| PHD Student
Université du Québec
Institut national de la recherche scientifique
Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications
1650, boulevard Lionel-Boulet
Varennes, Québec, Canada
J3X 1S2
|
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Miniaturization of electronic devices and systems is increasingly prompting
the demand for novel surface patterning technologies, allowing for the
design of ever-smaller circuitry, mechanical devices and sensors, down
to the nanoscale. The ability to design surface features of such dimensions
represents a challenging and urgent task, since conventional lithographic
techniques are close to their limit. Deposition of functional materials
through nanostencils (NS) represents a promising approach. A predefined
pattern in a very thin free-standing membrane of a miniature shadow-mask
attached to the surface can be transferred to the substrate. When combined
with pulsed laser deposition (PLD), the NS approach offers outstanding
potential. PLD is a highly versatile growth technique, which allows deposition
of functional materials with complex stoichiometry. Examples span over
ferroelectric, ferromagnetic or compound semiconductor crystals. Though
PLD through NS constitutes in principle a straightforward process, it
requires pushing further the limits of the present technology. This project
consists in the development of a novel general-purpose nanoscale patterning
technique that combines high resolution, high purity and unprecedented
flexibility, in the fabrication of functional nanostructured materials
using nanostenciling and the demonstration of its great potential of being
implemented in many other areas of research.
AFM image of 50 nm tall BaTiO3 dots patterned
on Si(100) by PLD through a nanosieve with 500 nm apertures diameter. |
