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

这项小型企业技术转移（STTR）赠款旨在开发新颖、高可扩展性的工艺技术，以使用有序蛋白质模板制造有序的半导体量子点阵列。具有明确孔隙结构的蛋白质模板与强大的低电子能量蚀刻（LE4）干蚀刻技术相结合，为直接在衬底上创建纳米级图案提供了理想的掩膜。有序的纳米结构通常可以通过沉积在图案化衬底上的原子的自组装直接形成。这些技术将被用于制造半导体量子点阵列，从而为商业和军事应用带来革命性的红外探测。量子力学器件的最新发展使下一代光学和电子器件具有更高的性能。然而，量子力学器件也需要有序的周期性纳米结构阵列，这需要新的大面积、可扩展的制造技术才能在商业上可行。目前，这些纳米结构通常是通过液相沉积（Langmuir-Blodgett薄膜）或连续蚀刻技术（如电子束或x射线光刻）形成的。标准的光刻技术可以产生所需的结构，但是是连续的（即，每个特征一次制造一个，一个接一个），限制了现实的大规模制造。创造量子点结构的新型纳米制造技术将使下一代红外探测器的性能优于现有的半导体设备。改进的红外设备可以彻底改变热成像和夜视应用，如军事和民用监视和安全，消防中的透视烟雾应用，以及被埋在倒塌建筑物中的人员的热成像。

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.