WWW.MNTL.ILLINOIS.EDU MNTL MICRO AND NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY DEDICATION Thursday, September 4, 2008 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN MNTL MICRO AND NANOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY DEDICATION Thursday, September 4, 2008 Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory Dedication September 4, 2008 Dedication of the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory Celebrating completion of an $18 million,state-funded expansion of one of the nation’s premier research laboratories for Micro and Nanoelectronics, Nanophotonics and Optoelectronics, Nanomedicine and BioNanotechnology, and MEMS/NEMS and Integrated Systems research. Dedication of the “Light Array Rhythm Catcher” by S.Thomas Scarff Celebrating art inspired by LED technology advanced at the University of Illinois. Remarks & Ribbon Cutting Ilesanmi Adesida Dean, College of Engineering Board of Trustees State of Illinois B. Joseph White President, University of Illinois Capital Development Board Richard Herman Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Rashid Bashir Director, Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory Balloon Launch Students from Campus Middle School for Girls Special Guests Arden Bement Jr. Director, National Science Foundation and Keynote Speaker for the CNST Nanotechnology Workshop Robert Leheny Deputy Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Co-keynote Speaker at the CNST Nanotechnology Workshop Tours Guided tours of the building will begin in the atrium and include some of the cleanrooms, nanoelectronics and photonics, and bionanotechnology laboratories. Video Historical highlights are presented on the plasma screen in the atrium. Luncheon Preregistration required. Please check registration materials for directions. Note: This year the University of Illinois Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) Annual Nanotechnology Workshop is being held in conjunction with the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory Dedication. The workshop will resume following the ceremony in the afternoon. Registrants should check packets for instructions. www.cnst.illinois.edu The Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory In the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, researchers from around the world work to improve and invent novel devices and develop applications that are in high demand by industry and consumers in the state, the nation, and around the world. This is the kind of research that makes satellite communications, computers, telephones, display panels, and other devices more powerful, more efficient, and more reliable. It is the basis for new kinds of biosensors for advanced drug discovery, new vaccine delivery strategies, and faster, more cost-effective DNA sequencing techniques. Research in this laboratory is expected to lead to new industries and spur economic development. The Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory is rooted in the visionary work of two-time Nobel Laureate John Bardeen, renowned for research leading to the invention of the transistor and for the theory of superconductivity in the 1950s. Professor Bardeen’s work was further advanced by his first graduate student, Nick Holonyak, Jr., who established a solid-state devices research lab on campus in 1963. Building on a reputation for excellence and innovation, the University of Illinois quickly became a leader in academic research on gallium arsenide and other compound semiconductors, as well as optoelectronic devices and systems. Bardeen’s and Holonyak’s research contributions to transistors and light emitting diodes (LEDs) have led to several multi-billion dollar industries. In the early 1980s, the state of Illinois committed $3.5 million to modify a campus building for microelectronics research. Senior leaders from industry advised the state and university to “invest seriously” in the future of microelectronics research, and the state committed an additional $10 million for a new building. Construction began in July 1987, and the new the Microelectronics Laboratory was dedicated in October 1989. The new laboratory was envisioned as a multidisciplinary facility for investigating new concepts in optical and electronic materials, devices, and systems based on gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, and other group III-V compound semiconductors. Under Director Gregory E. Stillman’s leadership, the Microelectronics Laboratory became home to a National Science Foundation (NSF) engineering research center, which in 1988-89 were led by Joseph Verdeyen. Photography: James Vattano In 1989, Stephen G. Bishop succeeded Stillman, and Verdeyen as director of the Microelectronics Laboratory, and served in that capacity until 2000, when he was succeeded by Ilesanmi Adesida. In the early years of the new century, Adesida, now Dean of the College of Engineering, shepherded the laboratory through an expansion of its mission in response to the growing use of exotic materials and new techniques in the engineering and biology disciplines. Kent Choquette led the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory for about two years during its recent transition. In 2007, he was succeeded by Rashid Bashir, who now serves as the director. The Microelectronics Laboratory was renamed the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory to signal a broader capacity for research in the areas of biotechnology, microelectronics, nanotechnology, and photonics. In 2000-01, the college began forming the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) collaboratory, to facilitate the development of campus- wide multidisciplinary teams for conducting nanotechnology research and development. These efforts led to the establishment of the NSF-funded Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems in 2003, and the National Cancer Institute-funded Siteman Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, co-located at Illinois, in 2005. In recent years, collaborative work conducted by Milton Feng and Holonyak yielded a novel type of device—the light emitting transistor (LET). Research on lasers has focused on novel types of devices, such as patterned quantum dot lasers and narrow linewidth diode laser arrays by James Coleman’s research group, and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photonic crystal lasers by Choquette’s research team. In other areas of the laboratory, Director Bashir is conducting research to develop nanotechnology-based solutions to solve biomedical problems for diagnostics, therapeutics, and tissue engineering. Brian Cunningham is working at the intersection of nanotechnology, biology, electromagnetics, and optics to develop technology that impacts health care, the life sciences, agriculture, and the environment. Irfan Ahmad’s research in bionanotechnology has focused on the design and development of NEMS for plant pathogenesis, evaluating plant extracts for nanomedicine cancer research, and development of sensors for environment-friendly agriculture. Adesida’s research group is investigating the processing of semiconductors and other materials at the nanometer scale level and applying these techniques to the realization of ultra-high speed optoelectronic devices and circuits. K. C. Hsieh has contributed to semiconductor materials and characterization, while K.Y.Cheng’s research focuses on the research and development of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). S. L. Chuang’s research includes quantum-dot and quantum-well semiconductor devices for slow light or wavelength conversion. The central theme of Kanti Jain’s research is to advance the state-of-the-art in micro and optoelectronics and microsystem devices by developing and exploiting novel micro/nano- fabrication technologies. Lynford Goddard is building high-speed chip-scale monolithic photonic systems. Eric Pop’s research focuses on power dissipation challenges in integrated circuits, taking a “bottom-up” approach while looking at electrical and thermal transport in nanometer- scale devices. Xiuling Li recently demonstrated a new direction in the growth of III-V nanotubes and nanowires utilizing strained planar bilayers released from a substrate to form III-V nanotubes. Recently arrived Logan Liu will focus on developing synthetic molecular optical imaging probes by combining chemical/biological synthesis and physical fabrication techniques. Today, with the expansion of state-of-the-art cleanrooms and space for innovative collaborations, the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory is distinctively positioned to respond to new challenges and opportunities at the intersection of biology and micro and nanotechnology. The recently completed $18 million Illinois state-funded expansion will enable research groups to build on the rich history of innovation, excellence, and leadership—to address critical technical and societal challenges and create new opportunities for the betterment of society, and help prepare the next generation workforce. The MNTL has also seen Epiworks, Xindium, and other startups initiated by researchers working at MNTL grow into profit-making ventures. Faculty members are involved in various capacities with several other startups and companies. As a College of Engineering full user research and training facility, the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, has become the preeminent laboratory, available to researchers around campus and from academic institutions, industry, and government organizations around the world interested in Nanophotonics and Optoelectronics, Micro and Nanoelectronics, Nanomedicine and BioNanotechnology, and MEMS/NEMS and Integrated Systems. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN MNTL LIGHT ARRAY/RHYTHM CATCHER DEDICATION