New Molecular Printer for fast and flexible surface patterning
We are pleased to announce the new molecular surface patterning system installed in the Münster Nanofabrication Facility (MNF) at the Center for Soft Nanoscience (SoN).
This state of the art Molecular Printer was designed and developed by n.able GmbH, a start-up company from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). n.able was born at the Institute of Nanotechnology at the KIT in a research group working on functionalization of surfaces at the nano- and microscales, headed by Prof. Harald Fuchs and led by PD Dr. Dr. Michael Hirtz.
Thanks to its modular design, the printer addresses the needs of users working in various fields of nanoscience ranging from biomedicine, material sciences to microelectronics. As it allows for flexible choice and combination of various functional modules, it can cover a wide range of applications and research projects.
The system installed in the MNF has the following features:
- Base printing module with a choice of different printing technologies (ranging from cantilever arrays and soft polymeric stamps to microcapillary pens)
- High-Resolution module for increased patterning control down to the low nanoscale
- Climate module for controlled humidity
- Optical module for in-situ process control and analysis.
The printer is compatible with various surfaces and topologies and can be used with a wide range of ink chemistries. It can create numerous single- or interdigitated multi-ink patterns (multiplexing) covering very large areas (dm2) with micron- and nanoscale features in a fast and intuitive way. Additionally, an in-built microscope provides a possibility to check the quality of fabricated samples on-the-fly and even conduct experiments in-situ.
If you would like to learn more about n.able and their Molecular Printer please visit: www.n-able-innovation.com or contact Dr. Sylwia Sekula-Neuner ssn@n-able-innovation.com.