NIRT: Nanohybrids and Nanobiohybrids

1. deposited silicon bare silicon calcined template laser processing HF treatment NIRT: Nanohybrids and Nanobiohybrids Ulrich Wiesner, Cornell University, DMR-0405195 A Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) has come together to develop a “bottom-up” approach based on block copolymer directed thin film assembly of silica nanostructures on silicon and subsequent laser induced melting to generate silicon surface arrays with spacings down to the molecular level (~10 nm). The aim is to understand the dynamics governing creation of these structures, as well as to invent enabling technologies that will allow inexpensive fabrication of large areas of such nanostructures without the use of traditional photolithography. After initial in depth studies of the nanostructured, porous silica template formation, in recent efforts the team has worked on high aspect ratio pillar formation through the laser induced melting and pore filling process. Through deposition of an amorphous silicon layer on top of the template prior to the laser treatment, aspect ratios were increased from ~0.1 to ~1.0, see figure. Nanopillar formation through laser induced melting and pore filling of a honeycomb silica surface template, see schematic. AFM images comparing results of samples without (A) and with a surface layer of deposited amorphous silicon.

2. NIRT: Nanohybrids and Nanobiohybrids Ulrich Wiesner, Cornell University, DMR-0405195 Education: Five PI’s (David A Muller, A&EP; Sol M. Gruner, Physics; Barbara A. Baird, Chem.; Michael O. Thompson, MS&E; and U. Wiesner, MS&E) and one collaborator (Christopher K. Ober, MS&E) at Cornell have been co-advising four graduate students (Hitesh Arora, Phong Du, Jerome Hyun, Prabuddha Sengupta), and two undergraduate students (Billy Yau and Brian Goodfellow) so far in the research supported by this grant. serves predominantly minority and low-income populations. Students from the Youth Bureau were brought to the Cornell campus to see the lab facilities and perform hands-on activities. Activities included crosslinking polymers and creating nylon. Outreach Wiesner research group graduate students Andrew Burns and Erik Herz led chemistry activities for students from the Ithaca Youth Bureau, a local organization that provides after-school and summer enrichment programs for area students and Graduate student Andrew Burns oversees a student who is performing experiments with polymers.