Nanolithography involves making nanoscale structures, i.e. patterns with lateral surfaces of size ranging from atomic to 100 nanometers (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). The process is used for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuits and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Nanoimprint Technology (NIT) introduced during 1990s is low cost compared to optical lithography, and provides high resolution structures.
NIT is now attracting industries other than chip making. Optical components, biomedical devices and consumer products, for example, can benefit significantly from this technology. Non-slip materials, anti-bacterial and waterproof coatings, intricately patterned and colorful surfaces and adhesives that do not leave a sticky residue are some of the consumer applications that industries foresee.
Nanotechnology can produce the kinds of results mentioned above without using eco-unfriendly chemicals and coatings. The process will, instead, involve engineering the properties of the materials at molecular levels. Surfaces that resemble lotus flowers can thus be engineered, for example, recreating both its beauty and waterproof property.
Responding to such increasing demand, the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) and Institute of High Performance Computing is joining Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB), International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and SPRING Singapore is launching an Industrial Consortium On Nanoimprint (ICON). ICON will be starting with two projects, one for an anti-reflection and the other for an anti-bacterial surface.
Read the news at Nanotech-Now.
