Surface Plasmon-Assisted Nanolithography

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The objective of this project, to be conducted at the University of Texas at Austin, is to develop a new nano-fabrication technique, Surface Plasmons-Assisted Nanolithography (SPAN), to manufacture sub-50 nm structures in a massively parallel fashion. The PI will conduct comprehensive investigations by a combination of experiments and theoretical simulation to obtain a fundamental understanding of enhanced optical transmission through nano-slits and photoresist. Optimal design of the SPAN process using different mask materials, photoresists, and coating on the substrate will be carried out aiming to address the underlying necessities for predictability, producibility, and productivity using SPAN. The proposed research requires the unique combination of nano-photonics and nanomanufacturing. As a general purpose nanomanufacturng technique, the technical impact of the SPAN process will be very broad, ranging from the fabrication of nanoelectronics, to the development of nanophotonics and nano-bio systems. Compared to existing nano-fabrication techniques, this new method offers high throughput and low costs, which are critical to industrial scale manufacturing. Moreover, the results of this work will provide exciting teaching materials and interesting laboratory projects. The proposed efforts of integrating research with education will offer undergraduates and graduate students increased exposure to nanoscience and engineering technologies and applications. In particular, improving on-going graduate courses in NEMS/MEMS, initiation of a new undergraduate course -Introduction to Micro and Nanoengineering", and implementation of emerging nanoengineering components into traditional undergraduate core courses will have a significant impact on graduate and undergraduate education.