NER: Difference-Defined Nanofabrication

这项研究的目的是开发一种新的纳米级器件和分子互连的制造技术，有可能制造出间距在纳米级可控的自对准10纳米级金属结构。这种方法是使用电子束通过模板掩模蒸发到半导体或其他衬底上。模板掩模在不同材料的蒸发之间以纳米精度相对于衬底平移。所述材料被选择为具有不同的蚀刻化学，使得在随后的蚀刻时移除其中一种材料。其余材料的大小由两种图案之间的差异决定。这一过程被称为差异定义纳米制造。由于商业纳米定位器可以以1纳米的精度进行平移，因此差异定义的纳米加工允许在单纳米级别上控制特征尺寸。不同定义的纳米制造是一种固有的清洁、不含有机物质的技术。这种方法的能力将通过开发纳米机电隧道晶体管和分子的电测试结构来展示。这项研究的社会效益在于纳米技术的进步。纳米技术有多种形式，并将广泛应用于医疗保健、国土安全和信息技术应用，为美国的制造业和服务业创造新的就业机会。在这里进行的研究促进了形成固态、分子和生物电子器件和传感器以及在分子尺度上进行电连接的新方法的发展。这一努力的成功将加速研究人员在纳米尺度上构建设备的能力。

The objective of this research is to develop a new manufacturing technique for nanoscale devices and molecular interconnections with the potential for producing self-aligned ten-nanometer-scale metal structures with spacings controlled at the nanometer scale. The approach is to use electron-beam evaporation through a stencil mask onto a semiconductor or other substrate. The stencil mask is translated with respect to the substrate with nanometer precision between evaporations of dissimilar materials. The materials are selected to have dissimilar etch chemistry such that upon subsequent etching one of the materials is removed. The remaining material has a size determined by the difference between the two patterns. This process is termed difference-defined nanofabrication. Since commercial nanopositioners can perform translations with one-nanometer precision, difference-defined nanofabrication allows feature size control at the single-nanometer level. Difference-defined nanofabrication is an inherently clean, organic-free technique. The capabilities of this approach will be demonstrated through the development of a nanoelectromechanical tunneling transistor and electrical test structures for molecules.The societal benefits of this research are in the advancement of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology takes many forms and will be broadly applied in health care, homeland security, and information technology applications, creating new jobs in manufacturing and service in the United States. The research undertaken here promotes the development of new ways to form solid state, molecular, and bioelectronic devices and sensors and to make electrical connections at the molecular scale. Success in this effort will accelerate the ability of researcher to construct devices at the nanometer scale.