The rapidly evolving field of micro- and nano-fabrication is the meeting ground of physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and engineering.
Conventional lithography techniques are widely used to fabricate microstructures commercially. However, such techniques have limitations at the nano level. Research in areas related to nanofabrication is therefore crucial in order to develop and improve novel manufacturing techniques.
This is where I am hoping to make a significant contribution.
“My research is based on Focused Ion Beam (FIB) process for nanofabrication and its application in creating novel nanostructures. The aim is to model ion-material interactions followed by rapid computation ion beam-based material removal (milling or etching), in order to create 2D/3D structures at both micro- and nano-scale for diverse applications like anti-reflection, color filters, and sensors, to name a few.”
The Academy is a collaboration between India and Australia that endeavors to strengthen scientific relationships between the two countries. I have been fortunate to study for a dually-badged PhD from both IIT Bombay and Monash University, spending time at both institutions to enrich my research experience.
“FIB is a promising technique due to its capability range and diverse applications”.
For instance, it can be used for:
Milling, thus making it suitable for micro- / nano-machining,
Deposition, allowing for additive nanomanufacturing applications, and
Imaging, which makes it even more powerful for microscopy analysis and materials applications.
I have been working to develop a reliable modelling methodology to predict optimized FIB process parameters for milling, which is expected to lead to robust and accurate 2D/3D structures at the micro- / nano-scale. I am currently working on ion induced, in-situ controlled manipulation of nanostructures and investigation through molecular dynamics simulations, in order to arrive at a feasible methodology. This work will be critical for 3D nanofabrication with promising nanoscale-controlled manipulation, strain engineering of nanostructures, opening new avenues in the diverse field of ion beams and applications beyond material science for realization of future nanoscale devices.
The image show scanning electron micrograph (SEM, Scale 200 nm) of Silicon nanoflowers realized with focused ion beams in conjunction with wet chemical etching. The bulk structuration of Si substrate, based on the ion implantation design and area, allows fabrication of exotic functional and 3D micro/nanostructures on Si substrate exhibiting unique optical properties for applications in nanophotonics and physical sciences.
Oftentimes, it pays to think small when we need to think big!
(This SEM image above was awarded MSA micrograph competition award at Microscopy and Microanalysis MM-2018 meeting held at Baltimore, MD, USA and featured in MM-2019 call for papers front page https://www.microscopy.org/MandM/2019/meetings/c4p.pdf)
