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CNSE, NIST Partner to Bring Resources to Area

Tech Valley News

April 25, 2008

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced a landmark agreement that will create the first-ever partnership between the federal government and University of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering that will bring federal research expertise and resources to the CNSE campus.

In the wake of securing nearly $900,000 for the Center for National Competitiveness in Nanoscale Characterization, which triggered an additional investment of nearly $15 million dollars, Schumer today announced he brokered an agreement between the Center and the National Institute of Standards and Technology which will help further advance the already successful collaboration between NIST and CNSE by providing the framework for both organizations to share research, equipment, staff and other key resources.

This agreement marks the first formal partnership between CNSE and the federal government and is expected to help both organizations tackle some of the most critical challenges facing the nanotechnology industry, including obtaining precise measurements at the atomic and sub-atomic levels. As chips become smaller and smaller, this challenge grows.

Schumer, standing with Dr. James Turner, deputy director of NIST, Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, vice president and chief administrative officer of CNSE, and George Philip, interim president at the University of Albany, announced the deal as the latest in efforts to ensure that Tech Valley remains the driving force behind keeping the United States at the forefront of nanotechnology across the globe.

"This groundbreaking agreement will propel Tech Valley and our entire nation into the epicenter of an increasingly global nanotechnology sector," said Schumer. "This is a win-win for Tech Valley . The research will help keep the United State competitive in the global technology marketplace and it will help deliver federal funding and more private investment to the area. After securing the initial money, we saw the great ability of UAlbany's Nano Center to grow as investments in their exciting research swelled to over $15 million. The partnership with NIST will allow UAlbany to combine the region's dynamic workforce and already cutting-edge research with federal expertise and resources that will solidify its spot as one of the best nano campuses in the world."

“Our shared aim is to develop the measurement science infrastructure that is absolutely essential to U.S. innovation and economic competitiveness in nanotechnology,” Dr. Turner said. “NIST is eager to forge a productive collaboration that leverages this impressive collection of intellectual and physical resources."

"The creation of the New York Center for National Competitiveness in Nanoscale Characterization at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering further enhances the fast-growing global recognition of the University at Albany as a world leader in nanotechnology education and research,” Philip said. “We are pleased to know that this initiative will provide still another critical resource for students and faculty at the University."

"We are grateful to Senator Schumer, who continues to demonstrate his outstanding leadership and steadfast support for the educational and research programs at the UAlbany NanoCollege by securing funding for this world-class collaboration,” Dr. Kaloyeros said. “We are privileged to work in partnership with our colleagues from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop metrology innovations that will address the critical challenges facing nanoelectronics research and development, further establishing NIST, CNSE and New York State as global leaders in high-tech innovation and commercialization."

Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S Department of Commerce. NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. Prior to the creation of NIST, lack of standardized measurements complicated commerce in this country. For example there were several definitions for a liquid gallon and in Brooklyn alone there were four separate measurements for a foot. Standardization of those measurements and thousands of others has simplified commerce, improved products and brought reliability and integrity to our economic system.

In much the same way as it did one hundred years ago with a gallon of milk, today NIST is addressing the issues of standardization and precision in groundbreaking nanotechnology.

Companies from around the globe have come to UAlbany under Dr. Kaloyeros' leadership to conduct cutting-edge research in order to develop computer nanochips that are smaller, faster, better performing and more energy efficient. Partnering with NC3 will allow NIST to further develop measurement standards and tools that are critical to the United States ' ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Schumer, teaming up with NIST and UAlbany, today announced a new partnership to enable a world-class research and development collaboration that is designed to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nanoelectronics innovations and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the global high-tech economy.

In December, Schumer announced that he had secured $893,000 to establish NC3, and in the months since he has brokered an agreement resulting in a memorandum of understanding between NIST and NC3. Working alongside university and industry researchers, NIST will help develop measurement standards and tools that are critical to the United States ' ability to compete in the global marketplace.

The initial seed money that formed the basis of the partnership between NIST and NC3 has already successfully leveraged $15 million in additional research, development and technology funding for CNSE and its university partners across the country. These investments include $4.0 million to the CNSE-based Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration awarded by the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative to which NIST belongs; $2.25 million from New York state; and, $7.75 million from six of the world's leading nanoelectonics corporations.

The MOU signed today will help further advance the already successful collaboration between NIST and CNSE by providing the protocols for both organizations to share research, equipment, staff and other key resources. Through NIST's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and NC3, leading scientists will work collaboratively to formulate and deploy pioneering techniques for the measurement of materials at the nanoscale – a critical element in the development of smaller and faster computer chips that offer higher performance and reduced power consumption for use in a wide range of industries, from health care, energy and telecommunications to military, aerospace and transportation.

The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to research, development, education, and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. In May 2007, it was ranked as the world's number one college for nanotechnology and microtechnology in the Annual College Ranking by Small Times magazine. CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex is the most advanced research facility of its kind at any university in the world: a $4.2 billion, 450,000-square-foot complex that attracts corporate partners from around the world and offers students a one-of-a-kind academic experience.

The UAlbany NanoCollege houses the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 65,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty work on site at CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex, from companies including IBM, AMD, SEMATECH, Toshiba, ASML, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, Vistec Lithography and Freescale. An expansion currently underway will increase the size of CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex to more than 800,000 square feet, including more than 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanroom space, to house more than 2,500 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty by mid-2009.