Using Electric Fields for 3D Nanoprinting of Aerosols into Nanoarchitectures
Bingyan Liu, Shirong Liu, Jingui Ai, Yuxiang Yin, Yueqi Zhang, JICHENG FENG, ShanghaiTech University
Abstract Number: 12
Working Group: Nanoparticles and Materials Synthesis
Abstract
Integrated circuits (ICs) fabrication requires cutting-edge nanoengineering techniques. The prevailing approach to enhancing computational power has been to miniaturize components in ICs. However, challenges arise due to the technological constraints of downsizing, interconnections, and materializing these components. Nanoscale 3D printing emerges as a promising solution to these challenges. At Aerosol Intelligence Laboratory (AIL), we have developed a method to print aerosols into expansive arrays of intricate 3D nanoarchitectures using “lines of forces”1,2. This technique is coined as “Faraday 3D Printing”3, inspired by Faraday’s original field of lines, which are here repurposed as 3D nano-drawing tools. Distinct from wavelength-limited techniques, these drawing tools possess no downsizing limit1,2, heralding a horizon for atomic-level manufacturing. Our proprietary system uncovers the vast potential of multi-material printing2, a prospect that has remained largely untapped. By adeptly manipulating electric and flow fields, we attain remarkable flexibility in material selection and large-area printing, all while ensuring a high precision. This technology offers the capability to tailor optical, electronic, and mechanical attributes by modifying the material, geometry, feature size, and array periodicity of the printed nanoarchitectures. We contend that the transition from lithography to 3D printing within the spheres of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics signals a monumental paradigm shift, setting the research agenda of AIL for the future (more details about our work can be found at www.jcfenglab.com).
References
[1] S. Liu, J. Ai, Y. Zhang, J. Feng, Programmable and parallel 3D nanoprinting using configured electric fields. Advanced Functional Materials, 2023, 2308734.
[2] B. Liu, S. Liu, V. Devaraj, Y. Yin, Y. Zhang, J. Ai, Y. Han, J. Feng, Metal 3D nanoprinting with coupled fields, Nature Communications, 2023, 14, 4920.
[3] Y. Jung, P. V. Pikhitsa, S. Liu, W. Jung, J. Shin, B. Liu, Y. Han, K. Kim, M. Choi, J. Feng, Virtually probing “Faraday three-dimensional nanoprinting”, Additive Manufacturing, 2021, 48, 102432.