THE CENTER FOR MICRO-MAGNETIC AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

 

CMMED

 

Goals and Organization

 

January, 2002

 

I.  OBJECTIVES

 

There are two fundamental objectives for the leadership of the Center for MicroMagnetic and Electronic Devices (CMMED). The first is to maintain and institutionalize the Clean Room and Micro-Fabrication capabilities currently established on the third floor of the Advanced Science and Technology Commercialization Center (ASTeCC) on the UK campus. There is nearly $2million worth of film deposition and photolithographic equipment in these two rooms that represent a tremendous asset and capability for a host of researchers on the University of Kentucky campus. Microfabrication capabilities are vital to support research in a wide range of fields, including tissue engineering, fabrication of smart materials and devices, chemical sensors, nano‑dimensional integrated electronic circuits, solar cells, etc. The core Center objective is to ensure that the microfabrication capabilities, available to university users for nominal fees, are kept intact and maintained in one place. The user fees will go to maintain the equipment, buy needed clean room supplies, and help defray the costs of administrative staff.  Strong management is critical for the facility to succeed since untrained/misguided researchers can destroy the equipment through misuse and contamination.

 

The second objective is that the center will also serve as the focal point for micro to nano‑dimensional device design, fabrication, and characterization. The Center will keep in place a high profile, state of the art facility that will show the College of Engineering , Advanced Science and Technology Commercialization Center , and the University of Kentucky in their best lights. Furthermore a high technology, leading‑edge Center will help to recruit and retain both faculty and students, expose junior faculty to new research opportunities, and provide potential donors with the visual certainty that their contributed funds are going to an institution worthy of support. It should also be noted that a considerable amount of research funding is aimed towards integration of Electrical and Materials Engineering with the College of Medicine , to ultimately integrate intelligent micro and nano‑dimensional electronic devices into bio‑implants/bio‑probes; this Center and the associated fabrication capabilities are vital if UK is to pursue this avenue of research.

 

 

II.                CENTER PERSONNEL

Staff

Dr. Vijay Singh (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Director

Dr. Zhi Chen, Associate Director

Dr. Bruce Hinds, Assisting Director

Dr. J. Todd Hastings, Assisting Director

George Spiggle, Research Associate

Karen Sampson, Research Associate

Anne Marie Abell, Staff Support


Research Faculty

    
Following faculty members participate directly in the center activities.

 

Dr. Vijay Singh (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
 

Dr. Zhi Chen (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
 

Dr. Bruce.J.Hinds (Chemical & Materials Engineering)

 

Dr. John Anthony (Chemistry)  

 

Dr. L.G.Bachas (Chemistry)                 

 

Dr. Lance Delong   (Physics)

 

Dr.Scott Stephens (Mechanical Engineering)

 

Dr. Ryan Vallance (Mechanical Engineering)

 

Dr. Janet Lumpp (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
 

Dr. Arthur Radun (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
 

Dr. Sylvia Daunert (Chemistry)

 

Dr. Ingrid St. Omer (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

 

Dr. J. Todd Hastings (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

 

 

III.  USER FEES: 

 

Strong management is critical for the facility to succeed since untrained/misguided researchers can destroy the equipment through misuse and contamination.  Knowledgeable staff will encourage the education process with practical training that will greatly enhance progress towards research goals.  Thus users fees are required for staff, maintenance, repairs, and common expendables such as cleaning chemicals and garments.  Considering the capital costs, the user fees are extremely modest compared with establishing a center and maintaining it.  However PI’s must recognize the cooperative nature of the facility and that proposed experiments could destroy equipment and thus be rejected by the director.  Below are schedule of proposed user fees:

 

Industrial partners $200/hr

 

Students $20hr capped at $1200/student year

 

User fees include access to all equipment, use of safety/contamination garments. Common chemicals for established procedures, waste disposal for common procedures, supplies for common film deposition and photolithography will be supplied at additional cost.  Researchers are responsible for special supplies, waste disposal and special safety needs.  Substrates must be provided by researchers.  Director of the facility reserves the right to curtail the overuse of equipment when it interferes with the progress of other members.  Equipment is not to be used for production, but for the advancement of research, development and education of students.

 

PI’s are strongly encouraged to include user fees into research proposal budgets.  The director has finite funds for user fees to support PI’s with promising research ideas.  The premise is that applications for future research funds would include support facility user fees.  In such circumstances,  PI’s should directly contact Dr. Singh for a case-by-case evaluation.