International Business Machines Corporation

Nmi Naturwissenschaftliches Und Medizinisches Institut an Der Universitaet Tuebingen

Swisslitho Ag

Felix Holzner

Armin W Knoll

Urs T Duerig

Philip Paul

Heiko Wolf

Martin Stelzle

Cyrill Kuemin

Massimo Kubon

Brigitte Angres

Julia Schuette

Britta Hagmeyer

Walter Heinrich Riess

Jens Hofrichter

Folkert Horst

Stefan Fringes

Colin Rawlings

Michael Zientek

Michal Zientek

A scanning probe nanolithography system comprising a probe to create nanostructures line () by line through writing said nanostructures () pixel by pixel along lines () on a sample. A positioning system is adapted to provide a positioning of the probe at a sequence of predetermined positions to the sample and its surface towards the probe and a control unit () is provided to control the positioning system for positioning the probe for a pixel-wise writing of said lines () through a writing unit. It further comprises a sensor unit adapted to detect a predetermined property of the written nanostructure (), the sensor unit being connected to the control unit to adapt the control signals to be provided to the writing unit for writing the following line () based on the measured signals () of the predetermined property.

Scanning probe nanolithography system and method

The present invention provides a method for multiscale patterning of a sample. The method includes: placing the sample in an apparatus having both thermo-optical lithography capability and thermal scanning probe lithography capability; and patterning two patterns onto the sample, respectively by: thermo-optical lithography, wherein light is emitted from a light source onto the sample to heat the latter and thereby write a first pattern that is the largest of the two patterns; and thermal scanning probe lithography, wherein the sample and a heated probe tip are brought in contact for writing a second pattern that has substantially smaller critical dimensions than the first pattern. There is also provided an apparatus for multiscale patterning of a sample.

Multiscale patterning of a sample with apparatus having both thermo-optical lithography capability and thermal scanning probe lithography capability

A method for positioning nano-objects on a surface and an apparatus for implementing the method. The method includes: providing a first surface and a second surface in a position facing each other, where one or more of the surfaces exhibits one or more position structures having dimensions on the nanoscale; providing an ionic liquid suspension of the nano-objects between the two surfaces, where the suspension comprises two electrical double layers each formed at an interface with a respective one of the two surfaces, and the surfaces have electrical charges of the same sign; enabling the nano-objects in the suspension to position according to a potential energy resulting from the electrical charge of the two surfaces; and depositing one or more of the nano-objects on the first surface according to the positioning structures by shifting the minima of the potential energy towards the first surface.

Methods and apparatuses for positioning nano-objects with aspect ratios

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method to assemble organotypical tissues which can then be perfused and investigated under preferably physiological conditions. This is achieved by a microfluidic system for assembling and subsequently cultivating complex cell arrangements, comprising: a three-dimensional microstructure in which the cell arrangement is assembled and cultivated, at least two microchannel segments running in the microstructure and defining a flow direction, through which microchannel segments the microstructure can be perfused from outside with a medium, whereby the microchannel segments run approximately parallel or equidistant to one another at least in sections, a wall structure which separates the at least two microchannel segments and in which at least one aperture connecting the at least two microchannel segments is provided, and an electrode arrangement provided in or on the microstructure in order to generate an inhomogeneous electric field in the region of the at least one aperture.

Microfluidic system and method for assembling and for subsequently cultivating, and subsequent analysis of complex cell arrangements

An apparatus and method directed to a scanning probe microscopy cantilever. The apparatus includes body and an electromagnetic sensor having a detectable electromagnetic property varying upon deformation of the body. The method includes scanning the surface of a material with the cantilever, such that the body of the cantilever undergoes deformations and detecting the electromagnetic property varying upon deformation of the body of the cantilever.

Scanning probe microscopy cantilever comprising an electromagnetic sensor

The invention notably concerns a method for depositing nano-objects on a surface. The method includes: providing a substrate with surface patterns on one face thereof; providing a transfer layer on said face of the substrate; functionalizing areas on a surface of the transfer layer parallel to said face of the substrate, at locations defined with respect to said surface patterns, such as to exhibit enhanced binding interactions with nano-objects; depositing nano-objects and letting them get captured at the functionalized areas; and thinning down the transfer layer by energetic stimulation to decompose the polymer into evaporating units, until the nano-objects reach the surface of the substrate. The invention also provides a semiconductor device which includes a substrate and nano-objects accurately disposed on the substrate

Accurate deposition of nano-objects on a surface

The invention notably concerns a method for depositing nano-objects on a surface. The method includes: providing a substrate with surface patterns on one face thereof; providing a transfer layer on said face of the substrate; functionalizing areas on a surface of the transfer layer parallel to said face of the substrate, at locations defined with respect to said surface patterns, such as to exhibit enhanced binding interactions with nano-objects; depositing nano-objects and letting them get captured at the functionalized areas; and thinning down the transfer layer by energetic stimulation to decompose the polymer into evaporating units, until the nano-objects reach the surface of the substrate. The invention also provides a semiconductor device which includes a substrate and nano-objects accurately disposed on the substrate.

A microfluidic system () for assembling and subsequently investigating complex cell arrangements has a three-dimensional microstructure () in which the cell culture is assembled, cultivated and investigated. At least two microchannel segments () through which the microstructure () can be perfused from outside with a medium () run in the microstructure (), whereby the microchannel segments () run at least in sections approximately parallel or equidistant to one another. The two microchannel segments () are separated from one another by a wall structure () in which at least one aperture () connecting the two microchannel segments () is provided. An electrode arrangement () is provided in or on the microstructure () in order to generate an inhomogeneous electric field () in the region of the at least one aperture (). A cell arrangement is assembled in this microstructure () by supplying medium () with cells () for assembling the cell culture in the microstructure (), with the inhomogeneous electric field () determined by the microstructure () bringing about the assembling of the cell arrangement from the supplied cells ().

Growing community of inventors

Langnau am Albis, Switzerland

Felix Holzner