NER: Stepwise Contraction Adsorption Nanolithography, SCAN: A New Approach Towards Simple, Inexpensive and High Throughput Nanofabrication

总体目标是开发一种新的光刻技术，称为“逐步收缩吸附纳米光刻（SCAN）”。“在第一步中，聚合物印模被拉伸，蛋白质的微图案在印模表面产生。 当张力被移除时，印模将松弛至其初始尺寸，并且因此微图案将收缩至更小的尺寸。 然后拉伸第二印模并将其放置成与第一印模接触以转印图案。 原则上，重复这些步骤多次应该产生具有成比例减小的尺寸的结构。 在最后一步中，将橡皮图章压在指定的表面上，例如载玻片，然后将由纳米结构限定的材料吸附到最终表面上。 结合聚合物合成和微纳米光刻的技术专长，这两个合作PI计划（1）开发先进的表面处理方法，为蛋白质粘附和冲压准备聚合物表面;（2）优化实验参数，以最大限度地减少横向扩散和提高材料转移效率;（3）在大学新生课堂和实验室中进行简单的SCAN实验，SCAN实验成功后将具有高通量、简单、和纳米空间精度。 除了增强对蛋白质-聚合物表面相互作用的科学理解外，SCAN还应通过提供用于构建纳米尺度生物架构的简单且高分辨率的手段来有益于生物芯片、生物器件和生物传感器的开发。 通过拟议的研究项目，研究生和本科生有望获得重要的科学技能和见解，纳米技术和聚合物化学。 虽然纳米科学和纳米工程在研究生和博士后研究人员中很有名，但我们的本科生中缺乏类似的意识。 在新生阶段实施一个简单的纳米实验将为新一代的研究人员、领导者和公民提供至关重要的接触纳米科学和纳米技术的机会。

The overall objective is to develop a new lithographic technique, referred to as "stepwise contraction adsorption nanolithography (SCAN)." In the first step, a polymer stamp is stretched and micropatterns of proteins are produced on the surface of the stamp. When the tensile force is removed, the stamps will relax to their initial size, and therefore the micropatterns will contract to a smaller size. A second stamp is then stretched and placed in contact with the first one to transfer the pattern. Repeating these steps multiple times should, in principle, produce structures with proportionally reduced dimensions. In the final step the rubber stamp is pressed against a designated surface, such as a glass slide, and the material defined by the nanostructures is then adsorbed onto the final surface. Combining technical expertise of polymer synthesis and micro- and nanolithography, the two co-PIs plan to (1) develop advanced surface treatment methods to prepare polymer surfaces for protein adhesion and stamping; (2) to optimize experimental parameters for minimizing lateral diffusion and increasing material transfer efficiency; and (3) to implement a simple SCAN experiment within the freshmen lecture and laboratory.When developed successfully, SCAN will have the advantages of the high throughput, simplicity, and nanometer spatial precision. Beyond enhancing scientific understanding of protein-polymer surface interactions, SCAN should benefit the development of biochips, biodevices, and biosensors by providing a simple and high-resolution means for constructing nanometer scale bioarchitectures. Through the proposed research projects, graduate and undergraduate students are expected to gain important scientific skills and insights in nanotechnology and polymer chemistry. While nanoscience and nanoengineering is well-known among graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, similar awareness is lacking among our undergraduate students. Implementation of a simple nanofabrication experiment at the freshmen level would provide critically important exposure of new generations of researchers, leaders, and citizens to nanoscience and nanotechnology.