July 11, 2007, Trapani, Sicily--Surrey NanoSystems has won a major order for its carbon nanotube growth tool from ITA, the advanced technologies research institute in Trapani, Sicily.
ITA selected the NanoGrowth tool for its ability to repeatably grow defined carbon nanotube configurations, and to grow materials at low temperatures. The institute will use the equipment to research carbon nanotube based nanocomposites and mechanical sensors, for medical and aerospace applications.
The tool configuration chosen includes a large range of materials processing modules, to support ITA's diverse research programs. In addition to the NanoGrowth tool's core CVD (chemical vapour deposition) and PECVD (plasma-enhanced CVD) nanomaterial growth capabilities, Surrey NanoSystems will fit modules for catalyst delivery, ion etching and thin-film deposition. This wide-ranging capability will allow ITA researchers to grow precision single- and multi-walled nanotube structures and silicon nanowires, as well as being able to dope, etch and deposit silicon.
The tool will be delivered in August 2007. ITA will become a lead user for Surrey NanoSystems, and in addition to the provision of equipment, the two organizations have signed a three-year development partnership to share intellectual property. Surrey NanoSystems is developing advanced processing templates to support the fabrication of carbon nanotube and silicon nanowire structures for commercial manufacture of semiconductor devices and related electronics applications. ITA will receive these recipes in advance of launch, in return for beta testing.
Carbon nanotube research at ITA will be coordinated by Dr Giulia Lanzara, who worked with Surrey NanoSystems to specify the tool configuration.
"I've had a lot of experience growing carbon nanotubes using a horizontal quartz tube furnace," she said. "For ITA's forthcoming research projects into nanocomposites and mechanical sensors we need to be able to repeatably grow specific nanotube configurations. The architecture of this tool has been specifically designed to produce repeatable results. Along with excellent expansion capability, NanoGrowth gives us a platform to develop our ideas and create commercial-grade automated processes."