**2. Importance of micro/nano patterning**

Micro/Nano patterning is a one of the miniaturization technique for patterns, especially used for electronics. Nowadays it becomes a standard in biomaterials engineering and for funda‐ mental research on cellular biology by mean of soft lithography. It generally uses photoli‐ thography methods but many techniques have been developed. The batch fabrication of microstructures requires a low-cost, high throughput surface patterning technology.

For example, it is important to design nanodevices such as nano-transistors and nanodiodes, nanoswitches and nanologic gates, in order to design nanoscale computers with tera-scale capabilities. All living biological systems function due to molecular interactions of different subsystems. The molecular building blocks (proteins and nucleic acids, lipids and carbohy‐ drates, DNA and RNA) can be viewed as inspiring possible strategy on how to design highperformance NEMS and MEMS that possess the properties and characteristics needed. In addition, analytical and numerical methods are available to analyze the dynamics and threedimensional geometry, bonding, and other features of atoms and molecules. So, electromag‐ netic and mechanical, as well as other physical and chemical properties can be studied. Nanostructures and nanosystems can be widely used in medicine and health. Among possible applications of nanotechnology are: drug synthesis and drug delivery (the therapeutic potential will be enormously enhanced due to direct effective delivery of new types of drugs to the specified body sites), nanosurgery and nanotherapy, genome synthesis and diagnostics, nanoscale actuators and sensors (disease diagnosis and prevention), nonrejectable nanoartifi‐ cial organs design and implant, and design of high-performance nanomaterials.

It is important that these technologies drastically change the fabrication and manufacturing of materials, devices, and systems via:

**•** higher degree of safety

days, patterning and etching have to be done in nanoscale for specific applications. For that nano-fabrication and nano-level manipulation are the options to choose. Nanomanupulation plays major role in the field of nanofabrication. Nanomanupulation is a technique in which some specific tools are used to manipulate the objects in nanoscale (Parikh, 2008). At present, Scanning Probe microscopic methods involved in AFM [Davis, 2003) and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) are being used to manipulate the objects in nanometer scale. Specifically, AFM is being used to move the atoms, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, various nano-scale objects and also to test integrated circuits. Instruments used in nanolithography include the Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) and the AFM. The SPM allows surface viewing in fine detail without necessarily modifying it. Either the SPM or the AFM can be used to etch, write, or

The main drawbacks in the existing lithographic techniques will be carefully analyzed in this chapter. Also the need of nano-patterning for the low-cost, high throughput surface patterning technologies will be presented in this chapter. In addition, the complete coverage of nanoli‐ thographic process which includes Introduction, Resists and Masks, Photon-based Lithogra‐ phy, Electron Beam Lithography, Ion Beam Lithography and emerging nanolithographic techniques will be discussed in detail. However, the alternate nanolithography techniques like Micro-contact printing, Nanoimprint Lithography, Scanned Probe Lithography, Dip-pen

Micro/Nano patterning is a one of the miniaturization technique for patterns, especially used for electronics. Nowadays it becomes a standard in biomaterials engineering and for funda‐ mental research on cellular biology by mean of soft lithography. It generally uses photoli‐ thography methods but many techniques have been developed. The batch fabrication of

For example, it is important to design nanodevices such as nano-transistors and nanodiodes, nanoswitches and nanologic gates, in order to design nanoscale computers with tera-scale capabilities. All living biological systems function due to molecular interactions of different subsystems. The molecular building blocks (proteins and nucleic acids, lipids and carbohy‐ drates, DNA and RNA) can be viewed as inspiring possible strategy on how to design highperformance NEMS and MEMS that possess the properties and characteristics needed. In addition, analytical and numerical methods are available to analyze the dynamics and threedimensional geometry, bonding, and other features of atoms and molecules. So, electromag‐ netic and mechanical, as well as other physical and chemical properties can be studied. Nanostructures and nanosystems can be widely used in medicine and health. Among possible applications of nanotechnology are: drug synthesis and drug delivery (the therapeutic potential will be enormously enhanced due to direct effective delivery of new types of drugs to the specified body sites), nanosurgery and nanotherapy, genome synthesis and diagnostics, nanoscale actuators and sensors (disease diagnosis and prevention), nonrejectable nanoartifi‐

microstructures requires a low-cost, high throughput surface patterning technology.

cial organs design and implant, and design of high-performance nanomaterials.

print on a surface in single-atom dimensions (Venugopal, 2012).

188 Advances in Micro/Nano Electromechanical Systems and Fabrication Technologies

Lithography will also be discussed in detail in this chapter

**2. Importance of micro/nano patterning**

