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INL involved in EC´s coordinated approach to promote the safety of nanomaterials

The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) participates in the European Commission’s NANoREG project on the safety of nanomaterials. At INL, the goal of this four-year project is to establish and test specific measurement and characterization methods and offer a wide set of well‐characterized manufactured or engineered nanomaterials (MNMs). The industrial use of nanomaterials has grown significantly, therefore more knowledge about the health and environmental hazard impacts of nanomaterials is necessary. Interest in the use of nanomaterials is considerable, as they can be used to improve product characteristics; for example, nanoparticles help make a surface self-cleaning through a hydrophobic coat of paint; but the safety of these nanoparticles raises questions. The fast development of nanomaterials and their presence on the market make it necessary to evaluate their environmental and health impacts. The project aims at developing guidelines for safe usage, risk management and safety instructions while assessing the need for new legislation. NANoREG is a FP7 project aiming to deliver the answers needed by regulators and legislators on EHS by linking them to scientific evaluation of data and test methods. The NANoREG consortium joins governmental authorities, research institutes and companies from 14 European countries. With this project, we will get not […]

Ministers of Science of Portugal and People’s Republic of China visited the INL

The Portuguese Minister of Education and Science of Portugal, Nuno Crato, and the Minister of Science and Technology, of the People’s Republic of China, Wan Gang, visited the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory. After a short meeting with the aim of presenting to the Chinese delegation the INL project, a state-of-the-art facility, fully dedicated to nanotechnology and nanosciences, the two ministers visited the laboratories dedicated to nanomaterial’s, energy storage and conversion, nanochemistry and nanoparticle synthesis , spintronics and magnetometry. In the last two laboratories the Chinese Minister of Science had the chance to meet two Chinese researchers who are developing their work at INESC-MN, in collaboration with INL. The tour through the facilities, guided by INL’s the director-general, José Rivas, and deputy director general, Paulo Freitas included also the high accuracy laboratories where the Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang took a closer look at the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the scanning electron microscopy (STEM), as well as the focus ion beam (FIB). Nanotechnology is one of the areas included in the memorandum of understanding signed between the government of People’s Republic of China and Portugal to promote collaborative research.

The Princes of Asturias visited INL

Their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias, Felipe de Borbón y Grécia, and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano visited the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory on the 31st of May. The visit was part of the official tour of the Royal Couple to the Republic of Portugal, from May 30th to June 1st, 2012.

More than 160 students applied for the 2012 INL Summer Scholarships

More than 160 students applied for an opportunity to work closely with INL researchers. Starting late June, the second edition of INL summer courses will offer 20 students from Portugal and Spain hands-on training in advanced research projects with INL scientists for two months. Scholars will have the opportunity of sharing the initial research steps of an international and multidisciplinary community working on nanotechnology projects, formed by scientists and engineers from all over the world. All candidates will be informed before the end of May about the outcome of their scholarship application.

INL installs LPX Pegasus ASE, a Deep Silicon Etch (DRIE) with a broad range of challenging applications

Advanced Silicon Etch (ASE) is a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technique used to rapidly etch deep and high aspect ratio structures in silicon. LPX Pegasus is the continuation of STS’ Advanced Silicon Etch (ASE) technology. Through an in-depth understanding of the Bosch process and with the required hardware, Pegasus is able to provide excellent profile control and selectivity. The increased etch rate and improved uniformity lead to higher throughput and device yield, resulting in increased productivity. This inductively de-coupled plasma (IDP) system uses fluorine-based gases for anisotropic deep silicon trench etching. The 13.56 MHz RF power supply produces high-density, low-pressure, low-energy plasma. This type of plasma allows high selectivity and aspect ratio etching for depths greater than 150 microns and has an expected etch rate better than 15 microns/ min. Used primarily for MEMs devices, the typical materials used in this etcher are silicon wafers covered with photoresist and thin films of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. The performance improvements that Pegasus brings have numerous benefits for research as well as for end-users. At the moment, the tool is being installed in the INL’s facilities and it is expected that the final validation process will take place the first […]

INL project presented in Mexico during NanoMex’10

In pursue of INL’s outreach program, Jose Rivas, Director General (DG) of the INL, attended the“Simposio: Nanociencias y Nanotecnología” at UAM in Mexico City, 15-16 November and the NanoMex’10 which is the Third International and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Meeting, organized by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), in Cuernavaca City (Morelos) 17-19 November. In this meeting, the DG of the INL made the most of the encounters to present the INL and to contact leading important Mexican scientists in the field of Nanotechnology. The goal of NanoMex’10 is to stimulate high-quality interdisciplinary dialogue on the advance, promises and implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology in order to enrich the national decision-making concerning the distribution of benefits, maximization and definition of responsibilities and, the minimization of unnecessary and unwanted costs. It is an initiative nano-UNAM, a group initially formed by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Sciences and Humanities, the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Center for Applied Sciences and Technological Development and the Environmental Nanotechnology University Program. Since 2009, nanoUNAM is conformed by 11 UNAM’s entities and a research university program.

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