Toronto Nanofabrication Centre (TNFC)

The Toronto Nanofabrication Centre (TNFC) is an interdisciplinary research and service centre at the University of Toronto. The Centre offers global research leadership by providing access to state-of-the-art nanofabrication facilities, collaborative research networks, advanced educational opportunities and information exchange events for registered users and clients. TNFC facilities are not dedicated or restricted to any particular research group. Professional staff members maintain the facilities, instruct and assist users, and provide nanofabrication services for clients. TNFC facilities are open to both academic and industrial researchers, making the Centre an attractive option for open-access prototype development and testing.

TNFC is an important hub for prototype development and fabrication on campus, managed by a lean team of one director, one administrative coordinator and five technical staff members, including three lab managers and two lab technicians. The TNFC technical staff members operate and maintain two specialized fabrication facilities, the Pratt Microfabrication Facility and the Wallberg Electron Beam Nanolithography Facility.

TNFC continues to host many educational events, trainings and course labs. These include “Cleanroom Safety Training”, “E-Beam Nanolithography”, and “Introduction to Micro/Nano-fabrication” courses, open to participants from academia, industry, and government. The courses include lectures and demonstrations, and also hands-on lab activities in the Pratt Cleanroom.

TNFC hosts more than 500 visitors annually, from prospective ECE undergraduate students, graduate students, and incoming faculty members, to visiting dignitaries and corporate representatives.

The Centre provides users from across the nation – from academia, small industry, and government-with open access to leading-edge tools and processes for nanofabrication. As an open-access facility, TNFC regularly provides dedicated technical expertise, including process development consultation and equipment training sessions, so that students and other researchers may fulfill their development objectives and enhance their education within the curriculum at U of T. With a user base of more than 50 principal investigators and more than 100 users (mostly graduate research students) across 30 departments within the University of Toronto and external institutions/organizations TNFC continues to be an essential resource for both local and regional research communities.

As staff members of the TNFC are highly skilled at training and teaching new users, the Centre welcomes inquiries from all researchers, even those with no previous experience in nanofabrication. The TNFC also conducts extensive education, training and outreach activities for the general public.