Vinayak P. Dravid, Northwestern University IRG1, Synergistic Linear and Nonlinear Phenomena in Multifunctional Oxide Ceramic Systems The reduced size of materials with controlled internal structure (i.e., grain size, crystal orientation, etc.) leads to novel, unexpected phenomena and a very broad spectrum of technologically significant properties. In view of this scientific appeal and technological implications, we have developed a versatile nanopatterning technique termed as soft-electron beam lithography (soft-eBL). This approach synergistically combines the advantages of conventional electron beam lithography and wet chemistry routes for patterning nanostructures of metal oxides and composites. The unique capabilities of soft-eBL include the ability to pattern 2D functional inorganic structures as small as 30nm. In addition, it is capable of site-specifically patterning multidimensional nanostructures in a facile manner on almost any substrate. It was further demonstrated that soft-eBL is capable of building 3D hierarchical multifunctional nanostructures, which can be extremely challenging for traditional ceramic patterning approaches.
