STTR Phase I: Fabrication of Tailored Uniform, Periodic Nanostructures Using Ordered Protein Templates

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This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant aims to develop novel, high scalable, process technology to fabricate ordered arrays of semiconductor quantum dots using ordered protein templates. Protein templates with well-defined pore structures combined with powerful low electron energy etching (LE4) dry etch techniques provide an ideal mask to create nanoscale patterns directly in the substrate. Well-ordered nanostructures can ten be formed directly by self-assembly of adatoms deposited onto the patterned substrate. These techniques will be used to create semiconductor quantum dot arrays than can revolutionize infrared detection for both commercial and military applications.Recent developments in quantum mechanical devices enable the next generation of optical and electrical devices with improved performance. Quantum mechanical devices, however, also require ordered periodic nanostructured arrays that require new large area, scalable fabrication technologies to be commercially viable. Currently, these nanostructures are typically formed by either liquid phase deposition (Langmuir-Blodgett films) or serial etching techniques such as e-beam or x-ray lithography. Standard lithography techniques produce the desired structures, but are serial (i.e., each features is made one at a time, one after the other) limiting realistic large-scale fabrication. Novel nanofabrication technologies to create quantum dot structures would allow the next generation of infrared detectors that would outperform existing semiconductor devices. Improved infrared devices could revolutionize thermal imaging and night vision applications such as military and civilian surveillance and security, see-through-smoke applications in firefighting, and thermal imaging of people buried in collapsed buildings.