NANOMETER-SCALE LITHOGRAPHY AT HIGH SCANNING SPEEDS WITH THE ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPE USING SPIN ON GLASS

We have identified a resist material that is suitable for high-speed, nanometer-scale scanning probe Lithography (SPL) using the atomic forc e microscope (AFM). The material is siloxene, commonly known as spin o n glass (SOG). The SOG film is deposited on a silicon sample and expos ed with a voltage applied between the AFM tip (negative) and the silic on substrate (positive). Voltages of 70 V and currents of 1 nA are typ ical. It is a positive resist where the etch selectivity between the e xposed and unexposed areas is greater than 20. We have recorded line w idths as narrow as 40 nm. The writing speed is greater than 1 mm/s, wh ich we believe to be an important attribute in future systems for SPL. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.