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Scientists engineer a functional optical lens out of 2D materials | UW News

Arka Majumdar, a UW assistant professor of physics and of electrical and computer engineering and faculty member in the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems, published a new paper in the journal Nano Letters announcing that his group, in collaboration with researchers at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, has constructed functional metalenses that are one-tenth to one-half the thickness of the wavelengths of light that they focus. Their metalenses, which were constructed out of layered 2D materials, were as thin as 190 nanometers — less than 1/100,000ths of an inch thick. The team’s prototype metalenses were all built at WNF.

Introducing a Higher Resolution 3D Printer

Researchers and engineers across many fields, including optics, medicine, fluidics and mechanics, are increasingly interested in creating nanoscale parts for a variety of different applications. However, conventional equipment cannot fabricate three-dimensional nanostructures with sufficiently high resolution. The Washington Nanofabrication Facility is excited to offer users access to the Nanoscribe 3D Printer, a cutting-edge lithography system that produces unique 3D structures with 500nm resolution. This two-photon laser writer allows for additive manufacturing and maskless lithography within the same device. Its high…

Making humanity’s challenges smaller and smaller: UW launches Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems | UW News

Former WNF director Karl Bohringer is leading new nanotechnology institute dedicated to the development of solutions to the field’s most pressing challenges: the manufacturing of scalable, high-yield nano-engineered systems for applications in information processing, energy, health and interconnected life.

WNF celebrates completion of $37M remodel project

On October 24, 2017, The University of Washington National Nanotechnology Coordinated Structure (NNCI) Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF) officially opened the doors of its remodeled facility – a 15,000 square-foot space that offers an open-access cleanroom and expert resources to users. The environment further enhances the shared discovery and dissemination of new technologies focused on nanotechnology and fabrication processes.

Flexible ‘skin’ can help robots, prosthetics perform everyday tasks by sensing shear force | UW News

Engineers from the University of Washington and UCLA have developed a flexible sensor “skin” that can be stretched over any part of a robot’s body or prosthetic to accurately convey information about shear forces and vibration that are critical to successfully grasping and manipulating objects. The new stretchable electronic skin was manufactured at the UW’s Washington Nanofabrication Facility. It is made from the same silicone rubber used in swimming goggles. The rubber is embedded with tiny serpentine channels — roughly half the width of a human hair — filled with electrically conductive liquid metal that won’t crack or fatigue when the skin is stretched, as solid wires would do.

Call for Nominations – Womxn in Nanotechnology and Science (WINS) Speaker Series

The WNF requests recommendations for speakers for our new Womxn in Nanotechnology and Science (WINS) Speaker Series. Thanks to a generous gift from the Washington Research Foundation, the WNF will launch a quarterly speaker series focusing on women’s expertise and career accomplishments in Nanotechnology and Science. Our main goal is to reach out to and spike curiosity among womxn students towards careers in Nanotech and Science. Nominations may be from any field within these areas, but whatever the specialty, the…

WNF and Nano-ES Institute Logo Contest

Calling all users, artists, and inspired community members! The Washington Nanofabrication Facility and the new Institute for Nano-Engineering Systems (Nano-ES) are looking for a new visual identity and need your help. We are seeking current WNF students, users, and staff who can design two creative, innovative and professional logo designs. The logos should be recognizable and help promote each facility’s mission, as follows: “UW WNF’s primary purpose is to provide an open-access facility that enables users to leverage tools and…

WNF Hosts 1st NNCI Community Appreciation Night

    On October 31st, 2016 the WNF held the first NNCI Community Appreciation event at the UW Club on Monday, October 31, 2016. The National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure is a network of open technology laboratory user facilities, supported by the NSF. In the Northwest, it is composed by the University of Washington (WNF and MAF) and Oregon State University (ATAMI and MaSC), all of which had representatives at the celebration. We were thrilled to host our users, staff and their families…