Nanocontact printing for high resolution patterning – NanoContactPrinter

The project entitled ‘NanoContactPrinter’ aims at developing a non conventional lithography instrument for high resolution microcontact printing. It fits with the ‘Axe thématique 3 : Information, Communication, Nanotechnologies’ of the Call. Its relevance is due to its high potential in terms of intellectual property in a new promising field at the convergence of Advanced Surface Chemistry and Nanotechnology,

It is reminded that microcontact printing uses the micro and nano-relief of an elastomeric stamp to form patterns of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of thiol and silanes on the surface of a substrate through conformal contact. Since the invention in the 1990s by Pr. Whitesides et al. in the USA, many other ‘inks’ have been developed (reactive SAMs, dendrimers, catalysts, biomolecules…) demonstrating the high potential of this technology.

In non-biotech fields, which is the focus of the present project, µCP is also of increasing importance in Microelectronics, Organic Electronics, Mold Interconnect Devices, Micro-optics, Material Science, Medicine, etc.

However printing resolution is still a bottleneck in the development of this process.

The INL and LSA partners of this project have recently demonstrated High Resolution Microcontact Printing at 0.4 µm with a 1st generation Microcontact Printer and are engaged in the development of an advanced Nanocontact Printer instrument thanks to the financial support of the LST partner (project protected by a patent application).

In order to facilitate future technology transfer, the aim of this 18 months project is to accelerate the development of the Nanocontact Printer. We plan to: [i] finalize the instrument to print on Ø100mm surfaces, [ii] improve printing resolution and uniformity and evaluate their limit, [iii] develop printing protocols and document them for future users, [iv] test different possible improvements of the instruments, [v] demonstrate relevant applications in differents fields of Microtechnology and Material Science, [vi] consolidate existing patent portfolio and [vii] take this opportunity to develop new intellectual property.