Many technology advances over the last 50 years have been driven by nanofabrication techniques developed by the semiconductor industry. While powerful, they are fundamentally two dimensional technologies. In other words, they can only be used to fabricate "flat" things. The recent development of 3D printing has allowed custom manufacturing of complex three dimensional objects at millimeter resolution. Recent advances have enabled three dimensional printing/fabrication at the micrometer and nanoscale. This project enables the acquisition of a Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT system and its deployment within the user facilities of the Cornell Nanoscale Facility (CNF). The Nanoscribe is a new type of instrument which allows three dimensional fabrication of nanoscale structures, opening many new avenues of research. One exciting development is the application of this instrument to the study of biological systems. For example, the instrument will be used to fabricate 3D structures to study cell migration in confined spaces. This project is relevant to the spread of cancer. Another project will use the Nanoscribe to fabricate "microswimmers" for targeted drug delivery applications. The instrument will be available to academic and industrial users from across the country through the well-developed CNF user program, significantly broadening its intellectual and economic impact. This instrument will have significant human resources impact in the target technical areas. The technology of the Nanoscribe is new and the skilled user base is small. Expansion of the number of users is critical to realizing its full impact. CNF will also provide new educational materials including short course lecture material and this new tool will be featured in outreach efforts.
The Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT system allows 3D nanolithography down to 160 nm using the nonlinear optical process of two photon polymerization. A near-IR laser beam, operating through a microscope objective, is scanned under computer control, with polymerization occurring only at the high photon flux focal point. CNF users will explore applications of this technology to the following major areas: (1) Micro/nanophotonics: guiding light in three dimensions and development of photonic metamaterials; (2) Nanobiotechnology: fabrication of scaffolds and micromechanical and microfluidic devices to study biochemical processes; (3) Neural electronics: Interfacing electronics with the brain and nervous system; (4) Heterointegration: Integration of electronics, photonics, and biologics through three dimensional structures. The PIs at Cornell are accomplished in the fields of Materials Science, Mechanical, and Biomedical Engineering. A number of projects will be impacted by this instrument. New polymer materials suitable for two-photon 3D printing will be developed, including elastomeric materials for nanoscale sensors and actuators. 3D nanolithography will be used to fabricate in vitro models mimicking physiological networks and interstitial spaces to study the migration of cells in confined spaces related to cancer metastasis. Fluid motile structures ("microswimmers"), that are self-actuated or remotely driven by light or ultrasound could be used in vivo to deliver drugs to targeted areas. Other principal users will use the technology to explore reactions within cells, to develop 3D scaffolds for cell growth, and for 3D photonic metamaterials. This will be a multiuser instrument with impact on a broad range of science and engineering fields. Additionally, through the CNF user program and its highly developed training process, this acquisition will have significant human resources impact in the target technical areas.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
