- Research
The Laboratory of Micro and Nanofabrication (LMN) is benefiting from a major grant totalling $8.78 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES) to strengthen its state-of-the-art scientific facilities.
Laboratory of Micro and Nanofabrication
Located in Varennes, this laboratory of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) boasts a 250 m2 clean room and state-of-the-art equipment. “The CFI and the Québec government are essential partners in the research at INRS. At this time, we have eight active projects that benefit from CFI funding. This represents $45 million, including the funding of Professor Mohamed Chaker,” says Pascale Champagne, Scientific Director of INRS. For Professor Chaker’s laboratory, upgrading facilities is a way to remain competitive, both in terms of technology and skills. It is also excellent news for the training of highly qualified research personnel in this sector. Access to state-of-the-art equipment allows Quebec researchers to stand out in their work.
Obtained by Professor Mohamed Chaker, Professor Dongling Ma and their colleagues, this funding will allow the LMN to remain at the forefront of research on advanced materials and nanodevices while reinforcing, in the long term, its international leadership in the field of nanofabrication.
“With this funding, we will acquire two exceptional new pieces of equipment that will enable INRS researchers and their academic and industrial partners to pursue a variety of opportunities for scientific and technological innovation.”
Mohamed Chaker, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Plasma Applied to Micro- and Nanomanufacturing Technologies
Innovative tools
The first instrument acquired by the Laboratory with this funding is the Hard X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPES). This state-of-the-art spectrometer allows the analysis of material surfaces and underlying layers like never before, opening up new fields of research with advanced materials.
The second is a very high-performance electron beam lithography system. With its exceptional resolution, precision and writing speed, it will enable the production of nanostructures in materials with a resolution a thousand times smaller than the width of a hair. It will thus make it possible to meet new challenges in the interdisciplinary and multisectoral field of nanodevices.
Building on the solid foundation of the world-class laboratory in advanced materials science and nanodevices, this funding represents an exceptional opportunity to address the challenges of skilled workforce training and research and development in sectors strategic to Québec’s economic development.
About the LMN
In 2001, INRS set up the LMN, thanks to two grants from the CFI and the Québec government. This unique platform, which already represents an investment of $36M, has led to an impressive number of discoveries, the training of a highly qualified workforce, and the development of highly original innovations. The LMN collaborates with more than 40 Québec companies.
