NanoElectroMechanical Systems (NEMS) and Nanophotonics.

Centre for Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS) and Nanophotonics sponsored by the Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India

Project duration is 5 years with a total outlay of Rs. 49.47 crores

Objectives of the Project:

To set up a Centre to carry out application-oriented research for the development of NanoElectroMechanical Systems (NEMS) and Nanophotonics.

Specifically, the objectives of the project are:

• Carrying out R&D activities

• Manpower development with the capability of carrying out R&D activities

• Developing socially relevant systems especially in agriculture, health and communication sectors

• Realising components/devices/subsystems/systems developed into commercial products

Brief outline of the project with specific technology outcomes:

• Augmenting the facilities at the Microelectronics and MEMS laboratory, IIT Madras to extend them to nanoscale from microscale. The facilities created will also be made available to researchers in other organisations.

• Developing nanofabrication processes for the materials: silicon, GaAs and other III-V compounds, Silicon nitride, Silicon oxide, polysilicon and silicon on insulator (SOI)

• Material diagnostics in nm scale

• Design and modelling of nanoscale devices

• Process optimization for specific nanostructures like nanocantilevers, nanoporous membranes, nanowires

• Setting up measurements for accurate testing, characterization and reliability