Scanning Tunnel Microscope-Based Nanofabrication of Sub-10 nm Hafnium Diboride and Pladdium Features for Nanoimprint Masks
Qiu, Junyi
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/47442
Description
Title
Scanning Tunnel Microscope-Based Nanofabrication of Sub-10 nm Hafnium Diboride and Pladdium Features for Nanoimprint Masks
Author(s)
Qiu, Junyi
Contributor(s)
Lyding, Joseph W.
Issue Date
2013-12
Keyword(s)
scanning tunneling microscope
nanofabrication
electron beam-induced deposition
nanolithography
sub-10 nm
Abstract
Patterning technique at nano-scale has always been the fundamental enabler of all branches of nanotechnologies dealing with nanostructures including nanofilms, nanopillars, nanowires, nanodots, and other novel two-dimension or even three-dimension structures. One of the most well-known functionalities of patterning technique is to push further the Moore’s law in the semiconductor chip industry. We have witnessed the dimension of transistor nodes shrink from micron-scale all the way down to 22 nm and 14 nm in 2014, people still wonder whether Moore’s law will reach a saturation point in the near future, due to the fact in the next few generations that we will inevitably enter the sub-10 nm regime where the precise manipulation of matter could become exponentially difficult, a situation that the scientific community is not well prepared for. This pessimistic opinion is based on the observation that an atomically precise manufacturing method is required to fabricate a high-quality sub-10 nm structure in which the behavior of individual atoms does have non-negligible influence on the overall performance. However, it is also important to note that the entire community is actively exploring the sub-10 nm regime for various applications including not only chip fabrication but also quantum electronics, and scientists are striving toward the ultimate goal of precisely manipulating individual atoms. Our capability of controlling nano-scale systems will continue to evolve in the years to come.
This thesis explores the possibility to use the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) as a fabrication tool that can selectively deposit substances with tip-induced chemical vapor deposition process onto silicon surfaces, essentially a direct-writing process that can define features of dimension less than 10 nm. The written features can be subsequently used for various applications such as nanoimprint masks. Once fully realized, this technique can compete with E-beam lithography in terms of both resolution and efficiency, and could become one of the most viable patterning techniques at nano-scale.
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