Si nanostructures fabricated by anodic oxidation with an atomic force microscope and etching with an electron cyclotron resonance source

Abstract

Nanometer-scale Si structures have been fabricated by anodic oxidation with an atomic force microscope (AFM) and dry etching using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) source. The AFM is used to anodically oxidize a thin surface layer on a H-passivated (100) Si surface. This oxide is used as a mask for etching in a Cl2 plasma generated by the ECR source. An etch selectivity ≳20 was obtained by adding 20% O2 to the Cl2 plasma. The AFM-defined mask withstands a 70 nm deep etch, and linewidths∼10 nm have been obtained with a 30 nm etch depth.