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March 14, 2002 BOISE STATE RECEIVES FUNDING FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH 
Boise State professors Bill Knowlton, left, Charles Hanna, Frank Lamelas and Amy Moll will conduct nanotechnology research. An interdisciplinary team of Boise State scientists will be part of a statewide project to study and develop nanoscale materials, the ultra-miniaturized systems that are formed by manipulating individual atoms and molecules to create tiny but complex electronic devices. Nanoscale materials are regarded as essential to the future of the computing, optical, aerospace, electronics and biomedical industries. The Boise State phase of the project is financed by nearly $2 million in federal and matching state funds awarded to the university through the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program to support competitive research in Idaho. Boise State physics professors Charles Hanna and Frank Lamelas, along with Amy Moll in mechanical engineering and Bill Knowlton in electrical engineering, will join researchers at the University of Idaho and Idaho State University on the project. Hanna, a theoretical physicist, will model how electrons behave in two, one, and even zero dimensions, by working with students to carry out computer-based quantum-physics calculations. Lamelas and his students will conduct experments involving the growth of crystals in solution under unusual conditions, while Moll and Knowlton will study the reliability of nanoscale oxides used in integrated circuits. The three-year grant also funds a new faculty position in applied physics at Boise State. “The collaborative nature of this research benefits everybody involved,” says Hanna, who is coordinator of the Boise State research team. “It’s exciting to be working in an area with so many interesting physics and materials issues, where the potential applications are huge.” The nanotechnology project is one of three statewide programs supported by the EPSCoR program in a recent round of funding. A total of $9 million in federal funds, plus $4.5 million in institutional matching funds, were allocated. A second project, which involves studying the interaction of microbial communities and their geologic settings in hydrothermal springs, includes Boise State geosciences professors Mitch Lyle, Bill Clement and John Bradford on the statewide research team. The EPSCoR program promotes the development of states’ science and technology partnerships by involving state universities, industry, and federal research and development enterprises in collaborative projects. Contact: Media Contact:
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