New Scalable Nanomanufacturing Technology: Large-Area Nanoimprint Master Fabrication without Using EBL by Innovative Multi-Set Nanopatterning

纳米制造中的两个主要挑战是在不使用电子束光刻或基于串联写入方法的类似方法的情况下在大面积上产生复杂的纳米颗粒，并以低成本产生它们。大面积复杂纳米粒子具有巨大的技术重要性和许多商业应用，影响着价值数十亿美元的广泛行业。然而，目前最先进的光刻技术，作为半导体芯片行业的主力，价格极其昂贵，仅限于直径12英寸的面积，表面平坦，周期约30纳米。该奖项支持探索新的改变路径的创新方法的研究，以提供上述两个挑战的解决方案。这项研究将独特地将多个学科的知识和技术结合起来，创造出大面积的纳米喷雾。它将在制造广泛的大面积复杂纳米材料方面带来新的知识和技术，并将提供材料和技术，使许多领域的研究和应用成为可能，如太阳能电池、固态照明、生物技术、燃料电池、数据存储、光通信、半导体集成电路和显示器。为了克服纳米制造中的挑战，这项研究将探索一种新的创新路径改变方法，称为“多集纳米制造”(MSN)。MSN可以在不使用电子束光刻或类似的连续写入方法的情况下在大面积上生成复杂的纳米结构。该方法包括三种创新的非常规技术及其创造性的叠加或多种用途。它们是(I)傅立叶纳米压痕图案化，(Ii)边缘导向纳米压痕图案化，和(Iii)纳米结构自我完善。每一种单独的技术都可以创造出以前无法产生的复杂纳米结构，但当它们结合在一起时，它们可以低成本地在大范围内产生更复杂的纳米结构。这项研究将探索每种方法的科学技术及其组合使用。此外，这项研究将推进纳米压痕模具复制的新方法，并将使用大面积纳米等离子体和卷对卷纳米压痕作为技术开发的试验台。

Two central challenges in nanomanufacturing are to generate complex nanopatterns over large areas without using electron beam lithography or similar approaches that are based on a serial writing method, and to generate them at low cost. Large-area complex nanopatterns have enormous technological importance and many commercial applications impacting a broad range of multi-billion dollar industries. However, currently, the most advanced lithography, which is the workhorse in semiconductor chip industry, is extremely expensive and is limited to a 12 inch diameter area, flat surfaces, and a period of about 30 nanometers. This award supports research that explores new path-changing innovative approaches to provide solutions to the above two challenges. The research will uniquely combine knowledge and technologies from multiple disciplines to create large-area nanopatterning. It will lead to new knowledge and technologies in the fabrication of a broad range of large-area complex nanopatterns, and will provide materials and technologies to enable many fields of study and applications, such as, solar cells, solid state lighting, biotechnology, fuel cells, data storage, optical communication, semiconductor integrated circuits, and displays.To overcome the challenges in nanomanufacturing, the research will explore a new innovative path-changing approach, termed "multi-set nanopatterning" (MSN). MSN can generate complex nanostructures over a large area without using electron beam lithography or similar serial writing methods. The approach comprises of three innovative nonconventional techniques and their creative superposition or multiple uses. They are (i) Fourier nanoimprint patterning, (ii) edge-guided nanopatterning, and (iii) nanostructure self-perfection. Each individual technique alone can create complex nanostructures that could not be generated before, but, when they are combined, they can generate far more complex nanopatterns over a large area at low cost. The research will explore the science and technology of each method and their combined use. Furthermore, the research will advance new approaches in nanoimprint mold duplication and will use large area nanoplasmonics and roll-to-roll nanoimprint as test-beds for technology development.