The Institute for Nanostructures, Nanomodeling and Nanofabrication (i3N), which brings together scientists from two leading Portuguese research units, develops advanced functional materials. An official affiliated laboratory of the Portuguese government, i3N is a partnership between the Center for Materials Research at the NOVA University of Lisbon and the Center for Semiconductor Physics, Optoelectronics and Defect Systems at the University of Aveiro. Materials scientist Elvira Fortunato has led the institute since 1998. In 2008, she led the team that developed the world’s first paper transistor: a flexible, environmentally friendly and low-cost alternative to silicon. She is a world-leading researcher in the field of transparent electronics – thin film transistors based on oxide semiconductors – and has received several national and international awards for her work. In 2020, Fortunato won both the European Commission’s Horizon Impact Award for her work on transparent electronics (Project Invisible 2008 ERC grant) and the Pessoa Prize, a prestigious award in Portugal awarded annually for excellence in science, art or literature. This year she won the World Federation of Engineering Organization Women in Engineering 2021 award.
What does i3N work on & How will you develop this technology?
At i3N, we work in four main areas — Sustainable Micro and Nanofabrication; Green and clean energy systems; Nanomaterials Engineering and Functional Interfaces; and Biomedical Devices and Systems.For most of these areas, displays are needed as an interface for acquiring and communicating information. We are all surrounded by displays in phones, televisions or computers. Each pixel in these displays typically relies on an amorphous silicon transistor.
Transistors for the next generation of displays will certainly be based on metal oxides, processed at low temperatures, outside of silicon, as we are developing. The technology to be used to produce these new transistors will be based on environmentally sustainable materials using rigid and flexible substrates and low-cost technologies such as printing.
We transfer our knowledge to industry. There is a lot of interest in the development of products related to paper electronics, and we have established a collaborative laboratory called Alma Science, which connects industry with academia to advance research in this area. We are also working to ensure that the scientific community and industry have access to the infrastructure and equipment to support creative nanoscale developments that require proper nanoanalysis and nanofabrication tools.
How is the institute organized & How does i3N engage with wider society?
We have around 280 researchers, including more than 100 PhDs. They work in the four broad areas of research described above. We develop smart materials for applications in energy, optoelectronics and electronics. And we’re also developing innovative biomedical devices and services that have the potential to help advance precision medicine and personalized therapies.
This is very important. We aim to develop stronger relationships with society to promote public awareness, engagement and understanding of advanced materials and nanoscience. We conduct various projects with school students under the auspices of the Portuguese “Ciência Viva” program. Every year we close our activities for a week and invite pupils to meet our Masters and PhD students and learn about advanced materials and applications. At the end, they have a small project that they present to us. It’s really inspiring for us to see how interested and excited this new generation of science students are.
For more read: https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-021-00260-x
