Birck Nanotechnology Center

Opened: 2005

Cost: $58 million

Address

Birck Nanotechnology Center
1205 Mitch Daniels Blvd.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2057

Major Funding

Michael J. and Katherine R. (Kay) Birck, Don and Carol Scifres, William B. and Mary Jane Elmore, and Kevin G. Hall

Space

Birck Nanotechnology Center offers 186,000 square feet of space, including a 25,000 square foot ISO Class 3-4-5 (Class 1-10-100) nanofabrication cleanroom space for the Scifres Nanotechnology Laboratory, and another 25,000 square feet of laboratories for fabrication & analysis A portion of the cleanroom is configured as a biological/pharmaceutical cleanroom to facilitate bionanotechnology research in collaboration with Bindley Bioscience Center. Key facilities such as surface analysis, nanometrology, electron microscopy, molecular beam and atomic layer deposition, nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, bionanotechnology cleanroom, and femtosecond laser characterization support a wide variety of research.

Programs

The Birck Nanotechnology Center provides support for the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) as well as its nanoHUB website. Within the center are 170 faculty research groups and 200 resident graduate students from 15 different academic units working on nanomaterial growth and deposition; nanoscale metrology; nanoelectronics and spintronics; nano and quantum photonics; micro/nano electromechanical systems; energy conversion; nanometrology; bionanotechnology, biomedical devices and lab-on-a-chip; lyophilization; smart- film printing and the development of Internet of Things devices; and computational nanotechnology in collaboration with nanoHUB, a collaborative science and engineering platform.

Unique Features

Birck's highly collaborative atmosphere is supported by functionally designated labs, including space for industry partners and companies. The facility includes the fabrication-teaching lab in Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory for advanced undergraduate students. Birck offers the opportunity for external companies to access laboratory space and expertise. Mihail Roco of the National Science Foundation called Birck "the epitome of a university-based research facility focusing on the growing discipline of nanotechnology."

Contact

Mark Voorhis, Building Manager
765-494-3035
mvoorhis@purdue.edu

Mary Jo Totten, Building Logistics Coordinator
765-496-1173
totten@purdue.edu