MRI: Acquisition of the NanoFrazor - a unique AFM-based nanolithography tool to support multidisciplinary research and promote nanoscience in South Carolina and beyond

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports this project centered on the acquisition of the NanoFrazor Explorer nanopatterning instrument from SwissLitho to be hosted at the University of South Carolina. Advancements in the field of nanotechnology are responsible for accelerating development in numerous and diverse research disciplines including materials science, computation and information processing, photonics, biology, chemistry, and medicine. The ability to customize nanoscale structures and patterns, especially with a top-down approach, in an affordable and efficient manner, is highly desirable in all fields. The user-friendliness of the NanoFrazor will expedite the process of optimizing nano/micro-devices for practical applications in biosensing, information processing, energy storage, CO2 capture, etc., as well as provide a unique tool to study novel materials and answer basic scientific questions in a wide range of fields. Its remote access capability and simple operation procedures also render it an ideal tool for training and outreach. The Principal Investigators have established a partnership with the South Carolina State Museum and plan a set of public and educational outreach activities that utilize the NanoFrazor to promote nanotechnology and nanoscience to the general public as well as K-12 students. The thermal scanning-probe lithography tool based on heated-tip atomic force microscopy in the NanoFrazor system is capable of achieving nanoscale resolution in imaging and patterning while overcoming the shortcomings of the electron-beam lithography (EBL) technique. The NanoFrazor's unique capabilities will enhance and enable multidisciplinary research in areas including physics, material science, chemistry, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and even material computational theory. It will open up opportunities of precise and controlled nanopatterning and nanoscale studies in a wide range of materials including those previously excluded by traditional EBL nanofabrication techniques, such as polymers, metal-organic frameworks, and protein self-assembled nanostructures. It has the potential to jump-start previously unfeasible multidisciplinary collaborative research and put the University of South Carolina on the national map for serving the needs of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Its intuitive operations and simple training requirement will appeal to a wide user base. The following objectives can be achieved through the acquisition of the NanoFrazor: (1) expand nanofabrication capability to material classes previously excluded by EBL; (2) enhance ongoing nanoscale research across a wide range of disciplines; (3) Enable new nanoscale research across a wide range of disciplines; (4) encourage collaborative research between departments and universities; and (5) promote nanotechnology through outreach activities involving NanoFrazor. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.