NanoScienceWorks

NSF Center for High-Rate Nanomanufacturing - Northeastern University

The Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing is focused on developing tools and processes that will enable high-rate/high-volume bottom-up, precise, parallel assembly of nanoelements (such as carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, etc.) and polymer nanostructures.

The Center’s nanotemplates are utilized to conduct fast massive directed assembly of nanoscale elements by controlling the forces required to assemble, detach, and transfer nanoelements at high rates and over large areas. The developed nanotemplates and tools will accelerate the creation of highly anticipated commercial products and will enable the creation of an entirely new generation of applications.

CHN Goals and Mission
- To bridge the gap between nanoscale science research and the creation of commercial products.
- To develop processes and tools that will enable high-rate/high-volume, bottom-up, nanoscale directed assembly of nanoelements and polymer nanostructures.
- To deliver the much-needed education in nanomanufacturing, including its environmental, economic, and societal implications, to the current and emerging workforce through partnerships among industry, universities, and K-12 teachers and students.
- Overcome the Barriers to Commercialization:
  Barrier 1. How can we assemble and connect different nano-scale elements?
  Barrier 2. How can we scale up assembly processes in a continuous or high rate manner?
  Barrier 3. How can we test for reliability in nanoelements and connections? How can we efficiently detect and remove defects?
  Barrier 4. Do nanoproducts and processes require new economic, environmental, and ethical/regulatory assessment and new socially-accepted values?

CHN Research Thrusts
CHN’s research is broken down into six thrust areas, in addition to Education & Outreach:
1. Manufacture Nanotemplates and Nanotubes
2. High-rate Assembly and Transfer
3. Defects & Reliability
4. Modeling
5. Testbeds: Memory Device and Biosensor
6. Societal Implications

Facilities
The Center provides the ability to access to state-of-the-art facilities at the three partner Universities for a usage fee, including NU’s expanded microelectronics labs, UNH’s organic synthesis labs, and UML’s newly renovated materials characterization labs. The labs provide a comprehensive collection of state-of-the-art analytical equipment including dip-pen nanolithography, STM/AFM, NSOM, SIMS, SEM, TEM, XRD, AEM, XPS, and a full compliment of rheological, thermal, and mechanical characterization equipment.

CHN Partners
Center Partners
-Northeastern University
-University of Massachusetts Lowell
-University of New Hampshire

Academic
-Hampton University
-City College of New York
-Hanyang University
-Imperial College, London
-Queen’s University, Belfast
-ETH Zurich
-Sabanci Universitesi
-University of Ulster

Industry
-TIAX
-BAE Systems
-Gillette
-Raytheon
-Nypro
-Foster-Miller
-EMC2
-Teradyne
-Nantero
-Intel
-TSI
-PI
-Motorola
-Tyco Electronics
-Zyvex
-Draper Laboratory
-Environ
-Konarka
-Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc.
-Triton Systems Inc.

Government and Other
-Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
-Army Research Laboratory
-Museum of Science

Ahmed Busnaina, Director, Executive Committee
busnaina@coe.neu.edu
617-373-2992

Nick McGruer, Associate Director, Executive Committee
mcgruer@ece.neu.edu
617-373-2066

Jacqueline Isaacs, Associate Director, Executive Committee
jaisaacs@coe.neu.edu
617-373-3989

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