Lurie Nanofabrication LaboratoryEdit
The Lurie Nanofabrication Laboratory (LNF) is a premier nanoscale fabrication facility housed within the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As a cutting-edge cleanroom and research environment, it provides researchers with access to a broad suite of patterning, deposition, and characterization tools. The LNF serves as a bridge between fundamental science and applied engineering, enabling work in areas such as nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, MEMS and NEMS, quantum devices, and advanced materials. Its role is to empower students, faculty, and industry collaborators to prototype devices and explore technologies at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and engineering, all under a framework of rigorous safety and quality control that is standard in high-performance research facilities.
The lab is named to honor significant philanthropic support that helped establish and expand the cleanroom and its capabilities. In practice, the LNF functions as a university-scale platform where researchers can design, fabricate, and test nanoscale structures and devices using a broad array of lithography, deposition, etching, and metrology tools. This arrangement supports interdisciplinary collaboration across departments, with participation from electrical engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry, and bioengineering, among others. See University of Michigan and related pages for more context on how the institution organizes such facilities.
History
The Lurie Nanofabrication Laboratory was developed as part of a broader push to expand nanoscale fabrication capabilities at the University of Michigan. The facility’s creation reflected a recognition that in order to compete in advanced research domains—such as nanoelectronics, quantum devices, and photonics—the university needed a modern, well-equipped cleanroom environment. philanthropic support from the Lurie family and associated donors helped fund construction, equipment purchases, and the ongoing program of training and collaboration that characterizes the lab today. Over time, the LNF has expanded its toolsets and workflows to accommodate a wide range of experiments, from basic device prototyping to complex integrated systems. See discussions of funding and university engineering infrastructure in entries on College of Engineering (University of Michigan) and University of Michigan.
Facilities and capabilities
Cleanroom and safety: The LNF provides controlled environments, appropriate for nanoscale fabrication, with trained staff overseeing safety, waste handling, and process documentation. See cleanroom.
Lithography: Patterning capabilities include photolithography for larger features and, where appropriate, electron-beam lithography for nanoscale patterning, enabling the fabrication of devices from transistors to sensors. See photolithography and electron-beam lithography.
Deposition and etching: A range of deposition tools enable thin-film growth and material synthesis, including chemical vapor deposition (chemical vapor deposition), atomic layer deposition (atomic layer deposition), and physical vapor deposition. Etching capabilities (including reactive ion etching and related plasma processes) allow for selective material removal to realize intricate device geometries. See chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, and etching.
Metrology and characterization: Researchers access tools such as scanning electron microscopy (scanning electron microscopy), atomic force microscopy (atomic force microscopy), profilometry, and spectroscopy to inspect features, verify material quality, and extract device performance metrics. See scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.
Education and training: The lab runs training programs, internships, and collaborative projects to prepare students for advanced research and industry roles in nanofabrication and related disciplines. See education in relation to university research facilities.
Research integration: The LNF works with researchers in nanoelectronics, nanomaterials, and photonics to prototype devices ranging from nanoscale transistors to sensors and photonic components. See nanoelectronics, nanomaterials, and photonics.
Research programs and applications
nanoelectronics and quantum devices: The facility supports the fabrication and testing of nanoscale electronic and quantum-scale devices, connecting materials science with device engineering. See nanoelectronics and quantum computing.
nanomaterials and devices: Researchers explore materials at the nanoscale to create new sensors, transistors, and optoelectronic components, leveraging the lab’s deposition and lithography capabilities. See nanomaterials.
sensing and biosystems: The LNF enables development of nanoscale sensors and biointegrated devices, including chemical and biological sensing platforms. See biosensors.
MEMS and NEMS: Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems research benefits from the cleanroom environment and patterning tools to realize movable structures and integrated devices. See MEMS.
education and workforce development: The laboratory serves as a hands-on training ground for students pursuing careers in engineering and physical sciences, fostering a pipeline of skilled technicians and researchers. See education.
Governance, funding, and collaborations
The LNF operates as part of the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering, with governance that includes a director and staff coordinating access, safety, and scheduling for researchers from across campus and partner institutions. Funding comes from a mix of university resources, federal and state research programs, and private philanthropy associated with the lab’s named donors. The facility maintains a posture of openness to industry collaborations and cross-disciplinary projects, balancing the university’s mission to create knowledge with the practical goals of technology transfer and real-world impact. See College of Engineering (University of Michigan) and University of Michigan for broader context on how such facilities fit into university research ecosystems.
Controversies and debates
Like many university research facilities, the LNF exists within a broader ecosystem of campus priorities, funding pressures, and evolving norms around inclusion and merit. From some perspectives that emphasize efficiency and market-oriented outcomes, concerns are raised about how public and private funding are allocated to long-horizon research versus near-term revenue opportunities. Proponents argue that the LNF’s core value lies in its ability to deliver tangible technological advances and to equip the next generation of engineers and scientists with hands-on experience in state-of-the-art fabrication.
Diversity and inclusion in STEM are common topics of discussion on university campuses. Critics who prefer a focus on merit-based hiring and competition sometimes contend that expansive diversity programs can complicate or slow recruitment and evaluation. Supporters counter that broad talent pools and inclusive environments enhance problem-solving and innovation, which are essential for advanced research in nanofabrication. From a perspective prioritizing practical impact, proponents argue that the LNF’s success is best measured by research outputs, device performance, and collaborations with industry, rather than by optics of ideology. Critics who label such programs as “woke” are often accused of conflating social policy with scientific merit; proponents of meritocracy would argue that high-quality work emerges from diverse, capable teams and that inclusive practices are complements—not obstacles—to rigorous science.
These debates reflect a larger question about how universities balance curiosity-driven research with accountability to taxpayers, donors, and the global knowledge economy. The LNF’s ongoing evolution—upgrading tools, expanding partnerships, and training new generations of researchers—illustrates how a modern cleanroom facility seeks to maintain relevance in a fast-changing field while navigating the broader campus and national conversations about science, funding, and social priorities.