| AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| MEMS and NEMS Group | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session MN-TuP |
| Session: | MEMS/NEMS Poster Session |
| Presenter: | Connor Smith, The University of Alabama |
| Authors: | C. Smith, The University of Alabama S.L. Burkett, The University of Alabama |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Nanosphere lithography is a nanopatterning technique which has been a useful method for creating nanoscale features, such as nanopillars, that are used in MEMS and NEMS devices. This is achieved by ordering nanospheres in close-packed crystal colloidal masks on a substrate and physically etching said substrate via the interstitial spaces between the nanospheres. Methods for ordering these nanospheres into crystal colloidal masks has been accomplished in many ways, with spin-coating being one of the most cost effective and simplest to implement. Unfortunately, only a few methods exist for patterning these crystal colloidal masks, and few utilize traditional optical lithography techniques. In this work, a method for patterning crystal colloidal masks that are formed via spin-coating is introduced. This method involves spin-coating nanospheres in a solution of water and poly (acrylic acid), and then using modified traditional optical lithography and plasma ashing techniques to pattern the resulting crystal colloidal mask. Once the mask is patterned, normal physical etching methods may be used to further pattern the substrate below the nanosphere embedded poly (acrylic acid) layer. With this new method, patterning crystal colloidal masks for use in nanosphere lithography should be easier due to the wide spread availability of traditional optical lithography tools and instruments.