The Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) at The University of New Mexico has acquired two electron beam lithography (EBL) systems, marking the first time this technology is available at an academic institution in New Mexico. This purchase was made possible by a three-year Major Research Instrumentation grant from the National Science Foundation totaling nearly $2 million.
Francesca Cavallo, investigator and associate director of CHTM, emphasized the uniqueness of these instruments in the region. “This is a unique instrument for the region; no academic institution in New Mexico has it. EBL systems housed in local national laboratories and user facilities are not widely available to all users,” Cavallo said. “Ours will be broadly accessible, and used for research, education, and outreach.”
Electron beam lithography uses a focused electron beam to write extremely small features—about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair—directly onto hard materials. According to CHTM, this new capability will expand research possibilities across disciplines such as photonics, electronics, and quantum information science while supporting innovation and collaboration throughout UNM and other institutions.
Cavallo added: “At the center, we can do nearly everything from materials and device designs to fabrication of these materials and designs, but we were limited until now. These tools are what we were missing to move our science and technology development forward.”
Over the past decade, CHTM has received several equipment grants that have increased its research capacity. In 2018, another NSF MRI grant allowed the center to acquire a Magnetic Property Measurement System for studying magnetic properties of materials with an award amounting to approximately $385,000. In 2017, a $440,000 grant from the U.S. Army Research Office enabled CHTM to purchase a high-resolution X-ray diffractometer used for researching advanced thin-film and nanoscale materials relevant to Department of Defense projects. Additionally, a 2015 NSF MRI grant worth more than $550,000 provided funding for an inductively coupled plasma etcher that allows precise patterning on semiconductor materials.
The newly acquired e-beam writing and imaging systems will be accessible not only to UNM students, staff, and faculty but also to external users including other universities, local businesses, and national laboratories. For further information about using these systems or collaborative opportunities at CHTM, interested parties can contact Lead Investigator Francesca Cavallo at fcavallo@unm.edu.
