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.

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

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