Resist nanokirigami for multipurpose patterning

Resist-based patterning solutions play essential roles in modern micro- and nanoscale science and technology. The commonly used ‘resist’ patterning strategy depends on selective-area scission or cross-linking of resist molecules under the action of an energy beam. In this work, we propose and demonstrate a different resist-patterning strategy, termed ‘resist nanokirigami’, in which the resist structures are defined by their outlines and revealed by selective mechanical peeling of the unwanted resist film. Unlike conventional resist-based patterning processes, the final resist-nanokirigami structures do not undergo exposure and the exposure area is dramatically reduced. With these two advantages, a variety of functional structures that are difficult or impossible to fabricate by conventional processes, such as inverse nanostructures and their oligomers, multi-scale electrodes and freestanding plasmonic nanogaps, can be easily achieved with much higher efficiency. Thus, with its unique and complementary capabilities, the resist-nanokirigami process provides a new patterning solution that expands the family of lithography techniques and will play a significant role in fabricating multi-scale functional structures.