High-resolution Electron Beam Lithography Critical Mass Grant

Nanotechnology is a significant enabling research activity at both a national and international level. Concerned with the manipulation and arrangement of material on the nanometre-scale, the transformative possibilities of this field are immense for the physical, biological and medical sciences and their allied industrial and clinical applications. The universities of Leeds, York and Sheffield have an exceptionally strong international record of research and research-led teaching in nanotechnology and represent a strong regional focus in the UK in this field. Much research is carried out collaboratively and inter-disciplinarily in well-resourced and sustainably managed facilities.However, despite the strength of such existing activities, it is clear that certain capabilities require an urgent and substantial transformation if we are to continue to offer internationally competitive research in this field over the next decade. Specifically - and the objective of this proposal - there is a pressing need to establish a state-of-the-art electron-beam lithography machine for fabrication of structures with a <10 nm resolution, with highly reproducible stitching and overlay accuracy <20 nm. The proposed facility would not only be unique in the region, but will also be leading both in the UK and internationally. It will meet the future needs of researchers over the next decade and beyond, allow us to capitalise on previous investments, grow research income from a wide variety of sources, attract and retain the highest calibre staff in the UK, and build a capability to develop a skill-set for ambitious, adventurous and transformative research, and exploitation. Furthermore, it will act as a focus in the region, drawing in researchers from industry and other universities for collaborative programmes. Such direct engagement with industry will open up routes for further investment as well as exploitation of new science and technology. A wide range of research will benefit, much cross-disciplinary; immediate exemplars, drawing upon proven track records of the investigators, include research into nanomagnetism, spintronics, bio-nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, single-molecule devices, and high-frequency electronics, inter alia. During this programme, the facility will be used to support both a range of existing grants, and to underpin future grants, many of which cannot be contemplated without the planned enhancement in capability.Significant contributions to this project (41% of the overall project value) have been secured from the University of Leeds, where the new facility will be based, Yorkshire Forward (the regional development agency), and the electron beam lithography instrument manufacturer. The latter two contributions will be combined to provide funding for 10 PhD studentships to aid uptake of the instrument from researchers across the region, enable pump-priming proving research to be carried out, draw industrial involvement into the project, and increase the availability of skilled personnel at a world leading level to facilitate high technology development. The strong industrial support for this programme is evidenced by letters of intent provided both by international companies (eg Hitachi, Intel, Seagate, Toshiba), and local SMEs (eg Aptuscan).

The ability to manipulate, control and measure matter routinely on the nanometre scale is creating substantial opportunities both for basic research and for exploitation. It is estimated that by 2015, products incorporating nanotechnology will contribute approximately US$1trillion to the global economy. The UK has about a 10% share of the market, but to retain or grow this share, the UK must maintain a competitive science and engineering platform from which to innovate new products and services. The universities of Leeds, York and Sheffield have an exceptionally strong international record of research, research-led teaching, and the translation of research to end-users in nanotechnology, and represent a substantial regional focus in the UK in this field. While significant infrastructure is available in the region, it is clear that certain capabilities require an urgent and substantial transformation if we are to continue to offer internationally competitive research in this field to the UK over the next decade. There is a pressing need for the region to establish a state-of-the-art electron-beam lithography facility for fabrication of structures with a <10 nm resolution, with highly reproducible stitching and overlay accuracy <20 nm. The regional aspect is underlined by the strong strategic and financial support (300k) to this programme from the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, who recognize that it is crucial to maintain world class scientific infrastructure in UK universities both as a means of encouraging new private and publically funded research investment, and to encourage and retain world-leading academic activities. The strong industrial and end-user support for this programme is evidenced by letters of intent provided both by large international companies as well as local SMEs, and this provides a mechanism for translation of research to the end-user community. PhD and PDRA researchers will be trained in the use of the facility and in transferrable skills associated with nanodevice processing, and characterization and measurement techniques, which will increase the availability of skilled scientists in the UK. We will establish a new cohort of 10 PhD studentships over the five-year project, funded by the instrument manufacturer and the Regional Development Agency. Half of these studentships will be used for collaborative projects that include an industrial partner, to help draw end-user involvement into the research, open up routes for further investment into academic programmes, and provide opportunities for researchers to disseminate results to industry, increasing the impact and uptake of their efforts. We will hold six-monthly half-day Workshops, attended by university and industrial personnel involved in the sub-projects. Each year, one of these Workshops will coincide with a Industrial Oversight Meeting, to which representatives from the participating companies, EPSRC, and Yorkshire Forward will be invited, allowing their input into the project for the subsequent year. Two Open Days will also be held to which a wide range of users from industry and academia will be invited. The collaborating universities all have formal structures in place to protect and exploit IP, and to engage users and beneficiaries to increase the likelihood of research impact. For example, at Leeds, the University Research Support and University of Leeds Knowledge and Innovation Unit underpin establishment of research contracts, knowledge- transfer, patents, and licensing issues. The Leeds Faculty of Engineering Keyworth Institute develops links between the Schools' research and development capabilities and appropriate business and industry. The Institute has a dedicated Enterprise Team, who will be fully involved with this project, helping to ensure that potential beneficiaries of research outputs are identified, information is disseminated, and knowledge transferred in the most effective ways possible.