Jicheng Feng

Group Leader, Principle Investigator

Dr. Jicheng Feng obtained his PhD from Delft University of Technology in 2016. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University for about 2 years. In 2018, he joined Seoul National University as research assistant professor. Since September 2020, he has worked as a tenure-track Assistant Professor (PI) at ShanghaiTech University, where he leads the Aerosol Intelligence Laboratory (AIL). 

Binyan Liu

Postdoc researcher

Our main focus lies on the metamaterials. Micro/nano optics pushes the development of nanostructured materials that respond to light of short wavelengths. Such development has reached the limit with respect to the material types and their manufacturing. To overcome these problems, our group develops a new nanomanufacturing technology, which can be adapted to show the ability of materialization and structuring. With that, we are busy to understand the light-matter interaction, exploring the resulting new phenomena. This study can lead to an opportunity of breaking through the diffraction limit. 

Our research mainly focuses on the creation and understanding of the behaviors of atomic clusters, also named as superatoms. For nanoparticles below a critical size (∼100 nm), their properties are not sensitive to the addition or removal of a single atom. As for atomic clusters, their properties change abruptly and nonpredictively, a stage in which even the addition of a single atom or electron may cause a drastic change. In this regime, the electron wavelength becomes comparable to the cluster size. The fact that properties of matter at this length scale are fundamentally different from their bulk behavior can be effectively used to produce materials with tailored properties. Such cluster-assembled materials, with their unique properties, can expand the scope of materials science.

Yaochen Han

PhD student

Shirong Liu

Postdoc Researcher

The semiconductor industry is facing a new era in which device downscaling and cost reduction are becoming technologically impossible tasks. Nanotechnology scientists and semiconductor companies are now looking for solutions to bridge the related gaps and improve cost performance. Our group focuses on the development of a new aerosol-based 3D nanoprinting technique that enables the controlling of the topologies of electric fields at nano-scale, and the resulting nano-path guides the charged nanoparticles to a precise location in each dimension. Our main aim is to realize its automation and then to make a smart integration into semiconductor sectors, which will benefit to the many fields, such as nanophotonics and nanoelectronics.

Post-Moore era confronts key challenges of 3D integration in ICs. This project proposes a novel paradigm for fabricating vertical transistors based on our self-developed Faraday 3D printing. This approach offers a promising route for gaining the complete freedom of spatial control at atomic-level, while maintaining the high-aspect-ratio and multimaterials. It provides an alternative strategy for developing monolithic 3D circuits with multimaterial selection and simplified processes, yielding an original technology to the field of high-end chip manufacturing.

Yaotao Shan

PhD student

We are devoted to develop the new generation of nanoelectronics. Such an interdisciplinary research relies on our Faraday 3D printing technique, particularly its strong abilit in printing 3D metal nanostructures with a typical feature size of sub-100-nm and in unlimited choices for materials.  We expect that our research will open uncharted area in 3D-printed nanoelectronics. 

Yuxiang Yin

PhD student

Qiling Liu

PhD student 

Surface plasmon is a collective oscillation phenomenon generated by the interaction between free electrons on the metal surface and the incident light field. This topic focuses on micro-nano optics and uses Faraday 3D printing technology to study the relationship between surface plasmon phenomena, material geometries and size, as well as the behavior of electron gas in printed nanoarchitectures, and explore the possibilities for new metamaterials.

Ji Wen

MSc student 

Using the Faraday 3D printing technology, we can print 3D nanostructures, which are key components in IC fabrication. This research mainly aims at regulating the conductivity of the printed nanostructures. We also would like to explore the scenarios where Faraday 3D printing technology can bring improvement and transformation in liquid process. This liquid process may bring unprecedented possiblities for biomaterials-related applications.

Jiehao Kou

PhD student 

Here we focus on a deep learning molecular dynamics algorithm (DM) to calculate the collisional cross sections of atomic clusters. Based on this algorithm, the electrical, thermodynamic, and magnetic properties can be predicted. These properties are then harnessed to design next generation materials, including catalysts et c. We also investigate the reactive dyanmics of clusters with our self-developped online monitory system.  

Qingyan Wang

PhD student 

This study aims to futher miniaturize the printed features while maintaining their material properties without any post-treatment. The key strategy involves the use of atomic clusters as the building blocks and this aim is achieved by mimicking those of film technologies via tuning down pressure. This operation increases the mean free path of carrier gas and decreases the frequency of collisions, thereby inhibiting coagulation for prolonging the lifetime of atomic clusters in teh gas phase and ensuring that such clusters can be precisely arranged to 3D nanoarchitectures.

Shihao Liu

PhD student 

This project is to realize the 3D nanoprinting over a virtually infinitely large area by integrating a mobilized system. This invetion enables complete programmability and full automation of the printing process. This project addresses three major challenges encountered in nanofabrication: large-area uniformity, precise control of three-dimensional architectures, and in-situ integration of multiple materials. This research aims to develop a stable and precise cutting-edge manufacturing equipment, providing reliable means for frontier innovations in fields such as metamaterials and micro-nano optoelectronics.

Yizhou Liu

PhD student 

Gap plasmonics refer to a highly localized and significantly enhanced electromagnetic mode. Metal nanostructures create nanoscale tiny gaps, where the collective oscillation of surface free electrons couples with external electromagnetic fields. As an important branch of plasmonics, this research utilizes Faraday 3D printing technology to investigate the regulation mechanisms and functional applications of gap plasmonics. The aim is to tackle the precise construction of nanogap 3D structures and provides a novel platform for the development of high-performance plasmonic devices

Zhengkun Li

MEng student (SMDL) 

As an emerging technology in nanomanufacturing, Faraday 3D Printing enables the fabrication of multi-material, high-precision, large-area 3D nanostructures, laying a new foundation for upgrading the ability of current nanofabrication. This project aims to systematically explore the core application scenarios and process adaptation paths of this technology in IC manufacturing, focusing on its integration into existing  production processes, so as to realize the complete patterning scheme.

Wei Zhang

MEng student (SMDL)

This project targets micro–nano manufacturing and investigates the mechanisms by which patterned dielectric layers defined by grayscale photolithography regulate the topologies of electric fields in Faraday 3D printing. By engineering aperture morphology and dose gradients, we systematically elucidate the quantitative relationships between dielectric-layer pattern and structural formation, and establish a programmable mapping among feature size, geometric configuration, and material architectures. This enables fine-grained programming of field topologies and material structuring, advancing toward atomic-level three-dimensional deterministic construction of structural arrays.

Lehao Xiao

Msc student

The 3D nanoprinting with atomic-level resolution and multi-material  capability, unlocks heterogenous integration. This project explores possibilities for making heterogeneous 3D nanostructures, investigating how material sequences influence the overall performance. Eventually, we obtain the specific material combinations and spatial arrangements, thereby laying foundational support for the development of electronic components and self-guiding circuits.

Tianxiang Sun

MEng student (SMDL)

Atomic clusters consist of a finite number of atoms and exhibit distinctive electronic structures intermediate between those of isolated atoms and bulk materials. Their physicochemical properties are highly sensitive to size, geometry, and charge state, making them valuable platforms for probing microscopic reaction mechanisms and tuning catalytic performance. However, securely immobilizing clusters while preserving a specific charge state remains a key challenge in developing cluster-based functional systems. This work focuses on the interactions between positively charged gold clusters and insulating substrates. By introducing neutral chemical anchoring sites through surface functionalization, we explore strategies for immobilizing individual clusters while keeping them spatially isolated from one another. First-principles calculations are employed to investigate cluster–surface bonding, charge redistribution, and structural stability, and to examine how the local coordination environment affects charge retention and cluster migration. This study aims to provide a theoretical basis for designing materials that combine short-term charge retention with long-term positional stability in gaseous environments at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, laying the groundwork for single-cluster catalysis with well-defined active sites and tunable electronic states.

Leizhe Zhu

MEng student (SMDL)

This project targets programmable Faraday 3D printing and develops CMOS-based active substrates for dynamic regulation of local electric-field distributions. By integrating addressable MOSFET devices with electrode arrays, the electrical state of individual printing sites can be independently programmed, enabling spatially resolved and reconfigurable control of electric-field topologies. The project systematically investigates CMOS device fabrication, electrical characteristics, and their coupling with the Faraday printing process, and establishes quantitative relationships among transistor operation, local electric fields, and structural formation. This enables the printing substrate to evolve from a passive patterned template into an actively programmable electronic platform, advancing toward digitally controlled, reconfigurable three-dimensional micro/nanomanufacturing.

Junzhu Mei

MEng student (SMDL)

This project aims to achieve independent control of the electric potential of each through-hole in a micron-scale pore array. By precisely controlling the potential at each hole area, a tunable potential barrier is formed, enabling manipulation of low-energy charged particles passing through. The research focuses on key issues such as single-hole potential variation and independent addressing under arrayed conditions, providing an integrable device platform for particle sorting, transport, and local field regulation at the micro/nano scale.

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