Unconventional Nanopatterning Techniques and Applications

Patterning or lithography is at the core of modern science and technology and cuts across all disciplines. With the emergence of nanotechnology, conventional methods based on electron beam lithography and extreme ultraviolet photolithography have become prohibitively expensive. As a result, a number of simple and unconventional methods have been introduced, beginning first with research demonstrations in the mid 1990s. This book focuses on these unconventional patterning techniques and their applications to optics, organic devices, electronic devices, biological devices, and fluidics.New nanopatterning techniques with realistic potential for widespread use§§This book helps readers learn the skills needed to fully leverage the most promising unconventional nanofabrication techniques. It focuses on soft lithographic and related imprint lithographic methods, but also features self-assembly approaches that have excellent potential. All the techniques covered have the scalability, throughput, and low cost operation needed for use in practical applications.§§Content is organized into two parts:§ Part One, Nanopatterning Techniques, deals with the principles and underlying science of a variety of nanopatterning techniques. The first chapter covers the classes of materials and surface chemistries that are most commonly used for the stamps, molds, and conformable photomasks of soft lithography. Several chapters then review both established and new strategies for using them and their analogous hard elements in a broad range of procedures. Next, the authors demonstrate the power of self-assembly in procedures that rely on polymer phase separation.§ Part Two, Applications, presents the applications of techniques discussed in Part One in some of the most promising areas, including optics, organic devices, electronic devices, biological devices, and fluidics. In addition to detailed explanations of the implementation of each application, these chapters also discuss the aspects related to practical applications.§§Each chapter has been written by one or more leading pioneers in the field of nanofabrication. References at the end of the chapter guide you to the primary literature for further information.§§Unconventional Nanopatterning Techniques and Applications offers practitioners, developers, and students the ability to not only implement the latest techniques, but also expand the capabilities and reach of these techniques with their own ideas and novel applications.