Electron-Beam Lithography System Will Help Create Designer Materials for Use in Fields of Medicine and Electronics

Irvine, Calif., July 30, 2002 -- With a $360,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, UC Irvine will establish an advanced lithography research facility in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering to aid emerging nanotechnology work by engineering, physics and chemistry faculty.

The ultra-high resolution electron beam lithography system will allow UCI researchers to design and process novel materials the size of individual atoms and molecules. These materials will eventually be used for the development of molecular electronics, micro-electro-mechanical systems and biomedical devices, such as a thumbnail-sized "lab on a chip."

"This facility is a major advance in UCI's research capacity in the nanotechnology field, and it will allow us to move into whole new areas of work," said Peter Burke, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and lead researcher on the grant.

Nanolithography employs an electron beam, which can fabricate and write patterns on materials at the scale of 20 nanometers, or roughly the size of a large molecule, such as a single DNA or protein molecule. For example, electron beam lithography can be used to make electrical circuits out of wires and tubes made from chains of molecules. These circuits are being proposed for the development of many molecular-sized technologies, such as biosensor devices that can analyze or mediate the function of systems within the human body.

The ultra-high resolution electron beam lithography system will become part of the Samueli School's Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, directed by G.P. Li, professor of electrical and computer engineering. The total cost of the lithography project is approximately $769,000, which includes funds from the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology [Cal-(IT)2], The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, the School of Physical Sciences and the Vice Chancellor for Research. Burke and Li are research members of Cal-(IT)2, a multi-disciplinary partnership between UCI and UC San Diego seeking to ensure that California maintains its leadership in the telecommunications and information technology marketplace. Li is layer leader of the Cal-(IT)2 materials and devices research area at UCI.

Other researchers on the grant are Abraham Lee, professor of biomedical engineering; Reginald Penner, professor of chemistry; and Wilson Ho, the Donald Bren Professor of Physics and Astronomy & Chemistry.

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering encompasses five departments: biomedical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, chemical engineering and materials science, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering. The school also is home to numerous research centers, including the Center for Pervasive Communications and the National Fuel Cell Research Center. Additional information is available here.

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