Scientist praises Durham's world-class lab
The Molecular Electronics and Microsystems'(MEMS) cleanroom has been officially opened by Sir David King, the UK government's Chief Scientific Adviser on a visit to Durham University's school of Engineering.
It is an ultra-clean environment, pioneering cutting-edge branches of nanoscale technology, and is equipped with powerful equipment to work with materials on an extremely small scale and in a specially controlled clean atmosphere to minimise impurities. The facility is said to be unique in this field of nanotechnology, and brings plastic electronics and silicon microelectronics together in a way that allows research to proceed in a single laboratory. It is a Class 1000 150m2 workspace that accommodates 23 academic and research staff, experimental officers, technicians and research students. The lab will explore the interface between the relatively new branch of organic chemistry that is producing 'plastic electronics' and the long-established field of silicon-based microelectronics - represented respectively by the research leaders Professor Michael Petty and Dr David Wood. The £500,000 project has been funded jointly by the Royal Society-Wolfson initiative to support science infrastructure, One NorthEast/Office of Science and Technology, and the University of Durham itself. Professor Petty said: 'Our new cleanroom brings together this mix of knowledge about materials and technologies. Silicon is the workhorse of microelectronics, but there are lots of new developments with plastic. Among the things we are exploring is how to integrate the new materials into the established technology or how we can adapt the properties of silicon with minute chemical changes.' After officially opening the new MEMS laboratory, Sir David addressed an invited audience of academics and students. He said Britain is one of the most science research intensive countries in the world, second only to the US in volume, but 60% more productive per pound invested than anywhere else in the world. 'While we do this well, we must now have the facilities to do well such as are provided in this new laboratory. The country needs to see returns for investment in science innovation and investing in the best talent and best facilities allows scientists to work at the leading edge of research.'