Cotionf ha creato il Progetto New High-Precision Technological innovation Cuts Atom-Sized Patterns Into 2d Resources il 23/6/2020
Descrizione
EPFL researchers have produced a high-precision know-how that enables them to carve nanometric designs into two-dimensional components.
With their pioneering nanotechnology, EPFL scientists have attained the impossible. They might now use warmth to interrupt the backlinks involving atoms having a miniature scalpel. “It’s really not easy to construction 2d materials applying conventional lithography, which frequently employs aggressive substances or accelerated, electrically billed particles, like electrons or ions, that could problems the material’s attributes,” says Xia Liu, a researcher and postdoc in the College of Engineering’s Microsystems Laboratory. “Our approach, nevertheless, works by using a localized heat and stress ‘source’ to correctly slice in to the 2nd components.”
“Our technology is analogous to the artwork of paper-cutting, which can be typical on this location of Switzerland, but over a substantially lesser scale,” points out Ana Conde Rubio, co-author in the research. “We use warmth to switch the substrate and help it become far more adaptable and, occasionally, even switch it right into a fuel. We are able to then more easily carve into the second material.”
A sharp idea
Xia Liu, Samuel Howell, Ana Conde Rubio, Giovanni Boero and Jürgen Brugger applied molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2), a 2nd content that’s similar to graphene. It’s lower than a nanometer – or 3 layers of atoms – thick. The MoTe2 is placed on a polymer that reacts to variations in temperature. “When the polymer is uncovered to heat, it sublimates, which suggests that it goes from the good to some gaseous condition,” points out Liu.
The scientists from the Institute of Microengineering utilised a whole new nanoscale structuring procedure called thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL), which is effective in the related method to a force scanning microscope. They warmth a pointy nano-sized tip to extra than 180°C, bring it into contact with the second materials and utilize somewhat of power. This leads to the polymer to sublimate. A thin layer of MoTe2 then breaks off with no detrimental the rest of the content.
Compact and more effective parts
The researchers can use this engineering to carve really accurate styles in second products. “We use a computer-driven technique to manage the ultra-fast heating and cooling process and the situation of the tip,” describes Samuel Howell, an additional co-author. “This permits us to make pre-defined indents to create, by way of example, the nanostrips which are utilized in nanoelectronic equipment.”
But what’s so practical about working on these a small scale? “A wide range of 2nd materials are semi-conductors and may be integrated into electronic equipment,” states Liu. “This generic technological know-how will be extremely helpful in nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and nanobiotechnology, since it should help to generate electronic elements lesser and a lot more efficient.”
Enhancing the precision
The next phase on the investigation will concentrate on looking in a wider range of resources and discovering mixtures that should perform in integrated nanosystems. Plus the scientists choose to rework the design of the cantilever and its tip for making the chopping course of action far more precise.
Extra broadly, the experts from the Microsystems Laboratory are looking to build a different era of fabrication techniques for flexible microsystems. “Polymer-based microelectromechanical units (MEMS) use a lots of potential digital and biomedical apps,” clarifies Prof. Jürgen Brugger. “But we’re still while in the early stages of developing approaches for creating functional polymers in 3D microsystems.” Brugger hopes to press the boundaries and discover new resources and procedures for MEMS by focusing on the stencil, the printing method, the directed self-assembly of polymers, and localized thermal processing.
Reference: “Thermomechanical Nanocutting of 2nd Materials” by Xia Liu, Samuel Tobias Howell, Ana Conde?, Giovanni Boero and Juergen Brugger, 11 June 2020, Highly developed Resources.
DOI: ten.1002/adma.202001232
The researchers would like to thank EPFL’s Middle of MicroNanoTechnology (CMi) for its system engineering experience and complex assistance, significantly concerning the atomic force microscope. The study been given funding within the European Investigation Council (ERC) beneath the European Union’s Horizon 2020 investigation and innovation method (“MEMS 4.0” job).
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