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User-Defined Nanopatterning

In collaboration with UCLA chemists, we have invented a new concept for the patterning of surfaces at the molecular scale.  The concept entails the use of surface-adsorbed photocatalytic quantum dots as the “pens” on a photocatalytically reactive surface.  The quantum dot “pens” are driven about the surface by an electric field whose orientation may be controlled to give complex, user-defined patterns.  This approach may provide a means to pattern surfaces at a feature size of ~2-3 nm for applications in nanoelectronics.

Project Overview

Currently the industry is having a tough time trying to keep up with the famous Moore’s Law. At present, the minimum feature dimensions in circuitry stands at 130 nm. Extensive research is being done to establish lithographic techniques, which would be capable of fabricating circuitry with critical dimensions less than 100 nm. Hence obtaining patterns of 2-3 nanometer widths, which is our objective, would definitely be a revolutionary breakthrough.

The concept underlying the objective is to use an electric field to control the movement of 25 A⁰ photo catalytic quantum dots around a Self Assembled Monolayer (SAM) on an atomically smooth substrate with simultaneous illumination of the surface. If the chemisorbed monolayer (SAM) happens to be a compound, which can be photo catalytically reduced by the Qdots, a trail of reacted molecules will be left behind as the Qdots are electrophoretically moved along the surface. In effect, this would demonstrate the use of a non-lithographic technique to obtain patterns of few nanometers width.

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Publications

On the news: Quantum Dots Used to "Draw" Circuits for Molecular Computers of the Future