Lift-off patterning of thin Au films on Si surfaces with atomic force microscopy

We studied a new lift-off process of thin Au film on silicon surfaces in na nometer-scale, combining anodic oxidation patterning with AFM, deposition o f Au thin film on the patterned substrate and chemical etching processes of the Si oxide underneath the Au film. For Au films of thickness of 2-5 nm, the Au films on the Si oxide patterns were left unbroken and bent down to s tick to Si surface after the removal of the oxide by the chemical etching. For an Au film of 1 nm in thickness, it was possible to lift-off the Au fil m on oxide patterns of the lines and dots in nanometer-scale using Si oxide as a sacrificial mask. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.