Work

Use of Thin Sectioning (Nanoskiving) to Fabricate Nanostructures for Electronic and Optical Applications

Year: 2011

Type: review

Abstract: This Review discusses nanoskiving--a simple and inexpensive method of nanofabrication, which minimizes requirements for access to cleanrooms and associated facilities, and which makes it possible to fabricate nanostructures from materials, and of geometries, to which more familiar methods of nanofabrication are not applicable. Nanoskiving requires three steps: 1) deposition of a metallic, semiconducting, ceramic, or polymeric thin film onto an epoxy substrate; 2) embedding this film in epoxy, to form an epoxy block, with the film as an inclusion; and 3) sectioning the epoxy block into slabs with an ultramicrotome. These slabs, which can be 30 nm-10 μm thick, contain nanostructures whose lateral dimensions are equal to the thicknesses of the embedded thin films. Electronic applications of structures produced by this method include nanoelectrodes for electrochemistry, chemoresistive nanowires, and heterostructures of organic semiconductors. Optical applications include surface plasmon resonators, plasmonic waveguides, and frequency-selective surfaces.

Source: Angewandte Chemie International Edition

DOI: 10.1002/anie.201101024

Authors: Darren J. Lipomi, Ramses V. Martinez, George M. Whitesides

Institution: Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Nanofabrication and Lithography Techniques

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, Office of Naval Research

Awards: Science of Nanoscale Systems and their Device Applications NSEC, NNIN: National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, G7653337035