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Tip-Based Nanofabrication (TBN)
Program Manager: Dr. Thomas Kenny
Overview
The primary goal of the Tip-Based Nanofabrication (TBN) program is to develop the capability to controllably manufacture nanostructures, specifically nanowires, nanotubes, and quantum dots, with nanometer-scale control over the size, orientation, and position of each nanostructure. TBN aims to enable this revolutionary capability through approaches that utilize functionalized AFM cantilevers and tips, due to their ability to manipulate environments at the sub-micrometer scale on the surface of a substrate, creating high temperatures, high fluxes, and high electric and magnetic fields, as well as optical and bio-inspired techniques.
Vision Statement
Presently, controlled nanomanufacturing -- defined as automated, parallel fabrication of individual nanostructures with control over the position, size, shape, and orientation of each structure at the nanometer scale, including the abilities to perform in-situ detection and repair/re-manufacturing of the position, size, shape, and orientation of single nanostructures -- is not possible. There have been numerous demonstrations of the capability to grow, deposit, or manipulate nanostructures in recent years, but these all suffer from significant deficiencies when viewed against the previously-stated definition of controlled nanomanufacturing. For example, dense, aligned “forests” of carbon nanotubes can be grown, even with pre-growth lithography to define the regions of growth. This technique, however, cannot controllably grow individual nanotubes, or control their orientation or dimensions. Also, there are examples of quantum dot growth from catalyst seeds with the potential to create large arrays with high uniformity. There is no ability, though, for controlled manufacturing of patterned arrays of two different quantum dots, and there is no ability to repair the nonuniformity that typically arises from these growth processes. None of these emerging approaches appears to provide a path to controlled nanomanufacturing.
However, the IBM Millipede program, a topographic data storage technology, has demonstrated nanometer-scale parallel fabrication, detection, and modification of indentations using an array of AFM cantilevers. This work includes many of the features of the above definition of controlled nanomanufacturing and is strong motivation to consider AFM tips as potential tools for nanomanufacturing. Therefore, combined with the efforts at IBM to address problems with parallel operation, array manipulation, wear, materials, etc., the goal of TBN is to develop methods for veritable controlled nanomanufacturing. As a result, success in the program will directly enable many significant applications, and, although the program focuses on nanowires, nanotubes, and quantum dots, the capabilities developed for this subset of nanostructures should be extendable to numerous other structures, materials, and treatments.