Fabrication of nanostructures using scanning probe microscopes

Abstract

We present nanostructure fabrication techniques using field evaporation and local heating in scanning probe microscopes, especially the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). The detachment of sulfur atoms from the surface of cleaved MoS2 and atomic scale fabrication were demonstrated with a field evaporation in STM. Field evaporation in AFM forms nanometer-sized gold dots on a SiO2/Si substrate. Local heating with SNOM changes a phase of the GeSbTe recording film from amorphous to crystalline, and forms high reflectivity domains 60 nm in diameter. Moreover, we discuss these applications to a semiconductor process and data storage.