Innovations in micro and nano technologies rely heavily on the availability of reliable cutting-edge equipment for structuring and characterization of a multitude of functional materials. However, the availability of multimaterial micro and nano technologies is often limited in industry and academic institutions, leading to a rather slow transfer of ideas into scientific results and finally economic products.
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has responded to this innovation demand by establishing the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF) in 2009 as a large scale user facility in addition to the synchrotron radiation source ANKA, which is operating as a user facility since 2003. KNMF and ANKA provide users from industry and academia all over the world a unique opportunity to manage their scientific challenges thanks to a comprehensive set of high-end technologies, extensive expert and application know-how, tailored process chains and individual support and advice during all stages. Currently, KNMF unifies more than 24 technology clusters with 39 scientists operating three laboratories:
1. The KNMF Laboratory for Micro- and Nanostructuring combines an innovative toolbox of constructive bottom-up and ablative top-down structuring and replication technologies.
2. The KNMF Laboratory for Microscopy and Spectroscopy provides state-of-the-art structural characterization from the micron to the atomic scale using a combination of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques.
3. The KNMF Laboratory for Synchrotron Characterization offers novel characterization possibilities using the synchrotron radiation source ANKA.
ANKA is operated and developed as a national source of synchrotron radiation and as a large-scale facility for scientific user operation. ANKA´s activities range from microfabrication, micro- and nanocharacterization, actinide and earth sciences, biological sciences, to synchrotron technology. Seventeen beam lines offer a wide range of analytical methods as well as for microfabrication techniques. These methods can be divided into the competence areas X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction & imaging, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray lithography.
Two ways of user access are offered. The model of open research offers users free of charge access. In this case, the user has to submit a proposal which will be evaluated by an international and independent peer review board. The model of proprietary research is based on full cost recovery. Here, proposals will not be peer-reviewed and the obtained results will not be published.
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