Remove obstacles in mass production of small circuits

In nano-etching techniques based on the creation of a certain amount of liquid, droplets of liquid on the surface of a thin layer of silicon are pressed into a vein, quickly solidifying and forming a desired electrical system. want.

(Photo: Stephen Chou / Princeton University)

By eliminating the formation of air bubbles when ' casting ' droplets of fluid into complex circuits, the team led by Princeton University has removed the obstacle of mass production of Microchip is smaller and cheaper.

Led by Stephen Chou, a professor of manufacturing at Princeton University, the team overcame a form of nanoimprint lithography, a revolutionary method invented by Professor Chou. in the 90s.

Nano etching techniques use a nanometer-sized mold to create computer microchips and other nanostructures, in stark contrast to the traditional method of using light rays, electrons or ions to create IC types on the device.

This technique allows the creation of circuits and devices that are no longer than a billionth of a meter or nanometer - 10 times smaller than today's mass-produced microchips, but are cheaper. 10 times more. Due to its unique features and reasonable cost, nano-engraving techniques are a key solution for making computer microchips and many other nano devices for use in optics, storing magnetic data. and biotechnology in other sectors in the future.

Professor Stephen Chou (Photo: princeton.edu)

In nano engraving techniques based on the creation of a certain amount of liquid, the droplets of liquid on the surface of a thin piece of silicon are pressed into a vein, quickly solidifying to form the desired circuit system. This technique is more attractive to manufacturers than other forms of nano engraving because it does not need to be done in an expensive vacuum chamber. However, the widespread use of this technique has been prevented by the formation of air bubbles, which deform the desired circuit system.

'It is an important step because to gain benefits from nano-engraving techniques, you need to use it in low-cost mass production,' said Professor Chou. The team's findings were published on January 17 in Nanotechnology magazine.

In a series of theoretical and empirical studies, Professor Chou and colleagues studied the factors that make air bubbles formed and figured out how to remove agents smaller than this millimeter. By increasing the engraving pressure or using a liquid with a higher solubility of gas, they were able to significantly increase the solubility of the air bubbles before the liquid solidified.

Thanh Van