FABRICATION OF NEARFIELD OPTICAL PROBE ARRAY USING VARIOUS NANOFABRICATION PROCEDURES

Abstract

The nanosize silicon oxide aperture on the cantilever array has been successfully fabricated as nearfield optical probe. The various semiconductor processes were utilized for subwavelength size aperture fabrication. The anisotropic etching of the Si substrate by alkaline solutions followed by anisotropic crystal orientation dependent oxidation, anisotropic plasma etching, isotropic oxide etching was carried out. The 3 and 4 micron size dot array were patterned on the Si(100) wafer. After fabrication of the V-groove shape by anisotropic TMAH etching, the oxide growth at 1000° C was performed to have an oxide etch-mask. The oxide layer on the Si(111) plane have been utilized as an etch mask for plasma dry etching and water-diluted HF wet etching for nanosize aperture fabrication. The Au thin layer was deposited on the fabricated oxide nanosize aperture on the cantilever array. The 160 nm metal apertures on (5×1) cantilever array were successfully fabricated using electron beam evaporator.