Nanomanufacturing Paradigm Shift from 2D to 3D: Rolled-up Electronic and Photonic Devices and Sub-Systems

Strategic Research Initiatives

Xiuling Li, Xiaogang Chen, James J. Coleman, Jose Schutt-Aine: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Placid Ferreira, K. Jimmy Hsia: Mechanical Science and Engineering

 John A. Rogers: Materials Science and Engineering

Addressing the Problem

Complex 3D structures enable efficient use of materials leading to advanced functionalities that are otherwise out of reach. However, if conventional fabrication technologies are used to process 3D structures, issues such as mechanical stability, conformity, alignment, as well as cost, are difficult to address. The basic building block of this effort is the well-engineered strain-induced controlled deformation of ultra-thin membranes, made of semiconductors, dielectrics, metals, and polymers, or hybrid hierarchical composites. The overarching physical principle driving the proposed folding/bending/rolling processes that transforming a planar 2D membrane into 3D architectures is the strain in thin films induced by either lattice, stoichiometric, or thermal mismatch.

Research Goals

The project’s goal is to develop a novel platform – strain-induced self-rolled-up 3D architectures—for advanced nano-manufacturing of extremely miniaturized passive components for radio frequency and millimeter wave integrated circuits, and vertically integrated photonics.