KNOWLEDGE-BASED MULTIFUNCTIONAL MATERIALS and NEW PRODUCTION PROCESSES AND DEVICES
National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest
- Name of the Network: Multifunctional materials and new production processes
- Organisation name: National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest
- Contact person, scientific title: Eng. Claudia Roman
- Department: Laboratory for Microsystems in biomedical and environmental applications
- Organisation’s address : 32 B Erou Iancu Nicolae Street
- Post code: 077190
- City: Bucharest
- Country: Romania
- Organisation type: Research and development
- Organisation size: 148 employees (104 R&D personnel)
- Web site: http://www.imt.ro
- E-mail address: [email protected]
- Telephone: +4 021 490 8212
- Fax: +4 021 490 8238
- Brief description of the organization:
IMT-Bucharest was founded in 1993 as Institute of Microtechnology and since 1996 it became national institute. Its mission is devoted to research and development in micro- and nanotechnologies, technology transfer, education and training, dissemination.
IMT has a Micro-Nanofabrication Facility (the only "clean-room" available in Romania for research and education), a mask shop, laboratories for computed-aided simulation and design in microsystems and microelectronics, characterization equipment, a centre for education and training and a technology transfer centre in micro-engineering ( CTT-Baneasa) and is the coordinator of MINATECH-RO (Science and Technology Park in micro and nanotechnologies). IMT is becoming a „hub” of national networks, including the coordination of two distributed (virtual) centres of research: CENOBITE (in nanobiotechnologies) and NANOMATFAB (in new nanomaterials and fabrication processes) and is involved in 15 FP6 Projects: 5 NoE, 1 IP, 3 STREPs, 4 SSA and 1 CA, 1 Marie Curie Network. IMT is coordinating three SSA Projects: ROMNET-ERA, MINAEAST-NET and MINOS-EURONET.
The thematic research areas in IMT:
- Nanostructured materials, nanotechnologies and nanostructures: carbon nanotubes, carbide and diamond like carbon, silicon nanoelectrode arrays, field emission nanostructures, porous silicon layers.
- Microstructures and micro-nanosytems for sensing applications: chemical, mechanical, chemo-optical sensors, micro fluidics.
- Micro/nanostructures for biomedical applications: biomedical applications of nanostructures, biosensors.
- Microstructures and MEMS and MOEMS for communications: development of new materials, technologies and components for RF and Optical MEMS.
Brief description of involved Department:
Laboratory for Microsystems in biomedical and environmental applications
Laboratory Head : Dr. Carmen Moldovan ( [email protected])
The main research activity is focused on the development of products for biomedicine and environment monitoring: biosensors; microstructures and Microsystems for chemical sensors (chemoresistive and resonant gas sensors, sensors for ions detection in biological environments), mechanical (pressure sensors, accelerometers); microprobes for recording of electrical activity of cells and tissues; microfluidics.
Services: Design, simulation, testing, mask set development, electrical characterization.
Instruments and Equipment Available:
- Computers for simulation
- Electrical characterization equipments
- Access to: silicon technology laboratory; masks fabrication; SEM, AFM, spectroscopy, elipsometry, optical microscopy.
Projects under curent development:
- Microprobe for recording/stimulation of cells and tissues electrical activity (recording, stimulation, feed-back)
- CHEMFET Sensor for pH determination and detection of K +, Na +, Mg +2, Ca +2 ions (design, technology, mask fabrication)
- Calorimetric Microsensor for Methane detection based on Alumina thin Film
- Gas sensor SnO2 based, on alumina substrate
The Laboratory for Microsystems in Biomedical and Environmental Applications closely cooperates with University “POLITEHNICA” of Bucharest in training courses for students and PhDs, in the domain of bio-microsensors.
The Laboratory has been coordinating 19 national research projects and has been involved in more than 20 projects as partner.
IMT-Bucharest, Laboratory for Microsystems in Biomedical and Environmental Applications, coordinates the national network NANOMATFAB, a Virtual Centre for Research in NANOtechnologies for new MATerials and FABrication processes, under the frame of the national programme MATNANTECH.
Laboratory Head : Phys. Adrian Dinescu, [email protected]
The research group is involved in developing AFM techniques for resolving engineering problems for materials and processes at micro and nanometric scale, especially investigation of structure-technological process and structure-properties interactions, activities of characterization nanostructured materials.
Instruments and Equipment Available:
Atomic Force Microscope , non-commercial model, manufactured at University of Twente; it is an open system, which can be continuously completed and improved, by adding auxiliary equipments in order to optimise the working conditions and developing new ones.
Main technical characteristics:
- Imaging modes: contact and intermittent-contact
- Field of view: up to 20 x 20 m m
- Maximum roughness (maximum peak to valley height) allowed: 5 m m
- Vertical resolution: 2nm
- Lateral resolution: 20 nm
In order to obtain good statistical results, including roughness measurements and image processing, the group uses a professional software for advanced processing (SPIPTM – Image Metrology) with functions for: polynomial corrections of the image plan, image calibration on X, Y, Z directions, analysis of the sample shape in transversal section, histograms equalization , Fourier filtering, Correlation Averaging for intensifying repetitive structures covered by noise, interactive filtering, statistical analysis, detection and automatic analysis of granules, pores and particles, characterization of tip morphology.
