Development of an Optical-based, Low-cost, Parallel Nano-manufacturing Technique

这项提议的目标是发展一种基于光学的、低成本的、平行的纳米制造技术。所提出的纳米制造系统的关键组件是一个纳米级光学天线，能够高效地将光集中到纳米域，最近在PI的实验室中进行了演示。在提议的工作中，一组这样的天线，每一个都被单独控制，将用于并行纳米制造。研究将通过计算和表征来优化天线，并开发并行制造的算法。该项目还将为研究生和本科生提供纳米级制造、仪器设计和近场光学基础方面的培训。本研究的成果将用于若干课程和教学实验室的教学，使更多的学生受益于本研究。这项工作如果成功的话，将对纳米制造技术以及纳米科学和纳米技术产生巨大的影响。在过去十年中，纳米科学和纳米技术的进步正在创造许多新的机会，这些机会可能会极大地改变我们的社会。为了将这些新发展的纳米科学和纳米技术推向市场，需要低成本、大规模的纳米制造技术。传统的纳米制造涉及复杂的设备，成本非常高。相反，所提出的技术将使用激光和商用组件，其总成本要低得多。此外，能够高效地将光集中到纳米尺寸将显著影响其他科学和技术领域，从表面检测到生物检测，再到高密度数据存储。

This objective of this proposal is to develop an optical based, low cost, parallel nano-manufacturing technique. The key component in the proposed nano-manufacturing system is a nanoscale optical antenna capable of concentrating light into a nanometer domain with high efficiency, which was recently demonstrated in the PI's laboratory. In the proposed work, an array of such antennas, each to be individually controlled, will be used for parallel nano-manufacturing. Research will be conducted to optimize the antenna by computation and characterization, and to develop an algorism for parallel manufacturing. This project will also provide graduate and undergraduate students with trainings in nano-scale manufacturing, instrumentation design, and fundamentals of near field optics. Results obtained from this work will be used for teaching in a number of courses and instructional laboratories so that more students can benefit from this research.The proposal work, if successful, will have a large impact on nano-manufacturing technology as well as nano-science and nano-technology in general. The advances in nano-science and nano-technology in the last decade are creating many new opportunities that may greatly change our society. In order to bring these newly developed nano-sciences and nano-technologies to the market, low cost, large scale nano-manufacturing technologies are needed. Conventional nano-fabrication involves sophisticated equipment with very high cost. In contrary, the proposed technique will use lasers and commercially available components, and its total cost is much lower. Additionally, being able to concentrate light into nanometer dimensions with high efficiency will significantly impact other areas of science and technology, from surface inspection to biological detection, to high density data storage.