The Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) at The University of New Mexico has added two cutting-edge instruments to its research arsenal, marking a first for the university. This significant advancement was made possible through a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The three-year grant, totaling nearly $2 million, allowed CHTM to buy two electron beam lithography (EBL) systems with writing and imaging capabilities.

“This is a unique instrument for the region; no academic institution in New Mexico has it. EBL systems housed in local national laboratories and user facilities are not widely available to all users,” said Francesca Cavallo, investigator and associate director of CHTM. “Ours will be broadly accessible, and used for research, education, and outreach.”

The tool uses a focused electron beam—similar to a pen—to write extremely small features (i.e, ~10,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair) directly onto hard materials. This capability will significantly expand research across multiple disciplines, including photonics, electronics, and quantum information science, while fostering innovation and collaboration throughout the university and beyond. 

"At the center, we can do nearly everything from materials and device designs to fabrication of these materials and designs, but we were limited until now. These tools are what we were missing to move our science and technology development forward," Cavallo said. 

This is one of several equipment grants CHTM has received in the last decade, demonstrating the facility's increasing capabilities and the importance of these federal financial awards. 

  1. Through a previous MRI grant from the NSF in 2018, the center acquired a Magnetic Property Measurement System (MPMS), an instrument used to measure the magnetic properties of materials. The award totals approximately $385,000. 
  2. A 2017 grant of nearly $440,000 from the U.S. Army Research Office enabled the acquisition of a high-resolution X-ray diffractometer, facilitating research on the growth and characterization of advanced epitaxial thin-film and nanoscale materials related to the Department of Defense (DoD).
  3. In 2015, another MRI grant through the NSF, valued at more than $550,000, was awarded to acquire an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etcher, enabling the etching of precise patterns with dimensions ranging from microns to nanometers on various semiconductors.

​​The e-beam writing and imaging systems will be available for use at a cost to UNM students/staff/faculty, as well as to external entities, including other academic institutions, local companies, and national laboratories. For more information, email Lead Investigator Francesca Cavallo: fcavallo@unm.edu.