Conventionally, electronic device functions are generated by combining various materials, in which each material has one particular functionality. With the atomic limit as the ultimate achievable goal in sight, we try to explore methods that do not need extensive use of top-down nanotechnology, including lithography and deposition/etching techniques, but use device structures that are spontaneously created by nature in the general framework of electronic phase separation. Here one material can adopt more than one electronic state, and by judicious organization of these electronic states device functions can be generated with built-in atomic precision. In a number of materials like manganites, a spectacularly diverse range of exotic magnetic, electronic and crystal structures can coexist at different locations on the same crystal. What looks in one sense like awkward complexity is in fact a route toward engineering without the difficulties of atomic scale lithography - by manipulating the propensity of phase separation and phase coexistence in these materials we may make dynamically controlled functional electronic structures. The coexisting phases may form robust magnetic, electronic and crystallographic textures on 'mesoscopic' length scales. By controlling an array of textured phases analogous to those in liquid crystals we may be able to control locally the electronic structure and properties without atomic-scale fabrication. In manganites, for example, a simple domain wall in the ferromagnetic metallic phase could spontaneously develop an insulating barrier of the charge order phase creating the ultimate spin-tunnel junction. COMEPHS is the first European project that aims to concentrate all necessary resources in Europe in order to achieve functionality of mesoscopic textured states. The research aims to provide basis for a new set of electronic technology and COMEPHS is expected to ensure European preeminence in this strategic domain.

New techniques in far-field fluorescence microscopy have improved optical resolution down to several times the diffraction limit. The resolution currently achieved with these techniques is 28 nm. Recently it was proposed that fluorescent reversible molecular compounds ('photoswitches') could be utilized in fluorescence microscopy, allowing, in principle, to improve the resolution up to molecular dimensions, i.e. 1-5 nm. The use of these photochromic compounds should enable the utilization of very low light intensities, thus making the technique particularly suitable for biological applications.It is proposed to investigate the feasibility and performance of photochromic fluorescent compounds in modern far-field fluorescent microscopy techniques, as well as explore its different potential uses and applications. The aim of this project is to improve resolution to a few nanometers and, in particular, apply the technique to live-cell imaging as well as to memory storage and lithography.Undertaking this scientific project in a field’s leader's laboratory will give me the opportunity to learn advanced microscopy techniques, and acquire a significant experience and expertise in the field. After having completed my training in Germany, I will be prepared to set up a research team and start an independent research career in my home country, Argentina.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) form the basis of most current nanotechnology research due to their unique and extreme properties including ballistic electron transport at room temperature, structure-dependent metallic/semiconductor behaviour, electromechanical properties and extremely high Young mudulus. Several important achievements have been realised in nanotubes electronics. However, a major hindrance for the emergence of real applications is the lack of control in fabricating these nanoscale devices. This project will develop new rational design methods for CNTs based electronic nanodevices. Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) will be employed to grow CNTs at the desired location by placing the catalyst dots where required by focused ion beam and e-beam lithography. We will combine Ni and Co colloids chemistry and e-beam lithography to obtain small catalyst dots suitable for the growth of single wall CNTs. The recently discovered mechanism of sequential catalytic growth will be used to control the direct insertion of CNTs with spin-polarised particles during their growth. Plasma enhanced CVD will be employed for growing CNTs on thermal-sensitive substrates. Nanotubes will be oriented by the application of an electric field and by lateral growth using growth barriers. The ballistic transport of nanotubes is presently accompanied by a large contact resistance, so that the overall conductance is much lower in practice than the expected theoretical conductance. In situ growth will enable direct connecting of the nanotubes and prevent damage and pollution induced by the usual suspension/deposition process. Individual CNT structure will be characterised by in situ AFM/Raman analyses to correlate growth conditions, structural and transport properties. By using these tools, we intend to develop direct and controlled design of CNT based interconnects, field emission transistors and spin-valve devices.

Mass data storage on magnetic hard drives in portable products is a new and fast growing market with an estimated turnover of several billion EUR per year. However, continued growth of storage density is limited as a result of the thermal instability of recorded data. To overcome this so called 'superparamagnetic effect', the use of discrete media, in which information is stored in single nanostructures, will become mandatory. However, the relevant roadmaps indicate that the required lithography tools will not be able to provide the needed feature size, performance and cost efficiency in time. Therefore it is likely that magnetic recording media will be the first technology which requires the introduction of nanostructuring by self-assembly processes. MAFIN aims at developing a new magnetic recording media at prove-of-concept level for ultrahigh density magnetic storage applications, by using low-cost, environmentally friendly processes and both advanced and new nanotechnologies. MAFIN will provide the required breakthroughs for an innovative concept of magnetic media: based upon assisted self-assembly to produce a periodic array of nanoparticles expandable to wafer size scale, and further, the controlled sputter-deposition of magnetic films with high magnetic anisotropy deposited onto the nanospheres. Furthermore, by tilting the deposition direction with respect to the substrate normal 'tilted media' can be realized, a novel concept providing the writability of the recording media. All progress in these innovative concepts will be constantly monitored by various techniques, and will be underpinned by micromagnetic modelling. In addition, the recording performance will be investigated and screened by state-of-the art write/read testing and probe recording. The new knowledge gained will be protected by appropriate IPR and will strengthen the European position in many competitive and strategic fields, in particular, in data storage.

The impact of biomineralization processes on lithographic and microelectronic production processes has not yet been explored. As opposed to conventional industrial manufacturing, the biological synthesis of silica occurs under mild physiological conditions of low temperatures and pressures, with clear advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, parallel production, and impact on the environment. The integration of nature-mimic biomineralization processes with micro- and nanofabrication will be a unique route to make them usable in the medium-long term for industrial application and production. In particular, some peculiar proteins of sponges (silicateins) catalyze the reaction of silica polymerization to give ordered structures. Besides this catalytic activity, when the proteins are assembled into mesoscopic filaments, they serve as scaffolds that spatially direct the synthesis of polysiloxanes over the surface of the protein filaments. Hence, these biomolecules present the combined characteristics of: (i) chemical action (catalysis) for the formation of silica, and (ii) patterning action, by driving the silica on the surface of the filaments. We plan to exploit this unique combination within a novel technology, whose demonstrator will be the realization of patterned, aligned assembly of silica fibers, and their employment as insulating layers for prototype transistor devices. Two parallel strategies will be pursued for the production of large amounts of silicatein: (i) expression of the recombinant proteins, and (ii) development of in vitro primmorph cultures. Soft lithography techniques will be used for the controlled patterned deposition of molecules. Specific approaches will be designed and implemented, for the hierarchical assembly of silicatein fibers into functional networks. The multidisciplinary team involved in this project has the know-how in biosilicification/lithography and the intellectual property rights in enzymatic silica formation.

Recently, a new ceramic material, i.e. calcium copper titanate, CaCu3Ti4O12, (CCTO) showed a radically new property, i.e. an impressive dielectric constant k=105 at 1 MHz, which is nearly constant over a wide temperature range (100-400K). We propose to fabricate high capacity density condensers (>500 nF/mm2) for development of a new integrated electronics. It has a huge economic impact (the potential market is billions US$). Many attempts beyond the state of the art are proposed. A nanodescription of the material will be achieved by developing nanocharacterization for a knowledge based activity oriented to material improvement. Pure CCTO bulk properties will be firstly optimized by strongly reducing impurities and anomalies, and then they will be improved beyond the state of the art investigating doped CCTO. We expected that a certain kind of phase composite Ca1+xCu3-xTi4O12 (x=0-3) could decrease the dissipation factor. This activity will produce targets of pure CCTO (first) and then doped CCTO for physical deposition such as laser ablation and sputtering that will be further developed during the project by using novel approaches based on multicomponent deposition. Metal organic chemical vapor deposition development activity guarantees the required high step coverage for use in 3D structures. As a breakthrough, new equipment will be developed within the project for laser assisted Chemical Beam Epitaxy (CBE), which uses a laser to change in situ during the deposition the CCTO composition. The advantage of this approach is the easily scalability to large surfaces for industrial processes. A specific silicon processing (high temperature resistant metal gates, etching,...) will be developed to integrate CCTO deposition in the silicon technology and produce high density planar (2D) capacitive condensers (>500 nF/mm2) working up to 4 GHz. The implementation of 3D structures will allow achieving results that are even more ambitious.

The technological objective of MONARCH is to produce the world????'s first scanning electron microscope (SEM) on-a-chip. Such an instrument would represent a step-change in electron beam (e-beam) technology comparable with the introduction of the silicon chip to electronics. This device will be orders of magnitude smaller than existing technology, would operate at lower voltages and have an order of magnitude higher resolution for a fraction of the cost of a current state-of-the-art SEM. It would provide the first instrument capable of rapidly scanning a surface layer and producing an image with elemental identification at atomic resolution. This disruptive technology has dramatic implications for many sectors other than electron microscopy, including e-beam lithography, genetic sequencing, ultra-high density data storage and focussed ion beam milling. In particular it is expected to be a key enabling tool for the booming sectors of nanotechnology and MNEMS (micro-nano-electromechanical systems). Crucially it could also allow lithography on a scale suitable for true nano-electronics.The physics behind the MONARCH project are beautifully simple: by scaling the device dimensions down to the nano-scale, the voltages, beam energies and aberrations are scaled down proportionally. The system becomes diffraction-limited, rather than aberration-limited, and the lenses can be electrostatic rather than magnetic. These principles have been known for decades, but the realisation of such devices has only been made possible through very recent parallel advances in several nano-machining technologies: improved FIB techniques, the evolution of MEMS technology and scanning probe microscopy (e.g. very short focal length electrostatic lenses). In short these techniques have transformed a thought-experiment into a realistic possibility: ultra-low energy, ultra-high power, ultra-pure e-beams.MONARCH will deliver a prototype operational integrated SEM-on-a-chip system.

Today we live in a world completely dominated by vision with a strong tendency to a constant increase of visual information. However, miniaturization of elements is done by applying similar optical principles known to the designers for many decades. Novel fabrication technologies are permanently developed and applied, but there is no consequent search for new vision principles to fully exploit the newly gained technological capabilities that allow completely new and unexpected fields of application. Main research projects at the Fraunhofer-Institute are related to these topics. Based on a strong experience in optics engineering and a well established facility of optical fabrication technology from macro- to nanoscale novel optical systems are developed. Recently demonstrated bio-inspired vision systems such as planar artificial compound eyes for ultra-compact image acquisition are just a first step in this direction. Within the proposed project, novel vision systems will be designed and manufactured applying electron-beam- and photo-lithography. The main focus of research is related to artificial receptor arrays on a curved basis. This is a highly demanding and at the same time promising topic not only for artificial compound eyes but also for the simplification of classical imaging systems. The major difference of natural and artificial image acquisition systems at this stage is the planar arrangement of the artificial receptor arrays compared to the curved geometry of the natural ones. This is the consequence of todays limitation to planar lithographic patterning technologies. The advantages of a curved basis compared to a planar one are obvious: There are the immanence of a large field of view, the avoiding of off-axis aberrations and declining illumination with increasing field angle. Different technologies are to be applied and evaluated such as laser-lithography on curved surfaces and polymer (flexible) artificial receptor arrays.

NEreO addresses to the study and the development of nano-scale field-effect transistors (i.e. transistors with source-drain inter-electrodes distance varying from hundreds to few nanometers) based on organic molecular films. Organic materials are expected, in the near future, to give rise to a new generation of devices for electronics, photonics and optoelectronics, which will cause a paradigm shift in the production of electronic devices and pave the way for the era of plastic electronics. The main goals of NEreO will be achieved by the original combination of a sophisticated nano-scale fabrication method, namely e-beam lithography, with the unprecedented ability of the Supersonic Molecular Beam Epitaxy deposition technique to control morphology, structure and interfaces of organic films. Besides technological applications, nano-scale organic field-effect transistors will be basic tools for studying charge transport, charge injection and interfaces in organic materials. At Cornell, the fellow will benefit by the presence of several multicultural scientific communities built around national facilities such as the Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility, the Cornell Center for Materials Research and the Cornel High Energy Synchrotron Source. The fellow will thus attain levels of world-class excellence, satisfying the objectives of the Specific Programme, and acquire the professional independence required to realize the objectives of the Work Programme. The success of NEreO will rely on the multidisciplinary approach pursued together with the state-of-the-art facilities and methodologies adopted. The collaboration between two world-class leading experts will give the chance to Dr Cicoira to grow as a leading scientist with global thinking and ability to promote networks and common strategy for the creation of new facilities.

Dramatic progress has recently been made in the development and convergence of communication and computing technologies. Increasing numbers of networked consumer goods and remote electronic services requiring instant bandwidth are adding a huge burden to existing electronic infrastructure. While optical technologies are being deployed in increasingly diverse information systems, making a major impact on the use of ethernet networks, switching and routing functions remain in the electronic domain. This results in major bottlenecks, and while photonic integrated circuits have the promise to process ultrahigh speed data, stringent cost, power and space constraints have so far prevented deployment.TERABIT CHIPS provides a route map to high capacity active integrated photonic circuits using cutting edge fabrication solutions, advanced photonic design concepts, and sub-system architectures by exploiting parallel processing concepts. While the size of photonic circuits may be constrained by the wavelength of light, interaction lengths for electrooptic phenomena and limits to lithography, exploiting parallelism through wavelength multiplexing within the photonic circuit is identified as a highly efficient way to unleash a potential multiterabit capacity without prohibitive space, management or power overheads. This work proposes the multiwavelength components to realise such circuits.This proposal targets fast nanosecond reconfigurable routers for data traffic as the demonstration technology for prototyping high functionality high capacity integrated circuits. The designs will be deployed to ensure near digital operation with minimal signal impairment. Prototypes will be fabricated and demonstrated for broadband loss-free transmission, and nanosecond scale network reconfiguration times. The technology will exploit cutting edge fabrication, being compatible with off the shelf hardware, linking in to existing physical layer standards.