APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Optical devices
- Lithographic manufacturing
BENEFITS:
- Directed self-assembly can make shapes not possible with typical nanofabrication
- One-step manufacturing process
- Devices made from flexible organic materials
- Devices can be exfoliated and transferred anywhere after self-assembly
BACKGROUND:
- Ring-shaped nanostructures are used in nanolenses, memory storage devices, transistors, and optical sensors, but they are difficult to manufacture with traditional methods. Despite advancements in nanofabrication processes to make devices with complex geometries, curved nanostructures have remained challenging to produce. A new nanofabrication process is necessary to produce ring-shaped nanodevices.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:
Berkeley Lab researchers have devised a method for directed self-assembly of block copolymers that allows for the fabrication of ring-shaped nanodevices. This method has been used to create concentric nanoparticle rings with radii ranging from 150-1150 nm and widths spanning 30-60 nm. The block copolymers from which the devices are made are flexible organic materials, allowing the devices to be bent or rolled into fibers, expanding the potential applications for the devices.
These ring-shaped nanodevices can be made in one step, greatly simplifying the manufacturing process. Additionally, this single step manufacturing process allows for much greater production rate than current state-of-the-art techniques for lithographic, deposition, etching processes, and is easily scalable. The devices produce high-quality orbital angular momentum, making them suitable for application in optical devices.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Validation in lab environment
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:
- Ting Xu
- Jie Yao
- Katherine Evans
- Qingjun Wang
- Emma Vargo
STATUS: Patent pending.
OPPORTUNITIES: Available for licensing or collaborative research.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202103563