RUI: A Molecular-Ruler Process to Create Nanostructures through Self- and Directed-Assembly

RUI：通过自组装和定向组装创建纳米结构的分子标尺过程

• 批准号: 1536528
• 负责人: Thomas Mullen
• 金额: $ 25.06万
• 依托单位: University of North Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1536528&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Molecular; Ruler; Process; Create

One of the great engineering challenges of the modern era is to create nanometer-scale structures and devices with high throughput and reproducibility. In nanoelectronics, the speed and density of devices have been the driving forces behind the increased resolution and capabilities of traditional top-down methods. The ability to maintain this trajectory is predicated upon the development of novel fabrication methods. This Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) award supports the development of a hybrid approach that couples a key aspect of conventional lithography, the ability to create complex architectures over large areas, to the resolution afforded by molecular self-assembly. The goal of this work is to create new economical nanomanufacturing techniques for the electronics and communications industries. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this project, undergraduate students will learn to communicate across disciplines and will receive broad scientific and technical training in preparation for their careers beyond the University of North Florida.In the molecular-ruler process, conventional lithography is combined with the selective deposition of multilayers that are comprised of bifunctional thiol molecules and metal ions. The chemical multilayer defines the nanometer-scale spacings of the lithographically patterned surface structures. This hybrid approach is inherently parallel and, hence, scalable and can be integrated into existing lithographic methods. The molecular-ruler process has great potential as a fabrication technique, however its general effectiveness and reproducibility is limited by the quality of the multilayer. This award will support an investigation of extending the capabilities of the molecular-ruler process by utilizing self- and directed-assembly strategies. Bifunctional thiol molecules will be designed and synthesized for use in metal-ligated multilayers. Monolayers and metal-ligated multilayers will be assembled, and their structure and quality will be characterized using a range of surface analytical techniques. Combining the molecular-ruler process with atomic force lithography, devices with single-nanometer interconnects within tailored nanogaps will be fabricated and their electronic behavior will be characterized. This hybrid strategy for the fabrication of nanogaps should provide a general and widely applicable methodology to produce well defined, registered nanometer scale features. Additionally, this award will support the interdisciplinary training of undergraduate students in the areas of organic synthesis, analytical surface science, and electronic device fabrication and characterization.

现代最大的工程挑战之一是创造具有高通量和可重复性的纳米级结构和器件。 在纳米电子学中，器件的速度和密度一直是传统自上而下方法提高分辨率和能力的驱动力。 保持这种轨迹的能力取决于新的制造方法的发展。 这项本科院校研究（RUI）奖支持开发一种混合方法，该方法将传统光刻的一个关键方面，即在大面积上创建复杂架构的能力，与分子自组装提供的分辨率相结合。 这项工作的目标是为电子和通信行业创造新的经济纳米制造技术。 鉴于该项目的跨学科性质，本科生将学习跨学科交流，并将接受广泛的科学和技术培训，为他们在北佛罗里达大学以外的职业生涯做准备。在分子尺工艺中，传统的光刻技术与由双官能硫醇分子和金属离子组成的多层的选择性沉积相结合。 化学多层限定了光刻图案化的表面结构的纳米级间距。 这种混合方法本质上是并行的，因此是可扩展的，并且可以集成到现有的光刻方法中。 分子尺工艺作为一种制造技术具有很大的潜力，但是其一般有效性和再现性受到多层膜质量的限制。 该奖项将支持通过利用自组装和定向组装策略来扩展分子统治者过程的能力的调查。 双官能硫醇分子将被设计和合成用于金属配位多层膜。 将组装单层和金属连接的多层膜，并使用一系列表面分析技术表征其结构和质量。 将分子标尺工艺与原子力光刻相结合，将制造具有定制纳米间隙内的单纳米互连的器件，并表征其电子行为。 这种用于制造纳米间隙的混合策略应该提供一种通用且广泛适用的方法来产生定义良好的、注册的纳米尺度特征。此外，该奖项将支持本科生在有机合成，分析表面科学和电子器件制造和表征领域的跨学科培训。

项目成果

Nanopatterning of Cu-Ligated Mercaptoalkanoic Acid Multilayers on Si Substrates via Atomic Force Lithography

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b10364
• 发表时间: 2020-01-09
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Patron，Alexandra M.;Bramer，Alisha M.;Mullen，Thomas J.
• 通讯作者: Mullen，Thomas J.