Fabrication of nanoperiodic surface structures by controlled etching of dislocations in bicrystals

A method for the fabrication of periodic arrays of surface features with co ntrolled spacings of 2-100 nm has been developed. This process relies on th e selective etching of dislocations formed at a twist-bonded interface in a bicrystal. The production of nanoscale periodic silicon surface features w ith a mean spacing of 38 nm is reported. The etch rate of edge and screw di slocations is compared, and the rate of dislocation etching is found to be poorly correlated to strain. This observation calls long-held theories of d islocation etching into question. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.