Small Scale Devices and the NANO Spring

Nano-Spring is occupying Florida! Yep, you are reading it right here in the FLATE Focus before it is even being considered by the mainstream media. This spring FLATE is promoting several small scale device and Nano related technology events. The first, as is the case with all exciting breaking news, has just been completed. FLATE partnered with the SCME, the NSF Southwest Center for Microsystems Education, and the University of South Florida’s Nanotechnology Research and Education Center (NREC) to present a workshop on microsystems (MEMS) technology devices as an example of small scale device fabrication. However, the next two events on the schedule are an Etch Workshop (Friday, Jan. 20) conducted by Plasma-Therm Inc. at the NREC clean room and a focus group on nanotechnologies and medical devices tentatively scheduled for Feb. 16 at the EPI Center at St. Petersburg College.

The beginning of March brings motor cyclists to Daytona Beach, FL, as well as the NANOSMAT Conference to the University of South Florida at the end of March end. NANOSMAT has rapidly established itself as a premier conference in the field of materials science, engineering, technology, nanoscience and nanotechnology. Since 2005, it has been very successfully organized in several European countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. The conference fosters the gathering of talented and truly international people to exchange ideas, share new knowledge and technical know-how in the relevant fields.

On March 27, the day before NANOSMAT, the University of South Florida’s nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology Laboratory is hosting a Technology & Innovation Forum. The purpose of the Forum is to provide a broader coverage of the selected topic than is generally possible in a technical scientific conference. The Forum will be of particular interest to educators and Florida teachers and students who can’t attend in person, but can do so via web cast.

On April 13, Indian River State College, NanoLink, Inc. and FLATE will support a workshop on the Nanoprofessor hands-on nanotechnology education system. The NanoProfessor is a comprehensive nanoscience education program combining cutting-edge desktop nanofabrication instruments with a stimulating curriculum. The workshop will demonstrate how students can be immersed into the rapidly growing field of nanotechnology through real hands-on experience in building custom-engineered nanoscale structures.

Well that’s our Nano-Spring! We hope you can join us and get involved in small scale device technology by attending some, or all of these events. Need details? Visit www.nnrc.usf.edu for information on the Etch Workshop conducted by Plasma-Therm Inc., and http://nano.cas.usf.edu for information on Technoology & Innovation Forum,. You can also send an e-mail to Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org. See you there!!