The objective of this project is to support the participation of outstanding young European researchers in the 7th

International Conference on Laser Ablation (COLA'03) and provide high-level training in a scientific area of

high current interest fostering the interaction between young scientists and internationally known experts in the

field.

COLA'03, to be held in Hersonissos, Crete, Greece (October 2003) is a major conference in the field of laser-

matter interactions, that focuses on fundamental studies and technological applications of laser ablation,

attracting scientidsts form both academia and industry. Laser ablation is a highly interdisciplinary field drawing

science and engineering. It plays a key role in current frontier topics, which are among the priority research

themes for the new European Research Area, such as nanoscience and technology, materials processing and

biomedical applications.

Researches in Europe have a leading role in the field of laser ablation promoting European scientific excellence.

The organisation of COLA'03 in Europe offers a great opportunty for advancing the European state-of-the-art

in the field by providing:

- a stimulating environment for fruitful interaction between scientists

- efficient exchange of views between research and industry communities

- a high-quality training to young researchers, essential for their studies and future career.

A high level and dynamic training component in COLA'03 is implemented through:

- the selection of conference topics representing areas of intense current scientific and technological interest

- the invitation of world-known experts to lecture on "hot" topics

- a programme structure with brainstorming lecture-discussion sessions, to allow selected project presentations by

young scientists with leading experts in the field

- the organization of poster sessions, followed by discussion sessions, to allow selected project presentations by<

ACAPOLY is a partnership between micro resist technology GmbH and EPFL-LMIS1 whose main objective is the development of a new set of polymer materials for MEMS/NEMS technologies with an associated process library. The materials that the partnership has planned to develop are Ormocer and SU-8. The objective is to modify both materials in a way that they can be processed using Electron Beam Lithography, Direct Laser Writing, UV-Nano Imprint Lithography and Ink-Jet printing. The developed materials and process libraries will be used to fabricate UV-NIL stamps, large arrays of LEDs for automobiles and large arrays of optical waveguides.

Access is offered to advanced micro- and nanotechnology device processing environments for microwave and photonic devices and for nanotechnology at the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2) at Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden. The laboratory provides means to develop process steps, process sequences, and components in small/medium quantities. In 1240 m2 clean-room area more than 150 tools are available, including two e-beam lithography systems (one of which is a JBX 9300FS from JEOL with a spot diameter of 4 nm and a minimum feature size of below 10 nm), silicon processing on up to 150 mm wafers, III-V and wide bandgap processing, molecular beam epitaxy, CVD and dry etching systems.

The objective of this project is to provide access funding for scientists from European institutes who wish to perform part of their research at the Braun Center for Sub Micron Research (WISSMC) at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Under this project European scientists the will have the opportunity to visit the Braun Center, which is among the very few laboratories in the world, and particularly in Europe, which are self-sufficient in terms of the integration of 'state of the art' growth-fabrication facilities and measurement-evaluation equipment. The visitors under this program will be exposed to the very high quality research carried out at the WISSMC in the fields of mesoscopic physics and nano-physics. The transnational access will be provided as specified in section 6 of this Annex. The visiting scientists will be able to study complex semiconductor structures and devices. This will include high purity III-V semiconductor structures grown by molecular beam Epitaxy, miniaturization by optical lithography or electron beam writing and other processing and evaluation tools. The visiting scientists will interact strongly with two groups: excellent theoreticians and experimentalists, all working in strong collaboration under one roof and in this rather focused areas of research. The project will provide new opportunities for EU students to broaden their experience and knowledge in state of the art mesoscopic physics. It will allow graduate students to pursue new opportunities such as post doc positions in the field of mesoscopic physics. EU senior scientists will be able to strengthen their scientific ties with leading scientists at the Weizmann Institute. The project will enhance an extended flow of scientists between Europe and the Weizmann Institute and will thus induce fruitful scientific collaborations. It will help establish new research/technology collaborations with scientists across Europe.

We plan to chase new goals by exploring the limits of gold chemistry and organic synthesis. A major goal is to promote copper to the level of gold as the catalyst of choice for the activation of alkynes under homogeneous conditions. Another major goal is to develop enantioselective reactions based on a new chiral catalyst design to overcome the inherent limitations of the linear coordination of d10 M(I) coinage metals. We whish to contribute to bridge the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous gold catalysis discovering new reactions for C-C bond formation via cross-coupling and C-H activation. We will apply new methods based on Au catalysis to fill the gap that exists between chemical synthesis and physical methods such as graphite exfoliation or laser ablation for the synthesis of nanographenes and other large acenes.

Laser Ablation-ICP-MS has become the most important and successful technique for direct elemental analysis in solids, including: silicate samples, nano tubes, glass, metals, archaeological samples, etc. Despite this, recent studies in LA-ICP-MS show that all three individual processes during sampling and detection (ablation, aerosol transport and vaporization, atomisation and ionisation) are distinct sources of elemental fractionation and can lead to inaccurate quantification. Therefore, any reduction in elemental fractionation will significantly improve the future applications of this technique.Research shall be carried out to describe the composition of the aerosol after ablation, during transport and within the ICP-MS. The main goal is to understand the various processes involved in LA-ICP-MS to achieve representative sampling, transport and excitation of laser-induced aerosols for quantitative analysis using non-matrix matched calibration standards. At present, a transport efficiency of 10 % of the laser-generated aerosol and the vaporization and ionisation efficiency of 2-3 % of the total introduced mass into the ICP represent a severe loss of valuable analytical information and leads to problems in quantification. Therefore, the aerosol formation and transport processes need modifications, which will be studied by direct gas phase reactions of theablated material using different gas combinations to enhance sample transport.Our research will also focus on fundamentals of 266 nm femtosecond laser ablation. Such a system will be established and used for aerosol production studying the capabilities of non-thermal ablation processes. The fs-laser ablation process leads to less thermal treatment of the ablated material, which is expected to create a more representative aerosol and a smaller average particle size distribution that is more efficiently vaporized and ionized within the ICP-MS.

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.

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.

I will systematically exploit the quantum properties in Group-IV Materials (GFMs) at the atomic scale, by using top-down patterning processes developed for Si technologies. Among GFMs, I will examine graphene, Si, and Ge nano-structures, since these materials are technologically important. More specifically, I will use our He-Ion-Microscope (HIM) milling techniques to fabricate nano-structures beyond the resolution limit of conventional lithography. This research will: 1. Characterize Freestanding Mono-layer or thin-layer of GFMs I will fabricate the freestanding device structure by HIM. The high-resolution of HIM will enable me to fabricate the graphene nano-ribbon as narrow as 5-nm. I will also examine the atomic structures of the device by Transmission-Electron-Microscope (TEM), and compare it with electrical measurements. The similar devices can be made for ultra-thin Si films. 2. In-situ formation and characterization of Si Quantum Dot (QD) I will characterize the Si Single-Electron-Transistor with a QD by in-situ monitoring in HIM. 3. Characterization of SiGe Fins I will characterize SiGe Fin for high performance electro-absorption optical modulator applications. Impacts of the projects to EU are expected as following ways: 1. I will contribute in the interdisciplinary research areas with my strong research background in theoretical physics, nano-electronics, and Si Photonics. 2. The long-term research activities to QIP will be continued for secure communication and massive commutation, beyond the limit of the classical computations. 3. I will transfer my research experience from Japan. Especially, the industrial experience in Hitachi is helpful for running the clean room managements. 4. I will explore the innovative opportunities for sustainable electronics, in which EU communities play the important contributions towards the matured smart society. 5. I would like to establish the various collaboration within EU and internationally.

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.