Overview

Nanomanufacturing Sciences explores affordable digital (less than 32 nm) and mixed-signal (greater than 100 nm) manufacturing options that:

• Address critical Patterning, ESH, Factory System, and related metrology challenges;
• Enable sustainable, fabrication friendly, manufacturing systems design;
• Enable optimal factory utilization;
• Establish a foundational and predictive knowledge base for directed self-assembly and for tera-scale complex functional material fabrication of digital and analog components;
• Educate students and strengthen the academic infrastructure in nanomaterials and nanofabrication;
• Develop a strategic research portfolio that satisfies member needs and facilitates SRC's growth.

NMS addresses two nanomanufacturing grand challenges: 1. Demonstrate affordable/low variability digital/mixed signal nanomanufacturing options. 2. Apply interdisciplinary and bottom-up approaches that enable discovery of novel, high-risk, and radical alternatives to complex electronic materials design and fabrication. The specific focus is on nano-engineered materials with unique properties that enable continuation of functional scaling, where existing materials fail, and supports a research environment and portfolio that explores critical nanometer scale semiconductor manufacturing, facilitating a world-class student resource and measurable value through novel materials and manufacturing options.

Research Focus

The NMS Science Area consists of three thrusts:

PATTERNING

Patterning manages research in the areas of System Components, Masks, Imaging Materials, Metrology, and Modeling. The objectives of this thrust are affordable, high performance, low variability patterning options for advanced digital [less than or equal to 32nm] and analog/mixed signal [greater than or equal to 100nm] technologies.

ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY AND HEALTH

Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) explores and develops environmentally sound practices that can benefit the semiconductor industry and help safeguard the use of natural resources. The objective of the SRC/SEMATECH Joint ERC for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing is to uncover and explore tools, materials and process options that will enable high performance, environmentally benign semiconductor manufacturing for technologies.

FACTORY SYSTEMS

The FORCE II program (Factory Operations Research Center II) is the central focus of the Factory Systems thrust, and has been structured to include heavy involvement by member company customers and industry suppliers as well as researchers. It is a continuation of a collaborative research program, begun in 1997 between the Factory Sciences Program of Semiconductor Research Corporation, the Division of Design, Manufacture, and Industrial Innovation of the National Science Foundation, and the SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative. FORCe II jointly supports research activities directed at the development of innovative new operational methods that will enable factory performance to keep pace with ongoing technical advances in equipment and processes, increases in wafer sizes, and the increasing complexity of semiconductor supply chain.

Science Area Management

Science Area Director

Robert Havemann

Science Area Coordinating Committee

The NMS SACC works with the Science Area Director to develop the annual Strategic and Operations Plans, solicit and evaluate university research proposals based on needs documents developed by member task forces, conduct periodic reviews of sponsored university research, and sponsor technical reviews and transfer courses for members and university participants.

Technical Advisory Boards

The TABs in Patterning, ESH, Factory Systems, and Nanoengineered Materials assist in solicitations and evaluating work in these areas.