Ultralarge-Area Stitchless Scanning Probe Lithography and In Situ Characterization System Using a Compliant Nanomanipulator

Scanning probe lithography (SPL) is a versa-tile nanofabrication method that employs a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to generate patterns and nanoscale structures on surfaces. Typically, an atomic force micro-scope (AFM) is the preferred type of SPM for nanolithography and in situ characterization based on the probe-sample interaction. However, the maximum area of the existing SPL is mainly limited by scanner stroke of the AFM and usually less than 100 x 100 mu m(2). Ultralarge-area nanofabrication can be achieved by using a step and scan manner but leading to stitching errors and low throughput. This article proposes a novel ultralarge-area stitchless SPL and high-throughput in situ characterization system utilizing a leaf spring-based nanomanipulator, which offers a maximum scanning area of 2 x 2 mm(2). Further, we propose a novel optimized passband loss filter for the repetitive control of the nanomanipulator to realize high-bandwidth and high-precision trajectory tracking. Experimental results indicate that the proposed control method achieves satis-factory tracking performance for a triangular wave with an amplitude of 500 mu m. Compared with the existing SPL systems, we achieve stitchless nanolithography at a speed of similar to 2 mm/s and high-throughput in situ characterization in the range of 500 x 500 mu m(2). This system opens up significant avenues for the research and application of ultralarge-area nanofabrication and in situ characterization.

Automated summary

This article introduces a novel ultralarge-area stitchless scanning probe lithography (SPL) and high-throughput in situ characterization system. The system utilizes a scanning probe microscope to generate patterns and nanoscale structures, with a maximum scanning area of 2 x 2 mm. Through an optimized control method, high-bandwidth and high-precision trajectory tracking is achieved. Experimental results demonstrate high nanolithography speed and in situ characterization throughput, opening up new avenues for ultralarge-area nanofabrication and in situ characterization research and applications.