NDL researchers are taking part in the DARPA and Semiconductor Research Corporation funded MARCO Center on Functional Engineered Nano Architectonics (FENA) headed by Professor Kang L. Wang (UCLA). More information about MARCO FENA Center research projects can be found at the official FENA web-site

The mission of the MARCO FENA center is to create and investigate new nano-engineered functional materials and devices, and novel structural and computational architectures for new information processing systems beyond the limits of conventional CMOS technology. Professor Balandin's research group is involved in the following two FENA research themes: (i) Synthesis and Manufacturing Methods for Nanoscale Materials and Structures; and (ii) Simulation and Computation of Novel Engineered Nanomaterials and Devices.

Photo. UCR participants of the MARCO FENA Center.

The UCR MARCO FENA team includes EE Professors R. Lake, A.A. Balandin, M. Ozkan, and J.L. Liu, as well as ME Professor C. Ozkan. More information on the UCR MARCO members can be found on PIs web-sites. A press release about the UCLA team of the MARCO FENA center can be found HERE, a press release about the UCR team participating in MARCO FENA center can be found HERE.

Figure 1. Modeling of the quantum dot-based nanoelectronic gates.

The research work on the FENA Task (Theme III) "Simulations of Self-Synthesized and Functionalized Devices" carried out by the NDL researchers includes modeling and simulation of the quantum dot architectures (see Figure 1). Under FENA Task (Theme II) "Virus Engineering to Grow and Self-Assemble Interconnects", the NDL researchers investigate both experimentally and theoretically vibrational modes in viruses used for self-assembly of nanoelectronic components (see Figure 2). In a recent NDL researchers reported dispersion relations for the vibrational frequencies of TMV and M13 bacteriophage. In this work the application of the micro-Raman spectroscopy for monitoring the virus-based self-assembly processes has also been discussed. For details see the rapid research note in physica status solidi (2004) by V.A. Fonoberov and A.A. Balandin.

Figure 2. Radial vibrational modes for TMV virus in air (a-c) and in water (d-f).
The length or arrows is proportional to the magnitude of the displacement.

More information on the projects currently under way in the Nano-Device Laboratory (NDL) can be found HERE. To join NDL as a graduate student or postdoctoral research visit the web-page HERE. To learn more about course offering in the field of Materials, Devices and Circuits visit the web-page HERE.