This research presents a fabrication method of vertically aligned nanowires on substrates using lithography-assisted template bonding (LATB) towards developing highly efficient electrodes for biomedical applications at low cost. A polycarbonate template containing cylindrical nanopores is attached to a substrate and the nanopores are selectively opened with a modified lithography process. Vertically aligned nanowires are grown by electrochemical deposition through these open pores on polyimide film and silicon substrates. The process of opening the nanopores is optimized to yield uniform growth of nanowires. The morphological, crystalline, and electrochemical properties of the resulting vertically aligned nanowires are discussed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical analysis tools. The potential application of this simple and inexpensive fabrication technology is discussed in the development of neural probe electrodes.

A study of the physicochemical modifications at micro and nano scales as a result of femtosecond laser processing is essential to explore the viability of this process to write surface and subsurface structures in transparent media. To this end, scanning probe and transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques were used to study these modifications in lithium niobate. A variable power Ti:Sapphire system (800nm,300fs) was used to determine the ablation threshold of (110) lithium niobate, and to write these structures in the substrate for subsequent analysis. Higher processing energies were used to amplify the laser-induced effects for a clear understanding. Evidences of a number of simultaneously occurring mechanisms such as melting, ablation, and shockwave propagation are observed in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Auger and electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) studies indicate loss of lithium and oxygen from the immediate surface of the processed region. Raman spectroscopy analysis indicates an unchanged chemical composition in the bulk, though at a loss of crystallinity. The surface and subsurface damage structures display a different nature of the amorphous and damaged material subregions, as observed in the respective transmission electron microscopy micrographs. A variation in oxygen counts is observed in the amorphous subregions, indicative of oxygen liberation and elemental segregation during the process. The oblate subsurface structure contains a void at the top, indicative of localized explosive melting and rapid quenching of the affected material. Thus, femtosecond laser writing produces different structures on the surface and the subsurface of the material. These results provide physicochemical insight towards writing chemically and spatially precise structures using femtosecond lasers, and will have direct implications in optical memory and waveguide writing and related applications.

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Lithium Niobate has a potential for applications in electronics and communication industries due to its unique electro-optical, piezoelectric and nonlinear properties. Femtosecond laser machining offers the best alternative to machine the mechanically fragile and optically delicate lithium niobate crystal. This paper reports a study of the effect of femtosecond laser machining on the surface integrity of lithium niobate. The transmission electron microscopy reveals a 100nm thin amorphous region and a void. The chemical analysis shows a loss of lithium and oxygen from the surface and sub-surface. Optical illumination facilitates the selective readout of the written spots of 2 microns size.