TY - JOUR
T1 - Automated scanning probe lithography with n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers on au(111)
T2 - Application for teaching undergraduate laboratories
AU - Brown, Treva T.
AU - LeJeune, Zorabel M.
AU - Liu, Kai
AU - Hardin, Sean
AU - Li, Jie Ren
AU - Rupnik, Kresimir
AU - Garno, Jayne C.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation (DMR-0906873), NSF (2005–10) LAMP-PHASE III-9, and the National Institutes of Health (R25GM069743–06). T.T.B. appreciatively acknowledges the Office of Strategic Initiatives (Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor's Program and Integration of Education and Mentoring Program), the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation, and the Louisiana State University Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity program for scholarships to promote undergraduate research. They would also like to thank Dr. J. Ngunjiri, Dr. A. Kelley, K. Lusker, S. Daniels, and W. Serem for their dedication to undergraduate mentoring and participation in this research effort. Treva T. Brown received the Analytical Systems Digital Library Young Scientist Award from the Association for Laboratory Automation.
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Controllers for scanning probe instruments can be programmed for automated lithography to generate desired surface arrangements of nanopatterns of organic thin films, such as n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). In this report, atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods of lithography known as nanoshaving and nano-grafting are used to write nanopatterns within organic thin films. Commercial instruments provide software to control the length, direction, speed, and applied force of the scanning motion of the tip. For nanoshaving, higher forces are applied to an AFM tip to selectively remove regions of the matrix monolayer, exposing bare areas of the gold substrate. Nanografting is accomplished by force-induced displacement of molecules of a matrix SAM, followed immediately by the surface self-assembly of n-alkanethiol molecules from solution. Advancements in AFM automation enable rapid protocols for nanolithography, which can be accomplished within the tight time restraints of undergraduate laboratories. Example experiments with scanning probe lithography will be described in this report that were accomplished by undergraduate students during laboratory course activities and research internships in the chemistry department of Louisiana State University. Students were introduced to principles of surface analysis and gained "hands-on" experience with nanoscale chemistry.
AB - Controllers for scanning probe instruments can be programmed for automated lithography to generate desired surface arrangements of nanopatterns of organic thin films, such as n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). In this report, atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods of lithography known as nanoshaving and nano-grafting are used to write nanopatterns within organic thin films. Commercial instruments provide software to control the length, direction, speed, and applied force of the scanning motion of the tip. For nanoshaving, higher forces are applied to an AFM tip to selectively remove regions of the matrix monolayer, exposing bare areas of the gold substrate. Nanografting is accomplished by force-induced displacement of molecules of a matrix SAM, followed immediately by the surface self-assembly of n-alkanethiol molecules from solution. Advancements in AFM automation enable rapid protocols for nanolithography, which can be accomplished within the tight time restraints of undergraduate laboratories. Example experiments with scanning probe lithography will be described in this report that were accomplished by undergraduate students during laboratory course activities and research internships in the chemistry department of Louisiana State University. Students were introduced to principles of surface analysis and gained "hands-on" experience with nanoscale chemistry.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955010723&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79955010723&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jala.2010.06.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jala.2010.06.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 21609692
AN - SCOPUS:79955010723
SN - 2211-0682
VL - 16
SP - 112
EP - 125
JO - Journal of Laboratory Automation
JF - Journal of Laboratory Automation
IS - 2
ER -