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Wake Forest University - the Nano and Quantum Technologies Laboratory
the Nano and Quantum Technologies Laboratory
NanoteQ Research Cooperative
NRC
Many tools of the NanoteQ Lab must be designed and built for a specific and unique purpose, task, or measurement. Not everything can be bought from a supplier. Moreover, our most important tools often need refreshing or rebuilding. NRC provides the resources that does this for us.
The NanoteQ Research Cooperative (NRC) is incorporated as a 501 c(3) private foundation. Its purpose is to support the research efforts of the NanoteQ Laboratory. NRC does this is several ways:
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1. It provides financial review assistance for NanoteQ operations.
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2. It provides management of Microscopy and Cleanroom assets including scheduling maintenance and replacement needs.
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3. It manages tool scheduling and billing for NanoteQ.
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4. It provides engineering and facilities services that fall outside those provided by the University.
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NRC is a group of engineers and scientists that refurbishes older equipment, builds new tools, and designs new capabilities for the Lab. The group also raises money for the maintenance of our equipment in Microscopy and Cleanroom fabrication. Our volunteers come from across the region with various backgrounds and specific expertise in electronics, plasma tech, vacuum tech, computer interfacing, finance, business etc.
Volunteers
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NRC is made up entirely of volunteers. These volunteers make up the "cooperative" or corporate board. All funds that come into NRC goes directly into supporting research into the transformative fields of Frontier Tech such as: Quantum Machines, Synthetic Intelligence, Human-Machine Fusion, and Green Worlds Technologies
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A project example...
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NanoteQ Cleanroom Design
Task: Design and build a cleanroom space of ISO 5 (class 100) for use in quantum-circuit fabrication (Si) that is efficient to maintain, yearly operational costs < $35/sq ft. (1/2 that of traditional systems) with safety features that allow student users.
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Description: Of course you can buy modular systems or hire specialists to do this. But NanoteQ needed a cost effective way to build such a cleanroom that took full advantage of specific site/location opportunities and matched ISO 5. Specifically, our new facility had a number of sealed rooms with feedthrough access to the mechanical rooms. This is ideal for some creative thinking and implementation of nonstandard builds.
NRC developed a design based on the use of the upper portion of the sealed systems as a clean plenum, with a gasket sub-ceiling acting as a filter baffle. This plenum feeds into a set of HEPA filters that are integrated with lighting (50% coverage). A side wall mounted return system provides additional filtration and returned the air above the users into the downstream. A floor Venturi system provides the final layer of filtration that feeds into the wall return system. Placement of air intakes and returns were modeled extensively to insure air velocity and direction corresponded to ISO 5 standards for cleanroom operations.
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