The purpose of this study was to develop a selective patterning process with functional nanoparticles, using the selective hydrophobic treatment which can give surface energy differences. It is important to selectively pattern the nanoparticles in solution, to the desired site in a variety of fields such as transparent electrodes, displays, and bio-sensors. Selective hydrophobic treatment can reduce the additional post processes such as cleaning to remove particles unwanted position, which is a drawback of the existing solution process. Various patterns with sub-micron size that can’t be achieved with other solution processes could be fabricated by nanoimprint lithography, selective surface treatment, and a solution coating process. The transparent conductive electrode (TCE) using silver mesh patterns on the flexible substrate created from our study showed 24 Ω of sheet resistance and more than 82% transmittance. To verify the possibility of nano-patterning of various materials, quantum dot (QD) was also patterned by selectively filling. Selective surface treatment technology has significantly improved the filling process of nanoparticles into fine patterns less than 1 μm wide.

3D images are generally manufactured by complex production processes. We suggested a simple method to make 3D images based on a mechanical machining technology in this study. We designed a tetrahedron consisted of many arcs having the depth of 100 ㎛ and the pitch of 500 ㎛, and machined them on an aluminum plate using end-milling under several conditions of feed-rate and depth of cut. The area of undeformed chip including depth of cut and feed-rate can predict quality of the machined arcs more precisely than the undeformed chip thickness including only feed rate. Moreover, a diamond tool can improve the quality than a CBN tool when many arcs are machined. Based on the analysis, the designed tetrahedron having many arcs was machined with no burr, and it showed different images when observed from the left and right directions. Therefore, it is verified that a 3D image can be designed and manufactured on a metal plate by end-milling under optimized machining conditions.

Lithography techniques are generally used to manufacture nano-patterns on silicon, however, it is difficult to make a V-shaped pattern using these techniques. Although silicon is a brittle material, it can be treated as a ductile material if mechanically machined at extremely low force scale. The manufacturing technique of nano-patterns on single crystal silicon using a mechanical method was developed in this study. First, the linear pattern was machined on the silicon with increasing thrust force. Then, the correlation between measured cutting force and machined pattern was analyzed. Based on the analysis, the critical thrust force was quantitatively determined, and then the silicon was machined at a force lower than the critical thrust force. The machined pattern was observed using SEM and AFM to check for the occurrence of brittle fractures. Finally, the sharp V-shaped nano-pattern was manufactured on the single crystal silicon.

Precise fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) self-standing microstructures on thin glass plates via two-photon induced polymerization (TPP) has been an important issue for innovative 3D nanodevices and microdevices. However, there are still issues remaining to be solved, such as building 3D microstructures on opaque materials via TPP and being able to implant them as functional parts onto practical systems. To settle these issues simply and effectively, we propose a contact print lithography (CPL) method using an ultraviolet (UV)-curable polymer layer. We report some of the possibilities and potential of CPL by presenting our results for transplanting 3D microstructures onto large-area substrates and also our examination of some of the effects of the process parameters on successful transplantation.