The objective of this research is to use a chlorine based reactive ion etcher for a variety of micro and nanofabrication projects at Brigham Young University. Six existing projects will be immediately affected and many future projects will be benefited by the new reactive ion etch capabilities. The approach is to acquire and install a chlorine based reactive ion etcher in the cleanroom facility at Brigham Young University. The machine will be fully characterized and then made available to campus-wide researchers and for graduate and undergraduate laboratory classes.
Intellectual merit: The research supported by a reactive ion etcher will be multidisciplinary in nature and will include new chemical and biological sensors with integrated photonics and microfluidics, DNA-templated nanofabrication, patterned microchannels for ultrahydrophobic surfaces, RF MEMS switches with improved response times and current carrying capability, and high temperature fiber sensors.
Broader Impact: The new machine and cleanroom will aid in the recruitment of underrepresented minority students to engineering and science fields through an existing program designed to prepare minority high school students for college and careers. This program brings hundreds of students to the Brigham Young University campus during the summer and includes interactions with the cleanroom facility. Outreach programs aimed at science teachers and their students will also be enhanced by giving participants hands-on encounters with the very leading edge of science and technology. Finally, the reactive ion etcher will impact nearby universities and technology companies, as it will provide a valuable resource never before available in the State of Utah.
