Micromask Lithography for Cheap and Fast 2D Materials Microstructures Fabrication.

Mikhail V Pugachev,Arslan A Galiullin,Aleksandr Y Kuntsevich,Aliaksandr I Duleba

doi:10.3390/mi12080850

Abstract

The fast and precise fabrication of micro-devices based on single flakes of novel 2D materials and stacked heterostructures is vital for exploration of novel functionalities. In this paper, we demonstrate a fast high-resolution contact mask lithography through a simple upgrade of metallographic optical microscope. Suggested kit for the micromask lithography is compact and easily compatible with a glove box, thus being suitable for a wide range of air-unstable materials. The shadow masks could be either ordered commercially or fabricated in a laboratory using a beam lithography. The processes of the mask alignment and the resist exposure take a few minutes and provide a micrometer resolution. With the total price of the kit components around USD 200, our approach would be convenient for laboratories with the limited access to commercial lithographic systems.

Highlights

Two-dimensional materials and Van der Waals heterostructures attract a great interest due to novelty of the properties with respect to traditional 3D materials
The majority of the novel 2D material-based device prototypes are built up from micrometer sized flakes placed on ∼1 × 1 cm2 substrates
Fast and high-resolution contact mask lithography modification of a metallographic microscope that allows us to pattern micro-flakes and other objects placed on ∼1 × 1 cm2 substrates

Summary

Introduction

Two-dimensional materials and Van der Waals heterostructures attract a great interest due to novelty of the properties with respect to traditional 3D materials. Almost all phenomena being made atomically flat revolutionize the corresponding scientific area, e.g., optoelectronics [1], magnetism [2] and superconductivity [3]. These materials become the elements of the future devices, e.g., chemical sensors [4], radiation detectors [5], LEDs [6], qubits [7], etc. The other fabrication methods, e.g., liquid exfoliation [11] or CVD growth [12], may produce rather small flakes

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Discussion

Conclusion