University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre

The UK's national Ion Beam Centre is upgrading its particle accelerators to fire beams of charged atoms with enough precision to etch features just a few atoms wide. These machines shoot streams of ions—atoms stripped of electrons—at materials to modify their surfaces or analyse their composition. The upgrades will let the centre handle larger silicon wafers (8 inches across), deliver ultra-low energy beams down to 200 electronvolts, and produce precisely controlled low doses for studying radiation damage. A new nanobeam line will also allow researchers to probe samples at the scale of billionths of a metre. If successful, the centre will expand beyond its traditional base in microelectronics into cultural heritage conservation, biomedical implants, nanotechnology, and even geology and cosmology. For example, ion beams can reveal the elemental makeup of ancient artefacts without damaging them, or modify the surface of medical implants to improve how they bond with bone. The centre expects to cut its user fees from £240 to £180 per hour, and to draw one-third of its funding from industry within four years. This is primarily an infrastructure and capability upgrade—it enables other researchers to do their work, rather than pursuing a single scientific question itself.