NIST Nanofabrication Facility

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NIST Nanofabrication Facility
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CNST Nanofab
A state-of-the-art shared-use facility for the
fabrication and measurement of nanostructures

• 19,000 sq ft cleanroom (8,000 sq ft class 100)
• Advanced lithography and microscopy
• Talented staff to train users or operate the
  tools
• Makes available the expensive tools needed for
  nanotechnology
• Instrumentation both inside and outside the
  cleanroom
• Open to all users, NIST and worldwide

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The CNST Nanofab is well equipped and
expandingSee cnst.nist.gov for details
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CNST Nanofab tools
Lithography to pattern your chip

• State-of-the-art electron-beam lithography
  features as small as 5 nm, across whole wafer
• Laser direct-write for mask making and rapid
  prototyping
• Contact aligners for photolithography
• Focused ion-beam tool for nanoscale milling and
  addition of material
• Nanoimprint lithography for replicating nanoscale
  features

Deposition, oxidation, and diffusion to add
dielectrics, dopants, metals

• LPCVD furnaces for silicon nitride and
  poly-silicon
• PECVD for low temperature oxides and nitrides
• CMOS-clean or general use furnaces for oxidation
  and diffusion doping
• Rapid thermal annealing
• Sputter deposition, including dielectrics,
  metals, magnetic materials and multilayers
• Electron-beam and thermal evaporation
• Atomic layer deposition for molecular-scale,
  highly conformal coatings of metals and
  dielectrics.
• Parylene deposition tool for conformal,
  bio-compatible polymer coatings

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CNST Nanofab tools (cont.)
Etching - to selectively remove material

• Two reactive ion etchers for thin metals and
  dielectrics
• Two inductively coupled plasma etchers for deep
  silicon etching and metal etching
• Two special purpose etchers allowing novel
  recipes for III-V materials and exotics
• Cryogenic and high temperature capability
• Xenon difluoride for sacrificial etching of
  silicon for MEMS applications
• Microwave ashing for resist stripping

Inspection and metrology to see what you got

• Field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM)
  for high resolution imaging
• Tabletop SEM for rapid inspection
• Optical microscopes
• Spectroscopic ellipsometer for thin film
  thicknesses and optical properties
• Reflectometer for film thickness
• Profilometer for 2D profiling
• Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
• Wafer curvature tool for measurement of stress
• Four point probe systems for electrical
  characterization

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CNST Nanofab tools (cont.)
Post-processing - to finish up your devices

• Wafer Dicing Saw-Disco Model 341
• Wire Bonder Kulicke and Soffa Model 4526
• Critical Point Dryer

See this list and more at cnst.nist.gov
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Using the CNST Nanofab

• The Nanofab is fee-based, shared-use
• Based on highly successful NNIN Nanocenter model
• No proposal needed simple one-page description
  of work
• Open to all users
• NIST site access restrictions apply
• The Nanofab will train users in tool use
• Alternatively, the process can be performed by a
  process engineer at an additional cost
• Fees are based on operating costs
• Similar to the full cost recovery fees of the
  NNIN-NSF Nanocenters
• External users may apply to have a portion of
  their fee waived
• For research supportive of CNST goals
• Net charges similar to NNIN-NSF academic rates
• User can maintain IP rights under certain
  circumstances
• For information about use of the Nanofab
• Contact Dr. Tony Novembre, the Nanofab Facility
  Group Leader (novembre_at_nist.gov)
• Contact Dr. Alex Liddle if a joint research
  project is more appropriate (liddle_at_nist.gov)