A wide variety of tunable physio-chemical properties make ZnO nanowires a promising candidate for functional device applications. Although bottom-up grown nanowires are producible in volume, their high-throughput device integration requires control over dimensions and, more importantly, of precise placement. Thus development of top-down fabrication routes with accurate device positioning is imperative and hence pursued in this thesis. ZnO thin film transistors (TFT) were fabricated using solution based precursor zinc neodecanoate. A range of ZnO thin films were prepared by varying process parameters, such as precursor concentrations and annealing temperatures, and then analysed for their optical and electrical characteristics. ZnO TFTs prepared from a 15 % precursor concentration and annealing at 700 $^\circ$C exhibited best device performance with a saturation mobility of 0.1 cm$^2$/V.s and an on/off ratio of 10$^7$. Trap limited conduction (TLC) transport was found to be dominant in these devices. A direct-write electron beam lithography (EBL) process was developed using zinc naphthenate and zinc neodecanoate precursors for the top-down synthesis of ZnO nanowires. Nanoscale ZnO patterns with a resolution of 50 nm and lengths up to 25 $\mu$m were fabricated. A linear mobility of 0.5 cm$^2$/V.s and an on/off ratio of $\sim$10$^5$ was achieved in the micro-FETs with 50 $\mu$m channel width. Interestingly, on scaling down the ZnO channel width down to 100 nm, almost two orders of magnitude enhancement in the linear mobility was observed, which reached $\sim$33.75 cm$^2$/V.s. Such increment in the device performance was attributed to the formation of larger grains and thus reduction in the grain-boundary scattering. Six volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were sensed at room temperature using the direct-write EBL fabricated ZnO devices under UV sensitisation. As the surface-to-volume ratio increases with the decreasing channel width (from 50 $\mu$m to 100 nm), sensing response of the ZnO devices becomes more significant. Ppm level detection of various VOCs was observed; with a 25 ppm level Anisole detection being the lowest concentration. Additionally, using 100 nm device, detection of 10 ppm NO$_2$ was achieved at room temperature. The sensing response towards NO$_2$ was found to be increased with UV illumination and sensor temperature. This led to exhibit $\sim$171 % sensing response for a 2.5 ppm level of NO$_2$.

<div>Fabrication of nanoscale highly periodic structures is a vital capability for research on quasicrystals, directional and specular selective emitters, and plasmonics. Laser interference lithography is a maskless lithography process capable of producing patterns with high periodicity over large areas, and is compatible with standard optical lithography processing. In this work, a Lloyd's mirror lithographic interferometer is simulated, built, and tested. Featuring a HeCd CW laser at 325 nm, spatial lter, and vacuum stage, it is capable of generating patterns with a sub-100 nanometer half pitch, over a large area (approximately 8 cm²), with minimal distortion, in a single exposure; with 2D patterns possible using multiple exposures. The interferometer features a compact sliding enclosure, simple alignment and operation, and quick adjustments to the desired period. One-dimensional and two-dimensional patterns were generated and matched well with simulation.</div>

Additive manufacturing using 2 photon polymerization is of great interest as it can create nanostructures with feature sizes much below the diffraction limit. It can be called as true 3D printing as it can fabricate in 3 dimensions by moving the laser spot in any 3D pattern inside the resist. This unique property is attributed to the non-linearity of two photon absorption which makes the polymerization happen only at the focal spot of the laser beam. This method has a wide range of applications such as optics/photonics, metamaterials, metasurfaces, micromachines, microfluidics, tissue engineering and drug delivery.<br>This work focuses on utilizing 2 photon fabrication for creating a metasurface by printing diabolo antenna arrays on a glass substrate and subsequently metallizing it by coating with gold. A femtosecond laser is used along with a galvo-mirror to scan the geometry inside the photoresist to create the antenna. The structure is simulated using ANSYS HFSS to study its properties and optimize the parameters. The calculations show a reflectance dip and zero reflectance for the resonance condition of 4.04 μm. An array of antennas is fabricated using the optimized properties and coated with gold using e-beam evaporation. This array is studied using a fourier transform infrared spectrometer and polarization dependent reflectance dip to 40% is observed at 6.6 μm. The difference might be due to the small errors in fabrication. This method of 3D printing of antenna arrays and metallization by a single step of e-beam evaporation is hence proved as a viable method for creating optical metasurfaces. Areas of future research for perfecting this method include incorporating an autofocusing system, printing more complicated geometries for antennas, and achieving higher resolution using techniques like stimulated emission depletion.

Nous avons étudié théoriquement et expérimentalement la formation de réseaux en relief sur des surfaces active ou passive, avec deux types de polymères photosensibles : résine photosensible négative et copolymère azobenzene. Le mécanisme de formation des structures est attribué à l'effet de transport de masse, qui déplace la matière dans des directions opposées dans ces deux matériaux. La technique de fabrication est basée sur l'utilisation de la lithographie par interférence, ce qui a permis de créer des structures grandes et uniformes. Dans le premier cas, des structures passives de surface en relief en 1D et 2D ont été créés sur la résine photosensible négative SU8 grâce à l'effet de rétrécissement durant le processus de réticulation. Dans le second cas, des structures périodiques actives en 1D, 2D et 3D ont été obtenues grâce à la migration des matériaux copolymères DR1/PMMA des régions de forte intensité d’irradiation à celles de faible intensité. L'amplitude de modulation de la structure est optimisée par le contrôle de l'épaisseur du film, de la périodicité de la structure, de la dose d'exposition, et des polarisations des faisceaux laser. Les applications de ces structures pour des lasers DFB à multiples longueurs d'onde, les cristaux photoniques non-Linéaires, et le couplage dans les guides d'ondes ont été discutés. / We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the formation of both active and passive surface relief gratings on two kinds of photosensitive polymers: negative photoresist and azobenzene copolymer. The common mechanism of the structures formation was attributed to mass transport effect, which however pushes the materials in opposite directions in these two materials. The fabrication technique is based on the use of interference lithography, which allowed to create large and uniform structures. In the first case, 1D and 2D passive periodic surface relief structures were created on the negative photoresist SU8 thanks to the shrinkage effect during the crosslinking process. In the second case, 1D, 2D and 3D active periodic structures have been obtained thanks to the movement of DR1/PMMA copolymer materials from regions of high intensity to those of low intensity irradiation. The modulation amplitude of structures is optimized by controlling the film thickness, the structure periodicity, the exposure dosage, and the polarizations of interference laser beams. Applications of these structures for multiple wavelength DFB laser, nonlinear photonic crystals, and waveguide coupling have been discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:42:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andre Luis de Castro Albuquerque.pdf: 3512166 bytes, checksum: 8d0cd135db2b69987d345b350a8e6563 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Jean Baptiste Debret (1768-1848), the French painter from the Neoclassical school, came to Rio de Janeiro city in 1816, to help creating an academy of fine arts, in the molds of the one in France, during the Dom João VI government in Brazil. Developing paintings and drawings in the streets of the empire s capital, Debret carried out a detailed study about the Portuguese court s life, as well as of the black men and women lives who worked in a wide range of services; this study will create his great work Historical and Picturesque Voyage to Brazil . This research analyzed one of his litographies, entitled Free Negresses Earning a Living From their Works , from Historical and Picturesque Voyage... , trying to understand the painter s purpose to elaborate his discourse about how the free negresses that worked in Rio de Janeiro City lived. / Jean Baptiste Debret (1768-1848), pintor francês pertencente à Escola Neoclássica francesa, veio para a cidade do Rio de Janeiro no ano de 1816, ajudar na criação de uma Academia de Belas Artes, nos moldes franceses, durante o governo de Dom João VI no Brasil. Desenvolvendo trabalhos de pintura e desenho nas ruas da capital do Império, Debret realizou um estudo minucioso sobre a vida da corte portuguesa nos trópicos, bem como as vidas de negros e negras de ganho que trabalhavam nos mais variados serviços; esse estudo vai dar origem à sua grande obra Viagem Pitoresca e Histórica ao Brasil . Esta pesquisa analisou uma de suas litografias, intitulada Negras livres vivendo de sua atividades , que se encontra no segundo tomo da Viagem Pitoresca... , buscando compreender a intenção deste pintor ao elaborar um discurso sobre como viviam as negras livres que trabalhavam na cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

Cette thèse présente les résultats théoriques et expérimentaux de l’interaction entre une onde plane et une monocouche de particules sub-microniques sphériques/non sphériques transparentes au champ optique. Un renforcement local du champ optique sous la particule peut être observé, menant à la formation d’une concentration d’énergie appelée «nanojet photonique». Une étude théorique de la répartition du champ électromagnétique sous les microparticules et le choix des conditions optimales, nous a permis d’exploiter ce nanojet comme un outil de micro-nano-structuration. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, une structuration périodique 2D d’un matériau photosensible à base de TiO2 déposé sur divers substrats a été effectuée par la technique de photolithographie colloïdale. En utilisant ce matériau, cette approche permet en une seule étape de conduire à une couche fonctionnelle, stable mécaniquement et chimiquement. Enfin, cette thèse présente quelques pistes d’exploitation et de perspectives de l’utilisation du phénomène de concentration d’une onde incidente par les microparticules. Plus précisément, cette microstructuration peut être utilisée pour des fonctions de piégeage optique, pour de la croissance localisée de matériaux fonctionnels ou encore pour augmenter l’activité de photocatalyse de couches actives / This PhD thesis presents the theoretical and experimental results of the interaction between a plane wave and a monolayer of spherical / non-spherical submicron particles that are transparent to the optical field. Local amplification of the optical field under the particle can be observed. This amplification of electromagnetic field is called "photonic nanojet". A theoretical study of nanojet under the microparticles and the choice of optimal conditions, allowed us to exploit this nanojet as a micro-nano-structuring tool. A 2D periodic structuring of a TiO2-based photosensitive material deposited on various substrates was carried out by the colloidal photolithography technique. By using this TiO2-based photosensitive material, this approach makes possible in a single step to produce a functional layer. Finally, this thesis presents some opportunities to exploit the phenomenon of concentration of an incident wave by the microparticles. More precisely, this microstructuration can be used for optical trapping functions, for the localized growth of functional materials or for increasing the photocatalytic activity of active layers

We have fabricated nanofuses from thin-film, arc-evaporation carbon for use in permanent data storage. Thin film carbon fuses have fewer fabrication barriers and retain the required resistivity and structural stability to work as a data storage medium. Carbon thin films were characterized for their electrical, microstructural, and chemical bonding properties. Annealing the thin-film carbon in an argon environment at 400°C reduced the resistivity from about 4*10-2 Ω cm as deposited down to about 5*10-4 Ω cm, allowing a lower blowing voltage. Nanofuses with widths ranging from 200 nm down to 60 nm were fabricated and tested. They blow with voltages between 2 V and 5.5 V, and the nanofuses remain stable in both a "1" and a "0" state under a constantly applied read voltage of 1 volt for over 90 hours, corresponding to a cumulative time of >1012 reads.

La lithographie est une étape clé de micro/nanotechnologie pour la fabrication de composants utilisés dans les domaines de la microéléctronique, de l’électronique flexible, de la photonique, du photovoltaïque, de la microfluidique... Cette étape de lithographie nécessite l’utilisation d’une résine inscriptible servant de masque temporaire permettant le transfert de motifs dans le matériau sous-jacent par gravure ou par déposition de nouveaux matériaux. La lithographie fait appel à des résines organiques mais aussi à des solvants organiques et des produits chimiques corrosifs et nocifs, ce qui va à l’encontre des problématiques environnementales et qui engendre des coûts supplémentaires liés à la gestion des risques et des déchets. De plus le contexte réglementaire (REACh ou US pollution act) évolue vers une plus grande protection de l’environnement et de la santé humaine et encourage l’utilisation de produits alternatifs. Dans ce contexte, mon projet de thèse visait à développer une résine biosourcée, non modifiée par des procédés de chimie de synthèse et développable dans l’eau. Cette résine devait être compatible avec les instruments de lithographies conventionnelles. Lors de ce travail, il a été démontré que le chitosane était une résine de tonalité positive permettant la réalisation d’un procédé complet de lithographie/gravure avec uniquement de l’eau comme solvant, sans modification du chitosane et sans l’utilisation de masque additionnel. Des motifs de 50 nm ont été obtenu dans la silice après lithographie électronique et gravure plasma et des motifs de 0.5 à 0.3 μm après photolithographie et gravure. / . Lithography is a key step in micro / nanotechnology with applications in the fields of microelectronics, flexible electronics, photonics, photovoltaics, microfluidics and biomedical. This lithography step requires the use of a writable resist to act as a temporary mask for transferring patterns in the underlying material by etching or deposition. Nowadays, lithography uses synthetic organic resin, organic solvents and hazardous chemicals which is contrary to environmental issues and generates additional costs associated with risk and waste management. Furthermore, regulation rules (REACh, US pollution act) tend to move toward the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals and promote alternative chemicals. In this context, this PhD work aimed at replacing conventional synthetic organic resist with a biopolymer. This biopolymer will not be modified by synthetic organic chemistry, will be compatible with conventional lithography instruments and it should be developable in water. It was demonstrated that chitosan was a positive tone resist allowing accomplishing a complete lithography-etching process. The whole process was performed in aqueous solution without the use of hazardous chemicals. 50 nm features were obtained after ebeam lithography/plasma etching into a silica layer without the use of an additional masking layer. 0.3-0.5 μm feature were obtained using photolithography.

Magnetic permalloy nanostructures were fabricated onto a silicon wafer using electron beam lithography and a liftoff process. The lithography was performed with a Hitachi SU-70 SEM retrofitted with a Nabity NPGS lithography conversion kit. PMMA of 950kDa molecular weight was used as the photoresist. Features were either nanowires, nanodots, or elliptical or rectangular nanostructures. The nanowires had dimensions of 15µm x 200nm x 40nm, the nanodots had diameters of 145nm and thickness of 12nm, and the ellipses and rectangles had dimensions of 110nm x 50nm x 13nm. Characterization of the nanostructures was performed using the same Hitachi SEM as well as a Digital Instruments DI 3100 Nanoscope IIIa AFM used in magnetic force imaging mode. The SEM was used to measure lateral dimensions of the features and to capture images of features for proper documentation and for external simulation studies. The MFM was used to capture magnetic images of the samples to determine the magnetic state of the nanowires or arrays.

The fabrication and characterization of surface-anchored hydrogel microstructures are described. The hydrogel structures are constructed from poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or poly(NIPAAm), which is a well-known thermoresponsive polymer that swells and contracts with changes in temperature. When patterned on a surface, these structures can experience a variety of shape changes induced by nonuniform swelling. Depending on the aspect ratio, patterns can, for instance buckle upon swelling and form wave-like patterns. Such structural changes replicate oscillatory motion of the smooth muscle cells and can be used to transport objects in microfluidics. The work, herein, investigates methods of pattern production and introduces a new technique for characterizing local swelling in the patterns. In order to achieve the latter, fluorescent microspheres were embedded in hydrogel patterns and their positions were mapped in three-dimensions using confocal microscopy. The measurements permit, for the first time, swelling maps of the structures based on relative movements of the microspheres. This information will ultimately aid in understanding how swollen macroscopic structures are related to gradients in localized swelling.