Academic research cap

For high-volume internal academic research groups (paid via U of A SpeedCode), the nanoFAB offers the following cap, applying to tool use only (material costs are excluded):

• $6000/quarterly billing period, invoiced quarterly.
• Usage in excess of $12 000/quarterly billing period will be invoiced at 50% of the posted academic rates.

The following scenarios illustrate how the academic research cap applies as an academic group’s total quarterly tool usage increases:

Industrial subscription

For high-volume industrial groups committing to a term of least 6 months, the nanoFAB offers the following subscription model, applying to tool use only (material costs are excluded):

1. Allowed term lengths are from 6 to 12 months.
2. Subscription fees are invoiced in advance each month.
3. Subscription fees are available in $500/month increments, starting at a minimum of $3000/month.
4. Equipment usage is averaged over the length of the subscription term.
5. At any time, the usage associated with a particular tool may be removed from the subscription model.
6. At any time within a subscription term, a group may elect to increase their monthly subscription fee in $500 increments (e.g., to account for more usage than anticipated). The new rate will be applied retroactively to the entire term. When the increase is requested, an invoice will be generated to cover the difference in subscription fees that would have been collected at the revised rate to that point in the subscription term.
7. Within a subscription term, no changes to the value:cost ratio are allowed.
8. Overage (usage exceeding the maximum value covered by the subscription rate) within a subscription period will be invoiced at posted industrial rates.
9. The maximum monthly value covered depends on the subscription rate, according to the following table and graph.

Relevant funding opportunities

CMC MNT vouchers

Financial assistance for academic projects is available through CMC Microsystems:  please see CMC's MNT Award page for more information on this program.

Alberta Inovates vouchers

Industrial user groups are encouraged to apply to Alberta Innovates' Micro-Voucher program to help offset their nanoFAB usage costs.

NRC-IRAP program

Funding for industrial user groups is also available through the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).

Fee-for-service work

In addition to self-service access to equipment, the nanoFAB also offers custom fee-for-service fabrication and characterization services:

• Fabrication and characterization services for academic and industrial clients, provided at competitive rates.
• Quotes provided on a project-by-project basis and invoiced immediately upon completion of work.
• For fabrication services, contact Aaron Hryciw.
• For characterization services, contact Peng Li.

Individual equipment rates

The tool rates for individual nanoFAB tools are given below, divided by process area.  Most tools with a rate listed in $/hr have a 1-hour minimum charge associated with their use.  Some tools have different rates for usage during and outside normal business hours.

Wet processing

Photolithography

Electron-beam lithography

Physical vapour deposition

Chemical vapour deposition

Dry etching

Oxidation and annealing

Dicing and packaging

Other fabrication

Microscopy

Spectroscopy

Other characterization

Software (shared computation area)