Title: Experimental study and theoretical analysis of the nanometre-scale line structure fabrication by AFM electric lithography

Authors: Ye Yang; Wansheng Zhao

Addresses: The State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China ' The State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

Abstract: Bias voltage dependent atomic force microscope (AFM) nanolithography has been widely studied for its potential applications in the fabrication of the nanostructures, nano-electronic devices and nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS). In this work, the fabrication of nanometre-scale line patterns by AFM electric lithography was studied systematically on the conductive graphite sample surface in the ambient conditions. The influences of the determinative process parameters, involving the applied AFM probe tip shape, the bias voltage and the scanning speed, on the fabrication results were sequentially investigated. It was found that the geometric shape of the applied probe tip played an important role in determining the order of magnitude in the material removal rate. While under certain AFM probe tip, the variation of either the voltage amplitude or the scanning speed could result in a transition of the line structure from bulged lines to grooves or vice versa. The theoretical analysis of the underlying mechanisms was also performed.

Keywords: atomic force microscopy; AFM; nanoscale electric lithography; local anodic oxidation; LAO; HOPG surface modification; nanoscale dielectric breakdown; electric spark; nanotechnology; nanolithography; nanostructures; nanoelectronics; nanoelectromechanical systems; NEMS; conductive graphite; probe tip shape; bias voltage; scanning speed; material removal rate; MRR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2013.055143

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2013 Vol.9 No.2, pp.164 - 177

Received: 17 Oct 2012
Accepted: 07 Jan 2013
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article