Abstract
Fabrication of ultrasharp probes is of interest for many applications, including scanning probe microscopy and electron-stimulated patterning of surfaces. These techniques require reproducible ultrasharp metallic tips, yet the efficient and reproducible fabrication of these consumable items has remained an elusive goal. Here we describe a novel biased-probe field-directed sputter sharpening technique applicable to conductive materials, which produces nanometer and sub-nanometer sharp W, Pt-Ir and W-HfB 2 tips able to perform atomic-scale lithography on Si. Compared with traditional probes fabricated by etching or conventional sputter erosion, field-directed sputter sharpened probes have smaller radii and produce lithographic patterns 18-26% sharper with atomic-scale lithographic fidelity.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 935 |
| Journal | Nature communications |
| Volume | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 15 2012 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
Cite this
Field-directed sputter sharpening for tailored probe materials and atomic-scale lithography. / Schmucker, S. W.; Kumar, N.; Abelson, John R; Daly, S. R.; Girolami, Gregory S; Bischof, M. R.; Jaeger, D. L.; Reidy, R. F.; Gorman, B. P.; Alexander, J.; Ballard, J. B.; Randall, J. N.; Lyding, Joseph W.
In: Nature communications, Vol. 3, 935, 15.08.2012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Field-directed sputter sharpening for tailored probe materials and atomic-scale lithography
AU - Schmucker, S. W.
AU - Kumar, N.
AU - Abelson, John R
AU - Daly, S. R.
AU - Girolami, Gregory S
AU - Bischof, M. R.
AU - Jaeger, D. L.
AU - Reidy, R. F.
AU - Gorman, B. P.
AU - Alexander, J.
AU - Ballard, J. B.
AU - Randall, J. N.
AU - Lyding, Joseph W
PY - 2012/8/15
Y1 - 2012/8/15
N2 - Fabrication of ultrasharp probes is of interest for many applications, including scanning probe microscopy and electron-stimulated patterning of surfaces. These techniques require reproducible ultrasharp metallic tips, yet the efficient and reproducible fabrication of these consumable items has remained an elusive goal. Here we describe a novel biased-probe field-directed sputter sharpening technique applicable to conductive materials, which produces nanometer and sub-nanometer sharp W, Pt-Ir and W-HfB 2 tips able to perform atomic-scale lithography on Si. Compared with traditional probes fabricated by etching or conventional sputter erosion, field-directed sputter sharpened probes have smaller radii and produce lithographic patterns 18-26% sharper with atomic-scale lithographic fidelity.
AB - Fabrication of ultrasharp probes is of interest for many applications, including scanning probe microscopy and electron-stimulated patterning of surfaces. These techniques require reproducible ultrasharp metallic tips, yet the efficient and reproducible fabrication of these consumable items has remained an elusive goal. Here we describe a novel biased-probe field-directed sputter sharpening technique applicable to conductive materials, which produces nanometer and sub-nanometer sharp W, Pt-Ir and W-HfB 2 tips able to perform atomic-scale lithography on Si. Compared with traditional probes fabricated by etching or conventional sputter erosion, field-directed sputter sharpened probes have smaller radii and produce lithographic patterns 18-26% sharper with atomic-scale lithographic fidelity.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84864854296&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms1907
DO - 10.1038/ncomms1907
M3 - Article
VL - 3
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
M1 - 935
ER -