NER: Stepwise Contraction Adsorption Nanolithography, SCAN: A New Approach Towards Simple, Inexpensive and High Throughput Nanofabrication

总体目标是开发一种新的光刻技术，称为“逐步收缩吸附纳米光刻（SCAN）”。在第一步中，拉伸聚合物图章，在图章表面产生蛋白质的微图案。当拉伸力被移除时，邮票将放松到它们的初始尺寸，因此微图案将收缩到更小的尺寸。然后拉伸第二个图章并与第一个图章接触以转移图案。原则上，多次重复这些步骤应该会产生尺寸按比例缩小的结构。在最后一步中，橡皮图章被压在指定的表面上，例如玻片，然后由纳米结构定义的材料被吸附到最终表面上。结合聚合物合成和微纳米光刻技术专长，两家合作项目计划(1)开发先进的表面处理方法，制备用于蛋白质粘附和冲压的聚合物表面；(2)优化实验参数，使横向扩散最小化，提高物质传递效率；(3)在新生课堂和实验室中实施简单的SCAN实验。一旦研制成功，SCAN将具有高通量、简单、纳米级空间精度等优点。除了加强对蛋白质-聚合物表面相互作用的科学理解外，SCAN还将为构建纳米级生物结构提供一种简单而高分辨率的方法，从而有利于生物芯片、生物器件和生物传感器的发展。通过拟议的研究项目，研究生和本科生有望获得纳米技术和聚合物化学方面的重要科学技能和见解。虽然纳米科学和纳米工程在研究生和博士后研究人员中是众所周知的，但在我们的本科生中缺乏类似的意识。在新生阶段实施一个简单的纳米制造实验将为新一代的研究人员、领导者和公民提供对纳米科学和纳米技术至关重要的接触。

The overall objective is to develop a new lithographic technique, referred to as "stepwise contraction adsorption nanolithography (SCAN)." In the first step, a polymer stamp is stretched and micropatterns of proteins are produced on the surface of the stamp. When the tensile force is removed, the stamps will relax to their initial size, and therefore the micropatterns will contract to a smaller size. A second stamp is then stretched and placed in contact with the first one to transfer the pattern. Repeating these steps multiple times should, in principle, produce structures with proportionally reduced dimensions. In the final step the rubber stamp is pressed against a designated surface, such as a glass slide, and the material defined by the nanostructures is then adsorbed onto the final surface. Combining technical expertise of polymer synthesis and micro- and nanolithography, the two co-PIs plan to (1) develop advanced surface treatment methods to prepare polymer surfaces for protein adhesion and stamping; (2) to optimize experimental parameters for minimizing lateral diffusion and increasing material transfer efficiency; and (3) to implement a simple SCAN experiment within the freshmen lecture and laboratory.When developed successfully, SCAN will have the advantages of the high throughput, simplicity, and nanometer spatial precision. Beyond enhancing scientific understanding of protein-polymer surface interactions, SCAN should benefit the development of biochips, biodevices, and biosensors by providing a simple and high-resolution means for constructing nanometer scale bioarchitectures. Through the proposed research projects, graduate and undergraduate students are expected to gain important scientific skills and insights in nanotechnology and polymer chemistry. While nanoscience and nanoengineering is well-known among graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, similar awareness is lacking among our undergraduate students. Implementation of a simple nanofabrication experiment at the freshmen level would provide critically important exposure of new generations of researchers, leaders, and citizens to nanoscience and nanotechnology.