Submitted on June 23, 2008
Accepted on August 1, 2008
Polymer Pen Lithography
Fengwei Huo 1, Zijian Zheng 1, Gengfeng Zheng 1, Louise R. Giam 2, Hua Zhang 3, Chad A. Mirkin 4*
1 Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.; International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.
2 International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.
3 Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.; International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.; Current address: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
4 Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.; International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208–3113 USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Chad A. Mirkin , E-mail: chadnano{at}northwestern.edu
We report a low-cost, high-throughput scanning probe lithography method that uses a soft elastomeric tip array, rather than tips mounted on individual cantilevers, to deliver inks to a surface in a "direct write" manner. Polymer pen lithography merges the feature size control of dip-pen nanolithography with the large-area capability of contact printing. Because ink delivery is time and force dependent, features on the nanometer, micrometer, and macroscopic length scales can be formed with the same tip array. Arrays with as many as about 11 million pyramid-shaped pens can be brought into contact with substrates and readily leveled optically to ensure uniform pattern development.
