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Sustainable AFM-Based Nanolithography on Chitosan Thin Films for 2.5D and 3D Nanostructure Fabrication.

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Title: Sustainable AFM-Based Nanolithography on Chitosan Thin Films for 2.5D and 3D Nanostructure Fabrication.
Authors: Vincenti, Lorenzo1,2,3 (AUTHOR), Farella, Isabella2 (AUTHOR), Cascione, Mariafrancesca3 (AUTHOR), De Matteis, Valeria4 (AUTHOR), Campa, Adriana2,5 (AUTHOR), Bianco, Annalisa4,6 (AUTHOR), Martino, Maurizio1,3 (AUTHOR), Quaranta, Fabio2 (AUTHOR), Bramanti, Alessandro Paolo3,5 (AUTHOR), Rinaldi, Rosaria2,3,4,6 (AUTHOR), Pellegrino, Paolo2,3,5 (AUTHOR) paolopellegrino@unisalento.it
Source: Nanomaterials (2079-4991). Jun2026, Vol. 16 Issue 12, p724. 19p.
Subjects: Nanolithography, Atomic force microscopy, Nanofabrication, Nanostructures, Thin films, Microfabrication
Abstract: The growing request for more sustainable materials and environmentally friendly nanofabrication methods in the electronics field has recently driven the scientific community in the development of bio-derived materials as an alternative to conventional lithographic resists. In this work, we used chitosan, a biodegradable and biocompatible polysaccharide, as a green direct-write resist material for Atomic Force Microscopy-based nanolithography. Chitosan thin layers were obtained by spin coating and systematically characterized, in terms of thickness and surface roughness, demonstrating nanoscale smoothness and tunable film thickness. Three Pulse–Atomic Force Lithography (P-AFL) approaches, i.e., Constant Pulse, Gradient Pulse, and Raster Pulse AFL methods, were used to pattern nanostructures with constant-depth nanogrooves, variable-depth (2.5D) profile, and three-dimensional nanoholes on chitosan films. The results reveal high pattern fidelity, reproducibility, and tunability of feature dimensions as a function of applied force and scanning direction. Moreover, the RP-AFL technique enabled the fabrication of well-defined 3D nanostructures with depths matching the film thickness, which is a prerequisite for subsequent pattern transfer. This experimental work provided a first proof-of-concept to adopt chitosan as a more sustainable alternative with respect to conventional resists. Moreover, the results highlight P-AFL methods as a versatile and low-impact nanofabrication strategy, contributing to the development of greener micro- and nano-manufacturing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Nanomaterials (2079-4991) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Sustainable AFM-Based Nanolithography on Chitosan Thin Films for 2.5D and 3D Nanostructure Fabrication.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nanolithography%22">Nanolithography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Atomic+force+microscopy%22">Atomic force microscopy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nanofabrication%22">Nanofabrication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nanostructures%22">Nanostructures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thin+films%22">Thin films</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Microfabrication%22">Microfabrication</searchLink>
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  Data: The growing request for more sustainable materials and environmentally friendly nanofabrication methods in the electronics field has recently driven the scientific community in the development of bio-derived materials as an alternative to conventional lithographic resists. In this work, we used chitosan, a biodegradable and biocompatible polysaccharide, as a green direct-write resist material for Atomic Force Microscopy-based nanolithography. Chitosan thin layers were obtained by spin coating and systematically characterized, in terms of thickness and surface roughness, demonstrating nanoscale smoothness and tunable film thickness. Three Pulse–Atomic Force Lithography (P-AFL) approaches, i.e., Constant Pulse, Gradient Pulse, and Raster Pulse AFL methods, were used to pattern nanostructures with constant-depth nanogrooves, variable-depth (2.5D) profile, and three-dimensional nanoholes on chitosan films. The results reveal high pattern fidelity, reproducibility, and tunability of feature dimensions as a function of applied force and scanning direction. Moreover, the RP-AFL technique enabled the fabrication of well-defined 3D nanostructures with depths matching the film thickness, which is a prerequisite for subsequent pattern transfer. This experimental work provided a first proof-of-concept to adopt chitosan as a more sustainable alternative with respect to conventional resists. Moreover, the results highlight P-AFL methods as a versatile and low-impact nanofabrication strategy, contributing to the development of greener micro- and nano-manufacturing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Nanomaterials (2079-4991) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3390/nano16120724
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 724
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Nanolithography
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Atomic force microscopy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nanofabrication
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      – SubjectFull: Nanostructures
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      – SubjectFull: Thin films
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      – SubjectFull: Microfabrication
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      – TitleFull: Sustainable AFM-Based Nanolithography on Chitosan Thin Films for 2.5D and 3D Nanostructure Fabrication.
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              Text: Jun2026
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