SGER: Wear-Induced Nanoripples in Single Crystals

这项工作的研究目标是研究一种制造微通道的新方法，用于芯片实验室和微机电系统（MEMS）应用。该方法是基于控制薄膜屈曲，形成分层泡。这些机械活性特征是由于残余应力释放导致薄膜和衬底之间局部失去附着力而形成的，并表现出定向生长。水疱的几何形状和路径将由光刻蚀刻的粘合弱化层控制，勾勒出所需的平面内水疱结构。面外尺寸将由薄膜残余应力控制。薄膜和涂层的屈曲脱层是一个真正的多尺度现象，因此从几十纳米到厘米宽的特征都是可能的。此外，从全面片上集成的角度来看，与传统微电子处理的兼容性非常有希望。流体传输机制，以及设备的可靠性也将被考虑。如果成功，该研究将对纳米制造、MEMS和医疗领域产生重大影响。所提出的方法将实现微通道的成本效益，多尺度制造，最终导致强大的制造过程。可能的应用包括药物输送、诊断设备和早期癌症检测。所提出的工作也将有助于为薄膜加工提供实验和分析工具。

The research objective of this effort is to investigate a novel method for manufacturing microchannels for lab-on-a-chip and Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) applications. The method is based on controlled thin film buckling, forming delamination blisters. These mechanically active features form by a local loss of adhesion between the film and the substrate due to residual stress relief, and exhibit directional growth. The geometry and path of the blisters will be controlled with lithographically-etched adhesion-weakening layers outlining the desired in-plane blister configuration. The out-of-plane dimensions will be controlled by the film residual stress. Thin film and coating buckling delamination is a truly multiscale phenomenon, so features ranging from tens of nanometers to centimeters in width are possible. In addition, compatibility with conventional microelectronic processing is very promising from the standpoint of full-scale on-chip integration. Fluid transport mechanisms, as well as the device reliability will also be considered.If successful, the proposed research will greatly impact nano-manufacturing, MEMS, and medical fields. The proposed approach will enable cost-effective, multi-scale manufacturing of microchannels, leading to an ultimately robust manufacturing process. Possible applications include drug delivery, diagnostic devices and early cancer detection. The proposed work will also contribute to the experimental and analytical tools available for thin films processing.