The Centre’s research on prototyping and fabrication advances the boundaries of applied materials science.
Prototyping and fabrication allow effective research and development activities through proof of concepts, validation experiments, demonstrations, and qualifications. Such practices are key to understand the technical maturity of a technology. We design approaches and develop tools to support understanding and probing of materials at the application level.
Our fabrication techniques include both top-down processes such as lithography, chemical vapour deposition, additive manufacturing; and bottom-up methods such as molecular self-assembly.
At the Centre for Materials Science, we rely on a variety of techniques, instrumentation, and knowledge-based strategies to translate ideas and concepts into products and applications.
Capabilities and expertise
Functional composites
We develop new classes of low-cost functional composites using organic and inorganic materials and apply them as an active layer in devices for sensing, display, energy harvesting and energy storage.
Device characterization
Our facilities cover the full range of electrical and optical characterization methods (e.g. semiconductor device analyser, four-point probe station, etc.) as well as the more specialized chemical and physical techniques (e.g. tensile testing of flexible and stretchable devices).
Additive manufacturing
Our capability to 3D-print a broad range of polymers enables us to manufacture elements and structures for biomedical, mechanical, and civil engineering applications: e.g. shock energy absorbing materials for buildings protection; bone printing and tissue morphology engineering for medical implants.
We develop printing processes for functional materials and fabricate electronic devices and systems using inkjet and digital methods. Elements such as medical devices, sensors, ion batteries, solar cells and photodetectors are integrated with paper, plastic film and fabric to create flexible and stretchable electronics.
