanta 3D FEG, we will be saying ‘good-bye’ to that loaner in mid-May, as it has been sold.

We will be replacing the Quanta with a much higher resolution instrument, the Helios, which will be moving to the Micron Microscopy Core labs of the Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building (SMBB), in December, 2011 (immediately upon commissioning).

The UHR instrument coming to the U in December is described here:123

What is a nanofab?

A “poster child” is the Utah Neural Array developed in the Utah Microfabrication Core Lab by Richard Normann who effectively established an engineering linkage to a series of medical applications. This effort became commercialized in his Bionic Technologies, Inc. then in Black Rock with the ultimate development of a new, local cleanroom, accompanying jobs and additional University collaborations. There have been multiple human surgeries (motor cortex implant) with the commercial Electrode Assembly, enabling quadriplegic individuals to begin controlling computers and artificial limbs through their volitional thoughts. Further substantial NIH grants have been awarded to Utah PI’s based on development of this and related local know-how. 

Anticipated outcomes from similar collaborative efforts include new ideas through effective seeded collaborations (facilitated by seminars, open use labs and other interactions); more effective research proposals seeded by user fee sponsorship to obtain preliminary data; superior research enabled by better equipment, instrumentation, & expertise; and more, stronger companies maturing through start-up, based on an industrial preliminary data seed fund and cost-effective access to needed sponsored resources.

nanoUtah 2010 Conference Featured on KSL News

The University of Utah Nanofab is one of the exhibitors in this year’s nanoUtah conference.  The 2010 installment of the nanoUtah Conference builds on the rich tradition of past events. Anchored by presentations from Utah’s leaders in nanoscience and nanotechnology, the conference is intended to foster collaborations and the exchange of knowledge among scientists,  engineers, clinicians, industry leaders, and students.  KSL news covered the event in this video.

nanoUtah 2012

The 2012 nanoUtah Conference & Exhibition builds on the rich tradition of past events. Anchored by presentations from international and local leaders in nanoscience and nanotechnology, the conference fosters collaborations and the exchange of knowledge among scientists, engineers, clinicians, industry leaders, and students. More Information

SMBB Grand Opening

From the College of Engineering News Site:

The April 2012 dedication of the James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building—A USTAR Innovation—centermarks the beginning of a new era of interdisciplinary translational research at the University of Utah. It is the centerpiece of a visionary plan to bridge the U of U main campus and health sciences in order to accelerate research at the interfaces of medicine, engineering, pharmacy, science, business, law and digital media.

More Information