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Improving Nanoscale Manufacturing with IR Spectroscopy

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URBANA, Ill., Oct. 12, 2012 — A new infrared spectroscopy diagnostic tool that can chemically analyze polymer lines as small as 100 nm could be the answer to the industry’s critical need for nanomanufacturing chemical metrology, according to an industry-university collaboration.

Nanomanufacturing technologies have come a long way; a key achievement is the development of manufacturing technologies that fabricate nanostructures formed from multiple materials. Such nanoscale integration of composites has enabled innovations in solar cells, electronic devices and medical diagnostics. However, there has been little progress in measurement technologies that can provide information about these integrated nanostructures.

“While nanotechnologists have long been interested in the manufacturing of integrated nanostructures, they have been limited by the lack of tools that can identify material composition at the nanometer scale,” said Craig Prater, chief technology officer at Anasys Instruments Inc.


Atomic force microscope infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) is a nanotechnology-based materials identification technique. Courtesy of University of Illinois College of Engineering.


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Researchers at Anasys and scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed diagnostic tools using atomic force microscope-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR). The method can identify polymer nanostructures and systems of integrated polymer nanostructures by directing rapidly pulsed IR laser light on a thin sample, which absorbs the IR light and undergoes rapid thermomechanical expansion. The resonance of the polymer nanostructure can then be measured using an AFM tip.

“In this research, we have been able to chemically analyze polymer lines as small as 100 nm,” said William King, the College of Engineering Bliss Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. “We can also clearly distinguish different nanopatterned polymers using their infrared absorption spectra.” The technique can also simultaneously map the nanoscale morphology and perform nanoscale chemical analysis, Prater said.

The study appeared in ACS Nano (doi: 10.1021/nn302620f).

For more information, visit: www.engineering.illinois.edu

Published: October 2012
Glossary
atomic force microscope
An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials science, and biology. It is a type of scanning probe microscope that operates by scanning a sharp tip (usually a few nanometers in diameter) over the surface of a sample at a very close distance. The tip interacts with the sample's surface forces, providing detailed information about the sample's topography and properties at the nanoscale. Key features and principles of...
infrared
Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of microwaves. The infrared spectrum spans wavelengths roughly between 700 nanometers (nm) and 1 millimeter (mm). It is divided into three main subcategories: Near-infrared (NIR): Wavelengths from approximately 700 nm to 1.4 micrometers (µm). Near-infrared light is often used in telecommunications, as well as in various imaging and sensing...
infrared spectroscopy
The measurement of the ability of matter to absorb, transmit or reflect infrared radiation and the relating of the resultant data to chemical structure.
metrology
Metrology is the science and practice of measurement. It encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of measurement, including the development of measurement standards, techniques, and instruments, as well as the application of measurement principles in various fields. The primary objectives of metrology are to ensure accuracy, reliability, and consistency in measurements and to establish traceability to recognized standards. Metrology plays a crucial role in science, industry,...
nano
An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
AFMAFM-IRAmericasAnasys Instruments Inc.atomic force microscopeatomic force microscope based infrared spectroscopyBasic Sciencechemical analysischemical metrologyCraig PraterenergyIllinoisImagingindustrialinfraredinfrared spectroscopyintegrated materialsmetrologyMicroscopynanonanomanufacturingnanomanufacturing diagnosticsnanoscale manufacturingnanostructuresOpticsphotonicspolymer nanostructureResearch & Technologythermomechanical expansionUniversity of IllinoisWilliam King

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