2015 Australian National Fabrication Facility - Australian National ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Australian National Fabrication Facility
2015
CASEBOOK
ANFF – The home of tomorrow’s entrepreneurs
In 2007, ANFF was established to competitiveness of the Australian
provide facilities that were not economy in the future.
otherwise available in Australia, and
This casebook, ANFF – The Home of
to support areas of micro and nano
Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs, tells some of
fabrication research in which Australia
the stories of today’s entrepreneurs from
excelled.
the ANFF Network who are bringing
The uptake by both university and their technologies to market, including
industry researchers has been some of the seven start-up companies
significant, growing consistently from that have emerged from ANFF nodes.
less than 30,000 hours of tool usage
While ANFF will continue to support
Rosie Hicks in 2008/09 to over 190,000 during
Chief Executive Officer these micro and nanotechnology
2014/15.
Australian National Fabrication Facility entrepreneurs in the years to come,
It is not only the quantity of research it is recognised that their innovations
that has increased, but also the are the product of many years of
profile. Last year more than 50% of the fundamental high-profile research.
academic publications generated with
This year’s casebook is the biggest
the support of ANFF were featured in
we have published to date, with
the top-rated 5% of academic journals.
36 case studies: a reflection of the
The benefit that ANFF provides has number of opportunities for Tomorrow’s
been noticed on an international stage. Entrepreneurs to establish new
Usage by international researchers industries in Australia. These case
has also increased significantly, studies span all of the nine national
with collaborative projects under research priorities set out by the
development with organisations such Australian Government.
as the US Air Force and NASA.
This casebook also includes feedback
While it could be argued that these from our roadshow ANFF 2025 –
impacts for Australia were anticipated Future Capabilities Consultation, which
as part of the original strategy for ran earlier this year. The sessions
NCRIS and ANFF, there are a number provided an opportunity for ANFF
of other opportunities that were not. to identify the challenges that the
nanotechnology research community
This year we’re focusing on the
is seeking to tackle in the next seven
innovative research carried out in the
to ten years. Key findings from the
facilities around Australia and ANFF’s
consultation will help to identify the
role in supporting entrepreneurs.
research infrastructure and capability
Entrepreneurs play a key role in that ANFF needs to offer going
a country’s economy and must be forward, and prepare us to best
equipped with the skills to take new support this community over the coming
ideas to market. ANFF fosters decade.
entrepreneurship by training researchers
By providing this support, ANFF can
in the micro and nano fabrication skills
maintain the flow of new opportunities
necessary to fabricate devices and
for the nanotechnology industries of
advanced materials.
tomorrow.
ANFF enables researchers to develop
new ideas that have long-term
implications, and provides the facility
to take publicly funded research along
the pathway to creating commercial
outcomes that will ensure the
2 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.au
Contents
Welcome................................................................................................ 2
Snapshot of ANFF..................................................................................... 4
ANFF 2025 – Future Capabilities Consultation............................................... 6
Case Studies, arranged in accordance with the Australian Government’s
nine Science and Research Priorities
Food..................................................................................................... 10
Soil and Water....................................................................................... 14
Transport................................................................................................ 16
Cybersecurity......................................................................................... 18
Energy.................................................................................................. 22
Resources.............................................................................................. 26
Advanced Manufacturing......................................................................... 30
Environmental Change............................................................................. 44
Health................................................................................................... 48
Entrepreneur Profiles
David Lancaster...................................................................................... 21
Luke Parkinson........................................................................................ 33
Simon Gross.......................................................................................... 37
François Ladouceur.................................................................................. 43
Ryan Pawell........................................................................................... 52
Mark Kendall......................................................................................... 55
Australian National Credits
Fabrication Facility Ltd Writer & Co-editor
151 Wellington Road Meegan Waugh
Clayton VIC 3168 Co-editor
T: +61 3 9902 9619 Warren McKenzie
E: info@anff.org.au Design
www.anff.org.au Peta Blackwell
Cover image credit: Paul Henderson-Kelly.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 3
Snapshot of ANFF
ANFF was established under the Australian Government’s Over 500 facilities are located across 21 institutions around
National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy Australia in a national network of 8 nodes. Each node offers
(NCRIS). complementary specialised manufacturing facilities supported
by trained staff.
ANFF’s mission is to provide micro and nano fabrication
facilities for Australia’s researchers, SMEs and start-up
companies.
The 8 Nodes of ANFF
Western Australia
Node
Queensland
Node
NSW
Node
Optofab
Node
South Australia Materials
Node Node
ACT
Node
Victorian
Node
4 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.au
User Distribution Number of Hours
University host (57%)
2008/09
University external (23)%
2009/10
Publically funded
researchers (5%) 2010/11
International (5%)
2011/12
Industry (10%)
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000
Supporting Australian researchers in 2014/2015
Providing access to micro and nano fabrication facilities Inspiring collaboration
ANFF facility usage increased by 50% relative to International usage of ANFF facilities increased by 40% in
2013/2014. 2014/15. Over 9,000 tool hours were used by international
research collaborators.
192,639 hours of ANFF facility time was consumed by
2,672 researchers fabricating new devices, novel materials Supporting tomorrow’s entrepreneurs
and prototypes during 2014/15.
ANFF usage by companies grew 35% during FY14/15.
Critically, this activity delivers world class research,
Almost one third of the 16,500 industry hours were from
attracts international collaborators, and builds support for
international entrepreneurs and companies using ANFF
entrepreneurs who want to contribute to Australian industries
facilities for their R&D.
or start new ones.
Supporting world class research
More than 50% of ANFF related publications were featured in
the top rated 5% of international journals as ranked by ERA.
• Delegates at the Enabling Technologies workshop, Arlington, VA 2015.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 5
Earlier this year, we ran ANFF 2025 – Future Capabilities Consultation.
This was a chance for the fabrication community to get together and talk
about the research challenges that we’re seeking to tackle in the next
seven to ten years. In February and March 2015, events were held in
six cities across Australia. Based on the Australian Academy of Science’s
‘National Nanotechnology Strategy 2012’, we considered four
different thematic areas: photonics, nanobio, advanced materials,
and nanoelectronics. Key findings from the consultation, which
are outlined on the following pages, will contribute to identifying the
research infrastructure capability that ANFF needs to offer going forward.
6 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.au
ANFF 2025
Future Capabilities Consultation o
The incremental advances of a photonics the implementation of advanced sensor
roadmap have the potential to underpin systems. Microfluidic devices have been
groundbreaking advances in other described as a ‘lab-on-a-chip’ suitable
Photonics represents disciplines, such as biophotonics. for point-of-care diagnostics, but
10% of the ANFF must provide the integration, coupling to the device is a challenge.
economies of the packaging capabilities and skilled Technical challenges include materials
US and Europe. personnel to make this happen. compatibility, bio-functionalised surface
World leaders in photovoltaic engineering and the ability to access
technologies, Australian researchers international foundries, which is limited
must be able to fabricate large-area for material systems other than silicon.
solar cells to work with international Australian research in niche areas
Photonics industry and secure investor including hybrid chips with III-V
Australian advances in photonics engagement. This requires large area materials and silicon cannot be easily
have the potential to create impact in deposition facilities. Current research undertaken at an international foundry
fields as diverse as neuroscience and by CSIRO supported by ANFF-Vic due to contamination issues. Solving
astronomy. But unless researchers can includes plasmonic enhanced solar challenges overseas also means
take fully packaged devices or working cells with improved light harvesting, losing a degree of insight into the
prototypes directly into their laboratory and thermal management systems for process. We need to be internationally
we won’t achieve cross-discipline take- improved conversion efficiency. aligned and take care to avoid non-
up. For a fibre sensor to be used by a compatibility, but we also need an
Challenges facing Australian Australian capability as a bridge to
biologist, it must be packaged ready
researchers include reproducibility foundry manufacturing.
for connection to the biological system
for commercialisation of devices and
under test. It might also be necessary To enable photonics research we must
the ability to demonstrate nanoscale
to use softer materials rather than a understand the end-user needs, from
functionality across large wafers.
rigid case to match the mechanical one-off demonstrations to medical trials,
properties of the electrodes to the Optical fibre fabrication is being together with the applicable standards
environment, which might be bone applied to new types of materials, for industries including defence,
or soft tissue. combining optical and electrical arrays, biomedical and telecommunications.
which offer the potential to detect neural
From under the earth to the stars above,
vertical integration is essential for the
signals in vivo. Limited by the fibre
drawing process to certain structures,
Nanobio
deployment of photonic technologies. Nanobio research supported by
2D photon polymerisation might hold
A 3D photonic chip is at the heart of ANFF has enabled the development
the pathway to new geometries.
the Dragonfly interferometric instrument of biosensors and diagnostics for early
for detecting extra-solar planets. The Research opportunities exist at the disease detection, health monitoring
chip, made by the ANFF Optofab interfaces. As well as vertical integration, and treatment. Areas of intensive
node, has been demonstrated ‘on-sky’ interfacing photonics with electronics research and development include
at the Anglo Australian Telescope at and fluids creates the potential for engineered scaffolds for regenerative
Sliding Spring NSW. The node is now smaller, faster and lighter devices. medicine and intelligent delivery
working with Sydney Water to develop Disruptive technologies include the use systems for genetic material, drugs
a fibre-based system for monitoring the of photonic integrated circuits as a and vaccines. Australia’s reputation
network of underground water pipes scalable platform for complex quantum in medical technologies is highly
for concrete corrosion. Devices must systems. Integration of single-photon dependent on being at the forefront
be robust and able to function for long detectors and light sources on a chip to of nanobio and fabrication technologies
periods in dirty environments. reduce optical losses creates a base for that enable implementation.
s
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 7
The translation of research requires
s
production of sufficient quantities of
materials and devices for development
and clinical trials. With our current
strategies ANFF has enabled companies
such as Vaxxas to progress towards
market with the NanopatchTM and
enabled clinicians with improved
product ideas, such as new glaucoma
implants, to realise designs resulting
from decades of knowledge in just a
matter of days. ANFF is establishing
hospital-based facilities to ensure more
returns like this.
Since the establishment of ANFF,
researchers have used the facilities to
print a multitude of materials, including
bioactive components (proteins, drugs
and cells), polymers, metals and
inorganics to fabricate structures and
devices containing nanocomponents.
combination with leading ‘lab-on-a-chip’
This has required the development of The demand for
modules is revolutionising point-of-care
new tools and techniques. These new nanomaterials is forecast
diagnosis and personalised medicine.
printing protocols and the customised to grow by > 30%
machinery used to implement them annually to 2020. The design and functionality of
keep Australia ahead of the game. nanomaterials is tuneable for specific
applications in potentially lucrative
Future research challenges include the markets such as energy production and
fabrication of 3D structures containing
living cells for testing of drugs and Advanced materials storage, medicine, and new device
technologies. Scale-up of manufacturing
other therapies. This will bring clinical New materials-based markets and will vary greatly between materials
treatments closer to fruition and enable technologies are emerging and and applications. Transitioning from
fundamental research into cell and Australian participation will be critical in laboratory to commercial quantities
developmental biology together with the transitioning global economy. While might mean batches of as little as
the molecular pathways in cells that the term nanomaterials is widely used, one gram or as much as one tonne,
regulate tissue morphogenesis and we are focused on those materials that depending on the material and market
disease. To create these structures, exhibit a change in their properties (for needs.
multi-dimensional fabrication involving example, optical or electrical) as their
The rapid growth in scientific insight has
both hard and soft materials is needed. size approaches 100 nm and smaller.
not been matched by standardisation
To print a kidney for drug screening, Opening markets for nanomaterials
in the production and characterisation
for example, would require more than in renewable energy, electronics,
of materials. Challenges include
26 different types of cells across personal care products, medicines,
controlling the shape and properties of
different length scales. Multi-compositional nano-composite building materials,
nanoparticles to produce narrow size
fabrication involves controlling the and advanced coatings will depend
distributions, but the repeatability of
spatial and temporal delivery of multiple on meeting a major challenge:
materials synthesis and measurement
cell types with multiple materials. bridging the gap between the scientific
is low. Batch inconsistencies can lead
High speed, high resolution printing understanding of new materials and
to variable material performance.
in the clinic, together with appropriate scaled and standardised manufacturing.
Problems include variation in the
characterisation techniques, requires
Leading edge research now includes raw materials; for example, the raw
continuing development.
time resolved studies; for example, of materials sourced from glass companies
In addition to healthcare, new areas microfluidic movement and novel for the production of speciality glasses
of work include food science; in materials such as graphene, to for photonics applications contain
particular, understanding the gut overcome the limitations of Moore’s varying amounts of impurities. For
mechanical model and the implications law. New advances in biophotonics ‘bottom-up’ syntheses continuous-flow
for food formulation and processing, – exploiting engineered biomarkers production methods are desirable,
agriculture and water. and bioactive nanomaterials – in for example in microfluidic and/or flow
8 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.au
macro device components. Similarly, the MEMS devices, integrating microscale
improved efficiency of III-V nanowires mechanical or movable parts with
for light harvesting must be coupled electronic circuits, are being used to
with silicon to create optical devices fabricate sensing devices that duplicate
and nanochannels must be connected human senses to ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘smell’,
to microchannels for fluid applications, ‘taste’, or ‘touch’. MEMS-based
which are in turn connected to mm-scale wavelength tuneable infrared miniature
fluid ports and tubing. spectrometers are bringing colour vision
to infrared sensing, while monitoring
Extending the activities of the
of MEMS nanomechanical motion
ANFF Design House and the need
affected by preferential adsorption
for computational materials design has
of predefined biological or chemical
also been recognised.
agents is allowing devices to ’smell’
and ’taste’. These new sensing
Nanoelectronics modalities are expected to disruptively
impact the already firmly established
and nanomagnetics global dominance of MEMS in sensing
Nanoelectronics and nanomagnetics technologies commonly found in
involve the study of phenomena or smartphone, automotive, aerospace,
functional properties that depend on and military applications.
electron charge and/or spin constrained The integration of hybrid materials
chemistry unit operations. ‘Top-down’ to the nanoscale. Australia’s research will be crucial in the advancement
production of nanoscale features can strengths in this field include quantum of a number of technology areas.
be scaled up by using large wafer science and quantum technologies, For example free-space optical
platforms or drawing towers (fibres) in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) communications will require
‘pre-foundry’ facilities. technology, plasmonics, and interfacing between photonics and
In some cases, the shelf life of nanomagnetics. In common with other nanoelectronics. Nanowires provide a
fabricated materials is not sufficient. themes, challenges for this area include pathway for integration of hybrid III-V
Quality assurance, including purity, integration, packaging and scaling. materials on silicon because the 3D
size, and shape of individual particles/ structure of the nanowires overcomes
In October 2015, researchers at
structures, and the collective function of the lattice mismatch in 2D planar
ANFF-NSW reported the fabrication of
complex assemblies, will be required devices. Interfacing nanoelectronics
a quantum logic gate in silicon in the
for end-user confidence in nanomaterial with life sciences applications; for
journal Nature*. Applications of
technologies. example, using silicon-based devices
quantum computing include finance,
for cell sensing and readout, requires
security and healthcare; for example,
Complex nanosystems – beyond that the devices be bio-compatible. Due
allowing the identification of new
‘simple’ particles – will be increasingly to the toxicity of some components, the
medicines by greatly accelerating
important, requiring the development of challenge is to encapsulate the devices.
drug design. While the UNSW
new techniques for manipulation and New and hybrid materials will allow
group have patented a design for a
self-assembly of particles and materials. developments in a number of areas.
full scale quantum computer chip that
Nanomaterials that interact with one Approaches to tackling the limits of
would allow scaling to millions of
another to ‘cooperate’ at the nanoscale Moore’s Law include new 2D materials
qubits, the next steps towards a device
will impact advanced optical, electrical, in addition to graphene; for example,
with tens then hundreds of qubits
mechanical, and biological use. molybdenum sulphide. The rare
require greater reliability and more
The interface between the nano, micro, stringent engineering controls than capability to fabricate mercury telluride-
and macro world is difficult to bridge. those currently achieved in university- based structures has allowed Australian
Advances in the fabrication of different based cleanrooms. This requires a researchers to develop topological
nanoparticles and nanomaterials must major investment in infrastructure if the insulators, which represent a disruptive
now be complemented by integration work is to be undertaken in Australia. technology for next generation
of these materials into devices. NV Improved engineering controls would electronics. Future areas of research
(nitrogen vacancy) centres in diamond help to extend the lifetime of current include plasmonics – with applications
are an example of a nanomaterial nanoelectronics devices, which are in light harvesting and optical circuits –
and can be used for single photon often limited by oxidation and and metamaterials.
generation. Application of this contamination, with performance
* Veldhorst, M. et al. A two-qubit logic gate in
technology requires complex and degradation occurring after just six silicon. Nature 526, 410-414, doi:10.1038/
precise integration with micro and months. nature15263 (2015).
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 9
CASE STUDIES
FOOD
Australia boasts well developed agriculture and fishery
industries, but continued innovation is needed to ensure
that food is produced efficiently, sustainably and
plentifully enough to service local and global markets.
Researchers at ANFF nodes around the country are
contributing to this challenge with novel technologies
that can be seamlessly integrated into the food
production chain.
10 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.auMoo juice:
detecting milk spoilage
enzymes in minutes
being tested for contaminants and for the introduction of the milk sample
spoilage enzymes to ensure the milk and the biosensor. These reagents
is safe for consumption. These delays mix within the device and provide
result in significant loss of time and an optical result. Rapid biosensing
resources, as well a shortened lifespan performance was successfully achieved
Dairy products are a staple in the diets
of the final product; a serious problem in the prototype device.
of millions of people around the world.
in the context of Australia’s status as Following the success of this project,
Australian milk production is constantly
a geographically isolated exporter fabrication will now commence for
growing, with the local industry
of products. devices that can be used on raw milk in
producing over 9.2 billion litres during
the 2013/2014 financial year and New biosensing devices developed milk processing plants, minimising
exporting nearly half of that. in partnership with the ANFF-SA node the testing stage and dramatically
provide a potential solution to these improving the productivity of the
However, the efficiency of milk Australian dairy industry.
issues, enabling real-time detection of
production leaves much to be desired.
spoilage enzymes in dairy products. It is envisaged that this technology
Throughout the production process,
The research team, led by Murat Gel will be used throughout the entire
samples spend hours or even days
from the CSIRO, used multilayer glass milk production chain, from farmers
bonding technology to fabricate to transport drivers to dairy product
microfluidic devices featuring inlets producers.
Throughout the milk
production process, samples
spend hours or even days being
tested for contaminants and spoilage
enzymes, delays that result in significant
loss of time and resources, as well a
shortened lifespan of the
final product.
• Fabricated chip in operation during real-time detection of spoilage enzymes in milk samples.
Credit: CSIRO, Manufacturing Flagship, Food and Nutrition Flagship.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 11Designing tomorrow’s
super foods
You’ve no doubt been told time and wall breakdown. If we consume cell Determining the
time again to eat plenty of fibre. But walls that are too tough (for example, mechanical properties of
what happens inside the body when undercooked legumes), many beneficial plant cell walls can provide
you do? Researchers at the Australian nutrients bypass our digestive system important information about
Research Council Centre of Excellence and are instead released by bacteria how the cell walls will break
in Plant Cell Walls are investigating in the lower segments of the down inside the body.
how plant cell walls respond to gastrointestinal tract – causing gas and
mechanical stress and how cellulose discomfort. On the other hand, if walls
– the central component of plant cell are too soft, their rapid breakdown can
walls – harbours beneficial dietary lead to undesirable surges in blood
fibres and enhances their performance lipids and glucose.
scales, gather structural information,
inside the body.
Determining the mechanical properties and identify weak and tough spots
Dietary fibre performs two major of plant cell walls can provide within the wall. Indeed, the failure of
functions. In the small intestine it slows important information about how the the wall may be due to the presence of
digestion of macronutrients such as cell walls will break down inside the such weak spots rather than the overall
starch, protein and fats. In the case of body. The research team used the toughness of the wall. The ‘dip and
starch, it helps to smooth out the blood Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) drag’ AFM technique gives information
glucose levels that would otherwise facilities at ANFF Queensland (ANFF-Q) about the interactive forces between
spike after a meal and cause stress to to develop two new techniques for cellulose fibres, which tells researchers
the insulin system. In the large intestine, assessing these properties: the multi- how the chemistry of different wall
dietary fibre helps to maintain the regime nanoindentation analysis components may impact the strength
healthy balance of bacteria necessary technique and the ‘dip and drag’ of the links and therefore determine the
to keep the body hydrated and support AFM technique. toughness of the wall.
the immune system.
The multi-regime nanoindentation These techniques will pave the way for
The perfect whole-food diet needs to analysis allows researchers to probe future studies on food systems aimed at
fall within the ‘Goldilocks zone’ of cell cell wall deformations at different understanding the relationship between
cell wall composition and microstructure,
which ultimately determines the fate of
foods within the digestive system. The
team aims to uncover the key design
rules that will enable the development
of foods – both through food processing
technologies and through agricultural
means – with optimum breakdown
patterns. Ultimately, this will promote
healthier dietary choices and enhance
the nutritional value of common foods.
• (A) – Schematic diagram of indentation experiments using Lolium multiflorum cells confined within
PDMS microwells. The zoomed-in sketch represents the complex layered structure of the cell surface,
where the multi-regime nature of the elastic response originates.
(B) – A dual illumination (bright-field and reflected light) optical micrograph of a L. multiflorum cell
(b) confined within a PDMS micro-well (a). An AFM cantilever (d) is positioned above the cell so that
the tip (e) is positioned approximately above the apex of the cell. The cell wall (c) can be clearly
visualised as a shell surrounding the cell. Credit: Dr Gleb Yakubov.
12 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.au• Schematic of the LumiMEMS structure: a MEMS cantilever that bends when chemicals are absorbed.
The laser light beneath the cantilever measures the bending. Credit: Dr Gino Putrino. The project uses
chemical sensors to
A device to ‘sniff out’
develop miniaturised devices
that will give people important
information about their
rotting groceries environment.
Imagine this: you’re at the supermarket miniaturised devices that will give handheld device. Different applications
doing your weekly grocery shop. people important information about can be achieved by using different
Wandering through the produce section, their environment. ‘functionalisation’ coatings, which
you spot the tomatoes and grab a bag. MEMS cantilevers can be thought preferentially absorb the chemical
As you’re putting the tomatoes into your of as incredibly tiny diving boards, the device is intended to detect.
trolley, you notice some brown spots. which bend as they absorb specific Applications for this technology range
Simple discolouration or something chemicals. However, the process from sensing rotting groceries, to
more sinister? What if there were a happens on a microscopic scale that is point-of-care medical sensors, to
device that could tell you, with a click impossible for the naked eye to detect, detection of toxic gases.
of a button, whether your spotty which makes it difficult to adapt for a This new technique, dubbed LumiMEMS,
tomatoes are emitting any signs of functional chemical sensor. is capable of measuring the MEMS
internal rot?
To tackle this problem, the research movements to a degree of pico-meter
Devices like this will soon be real team incorporated laser light paths accuracy previously only achieved
thanks to research from the University within a silicon chip, and used surface using large and bulky benchtop
of Western Australia (in the ANFF-WA micromachining techniques (depositing instruments. Integrating the lasers into
node) that is now being commercialised layer after layer of thin film until the the chip itself not only achieves results
by Panorama Sydney Pty Ltd. desired shape is achieved) to build on a smaller scale, but also eliminates
MEMS cantilevers above those light any interference caused by external
Initiated by Prof. John Dell under
paths, allowing the lasers to detect vibrations.
an ARC Discovery Project, and
developed further by Dr Gino Putrino those subtle movements of the cantilevers Panorama Synergy Pty Ltd joined the
and his research team, the project uses that the human eye alone cannot. LumiMEMS project following proof
chemical sensors based Integrating this process into the chip of concept. Test devices are currently
on microelectromechanical systems allows simultaneous monitoring of being designed and fabricated for a
(MEMS) cantilevers to develop many cantilevers within a small, number of applications.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 13SOIL & WATER
Making up the base that our society is literally built
upon, Australia’s soil, vegetation, biodiversity and
water are incredibly valuable yet poorly understood
resources. Technologies developed at ANFF
improve our ability to observe and monitor these
systems, and more accurately predict change.
14 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.auFrom molecules to minerals:
understanding the mineral formation process
In everyday life we are surrounded Collaborating with the Australian Aside from its scientific value, this
by the crystalline structures known as Synchrotron, the ANFF-SA research research also heralds exciting new
minerals. Despite their importance, team has achieved the first real-time real-world possibilities for chemical
the process by which minerals form observations of phenomena that had production. Controlling reaction
is poorly understood. previously only been predicted using conditions at the nanoscale could,
computer simulations. Being able to for example, eliminate the formation
Calcium carbonate minerals, for
measure the properties of these tiny of unwanted by-products producing
example, are the building blocks
minerals for the very first time provides higher quality chemicals at a much
of coral reefs, a component in the
important new insights into how the lower cost than existing technologies.
manufacture of cement, and are also
mineral formation process works, and This technology will have applications
used as an acidity regulator in food.
how to potentially control it. in environmental science, medicine,
Understanding how molecules arrange engineering and other areas.
themselves into minerals would
The team will now focus their efforts
provide exciting new opportunities to
on new options for measuring and
understand the chemistry of a huge
observing the mineral formation
range of environmentally, biologically, Understanding how molecules
process on the device itself, to
and industrially significant processes. arrange themselves into decrease the time between initiation
However, it is very technically minerals would provide exciting and observation.
challenging to observe and measure opportunities to understand the
the first stages of mineral formation due chemistry of environmentally,
to their scale; many of the steps take biologically, and industrially
place within less than a thousandth of significant processes.
a second, and just a few nanometres.
Researcher Dr Luke Parkinson at
ANFF-SA, in collaboration with
Dr Andrew Rose of Southern Cross
University, has recently constructed
microfluidic devices that can control
the conditions under which mineral
formation occurs.
The devices enable researchers to
mix two reagents (in the form of thick
streams of liquid), which enter the
device through separate channels. The
inner walls and channels of the device
split the streams into much thinner
streams, which then wrap around each
other to form a single thick stream.
This process – which is known as
interdigitising and can be likened to
fingers being wrapped around each
other – is repeated many times so that
the final stream is a near perfect
mixture of the original streams of liquid.
All of this happens within a few
millionths of a second, and observations
can be made using various methods, • An early version of the free jet micromixer in operation at the Australian Synchrotron for X-ray
such as X-ray scattering. scattering studies of calcium carbonate mineral formation. Credit: Andrew Rose.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 15TRANSPORT
In a vast country like Australia, enabling people
to move around in a way that is both sustainable and
cost-effective is of critical importance. The identification
of new potential fuel sources and technologies to
handle them is a particular focus in the laboratories
of ANFF facilities.
16 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.auUnderstanding the hydrogen
release mechanism
Clean, renewable and plentiful,
hydrogen can be harnessed to fuel
the modern world. The storage of This work will
hydrogen in solid form, such as MgH2 contribute significantly towards
(magnesium hydride) is a technique the development of large scale
that is being developed for deployment commercial hydrogen storage systems,
in hydrogen stations for industrial and and therefore towards efficient and
vehicular applications with minimal safe hydrogen filling stations for
associated pollution. fuel cell vehicles in modern
The question scientists have come up transport systems.
against in the past is how to store
suitable quantities of hydrogen safely
while still allowing for its release in a in Scientific Reports*, a high-impact
timely and economically viable manner. at ANFF-Q, the Ultra-High Voltage journal published by the Nature
One solution has focused on storing Transmission Electron Microscope at publication group. This work will
hydrogen in a solid state like MgH2, Kyushu University in Japan and the contribute significantly towards the
which is a combination of magnesium Synchrotron Powder X-Ray Diffraction development of large scale commercial
and hydrogen. at the Australian Synchrotron, the hydrogen storage systems, and
research team were able to observe therefore towards efficient and safe
The mechanisms by which hydrogen
the behavior of hydrogen release from hydrogen filling stations for fuel cell
is added (hydriding) and removed
bulk materials in real time. vehicles in modern transport systems.
(dehydriding) from the magnesium
has long been the subject of debate. This unprecedented discovery led to the *Nogita, K. et al. Evidence of the hydrogen
The common belief in the past has publication of “Evidence of the hydrogen release mechanism in bulk MgH2. Sci Rep 5,
been that dehydriding hydrogen from release mechanism in bulk MgH2” 8450, doi:10.1038/srep08450 (2015).
magnesium occurred in line with
a ‘shrinking core’ model, in which
hydrogen atoms are released from
the surface of the hydride particles.
This belief has been based on results
gleaned from studying extremely thin
samples or nanoparticles.
Researchers at the University of
Queensland in the ANFF-Q node
have recently provided new evidence
that this common belief is not true
for bulk materials, which are used
in industrial scale hydrogen storage
systems. Their project, led by Dr
Kazuhiro Nogita, has shown that in
bulk MgH2, dehydriding takes place
by a process of nucleation and growth
of magnesium grains, inside the bulk
hydride particles but not from the
surface of the particles. This finding
will influence significantly the system
operation conditions of hydrogen
storage systems.
• Schematic hydrogen release mechanisms from a MgH2 grain: (a) multiple ‘nucleation and
Using advanced technology including growth’ model for bulk MgH2 grains and (b) ‘shrinking core’ model for thin MgH2 TEM samples.
the Differential Scanning Calorimeter Credit: (SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | 5 : 8450 | DOI: 10.1038/srep08450).
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 17CYBERSECURITY
In the modern world, the cyber landscape is just as real as the physical one.
Cyber infrastructure is relied upon by government, business, defence, emergency
services, and the wider community, making its security of paramount importance.
Quantum science is an area where Australia excels on an international stage,
with two ARC Centres of Excellence active in the area.
Quantum technologies evolving from this science will deliver many capabilities
to the cyber world that are beyond the capacity of classical computers.
These will be of immense importance for Australia’s cybersecurity future.
18 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.au• Artistic illustration of the electron pump. Credit: Heikka Valja.
Transistor pumps electrons one by one
Scientists have now pumped electrons uncertainty prevented the researchers through a discovery project led by
with a silicon transistor more accurately from observing higher accuracies than Prof. Dzurak and Dr Möttönen. They,
than ever before. This device fabricated 99.997%. along with Dr Rossi, have also applied
at the ANFF-NSW node can potentially for new ARC funds to improve the
“We are all set for an amazing
be used to set a new definition for the accuracy of the pump such that it can
breakthrough. Of course, we need
ampere, the unit of electric current. serve as the realisation of the quantum
hard work from scientists like
current standard.
Accurate and fast electron pumping Dr Alessandro Rossi and Tuomo
has been an important scientific and Tanttu who were very important in this “Our collaboration with the Centre for
technological goal for decades. Now research,” said Dr Möttönen. Metrology and Accreditation, MIKES,
scientists have pumped 500 million has been very important in confirming
“We have realised a nano-device
electrons per second with 99.997% the accuracy of our pump,” said
that has the capability of generating
accuracy. The electron pump was a Möttönen.
a highly stable macroscopic current
quantum-dot transistor fabricated using The work on the electron pump was
by governing the motion of individual
scalable silicon technology. published in the high impact academic
electrons,” said Dr Rossi.
“We have now a very strong position journal Nano Letters*.
Recently the Academy of Finland
in the worldwide race for a practical awarded a research grant of 260,000 € *Rossi, A. et al. An Accurate Single-Electron
quantum current source,” said a Pump Based on a Highly Tunable Silicon
to Dr Kuan Yen Tan to work in this Quantum Dot. Nano Letters 14, 3405-3411,
happy Dr Mikko Möttönen from electron pumping collaboration at QCD doi:10.1021/nl500927q (2014).
Aalto University, Finland. Labs, Aalto University. The Australian
Electron pumps promise higher accuracy part of the research is supported by
and stability for electric current than the Australian Research Council (ARC)
any other device. They can trigger a
This device
revolution in the international system of
units whose definition of the electric
fabricated at the ANFF-
current, the ampere, is still unsatisfactory. NSW node can potentially be
used to set a new definition
“A change in the international system of
for the ampere, the unit of
units would be an historic event,” said
electric current.
Prof. Andrew Dzurak, Director of the
NSW Node of ANFF, Australia.
“We are very close.”
Although the silicon electron pump is
fast enough, its accuracy still needs to
be improved before it can serve in the
redefinition of the ampere. To this end,
• “Schematic illustration of the device used in the experiments. The transistor’s metal gates are shown
there are no obstacles in sight. In fact,
in grey. Red spheres represent electrons. Accurate single-electron pumping is achieved via the interplay
the accuracy of the pump may already of electrostatic confinement and tunnelling phenomena, graphically highlighted in yellow and pink,
be better than promised since statistical respectively.” Credit: Heikka Valja.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 19• Artist’s impression of the two-qubit logic gate device developed at UNSW. Each electron qubit (red and blue in the image) has a ‘spin’,
or magnetic field, indicated by the arrows. Metal electrodes on the surface are used to manipulate the qubits, which interact to create an
‘entangled’ quantum state. Credit: Tony Melov/UNSW.
Silicon Quantum Computing
In October 2015, a UNSW based Scientia Professor and Director of the doing the types of calculations that
research team cleared a final scientific NSW Node of the Australian National were demonstrated in their Nature
hurdle, putting Australia years ahead of Fabrication Facility at UNSW. paper. This patent won the team
the rest of the world in an international a UNSW Innovation prize, and
“We’ve demonstrated a two-qubit logic
race to build a silicon quantum marked the eve of their entrepreneurial
gate – the central building block of a
computer. endeavours to bring silicon quantum
quantum computer – and, significantly,
computers into the world.
ANFF-NSW has a long history in done it in silicon. Because we use
supporting local researchers in this essentially the same device technology “The next step for the project is to
race, which will see the development as existing computer chips, we believe identify the right industry partners to
of a computer capable of calculations it will be much easier to manufacture a work with to manufacture the full-scale
that are beyond the reach of classical full-scale processor chip than for any of quantum processor chip,” said Dzurak.
computers and can be manufactured the current leading designs, which rely Quantum computers operate differently
using current silicon fabrication on more exotic technologies. from regular computers. Unlike a
technology. regular bit, which is either in a “0” or
“This makes the building of a quantum
“1” state, a qubit can exist in both of
This breakthrough, published in high computer much more feasible, since it
these states at once, a condition known
profile science journal Nature*, is based on the same manufacturing
as a superposition. A qubit operation
included details of a quantum logic technology as today’s computer
exploits this quantum weirdness by
gate they built in silicon for the first industry,” he added.
allowing many computations to be
time, making calculations between two
During 2015, the team also patented performed in parallel (a two-qubit
quantum bits of information possible.
a design for a full-scale quantum system performs the operation on 4
“What we have is a game changer,” computer chip that would allow for values, a three-qubit system on 8, and
said team leader Andrew Dzurak, millions of quantum bits (qubits), all so on). This is their key advantage
20 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.auDavid Lancaster –
co-founder of
Red Chip Photonics
Red Chip Photonics Pty Ltd is
an Australian-based start-up
company co-founded by
Professor David Lancaster,
Director of the Laser Physics and
• Artist’s impression of a full-scale silicon quantum computer processor, with thousands of
Photonics Devices Lab at the
individual qubits, each one being a single electron, with its associated spin. University of South Australia, and
The new UNSW design means that existing industrial silicon CMOS plants Professor Tanya Monro, Deputy
can be used to make quantum processor chips. Credit: Tony Melov/UNSW. Vice Chancellor at the University
of South Australia.
that leads to their ability to perform aircraft; and faster searching through
computations that classical computers large information databases. The company is commercialising
cannot, such as the factorisation of a new chip laser architecture,
This and many other related quantum which was created by harnessing
large numbers.
technologies are being developed the expertise of ANFF’s OptoFab
Such a full-scale quantum processor by two ARC Centres of Excellence node and linking ZBLAN glass
would have major applications in the supported by ANFF: the Centre of fabrication capabilities at the
cyber security, finance and healthcare Excellence for Quantum Computation University of Adelaide with the
sectors, allowing the identification and Communication Technology ultra-fast laser inscription facilities
and development of new medicines (CQC2T), where this work was at Macquarie.
by greatly accelerating the computer- developed; and the ARC centre of
aided design of pharmaceutical excellence for Engineered Quantum This chip laser technology has
compounds (and minimising lengthy Systems (EQUS). already won an ARC Linkage
trial and error testing); the development Grant, and there is significant
*Veldhorst, M. et al. A two-qubit logic gate in interest in the new lasers from
of new, lighter and stronger materials silicon. Nature 526, 410-414, doi:10.1038/
spanning consumer electronics to nature15263 (2015).
Defence, Mining, Spectroscopy
and Medical companies. David
is now building a team to create
a major Australian-based laser
company, with an intention to
establish laser manufacturing
in South Australia targeted at
international markets.
For more information, visit
www.redchipphotonics.com.
• Press Conference announcing the first Quantum Logic Calculations in Silicon, with ANFF CEO Rosie
Hicks, ANFF-NSW Node Director Prof Andrew Dzurak, and CQC2T researcher Dr Menno Veldhorst.
Credit: Grant Turner, UNSW.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 21ENERGY
Australia’s energy future calls for lower carbon
emissions and low-cost renewable sources.
Effective storage of renewable energy is also
very important. R&D at ANFF nodes around
Australia is supporting these objectives.
22 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.auTaking the heat out of solar
The global drive towards making solar The heatpipe plate is fabricated from applied in a variety of other industries,
energy more competitive against low metal materials and has a thickness including electronics, energy storage,
cost fossil fuels has given rise to some of a few millimeters. It can be mass- chemical reactors and spacecraft.
amazing solar technologies. However, produced at low cost. While there Future work will focus on the integration
solar energy has been held back by is internal microflow within the plate, of the system with PV panels and mass
an issue many might find surprising: for the integrated device has no moving production techniques.
every 10°C increase in operating parts and should last for 10–20 years,
temperature, most solar cells become making it ideal for integration with
around 5% less efficient in converting PV panels.
sunlight into electricity.
The technology developed from the Solar energy has been
Under the powerful Australian sun, this project will generate benefits in the held back by a problem many
means that a typical house photovaltaic energy sector by recovering up to might find surprising: for every
(PV) system with an optimum output of 15% of the electricity that is lost due to 10°C increase in operating
3kW per hour would have that yield heating. The technology can also be temperature, most solar cells
reduced by 150W for every 10°C become around 5% less efficient
increase in temperature. In fact, the in converting sunlight
system could provide more power into electricity.
on a sunny winter’s day than a sunny
summer’s day.
This largely negates the efficiency
improvements researchers have
achieved for crystalline cells over the
last few decades.
Since 2013, the CSIRO Microfluidics
team led by Dr Yonggang Zhu has
been developing a new thermal
management system to address
some of the fundamental challenges
associated with solar photovoltaic
technologies. The project is part of a
$4 million SIEF (Science and Industry
Endowment Fund) project – ‘High
performance solar cell technology with
integrated nanoplasmonic thin film
and thermal management systems.’ In
this project, Swinburne University of
Technology and CSIRO researchers
are working jointly to overcome the
efficiency losses that solar cells suffer
when exposed to high temperatures.
In tackling this problem, the CSIRO
team has developed a novel heatpipe
plate system that can be integrated
with PV panels. The system utilises
unique microscale thermal and
fluid behaviors to remove heat with
high efficiency. The devices were
fabricated and tested in the Micro
and Nanomanufacturing Laboratory,
an ANFF Victoria facility based at the
CSIRO Clayton site. • A prototype heatpipe plate device developed at CSIRO held by Dr Yonggang Zhu.
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 23Mimicking leaves to transform
sunlight into chemical energy
The chemical industry relies heavily on
fossil fuel-derived energy to produce
the materials upon which we base A team of research
modern society. scientists in CSIRO is
developing materials that can
A more sustainable and desirable
prospect is to use sunlight to energise
harvest solar energy and transform
chemical reactions, transforming the it into chemical potential energy
industry into a solar chemical by mimicking the natural
manufacturing industry. processes of leaves.
A team of research scientists at CSIRO
is developing materials that can harvest
solar energy and transform it into More recently, the team has created
chemical potential energy by mimicking ‘super-absorber metasurfaces’ which result in the transfer of energetic
the natural processes of leaves. The can absorb nearly 100% of the incident electrons into the semiconductor,
research has led to publications in the light. These structures are made from resulting in a charge separated state
high impact journals Nanoscale and a single layer of metal nanoparticles (electron in semiconductor and hole
Advanced Optical Materials. deposited on top of thin films of a in metal) with sufficient chemical
semiconductor material that in turn is potential energy to drive chemical
Initially, the team used the high-resolution supported by a mirror. In these transformations, such as the generation
Electron Beam Lithography tool at the super-absorber metasurfaces, the metal of hydrogen (a chemical feedstock)
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication nanoparticles absorb light which results from water.
in the ANFF-Vic node to create structures in the excitation of collective oscillations
The ability to tune the optical properties
capable of efficiently harvesting light of surface charges commonly referred
of metal nanoparticles offers the
for driving chemical transformations to as surface plasmons. When the
potential to create new and more
and demonstrated a two-orders of metal nanoparticles are deposited on
efficient ways of directing light energy
magnitude improvement in the rate of semiconducting surfaces, non-radiative
into targeted chemical reaction
a model chemical reaction. relaxation of surface plasmons can
pathways. The team envisage that
these light-harvesting technologies are
a potential avenue for developing
a future chemical industry where
chemicals are synthesised using
sunlight: a renewable source of
chemical potential energy.
������
100
80
Absorbance (%)
60
40
20
0
400 600 800 1000
Wavelength (nm)
• Super-absorber concept. Top left: Fabricated structures using simple and inexpensive physical vapour
deposition techniques. The dots are the super-absorber areas. Bottom left: Measured absorbance
spectrum demonstrating high broadband light absorption by a device that is only c.a. 40 nm in
thickness. Right: Diagram of one embodiment of the concept using metal nanoparticles as the active
layer, TiO2 as the dielectric coating. Credit: Daniel Gomez.
24 ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS anff.org.auNovel materials for better batteries
Lithium-ion batteries are currently used
in everyday devices such as portable
electronic devices and power tools.
They are also of interest for other
emerging applications including electric
vehicle batteries and for storage of
energy harvested by solar cells.
To improve both the charge capacity
and lifespan of these batteries,
alternative materials for battery
electrodes are currently being
investigated by Dr Alexey Glushenkov
from Deakin University at the Melbourne
Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN),
in the ANFF-Vic node. These new
materials are expected to store more
The composite of
charge and remain active for longer
periods of time. To select and optimise
zinc iron oxide with carbon
these materials, characterisation developed by researchers at
by electron microscopy is required Deakin can store a large amount
to understand their structure and of charge and retain its charge
performance. storage ability for an
morphology of materials, their structure extended life-span.
Using the FIB-SEM at MCN, which
and their composition at the same time,
is fitted with Scanning Transmission
without the need to use multiple
Electron Microscopy (STEM) detectors,
instruments. In addition, the Focused Ion
Dr Glushenkov is able to select and zinc iron oxide with carbon developed
Beam available on the instrument can
study new electrode materials for by researchers at Deakin can store a
precisely slice specimens when required.
Li-ion batteries. The electrode materials large amount of charge and retain its
are synthesised by his team at Deakin The team has recently produced a charge storage ability for an extended
University in a joint effort with Dr Md novel nanocomposite material in which life-span. The team have established
Mokhlesur Rahman. The unique zinc iron oxide (ZnFe2O4) is mixed that the attractive charge storage
capability of the FIB-SEM instrument with carbon. Zinc iron oxide is seen ability was achieved due to a unique
available at MCN is its ability to as an interesting electrode material for nanostructure of the composite which
perform Scanning Electron Microscopy batteries but it usually cannot deliver consists of chains of carbon material
(SEM) and STEM on the same sufficient charge storage and its ability decorated with oxide nanoparticles.
specimen simultaneously. This allows to operate in a battery deteriorates These results were published in the
researchers to understand the quickly. However, the composite of Journal of Power Sources*.
This project holds great potential for
the development of better electrode
materials for batteries and, as a result,
more reliable, longer lasting and
cheaper batteries with higher charge
storage capacities. In turn, this benefits
portable electronic devices, power
tools, electric vehicles, integrated solar
cell-battery packs and many other
applications.
*Thankachan, R. M. et al. Enhanced lithium
storage in ZnFe2O4–C nanocomposite
• Low magnification (left) and high magnification (right) STEM images of ZnFe2O4-carbon produced by a low-energy ball milling. Journal
nanocomposite electrode for Li-ion batteries. Credit: Dr Alexey Glushenkov. Reproduced from of Power Sources 282, 462-470, doi:10.1016/j.
R.M.Thankachen et. al., Journal of Power Sources 282 (2015) 462-470. jpowsour.2015.02.039 (2015).
anff.org.au ANFF THE HOME OF TOMORROW’S ENTREPRENEURS 25You can also read
