Intellectual Property Office

Non-Confidential Disclosures

“Methods of Patterning a Surface Using Single and Multilayer Molecular Films”

PSU Inv. Disc. No. 2004-2877

Field of the Invention:

Nanofabrication Surface Patterning

Inventors:

Gregory S. McCarty

Patent status:

A U.S. and PCT patent applications have been filed.

Background:

Of primary importance in the fabrication of micron/nanometer scale structures and devices is the ability to pattern surfaces quickly and inexpensively with the required resolution and a high degree of accuracy. A variety of lithographic techniques have been developed to pattern surfaces, however none of these methods has demonstrated straightforward, inexpensive, efficient patterning of substrates with features or a resolution of less than 50 nanometers. In the past ten years, many techniques have built upon one another utilizing single and multilayer molecular films as resists for patterning. These methods, for the first time, have allowed for patterning on the order of a single nanometer and up.

Invention description:

This invention entails a new molecular patterning methodology which utilizes single molecule thick thin-films for patterning surfaces with extremely high resolution. New nano-scale structures are formed using a combination of a selective adsorption resist and a molecular layer which can define extremely precise separation distances. This new method is an improvement over conventional lithographic techniques, and demonstrates straightforward, inexpensive, efficient patterning of substrates with a resolution of less than 50 nanometers. The patterning of surfaces is increasingly more important to the advance of Nanotechnology into various fields not limited to electronics, optoelectronics, biological and chemical sensing, drug discovery, and chemical synthesis

Advantages:

• Reduced temporal and financial costs over previous technologies
  
• Extremely High Resolution (< 50 nm)
  
• Increased Efficiency
  
• Straightforward methodology
  

Contact:

Mr. Richard M. Weyer
Sr. Licensing Officer
Intellectual Property Office
The Pennsylvania State University
113 Technology Center
University Park, PA 16802-7000
Phone: (814) 865-6279
Fax: (814) 865-3591
E-mail: rmw4@psu.edu