Wednesday, 22 March 2006

Living systems provide "living proof" of the importance of nanostructures, since all of their functions originate from nanoscale molecular assemblies (e.g., mitochondria, motor proteins, etc.). A living system, whether a bacterium or a human being, can be considered "information embodied in macromolecular assemblies." The current interest in nanoscale science and engineering is aimed ultimately at achieving high functionality from molecular and nanoparticle assemblies. Such high functionality will be achieved only if we are able to introduce deterministic structural complexity i.e., information, into such assemblies. By using lithographically patterned surfaces to guide the self assembly of block copolymers, and to control the location of dislocations, we have taken the first tiny steps in the direction of putting information into nanoscale assemblies. I’ll discuss our current research in nanopatterning and templated self-assembly, and possible extensions to greater complexity and 3-dimensional organization.

Henry I. Smith is Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT and Director of the NanoStructures Lab. His research includes nanofabrication, electronic and photonic devices, and novel applications of nanostructures. He and his co-workers are responsible for a number of innovations in nanostructures technology and applications including: comformable-photomask lithography, x-ray lithography, the phase-shift mask, the attenuating phase shifter, spatial-phase-locked e-beam lithography, achromatic-interference lithography, spatial-frequency doubling and coherent-diffraction lithography, immersion photolithography, zone-plate-array lithography, interferometric alignment, graphoepitaxy, subboundary entrainment, templated self-assembly, and a variety of quantum-effect, short-channel, single-electron, nanomagnetic, photonic-crystal and microphotonic devices.

Prof. Smith is a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the APS, AVS, MRS, OSA and Sigma Xi. He is the recipient of the Cledo Brunetti Award of the IEEE and the Baccus Award of SPIE. He holds over 30 US patents and has published over 400 technical articles. He served as an Officer at the AF Cambridge Research Laboratory in the early 1960s.

The meeting will be held at the Lincoln Lab Auditorium at 4:00 PM. Refreshments will be served at 3:30 PM.  Registration is in the main lobby.  Foreign national visitors to Lincoln Lab require visit requests.  You may also pre-register by e-mail to Roslyn Wesley, rwesley@ll.mit.edu; please indicate your citizenship. You will not receive a confirmation of your pre-registration, however, your badge will be ready for you when you register.   Please use the Wood Street Gate.  For directions go to http://www.ll.mit.edu For other information, contact Ed Altshuler, Chairman, at  (781 )377-4662, or edward.altshuler@hanscom.af.mil