Researchers and their transformational research projects, including the TMOS, are highlighted in a new booklet, Enabled by ANFF 2020, from the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF).

The ANFF provides micro and nanofabrication-related tools for researchers around the country at 21 institutions, including The Australian National University and the CSIRO.

The national network is divided into eight nodes, one of which is in Western Australia, which is managed by Associate Professor Mariusz Martyniuk, a Principal Research Fellow and Node Director in the TMOS.

“The ANFF is an exciting way to help thousands of researchers every year with their projects that are at the forefront of what materials are being developed, and what we can imagine we can create,” the University of Western Australia academic says.

“The Facility is being used for several projects with TMOS that involve microelectromechanical systems or MEMS.

“It’s a thrill to be part of fabricating the next generation of various applications at nano scale,” he adds.

Mariusz says the people involved in the TMOS convinced him to join them.

“The potential for collaboration between world-class team of researchers is second to none and we all help each other to realise what currently does not exist and would be great to have.

“Using MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) approaches we can add an out-of-the-box degree of freedom to physically move and rearrange meta-optics towards working gadgets that enable novel functionalities previously considered to be beyond the achievable.”

Born in Poland, Mariusz studied at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, before heading down-under to the University of Western Australia for his PhD, which he received in 2007.

He fell for science because it let him learn and figure out how things worked.

“It was highly exciting and satisfying to fully understand the underlying reasons enabling various high- and lo-tech gadgets that we often take for granted in everyday life,” Mariusz recalls.

Today, his research interests include microelectromechanical systems, infrared technologies, optoelectronics, and advanced nanofabrication and manufacturing.

He enjoys the challenge of working with thin film materials to build on-chip structures that can vary from single nanometres to many microns and even millimetres or centimetres, depending on the application and needs.

“They serve as the structural layers to make MEMS, that is to fabricate 3-dimensional free-standing structures on nano- and micro-scale,” Mariusz explains.

“You can think of them as the individual building blocks that are put together to realise a larger LEGO-like structure whose shape and function is often only limited by human ingenuity. Nano- or micro-robots, for example.”

Learn more about Mariusz’ research on his UWA page.

Enabled by ANFF 2020 profiles numerous projects around Australia, including TMOS on page 9.

Author: Paris Lord, Communications and Outreach Manager, ANU Energy Change Institute