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EMRP project NEW08 MetNems had invited paper published

a) A mesoscopic niobium thin film SQUID, made by focussed ion beam. b) A true nanoscale SQUID made by a similar process but only 1micrometre by 100 nanometre. Both prepared for use with nano-electromechanical system resonators (NEMS)

MetNems fabrication procedure published in Nanofabrication Journal

Joint Research Project NEW08 - Metrology for / with NEMs (Short name: MetNEMs) is supporting nano-electro-mechanical devices with innovative measurements for future technologies. The project will develop precise and traceable measurements of physical parameters such as mass, force, displacement and temperature, as well as single photon and single molecule measurement, at the nanoscale level.

Focused ion beam (FIB) has found a steady and growing use as a tool for fabrication, particularly in the length-scale of micrometres down to nanometres. Traditionally more commonly used for materials characterisation, FIB is continually finding new research areas in a growing number of laboratories.

JRP-Partner NPL has been investigating nanoSQUIDs and their measurement applications and limits for some years now and the FIB fabrication techniques which has been developed have produced the most sensitive nanoSQUIDs operating at liquid helium temperatures anywhere in the world.

The JRP-Consortium has written up the fabrication procedure for these stable and high performing devices. The result was an invited paper which has been published in the journal 'Nanofabrication'.

More information on the EMRP project NEW08 'MetNEMS' is available on the project page >>