The development of three-dimensional (3D) printing has allowed custom manufacturing of complex objects with millimeter resolution. Recent advances have enabled 3D patterning of the critical dimensions of materials and devices to the submicron scale. This project will acquire a Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2 system to be deployed at the Microelectronic Research Center of Iowa State University. The Nanoscribe is a computer-controlled pattern generator coupled with a 3D printer to produce accurate materials, structures, and devices with a minimum feature size five hundred times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. The Nanoscribe will allow researchers to conduct transformative research in diverse science and engineering areas, such as biomedicine, agriculture, energy, photonics, defense, and advanced manufacturing. This instrument will also promote the integration of research and teaching by using the Nanoscribe in multiple laboratory classes taught by the investigators. The instrument will enrich programs that develop the next-generation STEM workforce and help to broaden the participation of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Many undergraduates will participate in the research through REU projects and as part of their senior design projects. There will be a strong emphasis on recruiting women and students from underrepresented minorities in STEM. The education of students in STEM disciplines will be aided by hands-on demonstrations and by providing high school teachers the opportunity to use the instrument and conduct research.
The Nanoscribe instrument will enable an array of new research projects in the area of micro-nano science and technology, including multimodal wearable sensors to monitor critical parameters in precision agriculture, portable exosome-based biomarker screening devices integrated with micro-optics, photonic crystals and CMOS imaging sensors, metamaterials and metadevices with functionalities attained through the exploitation of sub-wavelength scale structures to manipulate lights, biodegradable nerve regeneration structures for efficient peripheral nerve repairs, engineered cell microenvironment, soft matter-based electronics, bioinspired adhesives, microrobotic actuators, photovoltaic devices with printed high-aspect-ratio microgrooves, high-efficiency triboelectric energy harvesting materials, and high-performance X-ray collimator with nanogrooves. The instrument will promote multidisciplinary collaborations between engineers and scientists within the departments, across Iowa State University, and beyond the institution. The capabilities of the instrument will become apparent to undergraduate and graduate students and postdoc researchers in the areas of advanced manufacturing, internet-of-things sensors, energy harvesting materials and devices, biomedical devices and instruments, soft electronics, and condensed matter physics at Iowa State University. The instrument will help Iowa State University to become a regional hub for high-resolution 3D printing support to researchers in the State of Iowa.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
