Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing

The Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing (CHM) is a Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) within the National Science Foundation (NSF).The Center's mission focuses on research and education for the development of efficient, cost-effective process platforms and versatile tools for the 2- and 3-dimensional integration of components and systems across multiple length scales.

This approach integrates nanofabrication processes for sub-30 nm elements based on directed self-assembly, additive-driven assembly, nanoimprint lithography, high-fidelity 3D polymer template replication, and conformal deposition at the nanoscale with Si wafer technologies or high-rate roll-to-roll (R2R)-based production tools to yield materials and devices with unprecedented performance for computing, energy conversion, and human health.

The CHM effort is made comprehensive through research on device design, modeling, and prototype testing in functional architectures that takes advantage of the specific hierarchical nanomanufacturing capabilities developed by the Center.