CEITEC Nano – website
Hosting institution: Brno University of Technology
Partner institution: Masaryk University
The CEITEC Nano provides open access to technological equipment for research in the areas of nanotechnologies and nanosciences. The research infrastructure consists of 4 laboratories – Nanofabrication Laboratory, Nanocharacterization Laboratory, Structural Analysis Laboratory and X-ray Computed Tomography Laboratory – which provide complex processes for fabrication and characterization of nano objects up to the sub-nanometre scale in a dustless environment with a high cleanliness. Research fields employing the capacity of CEITEC Nano include physics and chemistry of low-dimensional systems (spintronics, nanoelectronics), material sciences, including solid state physics, chemistry, surface engineering, biochemistry, bioengineering and biomedicine. The portfolio of provided services is focused on the processes of fabrication and analysis using excellent devices, which offer detailed information for the study of surfaces, interfaces, nanostructures and nanomaterials. As a part of fundamental research, CEITEC Nano enables the users to create nano- or micro-structures based on his or her own design from the wafer (e.g. silicon substrate), analyse or check the results of the processes step by step, encapsulate the created parts and test them, optimise the technical process using the sophisticated analytical techniques, divide almost any large object into samples and analyse those samples up to the atomic resolution, regarding their surface and volume morphology, chemism and crystal composition. The CEITEC Nano further opens the ways to the collaboration between research teams focusing on nanobiology or nanomedicine. Owing to the fabrication and characterization methods, the CEITEC Nano users can profit from a unique and complex set of devices and expert background for nanofabrication and nanocharacterization.
Future development
Over the short term, the number of highly qualified technical personnel will be increased via international hiring. This will assure that the research infrastructure will be able to implement advanced technological processes and offer state-of-the-art expertise in the micro- and nanofabrication to both, academic and industrial users. Also, the equipment portfolio available to the users of CEITEC Nano will be further improved. The existing technologies will be modernized and new equipment will be purchased mainly from the European Regional Development Funds.
Socio-economic impact
One of the most important characteristics of CEITEC Nano is the open access to technological equipment of the research infrastructure with shared self-service equipment, which enables researchers to control devices without help. Further, together with the sharing of research know-how between the users and the CEITEC Nano staff, enables the research groups to reach high expertise and international level. The positive impact of CEITEC Nano is also the cooperation with high-tech companies on development of products with high technological and knowledge added value.
