CAREER: Hybrid Approach to Direct-Write Based Micro and Nano Manufacturing

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）奖的研究目标是研究微/纳米液滴形成的物理学以及使用混合制造方法制造的微/纳米结构。该方法是产生不同长度尺度（微米到纳米）的液滴，这些液滴将选择性地沉积在不同的基底设计上。纳米压印光刻将被用来制造纳米尺寸的不同形貌的图案，将使用直写喷墨系统沉积。使用多种材料喷头在运行中改变液滴和所得特征尺寸（微米到纳米）的能力将创造一种构建功能梯度材料的有效方法。这项研究将通过分子动力学建模揭示纳米液滴形成的复杂时空域中发生的有趣的多物理现象。实验设计和超高速摄影研究将建立工艺参数之间的关系，如电荷电位和流体性质的最佳纳米级特征沉积。教育目标包括：（1）将纳米/微型制造和计算建模课程整合到本科和研究生课程中，（2）为主要少数民族学生群体实施研究经验，（3）纳米技术的社会传播。如果成功的话，所提出的混合方法将能够选择性地制造具有高纵横比、突出特征和多种材料组合物的微/纳米异质结构。这项工作将使我们深入了解所形成的纳米和微米结构的结构和功能完整性。社会影响倡议包括在当地科学中心向公众提供纳米技术教育，以及向代表性不足的高中生提供夏令营。对纳米级液滴动力学和由此产生的微/纳米结构的基本理解将彻底改变各种应用基础的制造，包括功能梯度材料，再生组织支架和导致下一代设备和系统的生物化学传感器。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is to investigate the physics of micro/nano droplet formations and the resultant micro/nano structures fabricated using a hybrid manufacturing approach. The approach is to generate droplets at varying length scales (micro to nano) that will be selectively deposited on different substrate designs. Nanoimprint lithography will be used to fabricate nanometer sized patterns of varying topographies that will be deposited using the direct-write inkjet system. The ability to change drop and resultant feature sizes (micro to nano) on-the-fly with multiple material jet heads will create an effective method of building functionally-gradient materials. This research will unravel intriguing multiphysics phenomena that occur within the complex spatio-temporal domains of nanodroplet formation via molecular dynamics modeling. Experimental design and ultra high speed photography investigation will establish relationships among process parameters such as charge potentials and fluid properties for optimal nanoscale feature deposition. The educational objectives include the (1) integration of nano/micro manufacturing and computational modeling coursework into undergraduate and graduate curriculum, (2) implementation of research experiences for a predominantly minority student population and (3) societal dissemination of nanotechnology. If successful, the proposed hybrid approach will enable the selective manufacturing of micro/nano heterogeneous structures with high aspect ratios, overhanging features, and multiple material compositions in a matrix formation. This work will give insight on the structural and functional integrity of nano and micro structures formed. Societal impact initiatives include nanotechnology education to the general public at the local science center and summer outreach camps to under-represented high-school students. A fundamental understanding of the nanoscale droplet dynamics and resultant micro/nano structures will revolutionize the fabrication of a diverse application base including functionally-gradient materials, regenerative tissue scaffolds, and bio-chem sensors that lead to next-generation devices and systems.