Facilities


researcher using fabrication instrument
KU Nanofabrication Facility

The home of the Adams Institute is located in the Multidisciplinary Research Building (MRB) on the West Campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. The $40 million, 106,000 sq. ft. building was completed in December 2005, and the Adams Institute was later dedicated in October 21, 2006. The MRB is a state-of-the-art, three-story research facility designed with research labs, support space and interaction areas to promote collaborative research. More than 200 scientists, students and other research staff work in the building. Research takes place within and among research groups under the direction of faculty affiliated with the Institute. Most are located in the MRB, and some are within buildings which house their home departments.

The KU Nanofabrication Facility was originally known as the Adams Microfabrication Facility, established in 2012 to assist researchers with fabricating microfluidic (lab-on-a-chip) devices for biomedical research applications. In 2019, the facility moved to a newly constructed state-of-the-art cleanroom space in the Integrated Science Building on KU’s main campus and was renamed the KU Nanofabrication Facility (KUNF) to reflect its dramatic increase in size and capabilities.

The KUNF consists of about 1,300 sq. ft. of ISO class 5 cleanroom space for photolithography and nano-imprint lithography, 1,700 sq. ft. of ISO class 6 cleanroom space for thin film deposition and plasma etching, and 2,700 sq. ft. of ISO class 7 cleanroom space for hot embossing, glass device assembly, CO2 laser engraving, PDMS device fabrication, wet etching, wafer dicing and metrology, including an Scanning Electron Microscope. There is an additional 4,230 sq. ft. of chase/mechanical space for equipment support, and 408 sq. ft. of office space for use during long processes, or to use computers installed with CAD or simulation software. The KUNF website provides detailed information on all capabilities and resources available to researchers interested in micro- and nanofabrication at KU.

The home of the Adams Institute is located in the Multidisciplinary Research Building (MRB) on the West Campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. The $40 million, 106,000 sq. ft. building was completed in December 2005, and the Adams Institute was later dedicated in October 21, 2006. The MRB is a state-of-the-art, three-story research facility designed with research labs, support space and interaction areas to promote collaborative research. More than 200 scientists, students and other research staff work in the building. Research takes place within and among research groups under the direction of faculty affiliated with the Institute. Most are located in the MRB, and some are within buildings which house their home departments.

The KU Nanofabrication Facility was originally known as the Adams Microfabrication Facility, established in 2012 to assist researchers with fabricating microfluidic (lab-on-a-chip) devices for biomedical research applications. In 2019, the facility moved to a newly constructed state-of-the-art cleanroom space in the Integrated Science Building on KU’s main campus and was renamed the KU Nanofabrication Facility (KUNF) to reflect its dramatic increase in size and capabilities.

The KUNF consists of about 1,300 sq. ft. of ISO class 5 cleanroom space for photolithography and nano-imprint lithography, 1,700 sq. ft. of ISO class 6 cleanroom space for thin film deposition and plasma etching, and 2,700 sq. ft. of ISO class 7 cleanroom space for hot embossing, glass device assembly, CO2 laser engraving, PDMS device fabrication, wet etching, wafer dicing and metrology, including an Scanning Electron Microscope. There is an additional 4,230 sq. ft. of chase/mechanical space for equipment support, and 408 sq. ft. of office space for use during long processes, or to use computers installed with CAD or simulation software. The KUNF website provides detailed information on all capabilities and resources available to researchers interested in micro- and nanofabrication at KU.