Building a career at the nanoscale

Ana Constantin joins Facebook after three years of undergraduate and professional experience at the Washington Nanofabrication Facility April 30, 2021 As a sophomore majoring in biochemistry at the University of Washington, Ana Constantin was searching for opportunities to apply her knowledge and gain real-world experience to prepare her for the job market. Through the UW Career Center’s Handshake tool, she applied to the Undergraduate Lab Assistant program at UW’s Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF) and joined the lab in June 2018….

Undergrads: Apply today to be a WNF Research Assistant

We have an exciting opportunity for undergrads looking to gain experience working in a cleanroom! Our undergrad research assistants ensure WNF operations run smoothly by tracking and stocking inventory of chemicals and supplies, auditing and upkeep of cleanroom specifications and standards, and carrying out data entry and record keeping. In addition to on-the-job training from our research engineers, research assistants also have opportunities to network with professionals in advanced electronics, nanotechnology, semiconductor, and fabrication related job markets.

WNF seeks a Lithography Engineer

The WNF Lithography Engineer will be responsible for routine and directed research support, baseline process monitoring, equipment checks, basic maintenance, and user training and assistance in support of WNF’s electron beam lithography process line and, secondarily, its photolithography lines, enabling high resolution research processes for WNF’s interdisciplinary and widely varied users, both local and on a contracted fabrication basis. RESPONSIBILITIES:• Improve time-to-train by assuming primary responsibility for training new users while ensuring the necessary level of thoroughness to prevent risks…

A new kind of lens for tiny cameras

In a paper published in Nature Microsystems & Nanoengineering, a UW Electrical and Computer Engineering research team, led by professor Karl Böhringer, director of the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems, and associate professor Arka Majumdar, describes a new type of micro-optical device fabricated in the WNF.

WNF seeks a Fabrication/Equipment Service Engineer

The Fabrication/Equipment Service Engineer will be responsible for equipment troubleshooting, facilities infrastructure monitoring and support, baseline process monitoring, tool ownership, and executing contract manufacturing efforts. RESPONSIBILITIES: • Assume primary responsibility, in partnership with management, for monitoring and coordinating infrastructure and facilities level maintenance and repair needs across nanofabrication facility, including plumbing, electrical, gas lines, HVAC, cooling water, and other utilities. • Assume primary responsibility for calibration, maintenance, repair and servicing of complex equipment used in nanofabrication, including but not limited…

UW nanotechnology infrastructure gets a boost from National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the University of Washington and Oregon State University a five-year, $5 million grant to advance nanoscale science, engineering, and technology research in the Pacific Northwest. Known as the Northwest Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NNI), the UW and OSU partnership is one of 16 sites in the NSF’s National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) program providing researchers from academia and industry access to leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools at university facilities. NNI facilities at the UW include the WNF and the Molecular Analysis Facility (MAF).

User spotlight: Zheyi Han creates miniaturized optical systems for 3D imaging and biomedical diagnostics

Gowned woman points to wafers in nanofabrication cleanroom

Electrical and computer engineering Ph.D candidate Zheyi Han has been a part of the WNF community as both a student worker and as a graduate research assistant for over five years. In this Q&A, she tells us about her research integrating micro-electromechanical systems into compact optical systems. She also shares her hopes of joining an industrial research lab after graduation.

Staff Spotlight: Sarice Jones, WNF Research Engineer

Sarice Jones is one of our newest staff members! Sarice helps ensure our equipment operates smoothly so that the users who depend on these tools for their work have reliable access to them. In the past, she has used and maintained a range of house-built fabrication equipment, teaching her the ins and outs of many complex fabrication tools. She joined WNF as a research engineer in October 2019.

Quantum Edge

The UW’s strengths in photonics, materials science, physics and electrical and computer engineering give it an edge in pursuing quantum science. Resources such as the Washington Nanofabrication Facility also help, as does the College of Engineering’s strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Learn more about how the QuantumX initiative is helping move the UW into the coming Quantum Age.

Optics startup Tunoptix wins federal grant to develop metalenses for imaging satellites at WNF

A portion of the team’s experimental setup for capturing an image using a metalens. The researchers capture an image of flowers through a metalens (mounted on a microscope slide) and visualize it through a microscope.

Tunoptix, an optics startup co-founded by University of Washington (UW) electrical and computer engineering professors Karl Böhringer and Arka Majumdar, was awarded $223,000 in Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop metasurface lenses (or metalenses) for imaging in satellites at the UW Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF).