SIO2 AND SI NANOSCALE PATTERNING WITH AN ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPE

The use of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as a nanolithographic tool is demonstrated. A photoresist layer several nanometre thin is indent ed by the vibrating AFM tip, where software control switches the tappi ng force from the imaging to the patterning mode. The resist pattern i s transferred into a 10 nm SiO2 layer on Si(100) by wet chemical etchi ng resulting in 20-40 nm wide lines. Subsequent transfer into the Si s ubstrate using anisotropic KOH etching formed 60 nm wide V grooves. (C ) 1998 Academic Press Limited.