Title: Role of electric field distribution in local anodic oxidation

Authors: Kexiang Hu; Qingkang Wang; Peihua Wangyang

Addresses: National Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Fabrication Technology, Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of Ministry of Education, Research Institute of Micro/Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China ' National Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Fabrication Technology, Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of Ministry of Education, Research Institute of Micro/Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China ' National Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Fabrication Technology, Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication Technology of Ministry of Education, Research Institute of Micro/Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China

Abstract: Local electric-field-induced anodic oxidation is one of the earliest and most extensively studied techniques in bias-assisted AFM nanolithography. Except the water bridge created between the tip and the sample surface, local anodic oxidation (LAO) process strongly depends on the tip-sample voltage and especially on the electric field distribution under the tip apex centre. Once electric field is formed, its distribution and intensity can be modified by changing the tip-sample voltage and separation. The electric field provides the oxidation kinetics of nanoscale electrochemical reaction and controls the spacial resolution of the fabricated structures. In this paper, the s-wave tip quantum model, the influence of the bias voltage and the electric field strength on oxide structures and the theory of electric-field-induced LAO have been analysed. In addition, dot-array nanogratings, one-dimensional nanogratings and two-dimensional nanogratings are fabricated by using electric-field-induced LAO process with AFM in the ambient atmosphere.

Keywords: electric field intensity; nanofabrication; local anodic oxidation; nanogratings; nanoscale electrochemical reactions; electric field distribution; nanotechnology; AFM nanolithography; s-wave tip quantum model; bias voltage; oxide structures.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2013.057593

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2013 Vol.9 No.5/6, pp.496 - 509

Received: 17 Oct 2012
Accepted: 11 Mar 2013
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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