EAGER: Laser Printing of Single-crystal Si Nanostructures

This EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award supports fundamental research to enable semiconductor additive manufacturing of single-crystal silicon at micro/nano-scale. Single-crystal silicon is essential to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, optical communication and computing, sensing, and energy, which are also critical to national security. Current mainstream semiconductor manufacturing methods rely on a subtractive approach, which is time-consuming, inefficient, and generates substantial material and energy waste when converting bulk silicon ingots into nanostructures. Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) offers a promising alternative to directly form single-crystal silicon structures and devices with greater speed and efficiency. However, crystallization is a stochastic process, and precise control of single-crystal formation and nanoscale structural patterning remains a significant challenge in additive manufacturing. This research project aims to uncover the fundamental science behind these challenges and establish a scientific foundation for additive manufacturing of single-crystal silicon. Upon completion, the resulting knowledge and technology could revolutionize the semiconductor industry and significantly enhance US economic competitiveness. In addition, this award will support the development of new course modules to help students understand the melting and solidification behavior of nanomaterials, while also providing interdisciplinary research opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students. These efforts will train the next-generation workforce for advanced semiconductor manufacturing and generate long-term economic benefits. The research seeks to develop a laser transfer printing method to realize single-crystal silicon additive manufacturing. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations will be used to explore the evolution of silicon films and the transformation, nucleation, and crystallization of silicon nanodroplets during printing. The effects of nanoscale confinement and surface atoms on crystallization behavior will also be studied to guide experimental efforts. Complementary experiments will systematically examine how film morphology (e.g., thickness) and laser parameters (e.g., power, pulse width, repetition rate) affect crystallization dynamics and the resulting crystal structure. By integrating simulation and experimental insights, this project seeks to establish a foundational framework for additive nanomanufacturing of silicon, including nanoscale phase transformations and crystal growth. The research will also look to establish process–nanostructure–property relationships critical for future device design. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.