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Delft

Leo Kouwenhoven is one of the best-known nanoscientists in the Netherlands. He was the first person

in the world to produce the Majorana particle, he is working with Microsoft on a quantum computer

and his colleagues at TU Delft teleport over increasingly greater distances. An interview on nano and

quantum, the benefits of regional facilities and the measures he would take if he were minister.

Nano appears to be out and quantumin. How do you see it?‘I see nanotechnology as a toolbox. Quantum is

one of the applications, one of the things you can

research and develop with this toolbox. I

personally use nano for quantum research.

Materials are being developed with nano tools in

Eindhoven which have controlled material

variations on a nanometre scale, while other

scientists are studying living tissues with the help

of nano tools. And in the coming years, nano tools

will be increasingly used in electrical engineering

and computer science.’

Since the successes with the Majoranaparticle and with quantumteleportation, the expectations aroundyou and your group are enormous. Isthat difficult?‘It can be, yes. But at the same time, I think this

era, from 2010 to 2020, is more interesting and

more exciting than the previous decade, and again

the decade before that. This is an extremely

interesting time to be in.’

What do you think about the NanoLabsand about nano research in theNetherlands?The basis of nanotechnology was established ten

years ago and earlier with NanoImpuls and

NanoNext. We now have a solid foundation with

facilities at various locations. You see that more

and more people and groups are getting involved.

You can also see the application of nano tools

emerging, such as at AMOLF, for example,

which has set up an institute for optics together

with ASML.’

Would it not be better to have justone nano institute in theNetherlands?‘No. We also have more than just one hospital

in the Netherlands. And more than one bicycle

repairman. If nanotechnology was just about

scientists, it might be worth considering

establishing a central nano institute. But

nanotechnology is no longer simply a matter for

scientists alone. Just look at all the start-ups

around the University of Twente. The area has

many users of nanotechnology. It should be

possible to serve these start-ups and other

companies locally.’

If you were the Minister of Education,Culture and Science, what would youchange about education?‘I would appoint a specialised science teacher at

primary schools. Compare it with the specialised

PE teacher. The science teacher would give

science lessons to all years. I would also make it

possible for secondary school pupils to choose a

computer language as a foreign language. In

today's society, it seems to me that in many

cases a language such as French is no more

useful or important than a programming

language.’

‘I see nanotechnology as a toolbox’

And what would you change about theinnovation policy?‘I would allocate a lot more money to science and

start-ups. I would not necessarily want to change

anything about the NWO, the top sectors, a fund

for the future or what the ministries of Education,

Culture and Science and Economic Affairs do. All

forms of policy can work well, but only when they

have a budget to match. We have an abundance

of good ideas in the Netherlands, but not enough

capital. I would therefore visit the Minister of

Finance every day. And I would also take a critical

look at all research institutes. I think that

institutes should become part of universities. Just

as the energy-research institute DIFFER is reloca-

ting from Nieuwegein to Eindhoven. Institutes

should not stand isolated. Furthermore, if you

take a critical look at the institutes and close a

few of them down, you will create space for new

ones. This space is needed for taking advantage

of opportunities whenever they arise, which is

not possible if everything is stuck in the mud.’

Each of the locations is tied to a university

or research institute. The six partners at the

four locations cover most of the country

and offer the widest possible spectrum of

nano technology facilities for researchers

and industry in the Netherlands.

NanoLabNL locationsYou can find the NanoLabNL facilities at the

following locations:

GroningenZernike NanoLab Groningen

TwenteMESA+ NanoLab Twente

DelftKavli NanoLab Delft and TNO NanoLab Delft

EindhovenNanoLab@TU/e and Philips Innovation Services

Enabling your R&D in nanotechnology

Nanoscientist Leo Kouwenhoven

Leo Kouwenhoven

Welcome!The summer of 2014 brought good news for NanoLabNL. The Netherlands Organisation for

Scientific Research (NWO) and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science announced

the allocation of seventeen million euros for investments in NanoLabNL. As a result,

NanolabNL can continue its contribution to the success of start-ups like Tide Microfluidics,

HQ Graphene and Single Quantum, as well as the research of nanoscientists like Leo

Kouwenhoven, Mireille Claessens and Erik Bakkers. All of which, and much more, you can

read about in this 3rd newspaper.

This periodical brings you all you need to know about NanoLabNL. Do you work for an

international company or want to start your own business? Are you a researcher or

interested in using NanoLabNL facilities? In this periodical you can read all about what

NanoLabNL has to offer. The NanoLabNL periodical will appear regularly. If you would like

to be kept informed, you can join the NanoLabNL group on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter

(@nanolabnl) or visit www.nanolabnl.nl.

Guus Rijnders, Chairperson of the NanoLabNL foundation

NanoLabNL is the Dutch facility for nanotechnology research. Since 2004, we have been offering the

use of our facilities and expertise to universities, research institutes, start-ups and industry at four

locations in the Netherlands (Delft, Eindhoven, Groningen and Twente). Our mission:

To provide a full-service and open-access infrastructure for R&D in nanotechnology.

We support scientists in their research and businesses in improving or renewing their products

and production processes and/or developing new products.

About NanoLabNL

Volume 3 - october 2014

NanoLabNL possesses basic and expert technologies Each of our four locations offer a range of basic and expert technologies. The basic

technologies provide a general infrastructure suitable for common nanofabrication activities

with a low geographical threshold. The expert technologies provide unique facilities

and/or expertise unlikely to be found anywhere else in the country.

Five questions about QuEEn, the next step from NanoLabNL

The summer of 2014 brought good news for NanoLabNL.

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research and the

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science announced the

allocation of seventeen million euros for investments in the

NanoLabs. What is going to change? What will be staying as

it is? Five questions about the next five years.

1. What does QuEEn stand for?QuEEn is the name of the application for

investment submitted by NanoLabNL to the

government, who have awarded us seventeen

million euros as a result. It stands for Quantum

Electrical Engineering. It is an umbrella term

showing what research and what developments

the NanoLabs are seeking to facilitate in the next

five years. It involves three main pillars. The first is

aimed at discovering and developing new

materials and structures with exceptional quantum

characteristics, such as graphene and silicene. The

second pillar focuses on the transfer of

information in the nano world – this involves

quantum computers and cryptography, for

example. The third pillar relates to the formation

of images and sensors. Examples that come to

mind here are new types of microscopes and the

manufacture of sensors that detect tiny forces.

Among the areas where sensors of this kind can

be used are the inkjet industry and in diagnostic

tests in the medical sector.

2. What will be staying as it is?NanoLabNL will continue to be the Dutch centre

for research and innovation in nanotechnology. Its

cleanrooms and advanced equipment will remain

accessible for new companies, established

industries, and universities. The labs will be

Groningen, Twente, Eindhoven and Delft, as

before. Each lab will be moving forward with the

help of its own specialists and their own specific

equipment, tailored to the research being carried

out there. The work method and cooperation in

NanoLabNL will remain the same, and the

implementation of QuEEn will continue to be

closely coordinated.

3. What will be different?The focus in QuEEn will be widened towards new

materials, information transfer and imaging, and

sensors. Moreover, existing expertise and

equipment will continue to be available for fields

like bionanotechnology, nanomedicine,

microfluidics, photonics, and nanoelectronics.

Thanks to the reinvestment fund set up by the

partners of NanoLabNL, the current equipment

can be kept up-to-date. The board of

NanoLabNL, consisting of experienced

researchers, and the steering group of

technicians will regularly examine whether the

machinery continues to meet the needs of

scientific development and the demands of users.

4. Will there continue to be room forcompanies?Yes, of course. The doors of NanoLabNL are open

not just for scientific research. In recent years,

more and more companies have become

acquainted with the facilities there, and they are

also spending an increasing amount of time in

the cleanrooms. Until now, it was mostly

university spin-offs that used the facilities, but in

recent times an ever-greater number of

businesses from contiguous fields have been

doing so. One example is that of a company

operating in microtechnology and now seeking

to make the move to nano. In the NanoLabs, it

can test new concepts without having to

purchase expensive cleanrooms and equipment

itself. The vouchers, too, will continue in

existence. Companies may submit their proposals

at fixed times on two sides of A4. After

consultations and training, they are then given a

few days on which they can use the facilities free

of charge.

5. What will happen in five years?In the next few years, NanoLabNL will continue

to ensure that the labs will remain available to

the nano community, including after the end of

QuEEn. This will be done in several ways. The

labs have been associated with universities and

the Netherlands Organisation for Applied

Scientific Research from the very beginning, and

their embedment has provided a natural safety

net. At the same time, NanoLabNL is looking at

partnership opportunities at European level.

Meanwhile there are more and more companies

that are discovering NanoLabs, and paying to use

it. NanoLabNL is looking forward to the next five

years and beyond with confidence.

2

Our facilities can be used for research,

development, prototyping and Small-Medium

volume production.

NanoLabNL

NanoLabNLis continuing

Zernike NanoLab Groningen• Soft molecular landing deposition• Ultra high vacuum low temperaturescanning tunneling microscopy of surfaces• High resolution photo electron spectroscopyfor elemental surface characterization MESA+

NanoLab Twente• Surface level research andmodifications• Analysis and high resolutionnanoimaging• Device development forbionano and healthapplications

NanoLab@TU/e • Deposition of organic, magnetic andsemiconductor nanostructured material• Processing of III-V-based integratednanophotonic devices• Advanced nanoscale processing

Kavli NanoLab Delft• Nanostructuring by charged particlebeams• Fabrication of quantum devices• Bionano imaging and superresolutionmicroscopy

TNO NanoLab Delft• Vacuum cleaning technologies• Ultraclean handling and particledetection• Specialized metrology

Philips Innovation Services

The NanoLabNL locations and their expert techniques

Project managers and their research teams celebrate the award from the

National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Facilities

3

Facilities within NanoLabNLAll of our equipment can be found in our database (at www.nanolabnl.nl). The database

can be searched by location, process and sub-process. If you have any questions about

our facilities, please do not hesitate to contact one of our representatives.

You can also discuss your technological issues with our technology specialists. Our

representatives will be more than happy to assist you.

RatesWe distinguish two rates related to NanoLabNL facility use:

- Public rate: Users from public research communities in the Netherlands, e.g.

FOM, STW, NWO, Universities, Research institutes, etc.

- Private rate: Other users, private parties.

For more information please visit www.nanolabnl.nl

Twente

Tide Microfluidics makes

bubbles to order. Among the

purposes for which the

bubbles are used is as a

contrast medium for

echocardiograms, or for

transporting medication. In

2013, the company received

a voucher from NanoLabNL.

Founder Wim van Hoeve

explains: "There is a great

deal of interest at

international level in our

equipment, and in late 2014,

we will be supplying to

researchers and medical

researchers."

In early 2012, you said in an interviewthat in one year's time you would liketo be able to place a bottle withbubbles on a table in front ofsomeone and ask, 'how many wouldyou like, and in what size?' Did youmanage it?"Yes. We have taken our prototype to

researchers and to medical researchers, and

made some bubbles. You could see the

researchers pacing up and down the room, and

then there was a brief silence before the ideas

started coming. A few sighed that they had

been trying to make bubbles for ten years and

that with our device they would finally be able

to do so."

And now?"We have now received our first orders, which

we will be delivering at the end of 2014. We

have also taken on a second employee who is

taking care of the business side of things."

In the summer 2014 you came secondin the New Venture Challenge. Whatdid that bring you?"First of all, a decent wad of money. Apart from

that, it was the day of the final that was

particularly enjoyable. We had to pitch our

business plan to a panel of twenty investors and

entrepreneurs in three minutes, who then had ten

minutes to ask us questions. It teaches you the

best way of getting your message across. The

meal after-wards was also useful. It's a completely

different world to the one we normally operate in,

and yes, we are in discussions with investors."

What are your plans for 2015 andbeyond?"We first want to develop a version of our

machine that doctors will be able to use in

hospitals. We call it our 'Nespresso machine': it

should be as simple and logical as making coffee.

You insert a cup or chip, you press a button, and

you receive the bubbles you want. In order to get

a machine from the research stage into a clinic,

we have to meet a number of requirements, and

this is what we are now working on, as well as on

carrying out the necessary tests."

What have you done with theNanoLabNL voucher?"We used the time to try out new things. If a

customer asks us to produce a new type of

bubble, we will modify our chip in the NanoLab.

We use etching equipment, for example, to etch

glass, and we also work extensively with the

ovens, the lithography machines, and the

microscopes."

Are you going to continue using theNanoLab?"Yes. We make the prototypes of our chips in the

lab. We receive help from the NanoLab specialists:

I discuss the matter at hand, they advise and carry

it out. The NanoLab and MESA+ have the best

facilities, and there are many people who work

there who have so much knowledge. The

possibilities relating to the manufacture of chips

are growing by the day. Structures are becoming

increasingly small and complex. It is a world in

itself, and as a small start-up company, that is

something we cannot keep up with."

Start-up company Tide Microfluidics cannot manage without the skills and knowledge of NanoLabNL

MESA+ NanoLab TwenteMESA+ NanoLab Twente is the state-of-the-

art research facility that can boast an

absolutely first-rate cleanroom and advanced

analysis possibilities. The laboratory is freely

accessible to researchers and entrepreneurs.

More than 400 people use the laboratory

every year, and almost 40% of its turnover is

generated by the dozens of businesses enga -

ged in research and development or small-

scale production in the MESA+ NanoLab.

Expert technology • Surface level research and modifications

• Analysis and high resolution

nanoimaging

• Device development for bionano and

health applications

Contact Gerard Roelofs

Head MESA+ NanoLab

Mail: nanolab@mesaplus.utwente.nl

Tel: +31 (0)53 489 3860

TimelineTide Microfluidics has been in existence for

three years now. The timeline is as clear as it

is impressive.

2011: Wim van Hoeve founds Tide

Microfluidics

2012: Prototype of bubble machine is ready

2013: Tide Microfluidics receives voucher

from NanoLabNL

2014: First orders are received, delivery in

late 2014

2015: Development of 'Nespresso version'

for clinics

‘NanoLabNL has the best facilities’

Background NanoLabNLNanoLabNL has been a valued and valuable national nanotechnology infrastructure network

since 2004. The decision to utilise only a limited number of research laboratories and to make

them accessible to all researchers, both public as well as private, has proven extremely

effective. NanoLabNL creates, maintains and provides access to a coherent, high-level, state-of-

the-art infrastructure for nanotechnology research and innovation in the Netherlands.

NanoLabNL provides coherence between national infrastructure, access and pricing structure.

In addition to the various open innovation initiatives, the Netherlands offers a unique

infrastructure that needs to be kept up-to-date. NanoLabNL became a foundation in 2011.

The TU Delft start-up Single

Quantum makes extensive use

of the Kavli NanoLab clean

room. Sander Dorenbos, co-

founder of the company:

‘They have everything there

that we need: equipment,

chemicals, optics.’

problems and the staff know how everything

works. Everything we need is available in one

place. Not only equipment, but also chemicals and

optics.’ Whether anything could be improved? ‘I

would be very happy if there were rooms adjacent

to the clean room where you could store things.

There are rooms available to university

departments, but not to companies.’

Microchip manufacturersWhat does the future hold for Single Quantum?

Dorenbos: ‘We have sold ten systems in the last

two-and-a-half years. I think we can increase our

turnover in the coming year and break even. We

are also broadening our market. Microchip

manufacturers, for example, are a new target

group, because our detector enables us to detect

errors in the latest generation of microchips.’

What else would Dorenbos like to say to readers?

Dorenbos: ‘I would especially like to encourage

young researchers to start a company. It is really

great to start a company with something you have

invented yourself.’

Start-upCompany: Single Quantum in Delft

Sells: device that detects individual light

particles

Price: between 50,000 and 100,000

euros, depending on the specifications

Established: in 2012 at TU Delft

Profit forecast: break even in 2014/2015

More information:

www.singlequantum.com

‘During my doctoral research I was already being

asked by scientists whether our invention was for

sale.’ That says Sander Dorenbos of Single

Quantum. ‘No, we said at the time, but we could

work together on scientific articles. At the end of

my doctoral period in Val Zwiller's research group,

a very specific demand became apparent. We then

decided to start a company and to market our

invention. That was at the beginning of 2012. In

the meantime, we have now sold ten devices and

we hope to be making a profit next year.’

Plug and playDorenbos's invention is a detector that can count

individual light particles extremely accurately. To

date, the majority of clients are scientists. They use

the detector in experiments to encrypt confidential

messages, for example. They convert a message

into light particles, encrypt it and send it, and then

receive the particles some distance away using the

TU Delft detector. The trick lies in the fact that the

message is encrypted in such a way that you can

see upon receipt whether it has been

surreptitiously intercepted.

The TU Delft detector works better and is more

practical than light-particle counters of

competitors. The detector can count a hundred

million separate particles per second and has a

plug-and-play cooling system so that the liquid

helium does not have to be replenished all the

time. The principle behind the detector is

straightforward. Take a thin metal thread, cool it

to minus 270 degrees Celsius, send a constant

current through it and measure the resistance. If a

light particle falls on the thread, the resistance will

momentarily increase and a spike can be seen on

the supplied computer screen.

One placeThe core of the detector consists of a thin metal

thread, which is made in the NanoLab. Dorenbos:

‘We sputter a thin metal film on a surface and

then etch just as much away until a thin line

remains measuring one hundred nanometres long

by five nanometres wide. We use optical

lithography, electron lithography, etchers and

electron microscopes.’

Dorenbos is pleased about the NanoLab:

‘Everything is well-organised, there are very few

Delft

TU Delft start-up Single Quantum makes detector threads in the NanoLab

4

Separate light particles

Kavli NanoLab DelftKavli NanoLab Delft is part of Kavli Institute

for Nanoscience at Delft University of

Technology. Kavli Nanolab Delft enables the

fabrication of electrical, optical, mechanical

or fluidic nanodevices.

This way we support our users to achieve

excellent scientific results, especially in the

following research areas:

• Quantum Nanoscience (superconducting

detectors for astronomy, single molecule /

single photon / single spin detection,

quantum computing, nanoresonators)

• Bio Nanoscience (single cell/single

molecule biophysics, nanomedicine /

nanopore / nanoprobe devices)

• Imaging systems (particle optics,

plasmonic structures, photonic crystals)

Apart from a basic infrastructure for micro

and nanofabrication we have a set of expert

technologies.

Expert technologies• Nanostructuring by charged particle

beams

• Fabrication of quantum devices

• Bionano imaging and superresolution

microscopy

Contact Frank Dirne

Managing Director Kavli Nanolab Delft

Mail: nanolab-kavli@tudelft.nl

Tel: +31 (0)15 278 2357

TNO NanoLab DelftTNO is the national organization for applied

scientific research with 4,500 employees and an

annual turnover of 600 million euros. Its mission

is to apply scientific knowledge with the aim of

strengthening the innovative power of industry

and government.

Expert technologies• Vacuum cleaning technologies

• Ultraclean handling and particle detection

• Specialized metrology

ContactJan Leendert Joppe

Researchmanager

Mail: info.nanolab@tno.nl

Tel: +31 (0)88 866 2401 / +31 (0)6 22 43 44 44

Sander Dorenbos

5

The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) can purchase a new XPS thanks to a NanoLabNL subsidy.

This X-ray photoelectron spectroscope measures impurities extremely accurately in the latest generation of microchip-making

machines. The XPS forms the beginning of the new lab for research with extreme ultraviolet light where manufacturers of

microchip machines test new components.

‘The old XPS will also continue to be used,

though,’ says Alex Deutz of TNO. He is heading

the project that will deliver the EBL2 lab in

eighteen months, which will house the new XPS.

Deutz: ‘EBL stands for EUV Beam Line, while EUV

means Extreme Ultraviolet Light. The ‘2’ has been

added because we already have a special lab for

extreme ultraviolet light. The current analysers

from lab 1 will be taken with us, because it will

take about eighteen months before lab 2 is ready.’

Extremely cleanTNO is one of the few institutions in the world

with a lab where the latest generation of

microchip-making machines can be tested.

Microchip manufacturers want increasingly smaller

structures on a chip. The traditional way of

imprinting structures on a chip, lithography, works

with visible light. However, it is not possible to

make the even smaller structures that are desired

with visible light. Microchip manufacturers are

therefore switching to extreme ultraviolet light.

This form of UV light has two major

disadvantages. The first is that it is not affected by

lenses, which is why the latest microchip machines

use mirrors. However, a great deal of light is lost in

mirrors. The second disadvantage is that UV

machines must be extremely clean. UV light can

cause the smallest impurities to be deposited on

the mirror or on the mask, the mould of the chip.

A dirty mirror makes the machine less powerful,

whereas a dirty mask produces flaws on all the

chips that are made with that mask. It is therefore

very important for microchip manufacturers to

produce the best mirrors and the cleanest masks.

They are able to assess their mirrors and masks at

TNO (see also under ‘Companies use EUV lab’).

One hundred hours of testingTNO conducts deterioration experiments, for

example. A mirror or mask is exposed to UV light

for one hundred hours in the analysis lab. They are

then checked for damage using special equipment

such as the XPS. All of the devices for testing and

analysing with UV light are located in a ten-by-ten

metre clean room at TU Delft. Principal scientist

Norbert Koster explains: ‘The clients' masks arrive

in hermetically sealed boxes. We put the box at

the front of the device, where robotic grippers

take it over. Everything takes place in a

vacuum, just like in the real microchip-making

machine: the irradiation, the measuring, the

analysing and replacing them in boxes. Why do

clients come to us? A test takes a hundred

hours. If the clients were to do the testing

themselves, they would have to shut down

their expensive production machines for five

days. And that would cost a lot of money.

Moreover, we possess those special analysers

such as the XPS.’

Ten million eurosTNO will continue to work on equipping the

EBL2 lab in the coming eighteen months. The

analysers in lab 2 can cope with larger masks

and work with stronger radiation sources. TNO

is still looking for funding for part of lab 2.

Deutz: ‘The funds for the XPS have already

been agreed, thanks to a NanoLabNL subsidy.

A number of other devices will come from lab

1 or are still awaiting funding. We need

approximately ten million euros in total. And

we expect to realise this in the coming year.

We want to recover the investment in the

future. Various clients have already told us they

can hardly wait for the lab to be ready.’

Extremely clean lab for extreme UV light

How to use our facilitiesGiven the broad range of facilities and expertise at NanoLabNL, there is no single guideline for

access and use, but the following options are possible:

• Direct access to our facilities with your own operator (once authorised after

instruction/training)

• Direct access with a dedicated operator from NanoLabNL

• Use of facilities within research projects

It is possible to use our equipment for short-, mid- and long-term research projects.

Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your technological issues and/or the available

options for the facilities you are interested in.

"Why do clients come to us? If the clients were to do the testingthemselves, they would have to shut down their expensive production

machines for five days and that would cost a lot of money."

Delft

Companies use EUV lab

The analysis facilities for extreme ultraviolet

light (EUV) of TNO are in a clean room at the

Van Leeuwenhoek Laboratory for

nanotechnology at TU Delft. Clients include:

ASML: one of the largest manufacturers of

microchip machines in the world

Zeiss: develops lenses and mirrors for

microchip machines and works with TNO on

the EBL2 lab project

Bruker: German company that produces

among other things radiation sources for

extreme ultraviolet light

University of Twente: develops multi-

layered mirrors

Imec: Belgian research institute for

nanotechnology

Te Riele, Koster en Deutz

NanoLabNL is a foundationThe foundation's goals are:

- Realizing the micro and nano research facility ambitions.

- Facilitating and stimulating of current and future nano-related research.

- Stimulating the open-access character of the high tech NanoLabs.

- Connecting with national and international research programs.

- Increasing external use by companies.

With her research group, Mireille Claessens is a major user of the BioNanoLab at MESA+ in Twente, where she researches

proteins that clump together. We are familiar with the protein clumps associated with Parkinson's disease, but similar

clumps also have positive characteristics. They ensure that hormones are released in doses and give roe their toughness.

"I hope that we can use our knowledge about protein clumps to make new materials and carry out tests."

research group, you cannot afford all the

equipment yourselves. One example is the

confocal microscope with super resolution."

Thanks to smart technology, this light

microscope can show smaller structures than is

actually possible according to the laws of optics.

It enables the researchers to finally study

proteins in their natural environment.

Series of robotsThe researchers are also getting to grips with

the new screening machine in the BioNanoLab.

The High Throughput Cell Analysis system is a

series of robots that researchers can use to

conduct multiple measurements successively

and simultaneously. They can investigate, for

example, whether newly created nano particles

are toxic to people and animals. The research is

carried out using cells, which are in dozens of

wells on multiwell plates. The plates are

transported by the robot arm between the

various measuring instruments of the system, so

that the absorption, luminescence, and

fluorescence of the cells can be measured.

There is also a special imager that makes 3D

images. Between measurements, meanwhile,

the plates with the cells can wait in a 'plate

hotel'. Claessens: "We are going to make

different types of Lewy bodies ourselves and

see which of them are toxic."

New tests and materialsAnd then? Where is all of this leading?

Claessens: "I hope that we can use our

knowledge about protein clumps to make new

materials and carry out tests." What Claessens

is considering, for example, are lab-on-a-chip

systems for testing whether someone has

many disease-inducing protein aggregates, or

new types of membrane that release

substances in doses aimed at particular

targets. The group is also working alongside

researchers seeking to cultivate tissues, for

cartilage transplants, for example. Claessens:

"What motivates me? Ultimately, it all comes

down to always wanting to know how things

work. After all, it is fascinating how one

protein clump is toxic in one location, while

another actually performs useful work

elsewhere."

‘As a research group, you cannot afford all the equipment in the BioNanoLab yourselves.’

Her door is no longer always open. This is the most

visible change since Mireille Claessens became the

leader of the Nanobiophysics department one year

ago. "Obviously I still talk regularly with my

researchers and students, but nowadays it is more

often by appointment."

Claessens, who was born in 1975, studied

molecular sciences in Wageningen, where she also

obtained her doctorate for a project on plant

physiology. From 2003 to 2008, she was a

researcher at Technische Universität München, and

in 2008 she became an assistant professor in the

Nanobiophysics group at the University of Twente.

She has been the chair of the group since late 2013.

Super-resolution microscopeClaessens is researching how molecules organise

themselves into larger molecules. A well-known

example of this is the protein clumps associated

with Parkinson's disease, where the alpha-synuclein

protein clumps to form Lewy bodies. Claessens'

group is aiming to discover why the clumping

together of proteins is sometimes toxic, and

sometimes not, and they use the facilities of the

BioNanoLab for this purpose. Claessens: "As a

NanoLabNL's programme office is run by the

Technology Foundation STW

6

Twente

Clumping together

Harold Zandvliet, aged 51, is a professor in the Physics of Interfacesof Nanomaterials group. He studied in Twente, where he alsoobtained his doctorate. He then worked in, among other places, thePhilips Natlab where he and his colleagues built one of the world'sfirst high-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopes. He has beenback at Twente since 1992. An interview about teamwork, theNanoLab, and the world of research.

The lab (1)"When picturing the MESA+ NanoLab, outsiders

often only think of the cleanroom, but there is

more to it than that. There are a large number of

lab rooms with stable floors around the

cleanroom. My group uses four of these rooms;

this is necessary because we work with highly

sensitive equipment. We only use the cleanroom

sporadically."

The ambiance"The facilities are excellent – that is beyond

question – but what is much more important as

far as I am concerned, is the ambiance."

Research is teamwork, and for me, MESA+ is like

a large family. You can drop by on people

without any problems."

The team"Take the research into silicene and germanene.

There are students and PhD candidates who carry

out much of the actual research, but our fellow

researchers also help. And let us not forget the

support services – the technicians, and the

secretarial offices. Research is real teamwork. I

cannot say it often enough."

The lab (2)"I am to be found regularly in the labs, in

discussion with students and doctoral candidates. I

try to build connections. You have to know what

people are like, what makes them tick. That way,

you can get the best out of them. Does it bother

them that I come to the lab? Well, they don't give

any indication of that, certainly. My feeling is that

they appreciate it."

The university world"What is sometimes overlooked is that universities

are first and foremost there to teach students. I

often say that students are our most important

product." Good research and patents and spin-

offs are important of course, but let us not forget

the students."

The research (2)"People regularly wonder whether universities of

technology should perform fundamental research.

I have no doubt that they should: clearly it is a

good thing to have the prospect of an application

on the horizon, but it should not be the be-all and

end-all. Some people believe that the road from

"The facilities are excellent – that is beyond question – but what is much more important as far as I am concerned, is the ambiance."

The research (1)"We are researching low-dimensional structures. For

example, in two dimensions you have graphene, and

with one dimension you have nano-threads.

Meanwhile, with zero dimensions it is about quantum

dots. During the past year, we have carried out a

great deal of work on graphene and silicene. We

were the first in the Netherlands to be able to build

silicene, the little brother of graphene, but based on

silicon rather than on carbon. The big advantage of

silicon is that you can make transistors from it. In

other words, you can use it in chips. We are also

working on germanene, which is suitable for using in

chips as well, and on molecular electronics. In 2013,

we succeeded in making circuits based on a singular

molecule. This means we can make a molecular

circuit and a molecular transistor, for example."

Teamwork discovery to application is too long, but some things

simply take time. Take Einstein's theory of relativity,

for example. Nobody would have thought, a

hundred years ago, that it would lead to anything

useful, but now it is an essential part of our GPS

systems. Fundamental research is important, and

fortunately, funding organisations like the

Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter

and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific

Research take that into account."

Mireille Claessenss

Harold Zandvliet

7

NanoLabNL is included in the Dutch National Roadmap for Large-scale Research FacilitiesLarge-scale research facilities are of invaluable strategic importance for research and science and therefore for the Dutch knowledge-based economy.

According to the opinion of the National Roadmap for Large-scale Research Facilities Committee, NanoLabNL is one of the large-scale research facilities of

which the construction and operation are of importance to the vitality and innovative capacity of the scientific network in the Netherlands.

The start-up HQ Graphene supplies crystals to the research community. They also build devices to order. The

Groningen NanoLab is essential to the company. Founder Niko Tombros: ‘We would never have been able to

acquire the expensive devices as a start-up company. Let alone the knowledge to operate them. That knowledge is

priceless and we are now getting it for free.’

Ever since Nobel Prize winners Andre Geim and

Konstantin Novoselov removed a layer of

graphene from a graphite crystal with sticky tape,

the floodgates have opened. The research

community got to work en masse with sticky tape

and crystals. The Groningen company HQ

Graphene saw a gap in the market. They make

extremely high-quality crystals. Founder Niko

Tombros: ‘If a researcher has to make his own

crystals, he will be at it for months. We have

optimised the formulas and the growing process,

which enables us to guarantee high quality. This

saves researchers a lot of time and hassle.’

Collected assortmentGraphite crystals are ordered the most. Demand is

also high, for example, for crystals that can be

used for making semiconductors, such as high-

mobility phosphorus and tungsten sulphide. New

to the range is the collected assortment of more

than 35 crystals. This enables scientists to switch

from one crystal to another without any loss of

time. HQ Graphene also supplies customised

devices that contain a crystal layer with electrodes

attached. This means that researchers do not have

to set to work with sticky tape and nano tools

themselves and they can immediately start

experimenting with a crystal layer.

The Groningen company makes extensive use of

the Zernike NanoLab. Tombros: ‘We determine the

quality of our crystals in the NanoLab. And when

we make a device to order, we use almost all the

equipment in the lab. We create layers of gold or

titanium using vapour deposition, we etch a nice

channel for the electrons and we characterise the

device using electronic measuring equipment.’

Low start-up costsIn 2013, the company received a voucher from

NanoLabNL worth 7,500 euros. Tombros: ‘We

were given free clean-room time. This enabled us

to try things out that we would not normally dare

to undertake.’ Tombros is pleased about the

NanoLabs: ‘If we are unable to do something in

Groningen, we can turn to TU Delft, Twente or

Eindhoven, for example. Thanks to the NanoLabs,

we are also able to keep our start-up costs down.

We have access to equipment worth millions of

euros. And this for a clear hourly rate of about

170 euros. We were able, therefore, to start with

little money and we did not have to go the bank

for a huge loan.’

According to Tombros, expensive machines are

not the only reason why he is happy with the

NanoLabs. Tombros: ‘The operators have twenty

to thirty years of experience with the technology.

They know how to configure the equipment. If

you had to figure out this for yourself, it might

take months or years. Now it is often only a

matter of a week at most. That knowledge is

priceless and we are now getting it for free.’

Samsung and NokiaIn the coming years, Tombros wants to build on

the good name of HQ Graphene. ‘Potential

clients need to know that we offer the highest

quality. This is also one of the reasons why the

R&D departments of Samsung and Nokia come to

us. Other reasons for them are that we deliver on

time and work confidentially. For the future, we

want more scientists to realise that just like them

we are interested in R&D and that we also dare to

carry the risk. We therefore see ourselves more as

a scientific institute than a company. And the fact

that we are not earning billions in the process is

not an issue. I find enjoyment in my work much

more important.’

Starting with little money

Groningen

Groningen start-up supplies crystals from stock and devices to order

CrystalSupermarketCompany: HQ Graphene

Sells: fragments made up of two-

dimensional high-quality crystals and

devices with built in crystals.

Price: a couple of hundred euros for a

crystal fragment and a few thousand

euros for a device made to order.

Clients: from MIT in the United States to

research groups in Brazil, Russia, India and

China. The R&D departments of Samsung

and Nokia also purchase crystals.

Established: in 2012 at the University of

Groningen.

More information:

www.hqgraphene.com

"We offer the highest quality.That's why the R&D

departments of Samsung andNokia come to us."

Our laboratories have state-of-the-art techniques

for nanofabrication, deposition techniques,

lithography, microscopy and scanning probe

techniques. Various cleanrooms are available for

the fabrication of devices. Besides facilities for the

conventional processing of semiconductors and

metals (such as GaAs, InAs and Au, Al), organic

semiconductors are processed as well. For

measurements, we have several labs with

cryogenic setups, instrumentation for electronic

and microwave measurements, and laser setups.

Zernike NanoLab Groningen is part of Zernike

Zernike NanoLab Groningen

Institute of Advanced Materials in the University of

Groningen.

Expert technology • Soft molecular landing deposition

• Ultra high vacuum low temperature scanning

tunneling microscopy of surfaces

• High resolution photo electron spectroscopy for

elemental surface characterization

Contact Johan Holstein

Research Technician Zernike NanoLab Groningen

Mail: nanolab-zernike@rug.nl

Tel: +31 (0)50 363 4780

1

General information and questionsContact Rens Vandeberg, programme director NanoLabNL

programme office (STW): r.vandeberg@stw.nl

Press informationContact Margit de Kok, communication officer NanoLabNL:

info@nanolabnl.nl

ColophonOctober 2014 – volume 3 – number 1

This periodical is published by NanoLabNL

Edited by: Margit de Kok, David Redeker

Photography: Eric Brinkhorst, Tineke Dijkstra, Klapstuk

Graphic design and realisation: FOTON visuele communicatie

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any form whatsoever

without the prior written permission of the publisher and other copyright holders.

This publication has been compiled with the utmost care. However, the publisher

cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies in this publication or unforeseen

consequences resulting from deficiencies.

Location NanoLab Contact person E-mail

Groningen Zernike NanoLab Groningen Johan Holstein nanolab-zernike@rug.nl

Twente MESA+ NanoLab Twente Gerard Roelofs nanolab@mesaplus.utwente.nl

Delft Kavli NanoLab Delft Frank Dirne nanolab-kavli@tudelft.nl

TNO NanoLab Delft Jan Leendert Joppe info.nanolab@tno.nl

Eindhoven NanoLab@TU/e Huub Ambrosius nanolab@tue.nl

Philips Innovation Services* Elise Rodenburg innovationservices@philips.com

* Philips Innovation Services is an associate partner, participating in NanoLabNL concerning content but not in financial terms.

Contact

www.nanolabnl.nl8

ProudBakkers is pleased about the NanoLabs: ‘It is great

to have facilities at a number of locations in the

Netherlands that are complementary to each

other. The infrastructure has elevated Dutch

research to a higher level. The set-up of the clean

rooms differs. In Delft, the university and TNO

share a clean room. In Eindhoven, the clean room

belongs to the university. Whether the clean

rooms could be improved in any way? Well, many

people in Delft are unaware that there is a very

good wafer stepper in Eindhoven. Therefore, the

communication about and between the clean

rooms could be improved. But in general I find the

NanoLabs extremely good. They have helped

Dutch research enormously. Thanks in part to the

NanoLabs, we have an excellent reputation in the

world of nanotechnology. That is something we

can be proud of.’

A decade of research on nanowires is not boring

according to Bakkers. ‘New applications are

constantly being invented. First, we were involved

with transistors, then with LEDs and subsequently

with chemical sensors. Now we are working on

solar cells, Majorana particles, LEDs and the

storage of energy.’ The new solar cells make use

of the fact that nanowires, or actually nano-

antennas, are able to absorb light very well and

then convert it into electricity. In the research into

Majorana particles, the nanowires trap the

Majorana particles. Microsoft is eager to

incorporate the Majorana particles in a future

quantum computer. Bakkers: ‘The problem with

quantum computers is that information dissipates

quickly. With Majorana particles, we can retain

information longer.’

Green lightIn research into better LED lighting, Bakkers uses

another property of nanowires. Bakkers:

‘Nanowires that are made of gallium phosphide

Eindhoven

Nanowire between Delft and EindhovenNanowires form the common thread in the career of Erik Bakkers. He studied and obtained

a doctorate in Utrecht, worked at Philips, has several patents to his name and has been

professor at TU Delft and Eindhoven University of Technology since 2010. ‘We need both

clean rooms. We grow our wires in Eindhoven and we make our catalysts at TU Delft.’

crystals can be used to produce good green LED

light. Until now, producing green LED light has

continued to be an issue. However, we could solve

the problem with gallium phosphide, because

after some manipulation it emits green light.’

Gallium phosphide also plays a role in the storage

of energy. Bakkers wants to use gallium phosphide

to make a new type of fuel cell, a new battery,

that can store light. Bakkers: ‘Gallium phosphide

can be used to split water using sunlight into

oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen can be

stored and used as an energy source.’

Back and forthBakkers and his researchers can often be found in

the NanoLabs of both TU Delft and TU/e.

Researchers are regularly travelling back and forth

between Eindhoven and Delft. Bakkers: ‘At TU

Delft, for example, we use the e-beam

lithographer to make our catalysts. While at TU/e,

we grow our wires using MOVPE, which stands for

Metal Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy.’

Philips Innovation Services offers access to a

range of advanced innovation services,

expertise and high-tech facilities across the

whole innovation process. Our services extend

from concept creation support, product and

process development, prototyping and small

series production, equipment development,

quality and reliability, right through to

sustainability and industrial consulting. We

serve customers ranging from start-ups and

small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to

multinationals and collaborative knowledge

institutes.

Philips Innovation Services is

associate partner of NanoLabNL, offering its

technology infrastructure and industrial

expertise to create a bridge between scientific

proof of concept and industrial

implementation.

ContactElise Rodenburg

Group Leader Thin Film Process Integration

Mail: innovationservices@philips.com

Tel: +31 (0)40 274 2627

NanoLab@TU/eThe NanoLab@TU/e facilities play an important

role in the research carried out at the Eindhoven

University of Technology (TU/e). Located centrally

in the top technology region of Eindhoven

(Brainport Region Eindhoven), NanoLab@TU/e

serves Photonic and Nanotechnology research

and innovation in the Netherlands, either

through academic research activities or through

the multitude of industrial collaborations.

NanoLab@TU/e has extensive laboratory facilities

at its disposal, offering a wide spectrum of

opportunities for research and development

activities. NanoLab@TU/e is part of Eindhoven

University of Technology, which has established

leading positions in the field of nano-engineering

of functional materials and devices and Photonic

Integrated Circuits. TU/e has a strong reputation

in application-oriented fundamental research, in

close cooperation with high-tech industries

(multinationals such as Philips Research, IBM,

Siemens, FEI Company, Oxford Instruments, Intel,

Tyco Electronics, NXP, ASML, Océ and DSM).

Expert technologies• Deposition of organic, magnetic and

semiconductor nanostructured material

• Processing of III-V-based integrated

nanophotonic devices

• Advanced nanoscale processing

ContactHuub Ambrosius

Managing Director NanoLab@TU/e

Mail: nanolab@tue.nl

Tel: +31 (0)40 247 5116 /+31 (0)6 42 39 71 08

Philips Innovation Services

Erik Bakkers