Step inside the Washington Nanofabrication Facility, where tiny tech is transforming research in quantum, chips, medicine and more.
Precision at the smallest scale
Category: News
Serena Eley — studying superconductivity, magnetism, and disorder in quantum materials
March 3, 2025
Superconductors and magnets are already in wide use today — from magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scanners that look deep inside the body to gamma ray detectors of clandestine nuclear material to bolometers used in x-ray astronomy. They have been implemented in medical, military, security, and power applications as well as quantum computing and sensing. Because Eley’s research contributes to expanding fundamental knowledge about superconductivity and magnetism, her work could contribute to advancing technology in all of these areas.
A camera that can identify objects at the speed of light
Feb. 11, 2025
Collaboration can be a beautiful thing, especially when people work together to create something new. Take, for example, a longstanding collaboration between Arka Majumdar, a UW professor in electrical and computer engineering and physics, and Felix Heide, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton University. Together, they and their students have produced some eye-popping and groundbreaking research, including shrinking a camera down to the size of a grain of salt while still capturing crisp, clear images.
WNF student lands dream internship at Nvidia
Jan. 27, 2025
In the University of Washington’s Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF), undergraduate lab assistants have a unique opportunity to receive on-the-job training from research engineers and network with professionals in advanced electronics, nanotechnology, semiconductors and fabrication-related jobs. Fourth-year electrical and computer engineering major Prithvi Krishnaswamy’s work in the WNF helped him land a summer internship at Nvidia, a company that designs hardware and software for the high-performance computing (HPC) market. Krishnaswamy interned at its Durham, North Carolina office.
WNF: What interested you in working for Nvidia?
Krishnaswamy: Working for Nvidia has always been a dream of mine ever since I built my first gaming computer. They worked on many applications that I found extremely exciting, like gaming and robotics. I was also amazed by their ability to stay at the cutting edge even as the company grew. And with the stories I heard about their culture and work environment, it seemed like a perfect fit. I genuinely didn’t think I would get the chance to work there this quickly, and I am extremely grateful for the time I got to spend there.
WNF: What did you work on and learn while you were there?
Krishnaswamy: I was a hardware engineering intern for Nvidia’s data center products division. I contributed to developing their DGX server systems, specializing in AI and machine learning workloads. My responsibilities included assisting in the design, which involved GPU integration, cooling systems, and power management. I also ran performance tests, stress tests and validation protocols on hardware prototypes or production systems to ensure they met Nvidia’s standards.
I genuinely enjoyed all the opportunities I was presented with at Nvidia. I valued their motto of openness and “one team.” They encouraged engineers to work on and learn more about projects and teams that were not always related to their current assignments. While my main project at the company was hardware design, I gained valuable exposure to hardware validation, robotics software, CPU verification and more. The idea of being a constant learner and not letting artificial boundaries limit me was a valuable piece of education that resonated with me.
I also had the chance to interact with a diverse and exciting group of people, especially during our lunch times or company events.
WNF: How long have you worked as an undergraduate in the WNF, and what have you learned during that time that helped with your internship?
Krishnaswamy: I joined the WNF during the summer of 2022 after completing my first year at UW. I work as an undergraduate research assistant, where I help maintain cleanroom specifications and standards. I occasionally assist the research engineering staff in maintaining, characterizing and upgrading the manufacturing equipment and processes for foundry customers.
During my second year, I worked on an Intel fellowship project researching the advancement of high-aspect-ratio deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). This project gave me valuable insight into the semiconductor fabrication industry, including its tools, techniques and applications. It also provided me with a plethora of useful, practical, hands-on skills and knowledge. I can honestly say that I would not be where I am in my professional career path if it weren’t for the WNF. Being my first engineering role, it allowed me to explore an area I never knew about before. In addition to the skills and knowledge I learned from varying projects, the WNF staff have been some of the most supportive mentors I have ever had in my engineering journey. Both professionally and personally through the many conversations and team bonding we have all shared. I look forward to making the most of my final year with them, and I will miss them deeply when I graduate
New Superconductive Materials Have Just Been Discovered
Jan. 14, 2025
Three exotic new species of superconductivity were spotted last year, illustrating the myriad ways electrons can join together to form a frictionless quantum soup.
NanoES member, physicist and materials science and engineering Matthew Yankowitz is featured.
WNF director in working group to target billions in CHIPS and Science Act funding for Washington state
Dec. 14, 2024
Maria Huffman, director of the University of Washington’s Washington Nanofabrication Facility, is part of a new, state-wide group of leaders from universities, research institutions, technology companies and the government who aim to strengthen the state’s semiconductor industry.
The group, organized by the Washington Department of Commerce, will work to attract federal funding through the CHIPS and Sciences Act.
A new, 3D-imaging system for early detection of lung cancer
Dec. 16, 2024
UW ECE Assistant Professor Sajjad Moazeni and graduate students in his lab are part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research team developing a new, three-dimensional imaging system for early detection of lung cancer. This disease is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and in the U.S., it accounts for one in five cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society, which notes that early detection is key to survival.
New lens system for endoscopes could allow physicians to see inside the body like never before
Nov. 14, 2024
The human body contains a vast, complex, and interconnected web of organic tunnels and passageways that weave their way through the cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems. For physicians, reaching into this maze of arteries, bronchial tubes, and gastrointestinal chambers to view and treat diseased or damaged tissue can be, to put it mildly, challenging. Many of these conduits are long and winding but small in diameter, and they can narrow down to microscopic dimensions. Medical devices built to navigate and optically view these areas must be flexible, maneuverable, and carry a light source.
Revolutionizing Sustainable Materials: Strain Learning Metamaterials Inspired by Nature
Oct. 30, 2024
Imagine a material that can be stretched and pulled out of shape that not only returns to its original shape but also grows stiffer and stronger each time. University of Washington researchers have developed a new “strain learning” metamaterial. Inspired by how nature strengthens materials—like how bones repair themselves or how spider silk becomes stronger when stressed—this innovation could significantly impact industries that rely on durable, adaptable materials, especially medicine. Their work, “Strain learning in protein-based mechanical metamaterials,” has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
The team, led by chemistry professor and member of the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute (MolES) Alshakim Nelson and mechanical engineering professor and member of the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems (NanoES) Lucas Meza, 3D-printed protein-based polymers made from polyethylene glycol (PEG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The researchers used a light-based 3D printer to create lattice-based mechanical metamaterials that unexpectedly became stronger and stiffer after testing.
“We were excited to see the stiffness was boosted up to 2.5 times based on the lattice architecture that we printed,” said Naroa Sadaba, a lead author on the publication and post-doctoral fellow in Nelson’s lab.
These materials were known to have a shape memory behavior – meaning they could recover their shape after being deformed – but the change in mechanical properties was a unique benefit.
“In natural materials like bone, cells can actively repair damage and reinforce the structure, but synthetic materials typically lack this ability,” said Meza, whose work in examines how micro- and nanostructure can be used to improve material properties. “We usually design materials to sustain a particular load, hoping they won’t degrade over time. This new protein-based metamaterial allows us to create materials that strengthen over time based on the stresses they experience – sort of an analog to natural materials.”
Nelson’s lab’s work in sustainable, bio-based polymers was instrumental in developing the new strain-learning material. Using 3D printing, his lab can now create a wide range of complex shapes that strengthen under stress and are made from proteins. “The mechanical response of the proteins within the metamaterial networks serve an important role in the performance of these materials, and we are working to expand our understanding of how to use proteins to create other new materials,” said Nelson.
The work allows for designing autonomous, self-strengthening materials ideal for fields that demand high performance under mechanical stress. The team is now looking at medical device applications, where adaptable and biodegradable materials are critical.
NanoES congratulates David Baker, recipient of the Nobel Prize
Oct. 10, 2024
Biochemist David Baker was named a Nobel Prize recipient yesterday (Oct. 9). The computational biologist, professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in computational protein design. By harnessing the power of computing, Baker has transformed biological research.
“On behalf of the NanoES community, I congratulate David on receiving the Nobel Prize,” said Karl Böhringer, director of the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems (NanoES) and professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering. “This incredible achievement highlights the pioneering work of the Institute for Protein Design and serves as a testament to the transformative potential of scientific innovation. At NanoES, we are proud of our collaborative efforts with David and the IPD team, which continues to push the boundaries of nanoengineering and synthetic biology.”
The NanoES community looks forward to the continued impact of these partnerships on science and society.
Read more about the research that led to Baker’s recognition.