Proceedings of the
9th International Conference of Nanomanufacturing (nanoMan2024)
December 1 – 4, 2024, Singapore
Atomic-Scale Modification Via Local Anodic Oxidation Using Peak Force Tapping in AFM
Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT-Dublin), School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
ABSTRACT
Atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing (ACSM) represents a key future trend in manufacturing technology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), with its exceptional spatial resolution, enables atomic-level precision in material processing, with local anodic oxidation (LAO) being a notable technique applied successfully in the semiconductor industry, such as for nanowire fabrication. However, detailed exploration of LAO technology's potential for material removal at the atomic and close-to-atomic scale is still lacking. While increasing the scanning speed can significantly reduce modification time and oxide thickness, traditional LAO processes, typically performed in contact mode, face challenges such as contact instability and increased lateral forces at higher probe writing speeds. To investigate the limits of LAO capabilities, this study explores the potential of AFM LAO for single atomic layer modification. The results demonstrate that using peak force tapping (PFT) mode, single-layer depth oxidation was successfully achieved, with process efficiency enhanced by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude compared to contact mode LAO. This provides new evidence for the feasibility of atomic-scale fabrication and lays a foundation for future precision fabrication technologies.
Keywords: Atomic and Close-to-atomic Scale Manufacturing (ACSM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Local Anodic Oxidation (LAO), Peak Force Tapping (PFT), Silicon.
