The National Nanofabrication Facility began in 1977 out of the scientific community's recognition of a national need for an openly accessible resource in microfabrication. The NNF was then known as the National Research and Resource Facility for Submicron Structures (NRRFSS). In establishing the NRRFSS, Cornell University and the National Science Foundation launched an ambitious experiment both in an advanced technology and in a new research methodology. The current charter of the facility, which differs little from NRRFSS' original charter, is to:

∎ Develop state-of-the-art instrumentation and processes for fabrication and characterization of structures at dimensions below 100 nm.

∎ Provide for both nanofabrication and microfabrication a national facility that is available to any qualified researcher from U.S. universities, industry, and federal laboratories.

∎ Aggressively pursue applications of nanofabrication techniques in a broad spectrum of engineering and scientific disciplines.

∎ Train students, scientists, and engineers in nanofabrication and microfabrication and their applications.

∎ Transfer nanofabrication technology and information to the research and development communities.

To meet these goals, faculty involved with the NRRFSS committed themselves to establishing a world-class research center. They hired staff, purchased equipment, built a new building, attracted new students and faculty, and began innovative research that either utilized microfabrication techniques or advanced those techniques.