Novel Instrumentation for High-Speed AFM-based Nano Machining

新型和颠覆性纳米制造技术的发展是一个非常重要的研究领域。尽管真空和基于掩模的光刻技术已经在工业中用于半导体器件和衍生的纳米机电系统（NEMS）部件的纳米级制造，但是它们仍然具有与它们相关联的许多限制。具体地，这些制造技术依赖于资本密集型设备，同时被限制于平面特征的制造并且被限制于有限的一组加工材料。此外，由于它们是能源和资源密集型的，并产生大量废物，因此对它们的环境友好性也越来越关注。在此背景下，该提案将集中在纳米尺度上基于高速AFM探针的机械加工的发展。该工艺代表了一种替代和创新的解决方案，可以潜在地解决缺乏成本效益，三维和更环保的制造技术，用于生产各种材料的纳米结构部件。然而，为了充分发挥AFM探针加工的潜力，仍然需要逐步改变其产量。出于这个原因，本项目中提出的研究旨在开发一种新的驱动装置，该装置可以很容易地安装在商业AFM仪器上，以在进行基于尖端的加工操作时达到未开发的加工速度。这种新的驱动装置将依赖于压电致动器，将被固定在AFM的工作台上，并将用于使处理过的样品相对于AFM探针的尖端产生快速旋转位移。我们的愿景是通过使当前AFM系统能够以比该领域现有技术快一千倍的切割速度执行纳米级材料去除操作来增强其能力。特别是，开发的设置将被设计成使得它能够实现从几米/分钟到几百米/分钟的切割速度。随着这一新的设置的发展，设想了两个主要的优势。首先，它将为纳米级制造提供真空和基于掩模的光刻技术的成本效益和环境友好的替代方案。其次，由于AFM在研究实验室中广泛使用，它将有助于扩大具有内部制造能力的用户群，以便对具有亚微米结构的部件进行纳米加工。

The development of novel and disruptive nano-scale manufacturing technologies is a research area of high importance. Although vacuum and mask-based lithography techniques are already employed in industry for nano-scale manufacturing of semi-conductor devices and the derived nano electro mechanical systems (NEMS) components, they still have a number of limitations associated with them. In particular, these fabrication technologies rely on capital-intensive equipment while being restricted to the fabrication of planar features and constrained to a limited set of processed materials. Besides, there are also increased concerns over their environmental friendliness as they are energy and resource intensive and generate significant waste. In this context, this proposal will focus on the development of high-speed AFM probe-based mechanical machining at nano scale. The process represents an alternative and innovative solution that can potentially address the lack of cost effective, 3 dimensional and more environmentally friendly fabrication technologies for producing nano-structured components in a wide range of materials. However, to fully realise the potential of AFM probe-based machining, a step-change in its throughput is still required. For this reason, the research put forward in this project aims to develop a new actuation device that could be readily fitted on commercial AFM instruments to reach untapped processing speeds when conducting tip-based machining operations. This new actuation device, which will rely on piezo-electric actuators, will be fixed onto the stage of AFMs and will be used to create fast rotating displacements of a processed sample with respect to the tip of an AFM probe. The vision is to enhance the capability of current AFM systems by enabling them to perform nano-scale material removal operations at cutting speeds a thousand times faster compared to state of the art in this field. In particular, the developed set-up will be designed so that it enables cutting speeds from a few m/min up to a few hundreds of m/min to be reached. Two major advantages are envisaged with the development of this new set-up. First, it will provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to vacuum and mask-based lithography techniques for nano-scale fabrication. Second, due to the fact that AFMs are widespread in research laboratories, it will contribute to broaden the base of users with in-house manufacturing capabilities for the nano-machining of components with sub-micrometre structures.