NTNU NanoLab
NTNU NanoLab
NTNU NanoLab is one of four cleanrooms within the national infrastructure, "The Norwegian Micro- and Nanofabrication Facility", NorFab. The facility is open for students and scientists at NTNU, as well as external researchers and start-up companies.
NTNU NanoLab is run by a staff of 9 engineers and operated according to hands-on principles. The infrastructure has a 700 m2 cleanroom with cleanliness ranging from ISO7 to ISO5 and vibration reduced zones at VCF-level. The cleanroom is also built according to GMO laboratory class 2 requirements.
Dedicated lab areas for
Cleanroom area for chemical methods
This area is designed for synthesis and characterization of surfaces and particles. It holds cleanroom class ISO 7 (10 000) and is equipped for the following processes:
Nanosynthesis of films and particles:
- Wet chemical methods (dip / spin coaters, microwave oven, Langmuir-Blodgett through)
- Hydrothermal synthesis (high temperature ovens, autoclaves)
Nanoparticle / structure separation (sentrifuges, ultrasonic disintegraters)
Nanoscale characterisation:
- AFM (Atomic Force Microscope ) in liquid or air
- SECM (Scanning Electrochemical Microscope)
- PSA (Particle size analysis)
- Nanosight
Additional facilities:
- Personal work places (benches, hoods, LAF benches)
- Access to glove boxes (N2, Ar) and Schlenk lines
- General laboratory equipment
- Chemicals: Standard bulk chemicals and consumables are offered. Specialized chemicals / consumables must be covered by the user.
Cleanroom area for synthesis and structuring by physical methods
This area is equipped for thin film growth, micro- and nanolithographic methods and various etching processes. The area holds cleanroom class ISO6 (1000) to ISO 5 (100).
The area is equipped for the following types of activities:
- UV lithography
- Electronbeam lithography (EBL)
- Nanoimprinting Metal deposition by thermal evaporation and and sputtering
- Deposition of dielectrics, oxides, nitrides and magnetic material
- Wet etching
- Dry etching (CAIBE, ICP-RIE)
Specialized equipment:
- Maskaligners for photolithography and nanoimprinting
- EBL for high resolution electron beam lithography over large areas
- Plasma etchers for chlorine and fluorine based etching (ICP-RIE)
- PECVD (Plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition)
- Thermal CVD (Chemical vapor deposition for graphene production)
- Equipment for HF-etching
- CAIBE (ion beam etcher) for etching any material
- Electron beam evaporators
- Sputter coater
Area for Bionanotechnology
This cleanroom area is dedicated to bionanotechnology and is equipped for nanoscale synthesis, manipulation and characterisation of biological molecules and processes. There are two darkrooms available for microscopy work. The area is classified as ISO7 (10 000) and is prepared for GMO laboratory class 2. This permits work with gene modified organisms which are potentially harmful for humans, animals or plants. Projects in this category will require specific classification.
The area is equipped for the following activities:
- Fabrication of nanostructured biopolymer surfaces through soft lithography and nanoimprinting.
- Fabrication and use of microfluidic devices.
- Use of microorganisms and cells within bionanotechnology.
- Functionalisation of organic and inorganic nanoparticles with biological molecules.
Equipment:
- Nanoimprinting and microcontact printing (soft lithography)
- Designated area for work with silanes and siloxanes (PDMS)
- Safety bench with laminar flow for extra cleanliness and safety when working with biological materials
- Fluorescense microscope
- Syringe pumps
The laboratory also has supporting equipment, such as spin coaters, centrifuges, ultra centrifuges, and standard laboratory equipment.
Area for Characterization
The area for characterization provides advanced microscopy and work stations for sample preparation. The cleanroom classification ranges from ISO7 to ISO5 depending on the instruments' requirements.
The area is equipped for the following activities:
- High resolution S(T)EM for imaging and material analysis (EDS)
- Focused ion beam (Dual beam FIB) for micro structuring, TEM-sample preparation and 3D reconstruction of materials, including material analysis (EDAX) and micromanipulators
- SEM (low vacuum) for fast and simple imaging and material analysis (EDS)
- Surface characterization with profilometer
- AFM in air, inert gas or liquid, at different temperatures. Mechanical probing.
- Sample preparation for electron microscopy (metal/carbon coating, UV/ozone cleaning)
Equipment:
- Scanning electron microscope combined with a focused ion beam (Dual beam FIB)
- Scanning electron microscope for high resolution imaging, including S(T)EM option
- Table top scanning electron microscope for fast, low resolution imaging
- Research AFM and student AFM
- Optical microscopes
- Profilometer
- Student STM
- Sputter coaters, plasma cleaner and UV/ozone cleaner
Area for Education
This area is classified as class ISO7 (10 000) and is dedicated to low resolution photolithography. It is used by both students and researchers.
The area is equipped for the following activities:
- Education in general photolithography.
- Experimental methods which are not approved for the cleaner photolithography area in the cleanroom.
Equipment:
- Full photolithography line including maskaligner, spincoater, hotplate, oven, reflectometer and a yellow light microscope.
- A chemical bench dedicated to work with acid/bases (water as solvent), including spinner and hotplate.
- A chemical bench dedicated to work with solvents, including spinner and hotplate.
Announcement: 2 PhD-projects within micro- and nanotechnology at NTNU
The Rector of NTNU has allocated 2 PhD-positions to the area of micro- and nanotechnology, with one year of dutywork at NTNU NanoLab. Permanent scientific staff at NTNU are hereby invited to submit research proposals describing how these positions can be used successfully to reach the goals of NTNU.
The full announcement text is given here.
The applications should be filed electronically by 23.59 on March 3, 2025.
The project description must be uploaded in the electronic application form using this form.
Cleanroom information
- Access to NTNU NanoLab
- Technologies and equipment
(NorFab web page) - Courses
- Prices (pricelist on NorFab web page)
- Support (NorFab web page)
Upcomming Eventes
Public trial lecture
Time: 28.112024, 10.15
Place: "Disputasrommet", Main Building, NTNU Gløshaugen
Prescribed subject: “Recent progress in electronic devices based on (anti)ferromagnetic domain walls”
Public defense of the thesis
Time: 28.112024,, 13.15
Place: "Disputasrommet", Main Building, NTNU Gløshaugen
Supervisors
Leonie Caroline Richarz has carried out his PhD work at the Dept of Materials Science and Engineering where Professor Dennis Meier has been the candidate’s supervisor and Professor Antonius Theodorus Johannes van Helvoort, Department of Physics, has been the candidate’s co-supervisor.
Public trial lecture
Time: 29.112024, 10.15
Place: S4, Sentralbygg 1, NTNU Gløshaugen
Prescribed subject: “The future of 4D STEM - the resolution vs sensitivity challenge and its application relevance”
Public defense of the thesis
Time: 29.112024, 13.15
Place: S4, Sentralbygg 1, NTNU Gløshaugen
SupervisorsThe doctoral work has been carried out at the Department of Physics, where Associate Professor Magnus Nord has been the candidate’s supervisor. Professor Antonius T. Van Helvoort has been the candidate’s co-supervisor.
NTNU NanoLab leads the national infrastructure NorFab
NTNU NanoLab is part of the Nordic Nanolab Network
NTNU NanoLab is part of the European Nanolab Network.
