Prof.dr.ing. Dave H.A. Blank (49) is professor in Inorganic Materials Science at the faculty of Science and Technology of the UT. He has received the VICI-subsidy for research into nanodevices, based on artificially constructed materials. By means of a pulsed laser deposition system, developed in Twente, it is possible to realise materials of one's own design. Using the equipment, developed together with dr.ing Guus Rijnders, one can monitor the growth of materials at the atomic level, which makes it possible to deposit one molecular layer after another with precision. Blank is conducting research into stacking materials with different properties to get new materials with a number of different properties or even obtain completely new properties. These materials will be used mainly in nanometer-scale devices to make them faster or more precise.
Dave Blank is attached to the research institute MESA+, which conducts research into nanotechnology, microsystems, materials science and micro-electronics. Prof.dr.ir. David N. Reinhoudt, scientific director of MESA+, is proud of this achievement. 'It is of course fantastic that we have someone in our midst who, little over a month after his appointment to professor, has received a VICI-grant. The research conducted by Blank is an important piece of nanotechnology, and this therefore strengthens MESA+.'
The VICI-subsidy is one of forms of subsidy of the 'Innovation-impulse'. The VICI-subsidy is earmarked for excellent, very experienced researchers, who have successfully developed an innovative research line, and have proven that they can act as coach for young researchers. The scientists belong to the best ten percent in their field of research. Only 27 proposals of the approximately two-hundred applications have been awarded the subsidy.
