Three-dimensional nanostructures fabricated by stacking pre-patterned monocrystalline silicon nanomembranes
Author(s)
Fucetola, Corey Patrick
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3-dimensional nanostructures fabricated by stacking pre-patterned monocrystalline silicon nanomembranes
3D nanostructures fabricated by stacking pre-patterned monocrystalline silicon nanomembranes
Other Contributors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Advisor
Henry I. Smith.
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This thesis considers the viability of nanomembrane handling and stacking approaches to enable the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) nano-structured materials. Sequentially stacking previously-patterned membranes to build up 3D nanostructures, e.g. photonic crystals, is a powerful technique that decouples serial patterning processes from 3D assembly, allows the incorporation of photonic devices into the material and facilitates in-process error inspection. A technique identified to address the fundamental problems with stacking disjoined membranes, i.e. those populated with photonic devices, using water-based approaches was an outgrowth of methods to fabricate, handle and stack their connected counterparts. Initially, connected nanomembranes patterned in a thin layer of silicon on glass were released in hydrofluoric acid where surface tension caused them to float flat. Their fragility inspired novel handling and position manipulation techniques for layer-to-layer alignment. While exploiting surface tension allowed membranes to be stacked using water, drifting precluded precision placement. Although carrier substrates held them stationary, the membranes leaked water before Van-der Waals adhesion was overcome. To address such issues a novel method is introduced whereby a sublimable glue affixes membranes to a glass carrier, which is placed membrane-side down onto a receiving substrate and the glue is vaporized to detach the membranes, leaving them bound to the previous layer.
Description
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2013. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 153).
Date issued
2013Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer SciencePublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.