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Published on: June 12, 2018
Field-directed sputter sharpening for tailored probe materials and atomic-scale lithography.
S W Schmucker1, N Kumar, J R Abelson
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. scott.schmucker@gmail.com
Nature Communications
|July 5, 2012
Summary
Researchers developed a new sputter sharpening technique for creating ultrasharp metallic probes. This method yields highly precise, atomic-scale lithography on silicon surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Ultrasharp metallic probes are crucial for scanning probe microscopy and surface patterning.
- Reproducible fabrication of these high-performance tips has been a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel technique for fabricating ultrasharp conductive tips.
- To demonstrate the capability of these tips for atomic-scale lithography.
Main Methods:
- A biased-probe field-directed sputter sharpening technique was employed.
- The technique was applied to conductive materials like Tungsten (W), Platinum-Iridium (Pt-Ir), and Tungsten-Hafnium Diboride (W-HfB2).
Main Results:
- Nanometer and sub-nanometer sharp tips were successfully fabricated.
- These probes achieved atomic-scale lithography on Silicon (Si) with improved pattern sharpness (18-26% sharper than traditional methods).
Conclusions:
- The field-directed sputter sharpening technique offers a reproducible method for producing ultrasharp probes.
- This advancement enables higher fidelity atomic-scale lithographic patterning.
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