Hybrid Thermal Probe and Laser for Direct Writing of Advanced Nano Sensors (HyProLaSens)

为了实现高性能、可重复、稳定的多功能传感器，在纳米尺度上进行制造和原位表征的必要工具和设备尤为重要。常用的宏观和微观结构工具不能满足微型化的要求，也不能实现高分辨率。这限制了传感器在灵敏度和精度方面的性能，缩小了研究能力和研究转移的前景。此外，在亚纳米尺度上对表面进行修改和调整也是开发具有附加功能的传感器和提高传感器应用范围的要求之一。所要求的设备通过热扫描探针光刻和激光直写在多种材料上实现非侵入性纳米加工和纳米器件的精确结构，并提供原位成像能力。因此，具有纳米级分辨率的功能化可以通过具有几纳米的高度局部分辨率的分子和生物分子偶联来实现。特别是，化学传感器可以因此大大小型化，并在飞摩尔范围内达到低检测极限，以满足关键应用的要求，例如在医疗保健和安全应用中。高度小型化的传感器阵列可以通过高度敏感的传感器来实现，这些传感器可以在非侵入性应用中实现，例如用于监测汗液、间质液和皮肤汗液中挥发性有机化合物的可穿戴设备，其中分析物的浓度非常低，干扰的可能性非常高。通过材料的纳米细化和纳米像素化，可以提高传感器的灵敏度和选择性。纳米通道结构的高分辨率模式使得在纳米流体和纳米尺寸传感器中检测单个纳米物体、实现纳米电池和基于单层纳米材料的场效应晶体管的纳米间隙以及高密度纳米像素传感器阵列成为可能。利用无掩模扫描热探针光刻技术可以实现低成本、高通量的光子学、微光学、等离子体学和复杂结构的纳米器件，其x-y分辨率在nm范围内，z- z分辨率在亚nm范围内。与传统的纳米光刻技术（如电子束光刻）相比，这种新型设备适用于快速成型和精确成形和定位2D/3D纳米结构。该设施大大加强了大学在“材料和智能系统”领域的研究可能性，并提供了出色的基础设施。促进地方、国家和国际合作，开展新颖的研究和交流项目。

For the realization of high-performance, reproducible, stable multifunctional sensors going significantly beyond the state of the art, necessary tools, and equipment for fabrication and in-situ characterization at the nanoscale are of particularly importance. Common structuring tools in the macro- and microscale range are not satisfying the needed miniaturization and do not realize a high resolution. This restricts the sensor performance in terms of sensitivity and accuracy and narrows the research capabilities and the research transfer perspectives. In addition, modifications and tweaking of the surfaces at sub nanoscale are also one of the requirements in the development of sensors with added functionalities and enhance the range of applications of the sensors. The requested device enables non-invasive nano processing and precise structuring of nano devices by thermal scanning probe lithography and laser direct writing on a multitude of materials and provides in-situ imaging capabilities. A functionalization with nanoscale resolution can be thereby realized with molecules and biomolecule conjugations with a highly localized resolution of a few nanometres. Particularly, chemical sensors can be thereby significantly miniaturized and reach a low limit of detection in the femtomolar range to fulfill the requirements of critical applications, e. g. in health care and safety applications. Highly miniaturized sensor arrays can be realized with highly sensitive sensors that can be implemented in non-invasive applications such as wearables for monitoring of sweat, interstitial fluids, and VOCs from skin perspiration wherein the concentrations of analytes are very low, and the possibility of interferences is very high. By the novel fabrication technique, sensors can be boosted to reach outstanding sensitivity and selectivity by material nano-elaboration and nano-pixelation. The high-resolution patterning of nanochannel structures makes it possible to detect single nanoobjects within nanofluidic and nano-size sensors, to realize nanogaps for nanobatteries and single-layer nanomaterialsbased FET transistors as well as high-density nano pixel sensor arrays. Further nanodevices for the photonics, micro-optics, plasmonics, and complex structures can be realized with the maskfree scanning thermal probe lithography at low-costs and high throughput with an x-y resolution in the nm range and a z-resolution in the sub-nm range. In comparison to conventional nanolithography techniques, like electron beam lithography, the novel device is suitable for rapid prototyping and precisely shaping and locating 2D/3D nanostructures. This facility significantly strengthens the research possibilities at the university within the topical focus on “materials and smart systems” and provides an outstanding infrastructure. Local, national and international cooperation can be boosted to initiate novel research and exchange projects.