Since the 1960s, the Department of Physics has had the privilege of having its own in-house specialist photofabrication facility – a process for manufacturing components such as microcircuits in which a design is photographed, reduced, and chemically etched on a surface such as a semiconductor. With the advancement of technology, the facility is now set to be retired; here we reflect on some 60 years of specialist expertise and custom outputs.
Circuits produced in the Denys Wilkinson Building have found their way around the world and up into space. Oxford’s photofabrication unit, known as the PFU, has delivered work not only for researchers in the Department of Physics but also from other departments at the University as well as for local business and industry.
The PFU supplied specialist circuitry to Oxford Instruments, Magnet Scientific and Agilent Technologies and, through these companies, Oxford-manufactured gradient coils and room temperature shims for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnets have been integrated into equipment that has sold around the world. Further afield, the PFU provided the large array end caps for the DELPHI detector – one of four large detectors that made up the Large Electron-Positron Collider at CERN – as well as long flexible prototype tapes for ATLAS, one of two general-purpose detectors at the Large Hadron Collider. Even further afield, the PFU has produced components for space missions such as the Cassini project that explored Saturn, its rings and moons; moon landers; and the International Space Station.
Paul Pattinson has been managing the facility since 2001: ‘Having this facility available in-house for our graduate students, researchers and academics has been invaluable and, over the years, it has meant we have been able to be involved first-hand in many large-scale collaborations. I am very proud of what has been achieved and of the PFU’s legacy.’
Professor Andrew Boothroyd is Associate Head of Department and comments: ‘The Department of Physics is immensely grateful to Paul for the outstanding technical support he has given to the many users of the PFU over the years.’ Vishal Francis, Head of Oxford Physics Technical Excellence Centre concludes: ‘His specialist expertise has ensured the success of many, many projects and we are extremely proud of this rich heritage.’