Abstract

Current efforts in electronic device miniaturization involve the development of techniques to fabricate stable, three-dimensional structures, accessible to the outside world, e.g. through electrical contacts. Here the aim is to fabricate structures with dimensions in the range of 10-50 nm utilizing materials compatible with those of current technologies, i.e. Si, SiO₂ and metals. A promising proximal probe-based technique for achieving this goal appears to be tip-induced oxidation. This process was first described by Dagata et al.¹, and further developed by Snow and co-workers,² and others. The lateral dimensions of the oxide patterns produced can be as small as 10 nm, while the thickness of the oxide is believed to be less than about 5 nm. Using this process Minne et al.³ were able to fabricate sub-1.0µm Si field-effect transistors, while Matsumoto et al.⁴ fabricated Ti-based single electron transistors. With respect to the oxidation mechanism, initially, it was thought that it involves an electric field-induced reaction between atmospheric oxygen and silicon,¹ but later work established that H₂O, not O₂, is essential for the oxidation.⁵

© 1997 Optical Society of America