Laney, Sophia Katharine; (2021) Advancing nanofabrication processes for the generation of multifunctional surfaces. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Ubiquitous in the natural world, micro- and/or nano-structured surfaces can afford simultaneous control over a range of interfacial properties; providing an attractive solution for where the accumulation of fluids (fog/rain/oil) and bacteria, and the mismanaged interaction of photons, can impede the safety or efficiency of the surface. Although surfaces found in nature provide a wealth of inspiration, replicating the structures synthetically persists to be a challenge, particularly so when striving for scalability and simplicity to encourage industrial/commercial uptake. Furthermore, the fabrication challenges become amplified when aiming for sub-wavelength structures; often necessary to unlock or enhance additional functionality. In this thesis, I present novel fabrication routes based on lithography and reactive ion etching (RIE) to achieve a range of ordered structures at the nano-scale in glass and silicon, and further replicate the resultant structures into polymers. I explore scalable masking techniques including block copolymer (BCP) lithography, laser interference lithography (LIL) and nanoimprint lithography (NIL), to achieve a series of pitches from 50 – 600 nm. By coupling the masking with novel combinations of etching chemistries, and taking advantage of the etch resistivity of different materials, I fabricate high aspect ratio nanostructures through simplified processes and demonstrate their ability to target applications in wettability, photonics and anti-bacterial action. Specifically, for silicon and glass nanocones, I focus on their anti-fogging, superhydrophobic, anti-reflective and anti-bacterial properties. I also investigate the impact of the nanostructure morphology on a sub-class of water-repellent surfaces, namely, slippery liquid infused porous surfaces, and their ability to retain lubricant under dynamic conditions; continuing on the theme of smart nanostructure design and simplified fabrication to pave a route to multifunctional surfaces. It is anticipated that the surfaces and their properties will find use as car windscreens, coatings for solar panels, high-rise glass facades, and high-touch surfaces to name a few.

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