Test Beds in the CHM

The test beds are the heart of process and platform development where promising concepts transition from laboratory results into reliable, rapid, high-yield and transferable methodologies for nanostructure fabrication. CHM partnerships with commercial fabrication tool and process suppliers as well as a targeted Industry Advisory Board for the effort provide mechanisms by which these techniques may be widely distributed for use by the broader nanomanufacturing community. The center piece of the CHM test beds is a roll-to-roll process facility for self-assembled materials and devices, including micro-gravure and roll-to-roll nanoimprint tools for preparing 30-to-1000 nm thick, ordered polymer and hybrid films. These efforts include demonstration projects in polymer batteries, aligned carbon nanotube composites for separations and electronics, flexible media for data storage and flexible photovoltaics. The projects are arrayed in order of increasing complexity and will drive development, illustrate capability and foster commercialization of the platform. Success will be a driver for the introduction of nanotechnology enabled devices to the market by aligning manufacturing costs with market tolerance. Test beds for cost effective nanomanufacturing of next generation devices based on other technologies, including on-chip, modular arrays of functional nanochannels for biomolecule separation and detection, will be promptly introduced as prototypes emerge from Technical Research Group research.  The CHM is currently operating Test Bed 3: Roll-to-Roll Processing.

• Test Bed 1: Self Assembled Polymer Templates for Device Applications using Si Wafer and Roll to Roll Processing Platforms
• Test Bed 2: Hierarchical Metal Oxide Films
• Test Bed 3: Roll-to-Roll Processing