The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) is an integrated networked partnership of user facilities, supported by the National Science Foundation, serving the needs of nanoscale science, engineering and technology.
The mission of NNIN is to enable rapid advancements in science, engineering and technology at the nano-scale by efficient access to Nanotechnology infrastructure. We provide shared open, geographically distributed laboratories, each with specific areas of technical excellence, and provide fabrication, synthesis, characterization, and integration resources to build structures, devices, and systems from atomic to complex large-scales. Our users belong to diverse areas: astronomy, plant pathology, materials science, physics, chemistry, life-sciences, various branches of engineering, etc., and come from academe, national laboratories, and industry. Projects may be short term or long term, from Academic or Industry, and range from pure research to prototype product development. Users can perform research on-site using facility equipment, training and staff support. For many tasks, remote usage is also feasible. External users typically spend a week or two, or commute, to complete their work although longer visits are possible. We help users succeed by providing strong pre-visit technical interaction, mechanisms that let users protect their intellectual property, and strong training and knowledge support.