Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center


Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center in Rüschlikon/ZH is a Research Facility for Nanotechnology owned by IBM.
This building was named after the two Nanotech-Pioneers and Nobelaureates Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer, who invented the Scanning Tunneling Microscope in the year 1986 in the Zurich Research Laboratory next to the Nanotechnology Center.
The Binnig and Rohrer Nanotechnology Center is specialized on basic research but also in photonics and nanotechnology. The facility is based on the premise of open collaboration with IBM scientists and external partners. One of these partners is ETH Zurich, the renowned Swiss university that agreed to rent part of the Center for 10 years. EMPA is a third partner.

Noise-Free-Labs

Something special in the new building are the so-called "noise-free" labs. They protect the experiments against environmental influences like vibrations or electro-magnetic fields. Additionally, the labs are optimized to emit as little sound, electro-magnetic fields and vibrations during air-conditioning to achieve stable temperatures and humidity. The experiments are separated from the researcher and associated equipment and are mostly controlled in remote operation. Some rooms fulfil ISO 5 standards for cleanrooms as some production tools are installed in these ultra-silent rooms dedicated to most accurate fabrication or characterization on the 1 nanometer scale. The labs are unique in the world as all disturbances relevant for nanotechnology are compensated simultaneously and kept at utmost constancy.

History

The foundation stone was laid on 2009 and after two years of construction the building was opened on May 17, 2011 for research. Swiss government official Didier Burkhalter attended the ceremony and was an official speaker.