 ย ย Dear Micro & Nano Fabrication Unit Users, It is with great pleasure that we present the second annual MNFU Newsletter, coinciding with the spirit of Shavuot โ a time of renewal and celebration of new beginnings. Despite great challenges on the national level, this past year has been a period of significant growth for the Micro & Nano Fabrication Unit.ย ย This edition highlights the integration of new fabrication tools, particularly within our expanded 2D Materials Center, and crucial upgrades to our toxic gas panels, ensuring a safer and more robust fabrication environment. You’ll also discover the impact of our Wolfson Building renovations, designed to better serve our community.ย ย A central effort this year focused on strengthening our knowledge and capabilities in the emerging field of Integrated Photonic, exemplified by a success story showcasing innovative research conducted with our support.ย We are also delighted to welcome Nathan Sul, our new MNFU Engineer, bringing valuable expertise to our team. Our commitment to fostering knowledge is further evidenced by the recent successful 2D Transfer Workshop and ongoing student courses. ย The MNFU is proud to continue serving as a vital national hub for microfabrication. We encourage you to delve into the pages that follow and discover how our continually evolving center can empower your next breakthrough. ย Sincerely, Dr. Eran Lipp Director, Micro & Nano Fabrication Unit ย ย  ย  ย New ย MNFU Engineerย Weโre excited to welcome Nathanย Sul as our new MNFU Engineer. Nathanโs expertise will further strengthen the support we provide to our users. Nathan holds an M.Sc. in Materials and Interface Science from Weizmann Institute and a B.Sc. in Advanced Materials Engineering from JCE. He recently was a Senior Process Engineer at Quantum Transistors Ltd., focusing on quantum photonic device fabrication. ย  ย Expanding our 2D Materials Center ย Our specialized 2D Materials Center has been enhanced with new equipment allowing users to explore and develop applications in this field.ย Virtual tour : 2D Materials Center ย Interested? Get in touch ย ย 2D Materials Transfer Stations Two Transfer Stations for precise 2D materials transfer and hetero-stack device preparation, one operating under ambient conditions and the other within an Nโ-filled glove box for sensitive material handling. ย  ย MOCVD Furnace for TMD Growth The TCVD-D100CA MOCVD system is now fully operational. This advanced system is equipped with an RF plasma module, enabling the high-precision, uniform growth of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs), including MoSโ, MoSeโ, WSโ, and WSeโ.ย With this new capability, our lab is now at the forefront of 2D materials research, opening doors to innovative studies in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and energy applications.ย ย  ย Annealing Furnaces New furnaces dedicated to 2D materials and related processing. The first furnace is designated for ambient annealing processes and residue stripping at various atmospheres (e.g. Ar, H2, O2) while the second is designated for both ambient and vacuum annealing.ย Both furnaces reach up to 1050ยฐC and are compatible with both 2-inch and 4-inch quartz tubes.ย ย  ย Explore further โ contact us ย Renewing MNFU Toxic Gas Panelsย We’re excited to announce the completion of a major infrastructure upgrade: the replacement of our critical gas supply systems. This initiative addressed some 30-year-old infrastructure for essential toxic gases, including Ammonia (NH3), Diborane (B2H6), Hydrogen (H2), Methane (CH4) and Dichlorosilane (SiH2Cl2). New gas cabinets were installed, incorporating new safety features and a significant improvement in safety protocols. Beyond the hardware, this project included rigorous safety checks, implementation of supplementary safety measures within the supply systems and creation of comprehensive system drawings. These improvements will ensure optimal support for fabrication and research, enhance unit safety for all users and ensure a reliable and contamination-free gas supply. ย  Wolfson Building Renovations Major renovations were completed on the third floor of the Wolfson building, including the refurbishment of offices to provide a modern and comfortable working environment for our team and visitors.ย ย   ย Silicon photonics is the leading platform for fabricating integrated photonics circuits, which relies on production capabilities originally developed for the world of microelectronics. While the main use of silicon photonics is in the field of optical communication, the versatility of this platform has enabled numerous applications such as LIDAR, quantum computing, microwave photonics, and sensing.ย ย At the Technion, the research group of Prof. Amir Rosenthal uses silicon photonics to develop a new type of highly sensitive ultrasound detector for biomedical applications. This detector technology, which is termed Silicon Photonics Acoustic Detector (SPADE), operates according to interferometric principles, detecting minute variations in the optical phase of light inside the silicon chip that were induced by an impinging ultrasound pulse. To enhance sensitivity, the device is coated with a transparent elastomer, which amplifies the effect of the mechanical wave. The combination of silicon photonics with elastomers is unconventional, and has led to numerous fabrication and characterization challenges, which required the expertise of the MNFU team. ย ย To achieve high miniaturization, optical resonators are conventionally used. The Technion team has successfully fabricated several types of resonators, including micro-rings and Fabry-Perots, with Q-factors up to 50,000. In addition, high-efficiency grating coupler were fabricated to enable fiber-to-chip coupling, which is essential for biomedical applications. The fabrication work was performed in collaboration withย Prof. Ilya Goykhman and has included many students over the years: Yoav Hazan, Ron Moisseev, Tamar Harary, Gil Gelbert, and Eitan Kaminski. However, the largest contribution to the success is the superb work of the staff at the Technionโs core facilities, and MNFU in particular: Yana Milyutin, Dr. Orna Ternyak, Dr. Assaf Simon, Tatiana Beker, Dr. Larisa Popilevsky, Dima Peselev, Andrey Wolf, Valentina Korchnoy, and Arkadi Gavrilov. ย Collaborate with us ย  ย  ย ย  ย Advancing 2D Materials Fabrication: 2D Transfer Workshopย During December 2024, the 2D Materials Center concluded a very successful workshop focused on 2D materials transfer techniques. The workshop aimed to equip researchers with practical skills essential for advanced 2D materials fabrication. The event featured comprehensive live demonstrations of wet graphene and dry hBN transfer methods, followed by hands-on training sessions. We welcomed 25 participants, including students and postdocs, representing six faculties and twelve distinct research groups. Participants engaged in practical, paired exercises within the newly inaugurated 2D laboratory and inside the cleanroom, allowing for direct application of the techniques demonstrated. A special thank you to Prof. Yuval Yaish, Dr. Assael Cohen, Dr. Boris Minkovich and Mohammad Barakeh for their dedicated training and invaluable support throughout the workshop. Their expertise and commitment greatly contributed to the success of this event. The 2D Materials Center looks forward to hosting future workshops and fostering continued collaboration within the 2D materials research community. ย  ย ย Spring Semester 2025 Student Course 044239 Be aware that some equipment will be unavailable during course hours: Mondays 8:30 โ 12:30 Tuesdays 13:30 โ 17:30 Wednesday 13:30 โ 17:30 ย ย Driving Innovation Nationwide As a national hub for microfabrication, we are dedicated to supporting research and development in both academic and industrial sectors. Whether you need advice, training, characterization, or fabrication services, we are here to help. For more information or to collaborate with us, visit our website or contact us directly. https://mnfu.technion.ac.il/ ย Micro&Nano Center Youtube  |