In the name of ALLAH, the most Gracious, the Most Merciful

MSE – 856
Nano Materials & Processing
Course Instructor: Dr. Amna Safdar
Nano Materials & Processing
Module number MSE-856
Module title Nano Materials & Processing (Core- 3CHs)
Academic Semester Spring
Academic Year 2024
Semester: Start Date 29/01/2024
Pre-requisites: Nil

Course Instructor: Dr. Amna Safdar

Email: amna.safdar@scme.nust.edu.pk
Office Location: SCME Building, Top Floor, Room#325
Office hours: Available to students anytime I'm in my office, or email for an appointment
Research expertise:
Solar energy Materials (Si, CZTS, Perovskites), Crystalline silicon solar technology, PV technology, Nanotechnology,
Nano-thin films, Naolithography, Nanophotonics for light trapping in solar cell application,
Nanostructuring and texturing, Optoelectrical characterization techniques, Random laser Devices
Solar cell Devices

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 What is for Today?

Overview of course content.

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Course contents
• Synthesis of 0D Nanomaterials
• (Nanoparticles(NPs) through homogeneous nucleation, NPs through heterogeneous nucleation,
kinetically confined growth of NPs)
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• Synthesis of 1 D nanomaterials (Vapor Liquid Solid (VLS) growth, Evaporation Condensation
Growth, Template based synthesis, Electrospinning )
• Fabrication of thin films (Fundamentals, PVD, CVD, ALD, Electrochemical deposition, sol gel thin
films, self-assembly)
• Characterization of nanomaterials:
➢ Ion surface interactions and ion based characterization tools e.g. Rutherford back scattering
analysis, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)
➢ Electron surface interactions and Electron microscopy
➢ Physisorption, Chemisorption, BET Surface Area Measurement • Selected Application(s)

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 h
Course Objectives
• Understanding of different nano-structures
• Importance of nano-structured materials for different applications

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 What is for Today?

Introductory Lecture

Chapter 1:Nanostructures & Nanomaterials-synthesis,

properties & applications, Guozhong Cao.

What are main Approaches for Miniaturization?

Limitation to Si: Nanomaterials?
Why Nanomaterials?
Molecular Electronics

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"Nanomaterials," is an interdisciplinary
h introduction to processing, structure,
and properties of materials at the nanometer length scale.
Specific nanofabrication topics include epitaxy, beam lithographies, self-
assembly, biocatalytic synthesis, atom optics, and scanning probe lithography.
The unique size- dependent properties (mechanical, thermal, chemical, optical,
electronic, and magnetic) that result from nanoscale structure will be explored in
the context of technological applications including computation, magnetic
storage, sensors, and actuators.

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Course Outcomes
The student will be able to characterize different nano-structures using different techniques and
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give suggestion related to the alteration of structures etc.

Recommended Reading (including Textbooks and Reference books)

Nanostructures & Nanomaterials-synthesis, properties & applications, Guozhong Cao, Imperial College Press,
2006, ISBN: 1-86094-415-9.
Inorganic Materials Synthesis & Fabrication, J. N. Lalenaet la, Wiley Interscience, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-471-
74004-9.

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Textbook

Boeing-Steiner Professor
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Nanostructures & Nanomaterials-synthesis, properties & applications,

Guozhong Cao, Imperial College Press, 2006, ISBN: 1-86094-415-9.

https://mse.washington.edu/facultyfinder/guozhong-cao

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Nanotechnology :
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It is defined as the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. OR
Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular
scale. OR The term nanotechnology is defined as “the design, characterization, production and
application of structures, devices and systems by controlled manipulation of size and shape at
the nanometre scale (atomic, molecular and macromolecular scale) that produces structures,
devices and systems with at least one novel/superior characteristic or property”.

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Chapter1 (Nanostructures & Nanomaterials-synthesis, properties & applications, Guozhong Cao.)

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Why nanotechnology Matters ?

• The advances in nanotechnology have brought new tools to the field of

electronics and sensors.
• New designed materials offer new and unique properties enabling the
development and cost-efficient production of state-of-the-art
components that :

➢ Operate Faster
➢ Higher Sensitivity
➢ Consume Less Power
➢ Can be packed at much higher densities

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 Extension of
Lithography Introductory Lecture
Classification of
Top-down Nanomaterials
Approach

Why
Nanomaterials?
Miniaturization

Nanoprocessing Moore’s Law Nanomaterials

Why
Approaches Nanofabrication Nanofabrication?

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 Extension of
Lithography
Classification of
Top-down Nanomaterials
Approach

Why
Nanomaterials?
Miniaturization

Nanoprocessing Moore’s Law Nanomaterials

Why
Approaches Nanofabrication Nanofabrication?

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 The circle of the semiconductor Industry

Nanoprocessing

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Two Different Approaches to Nanoprocessing

➢ Top → Down:
• Start with the bulk material and “cut away material” to make what you want
• Implementation of various techniques to remove, add or redistribute atoms or molecules in a bulk material to
create a final structure. Miniaturizing existing processes at the macro/micro-scale

➢ Bottom → Up:
• Building what you want by assembling it from building blocks ( such as atoms
and molecules).

• Atom-by-atom, molecule-by-molecule, or
cluster-by-cluster
Atomic and molecular scale directed assembly to create larger scale structures with engineered properties
E.g. chemical self -assembly

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Approaches to Nanoscale structures

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Top-down nanofabrication (semiconductor industry)

Extension of
Lithography

Top-down
Approach

Miniaturization

• Additive: thin film deposition/ growth.

• Subtractive: material removal, etching/polishing.
Nanoprocessing • Lateral patterning: lithography.

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 Top-down nanofabrication (semiconductor industry)

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Nanolithography is the branch of nanotechnology concerned with the study and
application of fabricating nanometer-scale structures and the creation of patterns with at
least one lateral dimension between the size of an individual atom and approximately 100
nm. It is used in the fabrication of leading-edge semiconductor integrated circuits
(nanocircuitry) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).

https://simotron.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/nanoscale-3d-printed-microstructures-by-
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Lithography – general distinction
Lithography with particles or Pattern replication: parallel Lithography on surfaces
waves (masks/molds necessary) • Optical/UV lithography
• Photons: photolithography High throughput, but not easy to • E-beam lithography
• X-rays: from synchrotron, x-ray change pattern • FIB lithography
lithography • Optical lithography • X-ray lithography
• Electrons: electron beam • X-ray lithography • SPM-lithography
lithography (EBL) • Imprint lithography o AFM
• Ions: focused ion beam (FIB) • Stencil mask lithography o STM
lithography o DPN (dip-pen
Pattern generation: serial nanolithography)
Imprint lithography (molding) (Slow, for mask/mold making) • Imprint lithography
• Soft Lithography: micro- • E-beam lithography (EBL) o Soft lithography
contact-printing… • Ion beam lithography (FIB) o Hot embossing
• Hot embossing • SPM-lithography o UV imprinting
• UV-curable imprinting o AFM, STM, DPN • Stencil mask lithography

SPM-lithography Multiple serial (array) Lithography in volume

• AFM • Electron-beam micro-column • Two photon absorption
• STM array (arrayed EBL) • Stereo-lithography
• DPN (dip-pen nanolithography) • Zone plate array lithography
• Scanning probe array
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 Pattern transfer: summary

Use resist as etching mask

Stencil mask

• Liftoff is most popular for patterning metals.

• Metal can either be used for device application, or as etch mask for further pattern transfer.
• Etching is popular for patterning dielectric materials (Si…) that may etch faster than resist.
 Top-down nanofabrication: one example
metal nanostructures
Metal nanostructures
side
view substrate
substrate
Direct etch process Liftoff process
resist
resist
(polymer)
(polymer)
1. Thin film growth
1. Thin film growth

2. Lithography
2. Lithography

3. Etching 3. Deposition

4. Etching (dissolve resist)

4. Etching (dissolve resist)
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 Emergence of Nanotechnology
• Shrinking of devices in the semiconductor industry
Extension of and supported by the availability of
Lithography characterization and manipulation techniques at
the nanometer level.
Top-down
Approach
• The continued decrease in device dimensions has
followed the well-known Moore’s law predicted
Miniaturization in 1965.

Nanoprocessing

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 Extension of
Lithography
Classification of
Top-down Nanomaterials
Approach

Why
Nanomaterials?
Miniaturization

Nanoprocessing Moore’s Law Nanomaterials

Why
Approaches Nanofabrication Nanofabrication?

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Moore’s Law
Electronics
19 April 1965

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Moore’s Original Data

Gordon Moore
Electronics
19 April 1965

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The original centi- meter scale contact transistor made by Bardeen, Brattain,
and Shockley on 23 December 1947 at AT&T Bell Lab.

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 Graph of Moore’s Law
Molecular Electronics

Molecular Electronics operate far below fundamental limits imposed by

thermodynamics and quantum mechanic but a number of challenges in transistor
design have already arisen from materials limitations and device physics.

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 Apple Watch’s “S” series chips, for example, are
SiPs since the space constraint in a watch is
very high, but not a lot of people are aware of
this fact.
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Lecture#1&2 Overview 12/02/2024 29