History

The North American Plasma Etch Exchange (NAPEX) was established to build upon the strong foundation of collaboration developed through the NNCI Etch Working Group while expanding participation to the broader plasma processing community across North America. As an independent, volunteer-led organization, NAPEX brings together researchers, engineers, facility professionals, students, equipment manufacturers, and industry partners to promote the open exchange of knowledge and advance plasma etching technologies.

Origins

NAPEX is derived from the tremendous success of the recent National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) etch working group, which was established in 2015.  However, the origin of the etch working group itself extends back 22 years to the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN), where bi-annual workshops for network site etch personnel were held exclusively at Cornell's nanofabrication facility (CNF) for a decade. The working group was created to connect plasma etch engineers and researchers across NNCI sites, providing an interactive forum to exchange technical knowledge, discuss process challenges, compare equipment capabilities, and share best practices.

Beyond technical discussions, the working group maintained an active online discussion forum and periodically published updated NNCI Dry Etch Capabilities databases, providing valuable resources for researchers and facility staff throughout the nanofabrication community. These collaborative efforts helped establish a strong network of plasma etch experts dedicated to advancing plasma processing technologies.

Community Growth

As the community expanded, the annual NNCI Etch Symposium became the flagship event of the working group. Beginning with the inaugural symposium at Stanford University in 2018, subsequent meetings hosted by Harvard University, the virtual workshop during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the University of Pennsylvania in 2022, Georgia Institute of Technology in 2024, and Harvard University and MIT.nano in 2025 steadily broadened participation and technical scope.

Over the years, the symposium grew well beyond the original NNCI community, bringing together researchers from universities, national laboratories, government agencies, equipment manufacturers, and the semiconductor industry. The technical program expanded to include semiconductor manufacturing, MEMS, photonics, quantum technologies, advanced packaging, power electronics, advanced materials, plasma diagnostics, atomic layer processing, cryogenic etching, and emerging plasma technologies.

Each symposium provided an open forum for invited technical presentations, facility updates, panel discussions, student poster sessions, vendor exhibitions, and networking opportunities, creating one of North America's premier communities dedicated to plasma etching and advanced pattern transfer.

The 2024 NNCI Etch Symposium, hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology at the Marcus Nanotechnology Building in Atlanta, was held under the theme "Advances in Micro- & Nanoscale Patterning of Strategic and Emerging Materials for Electronic, Photonic, Quantum, & MEMS Devices." The symposium welcomed more than 230 attendees representing approximately 60 organizations, and featured invited technical presentations, student poster sessions, vendor exhibits, panel discussions, networking events, and guided tours of Georgia Tech's nanofabrication facilities.

The community continued its momentum with the 2025 NNCI Etch Symposium, jointly hosted by Harvard University and MIT.nano in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The symposium focused on "The Demands on Plasma Etching: Challenges and Solutions" and featured scientific presentations, student poster sessions, vendor exhibitions, panel discussions, and technical sessions covering device-driven plasma etch challenges, atomic-scale processing, cryogenic etching, plasma diagnostics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and sustainable plasma processing.

Transition to NAPEX

As the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) program approached its conclusion, the organizing committee and community members recognized the importance of preserving the collaborative network that had been built over many years. Rather than allowing this successful technical community to conclude with the NNCI program, they established the North American Plasma Etch Exchange (NAPEX) as an independent, volunteer-led organization.

While NAPEX builds upon the legacy of the NNCI Etch Working Group, its mission extends beyond the original NNCI network. As an open, community-driven organization, NAPEX welcomes participation from universities, national laboratories, research institutes, semiconductor manufacturers, equipment suppliers, government organizations, and students throughout North America.

Looking Forward

Today, NAPEX continues the tradition of technical excellence established through the NNCI Etch Working Group while creating new opportunities for collaboration, education, networking, workforce development, and innovation in plasma etching and related plasma processing technologies.

Through annual symposiums, technical workshops, educational programs, collaborative initiatives, and community engagement, NAPEX is committed to strengthening connections across the plasma processing community and supporting the next generation of researchers, engineers, and facility professionals.

Timeline

2015
The NNCI Etch Working Group was established under the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) to connect plasma etch engineers and researchers across participating facilities. The working group created an active forum for technical discussions, best-practice sharing, process development, equipment benchmarking, and maintenance of the NNCI Dry Etch Capabilities database.

2015–2025
The annual NNCI Etch Symposium evolved into one of North America's premier plasma etch meetings, hosted by leading institutions including Stanford Nanofabrication Facility, Harvard University Center for Nanoscale Systems, University of Pennsylvania Singh Center for Nanotechnology , Georgia Tech's Institute for Matter and Systems, and MIT.nano. The symposium steadily expanded participation from universities, national laboratories, equipment manufacturers, government organizations, and the semiconductor industry.

2024
The Institute for Matter and Systems hosted the 4th NNCI Etch Symposium in Atlanta, welcoming more than 230 attendees from approximately 60 organizations. The program featured invited technical presentations, student poster sessions, vendor exhibits, panel discussions, networking events, and guided cleanroom tours.

2025
The 5th NNCI Etch Symposium, jointly hosted by Harvard University Center for Nanoscale Systems and MIT.nano, continued the community's growth with expanded technical sessions covering advanced plasma processing, atomic layer processing, cryogenic etching, plasma diagnostics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and sustainable plasma technologies.

2026
Following the conclusion of the NSF-supported NNCI program, the North American Plasma Etch Exchange (NAPEX) was established as an independent, volunteer-led organization dedicated to preserving the collaborative legacy of the NNCI Etch Working Group while expanding participation across the broader North American plasma processing community.