Study on nanofabrication with dynamic electrical-field-induced anodic oxidation

Abstract

Nanofabrication technique is an important foundation technology for building a new generation of nano-electronic devices and also the critical event of achieving the invention of nanometre device. Local oxidation induced by electric field with atomic force microscope (AFM) is a promising method of manufacturing technology. Here, an experimental setup with process monitor is established for analysing the fabrication mechanism. Oxide lines on Si surface with higher aspect ratio are observed by applying square wave voltage based on the conductive AFM, meanwhile the actual fabricating voltage and the real-time electric current between the tip and the sample is monitored. Compared with oxide structures fabricated by ac voltages, nanofabrication based on AFM dynamic electrical-field induced oxidation gives higher flexibility on the control of oxide size and aspect ratio by modulating the pulse voltage. We think that the structures result from the finite diffuse speed and concentration of oxygen ion, and the higher aspect ratio results from the effect of dynamic electric field in the conductor–non-conductor–semiconductor junction formed in the course of fabrication.