Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

This proposal seeks funding to add several tools to the CRPuO Nanofab, a core nanofabrication facility at the University of Ottawa. The Nanofab is broadly accessible and under the management of the Centre for Research in Photonics at uOttawa (CRPuO), which has a membership of 24 professors directing over 200 research personnel and students. The facility is accessed by several internal and external users - currently 55 PDFs and graduate students - to fabricate devices and structures of interest in photonics, microfluidics, MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) and electronics for applications across varied fields such as biomedical engineering, biophysics, alternative energy, and information and communications technologies. This is the only non-captive accessible nanofabrication facility in Eastern Ontario - its user base, which consists mostly of students and post-doctoral fellows, spans the region, reaching into Montreal. Researchers from several departments within the University of Ottawa, from Carleton Universities, and from the National Research Council depend on this facility for critical aspects of their work. The facility also supports several international research projects and university-industry research partnerships. The tools requested in this proposal include: a computer and software upgrade for our Raith e-beam lithography system (this is our most heavily used tool operating essentially 24/7), a rapid thermal annealing system, a de-ionised and distilled water system, a refrigerated circulator for lithography processes, a spatial light modulator and a continuous-wave high-power laser system for laser-based maskless lithography. Funding for the acquisition of these tools will be provided mainly from this RTI proposal, supplemented by a contribution originating from the operating budget of the Nanofab. The tools proposed are essential and their lack within our facility is a major problem, engendering quality issues with structures, creating a backlog of work, and seriously impacting process development and production. We are not competitive with regards to turnaround time on some work, causing major delays in our own research and in that of other users. These problems are unacceptable in an era of highly competitive and collaborative multi-disciplinary research where partners are expected to deliver. It is imperative that these tools be added to our set in order to exploit and fully benefit from the infrastructure and investment already in place and to broaden our user base.