MRI: Development of a Deposition System for 3D Patterning of Molecular Materials in Vacuum

该装置是一种标准的真空法兰兼容电喷涂沉积装置（“molecullewriter”），能够直接从真空溶液中沉积分子材料。该装置利用电喷雾原理将分子材料注入高真空。由于电喷雾产生电离分子束，利用电磁手段进行聚焦和偏转成为可能。这一特性将用于生成定义良好的光束，该光束可以定向到基板上的某些位置，即三维图案成为可能。通过计算机控制，可以生成任意图案。可以用该系统沉积的材料包括各种不同性质的分子实体，如发光聚合物、蛋白质、功能化纳米晶体、寡核苷酸或超分子物种。真空能力将实现快速溶剂去除（即防止液滴相关的干燥伪影），精确控制，无污染沉积，并与已建立的真空沉积技术（例如金属和绝缘体）和表面制备方法兼容。由于真空环境，可溶性问题将大大减少，使可溶于同一溶剂的材料的三维多层结构的受控沉积成为可能。该计划将重点模拟和构建合适的离子光学系统，以聚焦和偏转电喷雾注入的分子离子束，构建图像化装置的原型，对其进行优化，并演示其在各种分子材料上的能力。计划最初将该设备作为现有真空设备的附加系统进行商业化。提出的工作旨在设计和实现一种装置，该装置将能够在基板上将纳米材料排列成明确的三维结构。为了利用纳米材料的特殊性能，需要找到用它们制造结构的方法，从而允许制造具有实际用途的纳米技术设备，例如传感器或电子设备。所提出的装置将使纳米材料在真空中直接从溶液中在衬底上形成图案化。该装置将利用电喷雾原理，从溶剂中分离出带电的分子束。分子上的电荷可以利用电场和磁场使光束聚焦或偏转，这样光束就可以用来在衬底上画出一个确定的图案，就像电子束在电视屏幕上画出一幅画一样。建议的工作将侧重于这种装置的原型的设计和构建，以及其优化和演示。

The proposed device is a standard vacuum flange compatible electrospray-based deposition unit ("MoleculeWriter"), capable of patterned deposition of molecular materials directly from solution in vacuum. The device utilizes the electrospray principle to inject molecular materials into high vacuum. Since electrospray generates an ionized molecular beam focusing and deflection by electromagnetic means becomes possible. This property will be used to generate a well-defined beam that can be directed to certain locations on the substrate, i.e. three-dimensional patterning becomes possible. Through computer control, arbitrary patterns can be generated. The materials that can be deposited with this system encompass a wide range of molecular entities as different in properties as luminescent polymers, proteins, functionalized nano-crystals, oligonucleotides, or supra-molecular species. The vacuum capability will enable fast solvent removal (i.e. prevent droplet related drying artifacts), precisely controlled, contamination-free deposition, and compatibility with established vacuum based deposition techniques (e.g. for metals and insulators) and surface preparation methods. Intersolubility issues will be dramatically reduced due to the vacuum environment, enabling the controlled deposition of three-dimensional multi-layered structures of materials soluble in the same solvent.The proposed program will focus on the simulation and construction of a system of suitable ion-optics to focus and deflect an electrospray injected molecular ion beam, the building of a prototype of the patterning device, its optimization, and the demonstration of its capabilities on a variety of molecular materials. It is planned to initially commercialize the device as an add-on system to existing vacuum equipment.The proposed work aims at the design and implementation of a device, which will be able to arrange nano-materials into well-defined three-dimensional structures on substrates. In order to utilize the special properties of nano-materials, methods need to be found to make structures from them, allowing the manufacture of nano-technology devices with practical uses, such as sensors or electronics. The proposed device will enable the patterning of nano-materials on a substrate in vacuum directly from a solution. The device will utilize the electrospray principle, to create a charged beam of the molecules separated from the solvent. The charges on the molecules can be used to focus and deflect the beam using electric and magnetic fields, so that the beam can be used to paint a defined pattern on a substrate in much the same way that an elctron beam paints a picture on a television screen. The proposed work will focus on the design and construction of a prototype of such a device, and its optimization and demonstration.