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Atomically Traceable Nanostructure Fabrication
Published on: July 17, 2015
Silicon micro/nanofabrication using metastable helium atom beam lithography.
Z P Wang1, M Kurahashi, T Suzuki
1National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|December 9, 2010
Summary
Metastable helium atom beam lithography patterns silicon using a self-assembled monolayer resist. The process allows for tunable positive or negative patterns down to 50 nm, offering precise nanoscale fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
Background:
- Advanced lithography techniques are crucial for microelectronics and nanotechnology.
- Patterning silicon substrates with high resolution is a key challenge in semiconductor fabrication.
- Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) offer potential as resist materials in lithography.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of metastable helium (He*) atom beam lithography for patterning silicon.
- To explore the role of SAMs as resists in He* lithography.
- To achieve high-resolution patterns on silicon substrates using this novel method.
Main Methods:
- Utilized metastable helium (He*) atom beam lithography.
- Employed octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as a resist on silicon.
- Applied an improved wet-chemical etching technique for pattern transfer.
- Investigated the effect of He* dosage on pattern formation.
Main Results:
- Successfully patterned silicon substrates using He* atom beam lithography with OTS SAMs.
- Achieved both negative and positive pattern formations with well-defined edges.
- Demonstrated a transition from positive to negative patterns controlled by He* dosage.
- Fabricated patterns on silicon with feature sizes down to 100 nm, and even below 50 nm.
Conclusions:
- Metastable helium atom beam lithography is a viable technique for high-resolution silicon patterning.
- The SAM resist system provides tunable pattern polarity based on He* exposure dose.
- This method enables the creation of nanoscale features essential for advanced semiconductor applications.
