Design of nanomanufacturing systems

Abstract

Over 100 years of manufacturing knowledge and experience are available to a design engineer when considering the integration of a machine tool enabling macro-scale processes (milling, turning, welding, water-jet cutting) into a production or manufacturing line, and this thesis seeks to provide a design engineer with the insight so that the same can be done for a nano-scale process such as Dip Pen Nanolithography and Nanoimprint Lithography. Accordingly this work presents methods for designing nanomanufacturing systems, including the development of new technology to fulfill the unique performance requirements of nanomanufacturing processes. First, an introduction to nanomanufacturing and the differences between macro-scale and nano-scale manufacturing will be presented. Second, a "metric mapping" method will be illustrated which can be used to identify areas of nano-manufacturing where the need for the development of new technology is critical. Thirdly, this new method is capable of helping a design engineer synthesize technology for nano-manufacturing, as will be shown through a case-study in which a modular, precision belt-drive machine which is capable of enabling high-throughput nanomanufacturing was designed and built. This machine for highrate nanomanufacturing not only exceeds the performance requirements for a process (Dip Pen Nanolithography, or DPN) that has been called "not suitable for high-rate nanomanufacturing", but also is capable of implementing DPN at a rate almost 200 times that of previous machines.