Central Lab for Micro- and Nanotechnology
The scientific and economic importance of nanotechnology continuous to grow at a fast pace. The prevalent Silicon based integrated circuits technology has diversified out of pure electronics and become a key enabling technology for silicon based integrated optics (Silicon Photonics), micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and lab-on-a-chip applications. Merging of these functionalities makes the silicon based material system a rich and versatile platform for the development of microsystems and the exploration of devices and physical properties at the nanoscale. Introduction of novel materials such as graphene and other 2D materials, novel transistor concepts and unconventional computing schemes such as quantum computing pave the way towards breaking down the limitations of current technology.
In order to allow access to a state-of-the-art research facility, to enable quick implementation of ideas in a highly competitive and dynamical research environment and to maintain a highly developed knowledge base, several research units within the physics department and the faculty of electrical engineering and information technology of RWTH Aachen University have agreed to set-up the shared user facilityCMNT – Central Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology – that will be open to new members either from RWTH Aachen University or external users from academia or industry.
Currently, CMNT is distributed over several labs in multiple institutes. In the near future the facility will be concentrated in a new building that will serve as the core micro-/nanotechnology facility at RWTH Aachen University.
The Lab is open for researchers from other institutions. For more information please see the Lab's website.