STEWART BLUSSON QUANTUM MATTER INSTITUTE RECEIVES $2,950,000 FROM WESTERN ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION CANADA TO SUPPORT NANOFABRICATION INITIATIVE

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Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD Canada) announced on September 4, the allocation of $2,950,000 to an initiative currently in development at the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. This federal funding will be used to help defray the cost of implementing Phase 2 of the Nanofabrication Initiative, an infrastructure project that includes facility upgrades and the purchase of specialized equipment that together, with the recent acquisition of industry-standard tools such as an 8” wafer-capable, electron beam lithography (EBL) tool, will help create the first nanofabrication facility of its kind in Canada.

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Phase 1 of this initiative was recently completed with cleanroom upgrades to higher ISO levels. Whereas the previous level was enough to support photolithography work, recent upgrades have increased the cleanliness levels by a factor of 10. The cleanroom will be outfitted and made available to academic and industry users by the end of 2019.

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Phase 2 completes this series of upgrades and acquisitions. By retrofitting the existing space and adding a focused ion beam (FIB) system to the current suite of nanofabrication tools, SBQMI will be able offer a more streamlined production process for researchers (from both industry and academia) who are designing nanostructures (optical circuits, for instance) on semi-conductive substrates (wafers) requiring a high degree of reliability and accuracy in the etching process.

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Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute is deeply appreciative of this funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada, which will allow for the completion of a state-of-the-art facility that is much needed to support the development of a national industry around quantum materials-based technology.

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“We are profoundly grateful for the support from Western Economic Diversification Canada. The funding represents a key investment enabling the creation of advanced and comprehensive manufacturing processes for quantum materials-based devices, and advancing the vision for establishing an ecosystem in Western Canada focused on quantum materials discovery, design, and fabrication.”

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— Andrea Damascelli,
, Scientific Director, QMI