Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy - Yale School of Engineering ...

2 nd generation Dynamic Nanostencil AFM/DFM/STM
for in-situ (UHV) resistless patterning of nanostructures
Percy Zahl 1 , Peter Sutter 1
1 Brookhaven National Laboratory, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Upton NY 11973, USA
P.I-17
The development and construction of the 2 nd generation Nanostencil, which will be an
upgrade of the original and worldwide unique 1 st all-in-one Nanostencil as build at IBM
Zurich Research Laboratory 1,2 . This Nanostencil instrument combines the shadow mask
stencil method with an versatile scanning probe microscope and allows in-situ creation
and inspection of even arbitrary single nanostructures down to 30nm as demonstrated at
IBM.
With the new design of the 2 nd generation Stencil a set of optimizations and partial
redesigns will be incorporated. Nevertheless, this new CFN Nanostencil will be user
accessible.
The Nanostencil technique integrates a system for in-situ nano structuring and
Atomic/Dynamic Force Microscopy (AFM/DFM) and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
(STM) capability for in-situ structure analysis with atomic resolution capability but also
wide (80µm for the 2 nd generation) scan range. In contrast to lithography methods, this is
a direct writing or deposition method and no resist removal or etching steps are involved,
allowing to make structures from any material which can be evaporated in UHV. Thus
advanced sensitive or functional materials of an wide range (including metals, insulators,
magnetic materials or even organic materials) can be used for patterning.
The Scanning Probe Microscopy capabilities allow imaging and optional manipulation of
the deposited nanostructures/atoms and thus extends structure tune-ups down to the
atomic scale.
The 2 nd generation Nanostencil is currently in development at the CFN. It is expected to
deliver similar or better stencil performance as the IBM-Stencil and will add more
versality and a calibrated high precision scanning table with up to 80µm scan range. It
will also provide a high resolution scanner (piezo tube style) for reaching atomic
resolution. Optimized optical access for coarse alignments (Long Distance Microscope
with 3µm resolution) while providing simultaneous access for deposition is planned.
1
All-in-one static and dynamic nanostencil atomic force microscopy/scanning tunneling microscopy
system, P. Zahl, M. Bammerlin, G. Meyer and R.R. Schlittler, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 76, 0230707 (2005)
2
Fabrication of ultrathin magnetic structures by nanostencil lithography in dynamic mode, L. Gross, R.R.
Schlittler, G. Meyer, A. Vanhaverbeke and R. Allenspach, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 093121 (2007)
108