New method for nanoscale manufacturing

Researchers have developed a new method for manufacturing nanomaterials that could put them into the next generation of consumer electronics.

"This is a step needed to move quantum dots and many other nanomaterials from proof-of-concept experiments to real technology we can use," said co-author Dmitri Talapin, professor of chemistry at Chicago and a scientist with the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne. "It really expands our horizons."

Nanomaterials have been identified as a potential successor to silicon for use in electronics, but manufacturing devices out of them has been difficult. Silicon chips are made by ‘stenciling’ the desired pattern in layers.

The new technique, called DOLFIN, bypasses that step by creating ‘ink’ out of different nanomaterials.

Talapin’s team designed chemical coatings for individual particles that react with light. By creating a mask with the desired pattern and then shining light through it onto the nanomaterial, they were able to transfer that pattern onto it.

This could be used to create the wiring require for chips and other electronic devices. "We found the quality of the patterns was comparable to those made with state-of-the-art techniques," said lead author Yuanyuan Wang, postdoctoral researcher at Chicago. “It can be used with a wide range of materials, including semiconductors, metals, oxides or magnetic materials--all commonly used in electronics manufacturing.”