Core facility Micro-Nano-Integration - follow-up application

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Martin Hoffmann; Professor Dr.-Ing. Jens Müller; Professor Dr. Peter Schaaf
• Subject Area: Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials ; Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering ; Microsystems
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 324659519

The DFG core facility Micro-Nano-Integration has been funded by the DFG since December 2013. It comprises the entire technological and analytical infrastructure of the Center for Micro- and Nanotechnologies (ZMN), which was originally founded in 2002 as an interdisciplinary core facility of nine groups from three departments of TU Ilmenau. Altogether, the center hosts more than 200 machines and systems for processing and analysis in the field of micro-nano-integration, the total value amounts to approx. 30 Mio. Euro. In 2005, the ZMN became central operation unit and the interdepartmental Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnologies MacroNano® (IMN MacroNano®), which today comprises 38 groups from four departments, was founded. The unique combination of nanotechnology and microsystems technology based on technology chains from nano-processing to systems integration and the comprehensive process-related analytics represents a unique position in the research landscape. It enables users of the core facility to integrate specific nanostructures with new properties and functionalities directly into microsystems or to combine nanostructures and nanomaterials and existing microsystems heterogeneously. The next funding period consolidates a sustainable core facility and expands already established professional organizational structures from single instrument to comprehensive process chain access. The professionalization of structures is one of the crucial aspects of the project and allows for transparent cost-structures and user rules, continuous process chain support for achieving reproducible process results (quality control), project agency conform accounting procedures and confidentiality. A general methodology for process chain cost determination will be combined with the already existing lab management system (equipment reservation and booking tool). The scientific technology coordinator represents a single-point-of-contact for users not familiar with the detailed process flows in the core facility. She/he establishes a team of experts, which is capable to evaluate the feasibility of the specific request. Thus, external users can easily connected to the facility working as a one-stop-shop. During the execution phase, the lab technician will support these processes. With the transition of the scientific project coordinator and the lab technician into permanent positions, the principles of the core facility will be sustainably embedded into effective and long lasting management structures of the technological center. Various additional measures will foster the utilization of the core facility especially for external users. The corporate wiki, (training) workshops and scientific colloquia will be opened to external users in order to share information, best practice and scientific results. Moreover, the cooperation with other core facilities will be expanded.

• DFG Programme: Core Facilities