Direct Wavelength-Selective Optical and Electron-Beam Lithography of Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials

Direct optical lithography of functional inorganic nanomaterials (DOLFIN) is a photoresist-free method for high-resolution patterning of inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) that has been demonstrated using deep UV (DUV, 254 nm) photons. Here, we expand the versatility of DOLFIN by designing a series of photochemically active NC surface ligands for direct patterning using various photon energies including DUV, near-UV (i-line, 365 nm), blue (h-line, 405 nm), and visible (450 nm) light. We show that the exposure dose for DOLFIN can be ∼30 mJ/cm², which is small compared to most commercial photopolymer resists. Patterned nanomaterials can serve as highly robust optical diffraction gratings. We also introduce a general approach for resist-free direct electron-beam lithography of functional inorganic nanomaterials (DELFIN) which enables all-inorganic NC patterns with feature size down to 30 nm, while preserving the optical and electronic properties of patterned NCs. The designed ligand chemistries and patterning techniques offer a versatile platform for nano- and micron-scale additive manufacturing, complementing the existing toolbox for device fabrication.