<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Hi Mac,<div><br></div><div>At the Berkeley NanoLab (I am the new Bill), we have a modest set of characterization tools - SEM, EDX, AFM, XRD, but no TEM.</div><div><br></div><div>We gave up on service contracts for all but our DUV stepper.</div><div><br></div><div>Our fee structure splits equipment across tiers: 0-3. We do not get direct federal money to support the NanoLab. We also do not get university support for salaries or equipment but for rare and modest exceptions with multiple-year time constants. We do get occasional support from PI's to buy equipment or for staff.</div><div><br></div><div>We've been running deficits since COVID. They are smaller now, but are hard to close the gap when prices rise faster than we can increase rates. </div><div><br></div><div>Looking forward to lots of discussions at UGIM - preferably with some liquid painkiller administered in advance!</div><div><br></div><div>Michael</div><div><br></div><div><div>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>Michael Helmbrecht, Ph.D.<div>Executive Director</div><div>Berkeley Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory</div><div>520 Sutardja Dai Hall</div><div>Berkeley, CA 94720</div><div>(510) 809-8620</div><div><a href="https://nanolab.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank">https://nanolab.berkeley.edu/</a></div><div>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div></div><div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, May 29, 2026 at 8:36 AM Gila,Brent P <<a href="mailto:bgila@ufl.edu">bgila@ufl.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><u></u>
<div>
Here at the University of Florida we merged the fabrication and
characterization facilities 13yrs ago. Neither side "pulls its own
weight" and the facility as a whole is subsidized by the college and
university. The characterization side has a high cost of operation
due to all the service contracts where as the fabrication side tends
to perform a lot of repairs in house. Our characterization side
brings in more revenue than our fabrication side but has these
higher expenses. So it becomes a wash.<br>
<br>
To back up Iulian's comments, each instrument or tool (service line)
is considered independent in a rate review so surplus revenue from
one service line cannot be used to offset a cost from another
service line.<br>
<br>
Good topic for a happy hour at UGIM. The fiscal side is too painful
to discuss without a beer/wine. ;)<br>
<br>
Best Regards,<br>
Brent
<div><br>
<img src="cid:ii_19e75979d3f56c3ef581" border="0"></div>
<br>
<div>On 5/29/2026 7:29 AM, Iulian Codreanu
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(250,70,22)"><b>[External
Email]</b></span>
</div>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="left" width="100%">
</table>
<div>Hi Mac,<br>
<br>
Here at UDel the fabrication lab and imaging/characterization
lab are operated separately so I cannot provide direct input but
I have a general comment; you are likely aware of this (and it
likely does not apply to you) so it is mostly for folks who are
new to the field. <br>
<br>
When these labs are operated as independent service centers,
federal rules prevent subsidies within and across service
centers. A tool is not allowed to subsidize another tool within
a service center and a service center is prohibited from
subsidizing another.<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
<br>
Iulian
<pre cols="72">iulian Codreanu, Ph.D.
Director, Nanofabrication Facility
University of Delaware
Harker ISE Lab, Room 163
221 Academy Street
Newark, DE 19716
302-831-2784
<a href="https://udnf.udel.edu/" target="_blank">https://udnf.udel.edu</a></pre>
<br>
<div>On 5/28/2026 10:58 AM, Hathaway,
Malcolm R wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Hey All,</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Happy Summer!</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
A question has come up here about relative expenditures and
subsidy levels between fabrication labs and
imaging/characterization labs, in core centers where such
functionality is combined. Here at Harvard we have all
three under one roof at CNS.</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
I did a <a href="https://nanobot.chat/" id="m_-7145895160179154488OWA1f8547c0-a6cd-ab7b-b06c-f4120009aaa1" target="_blank">
https://nanobot.chat/</a>search around this topic but
didn't find much. (nanobot.chat is an AI enabled search of
Labnetwork, for those who may not have heard about it).</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
I seem to remember this or a similar topic being addressed
at a previous UGIM meeting, but my recollection is hazy...</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Thus, a few questions:</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
How many core centers combine Imaging and Characterization
and Fabrication (cleanroom) under one umbrella?</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
For those that do combine them, do you generally find that
each section is able to "pull its own weight" financially?
Does either one ever "break even"?</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Is income from the nanofab used to subsidize
imaging/characterization efforts, or vice versa?</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Is each unit financially independent and, as such, survives
on partial subsidies from the university that are not
considered collectively?</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
And lastly, what sort of expense/income breakdown
(percentage-wise) have you seen between such units, if they
are treated collectively as one big core center.</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Apologies if this delves too deeply into sensitive fiscal
areas.</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
This might be a good topic for some sub-group at the
upcoming UGIM, if it is not already on the agenda.</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Mac</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Mac Hathaway</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Systems, Process, and Characterization Engineer</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Harvard CNS</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Garamond,Georgia,serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<br>
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