Plasmonic Nanofocusing Scanning Probe for Controlled Nanomanufacturing

该奖项的研究目标是提供一种基于扫描探针的，激光辅助的，具有成本效益和可控的纳米制造工具，分辨率为5nm以下。该方法将开发一种新型的近场扫描探针，通过在图案化的硅探针尖端上直接制造纳米尺寸的光子限制结构来集中光能，并使用该探针在纳米级进行有效的激光传输和耦合。其关键技术包括在探针针尖上制作多层光学相位光栅，以及对探针激励和探针针尖上光聚集的实验表征。从探针尖端射出的聚焦激光束允许人们在各种基底上操纵纳米结构，例如量子点、纳米管和纳米线。新的扫描探针可以以阵列形式批量制造，有可能集成到商业近场扫描光学显微镜中，以便在制造过程中检测纳米结构。如果成功，这项研究将对制造集成生物纳米系统领域产生重大影响。它将为未来开发各种混合纳米级器件和系统铺平道路，这些器件和系统对未来的电子、医疗保健、制药和国防应用至关重要。该提案的教育目标是通过开发本科教学模块，研究培训计划和创建在线学习中心和研讨会，培养下一代生物工程师配置纳米结构，以在细胞和分子水平上剖析基本科学现象。

The research objective of this award is to provide a scanning probe-based, laser-assisted, cost-effective and controllable nanomanufacturing tool with sub-5nm resolution. The approach will be to develop a novel near-field scanning probe to concentrate optical energy by directly fabricating a nanometer-sized photonic confinement structure on a patterned silicon probe tip, and to use the probe for efficient laser light transmission and coupling at the nanoscale. The key technologies involve the fabrication of multi-layer optical phase gratings on the probe tip, and experimental characterization of probe actuation and light concentration on the probe tip. The focused laser beam out of the probe tip allows one to manipulate nanostructures, such as quantum dots, nanotubes and nanowires, on a variety of substrates. The new scanning probe can be batch fabricated in an array format, with the potential to be integrated in a commercial near-field scanning optical microscope so that one can detect the nanostructures during manufacturing. If successful, this research will have a significant impact on the field of manufacturing integrated bio-nanosystems. It will pave the way for future development of a variety of hybrid nanoscale devices and systems critical to future electronics, healthcare, pharmaceutical and defense applications. The educational objective of this proposal is to train the next generation of bioengineers to configure nanoscale structures to dissect basic scientific phenomena at the cellular and molecular levels through developing undergraduate teaching modules, research training program and creating an online learning center and workshops.