Nanotransfer printing

Nanotransfer printing (nTP) is a more recent high resolution printing technique. It uses surface chemistries as interfacial glues and release layers (rather than inks ) to control the transfer of solid material layers from relief features on a stamp to a substrate [10-12, 44], This approach is purely additive (i.e. material is only deposited in locations where it is needed) and it can generate complex two or three-dimensional structures in single or multiple layers with nanometer resolu- 

Our experience indicates that the processing windows for the current versions of nTP are narrower than those of pCP. At least three processing aspects are important to achieving high fidelity with nTP  

the deposition procedures must be carefully controlled to avoid cracking or buckling of the metal films when PDMS stamps are used  

PDMS stamps must be handled carefully before and during the printing to avoid surface strains that can damage the metal coatings and 

the surface chemistry must provide a high density of bonding sites, and the surfaces of the stamps and substrates must come into uniform, intimate contact to enable efficient transfer. 

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Loo YL, Lang DV, Rogers JA, Hsu JWP (2003) Electrical contacts to molecular layers by nanotransfer printing. Nano Lett 3 913-917... 

Zaumseil, J. et al. 2003.Three-dimensional and multilayer nanostructures formed by nanotransfer printing. Nano Lett. 3 1223-1227. 

Hur, S. H. Khang, D. Y. Kocabas, C. Rogers, J. A. 2004. Nanotransfer printing by use of noncovalent surface forces Applications to thin-film transistors that use single-walled carbon nanotube networks and semiconducting polymers. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85 5730-5732. 

Menard, E. Bilhaut, L. Zaumseil, J. Rogers, J. A. 2004. Improved surface chemistries, thin film deposition techniques, and stamp designs for nanotransfer printing. Langmuir 20 6871-6878. 

Figure 6.12 Preparation of patterned LBL assemblies (a) by nanotransfer printing and (b) by sequentially using nanoimprinting lithography, CD SAM formation, and lift-off process. Reprinted with permission from Crespo-Biel et al. (2006).

Fig. 10.18. Schematic illustration of steps for nanotransfer printing. Depositing a layer of metal using a collimated flux normal to the surface of the stamp yields a thin discontinuous coating on the raised and recessed regions of the stamp but not on its side-walls. Contacting this coated stamp to a substrate that supports suitable surface...

Fig. 10.19. Steps for nanotransfer printing a thin layer of Au on to a silicon wafer using a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surface chemistry. Plasma oxidizing the surface of the wafer generates OH groups. Solution or vapor phase exposure of the wafer to 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane yields a SAM with exposed thiol groups. Contacting...

Fig. 10.23. The frame on the left shows current-voltage characteristics of an n-channel transistor formed with electrodes patterned by nanotransfer printing. Laminating these electrodes against a substrate (PET) that supports an organic semiconductor (FCuPc), a gate dielectric (GR) and a gate (ITO)...

Fig. 10.25. Multilayer thin film capacitor structure printed in a single step on to a plastic substrate using the nanotransfer printing technique. A multilayer of Au/SiNx/Ti/ Au was first deposited on to a silicon stamp formed by photolithography and etching. Contacting this stamp to a substrate of Au/ PDMS/PET forms a cold weld that bonds the exposed Au on the stamp to the Au-coating on the substrate. Removing the stamp produces arrays of square (250 pm x 250 pm) metal/...

Zaumseil f, Meitl M A, Hsu J W P, Acharya B, Baldwin K W, Loo Y-L and Rogers f A, Three-dimensional and Multilayer Nanostructures Formed by Nanotransfer Printing , Nano Lett, 2003 3 1223-1227. 

E. Menard, L. Bilbaut, J. Zaumseil, and J. A. Rogers, Improved chemistries, thin film deposition techniques and stamp design for nanotransfer printing , Langmuir 20, 6871 (2004). 

Matsui, S. Igaku, Y. Ishigaki, H. Fujita, J. Ishida, M. Ochiai, Y. Namatsu, H. Komuro, M. Room-temperature nanoimprint and nanotransfer printing using hydrogen silsequioxane. J. Vacuum Sci. Technol. B. 2003, 21 (2), 688-692. 

D. R. Hines et al.. Nanotransfer printing of organic and carbon nanotube thin-fihn transistors on plastic substrates, App/. Phys. Lett, 86, 163101, 2005. 

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