Direct-write nanolithography method of transporting ink with an elastomeric polymer coated nanoscopic tip to form a structure having internal hollows on a substrate

Abstract

A novel method of transporting ink to a substrate with dip-pen nanolithographic (DPN) stamp tips coated with polymer (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), etc.). This kind of tip adsorbs chemicals ('inks') easily and is used to generate DPN nanopatterns that are imaged with the same tip after a DPN process. This method builds a bridge between micro-contact printing (μCP) and DPN, making it possible for one to easily generate smaller structures of any molecules that have been patterned by the μCP technique. The easy tip-coating and writing process enriches the state-of-the-art DPN technique. The sub-100 nm DPN resolution obtained by using this kind of novel tip is comparable to that with a conventional SiNprobe tip. Importantly, the unique stamp tip was able to transfer solvent (e.g., liquid 'ink') onto a substrate, resulting in fabrication of hollow nanostructures with only one DPN holding/writing step. Inks comprising metals and sol-gel materials are noted, as well as applications in photomask repair, enhancement, and fabrication.