The Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS) at Harvard University provides staff and resources to acquire, maintain, operate, improve, and develop advanced facilities for use by faculty, students and external collaborators. CNS also provides courses, training, assistance, and collaborative interactions to facilitate use of the equipment.

The intellectual focus of CNS activities is on the operation of its facilities for the fabrication and study of "nanoscale" structures, systems and phenomena that span the range between the atomic and the macroscopic, and whose properties are very different from those of macroscopic systems. These studies include (e.g.):

• Synthesis of nanoscale structures
• Fabrication of mesoscale devices
• Imaging, using electron microscopy and scanned probe techniques
• Advanced optical microscopy
• Biological applications

CNS has divided its facilities and tools into four main “Facilities.” They are:

• Imaging and Analysis (SEM, TEM, ESEM, sample prep etc.)
• Nanofabrication (cleanroom, lithography, RIE, and back-end tools etc.)
• Materials Synthesis (FIB, XPS, AFM, Biomaterials, Chemical Nanotechnology, etc.)
• NNIN/C Computational Facilities (hardware resources and simulation tools dedicated to nanoscience research)

Please follow the links on the left to find out more about our facilities. When you look up a specific facility or tool you will be able to determine its location and which CNS staff member is responsible for training and qualification for that tool as well as the staff member's contact information. Many of the larger tools will have more information available online regarding their function and/or operation including printable data sheets for your reference.

CNS facilities are available to any active, enrolled members in the CNS/NNIN User Program. For more information on the User Program, please see the User Info section of this web site.