MRI: Acquisition of a Dedicated Electron Beam Lithography (eBL) System for Interdisciplinary Research, Hands-on Education and Inspiring Outreach

该奖项为西北大学（NU）提供支持，以采购专用的电子束光刻（eBL）系统，用于跨学科研究，综合实践培训和教育以及推广。能够将结构定位到纳米/分子尺度，并对尺寸，位置，形状和整体架构进行精致和精确的控制，是现代科学和工程的标志之一。从光电子学到量子信息处理再到生物传感器，多个领域的研究进展都是通过在这些长度尺度上操纵物质的能力实现的，这些长度尺度是由eBL纳米图案化和纳米光刻解决的。在这种情况下，eBL已成为在大空间区域内以纳米级精度进行图案化的主力。这个eBL系统将显着影响西北社区和超越。本科生，研究生和研究人员将受益于新的专用eBL及其各种应用的实践培训和洁净室经验。仪器功能将在材料制造和表征的广泛领域的课程中形成实践实验室模块。该系统将被安置在一个名为“NUFAB”的专用洁净室纳米制造设施中，并将有助于在设施内提供完整的集成微/纳米制造工艺流程。此外，NUFAB是NSF-国家纳米纤维协调基础设施（NNCI）在中西部地区称为软和混合纳米技术实验（SHyNE）资源节点的一部分。作为NNCI的一个节点，SHyNE资源为区域和国家用户（如中小企业和大公司）提供访问这一专用电子BL的机会，此外还提供访问当地机构、区域大学和社区学院的机会。eBL系统将大大提高NU和周边的研究能力，NSF-NNCI节点下的区域基础设施，并有助于综合和跨学科的教育和推广，具有持久的影响。该奖项支持的eBL系统将是提高图案化和光刻的“品质因数”的关键，这对于项目团队，NU同事和合作者解决的无数科学挑战和技术概念验证至关重要。它将使迄今为止具有挑战性的实验，在广泛的倡议。eBL系统将影响广泛的类别：等离子体和光子学;量子结构和现象;电子和能源材料; NEMS/MEMS传感器和系统;软物质，流体和生物分子结构。eBL系统将能够制造跨英寸尺度空间分布的有源纳米级元件，用于宽光束询问/测量。它将在纳米尺度上推动等离子体和光子结构在尺寸，形状，定义，保真度方面的极限。理论家和建模专家将相互关联的实验结果，在光物质相互作用的潜在突破。eBL将能够制造用于新兴功能纳米结构的关键传输和相关测量的纳米级接触，因为它们的尺寸需要纳米级接触。那些在空间受限系统（2-D层，半导体异质结构）中探索量子现象/系统的人将利用所提出的系统的精密平台，图案“拼接”和其他新颖性。该系统将作为开发新型电子束抗蚀剂和通过电子束曝光进行材料改性的试验平台。它将使探索粗糙度和空间限制对润湿行为的作用，流体传输，生物分子分选和其他现象锚定的纳米制造和图案的eBL系统。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This award provides support to Northwestern University (NU) to procure a dedicated electron beam lithography (eBL) system for interdisciplinary research, integrated hands-on training and education, and outreach. The ability to position structures down to the nano-/molecular-scale with exquisite and precise control over size, site, shape and overall architecture is one hallmark of modern science and engineering. Advances in research across multiple fields, from optoelectronics to quantum information processing to biosensors, are enabled by the ability to manipulate matter at these length-scales addressed by the eBL nanopatterning and nanolithography. In this context, eBL has become the workhorse for patterning with nanometer-scale precision across a large spatial area. This eBL system will significantly impact the Northwestern community and beyond. Undergraduate, graduate students and researchers will benefit from the hands-on training and cleanroom experience with the new dedicated eBL, and its diverse applications. The instrument capabilities will form hands-on laboratory modules in courses in broad area of materials fabrication and characterization. The system will be housed in a dedicated clean-room nanofabrication facility called "NUFAB", and will help provide a complete integrated micro/nanofabrication process flow within the facility. In addition, NUFAB is part of the NSF-National Nanofabrication Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) node in the Midwest region called Soft- and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource. As an NNCI node, SHyNE Resource provides access to this dedicated eBL to regional and national users, such as SMEs and large corporations, in addition to access to local area institutions, regional universities and community colleges. The eBL system will greatly enhance NU and surrounding research capabilities, regional infrastructure under NSF-NNCI node, and contribute to integrated and cross-disciplinary education and outreach, with lasting impact. The eBL system supported by this award will be key in enhancing the "figures of merit" for patterning and lithography that are essential for myriad scientific challenges and technological proof-of-concepts addressed by project team, NU colleagues and collaborators. It will enable hitherto challenging experiments in a wide range of initiatives. The eBL system will impact broad categories in: plasmonics and photonics; quantum structures and phenomena; materials for electronics and energy; NEMS/MEMS sensors and systems; soft matter, fluidics and biomolecular structures. The eBL system will enable fabrication of active nanoscale elements across inch-scale spatial distribution for broad-beam interrogation/measurements. It will push the limits of plasmonics and photonic structures in terms of size, shape, definition, fidelity, at the nanometer scale. Theorists and modeling experts will cross-correlate experimental findings for potential breakthroughs in light-matter interactions. The eBL will enable fabrication of nanoscale contacts for critical transport and related measurements of emerging functional nanostructures, as their size requires nanoscale contacts. Those exploring quantum phenomena/systems in spatially confined systems (2-D layers, semiconductor heterostructures), will make use of the precision stage, pattern "stitching" and other novelties of the proposed system. The system will serve as a testbed for the development of novel electron-beam resists and materials modification by electron-beam exposures. It will enable exploring the role of roughness and spatial confinement on wetting behavior, fluid transport, biomolecular sorting and other phenomena anchored by nanoscale fabrication and patterning of eBL system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.