CA2299374A1 - Process for applying or removing materials - Google Patents
Process for applying or removing materials Download PDFInfo
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- CA2299374A1 CA2299374A1 CA002299374A CA2299374A CA2299374A1 CA 2299374 A1 CA2299374 A1 CA 2299374A1 CA 002299374 A CA002299374 A CA 002299374A CA 2299374 A CA2299374 A CA 2299374A CA 2299374 A1 CA2299374 A1 CA 2299374A1
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- process according
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- sxm
- microtips
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82B—NANOSTRUCTURES FORMED BY MANIPULATION OF INDIVIDUAL ATOMS, MOLECULES, OR LIMITED COLLECTIONS OF ATOMS OR MOLECULES AS DISCRETE UNITS; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT THEREOF
- B82B3/00—Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures by manipulation of individual atoms or molecules, or limited collections of atoms or molecules as discrete units
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- B82Y30/00—Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- B82Y40/00—Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
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- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B9/00—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/12—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/14—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor using microscopic probe means, i.e. recording or reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as used in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy [STM] or Atomic Force Microscopy [AFM] for inducing physical or electrical perturbations in a recording medium; Record carriers or media specially adapted for such transducing of information
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- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B9/00—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/12—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/14—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor using microscopic probe means, i.e. recording or reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as used in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy [STM] or Atomic Force Microscopy [AFM] for inducing physical or electrical perturbations in a recording medium; Record carriers or media specially adapted for such transducing of information
- G11B9/1409—Heads
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- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B9/00—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/12—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/14—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor using microscopic probe means, i.e. recording or reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as used in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy [STM] or Atomic Force Microscopy [AFM] for inducing physical or electrical perturbations in a recording medium; Record carriers or media specially adapted for such transducing of information
- G11B9/1418—Disposition or mounting of heads or record carriers
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- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B9/00—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/12—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor
- G11B9/14—Recording or reproducing using a method not covered by one of the main groups G11B3/00 - G11B7/00; Record carriers therefor using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor using microscopic probe means, i.e. recording or reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as used in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy [STM] or Atomic Force Microscopy [AFM] for inducing physical or electrical perturbations in a recording medium; Record carriers or media specially adapted for such transducing of information
- G11B9/1463—Record carriers for recording or reproduction involving the use of microscopic probe means
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- B82Y10/00—Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01Q—SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- G01Q30/00—Auxiliary means serving to assist or improve the scanning probe techniques or apparatus, e.g. display or data processing devices
- G01Q30/08—Means for establishing or regulating a desired environmental condition within a sample chamber
- G01Q30/12—Fluid environment
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01Q—SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- G01Q70/00—General aspects of SPM probes, their manufacture or their related instrumentation, insofar as they are not specially adapted to a single SPM technique covered by group G01Q60/00
- G01Q70/06—Probe tip arrays
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01Q—SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- G01Q80/00—Applications, other than SPM, of scanning-probe techniques
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S977/00—Nanotechnology
- Y10S977/84—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure
- Y10S977/849—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure with scanning probe
- Y10S977/855—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure with scanning probe for manufacture of nanostructure
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S977/00—Nanotechnology
- Y10S977/84—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure
- Y10S977/849—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure with scanning probe
- Y10S977/86—Scanning probe structure
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S977/00—Nanotechnology
- Y10S977/84—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure
- Y10S977/849—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure with scanning probe
- Y10S977/86—Scanning probe structure
- Y10S977/868—Scanning probe structure with optical means
- Y10S977/869—Optical microscope
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S977/00—Nanotechnology
- Y10S977/84—Manufacture, treatment, or detection of nanostructure
- Y10S977/888—Shaping or removal of materials, e.g. etching
Abstract
Disclosed is a method for efficient material application onto substrates or removal therefrom, whereby a scanning probe microscope working under atmospheric pressure is used. According to the inventive method, the substrate is placed in a vessel, which is located on the x-y support of a scanning probe microscope (SXM) and filled with a liquid or gas medium up to a level where the top face of the substrate is covered with a thin layer consisting of at least one monolayer of said medium. In order to cause the medium to produce a structured deposit, or to attack the substrate surface in a structured manner, the microtip of the scanning probe microscope is then dipped into the layer while electric voltage or voltage pulses are applied. The inventive method can be used to apply material onto substrates or remove it therefrom. It can also be used to characterize the geometry of microtips, renew or produce microtips for SXM consoles and to record, read out and erase information.
Description
Process For Applying Or R~moving Materials Technical Field The invention relates to a process for applying or removing materials respectively to and from substrates by using a scanning probe miscroscope (SXM), operated under atmospheric l0 pressure, which may be a scanning tunneling (STM), a scanning force microscope (SFM) or a scanning nearfield microscope (SNOM).
Prior Art It is already known to use scanning tunneling microscopes for lithography. In this case, existing resist layers or metal surfaces in air are illuminated by ions or electrons or are oxidized, and fine structures are thus produced (Matsumoto, M.
Ishii, K. Segawa: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 142(2), 1331 (1996); E.A. Dobisz, C.R.K. Marrian: Appl. Phys. Lett.
58(22), 2526 (1991)). When there is a sufficient water content in the ambient air, that is to say when there is a humidity of more than 15% and depending on the polarity of the tip, illumination with hydronium or hydroxile ions take place (H.W.P. Koops, E.A. Dobisz, J. Urban: J. Vac. Sci. Technol.
B 15(4), 1369 (1997); E.A. Dobisz, H.W.P. Koops, F.K. Perkins:
Appl. Phys. Letter. 68(22), 3653 (1996); A.R. Anway, Field Ionization of Water, The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 50 (1969), 2012-2021). In dry ambient air, illumination with electrons can be achieved.
It is also known to use scanning tunneling microscopes to apply material to a substrate. In this case, atoms of the substrate are displaced from the substrate, or the application of material takes place by transferring probe material by means of field evaporation (R. Gomer, IBM J. Res. Develop. 30, 428 (1986)).
Prior Art It is already known to use scanning tunneling microscopes for lithography. In this case, existing resist layers or metal surfaces in air are illuminated by ions or electrons or are oxidized, and fine structures are thus produced (Matsumoto, M.
Ishii, K. Segawa: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 142(2), 1331 (1996); E.A. Dobisz, C.R.K. Marrian: Appl. Phys. Lett.
58(22), 2526 (1991)). When there is a sufficient water content in the ambient air, that is to say when there is a humidity of more than 15% and depending on the polarity of the tip, illumination with hydronium or hydroxile ions take place (H.W.P. Koops, E.A. Dobisz, J. Urban: J. Vac. Sci. Technol.
B 15(4), 1369 (1997); E.A. Dobisz, H.W.P. Koops, F.K. Perkins:
Appl. Phys. Letter. 68(22), 3653 (1996); A.R. Anway, Field Ionization of Water, The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 50 (1969), 2012-2021). In dry ambient air, illumination with electrons can be achieved.
It is also known to use scanning tunneling microscopes to apply material to a substrate. In this case, atoms of the substrate are displaced from the substrate, or the application of material takes place by transferring probe material by means of field evaporation (R. Gomer, IBM J. Res. Develop. 30, 428 (1986)).
It is also known to use scanning tunneling microscopes for high-resolution structuring processes and for information storage processes (S. C. Minne, Phthalocyanine. Flueckinger, H.T. Soh, C.F. Quate: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 13, 1380 (1995) ) .
It is also already known to operate scanning tunneling microscopes for deposition lithography under vacuum conditions. In this case, material is supplied from a Knudsen cell, that is to say a reservoir with constriction of the delivery by a hollow needle or a nozzle (M. A. McCord, D.P.
Kern, T.H.P. Chang: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 6, 1877 (1988);
E.E. Ehrichs, W.F. Smith, A.L. DeLozanne: Ultramicroscopy 42-44, 1438 (1992)). Organometallic compounds and substrates with unprepared surfaces are used.
Furthermore, it is also known to carry out the electrolysis process with an STM or SFM (JP 06 297252 A, JP 05 288714 A).
The ions contained in a liquid electrolyte are thereby fixed by the electric field to a sample placed in the electrolytes.
The prior art suffers from a range of disadvantages. It is particularly disadvantageous that it is necessary to work under vacuum conditions, which necessitates high cost in terms of equipment and time. Also disadvantageous is the fact that the conductivity of the deposits is usually unsatisfactory because of the large carbon content. Since the known procedure is a serial process, the process is a relatively slow one. Further, only small areas, typically at most 100 ~m x 100 Vim, can be written. The high degree of probe wear is also disadvantageous.
AMENDED PAGE
It is also already known to operate scanning tunneling microscopes for deposition lithography under vacuum conditions. In this case, material is supplied from a Knudsen cell, that is to say a reservoir with constriction of the delivery by a hollow needle or a nozzle (M. A. McCord, D.P.
Kern, T.H.P. Chang: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 6, 1877 (1988);
E.E. Ehrichs, W.F. Smith, A.L. DeLozanne: Ultramicroscopy 42-44, 1438 (1992)). Organometallic compounds and substrates with unprepared surfaces are used.
Furthermore, it is also known to carry out the electrolysis process with an STM or SFM (JP 06 297252 A, JP 05 288714 A).
The ions contained in a liquid electrolyte are thereby fixed by the electric field to a sample placed in the electrolytes.
The prior art suffers from a range of disadvantages. It is particularly disadvantageous that it is necessary to work under vacuum conditions, which necessitates high cost in terms of equipment and time. Also disadvantageous is the fact that the conductivity of the deposits is usually unsatisfactory because of the large carbon content. Since the known procedure is a serial process, the process is a relatively slow one. Further, only small areas, typically at most 100 ~m x 100 Vim, can be written. The high degree of probe wear is also disadvantageous.
AMENDED PAGE
Description of the Invention The object of the invention is to provide a process which allows effective application or removal of materials respectively to and from substrates by using a scanning probe miicroscope operated under atmospheric pressure.
The process is characterized in that the substrate is placed in a trough, located on the x-y table, of a scanning probe microscope (SXM), which may be a scanning tunneling microscope, a scanning force microscope or a scanning nearfield microscope, and the trough is filled with a gaseous medium up to a level such that the top of the substrate is covered with a thin layer consisting of at least one monolayer of the medium. For depositing a structured precipitate from the medium or for structuring etching of the surface of the substrate, the microtip of the SXM is then dipped into the layer and supplied with an electric voltage or with voltage pulses.
According to the invention, organometallic or other inorganic and organic compounds are used as the gaseous medium.
According to the invention, the delivery of the medium may be carried out in a quantitatively controlled manner. This may expediently be carried out with the use of weight and density differences existing between the ambient air and the medium or by means of a pump and controlled valve. In this case, the air in the trough (6) is underlayered during delivery of the gaseous medium (7) which has a greater molecular weight than the air.
AMENDED PAGE
The process is characterized in that the substrate is placed in a trough, located on the x-y table, of a scanning probe microscope (SXM), which may be a scanning tunneling microscope, a scanning force microscope or a scanning nearfield microscope, and the trough is filled with a gaseous medium up to a level such that the top of the substrate is covered with a thin layer consisting of at least one monolayer of the medium. For depositing a structured precipitate from the medium or for structuring etching of the surface of the substrate, the microtip of the SXM is then dipped into the layer and supplied with an electric voltage or with voltage pulses.
According to the invention, organometallic or other inorganic and organic compounds are used as the gaseous medium.
According to the invention, the delivery of the medium may be carried out in a quantitatively controlled manner. This may expediently be carried out with the use of weight and density differences existing between the ambient air and the medium or by means of a pump and controlled valve. In this case, the air in the trough (6) is underlayered during delivery of the gaseous medium (7) which has a greater molecular weight than the air.
AMENDED PAGE
A thermoelectric sensor array or a reflection interferometer, consisting of a light source, beam guide system, line detector and evaluation electronics, or a total reflector with linear detector may expediently be used to monitor the level of the medium.
According to the invention, the medium may be changed during the production of the structured precipitate or during the structuring etching.
The etching products produced during the structuring etching are expediently transported away from the surface of the substrate by a washing medium.
For the application or removal of larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures with SXM, one or more SXM probe cantilevers with a plurality of microtips may be used according to the invention, the simultaneous use of all of the microtips being ensured by a resistor built into each microtip or by active current control of the individual microtips.
When an SXM probe cantilever having a plurality of microtips is employed, use is also made of a test tip which is used as a positioning guide for this SXM probe cantilever during the application or removal of the material, for observation of larger structure fields and/or for three-dimensional processing of nanostructures.
According to the invention, Me2Au (tfac) (dimethylgold trifluoroacetylacetonate), MeiAu (hfac) (dimethylgold hexafluoroacetylacetonate), AMENDED PAGE
According to the invention, the medium may be changed during the production of the structured precipitate or during the structuring etching.
The etching products produced during the structuring etching are expediently transported away from the surface of the substrate by a washing medium.
For the application or removal of larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures with SXM, one or more SXM probe cantilevers with a plurality of microtips may be used according to the invention, the simultaneous use of all of the microtips being ensured by a resistor built into each microtip or by active current control of the individual microtips.
When an SXM probe cantilever having a plurality of microtips is employed, use is also made of a test tip which is used as a positioning guide for this SXM probe cantilever during the application or removal of the material, for observation of larger structure fields and/or for three-dimensional processing of nanostructures.
According to the invention, Me2Au (tfac) (dimethylgold trifluoroacetylacetonate), MeiAu (hfac) (dimethylgold hexafluoroacetylacetonate), AMENDED PAGE
MezAu (acac) (dimethylgold acetylacetonate), CPPt (CH3)3 (cyclopentadienylplatinum trimethyl), Mo(CO)6 (molybdenum hexacarbonyl) or Cu(hfac)2 (copper dihexafluoroacetylacetonate) may be used as the organometallic compound.
According to the invention, TiI4 (titanium iodite) or TiCl4 (titanium chloride) may be used as the inorganic compound.
In the case of etching, XeF2 (xenon difluoride), TiI4 (titanium iodite) , TiCl4 (titanium chloride), WF6 (tungsten hexafluoride) or other highly fluorinated or halogenated compounds may be used as the medium.
The invention also relates to the use of the process for characterization of the geometry and replacement or the production of microtips of SXM cantilevers, a tip electrically connected to a conductor track being arranged in the trough on a substrate and with its aid the geometry of the microtip being scanned by scanning microscopy, or with its aid, replacement or the production of a microtip being carried out by supplying an electric voltage or voltage pulses to the connected tip in order to deposit a precipitate from the medium onto the SXM probe cantilever.
For this purpose, the polarity of the bias voltage of the SXM
used during deposit of a precipitate on the substrate or when AMENDED PAGE
According to the invention, TiI4 (titanium iodite) or TiCl4 (titanium chloride) may be used as the inorganic compound.
In the case of etching, XeF2 (xenon difluoride), TiI4 (titanium iodite) , TiCl4 (titanium chloride), WF6 (tungsten hexafluoride) or other highly fluorinated or halogenated compounds may be used as the medium.
The invention also relates to the use of the process for characterization of the geometry and replacement or the production of microtips of SXM cantilevers, a tip electrically connected to a conductor track being arranged in the trough on a substrate and with its aid the geometry of the microtip being scanned by scanning microscopy, or with its aid, replacement or the production of a microtip being carried out by supplying an electric voltage or voltage pulses to the connected tip in order to deposit a precipitate from the medium onto the SXM probe cantilever.
For this purpose, the polarity of the bias voltage of the SXM
used during deposit of a precipitate on the substrate or when AMENDED PAGE
etching the substrate is simply reversed. This results in a material application or to an etching of the microtip of the SXM probe cantilever. The polarity of the bias voltage of the SXM can subsequently be reversed again in order to continue to deposit or etch on the substrate.
The invention also relates to the use of the process to store information, to read information and to erase information, molecules or molecular clusters which are suitable as information carriers being applied, using the process, to the substrates in order to store information, detected in order to read information and removed or restructured in order to erase information.
In this case, according to the invention, a plurality of tips may be used, repaired or else cleaned in the same way but also in a mutually independent manner.
With the process according to the invention, dependent on the use of the gaseous medium, individual gas atoms adsorbed on the surface of the substrate or microtip of the SXM decompose.
A portion, i.e. metal atoms with carbon residues, is thereby separated on the surface of the substrate or of the microtip or the substrate or microtip is etched. In practice, this is a CVD process (chemical vapour deposition process) dispensing with the vacuum required for the conventional CVD by creating a local precursor atmosphere using the special material property of the precursor (high vapour pressure, high density as air).
In contrast thereto, the electrolysis processes noted above in the section "Prior Art" use an STM or SFM with a liquid AMENDED PACE
_ 7 _ medium, namely an electrolyte. This is a completely different process principle than with the CVD according to the invention. While the ions contained in the electrolytes are fixed to the substrate by the electrical field with electrolysis, in the process according to the invention, an electronic beam or ion beam induced deposit takes place.
The process according to the invention is distinguished, in particular, in that it is not necessary to work under expensive vacuum conditions. It is also advantageous that highly conductive deposits can be used and that by rapid changing of the precursors, different processes such as deposition and etching can be carried out straightforwardly one after the other. Another advantage is that the probes which become worn when the process is being carried out can be regenerated again using the same process.
The invention is explained in greater detail in the following with reference to illustrative embodiments. The following schematic representations are shown in the associated drawing:
Fig. 1 shows the working arrangement in a conventional scanning tunneling microscope, Fig. 2 shows an outline working arrangement for carrying out the process according to the invention with the use of a scanning probe microscope, Fig. 3 shows arrangements for regulating the level and for changing the media in order to carry out the process according to the invention with a scanning probe microscope, AbiEHDED PAtiE
g -Fig. 4 shows an arrangement having a plurality of microtips and a test tip for carrying out the process during deposition or etching on larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures, Fig. 5 shows an arrangement for regulating the level and for changing the media in order to carry out the process according to the invention when etching with a scanning probe microscope, Fig. 6 shows the working arrangement for in-situ repair of a microtip of a scanning probe microtip, Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of the working stages for the characterization of microtips and for the repair of a write-read-erase head of an information storage device that works on the basis of the process according to the invention.
AMENDED PAGE
P97131W0.1P
3 shows arrangements ~~or ~~~~
for changing the media in order to carry out~'the process according to the invention with a inning probe microscope ', Fig. 4 shows an arrangement having a plurality of microtips and a test tip for carryin out the process during deposition or etching on lar er structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures, ,~
Fig. 5 shows an arrange nt for regulating the level and for changing the dia in order to carry out the process according t the invention when etching with a scanning probe mi~'oscope, Fig. 6 shows he working arrangement for in-situ repair of a micro p of a scanning probe microscope, Fig. 7 hows a flow chart of the working stages for the char terization of microtips and for the repair of a wri e-read-erase head of an information storage device t t works on the basis of the process according to t:-~e The working arrangement, shown in Fig. 1, of a conventional scanning tunneling microscope that is operated at atmospheric pressure, has a probe 1 which can be moved in the x, y and z directions by three piezo motors and which, on its lower end, carries one or more cantilevers 2 with one or more microtips with which it is possible to scan a substrate 3 held on a substrate holder 4. The substrate holder 4 is fastened on the x-y table 5 that can move in the x-y direction.
_ A scanning tunneling microscope of this type is controlled by signal electronics (not shown in the drawing) with an image memory, and image reproduction and processing systems as well as with a tip movement P97131WO.1P
system and a sample movement system. The electronics additionally have one or more channels with which the micratips can be guided in accordance with a computer-generated pattern and, for imaging, coating or etching the substrate, various constant or time-varying and pulsed voltages with amplitude and duration tailored to the process can be applied to the various microtips.
In the working arrangement, represented in Fig. 2, for carrying out the process according to the invention, the substrate 3 is located on a substrate holder 4 in a trough 6 that is fastened on the x-y table 5 of a scanning probe microscope. Dimethylgold acetylacetonate, which consists of heavy organometallic molecules with a molecular weight of 380 and has a low vapor pressure of 40 mtorr is introduced into the trough 6 at atmospheric pressure as the medium 7. The heavy vapor 9 of the medium 7 which forms therefore displaces the air (molecular weight Oz=32) at the bottom of the trough 6 and, in the course of time, coats the bottom of the trough 6 to a depth 8 at which a few monolayers of the vapor 9 cover the substrate 3.
The microtip of the cantilever 2 dips into this layer over the substrate 3 and water ions are emitted by it.
Through the impact of the ions, the vapor molecules adsborbed on the surface of the substrate 3 are broken up and, in the case of deposition, a lasting deposit is formed on the substrate 3.
In the case of etching, an etching product is created which, through corresponding selection of an etching vapor component, is as gaseous as possible so that it can be transported away by means of vapor movement.
_ For process control, it may be advantageous to bring the substrate 3 and the medium 7 to the same temperature or different temperatures. This may advantageously be done using heating elements under the P97131WO.1P
substrate 3 and with a separately arranged medium reservoir.
In order to determine the endpoints of the complete vapor exchange, level measurement of the vapor level is advantageously used. According to Fig. 3, the level measurement can be carried out:
- by measuring the thermal conductivity at miniaturized resistors 15 of a Wheatstone measuring bridge circuit 16 which are fitted at various heights to the inside of the trough 6, or - with greater precision, by means of a light source 10 with use of total reflection at the transition to the denser medium, or - by evaluating two-beam interference.
Two-beam interference occurs when the light beam 11 emitted by a light source 10 is partially reflected from the vapor layer and partially penetrates the vapor layer, and is then reflected from the lower edge of the vapor layer, that is to say from the bottom of the trough 6 or from the substrate 3, and on emerging interferes with the light beam reflected from the surface. The interference pattern is created by superposition of the light beams 12, for example with the aid of a lens 14, on a detector, 13 or screen placed in its focal plane. From the intensity profile of the interference pattern, information can then be derived about the layer thickness of the vapor layer.
In the case of measuring by total reflection and in the case of evaluating the interference intensity, a line camera with computer read-out-is advantageously used as a spatially resolving detector 13.
In order to accelerate the vapor delivery process, it is advantageous - as represented in Figure 3 - to ' 9 - P97131WO.1P
provide at least one reservoir 19 for the medium on the trough 6. For this purpose, a compensating vapor quantity 20 is fed to or from the trough 6 through a tube 17 and a valve 18, by means of a piston 21 which is actuated in a cylinder 23 by a positioning motor 22.
In this case, the valve setting, the piston position and the temperature of the substrate 3 may advantageously be adjusted using computer control.
Using this device, or a similar compensating-volume control system, which according to Fig. 3 is constructed- using a bellows 24 and a positioning motor 22, the vapor for the deposition or for the etching can be controlled and can be taken away and supplied rapidly, and it is also possible to change from one medium 7 to others.
In the arrangement represented in Fig. 4 for carrying out the process on larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructur~s, a plurality of microtips 29 that can be addressed independently via separate conductor tracks 30 are used. This allows separate driving, for example, in order to achieve two-dimensional pointwise structured application 31 and etching in writefields, on a substrate 28 with simultaneous guiding by a micratip 26 which is driven in read mode using a conductor tack 25 and with which, for example, a predetermined trace 27 is followed by real-time signal evaluation and position correction.
When using a, for example, square tip array with 100 separately addressable and readable microtips 29, which are arranged with a fixed or variable grid dimension, deposits structured in one position can thereby be produced simultaneously.
In order to fabricate such microtips using the process of nanolithography with deposition in a particle-beam instrument, separately addressable microtips with - 10 - P97131WO.1P
100 nm spacing may be constructed in a line array and even in a square array. Since the ion-emitting microtips are formed by the Taylor cone of water at the end of the tip which is presented, the microtips that are presented establish only the location of the deposition by their position. By setting the voltage it is possible, even with microtips that are the same voltage, for the pattern of the distribution of the microtips that are present to be deposited with their spacings and to be reproduced. It may sometimes be necessary, -for each microtip, to build a resistor that limits the emission current into the base of the microtip in order to make it possible for all the microtips to emit ions uniformly at the same voltage.
A tip array fabricated in this way can advantageously be used for the preparation of photonic crystals and further lattice-like structures, such as computer-generated holograms.
For the storage of information, the fundamental frequency of the cantilever, at 10 kHz, signifies a possible read rate of 1 Mbit/s. If one information unit is deposited in 0.1 ms, then this is also the write rate of the arrangement. 1 ms is at present required for the deposition time. A write rate of 100 Kbit/s can therefore be achieved for the storage of information.
Using the process according to the invention, it is also possible to remove material by means of etching.
This is advantageous for cleaning the substrate surfaces and microtips that are to be coated, as well as for removing materials already deposited. For example, by virtue of the fluorine contained, xenondifluoride etches silicon under ion excitation and produces gaseous etching products.
An arrangement which is suitable for etching and is operated at atmospheric pressure is represented in - 11 - P97131WO.1P
Fig. 5. As a result of a corresponding gas-vapor supply and the use of a further trough 32, Which is connected to the trough 6 of the scanning probe microscope via a flexible connecting tube 33 and can be adjusted relative to it in the indicated direction of motion 35, the etching gas flows through the connector tube, depending on the difference in level between the trough 6 and the trough 32, and thus moves the vapor surrounding the microtip. The etching products are thereby moved away from the microtip. Through the connected compensating piston 34, with reservoir and valve, the etching-gas components can be supplied or removed, in order for the etching process to be terminated and to be carried out with computer control.
With this arrangement, which is equipped with means (not represented in the drawing) for level measurement and which can be operated with computer control, it is possible to achieve mass transport of the reaction products by vapor flow during the etching of the substrate or the microtips. Besides the aforementioned xenonaifluoride vapor, those solid etchants which have a high vapor pressure and contain heavy atoms are also suitable as the etchant.
The working arrangement represented in Fig. 6 for in-situ repair of a microtip of a scanning probe microscope shows a presented microtip 39 connected by means of a conductor track 38. The conductor track 38 is located on a substrate holder 36. The microtip 39 is surrounded by a high-impedance approach deposit 37 which makes it possible to order the highest point~of the microtip 39. In order to produce a new microtip, a working tip 40 is brought to rest over this point and a tip 41 is put on the working tip 40 using a short pulse. Using this new tip 41, the microtip 39 is then re-scanned and the process is repeated with a change in the pulse length, the voltage, the vapor pressure and the vapor composition by changing the partial pressure ' - 12 - P97131WO.1P
and the material composition of the medium until the desired fine or coarse tip radius has been produced on the tip 41.
The process according to the invention can also be used to store information by depositing molecules and molecular clusters and for erasing information by removing or restructuring molecules by means of a single microtip or by means of a multitip arrangement.
The microtips are in this case guided locally by an additional -test tip. Reading takes place using the same microtip, but at a voltage below the reaction threshold for writing or erasing. The microtip arrangement for multitip write, read and erase technology can in this case be produced internally by deposition lithography.
Further, with this process the write-read-erase head can be repaired in situ, and in order to sustain the performance of the write-read-erase memory device, it can be routinely tested and repaired in preprogrammed fashion.
The flow chart for the automatic procedure of characterization and repairing for a write-read-erase head on a data storage device, which works on the basis of the process according to invention, is reproduced in Fig. 7.
The invention also relates to the use of the process to store information, to read information and to erase information, molecules or molecular clusters which are suitable as information carriers being applied, using the process, to the substrates in order to store information, detected in order to read information and removed or restructured in order to erase information.
In this case, according to the invention, a plurality of tips may be used, repaired or else cleaned in the same way but also in a mutually independent manner.
With the process according to the invention, dependent on the use of the gaseous medium, individual gas atoms adsorbed on the surface of the substrate or microtip of the SXM decompose.
A portion, i.e. metal atoms with carbon residues, is thereby separated on the surface of the substrate or of the microtip or the substrate or microtip is etched. In practice, this is a CVD process (chemical vapour deposition process) dispensing with the vacuum required for the conventional CVD by creating a local precursor atmosphere using the special material property of the precursor (high vapour pressure, high density as air).
In contrast thereto, the electrolysis processes noted above in the section "Prior Art" use an STM or SFM with a liquid AMENDED PACE
_ 7 _ medium, namely an electrolyte. This is a completely different process principle than with the CVD according to the invention. While the ions contained in the electrolytes are fixed to the substrate by the electrical field with electrolysis, in the process according to the invention, an electronic beam or ion beam induced deposit takes place.
The process according to the invention is distinguished, in particular, in that it is not necessary to work under expensive vacuum conditions. It is also advantageous that highly conductive deposits can be used and that by rapid changing of the precursors, different processes such as deposition and etching can be carried out straightforwardly one after the other. Another advantage is that the probes which become worn when the process is being carried out can be regenerated again using the same process.
The invention is explained in greater detail in the following with reference to illustrative embodiments. The following schematic representations are shown in the associated drawing:
Fig. 1 shows the working arrangement in a conventional scanning tunneling microscope, Fig. 2 shows an outline working arrangement for carrying out the process according to the invention with the use of a scanning probe microscope, Fig. 3 shows arrangements for regulating the level and for changing the media in order to carry out the process according to the invention with a scanning probe microscope, AbiEHDED PAtiE
g -Fig. 4 shows an arrangement having a plurality of microtips and a test tip for carrying out the process during deposition or etching on larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures, Fig. 5 shows an arrangement for regulating the level and for changing the media in order to carry out the process according to the invention when etching with a scanning probe microscope, Fig. 6 shows the working arrangement for in-situ repair of a microtip of a scanning probe microtip, Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of the working stages for the characterization of microtips and for the repair of a write-read-erase head of an information storage device that works on the basis of the process according to the invention.
AMENDED PAGE
P97131W0.1P
3 shows arrangements ~~or ~~~~
for changing the media in order to carry out~'the process according to the invention with a inning probe microscope ', Fig. 4 shows an arrangement having a plurality of microtips and a test tip for carryin out the process during deposition or etching on lar er structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures, ,~
Fig. 5 shows an arrange nt for regulating the level and for changing the dia in order to carry out the process according t the invention when etching with a scanning probe mi~'oscope, Fig. 6 shows he working arrangement for in-situ repair of a micro p of a scanning probe microscope, Fig. 7 hows a flow chart of the working stages for the char terization of microtips and for the repair of a wri e-read-erase head of an information storage device t t works on the basis of the process according to t:-~e The working arrangement, shown in Fig. 1, of a conventional scanning tunneling microscope that is operated at atmospheric pressure, has a probe 1 which can be moved in the x, y and z directions by three piezo motors and which, on its lower end, carries one or more cantilevers 2 with one or more microtips with which it is possible to scan a substrate 3 held on a substrate holder 4. The substrate holder 4 is fastened on the x-y table 5 that can move in the x-y direction.
_ A scanning tunneling microscope of this type is controlled by signal electronics (not shown in the drawing) with an image memory, and image reproduction and processing systems as well as with a tip movement P97131WO.1P
system and a sample movement system. The electronics additionally have one or more channels with which the micratips can be guided in accordance with a computer-generated pattern and, for imaging, coating or etching the substrate, various constant or time-varying and pulsed voltages with amplitude and duration tailored to the process can be applied to the various microtips.
In the working arrangement, represented in Fig. 2, for carrying out the process according to the invention, the substrate 3 is located on a substrate holder 4 in a trough 6 that is fastened on the x-y table 5 of a scanning probe microscope. Dimethylgold acetylacetonate, which consists of heavy organometallic molecules with a molecular weight of 380 and has a low vapor pressure of 40 mtorr is introduced into the trough 6 at atmospheric pressure as the medium 7. The heavy vapor 9 of the medium 7 which forms therefore displaces the air (molecular weight Oz=32) at the bottom of the trough 6 and, in the course of time, coats the bottom of the trough 6 to a depth 8 at which a few monolayers of the vapor 9 cover the substrate 3.
The microtip of the cantilever 2 dips into this layer over the substrate 3 and water ions are emitted by it.
Through the impact of the ions, the vapor molecules adsborbed on the surface of the substrate 3 are broken up and, in the case of deposition, a lasting deposit is formed on the substrate 3.
In the case of etching, an etching product is created which, through corresponding selection of an etching vapor component, is as gaseous as possible so that it can be transported away by means of vapor movement.
_ For process control, it may be advantageous to bring the substrate 3 and the medium 7 to the same temperature or different temperatures. This may advantageously be done using heating elements under the P97131WO.1P
substrate 3 and with a separately arranged medium reservoir.
In order to determine the endpoints of the complete vapor exchange, level measurement of the vapor level is advantageously used. According to Fig. 3, the level measurement can be carried out:
- by measuring the thermal conductivity at miniaturized resistors 15 of a Wheatstone measuring bridge circuit 16 which are fitted at various heights to the inside of the trough 6, or - with greater precision, by means of a light source 10 with use of total reflection at the transition to the denser medium, or - by evaluating two-beam interference.
Two-beam interference occurs when the light beam 11 emitted by a light source 10 is partially reflected from the vapor layer and partially penetrates the vapor layer, and is then reflected from the lower edge of the vapor layer, that is to say from the bottom of the trough 6 or from the substrate 3, and on emerging interferes with the light beam reflected from the surface. The interference pattern is created by superposition of the light beams 12, for example with the aid of a lens 14, on a detector, 13 or screen placed in its focal plane. From the intensity profile of the interference pattern, information can then be derived about the layer thickness of the vapor layer.
In the case of measuring by total reflection and in the case of evaluating the interference intensity, a line camera with computer read-out-is advantageously used as a spatially resolving detector 13.
In order to accelerate the vapor delivery process, it is advantageous - as represented in Figure 3 - to ' 9 - P97131WO.1P
provide at least one reservoir 19 for the medium on the trough 6. For this purpose, a compensating vapor quantity 20 is fed to or from the trough 6 through a tube 17 and a valve 18, by means of a piston 21 which is actuated in a cylinder 23 by a positioning motor 22.
In this case, the valve setting, the piston position and the temperature of the substrate 3 may advantageously be adjusted using computer control.
Using this device, or a similar compensating-volume control system, which according to Fig. 3 is constructed- using a bellows 24 and a positioning motor 22, the vapor for the deposition or for the etching can be controlled and can be taken away and supplied rapidly, and it is also possible to change from one medium 7 to others.
In the arrangement represented in Fig. 4 for carrying out the process on larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructur~s, a plurality of microtips 29 that can be addressed independently via separate conductor tracks 30 are used. This allows separate driving, for example, in order to achieve two-dimensional pointwise structured application 31 and etching in writefields, on a substrate 28 with simultaneous guiding by a micratip 26 which is driven in read mode using a conductor tack 25 and with which, for example, a predetermined trace 27 is followed by real-time signal evaluation and position correction.
When using a, for example, square tip array with 100 separately addressable and readable microtips 29, which are arranged with a fixed or variable grid dimension, deposits structured in one position can thereby be produced simultaneously.
In order to fabricate such microtips using the process of nanolithography with deposition in a particle-beam instrument, separately addressable microtips with - 10 - P97131WO.1P
100 nm spacing may be constructed in a line array and even in a square array. Since the ion-emitting microtips are formed by the Taylor cone of water at the end of the tip which is presented, the microtips that are presented establish only the location of the deposition by their position. By setting the voltage it is possible, even with microtips that are the same voltage, for the pattern of the distribution of the microtips that are present to be deposited with their spacings and to be reproduced. It may sometimes be necessary, -for each microtip, to build a resistor that limits the emission current into the base of the microtip in order to make it possible for all the microtips to emit ions uniformly at the same voltage.
A tip array fabricated in this way can advantageously be used for the preparation of photonic crystals and further lattice-like structures, such as computer-generated holograms.
For the storage of information, the fundamental frequency of the cantilever, at 10 kHz, signifies a possible read rate of 1 Mbit/s. If one information unit is deposited in 0.1 ms, then this is also the write rate of the arrangement. 1 ms is at present required for the deposition time. A write rate of 100 Kbit/s can therefore be achieved for the storage of information.
Using the process according to the invention, it is also possible to remove material by means of etching.
This is advantageous for cleaning the substrate surfaces and microtips that are to be coated, as well as for removing materials already deposited. For example, by virtue of the fluorine contained, xenondifluoride etches silicon under ion excitation and produces gaseous etching products.
An arrangement which is suitable for etching and is operated at atmospheric pressure is represented in - 11 - P97131WO.1P
Fig. 5. As a result of a corresponding gas-vapor supply and the use of a further trough 32, Which is connected to the trough 6 of the scanning probe microscope via a flexible connecting tube 33 and can be adjusted relative to it in the indicated direction of motion 35, the etching gas flows through the connector tube, depending on the difference in level between the trough 6 and the trough 32, and thus moves the vapor surrounding the microtip. The etching products are thereby moved away from the microtip. Through the connected compensating piston 34, with reservoir and valve, the etching-gas components can be supplied or removed, in order for the etching process to be terminated and to be carried out with computer control.
With this arrangement, which is equipped with means (not represented in the drawing) for level measurement and which can be operated with computer control, it is possible to achieve mass transport of the reaction products by vapor flow during the etching of the substrate or the microtips. Besides the aforementioned xenonaifluoride vapor, those solid etchants which have a high vapor pressure and contain heavy atoms are also suitable as the etchant.
The working arrangement represented in Fig. 6 for in-situ repair of a microtip of a scanning probe microscope shows a presented microtip 39 connected by means of a conductor track 38. The conductor track 38 is located on a substrate holder 36. The microtip 39 is surrounded by a high-impedance approach deposit 37 which makes it possible to order the highest point~of the microtip 39. In order to produce a new microtip, a working tip 40 is brought to rest over this point and a tip 41 is put on the working tip 40 using a short pulse. Using this new tip 41, the microtip 39 is then re-scanned and the process is repeated with a change in the pulse length, the voltage, the vapor pressure and the vapor composition by changing the partial pressure ' - 12 - P97131WO.1P
and the material composition of the medium until the desired fine or coarse tip radius has been produced on the tip 41.
The process according to the invention can also be used to store information by depositing molecules and molecular clusters and for erasing information by removing or restructuring molecules by means of a single microtip or by means of a multitip arrangement.
The microtips are in this case guided locally by an additional -test tip. Reading takes place using the same microtip, but at a voltage below the reaction threshold for writing or erasing. The microtip arrangement for multitip write, read and erase technology can in this case be produced internally by deposition lithography.
Further, with this process the write-read-erase head can be repaired in situ, and in order to sustain the performance of the write-read-erase memory device, it can be routinely tested and repaired in preprogrammed fashion.
The flow chart for the automatic procedure of characterization and repairing for a write-read-erase head on a data storage device, which works on the basis of the process according to invention, is reproduced in Fig. 7.
Claims (16)
Claims
1. Process for applying or removing materials respectively to and from substrates by using a scanning probe microscope (SXM), operated under atmospheric pressure, which may be a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), a scanning force microscope (SFM) or a scanning nearfield microscope (SNOM), the substrate (3; 28) being placed in a trough (6) located on the x-y table (5) of the SXM and this trough (6) being filled with a gaseous medium (7) up to a level such that the top of the substrate (3; 28) is covered with a thin layer, consisting of at least one monolayer of the medium (7), and such that for depositing a structured precipitate from the medium (7) or for structuring etching of the surface of the substrate (3; 28), the microtip (3; 28) of the SXM is then dipped into the layer and supplied with an electric voltage or with voltage pulses.
2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the organometallic or other inorganic and organic compounds are used as the gaseous medium (7).
3. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the delivery of the medium (7) is carried out in a quantitatively controlled manner.
4. Process according to Claim 3, characterized in that the quantitative control of the medium (7) to the substrate (3;
28) is carried out with the use of weight and density differences existing between the ambient air and the medium (7), thereby that the air in the trough (6) is underlayered during delivery of the gaseous medium (7) which has a greater molecular weight than the air.
28) is carried out with the use of weight and density differences existing between the ambient air and the medium (7), thereby that the air in the trough (6) is underlayered during delivery of the gaseous medium (7) which has a greater molecular weight than the air.
5. Process according to Claim 3, characterized in that a quantitative control of the medium (7) to the substrate (3;
28) is carried out by menas of a pump and a controlled valve (18).
28) is carried out by menas of a pump and a controlled valve (18).
6. Process according to Claim 1, characterzied in that a thermoelectric sensor array or a reflection interferometer, consisting of a light source (10), beam guide system, line detector (13) and evaluation electronics, or a total reflector with linear detector (13) is used for monitoring the level of the medium.
7. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the medium (7) is changed during the production of the structured precipitate or during the structuring etching.
8. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the etching products produced during the structuring etching are transported away from the surface of the substrate (3; 28) by a washing medium.
9. Process according to Claim 1, characerized in that for the application or removal of larger structure fields and for three-dimensional construction of nanostructures with SXM, one or more SXM probe cantilevers with a plurality of microtips (29) are used, the simultaneous use of all of the microtips (29) being ensured by a resistor built into each microtip (29) or by active current control of the individual microtips (29) .
10. Process according to Claim 9, characterized in that, when an SXM probe cantilever having a plurality of microtips (29) is employed, use is also made of a test tip (26) which is used as a positioning guide for this SXM probe cnatilever during the application or removal of the material, for observation of larger structure fields and/or for three-dimensional processing of nanostructures.
11. Process according to Claim 2, characterized in that Me2Au (tfac) , MezAu (hfac), Me2Au (acac) , C p Pt (CH3)3, Mo(CO)6 or Cu(hfac)2 are used as the organometallic compound.
12. Process according to Claim 2, characterized in that TiI4 or TiCl4 are used as the inorganic compound.
13. Process according to Claim 2, characterized in that XeF2, TiI4, TiCl4, WF6 or other highly fluorinated or halogenated compounds are used as the medium (7) in the case of etching.
14. Process according to Claim 1 to 13, characterized in that this is used for characterization of the geometry and replacement or the production of microtips (41) of SXM
cantilevers, a tip (39) electrically connected to a conductor track (38) being arranged in the trough on a substrate (36) and with its aid the geometry of the microtip (41) being scanned by scanning microscopy, or with its aid, replacement or the production of a microtip (41) being carried out by supplying an electric voltage or voltage pulses to the connected tip (39) in order to deposit a precipitate from the medium (7) onto the SXM probe cantilever.
cantilevers, a tip (39) electrically connected to a conductor track (38) being arranged in the trough on a substrate (36) and with its aid the geometry of the microtip (41) being scanned by scanning microscopy, or with its aid, replacement or the production of a microtip (41) being carried out by supplying an electric voltage or voltage pulses to the connected tip (39) in order to deposit a precipitate from the medium (7) onto the SXM probe cantilever.
15. Process according to claim 1 to 13, characterized in that this is used to store information, to read information and to erase information, molecules or molecular clusters which are suitable as information carriers being applied, using the process, to the substrates (3; 28) in order to store information, detected in order to read information and removed or restructured in order to erase information.
16. Process according to Claim 15, characterized in that, when information is being stored, information is being read and information is being erased, a plurality of tips (29) are used, repaired or else cleaned in the same way but also in a mutually independent manner.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE19733795 | 1997-08-05 | ||
| DE19733795.3 | 1997-08-05 | ||
| PCT/EP1998/004403 WO1999008099A1 (en) | 1997-08-05 | 1998-07-15 | Method for applying or removing material |
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|---|---|
| CA2299374A1 true CA2299374A1 (en) | 1999-02-18 |
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| CA002299374A Abandoned CA2299374A1 (en) | 1997-08-05 | 1998-07-15 | Process for applying or removing materials |
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| EP (1) | EP1002228B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP2001512706A (en) |
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| TW (1) | TW391028B (en) |
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| US6827979B2 (en) * | 1999-01-07 | 2004-12-07 | Northwestern University | Methods utilizing scanning probe microscope tips and products therefor or produced thereby |
| EP1146376A1 (en) * | 2000-04-12 | 2001-10-17 | Triple-O Microscopy GmbH | Method and apparatus for the controlled conditioning of scanning probes |
| FR2813139B1 (en) * | 2000-08-21 | 2002-11-29 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | WRITING / READING DEVICE OF DIGITAL DATA WITH OPTICAL CONTROL |
| US7170842B2 (en) * | 2001-02-15 | 2007-01-30 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Methods for conducting current between a scanned-probe and storage medium |
| US20040060904A1 (en) * | 2002-09-30 | 2004-04-01 | International Business Machines Corporation | Tool having a plurality of electrodes and corresponding method of altering a very small surface |
| US20040245224A1 (en) * | 2003-05-09 | 2004-12-09 | Nano-Proprietary, Inc. | Nanospot welder and method |
| US7329361B2 (en) * | 2003-10-29 | 2008-02-12 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and apparatus for fabricating or altering microstructures using local chemical alterations |
| US7277314B2 (en) * | 2004-05-27 | 2007-10-02 | Cabot Microelectronics Corporation | Mobile ion memory |
| KR100758699B1 (en) * | 2005-08-29 | 2007-09-14 | 재단법인서울대학교산학협력재단 | Method for forming high aspect ratio nanostructure and method for forming nano pattern using the same |
| WO2008031058A2 (en) * | 2006-09-07 | 2008-03-13 | Michigan Technological University | Self-regenerating nanotips for low-power electric propulsion (ep) cathodes |
| US8296859B2 (en) * | 2008-03-24 | 2012-10-23 | The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University | Prototyping station for atomic force microscope-assisted deposition of nanostructures |
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| JPH02173278A (en) * | 1988-12-26 | 1990-07-04 | Hitachi Ltd | Method and device for fine processing |
| US5126574A (en) * | 1989-10-10 | 1992-06-30 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of Commerce | Microtip-controlled nanostructure fabrication and multi-tipped field-emission tool for parallel-process nanostructure fabrication |
| US5015323A (en) * | 1989-10-10 | 1991-05-14 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of Commerce | Multi-tipped field-emission tool for nanostructure fabrication |
| WO1992012528A1 (en) * | 1991-01-11 | 1992-07-23 | Hitachi Limited | Surface atom machining method and apparatus |
| JPH04355914A (en) * | 1991-02-06 | 1992-12-09 | Olympus Optical Co Ltd | Lithographic device |
| US5138174A (en) * | 1991-07-16 | 1992-08-11 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Nanometer-scale structures and lithography |
| JP3278454B2 (en) * | 1992-04-07 | 2002-04-30 | セイコーインスツルメンツ株式会社 | Scanning tunnel microscope in solution |
| JP3270165B2 (en) * | 1993-01-22 | 2002-04-02 | セイコーインスツルメンツ株式会社 | Surface analysis and processing equipment |
| JPH06297252A (en) | 1993-04-09 | 1994-10-25 | Sony Corp | Fine work method and device therefor |
| JP3417721B2 (en) * | 1995-04-04 | 2003-06-16 | 三菱電機株式会社 | How to use a scanning probe microscope |
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- 1998-07-15 DE DE59811010T patent/DE59811010D1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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| DE59811010D1 (en) | 2004-04-22 |
| EP1002228A1 (en) | 2000-05-24 |
| US6528807B1 (en) | 2003-03-04 |
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