LOW-VOLTAGE ELECTRON-BEAM LITHOGRAPHY IN SELF-ASSEMBLED ULTRATHIN FILMS WITH THE SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

With a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operating in vacuum, we hav e studied the lithographic patterning of self-assembling organosilane monolayer resist films. Where the organic group is benzyl chloride, th e resist layer can be patterned with electrons down to 4 eV in energy. The patterned films have been used as templates for the electroless p lating of thin Ni films. Linewidths down to approximately 20 nm have b een observed in scanning electron micrographs of the plated films. Sti ll smaller features are observed in STM images of the exposed organosi lane films.