Nanoscale patterning of Zr-Al-Cu-Ni metallic glass thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

Completely glassy thin films of Zr-Al-Cu-Ni exhibiting a large super-cooled liquid region (deltaTx = 95 K), very smooth surface (Ra = 0.65 nm), and an extremely high value of Vicker's hardness (Hv = 940), as compared to bulk Zr-Al-Cu-Ni metallic glass, were deposited by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering. Nanoscale patterning ability of Zr-Al-Cu-Ni metallic glass thin films was demonstrated by a focused ion beam etching. The capability to write nanometer-scale patterns (line width approximately 12 nm) opens up a variety of possibilities for fabricating nanomolds for imprint lithography, and a wide range of two- or three-dimensional components for future nanoelectromechanical systems.