Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025
07:36
Fabricating Nanogaps by Nanoskiving
Published on: May 13, 2013
11.2K
Fabrication of Ultrasmooth, High-Aspect Ratio Nanostructures
John A Scott1, Panaiot G Zotev2, Luca Sortino3
1Institute for Photonics and Optical Sciences (IPOS), School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|June 23, 2025
Summary
A new nanofabrication workflow uses a carbon mask and focused ion beam processing for precise, top-down nanostructuring. This method achieves ultrasmooth sidewalls and sub-10 nm features, advancing optical materials and electronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Photonics
- Electronics
- Biology
Background:
- Nanoscale sample preparation is crucial for advanced fields like photonics and electronics.
- Existing nanostructuring methods face challenges, especially for novel optical materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a versatile nanofabrication workflow for deterministic, top-down sample preparation.
- To overcome limitations in achieving high-resolution nanostructures with ultrasmooth sidewalls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a carbon mask with low sputter yield, shaped by electron beam processing.
- Combined with focused ion beam processing for high-precision milling.
- Applied to gold (Au) thin films and van der Waals materials (MnPSe3, NiPS3).
Main Results:
- Achieved nanometric gaps in gold with 7 ± 2 nm widths and high aspect ratios.
- Fabricated dielectric resonators in van der Waals materials with agreement between optical response and simulations.
- Demonstrated ultrasmooth, near-vertical sidewalls and sub-10 nm feature resolution.
Conclusions:
- The reported nanofabrication workflow offers a versatile and deterministic approach to nanostructuring.
- It overcomes previous limitations without requiring specialized hardware, applicable to diverse materials.
- Enables true sub-10 nm fabrication, extending the capabilities of focused ion beam milling.
