NSF Award
2320222
This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award is for the acquisition of a maskless photolithography tool for use by faculty and undergraduate researchers in the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering at High Point University (HPU) (NC) in collaboration with faculty and undergraduate researchers from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Richmond (VA), Department of Physics at James Madison University (VA) and the Department of Biology at the University of Virginia along with other regional undergraduate institutional partners. The ability to rapidly prototype structures and devices with dimensions smaller than a cell is a key enabling capability for a variety of technologies, and the training of undergraduate chemistry, physics and engineering students will help expand the pipeline of future nanotechnologists. Microlithography is a critical processing step in the production of integrated circuits and devices, and developing a trained workforce in nanofabrication is vital to the economic and national security interests of the United States. Finally, structures created using this tool will be used in conjunction with the imaging laboratory at HPU for scientific outreach to local schools and museums in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina to spark an interest in the next generation of learners in the micro and nanoscopic world. This instrument will be used to train undergraduate students how to rapidly prototype micro- and nanostructures used in chemical sensing, optics, neuroscience studies, surface engineering and biomedical devices.<br/><br/><br/>This Major Research Instrumentation award is for the acquisition of a direct-write maskless photolithography tool for use by faculty and undergraduate researchers at High Point University in collaboration with faculty and undergraduate researchers at James Madison University and the and the University of Virginia. This lithography tool will enable the rapid prototyping of microstructures down to 0.6 µm in support of the researchers on the project team and will be made available to other investigators at regional primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) through the Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative (PUNC) as a resource to help further develop their microfabrication research and educational projects. This project will directly enable the rapid prototyping of microstructures in research projects ranging from polymer materials science to neuroscience. Specifically, these projects include the rapid prototyping of silicone-based microstructures for microfluidic applications and biofilm prevention, microcontact printing (µ-CP) of surfaces for grafting-from conductive polymer synthesis, microfabrication of silicon-based photodetectors, design and prototyping of nanoparticle-enhanced chemical sensing platforms, and rapid prototyping of microfluidic structures for neuroscience studies.<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.
