July 2007 - BNC-all - ecn.purdue.edu

Ln 2 system at Birck is operational
by Kenny Schwartz 31 Jul '07

31 Jul '07

Hi to all, The Liquid nitrogen system at Birck is now operational all systems will be online today Kenny Kenny Schwartz Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University PH 765-496-1174

1 0

Incident Saturday evening, 28 July 2007, building now back to normal
by John Weaver 30 Jul '07

30 Jul '07

An evacuation of BNC occurred on Saturday evening, 28 July 2007, due to a strong odor in the cleanroom and remainder of the building. It was determined that this odor was not caused by an event internal to the facility and that it provided no hazard to occupants. The building reopened, and has been in normal operation since early Sunday morning. The details of the incident follow: On Saturday evening, 28 July 2007, a graduate student in the cleanroom smelled an overpowering odor that was thought to be a gas release. Not knowing the nature of the gas, he made the very appropriate decision to exit the cleanroom and sound the evacuation alarm. In the absence of more information, this was the right decision to ensure the safety of all those present in the facility. The building was closed at that point, and doors were secured. On exiting the building, the smell was significantly stronger west of the building that it was inside the building. During the response to the emergency it was determined that the smell in the building was caused by one or more skunks (possibly two skunks fighting) upwind of the building. The odors from the release by the skunks appears to have entered the makeup air units and spread through the building. This odor dissipated over time and the building was deemed safe by both BNC staff and the Purdue University Fire Department and was reoccupied. For those unfamiliar with skunks, the following quote from Wikipedia describes the discharge: "(Skunks) produce a mixture of sulfur <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur> -containing chemicals (methyl <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl> and butyl <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyl> thiols <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiol> ) that has a highly offensive smell that can be described as a combination of the odors of rotten eggs <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_%28food%29> , garlic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic> and burnt rubber <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber> . The odor of the fluid is strong enough to ward off bears <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bears> and other potential attackers, and can be difficult to remove from clothing. Muscles located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with high accuracy as far as 2 to 3 metres (7 to 10 ft). The smell aside, the spray can cause irritation and even temporary blindness, and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by even an insensitive human nose anywhere up to a mile downwind." It is certainly understandable that this odor could be thought to be caused by a hazardous material, and the evacuation was justified to ensure the safety of all personnel. There were also reports of a haze/fog in the building by some people, but others reported that they saw no haze, just smelled the offensive smell. The cause of this haze has not been determined, and action is being taken to determine if this was caused by lighting conditions. The gas monitors - toxic, flammable, and refrigerant - registered no elevated levels, other than the NO2 sensor which would register the thiol levels from the skunk(s). As a safety precaution, all NO2 was shut off at the cabinet, and the levels continued to increase to a stable point for an extended period of time. This indicated that the reading was indeed caused by something other than the gases in the building. Additionally, levels of all gases were checked and none showed a drop in volume as would have occurred had it been a gas leak. The building was re-opened at approximately 1:00 AM on Sunday. Because of the time of night, notifications of building closure and reopening were not sent out. Due to some confusion on Sunday morning, an e-mail to BNC-All was sent out assuring occupants that the building was open. This communication procedure is being reviewed by BNC leadership to determine whether notification should be initiated in this type of situation. A special thanks is extended to all those who responded to the emergency and ensured the safe reentry of the facility. John Weaver John R. Weaver Facility Manager Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University (765) 494-5494 jrweaver(a)purdue.edu

1 0

Copier in room Room 1222
by Lane, Melissa J 30 Jul '07

30 Jul '07

Please be advised that the copier in room 1222 is down temporarily. Hopefully by this afternoon the copier will be functioning properly. Thank you, Melissa J. Lane Secretary Purdue University Birck Nanotechnology Center, Discovery Park 1205 West State Street West Lafayette, IN 47907-2057 Web site: www.nano.purdue.edu <http://discoverypark.purdue.edu/wps/portal/Nanotechnology> Email: lanem(a)purdue.edu <mailto:lanem@purdue.edu> Phone: (765) 494-7053 Fax: (765) 496-8299

1 0

Building is Open
by Jennifer Monahan 29 Jul '07

29 Jul '07

The Birck Nanotechnology Center is open for all uses. -- BNC Staff

1 0

Monday Memo -- July 30, 2007
by Deborah Starewich 27 Jul '07

27 Jul '07

MONDAY MEMO, July 30, 2007 **************** 1. Announcements **************** 1.1: Birck named FACILITY OF THE YEAR: Controlled Environments (www.cemag.us <http://www.cemag.us> ) has awarded the BNC recognition as FACILITY OF THE YEAR, ³The Birck Nanotechnology Center is designed for interdisciplinary, collaborative research. The goals established for Purdue¹s Birck Nanotechnology Center were daunting. The program called for 25,000 square feet of cleanroom with very stringent operating parameters. Purdue University partnered with HDR Architecture, Inc. and created an environment of collaboration that engaged all parties by stimulating creativity at all levels. One of the most valuable aspects of the building is its flexibility. The adaptable configuration of the cleanroom suite, the full sub-fab, and the accessibility of the systems will allow the building to be reconfigured as necessary to serve forms and techniques of research in the future. The Birck Nanotechnology Center truly breaks new ground in the scope and quality of the environment it promises to make available.² 1.2: BIO Mid-America Venture Forum, September 24-26, 2007; Milwaukee, Minnesota. A Midwest conference where bioscience, biofuel, and medical device companies from across the country are show cased together. For more information, visit bma.bio.org **************** 2. Seminars **************** 2.1: Tuesday, 07.31, 4:00, BRK 1001: ³Micro-scaled Biochips with Optically Active Surfaces for Near and Far-field Analysis of Cellular Fluorescence,² by Huw Summers, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom ABSTRACT: The integration of thin (< 100 nm) metal films with micro-scale optical waveguides provides a route to controlled spatial excitation of cellular fluorescence within a biochip platform. Surface bound electron-plasma oscillations (surface plasmon waves) interact with photons to produce an evanescent field localized within 100nm of the chip surface. These plasmon fields can therefore be used as a near-field probe of analytes situated at the surface e.g. surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing. If a grating with sub-wavelength periodicity is fabricated at the surface then coupling of the plasmons to free-space photons can be achieved and a highly directional beam of light is produced. We have been developing surface-active biochips using these processes to provide selective excitation in the near or far field of fluorescently-labeled cells. These chips combine a number of commonly used techniques such as SPR, TIRF and epi-fluorescence within a single device and have the potential to provide sub-cellular discrimination of excitation in 3-D. BIO: Dr. Summers is a biophotonics physicist, who among other things, works on the UK Optical Biochip project designing small, micro-fluidic, optical biochip cytometers. He is spending a mini-sabbatical with Dr. Leary at Discovery Park during the month of July with collaborations to continue in the coming year. ******************** 2. Birck Visitors ******************** 2.1: Tuesday, July 31, 3:30 to 4:30, BME Graduate Student Program visit 2.2: Thursday, August 2, 1:15 to 2:45, PRF Entrepreneurship Academy visit ******************** 3. Birck Tips ******************** 3.1: Ordering Supplies Please note that all students from ECE and MSE should have access to SRM, OnePurdue¹s on-line purchasing system. If you need some help with getting started, please contact Vikki Fast (BRK Business Office 63614, BRK 1010); she will provide the necessary training. If the clerical staff is asked to place an order, the requisition will be submitted using the SRM system, when a purchase order is generated by purchasing, the clerical staff member will send the order number to the requestor. If an order with a purchase number has not been received, please contact Vikki Fast, who has been designated as Birck¹s contact with the purchasing department; she will make the necessary inquiries. By following these procedures, we should be able to reduce the number of people involved when problems arise and, hopefully, will reduce any confusion. Please contact Stacy Brown (41619) or Deborah Starewich (43509) should you have questions. Deborah S. Starewich Administrative Assistant to Timothy D. Sands, Director Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University 765-494-3509 dstarewi(a)ecn.purdue.edu http://www.nano.purdue.edu/

1 0

Weekly memo
by Deborah Starewich 23 Jul '07

23 Jul '07

MONDAY MEMO, July 23, 2007 **************** 1. Announcements **************** 1.1: Effective Monday, July 23, 2007, North Intramural Drive (Martin Jischke Drive), between 1st and 3rd Streets, will be closed for the installation of new chilled water lines for the Windsor Halls Remodeling Projects. The road will be closed for one week and will be reopened with stone backfill for vehicle traffic. Paving will be scheduled at a later date. ******************** 2. Birck Visitors ******************** 2.1: Wednesday, July 25, 1:30; John Allen, IAS; campus visit 2.2: Thursday, July 26, 10:45; Committee on Institutional Cooperation Summer Research Opportunities (CIC SROP); tour 2.3: Thursday, July 26, 3:45; Engineering High School Summer Camp III; tour 2.4: Friday, July 27, 1:30; Physics NSF REU group; tour Deborah S. Starewich Administrative Assistant to Timothy D. Sands, Director Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University 765-494-3509 dstarewi(a)ecn.purdue.edu http://www.nano.purdue.edu/

1 0

Triode Replacement
by John Weaver 23 Jul '07

23 Jul '07

DATE: FROM: Hasan Sharifi, John Weaver TO: BNC Community SUBJECT: Replacement of Triode Etcher As you are probably aware, the Drytek Triode RIE has been inoperable for some time, and we are not able to obtain the part necessary to fix the system. This system is approximately twenty years old, and has not been supported by the manufacturer for many years. Through joint startup funds of two faculty members, however, we have been able to obtain a new Panasonic ICP RIE which can run both fluorine and chlorine chemistries. This new, far more dependable system will have significantly enhanced capabilities over the old system, and will be able to run at very low pressures - less than 10 mTorr. We look forward to the new Panasonic etcher significantly increasing our etch capability in BNC. We expect delivery of the Panasonic system prior to the end of 2007. To begin this process, the Triode etcher will be dismantled beginning the week of July 30, 2007. Please let either of us know if you have questions or concerns regarding this replacement.

1 0

Weekly memo
by Deborah Starewich 18 Jul '07

18 Jul '07

MONDAY [on Wednesday J] MEMO, July 18, 2007 **************** 1. Announcements **************** 1.1: The custodial crew has advised that they will be scrubbing the first floor, east wing hallways beginning on Thursday, 07.19, at midnight, and concluding at 6:00AM on Friday, 07.20. If you need to enter the Birck building during this time period, please plan on using the skywalk. 1.2: Effective Monday, July 23, 2007, North Intramural Drive (Martin Jischke Drive), between 1st and 3rd Streets, will be closed for the installation of new chilled water lines for the Windsor Halls Remodeling Projects. The road will be closed for one week and will be reopened with stone backfill for vehicle traffic. Paving will be scheduled at a later date. ******************** 2. Tours of Birck ******************** 2.1: Thursday, July 19, 3:45. Engineering High School Summer Camp Deborah S. Starewich Administrative Assistant to Timothy D. Sands, Director Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University 765-494-3509 dstarewi(a)ecn.purdue.edu http://www.nano.purdue.edu/

1 0

hydrogen generator is up
by Kenny Schwartz 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

Hi to all, I have made repairs to the Hydrogen generator, we now have hydrogen use restored to Birck Thanks Kenny Schwartz Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University PH 765-496-1174

1 0

FW: "Acoustic excitation of MEMS - seminar, 3.30 PM, Tue, July 17, BRK 1001"
by Lane, Melissa J 16 Jul '07

16 Jul '07

"Noncontact Modal Excitation of Small Structures Using Ultrasound Radiation Force" July 17, 2007 3:30-4:30 PM BRK 1001 Dr. Thomas M. Huber Gustavus Adolphus College, Department of Physics Abstract: Modal analysis of MEMS and other small structures is important for many applications. However, conventional excitation techniques normally require contact, which may not be feasible for small objects. We will describe a method that utilizes the radiation force at the difference frequency generated by two intersecting ultrasound beams. The resulting low-frequency excitations were measured using a scanning vibrometer. This excitation technique has been demonstrated for hard drive suspensions, MEMS and other small devices. There are several unique advantages of the ultrasound radiation force relative to mechanical shakers. The technique is relatively insensitive to distracting resonances of fixtures and support structures. Another advantage is broadband excitation; a 550-kHz confocal ultrasound transducer can be used to excite resonance frequencies from 100 Hz to at least 50 kHz. Other advantages include the ability to selectively excite different modes. For example, the amplitude of a hard drive suspension's 5.0-kHz torsional mode was suppressed by an order of magnitude by shifting the modulation phase between the two ultrasound beams by 90 degrees. Similarly, for a MEMS mirror, the relative amplitude of a torsional mode could be enhanced by a factor of 10 by changing the ultrasound focus spot position. Short Bio: Bachelors in Physics and Computer Science, St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, 1983 Ph.D. in Physics, University of Wyoming, 1989. Thesis topic: Search for Mixing of Muonium and Antimuonium at the TRIUMF accelerator in Vancouver, British Columbia Current: Physics Department at Gustavus Adolphus College since 1989. Current Research areas: Musical acoustics and ultrasound excitation.

1 0