P. Miao et al., NANO-MACHINING OF SILICON PHTHALOCYANINE DICHLORIDE FILMS ON H-PASSIVATED SI(111), Journal of physics. D, Applied physics, 31(9), 1998, pp. 37-40
Films of silicon phthalocyanine dichloride (SiPcCl2) deposited from so
lution onto a chemically prepared hydrogen-passivated Si(111) surface
were manipulated with the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) in air.
We find that nanometre-scale square and trench patterns can be create
d in the SiPcCl2 film by the STM tip through repeated scans under norm
al imaging conditions (V-sample = +1.68 V, I = 0.35 nA) or by a single
scan using a high tunnelling current (10 nA). Spectroscopic (I-V) mea
surements of the film show that the film is chemically unchanged by th
e machining process. The film cannot be machined after exposure to air
for a period of days, suggesting that some form of hydrolysis of SiPc
Cl2 occurs.