Fabrication of metallic nanowires with a scanning tunneling microscope

Kramer, N. and Birk, H. and Jorritsma, J. and Schönenberger, C. (1995) Fabrication of metallic nanowires with a scanning tunneling microscope. Applied Physics Letters, 66 (11). pp. 1325-1327. ISSN 0003-6951

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Abstract:	A procedure to pattern thin metal films on a nanometer scale with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operating in air is reported. A 30 nm film of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a‐Si:H) is deposited on a 10 nm film of TaIr. Applying a negative voltage between the STM tip and the a‐Si:H film causes the local oxidation of a‐Si:H. The oxide which is formed is used as a mask to wet etch the not‐oxidized a‐Si:H and subsequently, the remaining pattern is transferred into the metal film by Ar ion milling. Metal wires as narrow as 40 nm have been fabricated. Since a‐Si:H can be deposited in very thin layers on almost any substrate, the presented procedure can be applied to structure all kind of thin films on a nanometer scale.
Item Type:	Article
Copyright:	© 1995 American Institute of Physics
Research Group:	Solid State Physics (VSF)
Link to this item:	http://purl.utwente.nl/publications/72935
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.113230
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