MRI: Acquisition of a Nanoimprint Lithography System for Nanomanufacturing and Nano/Micro Fabrication

“这项奖励是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。”该项目的目标是利用创新的纳米压印光刻（NIL）技术进行研究和培训，用于马萨诸塞大学洛厄尔分校（UML）纳米制造的微/纳米传感器/致动器、纳米器件、纳米结构和纳米尺度工具的原型和制造。NIL是一种微纳米级的复制工艺，它使用机械压制和加热或紫外线照明的组合，以低成本和高通量在基板上产生均匀和高分辨率的特征（低于10纳米）。所要求的NIL系统将显著提高麻省大学洛厄尔分校的纳米制造和纳米/微制造能力。目前直接受益于该系统的研究项目包括：1)用于化学和生物传感系统的三维纳米特征制造；2)聚合物-金属复合注塑模具开发；3)基于纳米线的光学检测系统和纳米电子学的纳米光刻技术；4)光伏能量转换系统的纳米结构制备；5)用于纳米制造的纳米模板制备。NIL系统是纳米制造工艺链的重要组成部分。这种纳米制造能力所支持的研究项目包括许多具有广泛影响的应用，例如：用于防止人员伤亡和基础设施破坏的实时和原位爆炸检测、生物分子传感、用于可持续能源的高效太阳能电池、用于纳米电子封装的无铅焊接，以及高速率、高容量和环保的制造工艺。所要求的仪器将通过纳米技术研究生证书、顶点项目和高级项目、课程演示和实验室实验、本科生项目的夏季研究经验，整合到K-12教师和学生、本科生和研究生以及行业专业人士的教育和推广计划中。纳米技术会传播吗？伞外展计划。这些活动是由NSF高速纳米制造中心（CHN）和国家资助的UML纳米制造卓越中心（NCOE）组织的广泛教育和扩展基础设施的一部分。该项目还将通过CHN和NCOE招聘计划，让来自代表性不足群体的学生参与研究项目和课程作业。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."The objective of this project is to utilize an innovative nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technique for research and training in prototyping and fabrication of micro/nano sensors/actuators, nano devices, nanostructures and nanoscale tooling for nanomanufacturing at UMass-Lowell (UML). The NIL is a micro- and nanoscale replication process, which uses a combination of mechanical pressing and heating or ultraviolet lighting to generate uniform and high resolution features (below 10 nm) on a substrate at a low cost and high throughput. The requested NIL system will significantly enhance nanomanufacturing and nano/micro fabrication capabilities at UMass-Lowell. Current research projects directly benefiting from the requested system include: 1) three-dimensional nanofeatures fabrication for chemical and biological sensing systems; 2) hybrid polymer-metal tooling development for injection molding; 3) nanoscale lithography for nanowire based optical detection systems and nanoelectronics; 4) nanostructure fabrication for photovoltaic energy conversion systems; and 5) nanotemplate fabrication for nanomanufacturing. The NIL system is an essential component of the nanofabrication process chain. The research projects enabled by this nanofabrication capability include many broader-impact applications such as: real time and in situ explosive detection for prevention of loss of human life and damage to infrastructure, biomolecular sensing, high efficiency solar cells for sustainable energy source, lead-free soldering for nanoelectronics packaging, and high-rate, high-volume, and environmentally-safe manufacturing processes. The requested instrumentation will be integrated into education and outreach programs for K-12 teachers and students, undergraduate and graduate students, and industry professionals through the Graduate Certificate in Nanotechnology, capstone and senior projects, course demonstration and laboratory experiments, summer research experience for undergraduates program and ?Nanotech Will Travel? umbrella outreach program. These activities are part of an extensive education and outreach infrastructure organized by the NSF Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) and the state-funded Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence (NCOE) at UML. This project will also involve students from underrepresented groups in research projects and course work through CHN and NCOE recruiting programs.