SNM: A Versatile Microplasma-based Patterning Technology for Large-Scale, High Throughput Nanomanufacturing

这笔赠款为开发基于微等离子体的直写制造工具提供资金，以在刚性和柔性衬底上生产亚100 nm金属和金属氧化物器件结构。这种图案化结构是通过等离子体电子选择性地还原分散在聚合物薄膜中的金属离子而形成的。将探索不同的金属，包括银、金、铂、铜和钛。为了控制图案尺寸，将在工艺中加入耐用的纳米模板掩模技术。将进行模拟和实验，以探索和阐明模板几何形状和带电流体传输之间的关系，带电流体传输最终决定图案转移和缩放。同时，还将开发适用于耐用柔性电子产品的具有防潮性能的纳米层聚合物基板。这两种工艺技术将整合在一条卷对卷生产线上，以展示工艺兼容性和可扩展性。将对所得到的金属纳米结构进行诸如导电性、附着力、密度、表面粗糙度、图案保真度和对施加应变的响应等性能的评估。将进行加速寿命测试以评估结构在商业应用中的可行性。如果成功，这项研究将导致一种高度通用、低成本、高通量的方法，用于在柔性衬底上制造纳米级结构和功能器件。基于微等离子体的图案化工艺在室温附近运行，使其与从硅到聚合物的各种衬底兼容，并在大气压下兼容，使其易于扩展到连续生产系统。这项技术有可能补充目前硅CMOS电子产品中使用的最先进的直写纳米制造系统，并为制造柔性电子产品和传感器的纳米级设备创造新的机会。此外，微等离子体工具与纳米层聚合物衬底的集成可以为潮湿潜伏环境开发灵活的电子系统，包括植入式医疗微系统。

This grant provides funding for the development of a microplasma-based, direct-write fabrication tool to produce sub-100 nm metallic and metal oxide device structures on rigid and flexible substrates. The patterned structures will be formed by selective electrochemical reduction of metal ions dispersed in polymeric films by plasma electrons. Different metals will be explored including Ag, Au, Pt, Cu, and Ti. To control the pattern dimension, a durable nanostencil masking technology will be incorporated into the process. Simulations and experiments will be performed to explore and elucidate the relationship between the stencil geometry and charged fluid transport that ultimately determines the pattern transfer and scaling. Concurrently, nanolayered polymer substrates with moisture barrier properties suitable for durable flexible electronics will be developed. The two process technologies will be integrated on a roll-to-roll line to demonstrate process compatibility and scalability. The resulting metallic nanostructures will be evaluated for such properties as electrical conductivity, adhesion, density, surface roughness, pattern fidelity, and responses to applied strains. Accelerated lifetime testing will be performed to assess the viability of the structures in commercial applications.If successful, this research will result in a highly versatile, low-cost, high-throughput method for the fabrication of nanoscale structures and functional devices on flexible substrates. The microplasma-based patterning process is operated near room temperature, making it compatible with a wide variety of substrates ranging from silicon to polymers, and at atmospheric pressure, making it readily scalable to continuous production systems. The technology has the potential to complement state-of-the-art, direct-write nanofabrication systems currently used in silicon CMOS electronics, as well as creating new opportunities to fabricate nanoscale devices for flexible electronics and sensors. Additionally, integration of the microplasma tool with nanolayered polymer substrates could enable the development of flexible electronic systems for moisture latent environments including implantable medical microsystems.