Atomic Layer Lithography for Integrated Optoelectronic Devices with Sub-10-nm Critical Dimensions

非技术描述：在这个项目中，PI将使用一种称为原子层光刻的先进纳米制造技术在金属电极之间制造微小的间隙。这种间隙可以小到1纳米宽，厘米长，几乎可以是任何几何形状，包括线性、弯曲或闭合回路。具有这些尺寸的金属纳米隙具有独特的电学和光学特性。当在纳米间隙上施加交流电压时，观察到一种称为介电电泳的现象。双向电泳产生的作用力可以吸引或排斥缝隙中的小颗粒。通过这种方式，这些间隙可以用来捕获或分类与生物相关的小颗粒，以便用光学或电学技术进行进一步分析。通过将电极之间的间隙缩小到纳米尺度，介电泳力可以比传统技术制造的电极大几个数量级。此外，这些间隙可以集成到纳米级晶体管中，其中包含像石墨烯这样的二维材料。这些纳米间隙与从可见光/红外光到微波辐射的电磁辐射相互作用。纳米间隙强烈地放大了光产生的电磁场，这可以用来探测溶液中的分子和沿着纳米间隙被捕获的粒子之间的相互作用。通过创建可以同时捕获生物颗粒并使用纳米间隙增强光学技术探测它们的纳米间隙，该项目将实现超灵敏的化学分析。该项目还包括教育和外联部分，如培训高中生、本科生和研究生。PI还与明尼苏达科学博物馆保持着合作关系，并在博物馆的“纳米日”期间领导一个关于纳米技术对日常生活影响的年度活动站。技术描述：该项目的目标是设计、制造和表征具有10纳米以下可控金属间隙的新器件，这将使一系列新颖的光学和电学实验成为可能。原子层沉积将被用作光刻图像化方法-原子层光刻-以产生具有原子尺度厚度分辨率的电接触金属间隙。间隙厚度和轮廓形状的独立控制允许宽带和精确调谐的电磁共振。电子互连的集成将使纳米隙的新功能和展示其潜在应用的平台成为可能。纳米缺口器件将与二维材料集成，将缺口两侧的金属变成场效应晶体管和光电探测器的源极和漏极触点。这些例子实验将有助于吸引实验专家利用原子层光刻技术，并将纳米隙作为他们研究的平台。智力优势：到目前为止，大多数研究人员依靠电子束光刻技术来制造纳米隙结构。虽然适用于概念验证实验，但这些技术使集成到更复杂的设备变得困难，因为它们是需要精确定义几何形状和模式的地方。该研究的智力优势在于PI将原子层沉积转变为自上而下的图像化方法，从而将其精确的厚度控制转换为横向图像化分辨率，而无需使用电子束光刻。将集成电气互连以扩展设备的功能。光电子学和纳米粒子捕获的实例实验有可能对各自的领域产生重大影响。更广泛的影响：如果成功，所提出的原子层光刻技术将使研究人员能够使用内置电极创建超长的个位数纳米间隙。因此，该提议有可能改变二维材料光电子学领域。研究生和本科生将获得纳米制造和表征方面的经验。为了推广K-12， PI的团队将在明尼苏达科学博物馆建立一个互动活动站。

Nontechnical description: In this project the PI will use an advanced nanofabrication technique called atomic layer lithography to create tiny gaps between metallic electrodes. The gaps can be as small as 1 nanometer across and centimeters long with nearly any geometry, including linear, curved or closed loops. Metallic nanogaps with these dimensions have unique electrical and optical properties. When an AC voltage is applied across the nanogaps, a phenomenon called dielectrophoresis is observed. Dielectrophoresis results in forces that can attract or repel small particles from the gaps. In this way the gaps can be used to trap or sort small biologically-relevant particles for further analysis with optical or electrical techniques. By shrinking the gap between electrodes to nanoscale dimensions, the dielectrophoretic forces can be orders of magnitude larger than with electrodes fabricated with traditional techniques. Additionally, these gaps can be integrated into nanoscale transistors that incorporated 2-dimensional materials like graphene. These nanogaps interact with electromagnetic radiation ranging from visible/infrared light to microwave radiation. The nanogaps strongly amplify optically-generated electromagnetic fields, which can be exploited for sensing interactions between molecules in solution and particles trapped along the gap. By creating nanogaps that can simultaneously trap biological particles and probe them with nanogap-enhanced optical techniques, this project will enable ultra-sensitive chemical analysis. This project also includes educational and outreach components, such as the training of high school, undergraduate and graduate students. The PI also maintains a relationship with the Science Museum of Minnesota and leads an annual activity station during the museum's NanoDays on the impacts of nanotechnology on everyday life. Technical description:The goal of this project is to design, fabricate, and characterize new devices with sub-10-nm electrically controllable metallic gaps that will enable a series of novel optical and electrical experiments. Atomic layer deposition will be utilized as a lithographic patterning method - atomic layer lithography - to produce electrically contacted metallic gaps with atomic-scale thickness resolution. Independent control of the gap thickness and contour shape allows for broadband and precise tuning of the electromagnetic resonance. The integration of electrical interconnects will enable new functionality of the nanogaps and a platform to demonstrate their potential applications. The nanogap devices will be integrated with 2D materials, turning the metal on either side of the gap into source and drain contacts of field-effect transistors and photodetectors. These example experiments will serve to entice experimental experts to utilize atomic layer lithography technique and also use nanogaps as a platform for their research. Intellectual Merit: To date, most researchers rely on electron-beam lithography to create nanogap structures. While suitable for proof-of-concept experiments, these techniques make integration into more complex devices difficult, since they are places where precisely defined geometries and patterns are needed. The intellectual merit of the proposed research is that the PI will transform atomic layer deposition as a top-down patterning method, thereby converting its precise thickness control into lateral patterning resolution without using electron-beam lithography. Electrical interconnects will be integrated to expand the capabilities of the devices. Example experiments in optoelectronics and nanoparticle trapping have the potential to make a large impact on the respective fields. Broader Impacts: If successful, the proposed atomic layer lithography technique will allow researchers the ability to create ultra-long single-digit nanogaps with built-in electrodes Therefore, this proposal has the potential to transform the fields of 2D materials optoelectronics. Graduate and undergraduate students will gain experience in nanofabrication and characterization. For K-12 outreach, the PI's team will build an interactive Activity Station at the Science Museum of Minnesota.