@article{f21ebdadd1c24cb5a7997d76d550a20d,
title = "Directed fabrication of ceramic nanostructures on fragile substrates using soft-electron beam lithography (soft-eBL)",
abstract = "We demonstrate the use of a facile nanopatterning scheme known as soft electron beam lithography (soft-eBL) to fabricate and site specifically position a variety of functional ceramic nanostructures onto two fragile substrates: a 75-nm-thick electron-transparent silicon nitride membrane and suspended microhotplates with embedded heaters. The patterned nanostructures on nitride membranes can be readily probed with a variety of characterization tools without any postfabrication sample preparation, allowing observation of the nanostructures in near-pristine condition. We demonstrate this by characterizing the structural, chemical, and optical properties of several ceramic nanostructures patterned on membranes using electron microscopy and surface scanning probe tools such as atomic force microscopy and near-field scanning optical microscopy. We further demonstrate that such nanostructures, upon integration with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microhotplate platforms, can function as gas-sensing elements; we evaluate their sensing performance at micromoles per mole target analyte concentration levels.",
author = "Suresh Donthu and Nasim Alem and Zixiao Pan and Li, {Shu You} and Gajendra Shekhawat and Vinayak Dravid and Benkstein, {Kurt D.} and Steve Semancik",
note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the technical assistance of Chip Montgomery in preparing the microhotplate devices for deposition and testing. This research was performed in the Electron Probe Instrumentation Center (EPIC)/Nanoscale Integrated Fabrication, Testing, and Instrumentation (NIFTI)/Keck-II facilities of the Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental Center (NUANCE) Center at Northwestern University. The NUANCE Center is supported by National Science Foundation (NSF)-Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), NSF-Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), the State of Illinois, and North-western University. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation. Funding Information: Manuscript received August 28, 2007; revised November 16, 2007. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation-Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSF-NSEC), NSF-Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and Department of Engineering (DOE)-Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (DE-PS02-07ER01-01) programs at Northwestern University. The review of this paper was arranged by Associate Editor J. Rogers.",
year = "2008",
month = may,
doi = "10.1109/TNANO.2008.917793",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "7",
pages = "338--343",
journal = "IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology",
issn = "1536-125X",
publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",
number = "3",
}