SIF101 SEAS MMI Facility

Project Manager: Arthur Lichtenberger, SEAS

SEAS Multifunctional Materials Integration Launch Facility (MMI): The purpose of this award is to create new capabilities for the characterization and study of advanced materials and devices.

BoV Approved: March 2017

Project Dates: 3/07/2017 – 3/06/2020

Total Funding: $10,000,000

Executive Summary

Over 40 faculty, with the support of nine chairs from SEAS, CLAS and SOM, proposed in 2017 to create a cross cutting UVA initiative in “Multifunctional Materials Integration” (MMI). This multidisciplinary initiative was intended to harnesses UVA’s unique technical expertise, from the individual atom to the final system application, in a transformative model that will enable revolutionary advances in technology. The goal was to develop cutting edge approaches to integrate a wide range of materials, manufacturing approaches and functionality into new solutions, ranging from single devices to systems, for greater efficiency and performance. This paradigm shift from the current myopic view, focused on a single aspect of function (e.g., electron based), to an integrative approach would the next generation to realize “tool sets” advanced-materials and optimally designed interfaces to realize the device “building blocks” of tomorrow. Circuits from these building blocks would move far beyond the present day semiconductor, industry-produced electronic chip, enabling revolutionary devices with new function, high performance and energy efficiency to enhance our communications, control our critical systems, monitor our safety, and improve our health. This SIF award enabled the purchase of a suite of major equipment tools and the MMI collaborative innovation laboratory that is instrumental in transforming the existing physical facilities to become world-class and launching the next generation of multifunctional materials integration technologies.

Current Status: Completed

Achievements:

This award was fully expended to successfully establish and expand three major research facilities at UVA: the UV Microfabrication Lab, the Nanoscale materials Characterization Facility (NMCF) and the Far InfraRed Terahertz Lab (FIRTL). All facilities were populated with state-of-the art equipment. The PAC conducted a full review of progress in March 2019, and was satisfied that the project was making good progress with completion of the facility. The PAC conducted a final review in August 2020 and determined that the project goals were successfully completed, and that a full assessment of return on investment can be made as utilization of the resources is tracked and updated.