We were pleased to host our third annual Open Day at the Münster Nanofabrication Facility (MNF) in the Center for Soft Nanoscience (SoN) and the Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech). This event brought together nearly 100 participants, including students, scientists, colleagues, and industry representatives. The day featured multidisciplinary talks on nanoanalytics and fabrication, a poster session highlighting student research projects, an exhibition showcasing companies that supply our cutting-edge equipment, and a networking event generously sponsored by Pixel Photonics.
MNF Day kicked off with an update from Maik Stappers on upcoming developments at the facility. Following this, Alexander Eich from Pixel Photonics, our prominent spin-off client, delivered a compelling presentation titled "Scalable Single-Photon Detection: About Quantum and Non-Quantum Innovations."
Professors Bart Jan Ravoo and Carsten Schuck highlighted how they use MNF technologies for ground-breaking research in self-assembly and applications of nanoparticles, as well as quantum technology applications of nanophotonic chips. Professor Helmut Zacharias provided a historical perspective on the establishment of the SoN and MNF.
Additionally, Dr. Bonnie Tyler, a member of our scientific staff, offered an in-depth overview of using TOF-SIMS for analyzing soft nanomaterials, further emphasizing MNF's role in supporting innovative research.
Student Presentations
This year we were happy to spotlight student research through presentations from Joel Billermann on "Tuning the absorption of surface acoustic waves with phase change materials" and Matthias Weiß on "New twists for nanoquakes on a chip – Emerging applications of surface acoustic waves to probe and control quantum nanosystems."
Companies
Representatives from leading companies—Nanoscribe,EVG and KLA—shared fascinating details about their cutting-edge technologies, including Two-Photon 3D Lithography, Nanoimprint Lithography, and Thin Film Metrology, respectively.
A standout moment of the day was the lively poster session at CeNTech. Students, many nominated by their professors, showcased their research projects and engaged with attendees, answering questions and sparking insightful discussions.
Awards
During the closing awards ceremony, Janne Becker was awarded first place for his poster titled "Single-Photon Emitters in Deterministically Placed hBN Nanocrystals."
Connor-Alexander Graham-Scott won first place in the Nano Image Contest with his innovative entry, "Cascaded SNSPDs." Both winners received a generous cash prize, courtesy of KLA.
Networking and general response
As attendees widely noted, the true strength of MNF Day lay in its networking opportunities and the chance to explore innovative technologies applicable to their research. Many participants shared their enthusiasm about trying new equipment and fabrication techniques inspired by the event. There was a strong consensus that they look forward to more interactions and the chance to learn from each other's work at next year’s gathering.
Attendees were able to meet and learn more about our tools from the companies that manufacture our instruments. A big thank you to the following event sponsors and friends of the MNF!
