ANFF Enlightened

Accelerate your journey to fabrication mastery through ANFF’s training courses.

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A free library of nanofab courses

ANFF’s learning platform, called ANFF Enlightened, will give you the micro and nanofabrication knowledge to take your projects further, faster.

It’s completely free, and absolutely anyone can access this set of amazing resources, even if you’re not one of our clients.

Go ahead and sign yourself up to start on any course that takes your fancy.

Technical training at ANFF

ANFF Enlightened has been designed to provide you with the foundational theory behind fabrication processes that makes practical training more efficient. In understanding more about how nanofabrication works before getting into ANFF labs, you’ll be able to ask our expert engineers more specific and in-depth questions when you get on the tools.

The courses feature overviews as well as tool specific information, with quick quizzes and assessments to help cement your learning along the way.

Sometimes, you’ll be asked by ANFF staff to undertake specific courses to support the needs of your project, but you’ll be able to access the full suite of courses to help you plan ahead, anticipate alternatives, or simply satisfy curiosities about other capabilities.

In addition to speeding up your access to equipment, the platform provides consistent information between our many sites, and creates a repository of knowledge that you can reference at any time.

Overview Courses

This set of courses introduces key concepts and technologies in advanced micro and nanofabrication. While these courses offer a strong starting point, they do not yet cover the full breadth of ANFF’s capabilities. Keep checking in to see when new courses are released to cover additional fabrication areas.

Specialised environments

Overview

As a fabrication cleanroom user, you need to understand the different environments that are required for the fabrication process to be successful. You will also learn some information that will help you use the high-quality devices safely.

Deposition

Overview

Deposition covers a group of processes used to change the surface of a substrate by depositing materials on the surface. This module will introduce you to the three different classes of deposition techniques and the differences in their processes.

Surface Characterisation

Overview

This module looks at several characterisation techniques that can be used to determine several surface properties, such as morphology, chemistry and thickness.

Introduction to etching

Overview

This module will describe the different types of etching techniques that could assist your project and explain the classification of etching techniques. You will learn about key etching parameters and be able to describe what each of them are.

3D Printing

Overview

ANFF offers advanced 3D printing in metals, ceramics, and composites. This module outlines key project requirements and additive fabrication considerations. Complete the course and worksheets, then contact our expert staff to discuss getting your parts made.

Lithography

Overview

This module will help to fill any knowledge gaps you might have and ensure everyone who is using the lithography equipment has the same basic level of understanding.

Design for fabrication

Overview

This course focuses on the design and production of a mask. A good mask design will help to ensure correct fabrication of your device.

Microscopy for fabrication

Overview

Learn about the various basic and advanced microscopy techniques used in fabrication. This course will guide you through the working principles, unique features and applications of each technique.

Technical Courses

These courses delve into core fabrication techniques and technologies in greater technical detail, building on foundational knowledge to support hands-on application and specialised skill development.

Surface Preparation (Lithography step 1)

Technique

This module will give you an overview of the types of surface contamination found on substrates, how to remove this contamination and prepare the substrate to maximise the success of the downstream steps in your fabrication process.

Resist application (Lithography step 2)

Technique

This module will give you an overview of the coating processes, coating defects and be able to identify what might need to be done to improve the process in a lithography project.

Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Milling

Technique

This module will explain the basic concept of focused ion beam milling (FIB), define the different alterations that FIB enables, and identify key applications for FIB in the context of micro- and nanofabrication.

Electron Beam Lithography (EBL)

Technique

This module explains what type of structures that can be made with Electron Beam Lithography (EBL). As a user, you need to be able to describe what EBL is and explain a typical EBL process flow cycle.

Soft Lithography

Technique

This module will give you an overview of the master mould and PDMS device fabrication process, surface modification, and micro-fluidic based experiment set up.

Development (Lithography step 4)

Technique

This module will give you an overview of development process in standard lithography and to recognise defects and identify what could be done to improve the process.

Plasma polymerisation

Technique

This module gives you an overview of the operating principles of plasma polymerisation, the types of films that can be deposited and how they can be applied.

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Technique

The purpose of this course is for researchers and industry clients to understand the basic operating principles of spectroscopic ellipsometry, instrument setup and the types of films that can be analysed.

Wafer dicing

Technique

This module covers wafer dicing processes, terminology, and advanced techniques. Learn to describe equipment and steps accurately, communicate needs to ANFF experts, anticipate limitations, and refine workflows.

Etching (RIE, ICP-RIE, and DRIE)

Technique

This module explains the basics of two popular dry etching techniques - Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) and Inductively Coupled Plasma - RIE (ICP-RIE), and Bosch process (DRIE).

MPCVD: Diamond growth

Technique

This module will explain how to deposit layers of diamond using Microwave Plasma-enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (MPCVD). As an operator, you need to be able to describe a typical diamond growth process flow cycle.

Sputtering

Technique

Sputtering is an deposition technique used to produce thin layers of conductive and non-conductive materials on a substrate.

E-beam and thermal evaporation

Technique

This course covers two PVD techniques: thermal and electron beam evaporation. It explains how source material vapours are created, condensed, and deposited as a solid film on a substrate.

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Technique

Sputtering

Technique

Sputtering is an deposition technique used to produce thin layers of conductive and non-conductive materials on a substrate.

Collaboratively Developed Courses

This course has been developed in collaboration with one of our partners across from the ANFF ecosystem, Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA), to ensure alignment with industry needs.