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）采购专用电子束光刻（eBL）系统提供支持，用于跨学科研究、综合实践培训和教育以及推广。通过对尺寸、位置、形状和整体结构的精确控制，将结构定位到纳米/分子尺度的能力是现代科学和工程的一个标志。从光电子学到量子信息处理再到生物传感器等多个领域的研究进展，都是通过eBL纳米图案和纳米光刻技术在这些长度尺度上操纵物质的能力实现的。在这种情况下，eBL已经成为在大空间区域内以纳米尺度精度进行图案化的主力。该eBL系统将对西北社区及其他地区产生重大影响。本科生，研究生和研究人员将受益于新的专用eBL的实践培训和洁净室经验，以及它的各种应用。仪器的功能将在材料制造和表征的广泛领域的课程中形成动手实验模块。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，并将有助于在该设施内提供完整的集成微/纳米制造工艺流程。此外，NUFAB是美国国家科学基金会-国家纳米制造协调基础设施（NNCI）节点的一部分，该节点位于中西部地区，称为软混合纳米技术实验（SHyNE）资源。作为NNCI的一个节点，除了向当地机构、地区大学和社区学院提供访问权限外，SHyNE Resource还向区域和国家用户（如中小企业和大型企业）提供访问专用eBL的权限。eBL系统将极大地提高西北大学及其周边地区的研究能力和NSF-NNCI节点下的区域基础设施，并为综合和跨学科的教育和推广做出贡献，具有持久的影响。由该奖项支持的eBL系统将是增强图案和光刻“优点”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能够在广泛的倡议中进行。eBL系统将影响以下领域：等离子体和光子学；量子结构与现象；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，用于宽光束探测/测量。它将推动等离子体和光子结构在尺寸，形状，清晰度，保真度方面的极限，在纳米尺度。理论学家和建模专家将交叉关联实验发现，以期在光-物质相互作用方面取得潜在突破。eBL将能够制造纳米级触点，用于关键传输和新兴功能纳米结构的相关测量，因为它们的尺寸需要纳米级触点。那些在空间受限系统（二维层，半导体异质结构）中探索量子现象/系统的人，将利用所提出系统的精密阶段，模式“拼接”和其他新颖之处。该系统将作为开发新型电子束抗蚀剂和电子束辐照改性材料的试验台。这将有助于探索粗糙度和空间限制在润湿行为、流体传输、生物分子分选和其他现象中的作用，这些现象是由纳米级制造和eBL系统的图案所固定的。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.