Cantilever Tip

Department: Mechanical Science & Engineering

1. Description: The Center is developing h

fabricated from doped silicon crystal silicon,

transforming surfaces including printing, soldiering, sculpting, localized surface manipulation

materials characterization

the AFM probe to locate the precise location on a substrate for the activity.

Arrays of AFM cantilever tips have been fabricated in the Center with each tip having an

integrated heater and piezoresistor.

Cantilever Tip-based Processes

Lead Faculty Researcher: Bill King

Department: Mechanical Science & Engineering

The Center is developing heated or electrically controlled AF

fabricated from doped silicon crystal silicon, as nano-tools for unique fabrication processes

including printing, soldiering, sculpting, localized surface manipulation

materials characterization and metrology applications. This process has the advantage of using

to locate the precise location on a substrate for the activity.

Arrays of AFM cantilever tips have been fabricated in the Center with each tip having an

integrated heater and piezoresistor.

500 µm

Temperature controllable 25–1,200 oC

Heating Time: DC – 1 MHz, Tip ~ 10 nm

eated or electrically controlled AFM cantilever tips,

for unique fabrication processes and

including printing, soldiering, sculpting, localized surface manipulation,

This process has the advantage of using

to locate the precise location on a substrate for the activity.

Arrays of AFM cantilever tips have been fabricated in the Center with each tip having an

100 µm

Use of cantilever tips for a variety of nanoscale manufacturing operations is being explored,

including:

• Chemical writing/printing

• Nanosculpting

• Nanosoldering

• Nanoscale chemical thermal conversions

• Nanoscale surface decomposition

• Nanoscale electrophoretic separations

Examples of each of these processes has been demonstrated and are being further explored.

2. Resolution limits:

a. Lines: < 10 nm

b. Depositions: zeptomole-scale

3. Geometric capabilities: dots, lines, patterns

4. Geometric Forms: 2.5 D

5. Materials: polymers and suspensions

6. Process environment: depends on operation and materials involved

7. Dimensional capabilities: small, < 10 mm

8. Speed: 35 micrometers/sec

9. Uniqueness:

a. Inexpensive

b. Start-stop (switching capabilities)

c. Built-in metrology capabilities

10. Competition: Dip-pen nanolithography

11. Limitations:

a. Complex

b. Slow

12. Applications:

a. Fabrication of electronic and bio-sensing devices

b. Interconnects

c. Direct writing repair

d. Fabrication of unusual patterns

13. Examples: a. Nano-thermal writing

Polymer-nanoparticle

composite flows from

heated tip

b. Nano-soldering

c. Precise deposition of a bio-active polymer using a heated cantilever tip.

00.5

11.5

22.5

3

00.8

1.6X[µm]

Z[nm

]

00.5

11.5

22.5

3

00.8

1.6X[µm]

Z[nm

]

Electrodes Indium / Indium Oxide

Si

pNIPAAM-COOH

Heating “ON”

Epoxysilane

(a)

Si

pNIPAAM-COOH

Heating “ON”

Epoxysilane

(a)

Si

PEG-diacid

(b)

Si

PEG-diacid

(b)Annealing CVD of PEG-diacid

d. 3D Nano-sculpting examples:

e. Thermo-chemical writing

0 1 2 3 4 50

501 001 502 002 50

Ver

tical

, nm

L a te ra l, µµµµ m0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

05 0

10 015 020 025 0

Ver

tical

, nm

L a te ra l, µµµµ m

f. Electrophoretic separation with metal coated cantilever tip: This process has been

demonstrated with an amino terminated surface treatment to tailor the electrostatic

interactions with solute DNA fragments: