“Multipoint force feedback” leveling of massively parallel tip arrays in scanning probe lithography

• Main Authors: Noh, Hanaul, Jung, Goo-Eun, Kim, Sukhyun, Yun, Seong-Hun, Jo, Ahjin, Kahng, Se-Jong, Cho, Nam-Joon, Cho, Sang-Joon
• Other Authors: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/106024; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/26285
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Nanoscale patterning with massively parallel 2D array tips is of significant interest in scanning probe lithography. A challenging task for tip-based large area nanolithography is maintaining parallel tip arrays at the same contact point with a sample substrate in order to pattern a uniform array. Here, polymer pen lithography is demonstrated with a novel leveling method to account for the magnitude and direction of the total applied force of tip arrays by a multipoint force sensing structure integrated into the tip holder. This high-precision approach results in a 0.001° slope of feature edge length variation over 1 cm wide tip arrays. The position sensitive leveling operates in a fully automated manner and is applicable to recently developed scanning probe lithography techniques of various kinds which can enable “desktop nanofabrication.”