title: Parallel near-field photolithography with metal-coated elastomeric masks.
abstract: Developing a cost-effective nanolithography strategy that enables the production of subwavelength features with various shapes over large areas is a long-standing goal in the nanotechnology community. Herein, an inexpensive nanolithographic technique that combines the wafer-scale production capability of photolithography with the subwavelength feature size controllability of near-field photolithography was developed to fabricate centimeter-scale up to wafer-scale sub-100-nm variously shaped nanopatterns on surfaces. The wafer-scale elastomeric trench-based photomasks with subwavelength apertures created at the apexes were compatible with mask aligners, allowing for the production of wafer-scale subwavelength nanopatterns with adjustable feature sizes, shapes, and periodicities. The smallest feature sizes of 50 and 80 nm were achieved on positive tone and negative tone photoresist surfaces, respectively, which could be ascribed to a near-field optical effect. The fabricated centimeter-scale nanopatterns were functionalized to study cell-matrix adhesion and migration. Compared to currently developed nanolithographic methods that approach similar functionalities, this facile nanolithographic strategy combines the merits of low cost, subwavelength feature size, high throughput, and varied feature shapes, making it an affordable approach to be used in academic research for researchers at most institutions.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronic (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM) and ⊥College of Science, Nanjing Technological University , Nanjing 211816, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-han
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Shaozhou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Binghua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Yayuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaoqun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Weina
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Danbi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sheetz
authors.forename: Fengwei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huo
mesh_terms: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D011327:Printing / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D006046:Gold; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate