History of Nanotechnology in Northrhine-Westfalia
Already ten years ago several chairs at universities in Northrhine-Westfalia started with their first constitutive research activities in the area of Nanotechnology with a strong focus on applications in Information Technology.
Multiple DFG supported projects as well as joint research projects supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (bmb+f) has strengthen research activities in the area of nanoelectronics and the application of scanning tunnel microscopy. Over the last decade the importance of nanotechnology for information technology was clearly identified through a series of scientific and technical breakthroughs.
Interdisciplinary groups at university and non-university centers in Northrhine-Westfalia
1997
Opening of the first non-universiy institute for nanotechnology, AMICA, Advanced Microelectronic Center Aachen with focus on information technology
1998
Competition of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research for national competence centers, won by Aachen and Münster
Establishment of the Competence Center for Functional, Lateral Nanostructures in Aachen and the Competence Center Nanoanalytics in Hamburg/Münster/München
2001
Foundation of the Nanotechnologie-Verbund NRW e.V. consisting of five universities of North-Rhine-Westfalia (Bochum, Dortmund, Hagen, Paderborn and Wuppertal)
2002
Formation of the RWTH-NanoClub at Aachen University
Foundation of the Center für Micro- and Nanochemistry and -engineering (Cµ) at the University of Siegen
Formation of the Center of Excellence Nanostrukturen und Nanomaterialien in Bochum
2003
Opening of the second non-university Center for NanoTechnology (CeNTec) at the University of Münster with focus on nanoanalytics and Nanobio Technology
2004
Foundation of Ernst-Ruska-Zentrums für höchstauflösende Analytik at the Research Center Jülich together with Aachen University
Formation of the Center for Optoelectronics and Photonics (CeOPP) at the University of Paderborn
Formation of the Bielefeld Institute for Biophysics and Nanoscience (BINAS) at the University of Bielefeld
Foundation of the NRW-NanoCluster for Information Technology in Aachen. Establishment of a separate office at AMO GmbH
Formation of the Research Center Microtechnology and Nanostructures at the University of Duisburg-Essen
Establishment of the interdisciplinary center FOKUS at the University of Münster
Regional network between CNI Jülich (Center of Nanoelectronic Systems for Information Technology) and RWTH-NanoClub
