Development of an Optical-based, Low-cost, Parallel Nano-manufacturing Technique

本提案的目的是开发一种基于光学的、低成本的并行纳米制造技术。拟议中的纳米制造系统的关键组成部分是一个纳米级的光学天线，能够集中光到纳米领域的高效率，这是最近在PI的实验室证明。在拟议的工作中，这种天线阵列，每个单独控制，将用于并行纳米制造。研究将进行优化天线的计算和表征，并开发并行制造的算法。该项目还将为研究生和本科生提供纳米尺度制造，仪器设计和近场光学基础方面的培训。这项研究的成果将用于多门课程的教学和教学实验室，使更多的学生能够从这项研究中受益。这项研究如果成功，将对纳米制造技术以及纳米科学和纳米技术产生重大影响。纳米科学和纳米技术在过去十年的进步正在创造许多新的机会，可能会大大改变我们的社会。为了将这些新开发的纳米科学和纳米技术推向市场，需要低成本、大规模的纳米制造技术。传统的纳米制造涉及成本非常高的复杂设备。相反，所提出的技术将使用激光器和商业可用的组件，其总成本要低得多。此外，能够高效地将光集中到纳米尺寸将对其他科学和技术领域产生重大影响，从表面检测到生物检测，再到高密度数据存储。

This objective of this proposal is to develop an optical based, low cost, parallel nano-manufacturing technique. The key component in the proposed nano-manufacturing system is a nanoscale optical antenna capable of concentrating light into a nanometer domain with high efficiency, which was recently demonstrated in the PI's laboratory. In the proposed work, an array of such antennas, each to be individually controlled, will be used for parallel nano-manufacturing. Research will be conducted to optimize the antenna by computation and characterization, and to develop an algorism for parallel manufacturing. This project will also provide graduate and undergraduate students with trainings in nano-scale manufacturing, instrumentation design, and fundamentals of near field optics. Results obtained from this work will be used for teaching in a number of courses and instructional laboratories so that more students can benefit from this research.The proposal work, if successful, will have a large impact on nano-manufacturing technology as well as nano-science and nano-technology in general. The advances in nano-science and nano-technology in the last decade are creating many new opportunities that may greatly change our society. In order to bring these newly developed nano-sciences and nano-technologies to the market, low cost, large scale nano-manufacturing technologies are needed. Conventional nano-fabrication involves sophisticated equipment with very high cost. In contrary, the proposed technique will use lasers and commercially available components, and its total cost is much lower. Additionally, being able to concentrate light into nanometer dimensions with high efficiency will significantly impact other areas of science and technology, from surface inspection to biological detection, to high density data storage.