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Scanning probe lithography (SPL) has witnessed a dramatic transformation with the advent of two-dimensional (2D) probe arrays. Although early work with single probes was justifiably assessed as being too slow to practically apply in a nanomanufacturing context, we have recently demonstrated throughputs up to 3x10(7) microm(2)/h--in some cases exceeding e-beam lithography--using centimeter square arrays of 55,000 tips tailored for Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN). Parallelizing DPN has been critical because there exists a need for a lithographic process that is not only high throughput, but also high resolution (DPN has shown line widths down to 14 nm) with massive multiplexing capabilities. Although previous methods required non-trivial user manipulation to bring the 2D array level to the substrate, we now demonstrate a self-leveling fixture for NanoInk's 2D nano PrintArray. When mounted on NanoInk's NLP 2000, the 55,000 tip array can achieve a planarity of <0.1 degrees with respect to the substrate in a matter of seconds, with no user manipulation required. Additional fine-leveling routines (<2 min of user interaction) can improve this planarity to <0.002 degrees with respect to the substrate-a Z-difference of less than 600 nm across 1 cm(2) of surface area. We herein show highly homogeneous etch-resist nanostructure results patterned from a self-leveled array of DPN pens, with feature size standard deviation of <6% across a centimeter square sample. We illustrate the mechanisms and methods of the self-leveling fixture, and detail the advantages thereof. Finally, we emphasize that this methodology brings us closer to the goal of true nanomanufacturing by automating the leveling process, reducing setup time by at least a factor of 10, enhancing the ease of the overall printing process, and ultimately ensuring a more level device with subsequently homogeneous nanostructures.

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) has emerged as a powerful tool for creating sophisticated micron- and nanoscale features of various molecules, such as small organic molecules, on a variety of substrates. Despite significant advances in recent years, the influence of temperature on molecular transport for nanostructure fabrication has not been fully explored. Herein, it is shown how the dimensions of patterned organic nanostructures can be controlled by using a cooling/heating module. This method allows nanometer-sized feature fabrication of a variety of small organic molecules, including 'inks' that have been deemed very difficult to write under ambient conditions. Features with dimensions as small as 30 nm have been successfully reproduced using the newly developed temperature control device in conjunction with DPN.

SVG Lithography is building a production-ready, vertical stage x-ray proximity aligner. For aligner-to-itself overlays, the aligner overlay specification is a mean 3σ value of 33 nm. As part of this aligner specification, each through-the-mask (TTM) alignment sensor has a wafer-to-mask position measurement accuracy specification with a mean value of 7.1 nm and a 3σ value of 9.2 nm. This article presents a summary of the operation, design, and breadboard testing of the TTM sensor. Breadboard testing with silicon membrane x-ray masks and process wafers confirms that the design satisfies the specification. Test data to date show position-sensing repeatability 3σ values that range from 8 to 10 nm. Resist-induced mean alignment offsets, measured as the separation of bare and resist-coated wafer marks, were within the acceptable range of 5 to 8 nm.

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