Self-positioning Microspheres for Direct-write Nanolithography using Bessel Beam Optical Traps

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Optical trap-assisted nanolithography is a novel technique providing high resolution nanoscale rapid prototyping over different types of surfaces. Small plastic beads, used as near-field lenses for pulsed-laser processing, are placed in close proximity to a surface by means of an optical trap. The force from the light pushing down on the beads suspended in liquid is balanced by a repelling force pushing up from the surface allowing the beads to reach an equilibrium position near the surface and enabling one to move them with computer-controlled accuracy. Arrays of beads provide high-throughput parallel-processing for nanomanufacturing applications without the need for active feedback and monitoring of each bead. In this study, the fundamental interactions among the bead, surface, and solution are examined experimentally and theoretically in order to understand the underlying physics of the configuration, providing a direct path toward improved speed and scalability and expanding the applicability of this emerging technique to other new and exciting systems. The results of this project will have a significant impact on the field of direct-write nanomanufacturing as well as other important areas in which interactions between a bead and a surface under different environments appear, such as biology, energy, colloidal sciences, or even consumer foods and skin care products. Given the broad appeal, a number of important educational activities are planned including module development for community science museums and web based projects.