Symposium PM1—Ion Beam-Enabled Nanoscale Fabrication and Advanced Materials Synthesis

New technologies, new and versatile facilities, and new insights have recently been developed, enabling practical and robust application of ion beams for spatially defined and custom-tailored fabrication of devices with nanoscale 1D, 2D or 3D spatial definition. Emerging basic insights and modeling of the ion-solid interaction, as well as the arrival of sub-nanometer beam facilities, have led to exciting research results. Ion beam processing now offers unique methods for patterning and lithography, or synthesis of nano-structured surfaces and features, that can surpass the performance of other available technologies.

Structural changes caused by an energetic ion or ion-cluster in an irradiated solid may include collisional damage and disorder, local ionization, and in the case of organics, (or photo-resists), chain scission or cross-linking, and perhaps selective sputtering of a surface layer, leading to self-organized patterned surface topography. Ion irradiation may also be used to locally activate a surface to grow 3D columns in the presence of a suitable gas precursor. Self-assembly may be directed by patterned beam exposure. Nano-wires, nano-pores, and intricate 3D structures, can also be created using energetic ion nano-beams.

The ability of beam-patterned substrate surfaces to selectively adsorb cells from fluid suspension offers selective manipulation of bio-materials and their interactions, having important clinical or pharmaceutical applications. Related advances are emerging today in the fields of biomolecular technology and bio-medicine. It is hoped that this Symposium will provide a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers with expertise in ion-beam physics/chemistry/technology and those engaged in the bio-sciences and medical/clinical applications.