Self-Assembled Molecular Photoresist for Fabrication of MEMS and NEMS

ECS-0524648B。这项拟议的研究的目的是证明自组装分子单分子层作为光刻抗蚀剂的用途，特别是近场光刻。用光谱学方法研究了分子单分子膜在多种底物上的形成。当暴露在紫外光下时，表现出基材上的键断裂或发生化学转变的分子被研究为光刻胶。光刻过程的产品是分子图案化的衬底，可用于进一步的微制造或用作电子设备自下而上自组装的模板。将开发基片的后处理方法，包括湿法化学刻蚀、聚合物自组装和选择性附着。使用有效厚度为1-2 nm的抗蚀剂的光刻分辨率极限将通过实验确定，并将模拟光在系统中的传播。这项研究提供了一种新的光刻胶，具有许多独特的优点：a)光刻胶非常薄，原子均匀，因此可以用于近场光刻；b)它可以在衬底上自组装；c)它可以被设计为仅附着在衬底上的特定位置或非平面衬底上。此外，它还允许只能使用传统光刻工具的团队生成纳米级图案。该提议直接有助于培养化学和电气工程之间的研究生。它为本科生提供了一个参与纳米技术研究的场所，并提供了用于纳米技术实验室课程的模块。

ECS-0524648B. AmirParviz, U of WashingtonThe objective of the proposed research is to demonstrate the use of self-assembled molecular monolayers as resist for photolithography and in particular near-field photolithography. Formation of molecular monolayers on a number of substrates is studied with spectroscopy. Molecules that demonstrate bond breakage from the substrate, or undergo chemical transformation, upon exposure to UV light are studied as photoresist. The product of the lithography procedure is a molecularly patterned substrate that can be used for further microfabrication or as a template for the bottom-up self-assembly of electronic devices. Post-processing methods for the substrate will be developed including wet chemical etching, polymer self-assembly, and selective attachment. The resolution limits of the lithography, using a resist with effective thickness of 1-2 nm, will be experimentally established and light propagation through the system will be modeled. The proposed research makes a new photoresist available with a number of unique advantages: a) the resist is extremely thin and atomically uniform and hence can be used for near-field lithography, b) it self-assembles on the substrate, c) it can be engineered to attach only to specific locations on a substrate or onto non-planar substrate. Moreover it allows groups with access only to conventional lithography tools to generate nano-scale patterns.The proposal directly contributes to the training of a graduate student at the interface between chemistry and electrical engineering. It opens a venue for participation of undergraduate students in nanotechnology research and provides modules to be used in a laboratory course on nanotechnology.