The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is to develop a new paradigm for nanomanufacturing called electroplate and lift lithography. Alternating thin layers of electrically insulating and conducting (un-doped and nitrogen-doped) ultrananocrystalline diamond make electrode templates for nanowires. The conductive diamond is almost entirely concealed within the insulating layers. Conductive layers are exposed only at the edges of holes etched through the multilayer electrodes. The thinness of the conductive layer limits where metals can be electroplated. The precision nanowire patterns are dictated by shaped holes that are etched through the diamond. Diamond's extreme durability, hardness, low adhesion to most materials and chemical inertness allow many deposits to be lifted away in a polymer film. Lifting away the wires also strips any contamination, eliminating the need for a clean room manufacturing environment.
This project is important because it provides a new method for nanomanufacturing complex patterns from almost any material utilizing only the electrodes and simple equipment. When fully developed, this technique should enable the bulk quantity manufacturing of complex nanowire circuits with multiple materials. It will shorten the manufacturing time from many hours or days to minutes between duplicate copies. The templates are reusable and it is a low energy process; thus, it considerably improves the environmental friendliness for nanomanufacturing. This development is being done at an undergraduate-only institution with the help of national laboratory facilities. It educates and inspires undergraduates who would otherwise not be exposed to high-tech, cutting-edge manufacturing.
