Nanopore formation by low-energy focused electron beam machining
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Published on: February 12, 2017
P S Spinney1, D G Howitt, R L Smith
1Micro Instruments and Systems Laboratory (MISL), University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.
Abstract:
The fabrication of nanopores in thin silicon nitride and aluminum oxide membranes by water vapor assisted, low-energy (0.2-20 kV) electron beam machining using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is described. Using this technique, pores with diameters ranging in size from < 5 to 20 nm are easily formed. The nanopores are characterized by SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The mechanism of etching is briefly discussed.
