Stability of Ag nanoparticles fabricated by electron beam lithography

The stability of silver nanoparticles on indium tin oxide coated glass substrates under atmospheric condition was investigated. These nanoparticles were fabricated using electron beam lithography. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis revealed a high concentration of sulfur in the silver nanoparticles exposed to laboratory air for 12 weeks at room temperature. Morphological changes in the silver nanoparticles were also observed for nanoparticles stored under the same conditions. In contrast, silver nanoparticles kept in vacuum did not show chemical or morphological changes after 12 weeks. The present work clearly shows the need to consider ambient exposure when using Ag nanoparticles for sensors.     

Pronounced effects of anisotropy on plasmonic properties of nanorings fabricated by electron beam lithography

Gold nanoring dimers were fabricated via EBL with dimensions of 127.6 ± 2.5 and 57.8 ± 2.3 nm for the outer and inner diameters, respectively, with interparticle separations ranging from 17.8 ± 3.4 to 239.2 ± 3.7 nm. The coupling between the inner and outer surfaces of a single nanoring renders it very sensitive to any anisotropy. We found that anisotropy in the particle geometry and anisotropy introduced by the substrate combine to create very unique spectral features in this system.     

Osteoprogenitor response to low-adhesion nanotopographies originally fabricated by electron beam lithography

It is considered that cells can use filopodia, or microspikes, to locate sites suitable for adhesion. This has been investigated using a number of mature cell types, but, to our knowledge, not progenitor cells. Chemical and topographical cues on the underlying substrate are a useful tool for producing defined features for cells to respond to. In this study, arrays of nanopits with different symmetries (square or hexagonal arrays with 120 nm diameters, 300 nm center–centre spacings) and osteoprogenitor cells were considered. The pits were fabricated by ultra-high precision electron-beam lithography and then reproduced in polycarbonate by injection moulding with a nickel stamp. Using scanning electron and fluorescence microscopies, the initial interactions of the cells via filopodia have been observed, as have subsequent adhesion and cytoskeletal formation. The results showed increased filopodia interaction with the surrounding nanoarchitecture leading to a decrease in cell spreading, focal adhesion formation and cytoskeletal organisation.     

Step-wise Ag thin film patterns fabricated by holographic lithography

A laser-induced thermo-elastic removal was used to pattern nanostructured silver thin films solution-deposited on the glass substrate. We show that sharp-edged patterns can be fabricated under an interference-generated gradual intensity profile. The etching behavior and the resulting pattern morphology were very sensitive to the cohesion of the film and its adhesion to the substrate, being both modified by the post-deposition annealing process. The fabrication of step-wise one-dimensional (1D) and 2D patterns at the micrometer scales is demonstrated by holographic lithography using an Nd:YAG pulsed laser, along with a discussion on the effect of film cohesion and adhesion.     

Boron nitride stamp for ultra-violet nanoimprinting lithography fabricated by focused ion beam lithography

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) is one of the hardest known materials (second after diamond). It has a high level of chemical resistance and high UV transmittance. In this study, a stamp for ultra-violet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) was fabricated using a bi-layered BN film deposited on a quartz substrate. Deposition of the BN was done using RF magnetron sputtering. A hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer was deposited for 30?min before c-BN was deposited for 30?min. The thickness of the film was measured as 160?nm. The phase of the c-BN layer was investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, and it was found that the c-BN layer has a 40% cubic phase. The deposited film was patterned using focused ion beam (FIB) lithography for use as a UV-NIL stamp. Line patterns were fabricated with the line width and line distance set at 150 and 150?nm, respectively. The patterning process was performed by applying different currents to observe the effect of the current value on the pattern profile. The fabricated patterns were investigated using AFM, and it was found that the pattern fabricated by applying a current value of 50?picoamperes (pA) has a better profile with a 65?nm line depth. The UV transmittance of the 160?nm thick film was measured to be 70-86%. The hardness and modulus of the BN was measured to be 12 and 150?GPa, respectively. The water contact angle of the stamp surface was measured at 75°. The stamp was applied to UV-NIL without coating with an anti-adhesion layer. Successful imprinting was proved via scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the imprinted resin.     

Optical properties of NiO thin films fabricated by electron beam evaporation

Nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited onto quartz substrates by the electron beam deposition technique, and obtained high crystal quality after annealing at 1173 K. The structural and microstructural properties of the films were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. We focus on the optical characterization of the films, indicating the enhancement of the crystal quality, which was confirmed by the photoluminescence and Raman spectrum. Furthermore, PL studies exhibited room temperature emission at 377 nm, and also shown high ultraviolet/visible rejection ratio (>100).     

Ice-assisted electron beam lithography of graphene

We demonstrate that a low energy focused electron beam can locally pattern graphene coated with a thin ice layer. The irradiated ice plays a crucial role in the process by providing activated species that locally remove graphene from a silicon dioxide substrate. After patterning the graphene, the ice resist is easily removed by sublimation to leave behind a clean surface with no further processing. More generally, our findings demonstrate that ice-assisted e-beam lithography can be used to pattern very thin materials deposited on substrate surfaces. The procedure is performed in situ in a modified scanning electron microscope. Desirable structures such as nanoribbons are created using the method. Defects in graphene from electrons backscattered from the bulk substrate are identified. They extend several microns from the e-beam writing location. We demonstrate that these defects can be greatly reduced and localized by using thinner substrates and/or gentle thermal annealing.     

Nanoscale patterning on insulating substrates by critical energy electron beam lithography

This Letter describes a method to generate nanometer scale patterns on insulating substrates and wide band gap materials using critical energy electron beam lithography. By operating at the critical energy (E2) where a charge balance between incoming and outgoing electrons leaves the surface neutral, charge-induced pattern distortions typically seen in e-beam lithography on insulators were practically eliminated. This removes the need for conductive dissipation layers or differentially pumped e-beam columns with sophisticated gas delivery systems to control charging effects. Using a "scan square" method to find the critical energy, sub-100 nm features in 65 nm thick poly(methyl methacrylate) on glass were achieved at area doses as low as 10 microC/cm2 at E2 = 1.3 keV. This method has potential applications in high-density biochips, flexible electronics, and optoelectronics and may improve the fidelity of low voltage e-beam lithography for parallel microcolumn arrays.     

Interface controlled growth of nanostructures in discontinuous Ag and Au thin films fabricated by ion beam sputter deposition for plasmonic applications

The growth of discontinuous thin films of Ag and Au by low energy ion beam sputter deposition is reported. The study focuses on the role of the film?Csubstrate in determining the shape and size of nanostructures achieved in such films. Ag films were deposited using Ar ion energy of 150?eV while the Au films were deposited with Ar ion energies of 250?C450?eV. Three types of interfaces were investigated in this study. The first set of film?Csubstrate interfaces consisted of Ag and Au films grown on borosilicate glass and carbon coated Cu grids used as substrates. The second set of films was metallic bilayers in which one of the metals (Ag or Au) was grown on a continuous film of the other metal (Au or Ag). The third set of interfaces comprised of discontinuous Ag and Au films deposited on different dielectrics such as SiO₂, TiO₂ and ZrO₂. In each case, a rich variety of nanostructures including self organized arrays of nanoparticles, nanoclusters and nanoneedles have been achieved. The role of the film?Csubstrate interface is discussed within the framework of existing theories of thin film nucleation and growth. Interfacial nanostructuring of thin films is demonstrated to be a viable technique to realize a variety of nanostructures. The use of interfacial nanostructuring for plasmonic applications is demonstrated. It is shown that the surface Plasmon resonance of the metal nanostructures can be tuned over a wide range of wavelengths from 400 to 700?nm by controlling the film?Csubstrate interface.     

Effect of electron beam irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of ITO/Ag/ITO and IZO/Ag/IZO films

We have investigated the effect of electron beam irradiation as well as insertion of a Ag layer on the electrical and optical properties of the ITO or IZO films. The results show that electron beam irradiation as well as inserting a very thin Ag layer can significantly reduce sheet resistance of the ITO/Ag/ITO and IZO/Ag/IZO films. The electron beam irradiation also increases light transmittance and optical band gap of the ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films; meanwhile, it has not influence on the transmittance of the IZO/Ag/IZO films. These results can be explained by that In and Zn cation in IZO film have strong tendency to preserve their coordination with oxygen.     

Patterning of polymer nanocomposite resists containing metal nanoparticles by electron beam lithography

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)-stabilized silver nanoparticles (NPs) were used as a new nanocomposite resist for electron beam lithography. A nanocomposite resist prepared by reducing silver nitrate in an alcoholic PVP solution was patterned by using a scanning electron microscope equipped with a nanometer pattern generation system. Well-defined negative tone patterns with a good sensitivity of 200 microC/cm2 and a contrast of 2.83 were obtained using the prepared nanocomposite resist. In addition, the changes in the morphology and structure of the resist patterns with a thermal treatment temperature were investigated by a FE-SEM with an EDX. The results revealed that the patterns of Ag NPs were formed through sintering the formed resist patterns at above 300 degrees C.     

Interconnection of specific nano-objects by electron beam lithography — A controllable method

We report a widely applicable and highly controlled approach, based on electron beam lithography (EBL), to interconnect single nano-objects, previously immobilized onto solid surfaces, and to investigate the transport properties at the level of single nanostructures. In particular, a three-step EBL-procedure was used for this purpose by patterning two planar contacts on the sides of an individual nano-object. To demonstrate this approach, we use two different kinds of active elements: a semiconductor nanocrystal (tetrapod) and a thin triangular gold nanoprism (NT).     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of CNT/Ag nanocomposites fabricated by spark plasma sintering

Carbon nanotube/silver (CNT/Ag) nanocomposites include CNT volume fraction up to 10?vol.% were prepared by chemical reduction in solution followed by spark plasma sintering. Multiwalled CNTs underwent surface modifications by acid treatments, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data indicated several functional groups loaded on the CNT surface by acid functionalisation. The acid-treated CNTs were sensitised and activated. Silver was deposited on the surface of the activated CNTs by chemical reduction of alkaline silver nitrate solution at room temperature. The microstructures of the prepared CNT/Ag nanocomposite powders were investigated by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), transmission electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction analysis. The results indicated that the produced CNT/Ag nanocomposite powders have coated type morphology. The produced CNT/Ag nanocomposite powders were sintered by spark plasma sintering. It was observed from the microstructure investigations of the sintered materials by HRSEM that the CNTs were distributed in the silver matrix with good homogeneity. The hardness and the tensile properties of the produced CNT/Ag nanocomposites were measured. By increasing the volume fraction of CNTs in the silver matrix, the hardness values increased but the elongation values of the prepared CNT/Ag nanocomposites decreased. In addition, the tensile strength was increased by increasing the CNTs volume fraction up to 7.5?vol.%, but the sample composed of 10?vol.% CNT/Ag was fractured before yielding.     

Controlled fabrication of silicon nanowires by electron beam lithography and electrochemical size reduction

We demonstrate that electrochemical size reduction can be used for precisely controlled fabrication of silicon nanowires of widths approaching the 10 nm regime. The scheme can, in principle, be applied to wires defined by optical lithography but is here demonstrated for wires of approximately 100-200 nm width, defined by electron beam lithography. As for electrochemical etching of bulk silicon, the etching can be tuned both to the pore formation regime as well as to electropolishing. By in-situ optical and electrical characterization, the process can be halted at a certain nanowire width. Further electrical characterization shows a conductance decreasing faster than dimensional scaling would predict. As an explanation, we propose that charged surface states play a more pronounced role as the nanowire cross-sectional dimensions decrease.     

Hierarchical microstructure of a titanium alloy fabricated by electron beam selective melting

Here,a near alpha-type Ti6.5 Al2 Zr1 Mo1 V alloy has been fabricated by electron beam selective melting(EBSM).Near-equiaxed grains existed in the first few layers,whereas elongated columnar prior β grains almost parallel to the building direction formed in the subsequent built layers.Interspacing of β phase gradually decreased as the build height increased.Martensite α' with twins and dislocations emerged and microhardness value reached the maximum in the top region,whereas only α/β phase appeared in other regions in the EBSMed sample.Multiple phase transformations can be observed with the change of peak temperatures during each thermal cycle.With a sufficient dwell time,martensite α' in the middle and bottom regions in-situ decomposed into α+β and coarsened by the heat conduction from the subsequent layers.Fine β precipitates nucleated heterogeneously inside α' plates and at plate-plate interfaces during the subsequent EBSM process.Considering the phase transformation during the heating process and the cooling process,the existence time of different phases was combined with cycle heating and cooling to clarify the dynamic evolution of micro structure under complex thermal history of EBSM,favoring the fabrication of high-performance titanium alloy components.     

Tuning of localized surface plasmon resonance of well-ordered Ag/Au bimetallic nanodot arrays by laser interference lithography and thermal annealing

A novel hybrid approach to fabricate large-area well-ordered Ag/Au bimetallic nanodot arrays and its potential applications for biosensing is investigated. With the combination of laser interference lithography and the thermal annealing technique, Ag/Au bimetallic nanodots about ~50 nm are formed inside periodic nanodisk arrays at a dimension of ~530 nm on quartz substrates. Extinction spectra of the fabricated nanostructures show their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) can be well controlled by Au concentration, which offers a means to flexibly tune the optical properties of the nanodot arrays. To study the sensitivity of the nanodot arrays, resonance wavelength changes per refractive index unit (RIU) are performed in different surrounding environments. This shows a 94% increase in peak shift per refractive index unit (nanometers/RIU) compared to the nanodot arrays formed only by thermal annealing. These results demonstrate a feasible approach to improve LSPR-based biosensor performance.     

Substrate atom enriched carbon nanostructures fabricated by focused electron beam induced deposition

Carbon nanostructures fabricated using focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) in a residual vacuum atmosphere or in the presence of low pressure precursor gas exhibit enrichment with the atoms of the substrate element. Nanostructures having base sizes up to 100?nm and height up to 250?nm with maximum substrate atom enrichment of 50% have been fabricated. The size of the structures (nanocones) and the substrate atom enrichment depends on the electron beam current density and irradiation time. A possible explanation of the phenomenon has been sought on the basis of local temperature rise and diffusion of the substrate atoms in the nanostructure during the growth process. The phenomenon can be used to fabricate dense 2D carbon nanopatterns enriched with a desired element used as the substrate material.     

Structural and functional analysis of nanopillar spin electronic devices fabricated by 3D focused ion beam lithography

We discuss the fabrication of nanopillar spin electronic devices from metal multilayered heterostructures, utilizing a novel three-dimensional focused ion beam lithography process. Finite element simulation was performed to optimize the geometry of the nanopillar device and to demonstrate that current flow is perpendicular to the plane within the active region of the device. Clear zero-field current induced magnetization switching is observed in our nanopillar devices at room temperature.     

Large array of single, site-controlled InAs quantum dots fabricated by UV-nanoimprint lithography and molecular beam epitaxy

We present the growth of single, site-controlled InAs quantum dots on GaAs templates using UV-nanoimprint lithography and molecular beam epitaxy. A large quantum dot array with a period of 1.5 μm was achieved. Single quantum dots were studied by steady-state and time-resolved micro-photoluminescence experiments. We obtained single exciton emission with a linewidth of 45 μeV. In time-resolved experiments, we observed decay times of about 670 ps. Our results underline the potential of nanoimprint lithography and molecular beam epitaxy to create large-scale, single quantum dot arrays.