Author: Andrew See

Airbus and UNSW collaborate on solar cells for space

Airbus Defence and Space has selected the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney to conduct a 3.5 year research project for the development of high efficiency solar cells to be used in Space. The research will help push the performance of photovoltaic solar cells for Space to the limit, both in terms of efficiency and radiation stability in the Space environment.

This research project will be led by Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes, at the UNSW Sydney School of Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering who is an existing ANFF user. Congratulations Ned and team!

Airbus link:

ADM link:

RIS Funding Success for Laser MBE

A/Prof Neeraj Sharma (School of Chemistry), Nagarajan Valanoor (Material Science) and Matt Boreland (ANFF-NSW) have been awarded funding under UNSW’s Research Infrastructure Scheme (RIS2023) to support ANFF’s Laser-MBE facility. These funds will enable the procurement of KrF gas, which is essential for driving the excimer laser at the heart of the Laser-MBE system that enables the synthesis of crystalline thin films that empower R&D across a range of applications including microbatteries, nanoelectronic sensors, ferroelectrics and beyond.    Importantly the two years of funding ($20k/yr) will mitigate the impact of the recent 500% prices spikes in the cost of KrF gas (induced by supply chain issue) to safeguard the continuity of high impact research.

2022 ANFF Frater Award for Ethel Ilagan

ANFF-NSW is proud to announce that Ms. Ethel Ilagan was selected as one of this year’s winners of the ANFF Frater Award 2022. The prestigious award was presented to Ethel by Emeritus Professor Chriss Fell (Chair of the ANFF Board) to enable exceptional engineers and administrative staff to foster technical and professional growth via national or international activities. Ethel’s Frater Award was in recognition of her success in delivering high-impact microfluidics projects at ANFF-NSW@USYD/RPF. As an overview – microfluidics devices can be tiny chips that perform chemical analyses of extremely small volumes of fluids such as blood. Lab-on-a-chip devices, often use microfluidics devices which have applications in cost-effective disease detection and many other uses from monitoring to treatment, etc. The Frater award will fund Ethel to visit international laboratories including the Clark Lab at UC Berkeley and the Microfluidics Laboratory at Stanford University to extend her profession knowledge in microfluidic best practice and to enable international benchmarking of her work. These initiatives are geared towards advancing Ethel’s career growth and boosting the ANFF-NSW@USYD/RPF’s capability in the microfluidic space.

Congratulations Ethel!!

ANFF bids fond farewell to Dr Nadia Court

Accomplished Technical Director of the Research and Prototype Foundry, University of Sydney and Hub manager for the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) NSW node, Dr Nadia Court, has accepted the exciting role as inaugural director of the Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B).

Known internally as a highly effective leader by management and colleagues, Nadia began her journey with ANFF-NSW at University of NSW and then moved across to Sydney Nanoscience Hub five years ago to take up the role of Technical Director.

Capable, competent, and always one to get the job done, ANFF CEO Dr Jane Fitzpatrick said Nadia has been much more than a cog in the machine. Maintaining equipment, people and projects across ANFF-NSW facilities, co-located at UNSW and the University of Sydney, Nadia has managed client liaison and developed strategic partners who are now embedded in the Nano Hub and across the ANFF network.

‘From the technical to the political, and everything in between, Nadia has contributed significantly to the development of ANFF, including our international links,’ said ANFF CEO Dr Jane Fitzpatrick. ‘She has engaged her colleagues to explore and expand global interactions and opportunities.’

Involved in University/Government/Industry Micro/Nanotechnology (UGIM) Symposiums in the USA, a regular at Australian government infrastructure conferences and a member of the global Micro and Nano Technologies infrastructure group, Nadia has also worked extensively with National Applied Research Laboratories in Taiwan to set up and deliver innovative workshops. When the NSW government announced their interest in building the semiconductor industry, Dr Fitzpatrick said Nadia was a natural choice to lead the bid and gather an exceptional group of experts to deliver.

‘Nadia’s ability to build connections, develop collaborations and solve challenges has served the ANFF network well over the years and we are very grateful for her contributions,’ said Dr Fitzpatrick. ‘Nadia is a superb choice to lead S3B and she will do an incredible job ensuring its success as that is the kind of person she is.’

ANFF is a partner in S3B and Dr Fitzpatrick holds a position on the board ensuring ANFF can continue to support the national landscape in Australia’s burgeoning semiconductor sector.

Are you the next superstar to follow in Nadia’s footsteps and have a lasting impact on National Research Infrastructure? Click here for more information regarding the vacant role of Technical Director – Research & Prototype Foundry.

Change of leadership at ANFF-NSW

Professor Andrew Dzurak has stepped away from his role as Director of ANFF NSW in order to commercialise quantum computing technologies that he has been developing for the past 20 years.

Professor François Ladouceur, a specialist in optics, photonics and computing at UNSW has been selected to take on the ANFF NSW Directorship. He is a long-term user of ANFF facilities and is a founder and CEO of Zedelef, which produces optical components for hazardous environments.

The transition between these two directors will occur this month.

“I’m very excited to step into this directorship and to help expand and refine ANFF’s goals with the support of all those who have contributed to make it a self-evident success under Andrew’s guidance”, said Professor Ladouceur following his appointment.

“ANFF is continually impressed and grateful to the amazing calibre of people that work within the ANFF network. Our latest recruit as a Node Director, François Ladouceur, continues that commitment to have highly talented and entrepreneurial people steering our organisation. Andrew Dzurak can step down from his role within ANFF knowing that he has left an indelible mark on the national success of ANFF and our immense gratitude pails against his achievements” says Jane Fitzpatrick, ANFF CEO.

Andrew has served as ANFF NSW Director since the Node was founded in 2007. He has driven ANFF’s local and national endeavours to enable quantum computing for the past 15 years, activities that have allowed Australia – and in particular Sydney – to become a global leader in the field.

A Quantum Driver

Andrew, his team, and his many collaborators have been developing quantum computing components with the specific aim of making them scalable – this is vital for large-scale production and uptake of quantum technologies in the future. To do this, he has worked in silicon using CMOS processes, materials and techniques that are already widely used in the classical computing industry.

His work has produced a slew of ANFF-enabled outcomes, with key milestones including producing qubits and qubit systems that have smashed records for fidelity, and that can operate at temperatures much higher than preceding technologies. The team were also the first to demonstrate operational single- and two-qubit systems using silicon-MOS quantum dots. Their more recent work has seen significant developments in the control of qubits using electrical influence, paving the way for manipulatable qubits that can also be error checked.

A portfolio of 28 patents from Andrew and his team’s work on CMOS qubits at UNSW have now been transferred to his new company, Diraq. These patents fall into 9 patent families that have accumulated millions of dollars-worth of investment and funding. Find out more on the company’s website.

Following his departure Andrew stated “The development of the breakthrough quantum nanotechnologies underpinning Diraq has only been possible due to the world-class nanofabrication facilities we’ve been able to access through ANFF. While I am excited to take up my new role with Diraq, it is still a sad occasion to move on from a role that has given me so much satisfaction and pride. The success of ANFF-NSW has only been possible due to the talented and dedicated engineers, scientists and support staff who operate our facility. I would like to thank all of them, past and present, for the support they have given me this past 15 years, in particular our outstanding Facility Manager (and now Technical Director) Dr Matt Boreland. I would also like to thank the ANFF Board, especially Chair Chris Fell, and CEO Jane Fitzpatrick, together with all of the other Node Directors around the country who have shared with me the belief that the collective is much greater than the sum of its parts. Working with you, in some cases since the inception of ANFF in 2007, has been one of the great privileges of my life.”

ANFF Chair, Emeritus Professor Chris Fell, acknowledged Andrew’s significant contribution to ANFF, stating “ANFF is incredibly grateful to Andrew. He’s provided invaluable expertise and been a strong advocate for the Network throughout his tenure. The entire ANFF community has benefitted from his seemingly endless patience as he raised the collective understanding of the importance of quantum technologies, as well as the mechanics that underpin these remarkable devices. We wish him the best for the future, and stand ready to assist as he continues on the path to commercially viable quantum computing.”