Summer 2017 Newsletter


This nanoFAB Summer 2017 Newsletter is provided as an update regarding ongoing activities which may be of interest to our user community.

We would like to thank the members of our user community for their patience during the ongoing facilities disruptions—to the air handling, demin cooling, and electrical systems—which have been occurring as part of the construction in ECERF/ETLC.  We acknowledge that these shutdowns may have impacted your work in the nanoFAB, and we are working closely with the Faculty of Engineering and University Facilities and Operations office to minimise the disruptions as far as possible.

The nanoFAB will launch an image contest to showcase our state-of-the-art microscopes and researchers’ skill and creativity. All registered nanoFAB users will be invited to submit entries. Stay tuned for the official announcement and competition details in early September 2017.

As a reminder to our users, please report any problems with equipment promptly via LMACS maintenance requests.  While outright failure of a tool is an obvious problem to report, it is also valuable to report more subtle changes in tool functionality over time, which may be symptomatic of larger issues.

New Equipment/Processes

JEOL ARM 200CF, Cs-corrected atomic resolution S/TEM with EDX is fully commissioned and open for user training and staff analysis now. Please submit a request on LMACS if you need TEM analysis for your work.

AQM SiOx negative-tone electron-beam resist kits are now being stocked by the nanoFAB as an alternative to Dow Corning HSQ.  Sold as a powder, AQM SiOx can be mixed with the included MIBK to obtain the desired concentration and avoid aging effects.

Ongoing Work

The nanoFAB is always working on exciting things to support our user community, including;

  • The nanoFAB will be installing a new  PlasmaTherm PECVD tool in the early fall.
  • All of the nanoFAB optical microscopes will soon be upgraded with new Zeiss CCD cameras for better imaging.
  • Tomography software:  SerialEM is installed on the JEOL ARM 200CF TEM, which provides 3D imaging solution as well as correlative workflow. If you are interested to test analysis of your sample, please contact Peng Li, Characterization Group Manager at Peng.Li@ualberta.ca
  • The Litho Process Station grouped tools in the cleanroom litho area are now inactive; users must now login to individual lithography-related tools to use them. Interlocks have also been added to several tools in this area.

Interesting nanoFAB facts

  • Over 20 gallons of sulfuric acid are used every week for cleaning substrates at the piranha wetdeck.

Did you know?

When using tools in the nanoFAB, you are required to login; however, you do not need to use the provided login stations in the nanoFAB—any smartphone or tablet with internet access can be used to login through the LMACS website.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the nanoFAB or content in our newsletters, please contact us.
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