Seminars /Workshops / Events/Announcement

Birck Nanotechnology Center Distinguished Seminar

“Rethinking the Nature and Nurture of Discovery Research”

Monday December 13, 2021, 3-4pm, Burton Morgan 121
with extended informal Q&A and discussion for 30m immediately following.

Speaker: Venky Narayanamurti (Harvard University)

Abstract: Research, particularly on the “discovery” end of the R&D spectrum, is complex and easily misunderstood. Scientific advance doesn’t always precede, it often follows, engineering advance. Answering questions isn’t always the goal, finding questions often is. We don’t always seek to strengthen conventional wisdom, sometimes we seek to surprise it. What if we could rethink research so that its nurturing, through policy and management, harmonizes with its nature? Join us for a conversation between Venky Narayanamurti and Ali Shakouri on Venky's new book with Jeff Tsao, “The Genesis of Technoscientific Revolutions” (Harvard University Press, Nov 2021) addressing this question.

Speaker Bio: Venkatesh Narayanamurti is Benjamin Peirce Professor of Technology and Public Policy, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Physics Emeritus at Harvard University. He was formerly: Director of the Science, Technology and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School (2009-2015); John L. Armstrong Professor and Founding Dean of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Professor of Physics and Dean of Physical Sciences at Harvard (1998-2009); Dean of the UCSB College of Engineering (1992-1998); VP of Research at Sandia National Laboratories (1987-1992); and researcher then Director of the Solid State Electronics Research Laboratory at Bell Labs (1968-1987). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected member of the U.S National Academy of Engineering, of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and of the World Academy of Sciences. He is also co-author, with Professor Tolu Odumosu (James Madison University), of “Cycles of Invention and Discovery” (Harvard University Press, 2016).

Announcement

On behalf of the Birck Leadership Team…….

Dear Birck Research Community,

The Purdue winter recess occurs December 23^rd through January 2.  The university is officially closed during this time and reopens on Monday January 3.  As we have done in past years, the Birck Nanotechnology Center will remain available for research but will be unstaffed and hazardous gasses will be unavailable.  As always if you plan to do any work over the recess please follow all applicable Protect Purdue protocols.  Following is a description of the Birck center during this period of university closure: 

1. All labs and cleanroom will be open.
2. All hazardous gases will be unavailable.
3. HF, BOE, and TMAH chemical processing will be allowed as long as a buddy is present.
4. Precursors for ALD systems will be available.
5. No shipping or receiving is being done at any building on campus.
6. The custodians will not be working so restrooms will not be maintained, and sanitation of touch surfaces will not be done. 
• We encourage users to keep the facility clean and be extra vigilant about the hygiene and COVID risks.
7. A few engineering and building staff may walk through occasionally for major issues but availability will be very limited and could be impacted due to COVID restrictions.
• Faculty and senior researchers are encouraged to be more proactive (e.g. occasional walk throughs checking the labs where there is ongoing research).  Email Birck management if you notice anything.

Since there will be limited staff support during this winter recess the research groups are strongly encouraged to accomplish as much processing as possible before gases are turned off on Dec. 22.

See the following for more detailed information (this will be up on the BNC Wiki):

2021-12-23 to 2022-01-03:  Reduced Holiday Operations

Due to Purdue’s Winter Recess hazardous gases will be unavailable from 3:30 PM Wednesday, December 22 until 8:00 AM on Monday, Jan 3^rd.  Lab work may otherwise proceed, though any fume hood work must be done with someone else present in the same laboratory or cleanroom bay (the “buddy” system).  Please note the following changes to our normal operation:

• ALD sources will remain available
• Unavailable gases:
• Ammonia (NH3)
• Boron trichloride  (BCl3)
• Chlorine (Cl2)
• Dichlorosilane  (H2Cl2Si)
• Hydrogen  (H2)
• Hydrogen Sulfide  (H2S)
• Krypton Fluoride  (KrF)
• Methane  (CH4)
• Nitric Oxide  (NO)
• Silane  (SiH4)
• Trichlorosilane  (HCl3Si)

• Tools affected:
• Reduced capability:
• PVD Nitride Sputtering System  (NH3 unavailable)
• Tube 1 Clean Ox  (H2 unavailable, dry oxidation only)
• Tube 4 Field OX  (H2 unavailable, dry oxidation only)

• Tube 7 General Oxidation  (H2 unavailable, dry oxidation only)
• Panasonic  (Cl2 and BCl3 unavailable)
• Plasma-Therm Apex SLR ICP RIE Etcher (H2, Cl2 and BCl3 unavailable)

• Shutdown:
• Axic PECVD  (NH3 & SiH4 unavailable)
• Easy Tube 3000 DVD  (CH4 unavailable)
• Epigress  (SiH4 unavailable)
• H2S CVD  (H2S & H2 unavailable)
• Nitric Oxide Anneal  (NO unavailable)
• Plasma-Therm Apex SLR HDPCVD  (SiH4 unavailable)
• Tube 2 Nitride  (NH3 and HCl3Si unavailable)
• Tube 3 LTO  (SiH4 unavailable)
• Tube 6 Polysilicon  (SiH4 unavailable)
• Work with highly dermally toxic materials (25% TMAH, BOE, HF) ABSOLUTELY requires a buddy within eyesight at all times.
• Custodial staff will not be working.
• There will be limited restocking of shared use supplies.
• There will be limited availability of engineering staff to answer questions or repair down equipment. 
• On metallization tools sources will not be changed and depositions must be < 200 nm.

Contact Steve Jurss (sejurss@purdue.edu) with any questions.

Mask Protocols in the Cleanroom

We have observed various masking practices in the cleanroom recently so as a reminder for those using our Birck cleanroom, please continue to follow our COVID mask protocols.  Masking requirements are either to use an M3 N95 mask by itself or use a standard mask under the cleanroom veil.  If you have any questions please contact a staff member.

Thanks,

Ron

Birck Engineering

In accordance with Procurement and Accounts Payable’s year end deadlines, here are the associated EOBOC Procurement Center’s deadlines:

Procurement Type	EOBOC Deadline	Central Deadline
ZV60s (including personal payments)	Friday 12/3	Wed. 12/8
Ariba orders >$10K	Wed. 12/8	Friday 12/10
Ariba (<$10K) and/or CC orders - to be delivered by 12/17**	Friday 12/10

**No deliveries accepted Dec. 23-Jan. 2 for holidays and winter recess

Thank you,

Cindy Sanders

Lead Business Assistant

Purdue University

Birck Nanotechnology

1205 W. State Street

West Lafayette, IN 47907

Birck Events and Birck News

Dear Members of the Birck Community,

Let’s bring Holiday cheer to Birck!

We would like to invite you and your families to the Birck holiday party on Friday December 17th from 2:00pm to 4:00pm in the Birck Atrium.

• We will be thanking Ali Shakouri for his dedicated service as our Director for the last 10 years.

• We would love for you to decorate your office/hallway to make Birck look festive!

• Finger foods/refreshments will be served, side dishes from your home country will be welcomed and appreciated.

• Put on your ugly sweater or dress in your Christmas outfit!

• Anyone who has musical instruments and would like to perform for us would be wonderful.

Santa Claus will be here!

Looking forward to seeing everybody!

Sangeeta Abrol

Lead Administrative Assistant | Discovery Park | BRK 1027

Birck Nanotechnology Center|1205 West State St | West Lafayette, IN 47907

abrols@purdue.edu |purdue.edu/discoverypark/birck

o: 765-494 3509

JOB POSTINGS:

R&D Senior Design Engineer at Alpha & Omega Semiconductor

Alpha & Omega Semiconductor is looking for a Senior Design Engineer who will work in a dynamic team environment at AOS headquarter located in Sunnyvale, CA. The main responsibility of this position is to work with marketing/process integration/product engineering group to develop silicon power device technology.

Application link: Senior Design Engineer - Sunnyvale, CA - Alpha & Omega Semiconductor Jobs (applicantpro.com)

R&D Senior Process Integration Engineer at Alpha & Omega Semiconductor

Alpha & Omega Semiconductor is looking for a Senior Process Integration Engineer who will work in a dynamic team environment at AOS Semiconductor's leading technology fabrication facility (Jireh Semiconductor) located in Hillsboro, Oregon. The focus of this position is to work with device/process module/product engineering group to develop silicon power device process technology and improve existing technology yield. Primary responsibilities are to process flow implementation, electrical characterization (failure analysis), and wafer level testing yield monitoring.

Application link: Entry Level MS or PHD Process Integration R&D Engineer - Hillsboro, OR - Jireh Semiconductor Jobs (applicantpro.com)

Opening in OxideMEMS lab

 Sunil Bhave’s OxideMEMS Lab explores inter-domain coupling in Opto-mechanical, Spin-Acoustic and Atom-MEMS devices. PhD, Postdoctoral and Research Associate positions are available in these areas:

·      Superconducting qubit and cryo-CMOS circuits 
·      Resonators and switches
·      MEMS-engine for LIDAR
·      Piezo-on-nitride transducers for atom-mechanics
Expertise in many and most of Microfabrication, PiezoMEMS, Photonics, Quantum Mechanics, Microwave circuits, PCB design, ADS/HFSS, Comsol, Python and Labview is required.
Please send CV to bhave@purdue.edu  if you are interested link

Nanofabrication Engineer at Microsoft

Microsoft Azure Quantum at Station Q Purdue seeks a nanofabrication engineer in the device fabrication group. You will join a multi-disciplinary team of theoretical and experimental physicists, materials scientists, and hardware and software engineers working at the forefront of quantum computing. You should have experience in device fabrication and characterization techniques. Our work at Station Q Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana is part of global Microsoft Quantum research effort in topological quantum computing.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include develop, operate, and characterize semiconductor device fabrication processes in the Birck Nanotechnology Center cleanroom facilities located at Purdue University. Accurately documenting and effectively communicating all procedures and results to the larger research group is an essential aspect of the position. The candidate may also be required to assist in the maintenance of equipment.

Qualifications:

A successful candidate must have:

• • Master’s degree in Physics, Materials Science or Electrical Engineering. Other engineering disciplines will also be considered.

• • Hands-on experience working with some or all of the following semiconductor process areas: lithography, thin film deposition and etch.

• • Ability to follow protocols to operate sophisticated experimental equipment and to safely work with industrial solvents, acids, and bases in a cleanroom environment

• • Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• • Proficiency at accurately documenting processes and protocols.

• • Strong attention to detail and good organizational skills.

• • Strong desire to work in a collaborative international team.

Preference may be given to candidates with the following additional qualifications:

• • Industry experience in semiconductor device process integration.

• • Expertise in thin film characterization, both structural and electrical.

• • Familiarity with design and layout tools for chip scale devices.

Please send your resume to flgriggi@microsoft.com, selected candidates will be contacted for interviews.

NSAC Fab Forum

NSAC Fab Forum every Tuesday 200pm-2.30pm

NSAC Coffee Hour

NSAC Fab Forum every Tuesday 200pm-2.30pm

Birck Nanotechnology Center Advanced Capabilities

MPMS-3 SQUID Magnetometer

Capabilities: Magnetic Properties Measurements

Features:

• Sensitive, quantitative measurement of magnetic moment
• Wide temperature range (T = 1.8 K - 1000 K) and field range (up to B = 7 tesla)
• Also measure magnetic dynamics with AC susceptibility

Other Capabilities: Electrical measurements or voltage biasing while measuring magnetic moment

Location: BRK 1157A

Contact: Neil Dilley (ndilley@purdue.edu)

Please visit the Birck Wiki to learn about the wide array of fabrication and characterization equipment at the facility

***To post an announcement in the weekly BNC E-news please send to Sangeeta Abrol @ abrols@purdue.edu***

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