NER: Development of a Novel Low Cost Nano-lithography Technique using a Nanometric High Transmission Optical Antenna

该项目是响应纳米尺度科学与工程计划，NSF 01-157， NER类。本计画的目标是发展一种新的低成本奈米光刻技术。传统的纳米制造设备，使用电子束或其他辐射源，在真空中运行，成本远远超过100万美元。相反，这种技术是基于激光设备及其附件；其总成本将低于10万美元。该纳米光刻系统的关键部件是纳米光学天线，该天线能够以高透射率（效率）将微米尺寸的入射激光束传输到纳米尺寸的区域。这种纳米光刻系统可以进一步发展为并行制造系统，因此与其他技术相比，制造过程所需的时间可以大大减少。随着纳米技术的快速发展，开发低成本、高通量的制造技术是至关重要的。只有采用快速、低成本的制造技术，纳米技术才能从研究转化为工业，并影响社会。这项工作的成功将为纳米制造提供一种低成本的纳米光刻技术。这项研究还将为本科生和研究生提供培训，包括代表性不足的群体。这项研究的结果将广泛传播。

This project was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 01-157, category NER. The objective of this project is to develop a novel low cost nano-lithography technique. Conventional nano-manufacturing equipment, using electron beams or other radiation sources and operating in vacuum, costs well above $1,000,000. In contrary, this technique is based on a laser device and its accessories; its total cost will be less than $100,000. The key component in this nano-lithography system is a nanometric optical antenna capable of transmitting an incoming micrometer size laser beam into a nanometer size domain with high transmissivity (efficiency). This nano-lithography system can be further developed into a parallel manufacturing system, so that the time needed for the manufacturing process can be significantly reduced compared with other techniques. With the rapid progress in nano-technology, it is crucial to develop low cost manufacturing techniques with high throughput. Only with rapid and low cost manufacturing techniques could the nano-technology translate itself from research to industry, and to impact the society. The success of this work will provide a low cost nano-lithography technique for nano-manufacturing. This research will also provide training to undergraduate and graduate students, including underrepresented groups. The results of this research will be broadly disseminated.