MRI: Acquisition of a Hybrid Mask-Aligner/Nanoimprinter Lithography Tool

本提案的主要目的是购买SUSS MicroTec公司的MABA6带纳米压印选项的面罩对准器。纳米加工工具具有纳米级压印和亚微米光学光刻能力。知识优势：所要求的纳米压印光刻工具将与CREOL洁净室设施内现有的高分辨率电子束光刻系统配对，以创造低成本的纳米制造能力。九名在纳米技术相关领域具有专业知识的教师将能够在拟议的工具中进行广泛的相关主题的研究。具体而言，使用该设备将促进(I)纳米激光器、（II）无源纳米光子集成电路（可重构硅光子延迟线芯片、光子晶体芯片和芯片级超快光子学）、（III）纳米等离子体（纳米孔径结构和器件、等离子体超材料、石墨烯纳米器件、无阈值纳米激光器）以及（IV）先进太阳能电池（基于光捕获和等离子体增强类型）的研究。更广泛的影响：新工具的获得是变革性的，因为它有望为那些可能无法负担电子束光刻制造成本的研究人员和实体带来低成本的纳米制造能力。该工具将加强相关学术单位独特的多/跨学科研究和教育。新工具预计将被研究生研究人员大量使用，并提出了将本科生和代表性不足的少数民族学生纳入该工具使用的计划。

The main objective of this proposal is to purchase a MABA6 Mask Aligner with Nano Imprinting Option by SUSS MicroTec Inc. The nanofabrication tool has both nanoscale imprinting and submicron optical lithography capabilities. Intellectual Merit: The requested nanoimprint lithography tool will be paired with an existing high-resolution electron-beam lithography system within the cleanroom facility of CREOL to create a low-cost nanofabrication capability. Nine faculty members with expertise in various fields related to nanotechnology will be able to conduct research in a wide range of interrelated topics facilitated by the proposed tool. Specifically, research on (I) Nanolasers, (II) Passive nanophotonic integrated circuits (reconfigurable silicon photonic delay line chips, photonic crystal chips and chip-scale ultrafast photonics), (III) Nanoplasmonics (nanoaperture structures and devices, plasmonic metamaterials, graphene nanodevices, threshold-less nanolasers), and (IV) Advanced Solar Cells (light-trapping-based and plasmonic-enhanced types) will be facilitated using the proposed equipment. Broader Impacts: Acquisition of the new tool is transformational because it is expected to bring low-cost nanofabrication capabilities to those researchers and entities that may not otherwise be able to afford the electron-beam lithography fabrication costs. The tool will enhance the unique multi/inter-disciplinary research and education at the involved academic units. The new tool is expected to be heavily used by graduate student researchers and programs to integrate undergraduate and underrepresented minority students in the usage of the tool are proposed.