NER: Stepwise Contraction Adsorption Nanolithography, SCAN: A New Approach Towards Simple, Inexpensive and High Throughput Nanofabrication

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The overall objective is to develop a new lithographic technique, referred to as "stepwise contraction adsorption nanolithography (SCAN)." In the first step, a polymer stamp is stretched and micropatterns of proteins are produced on the surface of the stamp. When the tensile force is removed, the stamps will relax to their initial size, and therefore the micropatterns will contract to a smaller size. A second stamp is then stretched and placed in contact with the first one to transfer the pattern. Repeating these steps multiple times should, in principle, produce structures with proportionally reduced dimensions. In the final step the rubber stamp is pressed against a designated surface, such as a glass slide, and the material defined by the nanostructures is then adsorbed onto the final surface. Combining technical expertise of polymer synthesis and micro- and nanolithography, the two co-PIs plan to (1) develop advanced surface treatment methods to prepare polymer surfaces for protein adhesion and stamping; (2) to optimize experimental parameters for minimizing lateral diffusion and increasing material transfer efficiency; and (3) to implement a simple SCAN experiment within the freshmen lecture and laboratory. When developed successfully, SCAN will have the advantages of the high throughput, simplicity, and nanometer spatial precision. Beyond enhancing scientific understanding of protein-polymer surface interactions, SCAN should benefit the development of biochips, biodevices, and biosensors by providing a simple and high-resolution means for constructing nanometer scale bioarchitectures. Through the proposed research projects, graduate and undergraduate students are expected to gain important scientific skills and insights in nanotechnology and polymer chemistry. While nanoscience and nanoengineering is well-known among graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, similar awareness is lacking among our undergraduate students. Implementation of a simple nanofabrication experiment at the freshmen level would provide critically important exposure of new generations of researchers, leaders, and citizens to nanoscience and nanotechnology.