The Global Nanotechnology

Network

The EPSRC Nanotechnology Horizon

Dr Clive Hayter
Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC), UK
UK Research Investment 2003/04

• UK Government R&D - £7.6 BN (€ 11 BN)

• UK Research Councils - £ 2.0 BN (€ 2.9

BN)
(rising to £2.9 [€ 4.2 BN 2005/06])

• EPSRC - £500M (€726 M)

• Current portfolio of projects - £1 bn (€

1.45 BN)
 Research Councils

DTI

Office of Science and Technology

BBSRC ESRC EPSRC MRC NERC PPARC CCLRC

UK Government Policy

• 2001 – Basic Technology Programme

• 2001 – Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations (IRCs)

• 2001 – University Innovation Centre

• 2001 – UK Advisory Panel Established

• 2002 – A UK Strategy For Nanotechnology

• 2002 – Review - International Review of Materials

• 2002 – European Science Foundation SONS Programme

• 2003 - DTI Micro & Nano Technologies Programme

 EPSRC mission

To promote and support high-quality basic, strategic and applied

research and related postgraduate training in engineering and the
physical sciences.

To advance knowledge and technology and provide trained engineers

and scientists to meet the needs of users, thereby contributing to the
quality of life and economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom.

To provide advice, disseminate knowledge and promote public

understanding in the fields of engineering and the physical sciences.
UK Government 10 Year Framework For
Science & Innovation

• Published in July 2004 alongside the 2004 Spending

Review settlement.
• Contains over 100 commitments and aspirations.
• Increasing UK R&D level from 1.9% to 2.5% of GDP
• Full Economic Costs and Sustainability
• Research infrastructure
• Knowledge transfer
• People support
EPSRC Investment in Nanotechnology

• Nanofabrication
• Nanometrology
• Nanomechanical Devices
• Functional Nanotechnology
• Molecular Nanotechnology
• Nanoclusters, nanoparticles & catalysts
• Nanostructured Materials
• “Extreme” Nanotechnology
Research Councils
& Nanotechnology

Expenditure 2002/03 Direct 2002/03

Underpinning
BBSRC £14.5M £35M

EPSRC £32.2M £147M

MRC £21.3M _

Total £68M (€ 99M) £182M (€ 265M)

• Both responsive and strategic investments

• For EPSRC – ratio, 77% responsive; 22% strategic
Nanotechnology Facilities

• CCLRC: Synchrotron Radiation Source (SRS) &

Diamond

• CCLRC: ISIS Neutron Spallation Source

• EPSRC Centre for III-V Technologies: £5M

[€7.27M] + over 3 years

• CCLRC: Central Microstructure Facility

• Innos (Southampton) Silicon fabrication facility

• Surrey Ion Beam Centre: £2M [€2.9M] + over

4 years

• SuperSTEM (Aberration Corrected TEM)

UK Centres of Critical Mass in Nanotechnology
University of Cambridge
› Fabrication, organisation and properties of
molecular structures; spin-dependent transport;
molecular materials for electronics and photonics;
polypeptide self-assembly; tissue engineering;
lithography; single electron logic and memory
structures; magnetic quantum computing; sensors
and biosensors; nanotubes; nanomagnets;
nanowires; nanotribology; scanning probe
microscopy.
University of Oxford
› Scanning force microscopy of nanostructures;
polymer/glass and layered nanocomposites;
biological devices; carbon nanotubes; nanowires;
materials nanoscale characterisation.
University of Liverpool
› Nanoscale optical, magnetic and electronic
materials, devices and sensors; tissue engineering;
development of sub-Ångstrom electron microscopy.
University of Birmingham
› Nanostructured surfaces; thin film production using
size-selected cluster beams; fabrication of
nanophase materials; sensors; filters; optical
devices; novel electronic devices based on quantum
mechanics; magnetic storage materials.
Imperial College London
› Nanocrystalline electronic, photonic and power
devices; solar and fuel cells; quantum dots;
nanomaterials; magnetic nanostructures; self-
assembled monolayers; lab-on-a-chip.
University of Glasgow
› Lab-on-a-chip; bioelectronic sensors; nano-embossing; high
speed transistors and circuits; novel materials systems for
transistors; gratings for single frequency lasers; surface
probes; biocompatible/ bioinhibitor nanostructures.
University of Nottingham
› Drug delivery; polymers; surface design; preparation and
instrumentation; semiconductor nanostructures; Fullerenes
and carbon nanotubes; scanning probe microscopy;
nanometer scale optics; molecular manipulation; biophysics.
University of Leeds
› Observation and manipulation of nano-size objects; robust
biosensors: bioreactors drug delivery; gas sensors;
nanodevice modelling; self-assembly and self-organisation;
nanostructured materials; nanoscale device architectures.
Cranfield University
› Fusing microengineering and nanotechnology:
nanofabrication and characterisation; ferroelectric ceramics,
powders and composites; piezoelectric ultrasonic motors;
deposition of ferroelectric films; pyroelectric detectors.
University of Southampton
› Nanostructuring of nonlinear optical materials; photonic
crystal waveguides; germanium nanoscale quantum dots;
nanostructured mesoporous materials; nanoporous thin
films; bioelectronic sensors; atomic force and scanning
probe microscopy.
 EPSRC Nanotechnology Strategic
Investments
• 2 Nanotechnology • Training – masters,
Interdisciplinary collaborative, Life
Research Sciences Interface
Collaborations
(IRCs) (Co-funded • Thematic nano
with BBSRC, MRC research networks
and MoD) • ESF EUROCORES in
• Quantum Self Organised
Information Nanostructured
Processing IRC & Systems
Tissue Engineering
IRC • DTI MNT Projects /
• 5 EPSRC Platform Faraday
Partnerships
Grants
Interdisciplinary Research
Collaborations (IRCs)
in Nanotechnology

• IRC in Bio-Nanotechnology (£10M [€ 14.5M] over

6 years)
• Led by Oxford University
• Director Professor John Ryan
• Coordinating activities in Glasgow, York and the
National Institute for Medical Research

• IRC in Nanotechnology (£10M [€ 14.5M] over 6

years)
• Led by Cambridge University
• Director Professor Mark Welland
• Coordinating activities in Bristol and University
College London
IRC in Nanotechnology

Interdisciplinary activity with the theme of

understanding and controlling the physical
properties of nanostructures and devices by
fabrication at single molecule precision

• Objectives:
ƒ Fabrication of 3-D structures with molecular
precision
ƒ Growth of soft layers by directed self assembly
ƒ Determining mechanical and electronic properties
of nanoscale interfaces
ƒ Architectures for devices in biomedicine and IT
ƒ Commercial spin-outs
ƒ Training of personnel in interdisciplinary
environment
IRC in Nanotechnology
• Example Core Project –
Nanofabrication
ƒPatterned self assembly for
pattern replication
ƒStencilling of complex structures
and materials
ƒDevice fabrication by direct
printing
ƒNanopatterned SAMs as 2D
templates for 3D fabrication
ƒNovel resists and resist processes
ƒPattern transfer from thin resist
layers
• For further information contact:
Professor Mark Welland,
mew10@cam.ac.uk
© IRC in Nanotechnology
IRC in Bio-Nanotechnology

• Biomolecular systems from the level of single

molecules up to complex molecular machines by the
integration of top-down nanoscale lithography with
bottom-up biomolecular assembly

• Key themes are:

ƒ Molecular machines
ƒ Functional membrane proteins
ƒ Nano-electronics and photonics
• In parallel, Doctoral Training Centre with
interdisciplinary focus
IRC in Bio-Nanotechnology
Example Core Projects:

• Molecular Motors,
ƒ objective to measure the physical behaviour of bacterial
flagellar and enzymatic F0F1-ATPase motors and
establish the principles by which they work
• DNA & Protein Nanostructures
ƒ Synthetic molecular motors
ƒ DNA scaffolds for crystallography
ƒ Functional biomolecular devices
• Biomembranes and Ion Channels

• For further information on the work of the Bio-

nanotechnology IRC contact: Professor John Ryan,
j.ryan1@physics.ox.ac.uk
 Nanotechnology Networks

Nano-optical Nanomagnetism
microscopy
Nano-analysis
Using FIB
Nanotools for
biomedicine Nanometrology

Biomedical applications
Nanotechnology
of micro/nano Ferro-
SPM
Electric
Materials
Nanoscale structures for life sciences
Future Plans

• Nanotechnology Theme Day (16th June

2005) – evaluation exercise
• Mid-Term Nanotechnology IRC Reviews
(May & June 2005)
• Consultation on priorities in nanometrology
and nanomanufacturing