Damaged Layer Analysis for AFM-Based Mechanical Modifications on (100) Si Surface

Abstract

Micro/Nanofabrication of silicon substrate based on the atomic force microscope (AFM) followed by wet chemical etching was demonstrated. A specially designed cantilever with a diamond tip, allowing the formation of damaged layer on silicon substrate by a simple scratching process, has been applied instead of conventional Si or Si3N4-based micro cantilever for scanning. A thin damaged layer forms in the substrate at the diamond tip-sample junction along scanning path of the tip, which was found to be a low crystallized amorphous silicon layer. Hence these sequential processes, called tribo nanolithography, TNL, can fabricate 2D or 3D micro structures in nanometer range. The developed TNL tools show outstanding machinability against single crystal silicon wafer. Hence, they are expected to have a possibility for industrial applications as a micro-to-nano machining tool. According to our results, it has been clearly known that the damaged layer withstands against aqueous potassium hydroxide solution, while it dissolves in diluted hydro fluoric (DHF) solution.