Home News Press release Education Minister opens TNO and TU Delft Nano Laboratory
4 november 2009
Education Minister opens TNO and TU Delft Nano Laboratory
On Wednesday, 4 November, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ronald Plasterk, is opening the state-of-the-art Van Leeuwenhoek Laboratory. This high-tech complex is a joint initiative by TNO and TU Delft. It provides a crucial facility in the field of nanotechnology, thereby fulfilling a major priority within the Dutch government's innovation policy.
Space dome
The complex consists of a combination of cleanrooms and vibration-proof laboratories. With over 300 users, 6,000 m2 of lab space and 3,000 m2 of cleanrooms, it is one of the largest nanotechnology research facilities in Europe. One particularly exciting feature is the space dome, which captures sunlight, moonlight and starlight and channels them into a large vacuum chamber with a diameter of 1.8 metres. The chamber replicates the conditions found in space (low temperatures, vacuum). This makes it possible to meet particular scientific challenges, such as testing and calibrating extremely sensitive aerospace instruments. The European space telescope Herschel, for example, incorporates nanotechnology developed at TU Delft. The Van Leeuwenhoek Laboratory also features an advanced e-beam lithography unit, the Lithotrack. On this ‘production line’, an electron beam is used to manufacture extremely small structures layer by layer, with details smaller than 10 nanometres. This technique will be used to create a range of products, including the next generation of telecommunications applications.
Technology of the future
Nanotechnology will have a major impact on almost every sector of society, from the development of medicines to new applications in microelectronics. It is an area of technology that is currently undergoing rapid development. Outstanding infrastructure is essential if the Netherlands is to continue innovating. Working on innovations in an international setting requires cooperation at the very highest level in research and development. The Van Leeuwenhoek Lab is a clear example of this: at TU Delft the focus is firmly on leading research, while TNO concentrates on patents and licensing, and business partners are committed to developing high-quality products geared towards today’s market.
Growth
“Innovation is the key to economic growth. In the modern world, the main way to create innovation is by taking a multidisciplinary approach. This realisation serves to underline the significance of what is happening here today: knowledge institutes, universities and companies have to cooperate in a spirit of sustainability. They have to be aware of and respect each others’ specialist fields. And that is exactly what is taking place at this laboratory,” says Jan Mengelers, Chairman of the Executive Board at TNO.
State of the art
Dirk Jan van den Berg, the President of the Executive Board at TU Delft, is quick to concur. “In the Van Leeuwenhoek Lab, scientists and researchers from a range of disciplines come together: PhD and Master’s students from TU Delft and other knowledge institutes and partners from SMEs and industry. The Lab offers an appealing and inspiring working environment for the best academics and students. Their presence and the availability of state-of-the-art equipment also ensures that the laboratory holds a strong appeal for the business sector.”
