Complementing Lithography with XTPL’s Ultra-Precise Dispensing: Additive Direct-Write Nanofabrication
MCN Vendor Seminar Series:
While photolithography remains central to microfabrication, direct deposition onto complex 3D topographies presents unique processing challenges. XTPL’s Ultra-Precise Dispensing (UPD) technology complements traditional cleanroom lithography by offering an additive, direct-write approach capable of printing feature sizes down to 1 micrometer.
Utilizing highly concentrated nanopastes, UPD extends existing fabrication capabilities by enabling precise micro-dispensing across non-planar surfaces, flexible substrates, and high-aspect-ratio structures without physical masks.
Through real-world case studies including: microLED display repair, semiconductor packaging interconnects, and functional biosensors, this presentation demonstrates how UPD integrates seamlessly into R&D workflows. Aligning with ANFF’s focus on advanced prototyping, additive direct writing gives researchers a flexible tool to extend microfabrication boundaries and accelerate novel device development.
Maciej Patelka
Business Development Manager at XTPL
The seminar will take place in person at the MCN Boardroom.
2:00pm, 19/10/2026
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
Click here for more information
2026 Image of the year finalists – cast your votes!
We are thrilled to reveal the Top 10 Finalists for the ANFF-VIC Image of the Year Competition! Celebrating the extraordinary intersection of cutting-edge nanofabrication, materials science, and visual art, this year’s shortlisted entries showcase everything from atomic-scale diamond terraces and metasurface skylines to precision-engineered biological scaffolds and micro-sculptures.
Now, it’s your turn to help crown the winner. Explore all ten shortlisted entries in the Top 10 Finalists Showcase (PDF), then head over to the Public Voting Poll to cast your vote for your favourite microscopic masterpiece!
Voting will close 9th Oct.
Microwinkle flower
This periwinkle flower was carved out of silicon using focused ion beam milling.
Nanocity: a metasurface skyline
A tilted scanning electron micrograph of a mid-infrared metasurface, where nanoscale pillars form a miniature city-like landscape. Each structure is engineered to control infrared light, turning an optical device into an architectural world only micrometres across.
Self-assembled nano-flower scaffold for mRNA delivery in mammalian systems
False-coloured SEM micrograph showing flower-like morphology of mRNA-loaded zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) formed from zinc acetate and 2-methylimidazole. The 19-nt mRNA-loaded micron-sized biocomposite was iridium-coated and imaged at 3 kV using an in-lens secondary electron detector on a FEI Verios SEM.
Forged by light: a titanium bone plate shaped through additive manufacturing, where precision engineering meets sculptural form
Born from layers of molten metal, this titanium bone plate reveals the artistry of additive manufacturing. Its flowing geometry and textured surface echo both function and form—engineered for the human body, yet resembling a sculpted artefact that bridges medicine, design and advanced materials science.
Stem cells confined within two-photon polymerised micro-cages reveal geometry-driven cytoskeletal organisation
This image captures stem cells confined within 35 µm 3D micro-cages fabricated using direct laser writing via two-photon polymerisation. Precision-engineered square and circular nanowire architectures mechanically interface with cells at micro resolution. Fluorescence imaging reveals geometry-dependent cytoskeletal organisation, demonstrating the integration of advanced microfabrication with cellular mechanobiology.
Diamond waves
Optical image (Differential Interference Contrast) of a (100) diamond substrate with an electronic grade epilayer grown in the Seki 6500 CVD reactor at the MCN. The image is composed of 9 frames, stitched using ImageJ.
Zombieroo captured in the microwild!
In a world-first event, a micro wildlife biologist was able to capture through her lens the first image of a zombieroo (micropus zombus). The microscopic zombie marsupial shown in this incredible shot appears to be a young female. Her advanced state of decomposition offers a glimpse into her internal organs. Fascinating!
Natural 2D material hyperlens for non-destructive nanoelectronic circuit imaging and inspection
Left: FIB-SEM image of a "CPU" pattern with Au traces (40 nm line width). The pattern was coated with an insulating SiO2 layer before placing a 240 nm-thick alpha-MoO3 flake. Right: Near-field image via s-SNOM on the top surface of alpha-MoO3 flake covered on the buried "CPU" pattern. Here, alpha-MoO3 flake acts as a flat hyperlens for super-resolution imaging.
Threads of brilliance: a titanium screw transformed by a shimmering diamond skin
A surgical screw reimagined at the microscale, where a diamond coating envelops each thread with a luminous texture. The interplay of light across the faceted surface reveals both precision engineering and natural beauty, merging function and form in a material designed for strength, durability and performance.
The black hole
This scanning electron micrograph shows a silicon nanotube decorated with gold nanostar nanoparticles. The localised nanoparticle coating creates optical “hot spots” that improve the delivery of biomolecules into living cells.
Paving the way for cheaper infrared cameras
Researchers led by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) at the University of Melbourne have developed an innovative optical screen capable of converting invisible infrared light into sharp visible images over 1,000 times brighter than previously achievable. Utilising (in part) the precision capabilities at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN), the team engineered a compact flat-band dielectric metasurface paired with upconverting nanoparticles to capture and concentrate infrared light, offering a detector-free, scalable alternative to expensive semiconductor detectors and bulky thermal imaging equipment. Read the full story on UniMelb Ingenium to learn more about how this breakthrough could pave the way for low-cost, lightweight infrared cameras. Link to Nature.com publication here.
Updates to MCN After-Hours Policy
MCN After-Hours Policy (Update)
MCN has recently released a major revision of its After-Hours Access and Work Policy. The revised policy (here) is more closely aligned with Victorian and Australian workplace health and safety laws. All users who currently have after-hours access, or are considering applying, are strongly encouraged to review the updated requirements.
Key changes include:
- After-hours work requires clear operational justification
- All activities must be supported by a documented and approved risk assessment, specifically addressing reduced support and lone working conditions
- Supervisors and home organisations retain full duty of care and accountability for their personnel during after-hours work
- All after-hours approvals will be subject to annual review and renewal
ANFF Delivers: 2026 Casebook Submissions
ANFF is now calling for expressions of interest as it prepares for the publication of its 2026 casebook. The 2026 edition “ANFF DELIVERS” will highlight how ANFF‑enabled projects are translating capability, access and expertise into real outcomes across different stages of innovation, from foundational research through to emerging technologies and practical applications.
The 2026 Casebook will consist of full-page case studies, similar in style to the 2024 Casebook. View the 2024 Casebook here.
If you would like to be considered for inclusion in the ANFF 2026 Casebook, please submit your EOI here.
The deadline for submission is Wednesday 13 May 2026.
2026 ANFF-VIC Image of the Year Competition
2026 ANFF-VIC Image of the Year Competition is now taking submissions!
Get those creative juices flowing! The comp winner will receive a $250 cash prize as well, recognition throughout ANFF’s media channels and featured placement on Nanomelbourne.com. Additional prizes to be given for shortlisted images.
Deadline for submissions is 30th June 2026.
See HERE for official competition rules and submission form.
Images must be print-quality/high-resolution to be considered.
As is tradition the competition will be decided by the public. Following an internal shortlisting process we will upload the images to our socials and the image with the most engagement will be declared the winner.
All ANFF-VIC users are eligible to participate and there is no limit to the number of times that you can enter, as long as the work has involved the use of ANFF-VIC facilities.
Best of luck with your entries.
Nanofabulous Seminar: Semiconductor Nanomembranes for Organ-on-Chips, Wearables & Implantable Applications
Inorganic semiconductors are the key building block for most industrial integrated circuits, from computing processors to laser modules and power converters. Engineering these materials into freestanding nanomembrane architecture enables flexibility and stretchability, opening new avenues for biosensing and biomedical applications that demand mechanical compliance with soft tissues.
This talk highlights our recent efforts to engineer nanomembrane semiconductors, including silicon and silicon carbide, for three classes of biomedical systems: organ-on-chip (for disease modeling and drug screening), wearable (for on-skin monitoring/diagnosis), and implantable devices (for invasive interventions), Figure 1. In the first example, we harness the multiphysics coupling of liquid surface tension and gas compression in nanoscale silicon cantilevers to create biomechanical well plate (BWP) arrays for autonomous, longitudinal monitoring of organoid and engineered heart tissue contractions. In the second, we integrate silicon cantilever chips with wireless, flexible circuitry to realize a miniaturized auscultation patch (AusculPatch) – recently patented technology for home-based health monitoring. This platform captures vital body sounds including respiration, pulse waves, heart sounds, and vocal cord vibrations, supporting the diagnosis of conditions such as valvular disease and sleep apnea. In the third, we advance transfer printing techniques for wide bandgap semiconductor membranes (e.g., SiC), enabling long-term implantable electronics such as robust biobarriers, stimulation electrodes, and strain sensors.
Together, these technologies establish a toolkit of semiconductor-based platforms that accelerate the transition away from animal models, enable telehealth solutions, and support chronic disease management.
Prof Hoang-Phuong Phan
School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
11:00am, 28/04/2026
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
Zoom link: click here
Meeting ID: 864 5917 5242 and passcode: 168689
Click here for more information
Nanofabulous Seminar: Palladium Based Microactuators for NextGeneration Microrobotics
The field of microrobotics has seen significant development over the last decade, with the potential to revolutionize medicine, materials science, and microfluidics. By making use of the chemical and physical properties of different materials, microscale actuators today can respond to various chemical, thermal, magnetic, and electrical stimuli, making them versatile to various applications.
In this talk, I will give an overview of microactuators by our collaborators and focus on a new microscopic palladium-based system that convert chemical fuel into mechanical work (i.e., micro-chemomechanical systems (MCMSs)).
This system uses hydrogen gas as fuel and the α to β phase transformation of palladium hydride to drive microactuation. The microactuators, fabricated as 40 nanometer-thick palladium/titanium bimorphs, exhibit reversible changes of curvature of 0.7 inverse micrometers at room temperature, changes that are orders of magnitude superior to previous systems that utilize phase transformations to drive actuation. However, initial experiments in hydrogen and nitrogen show slow actuation response times at ~100s. To mediate this problem, we turned to density functional theory calculations and found that the addition of oxygen would lower energy barriers to the actuation, which we then confirmed experimentally and showed that the same actuators can respond an order of magnitude faster.
Our findings provide general, atomic-scale design principles for MCMSs with rapid dynamics, enabling development of active three-dimensional structures by chemically triggered folding of two-dimensional photolithographically printed devices for applications in circuit blocks, antennae, metamaterials, and microrobotics.
Dr Hanyu Alice Zhang
Department of Applied Physics
Cornell University, USA.
11:00am, 25/02/2026
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
Zoom link: click here
Meeting ID: 882 7655 2058 and passcode: 663157
Click here for more information
Nanofabulous Seminar: Multiscale biofabrication for sustainability and ‘engineering’ biology
The impact of technology on the life science and biomedical field has been truly remarkable. Whilst these innovations have direct health and economic benefits in the near and intermediate terms, current life science discovery and medical research development could be resource and carbon intensive, which might not be sustainable in the long term. This presentation will illustrate my group’s research work on three themes (i) organ-on-a-chip, organoid, tumoroid bioassembly; (ii) 3D printing of soft and biological materials; and (iii) fibre biofabrication for wearable sensors and bioelectronics. I will also discuss an outlook on how multiscale biofabrication can be harnessed to broaden the impacts of system ‘engineering biology’ – through creating more complex in vitro models, and to make sustainable e-textile or imperceptible bioelectronic interfaces for living systems.
Prof Shery Huang
Professor of Bioengineering, Department of Engineering
co-Director of EPSRC CDT Sensor Technology, University of Cambridge
11:00am, 06/02/2026
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
Click here for more information
Nanofabulous Seminar: Analytics for Shared Research Infrastructure – A Decade of Lessons at the University of Pennsylvania Singh Center for Nanotechnology
The Singh Center for Nanotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is a shared, multi-core research facility featuring a 1000 square meter cleanroom and an additional 1000 square meter characterization wing, all of which support advanced nanofabrication, electron microscopy, and scanning probe capabilities in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Since joining the U.S.National Science Foundation (NSF) National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI)—a national network of open-access nanotechnology facilities—the Center has evolved its operating model to align institutional priorities with national research infrastructure objectives, maintaining sustainable, high-quality user access at scale. Now marking a decade of operation, this talk distills practical lessons on governance, rate-setting, and cost recovery, and how user behaviour and operational data have guided leadership. We will share our strategies to improve access, tool availability, training outcomes, and long-term facility resilience—highlighting how analytics have helped to accelerate and support nanotechnology research and innovation at Penn.
Prof Gerald G. Lopez
Director of Operations and Business Development & Center Associate Director
University of Pennsylvania | Singh Center for Nanotechnology, Philadelphia, USA.
11:00am, 20/01/2026
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
