Current Abstract still valid
The Center for Nanoscale Systems for Information Technologies (CNS) assembled and enabled interdisciplinary research teams to pursue innovative research that has substantially advanced the development of nanoscale electronic, photonic, and magnetic devices and systems, which, collectively, have the prospects of revolutionizing future high-performance electronics, information storage, communications, and sensor technologies. In parallel with this research mission, CNS sought to attract, educate, and mentor substantial numbers of a diverse population of students, at all levels, in both introductory and advanced topics in nanoscale science and engineering, including ethical and societal issues, while also reaching out to assist and support K-12 teachers and institutions in their science education programs. Intellectual Merit Major research accomplishments have been have been achieved in all three of the CNS technology research thrust areas: Nanoelectronics, Nanophotonics, and Nanomagnetics, and important advances have also been made in the development and application of powerful and innovative tools for Nanocharacterization and of new techniques for Nanoprocessing. Substantial numbers of a diverse population of top-quality students, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, have been attracted to and educated in nanoscale science and engineering – both in the classroom, and in the teaching and research laboratories. Results from our efforts are being broadly disseminated to industry, to the research communities nationally and internationally, and to the public. Our efforts to assist and support K-12 teachers and their home institutions in their science education programs has had broad, state-wide and nation-wide impact by effectively conveying nanoscience and engineering (NSE) and related science concepts and hands-on learning kits to well over a thousand high school teachers for use in their classrooms. Broader Impact: Undoubtedly the most important benefit to the nation from CNS, apart from the research findings and the economic and societal benefit that will result from this research, will be the substantial numbers of top quality graduate students and postdoctoral associates who are obtaining advanced education in cutting-edge NSE research topics. These young researchers received extensive practical training in state-of-the-art nanofabrication, nanocharacterization, and nanoprocessing technologies and have served as the most effective means of transferring CNS results and knowledge to the eventual end-users of the CNS research. All of the institutions and faculty members who participated in CNS were strongly committed to broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering. This commitment to diversity combined with the attractiveness of the nanotechnology area for beginning students enabled us to reach out effectively in recruiting students from underrepresented sectors of the population. CNS undertook substantial efforts to introduce students to the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology, educated them in advanced NSE topics, and encouraged and prepared them to pursue careers in NSE fields. A notable effort has been the successful development of an introductory college-level course in NSE that includes a major hands-on laboratory component, which elucidates and compellingly demonstrates NSE concepts and techniques. The CNS graduate student mentoring program (CAPES) proved to be highly effective and greatly appreciated by graduate students in the engineering and physical science disciplines from across the Cornell campus. This program provided students a realistic and unbiased view of academic and non-academic career opportunities and helped them understand and prepare for the demands of high-level careers in engineering and science and encouraged and assisted them to successfully pursue such careers. In the area of educational outreach, the CNS Institute for Physics Teachers (CIPT) provided each year a number of on-campus and off-campus one-day workshops for high-school science teachers on NSE related topics. This included two intensive summer courses for high school physics teachers in which typically forty teachers participated in each course, which spanned a total of three weeks. In addition, 40 high school classroom lab activities were developed by joint teams of CNS researchers and high school teachers. Over the course of the funding period, we estimate that the kits from the CNS lending libraries were used by more than 30,000 students. CNS workshops and summer courses have attracted the enthusiastic participation of close to 2000 different teachers from across the nation, which included more than 50% of all the high school physics teachers in New York State. Economic and Societal Benefit: The objective of CNS was to pursue nanoscale science and engineering research that had the potential of producing major advances in information technologies and hence of having substantial economic and societal benefit in the long term. As a central part of our research and knowledge transfer strategy, there is strong industrial involvement including: IBM, Lucent, Corning, Panasonic, and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies.
