Highly reproducible technique for three-dimensional nanostructure fabrication via anodization scanning probe lithography

The effects of coated materials for Si probes on the sizes of line structure by using anodization scanning probe lithography (SPL) are investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Anodization SPL was carried out on the 1-decane monolayer directly attached to hydrogen-terminated silicon. Gold-coated, diamond-coated, and uncoated Si probes were used as the SPL probes in order to fabricate line structures of silicon oxide. In the cases of Au-coated and uncoated Si probes, the widths of line structures are widely influenced by the changes of scanning rate and applied bias voltage. However, the line width fabricated by use of the diamond-coated probe maintained 15 nm under any condition of scanning rate and applied bias voltage. One of the most narrow and three-dimensional nanostructures is found to be successfully fabricated on the hydrogen-terminated Si substrates when the diamond-coated probe was used as a probe of anodization SPL. In addition, this result indicated that high reproducibility of oxide nanostructures is attainable by anodization SPL used the diamond-coated probe. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B. V.