SPONTANEOUS PRODUCTION OF 10-NM SI STRUCTURES BY PLASMA-ETCHING USINGSELF-FORMED MASKS

When a Si substrate is etched in a SF6 electron cyclotron resonance pl asma with the sample maintained at similar to-130 degrees C, reaction products condense preferentially at nucleation sites on the surface, a nd automatically form etch masks. Si pillars, similar to 10 nm in diam eter and similar to 0.1 mu m high, are then formed. When deposited Au clusters (diameter = 1.5 +/- 0.7 nm) are used as condensation nuclei, fabricated pillars with an average diameter of 9 nm, standard deviatio n of 1.5 nm, are formed. This remarkably narrow diameter distribution confirms that the phenomenon is useful in nanostructure formation, and that the process is compatible with electron beam lithography. (C) 19 97 American Institute of Physics.