The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany-SUNY began as a combined vision of government, academia and industry. The common goal was to propel New York State to a leadership position in technology and economic development. Four key drivers comprised the strategy: select an overarching discipline (nanotechnology), invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure, focus on world-class, hands-on education and training incorporating the whole supply chain, and leverage public-private partnerships.

Following are highlights of the growth and development of CNSE:

2001: The School of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at UAlbany is established at the state-of-the-art Albany NanoTech complex.

January 2001: Governor Pataki unveils the Center of Excellence (CoE) program in his 2001 State of the State address, highlighting the nanotechnology CoE in Albany, the bioinformatics CoE in Buffalo and the infotonics CoE in Rochester.

April 2001: Governor Pataki, Speaker Silver, Majority Leader Bruno and IBM launch the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology (CENN) at UAlbany with $150 million in funding, $100 million from IBM and $50 million from New York State.

July 2002: Governor Pataki, Speaker Silver, Majority Leader Bruno and SEMATECH announce the creation of the $405 million International SEMATECH North Center at the CENN at UAlbany.

November 2002: Governor Pataki, Speaker Silver, Majority Leader Bruno announce the groundbreaking for the $50 million NanoFab 300S (NFN 300S) at the CENN at UAlbany.

November 2002: Governor Pataki, Speaker Silver, Majority Leader Bruno and Tokyo Electron (TEL) announce the $300 million Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) Technology Center America at the CENN at UAlbany.

April 2003: Groundbreaking takes place for the $175 million NanoFab North at the CENN at UAlbany.

January 2004: Governor Pataki announces the creation of UAlbany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) in his 2004 State of the State Address.

Fall 2004: CNSE officially opens its doors, and in December 2004 the College awards the world's first Ph.D. degrees in nanoscience.

January 2005: Governor Pataki announces in his 2005 State of the State address that ASML has located a $400 million R&D center at the CENN at UAlbany to develop nanoscale lithography technologies for future generations of nanochips: the International Multiphase Partnership for Lithography Science and Engineering (IMPLSE).

May 2005: Announcement of $500M Center for Semiconductor Research (CSR).

July 2005: Speaker Silver, Governor Pataki and Senator Bruno announce the creation of the $500+ million International Venture for Nanolithography (INVENT) initiative at the CENN at UAlbany.

September 2005: The Applied Materials (AMAT) $300 million research center is established at the CENN at UAlbany.

January 2006: Governor Pataki, Speaker Silver, Majority Leader Bruno announce the location of the $435 million Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX) at the CENN at UAlbany.

January 2006: Announcement of plans for NanoFab East, a new, $75 million, 250,000 sq. ft. facility at the CENN at UAlbany to be completed in early 2008, and a $45 million expansion to NanoFab 300N to include 15,000 sq. ft. of Class 1 capable, ballroom style, 300mm wafer cleanroom space and 15,000 sq. ft. of clean sub-cleanroom space. Combined, these efforts will bring the CNSE complex to more than 750,000 sq. ft., including 85,000 sq. ft. of Class 1 capable cleanroom space, supporting over 2,500 researchers and scientists by mid-2009.

January 2006: SEMATECH opens a $50 million EUV Resist Test Center at the CENN at UAlbany.

May 2006: CNSE is ranked the nation's number one college for nanotechnology according to the annual University Rankings released by Small Times magazine.

June 2006: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) announces plans to build a $3.2 billion computer chip fabrication plant in Saratoga County using 300mm technology, projected to employ 1,200. It is the largest public-private investment in New York State history and is expected to draw even further investment. CNSE and the CENN at UAlbany is credited by AMD as a critical enabling factor in its decision. AMD also announces that its research activities at CNSE will feed the new plant with technology breakthroughs that will drive its competitive manufacturing protocols.

October 2006: Speaker Silver and Assemblyman Ron Canestrari announce the NYS Assembly will provide $30 million toward the relocation of Vistec Lithography Inc.’s global headquarters, R&D, manufacturing and business operations from Cambridge in the United Kingdom to the Arsenal Campus in Watervliet. Vistec will also establish joint R&D operations at CNSE under a newly created Center for Nanolithography Development.

October 2006: The University at Albany, through CNSE, announces its investment of $500,000 in "NanoHigh," a pilot program in which eligible Albany High School students will receive fellowships to participate in nanotechnology-related science and engineering programs at CNSE.

December 2006: CNSE and Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a new set of laboratory courses for students in Hudson Valley's Electrical Technology: Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology program. Also, CNSE and HVCC, together with Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering PC, launch the "GetNANO" (Global Education and Training for Nanotechnology) initiative, designed to ensure the development of the highly skilled workforce necessary for the design and efficient operation of state-of-the-art nanoelectronics research, development and manufacturing facilities.

January 2007: KeyBank and the Key Foundation give $250,000 to CNSE to launch NEXSTEP, a collaborative program designed to strengthen the presence of a nanotech-savvy business and support service workforce, network and culture essential to attracting additional high-tech growth to the Capital Region and New York State.

January 2007: CNSE receives a $750,000 award through the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research's (NYSTAR) Technology Transfer Incentive Program for a joint research initiative with Vistec Lithography, Inc. The grant will be used to expand the capabilities of CNSE's CATN² by supporting the Center for Nanoscale Lithography at CNSE, a collaborative program involving CNSE and Vistec aimed at accelerating development of the company's cutting-edge E-beam lithography technology and building a highly educated and skilled workforce that is critical for future growth.

January 2007: CNSE and Einhorn Yaffee Prescott announce the creation of the National Institute for Sustainable Energy (NISE), a $3.5 million world-class center for zero energy and sustainability to serve as both a catalyst for energy technology innovations and as a magnet for the attraction of clean energy businesses and industries to the Capital Region and New York State. EYP will locate its new business group, EYP/energy, at CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex.

February 2007: Less than six months after taking delivery of the world's first full-field extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography research and development tool from ASML, CNSE announced that it produced the world's first exposed images while using the tool in a development environment. The production of images from the EUV tool supports the R&D programs of the $600M International Venture for Nanolithography (INVENT), a global industry-university consortium for R&D, education and technology deployment for future generations of nanolithography applications.

April 2007: Technologists at SEMATECH's Mask Blank Development Center, one of several major R&D facilities within the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, successfully detected and cleaned 10 nm particles from mask blanks for use in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography - pushing the technology another significant step toward readiness for advanced manufacturing.

May 2007: Dr. Clinton Ray Carpenter became the first UAlbany alumnus to establish an endowment to support CNSE. The Dr. Clinton Ray Carpenter NanoSciences Scholarship Fund will total $300,000 and target community college graduates, with preference in the awarding of scholarships given to students who majored in engineering science and/or physics at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY, where Dr. Carpenter taught for more than 20 years.

May 2007: Governor Eliot Spitzer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno announced that International SEMATECH, the global consortium of leading nanoelectronics manufacturers, agreed to a major expansion of its existing research and development program at the CENN at CNSE. International SEMATECH agreed to locate its headquarters at CNSE, increase its workforce by 450 jobs over three years, and provide $25 million to fund research at colleges and universities at five centers around the state. To facilitate this expansion, legislative leaders agreed to introduce and pass a bill providing $300 million in funding to help SEMATECH purchase advanced semiconductor process equipment. SEMATECH has made a financial commitment of $300 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

May 2007: In its May/June 2007 issue, Small Times magazine, the world's leading publication covering micro- and nanotechnology, ranked CNSE the world's number one college for nanotechnology and microtechnology in its annual University Rankings. This year's survey for the first time included colleges and universities from across the globe, rather than just in the United States. The #1 world ranking comes one year after CNSE was ranked by Small Times as the nation's top college for nanotechnology and microtechnology.

June 2007: U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approves funding to create national research center at CNSE

Senator Charles Schumer, in partnership with Senator Hillary Clinton, secured $1 million in funding in the Senate Appropriations Committee to create the New York Center for National Competitiveness in Nanoscale Characterization (NC³), a new national nanotechnology research center. NC³, a partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and CNSE, will leverage the intellectual assets and physical resources of CNSE and NIST to act as a "next-generation Bell Labs" model, advancing nanoscale metrology innovations and strengthening the resulting R&D-manufacturing-commercialization ecosystem in the U.S.

August 2007: Congressman McNulty secures funding for nanoscale research effort at CNSE in support of Watervliet Arsenal

Congressman Michael R. McNulty secured $2 million in funding in the U.S. House of Representatives to create the NanoSensor StageGate Accelerator (NSSA), a new nanotechnology-driven research and commercialization program designed to play a critical role in the U.S. Army's transformation into a 21^st-century fighting force. NSSA will combine the technological, intellectual and infrastructural assets of CNSE, the Arsenal Business and Technology Partnership and the U.S. Army's Benet Laboratories with leading defense, aerospace and nanoelectronics companies across New York State to accelerate research, development and deployment of nanoscale-enabled products that support the Army's transition to a lighter, more agile and more effective force, as well as applications in the aerospace, energy and transportation sectors.

January 2008: UAlbany NanoCollege and IMEC Collaborate on EUV Lithography; First Experiments Performed at CNSE's Albany NanoTech

The world's two leading centers for next-generation nanoelectronics research and development ("R&D") - CNSE and IMEC in Leuven, Belgium - begin jointly performing extreme ultraviolet lithography ("EUVL") experiments in order to accelerate the introduction of EUVL into manufacturing. The first set of collaborative experiments is carried out at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, with future joint studies to be conducted at CNSE and IMEC, depending on throughput and/or availability of the tools. This groundbreaking collaboration between CNSE and IMEC also involves scientists from IBM and ASML, which has built the world's first full-field EUVL R&D tool, the Alpha Demo Tool ("ADT").  The majority of activities focus on the advanced imaging capabilities of the EUVL system, with additional effort devoted to the understanding of new materials and various aspects of equipment technology. 

February 2008:  Prestigious Global Nanoelectronics Research Consortium Awarded to
UAlbany NanoCollege

The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the world's leading university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, announces that CNSE will serve as headquarters for a comprehensive research effort aimed at enabling nanoelectronics advances that are critical for the development of smaller, faster and cheaper computer nanochips amid the approaching limits of interconnect scaling. The $7.5 million, three-year program, which is funded jointly by SRC and New York State, began February 1, with the UAlbany NanoCollege serving as headquarters for the New York Center for Advanced Interconnect Science and Technology (NY CAIST), with participation from the following colleges and universities: Columbia University, Cornell University, Lehigh University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Penn State, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Stanford, SUNY Binghamton, University of Florida, University of Maryland, University of North Texas, University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of Texas at Austin.

April 2008: UAlbany NanoCollege Chosen for Prestigious International Consortium Focused on Renewable Energy Technologies

The International Renewable Energy Technology Institute ("IRETI") announced that CNSE has been selected to participate on behalf of the State of New York as part of a global consortium designed to accelerate the adaptation and implementation of renewable energy technologies around the world.  CNSE was selected based on the strength and depth of its renewable energy research and education programs, as well as its location in a region having unique alternative energy resources, economies, and climates. CNSE's Energy and Environmental Technology Applications Center ("E²TAC") leads participation in IRETI, in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ("NYSERDA"), the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation ("NYSTAR"), and Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture and Engineering ("EYP").  CNSE will also leverage the involvement of more than 50 industrial, university and government partners through its leadership in New Energy New York ("NENY").

April 2008: U.S. Senator Schumer Announces Landmark Partnership Between CNSE and National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced the first-ever partnership between the federal government and University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) that will bring federal research expertise and resources to the nanoscale campus. In the wake of securing nearly $900,000 for the Center for National Competitiveness in Nanoscale Characterization (NC3), which triggered an additional investment of nearly $15 million, the agreement brokered by Schumer between CNSE and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will provide the framework for both organizations to share research, equipment, staff and other key resources. The collaboration will help both organizations tackle some of the most critical challenges facing the nanotechnology industry, including obtaining precise measurements in the atomic and sub-atomic levels.

May 2008: U.S. Army and UAlbany NanoCollege Sign Agreement to Establish Unique Research Partnership

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory ("ARL") and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering ("CNSE") signed an agreement to create a new research partnership that is designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of nanotechnology-enabled sensors and electronic devices that will play a critical role in the U.S. Army's transition into a 21^st-century fighting force. The Center for National Nanotechnology Innovation & Commercialization ("NNICC"), to be headquartered at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, will combine the capabilities and resources of ARL, through its Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, and CNSE to develop and demonstrate nanotechnology-driven products and applications that will provide the Army with technological and manufacturing advantages to support combat operations and enhance protection of its troops. Through NNICC, scientists from ARL and CNSE will conduct joint research targeting development of a variety of next-generation devices, structures and systems enabled by nanotechnology: "sensor-on-a-chip" systems for anti-terrorism and "soldier-in-the-field" remote sensing; lighter but stronger nanomaterial coatings that offer protection against chemical, thermal and environmental conditions; and, sensor networks and power electronic devices that provide multi-functionality while operating at low power.

July 2008: Governor Paterson and Legislative Leaders Announce IBM Will Make Major Investment in New York

Governor David A. Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos announced significant new investments by IBM and New York State, accelerating New York's international leadership in nanotechnology research and development and creating up to 1,000 new high-tech jobs Upstate. The State will provide a total of $140 million in economic development grants, leveraging more than ten-to-one the private investment of $1.5 billion from IBM. The investment will go toward three separate and complementary components of a comprehensive project, supporting the nanotechnology computer chip activities of IBM, including: the expansion of IBM's operations at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's Albany NanoTech Complex, which will result in the creation of 325 new R&D jobs; the creation of a new, advanced 120,000-square-foot semiconductor packaging research and development center at a to-be-determined location in Upstate New York that will be established, managed and owned by CNSE, with IBM conducting operations at that site; and, the upgrading of IBM's East Fishkill facility in Dutchess County.  The three projects will collectively advance nanochip technologies, including cutting-edge chip design, demonstration, and testing, all of which takes place at CNSE's Albany NanoTech. 

November 2008: Vistec Lithography Completes Relocation from United Kingdom to Become First International High-Tech Equipment Supplier to Move Entire Operation to New York's Capital Region

New York State Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, and Congressman Mike McNulty were joined today by officials from Vistec Lithography Inc. (Vistec), the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership (Partnership), the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany, and the Watervliet Arsenal to officially open Vistec's new global headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Watervliet. Combined with its world-class research and development center located at the UAlbany NanoCollege, Vistec becomes the first high-tech equipment supplier to move its entire operation to New York's Capital Region.  As part of the move announced in October 2006, Vistec is expected to invest $125 million at the Arsenal Campus and UAlbany NanoCollege, with more than 130 high-technology jobs projected to be created over five years involving Vistec and its supplier network.  The joint Vistec-CNSE Center for NanoScale Lithography, located at CNSE's Albany NanoTech, allows Vistec to conduct its most advanced research and development for electron beam lithography equipment in the interdisciplinary fields of nanotechnology in partnership with the faculty and students at the NanoCollege. This Center also provides a critical education and workforce training capability for the newly-created high-technology jobs located at the Arsenal.

March 2009: Speaker Silver, Governor Paterson, Assembly Members, Global Technology Leaders Hold Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony At UAlbany NanoCollege

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Governor David A. Paterson and Capital Region Assembly members joined Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research Dr. John E. Kelly III, UAlbany Interim President George Philip and global technology leaders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of a $150 million expansion at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex that will support more than $1 billion in new investments and 600 new high-tech jobs by 2013, while further establishing New York State as a global leader in nanotechnology education, research, development and commercialization.

In addition, IBM announced that it will extend its R&D partnership with CNSE through 2013, by which time the company will have invested in excess of $1 billion into CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, helping CNSE to create and retain thousands of high-tech jobs across Upstate New York.

June 2009: UAlbany NanoCollege Launches the World's First Comprehensive Undergraduate Degree Program in Nanoscale Science

State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher joined with SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl Hayden, Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, Assemblyman John J. McEneny, University at Albany Interim President George Philip, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros and a host of state and local elected officials, technology executives and business leaders in announcing that CNSE will become the world's first college to offer a comprehensive baccalaureate program in Nanoscale Science - launching a groundbreaking educational and research curriculum that will uniquely prepare students for growing scientific opportunities in the nanotechnology-enabled careers of the 21^st century.

The UAlbany NanoCollege also announced a significant donation by G. Thomas Selfridge, Owner and President of Albany Valve & Fitting Company and a longstanding supporter of CNSE, as part of $10 million in private funding and endowments that have already been secured to support undergraduate student fellowships, scholarships, and awards under the degree program.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, joined by Gov. David A. Paterson and Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito, announced the creation of a high-tech venture between SUNY Institute of Technology SUNYIT and the University at CNSE, establishing the Computer Chip Hybrid Integration Partnership (CHIP).

This cross-regional partnership will develop the region's physical and intellectual ability and result in a state-of-the-art high tech business incubator/technology accelerator at SUNYIT. This joint partnership will support the attraction and retention of small and medium size nanotechnology companies in the Utica-Rome area and provide the necessary infrastructure to enable innovation, education and commercialization of computer chip solutions in upstate New York. The CHIP venture also establishes the Computer Chip R&D Integration Center (CCIC) at CNSE.

The project is funded with $92.5 million in capital funds from the NYS budget, as well as a combined capital investment of $133.5 million from the internationally renowned firms IBM, SEMATECH and Intel. The partnership also creates a joint educational and training curriculum between the SUNYIT School of Information Systems and Engineering Technology and CNSE that would prepare workers for careers in computer chip integration and deployment. The CHIP establishes an inter-regional, cross-university structure for promoting the nanoelectronics industry.