SBIR Phase I:Molecular Transfer Lithography of Functional Materials

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a nanopatterning process called molecular transfer lithography to form high-resolution and high-aspect-ratio functional nanostructures of advanced materials. Differentiated from other nanopatterning methods, the molecular transfer lithography approach uses water-dissolvable templates of polyvinyl alcohol, which are replicated from master topography and then coated with functional material films prior to conformal transfer onto substrates. By subsequent processing of the materials while on the template, either through modification of the material surface or the template surface itself, precise control of the nanostructure, interface, and the composition will enable the high-resolution printing of novel functional materials. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide a nanomanufacturing technique to enable the printing of high-resolution and high-aspect-ratio functional nanostructures for applications in optics, photonic devices, alternative energy devices, sensors, customized semiconductors, and displays. In addition, this nanopatterning technique uses water-dissolvable templates, which eliminates the need for wet processing of the materials and offers a more environmentally-friendly process.