Apparatus for Direct Fabrication of Nanostructures

Abstract

An all-additive apparatus for direct fabrication of nanometer-scale planar and multilayer structures that performs “pick-and-place” retrieval and deposition of materials comprises a tip and a controller and transport mechanism configured for causing the tip to acquire a transferable material and deposit at least a portion of the acquired transferable material at a predetermined location onto a substrate, without the use of a bridging medium, in order to directly assemble a structure. The tip may be submillimeter-scale, may comprise a plurality of sub-tips disposed in a predetermined arrangement, and/or may mechanically vibrate. Mechanical vibration of the tip may be monitored. The tip may acquire the transferable material from a reservoir. The assembled structure may be cured on the substrate.

1 . Apparatus comprising:
 (a) a submillimeter-scale tip;   (b) a controller and, responsive thereto, a transport mechanism, configured for repeatedly (i) causing the tip to acquire a transferable material from a reservoir and (ii) pick-and-place depositing at least a portion of the acquired transferable material at a predetermined location onto the substrate without a bridging medium, thereby assembling a structure.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising means for facilitating a continuous flow of the transferable material to the tip from the reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a nanotube, a carbon nanotube, and silicon. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tip is mounted on a bendable cantilever and the controller comprises means for monitoring and controlling the forces exerted on the tip. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller and transport mechanism further comprise an actuator and a feedback circuitry for causing the tip to apply a predetermined amount of force to the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller comprises means for monitoring a force with which the tip deposits the transferable material in order to determine an amount of the transferable material deposited. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller comprises means for monitoring a force with which the tip acquires the transferable material in order to determine an amount of the transferable material acquired. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the controller monitors a deflection of the cantilever indicative of flooding of the tip and counteracts the cantilever deflection in response thereto. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a curing device for curing of the transferable material deposited on the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the curing device is selected from the group consisting of: laser sources, ultra-violet light sources, electron-beam sources, and heat sources. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tip comprises a plurality of sub-tips disposed in a predetermined arrangement. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a scanning probe microscope comprising the nanometer-scale bendable cantilever and the controller. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the scanning probe microscope images the nanometer-scale structure following deposition thereof 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tip is configured for mechanical vibration. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus comprising:
 (a) a tip comprising a plurality of sub-tips disposed in a predetermined arrangement;   (b) a controller and, responsive thereto, a transport mechanism configured for repeatedly (i) causing the tip to acquire a transferable material from a reservoir and (ii) depositing at least a portion of the acquired transferable material at a predetermined location onto the substrate without a bridging medium, thereby assembling a structure.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sub-tips simultaneously deposits the transferable material in a predetermined pattern onto the substrate in a single step. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of sub-tips comprises a stamp having a predetermined pattern of topographical features. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sub-tips simultaneously acquires and deposits different transferable materials. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus comprising:
 (a) a mechanically vibrating tip;   (b) a controller and, responsive thereto, a transport mechanism for repeatedly (i) monitoring a shift in a vibration frequency of the tip, (ii) causing the tip to acquire a transferable material, and (iii) depositing at least a portion of the acquired transferable material at a predetermined location directly onto the substrate, thereby assembling a structure.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a reservoir from which the tip acquires the transferable material. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising means for facilitating a continuous flow of the transferable material to the tip from the reservoir. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the tip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a nanotube, a carbon nanotube, and silicon. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein tip is mounted on a bendable cantilever and the controller comprises means for monitoring and controlling the forces exerted on the tip. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the controller further comprises an actuator and a feedback circuitry for causing the tip to apply a predetermined amount of force to the substrate. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the controller comprises means for monitoring a force with which the tip deposits the transferable material in order to determine an amount of the transferable material deposited. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the controller comprises means for monitoring a force with which the tip acquires the transferable material in order to determine an amount of the transferable material acquired. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the controller monitors a deflection of the cantilever indicative of flooding of the tip and counteracts the cantilever deflection in response thereto. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a curing device for curing of the transferable material deposited on the substrate. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the curing device is selected from the group consisting of: laser sources, ultra-violet light sources, electron-beam sources, and heat sources. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the tip comprises a plurality of sub-tips disposed in a predetermined arrangement. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising a scanning probe microscope comprising the nanometer-scale bendable cantilever and the controller. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the scanning probe microscope images the nanometer-scale structure following deposition thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the tip vibrates when depositing the acquired transferable material onto the substrate. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the tip vibrates when acquiring the transferable material. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the controller controls the descent of tip towards the substrate by monitoring the shift in a vibration frequency of the tip. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the controller controls the amount of the transferable material acquired by the tip by monitoring the shift in a vibration frequency of the tip. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the controller controls the amount of the transferable material deposited onto the substrate by the tip by monitoring the shift in a vibration frequency of the tip.