CAREER: Manipulating Microcomponents for Self-Assembly-Based Manufacturing and Chromatography

ECCS-0644245 Carol Livermore-Clifford，MIT这一职业生涯的建议集中在一个选择性的微组件操作过程中称为模板组装选择性去除（TASR），其应用程序制造复杂的微系统的自组装，以及其用于过滤和色谱。 这项工作的智力价值在于创造和理解基于TASR的灵活，广泛适用的微和纳米制造技术，以及创建实用系统，如基于光学的传感器。 TASR同时并有选择地将不同的小规模（100纳米至10微米）组件从流体中组织到衬底中形状和尺寸匹配的孔中。 衬底的形貌被预先图案化，并且表面被涂覆以促进组件-衬底粘附。 通过应用兆赫频率的超声波激励来确保选择性;所产生的可定量描述、可控的流体力优先从匹配不良的孔中移除组件，同时将它们留在匹配良好的孔中，在这些孔中，它们更牢固地附着。一个关键的研究课题是不同形状，材料和硬度的组件的选择性放置。 表征良好的实验和定量分析模型将阐明TASR的能力和局限性。 第二个关键的研究课题是创建经济的模板硬件，以指导选择性的操作过程。 最后一个主要的研究课题是应用TASR方法来创建功能系统。 TASR根据尺寸和形状的差异提供了极高的选择性，沿着快速组装各种组件的系统，这些组件很难通过传统的自上而下的技术来创建。这项工作的更广泛的影响是教育和研究活动的一体化以及研究中产生的工具的广泛传播。 教育活动包括创建有关自组装本科实验室课程，研究生和本科生的研究机会，以及创建，实施和传播与研究相关的材料，以推广到代表性不足的高中生。

ECCS-0644245Carol Livermore-Clifford, MITThis CAREER proposal focuses on a selective microcomponent manipulation process called templated assembly by selective removal (TASR), its applications for manufacturing complex microsystems by self-assembly, and its use for filtering and chromatography. The intellectual merit of this work lies in the creation and understanding of flexible, broadly-applicable micro and nanomanufacturing techniques based on TASR, and in the creation of the practical systems such as optically-based sensors that it enables. TASR simultaneously and selectively organizes diverse, small-scale (100 nanometer to 10 micron) components from fluid into shape- and size-matched holes in a substrate. The topography of the substrate is prepatterned, and the surface is coated to promote component-substrate adhesion. Selectivity is ensured by applying megahertz frequency ultrasonic excitation; the resulting quantitatively-describable, controllable fluid forces preferentially remove components from poorly-matched holes while leaving them in the well-matched holes in which they are more strongly attached. One key research topic is the selective placement of components of different shapes, materials, and hardnesses. Well-characterized experiments and quantitative analytic models will elucidate TASR's capabilities and limits. A second key research topic is the creation of economical template hardware to guide the selective manipulation process. The final major research topic is the application of the TASR approach to create functional systems. TASR offers extremely high selectivity based on differences in size and shape along with a rapid means of assembling systems of diverse components that are hard to create by traditional top-down techniques. The broader impacts of this work are in the integration of educational and research activities and in the broad dissemination of tools produced in the research. Educational activities include the creation of undergraduate laboratory curriculum pertaining to self-assembly, research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and the creation, implementation, and dissemination of research-related materials for outreach to underrepresented high school students.