A low temperature surface preparation method for STM nano-lithography on Si(1 0 0)

✍ Scribed by J.A. Mol; S.P.C. Beentjes; S. Rogge

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 616 KB
• Volume: 256
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0169-4332
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.03.052

✦ Synopsis

Registration markers are crucial in connecting scanning tunneling microscope (STM) lithographed nanoand atomic-scale devices to the outside world. In this paper we revisit an ultra high vacuum annealing method with a low thermal budget that is fully compatible with etched registration markers and results in clean 2 × 1 reconstructed Si(1 0 0) surfaces required for STM lithography. Surface contamination is prevented by chemically stripping and reforming a protective silicon oxide layer before transferring the sample to the vacuum system. This allows for annealing temperatures of only 900 • C, where normally carbon contaminants result in the formation of SiC clusters on the surface at annealing temperatures below 950 • C. Reactive ion etched marker structures with an etch depth of 60 nm and a typical lateral dimension of only 150 nm survive a 900 • C flash anneal.