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