Cranfield University is one of Europe’s largest centre for strategic and applied research, development and design. The university enjoys a leading international reputation for work in the following sectors: advanced engineering and materials, aerospace and avionics, automotive, defence, energy and power generation, gas turbines, health and medicine, life sciences, manufacturing, motorsport, offshore and underwater technologies and water.

The Microsystems and Nanotechnology Centre at Cranfield University incorporates a silicon and functional materials, applied Microsystems facility. The Microsystems activity specialises in fusing microengineering with industrial applications based on the development of ferroelectric materials and devices. The operating principle of Microsystems at Cranfield is to develop capabilities that will help UK and EU industry while maintaining state of the art equipment that allows leading edge, sometimes speculative, applied research. Current capabilities include: Sophisticated Analytical and Finite Element Modeling of complex mechanical, acoustic and piezoelectric devices. 2-D modelling of acoustic resonators, MEMS processing: PVD, photolithography, double sided alignment, Deep Reactive Ion Etching DRIE, etc. Non-silicon MEMS fabrication techniques, thin film materials deposition and characterisation, deposition of thin film piezoelectric materials. Particular expertise exists in sol gel chemistry and deposition for a range of materials. Ceramic nanoparticles are under development for ink-jet printing and tape casting techniques. Spontaneously laterally patterned structures and surfaces structured by self-assembly (ligands prestructured by metal ion centres) are under study. Nanostructured structural and functional composites using inorganic nanoparticles bonded with organic polymers are being developed for use as printing solutions.

Contact person: Dr. Paul B. Kirby Website: http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/