NSF Award
0110486
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project will further develop a revolutionary approach to nanostructure fabrication. This Near-Field Scanning Optical Nanolithographic approach, which we have already shown to be capable of writing 100nm width lines, utilizes a direct, optical write technology in conjunction with optical photoresists. The direct optical writing is performed with a customized Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscope (NSOM) tool. The major goal of the proposed work is to design and construct a commercially viable NSOM lithography tool and demonstrate processes for flexible pattern generation on 4" wafers. Phase I work demonstrated the preliminary design of the NSOM lithography tool and photoresist processes using a novel inorganic hydrogenated amorphous silicon resist, as well as conventional polymer resists. Best line widths of approximately 100nm, comparable to the probe diameter, were<br/>obtained.<br/><br/>The commercial benefits from this project will be the construction and demonstration of the NSOM lithography tool for rapid prototyping of nanostructures in university and corporate research labs.
