Nanomanufacturing Using Imprint Lithography and Strain Engineering

该补助金支持制造大量具有精确图案化表面成分的三维纳米结构和纳米颗粒的制造方法的研究。该方法利用自上而下的平面图案化方法，如纳米压印光刻，并将其与基于应变工程的自下而上的生物启发自组装方法相结合。实验和理论模型将被设计和利用来研究机制，以提高组装，产量，精度和产量的图案化多面体纳米粒子和弯曲的纳米结构。将使用实验的统计设计来优化各个工艺步骤，以确定重要的因素-响应关系，并且将使用光学和电子显微镜和光谱来表征纳米颗粒和纳米结构，以探测其物理和化学结构和性质。如果成功，创造一种具有成本效益的方法来制造大量图案化的纳米颗粒和3D纳米结构将为光学，电子和医学开辟新的能力。在纳米尺度下对薄膜应力和表面力的操纵研究将使人们更深入地了解材料在非常小尺寸尺度下的行为。由金属、半导体和聚合物组成的三维纳米结构对于计算、超材料、药物输送和传感器系统的发展具有重要意义。 评估自组装方法的可靠性，效率和再现性也是必要的，使它们能够从实验室转化为现实世界的制造环境，从而为纳米制造提供显着的新能力。拟议的工作还将通过开发教学实验室模块，将本科生纳入研究经验，并使K-12学生，教师和公众接触科学和工程的前沿，特别是在纳米制造领域，为培训和教育做出贡献。

This grant supports research on a manufacturing methodology for the fabrication of large numbers of three-dimensional nanostructures and nanoparticles with precisely patterned surface compositions. The methodology leverages top-down planar patterning methods such as nanoimprint lithography and combines them with bottom-up biologically inspired self-assembly methods based on strain engineering. Experiments and theoretical models will be designed and utilized to study mechanisms to improve assembly, throughput, precision and yield of patterned polyhedral nanoparticles and curved nanostructures. Individual process steps will be optimized using statistical design of experiments to identify important factor-response relationships and the nanoparticles and nanostructures will be characterized using optical and electron microscopies and spectroscopies to probe their physical and chemical structure and properties. If successful, the creation of a cost-effective method to fabricate large numbers of patterned nanoparticles and 3D nanostructures will open up new capabilities for optics, electronics and medicine. Studies directed at the manipulation of thin film stress and surface forces at the nanoscale will lead to a deeper understanding of the behavior of materials at very small size scales. Three dimensional nanostructures composed of metals, semiconductors and polymers are important for the development of computational, metamaterial, drug delivery and sensor systems. Assessment of the reliability, efficiency and reproducibility of self-assembly methods is also necessary to enable them to be translated from the laboratory to a real-world manufacturing setting, thereby providing significantly new capabilities for nanomanufacturing. The proposed work will also contribute to training and education by the development of instructional laboratory modules, the inclusion of undergraduate students in research experiences and expose K-12 students, teachers and the public to the frontiers of science and engineering, specifically in the area of nanomanufacturing.