NANOMETER-SCALE LITHOGRAPHY ON THE OLIGOSILANE LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILM

Nanometer-scale lithography was performed by applying the local electr ic field of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to an oligosilane Lang muir-Blodgett (LB) film composed of tridecamethylhexasilanylacetic aci d (MeSi(6)AA) transferred onto a facet of a gold single crystal. After halting the probe tip and applying a higher bias voltage than is usua l for STM imaging with feedback on, holes with diameters of 30-50 nm a ppeared. The formation of the holes depended on the polarity and bias applied. These results are accounted for because the electron beam emi tted from the tip under high electric field broke the LB film. It was also discovered that fixation of the tip hy making the feedback off co uld create holes with diameters of less than 10 nm.