NSF Award
2320636
This award supports the acquisition of a state-of-the-art 3-dimensional (3D) nanolithography instrument that uses a two-photon polymerization process to achieve 3D miniature structures. The instrument meets a critical need for creating 3D micro/nanostructures, particularly for a wide variety of functional inorganic and organic nanostructures, on the Georgetown University campus and in the greater District of Columbia area. The research projects enabled by this instrument have potentially major technological impacts in ultralow power information storage, nanoelectronics, filtration media, biomimetics, artificial retina repair, nanophononics, high performance materials, and mechanical metamaterials. The instrument also supports activities in broadening participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields from a broad user base at Georgetown and nearby institutions, and educational and outreach activities to provide students with hands-on learning experiences and to provide research experience for undergraduate students through REU programs.<br/><br/><br/>The 3D nanolithography instrument has unique technical features that are critical to support many NSF-funded projects as well as future research efforts, including the 3D patterning capability with deep submicron feature sizes down to 160 nm, large writing areas of 100 mm across, versatile writing modes for arbitrary 3D trajectories as well as for ultra-fast structuring in a layer-by-layer process, integration with 2D nanolithography, and flexibility in customer-design of polymers. These features are ideal for meeting the broad demands and wide length scales involved in studying a large variety of technologically important micro/nanomaterials. The instrument enables broad range of ground-breaking materials research projects , including 3D topological spin textures for energy-efficient information storage, magnetic networks for 3D memory and neuromorphics, metal foams for efficient and robust filtration media, complex networks for realizing high performance metamaterials and structural materials, biomimetics for achieving new classes of engineered and stimuli-responsive materials, biomedical scaffolds for retinal cell replacement therapy, microfluidic platforms for organ-on-a-chip explorations, and nanophononics to advance 3D nanofabrication using 3-photon polymerization. This shared 3D nanolithography instrument will be transformative for the research infrastructure at Georgetown University and the greater DC area. There is a large and growing multi-disciplinary General User base from the surrounding area, including 2 HBCUs and 6 other institutes from academia, national lab, and industry. Women represent a large fraction of junior researchers from the anticipated user. The instrument will be integrated with graduate and undergraduate curriculum to provide students with hands-on learning experiences. It will also be utilized to provide research experience for undergraduate students through REU programs.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
