NIRT: Nanostructured Optoelectronic Materials: New Concepts in Theoretical Design, Synthesis, and Processing

NIRT：纳米结构光电材料：理论设计、合成和加工的新概念

• 批准号: 0103009
• 负责人: Larry Dalton
• 金额: $ 160万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-06-15 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0103009&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NIRT; Nanostructured; Optoelectronic; Materials; New

This proposal was submitted in response to the solicitation "Nanoscale Science and Engineering" (NSF 00-119). The project addresses theoretical methods to design new families of nanostructured building blocks and to guide the assembly of these blocks into mesoscale lattices. Dendritic and molecular self-assembly synthetic techniques will be used to implement theoretically-inspired nanoscale structures. Novel 3-D circuit fabrication techniques will be employed to pattern materials on both the nano and mesoscales to achieve integration of nanoscale materials with traditional micron scale optics and electronics. Equilibrium statistical mechanics and kinetic Monte Carlo theoretical methods, relevant to treating long-range and spatially-anisotropic intermolecular electrostatic interactions, will be refined and implemented. Theory will be used to guide design of the shape of nanoscale molecular objects to permit realization of highly-ordered mesoscale acentric molecular lattices. Such organic lattices do not occur naturally but are critical to device-related phenomena of electro-optic (EO) activity, unimolecular rectification, and photorefraction. Kinetic Monte Carlo calculations will also be employed to investigate nanoscale phase separation and molecular ordering phenomena and to guide the development of processing conditions relevant to the realization of optimized nanostructured acentric material lattices. Precisely sized and shaped nanoscale dendrimers permit inhibition of unwanted intermolecular electrostatic interactions and the realization of a wide range of desired auxiliary properties. Included are low optical loss at telecommunication wavelengths, high thermal and photochemical stability of induced acentric molecular order (electro-optic activity), and processability that permits the fabrication of buried channel EO waveguides and the integration of such waveguides with VLSI electronics and with fiber optics. Second order nonlinear optical chromophores (required for EO activity) can be assembled into a variety of dendrimer structures including those containing multiple chromophores. The operation of dendrimer-based EO devices requires half the drive voltages and extends to twice the bandwidth of current commercial lithium niobate devices. EO dendrimers can be constructed using fluorinated and cyanurate dendrons, which reduce optical loss at 1.55 microns telecommunications wavelength to 0.1-0.2 dB/cm. Use of such dendrons also permits precise control of material refractive index relevant to circuit integration. Surface functionalization of dendrimers with crosslinkable moieties can lead to materials with exceptional thermal and photochemical stability. EO chromophore-containing dendrimers will be assembled into electro-optic materials by a variety of methods including sequential assembly and self-assembly methods; however, the primary method employed for such assembly will be electric field poling. Once prepared, dendrimer-based EO materials will be fabricated by reactive ion etching, two-photon lithography and multi-color lithography into 3-D passive/active optical circuitry, which will be integrated with semiconductor VLSI drive electronics and silica transmission fibers. Organic EO materials will also be integrated with photonic bandgap structures and with controlled-birefringence block copolymer and layered organic materials to realize special device performance. A variety of devices, including spatial light modulators, phased array radars, ultra high bandwidth signal sources and detectors, etc., will be fabricated and evaluated. %%% The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science with high technological relevance. The proposed research and the format of education/technology exchange contribute to positive economic and social impacts. An integrated research/education program based on an undergraduate student/graduate student/faculty team will be implemented building upon experience NSF-IGERT, NSF-EEC, UW UIF Nanotechnology Center, and UW international exchange programs. A new course will be offered to permit wider dissemination of specialized nano-engineering tools developed in this research/education program. Extensive interactions exist with industry, government laboratories, and international research centers. The project is co-supported by the DMR/EM, ECS/PFET, and EEC Divisions.***

该提案是应“纳米科学与工程”（NSF 00-119）的要求提交的。该项目致力于理论方法来设计新的纳米结构构建块家族，并指导这些块组装成介观晶格。树枝状和分子自组装合成技术将用于实现理论启发的纳米结构。新的3-D电路制造技术将用于在纳米和介观尺度上图案化材料，以实现纳米尺度材料与传统微米尺度光学和电子学的集成。平衡统计力学和动力学蒙特卡罗理论方法，有关治疗远程和空间各向异性分子间静电相互作用，将得到完善和实施。理论将用于指导纳米级分子物体的形状设计，以实现高度有序的介观偏心分子晶格。这种有机晶格不是天然存在的，但对于电光（EO）活性、单分子整流和光折射等与器件相关的现象至关重要。动力学蒙特卡罗计算也将被用来研究纳米级相分离和分子有序现象，并指导与实现优化的纳米结构偏心材料晶格相关的加工条件的发展。精确尺寸和形状的纳米级树枝状聚合物允许抑制不需要的分子间静电相互作用和实现广泛的所需辅助性质。包括电信波长下的低光损耗、诱导偏心分子有序（电光活性）的高热和光化学稳定性、以及允许制造掩埋通道EO波导以及将此类波导与VLSI电子器件和光纤集成的可加工性。二阶非线性光学发色团（EO活性所需的）可以组装成各种树枝状聚合物结构，包括含有多个发色团的那些。基于树枝状聚合物的EO设备的操作需要一半的驱动电压，并且扩展到当前商业锂酸盐设备的两倍带宽。EO树枝状聚合物可以使用氟化和氰脲酸酯树枝状分子来构造，其将1.55微米电信波长处的光损耗降低至0.1-0.2 dB/cm。使用这种枝晶还允许精确控制与电路集成相关的材料折射率。具有可交联部分的树枝状聚合物的表面官能化可以产生具有优异的热稳定性和光化学稳定性的材料。含EO发色团的树枝状聚合物将通过多种方法组装成电光材料，包括顺序组装和自组装方法;然而，用于这种组装的主要方法将是电场极化。一旦准备好，树枝状聚合物基EO材料将通过反应离子蚀刻，双光子光刻和多色光刻制成3-D无源/有源光学电路，这将与半导体VLSI驱动电子和二氧化硅传输光纤集成。有机电光材料还将与光子带隙结构、可控双折射嵌段共聚物和层状有机材料集成，以实现特殊的器件性能。各种器件，包括空间光调制器、相控阵雷达、超高带宽信号源和探测器等，将被制作和评估。该项目解决了材料科学领域的基础研究问题，具有高度的技术相关性。拟议的研究和教育/技术交流形式有助于产生积极的经济和社会影响。一个基于本科生/研究生/教师团队的综合研究/教育计划将在经验NSF-IGERT，NSF-EEC，UW UIF纳米技术中心和UW国际交流计划的基础上实施。将提供一门新的课程，以便更广泛地传播在这一研究/教育方案中开发的专门的纳米工程工具。与工业界、政府实验室和国际研究中心有着广泛的互动。该项目由DMR/EM，ECS/PFET和EEC部门共同支持。