Student research opportunities
High-throughput Nano-manufacturing
Project Code: CECS_879
This project is available at the following levels:
Honours, Masters, PhD
Keywords:
nanolithography, throughput, electron, nano, pattern, resist, critical dimention, manufacturing
Supervisor:
Dr Yuerui (Larry) LuOutline:
Nanolithography is important for nano-scale device fabrication, both in academia and in the semiconductor industry. The fundamental challenge in developing nanolithography systems is to create a system with high resolution (sub-20 nm), high throughput (4-inch wafer exposure within 30 seconds), high controllability and low cost. I have demonstrated the proof of concept for a new lithography system --- Radioisotope-powered Parallel Electron Lithography (RIPEL). This system uses high energy electrons emitted from radioisotope thin films to expose resist through a stencil mask. The RIPEL system simultaneously exposes the entire substrate, making it a parallel system, as opposed to the serial raster scanning electron beam lithography system. This will enable the rapid exposure of nano-scale features over very large substrates. However, there are still several significant hurdles in preventing RIPEL’s practical uses. We will study these hurdles and propose developing building blocks to overcome these hurdles, through radioisotope electron sources development, new mask design, and investigation of new electron resist. These building blocks will enhance RIPEL’s throughput by four orders of magnitude. The progress will significantly benefit the areas that need volumetric nanostructures with high spatial density and good controllability, such as plasmonics, nanoelectronics, micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems, nano-structured thin film solar cells, biomedical devices, etc.
Requirements/Prerequisites
We are looking for highly motivated Ph.D. graduate students who are majoring in applied physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, materials science engineering, biomedical engineering, or other closely related areas to join the research team. We always look for dedicated undergraduate or master students to join us, to do creative work in rapidly growing field and generate co-authored publications.
Student Gain
The student will gain exciting research experience in the rapidly growing field of nanotechnology.
Background Literature
Recommended references:
Y. Lu, N. Yoshimizu, A. Lal, Self-powered near field electron lithography. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 27, 2537-2541 (2009).
Y. Lu, A. Lal, Vacuum-free self-powered parallel electron lithography with sub-35-nm resolution. Nano Letters 10, 2197-2201 (2010).
Y. Lu, A. Lal, High-efficiency ordered silicon nano-conical-frustum array solar cells by self-powered parallel electron lithography. Nano Letters 10, 4651-4656 (2010).
