10-nm Si pillars fabricated by plasma etching using self-formed masks

Abstract

Si nanopillars of 10–20 nm diameter have been fabricated with self-formation of etching masks in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma using metal clusters as formation nuclei. Regular arrays of Si nanopillars have been fabricated by arranging metal clusters with electron beam lithography. Field emission (FE) from the Si nanopillars was measured. The FE began at field strength of ∼5 V/μm and increased to 125 μA/cm 2 at 25 V/μm.