Large Area, Rapid Manufacturing of Virtually Any Nanopattern Using Nanopantography

University Of Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this research project is to improve the resolution and writing speed of "nanopantography", to make it a manufacturing-worthy process. This research will make it possible to manufacture any desired nanopattern, in a variety of materials, over large areas, with relatively short processing times. It will build on a "nanopantography" method that has been successfully demonstrated. This method uses a large area ion beam, directed at an array of electrostatic microlenses fabricated on a substrate. By applying appropriate voltages to the microlenses and "rocking" the substrate in a controlled fashion, "beamlets" entering the lenses focus to spots that can be rastered across the substrate in a massively parallel fashion, allowing patterns to be written quickly at beyond state-of-the-art resolution of 5 nanometers or less. Improvements will result in a 300 mm-diameter full wafer processing time of ~30 mins, a relatively high throughput, considering that there would be only a few steps requiring ultra-high resolution nanopatterning in a device fabrication process. This work will provide challenging projects for two PhD students and two undergraduates, with rich scientific and educational payoffs, as well as technological advances. Basic knowledge will emerge on nanofabrication, advanced plasma sources, and ion-surface interactions. The project will have broad societal impact on diverse areas of nanotechnology, including microelectronic devices, bio-sensors, and displays. Outreach activities will increase public awareness for societal benefits of plasmas applied to nanotechnology. As part of this effort, undergraduate students and a high school teacher will be involved in the project.