The RLE Nanostructures Laboratory (NSL) develops techniques for fabricating surface structures with feature sizes in the range from nanometers to micrometers, and uses these structures in a variety of research projects. The NSL includes facilities for lithography (photo, interferometric, electron-beam, imprint, and x‑ray), etching (chemical, plasma and reactive-ion), liftoff, electroplating, sputter deposition, and e‑beam evaporation. Much of the equipment, and nearly all of the methods, utilized in the NSL are developed in house. The research projects within the NSL falls into three major categories: development of nanostructure fabrication technology; nanomagnetics, microphotonics and templated self assembly; periodic structures for x‑ray optics, spectroscopy, atomic interferometry and nanometer metrology.
The group is led by Professor Henry I. Smith and Professor Karl K. Berggren. The NanoStructures Laboratory Director is Karl K. Berggren.