Nanolithography: Named one of "100 Scientific Discoveries that Changed the World" Published March 23, 2012 By Dr. Robert White Air Force Office of Scientific Research ARLINGTON, Va. -- The recently published National Geographic special issue titled "100 Scientific Discoveries That Changed the World," leads off with a research program that began in 1997 when the Air Force Office of Scientific Research funded a Northwestern University researcher by the name of Chad Mirkin. AFOSR took a chance on a process called Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN), and what Dr. Mirkin himself noted, was "a far out idea and a paradigm shift in scanning probe microscopy," but indeed, proved to be an idea that changed the world. Highlighted in the Journal of Science, January 1999, DPN is a technology that builds nanoscale structures and patterns by drawing molecules directly onto a substrate. This process was achieved by employing an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), the tip of which has the innate capability to precisely place items and draw lines at the nanoscale level. The AFM was basically an extremely small paint brush. Mirkin's fundamental contribution was recognizing that it could be used to print structures on a surface through materials, rather than through an energy delivery process--the latter being the approach taken by all previous researchers. While the brief National Geographic highlight gives due credit to the significant impact of nanolithography and Mirkin's role in developing Dip-Pen Nanolithography, what warrants further notice are the many-faceted and overarching consequences of his subsequent revolutionary discoveries. DPN has led to the development of powerful new nanofabrication tools, ways of miniaturizing gene chips and pharmaceutical screening devices, methods for making and repairing photomasks used in the microelectronics industry, and high-throughput methods for discovering structures important in biology, medicine, and catalysis. Since 1997 Dr. Mirkin has authored over 480 manuscripts, holds over 440 patents and applications, and is the founder of four companies, which specialize in commercializing nanotechnology applications. Dr. Hugh DeLong, the AFOSR Program Manager who funded Dr. Mirkin in 1997 notes that, "Dip-Pen nanolithography has revolutionized the way one can assemble nano-architectures on a surface, thus opening the door to constructing a wide range of individual structures, assemblies, and cellular arrays that utilize multiple length scales at once." A relatively small basic research investment by AFOSR fifteen years ago, has led to a worldwide industry and field that employs thousands. Dr. Mirkin solved the challenge of manipulating and controlling things on a small scale. His efforts resulted in mass production techniques that allow enormous amounts of information to be carried or placed in an exceedingly small space, and in doing so, revolutionized aspects of biology, medicine, and the electronic age. __________________________________ AFOSR continues to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge through its leadership and management of the Air Force's basic research program. As a vital component of the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFOSR's mission is to discover, shape and champion basic science that profoundly impacts the future Air Force. To stay up-to-date on the latest AFOSR happenings, please join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AFOSR or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AFOSR.