About

The Facility

  • The Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility, completed in 2015, is a major research facility at the University of Chicago. This core facility is focused on supporting basic science, applied research, research and development, and prototype production using micro and nanofabrication.
  • Composed primarily of a 10,000 square foot, ISO class 5 cleanroom, maintaining less than 100 particles larger than 0.5 microns in each cubic foot of air space.
  • Located in the William Eckhardt Research Center, a 277,000 gross square foot building, named after University of Chicago alumnus William Eckhardt, at the heart of the University of Chicago’s new ‘North Science Quadrangle’.
  • In partnership with Northwestern University is part of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) and is open to all properly trained users through a fee for use structure. For further details see get started and read about our rates.

The Equipment

  • Advanced electron beam lithography systems
  • I-line optical stepper
  • Direct write lithography capable of handling piece parts to 150 mm wafers
  • Physical vapor deposition tools including sputtering systems, electron beam evaporators, and a thermal evaporator
  • Plasma etching systems configured for both chlorine and fluorine-based etching
  • Inspection tools including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and high-performance optical microscope
  • Profilometry, ellipsometry, thin-film interferometry and stress
  • Probe station
  • A 150 mm capable dicing saw
  • Full Equipment List

Our Goals

  • To provide high functioning advanced lithographic processing of both soft and hard materials
  • To accommodate users interested both in processing unusual types, shapes, and sizes of substrate as well as more conventional wafer-based processing
  • To help train users and to help develop specific processes