Special Online Micro/Nano Seminar Series 2026
Next Seminar:
Roll-to-Roll NIL – The perils and promise of large-scale structured surface
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 2:00 PM Central Time
Hosted by ASPE Micro/Nano Committee, Chairman: Michael Cullinan, UT Austin (michael.cullinan@austin.utexas.edu)
Speaker: Stephen Furst, Smart Material Solutions
Abstract:
Micro- and nanopatterned structured surfaces offer revolutionary promises to improve how everyday surfaces interact with their environment. This includes improving the surface’s interaction with matter (like water, dust, or microbes) or with light. The resulting control allows for improvements in surface reflection, light diffusion, thermal emissivity, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, dust adhesion, and microbial resistance, among other properties.
For decades, roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography (R2R NIL) has offered the promise of bringing the powers of nano to the macroscale for humanity’s benefit. A google scholar search will find tens of thousands of academic articles proving these benefits. Nevertheless, the promise remains mysteriously unfulfilled.
This talk will address the perils that lie between the promise and today’s reality, and the work that Smart Material Solutions has done to close the gap. This will include lessons learned on application design, scalable manufacturing, surface durability, business models, and fundraising narratives. In the end, the opportunity of controlling large-scale surface interactions is immense, and roll-to-roll NIL has a viable and important role in capturing that opportunity.
Biography:
Dr. Stephen Furst is a Mechanical Engineer specialized in precision engineering, nanomanufacturing, and smart materials research. Stephen founded Smart Material Solutions in 2016 to commercialize Nanocoining: a technology that enables fabrication of large-area nanopatterns via roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography, and he currently serves as the company’s CEO. Stephen previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Society of Precision Engineering and the society’s Precision Manufacturing chair.
Stephen completed his BS in Aerospace Engineering at NC State in 2007, then his MS in Mechanical Engineering in 2009 under the direction of Dr. Thomas Dow at the NC State Precision Engineering Center (PEC), the lab where the Nanocoining technology was later invented. Stephen began his PhD work in 2009 with Prof. Dr. -Ing. Stefan Seelecke at NC State with emphasis on smart materials research before finishing his research and graduating from Saarland University (Saarbruecken, Germany) in 2012.
Stephen’s publications are available on Google Scholar.
Contact: furst@smartmaterialsolutions.com
919-521-4440
Previous Seminars:
Precision Engineering Challenges and Capabilities of Bright Silicon Technologies’ Lightfield Directing Array (LDA)
Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 2:00 PM Central Time
Hosted by ASPE Micro/Nano Committee, Chairman: Michael Cullinan, UT Austin
Speaker: Robert Panas, Bright Silicon Technologies
Abstract:
Robert Panas will be introducing the precision engineering challenges and capabilities of the flagship product for Bright Silicon Technologies, the Lightfield Directing Array (LDA). The LDA is a new class of solid-state optical beam control technology that offers the large range of motion and high optical quality of a gimbal combined with the speed of a fast-steering mirror, in a low-Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) package. The LDA combines conventional microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) elements with advanced fabrication techniques to achieve performance beyond established and emerging beam control technologies.
Biography:
Robert Panas is the CTO at Bright Silicon Technologies (BST), a startup focused on maturing a solid-state optical beamsteering technology called the Lightfield Directing Array, which was spun out from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). He started in March 2022 after working as a research engineer at LLNL for 8 years in the Center for Micro-Nano Technologies, where he led a team developing the LDA technology. Robert graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a S.B. in physics (’07), a S.B. in Mechanical Engineering (’07), a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (’09) and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (’13). Robert leads precision micro/nano design and manufacturing efforts at BST, focused on developing the electronics, controls and manufacturing capabilities required to enable the LDA. His areas of expertise include MOEMS, additive micromanufacturing, optics, X-ray metrology, uncertainty analysis, compliant mechanism design, and high-speed digital control. Dr. Panas is an NDSEG fellow and a member of the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE) since 2007, now the immediate past President for the society having served on the: Organizing Committee (2013, 2014), Membership Committee (2013, 2014), Co-chair Precision Engineering Challenge (2014), Chair Precision Engineering Challenge (2015), Chair MNTLC (2016-2020) and the Board of Directors (2017-2020), and executive committee as President Elect (2022), President (2023), and Immediate Past President (2024). He has 34 patents and applications as well as 87 papers published and submitted.