Development Of A Nanopunching Lithography Method For Generating Sidewall Templates And Polymer-Based Nanodevices

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This project will develop a nanopunching lithography (NPL) method for creating nanostructures and sidewall templates of sizes down to 30nm using a combination of theoretical, numerical and experimental investigations. A significant challenge in nanotechnology is to develop straightforward methods for organizing sub-100nm structures into functional architectures. Current micro/nanosystems mainly have a planar form. Therefore, sidewall templates are uniquely useful in guiding horizontal assembly of nanobuilding blocks, such as nanoparticles and molecules. Consequently, these nanobuilding blocks can be directly integrated into planar micro/nanosystems to serve as active components in these devices. The generation of sidewall templates calls for new lithographic approaches due to the limitations of existing lithographic approaches. Thus, under stimulation of a macropunching method commonly used in the industry to pattern sheet metals, an innovative lithographic approach (i.e., the NPL) is proposed to circumvent these two challenges. It will be uniquely suited to fabricating the sidewall templates, as well as polymer-based nanostructures. The capability of generating both architectures will lead to the production of polymer-based nanosystems of high functionality, as will be shown in generating transistors, contacts, and nanochannels. This project will focus on an effort to help K-12, undergraduate and graduate students visualize micro/nanotechnology concepts, including establishment of a website which will have a database of rich visualization materials. In addition, the PI is committed to furthering the involvement of undergraduate students and minorities in scientific research. He has track records in these activities, and will keep bringing these efforts to a much higher and broader level.