NanoFrazor Tool Talk—May 26

NanoFrazor technology—Fabricating advanced 2D and 3D structures using thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL)

N. Hendricks
M. Käppeli, J. Vergés, J. Chaaban, and E. Çağin
Process and Applications Lab., Heidelberg Instruments Nano, Bändliweg 30, 8048 Zürich, Switzerland

Thursday, May 26
10AM - 12PM: Office hours with NanoFrazor engineers in the cleanroom (L10)
1PM - 2PM: Tool talk: Intro to NanoFrazor and capabilities; join via Zoom
2PM - 5PM: Training and demos at the tool, inside the cleanroom (L10)

Thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL), enabled by the NanoFrazor Technology, is establishing itself as a mature and reliable direct-write nanolithography technique for generating nanoscale structures [1]. The NanoFrazor Technology offers an alternative or complementary process for standard lithography techniques of electron-beam lithography (EBL) or focused-ion beam (FIB). t-SPL generates patterns by scanning an ultrasharp tip over a sample surface to induce local changes with a thermal stimulus. By using thermal energy as the stimulus, it is possible to perform various modifications to the sample via removal, conversion, or addition of/to the sample surface. Along with an ultrasharp tip, with a radius less than 10 nm, the t-SPL cantilever contains several other important functions such as an integrated thermal height sensor and an integrated heating element both of which are advantageous for generating plasmonic, photonic, and 2D material devices.

Optical microscope image of single layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with h-BN dielectric. Source (S), drain (D), and top-gate (TG) electrodes were patterned with t-SPL. [4]
Optical microscope image of single layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with h-BN dielectric. Source (S), drain (D), and top-gate (TG) electrodes were patterned with t-SPL. [4]

Applications that are enabled by the NanoFrazor Technology and its capabilities to pattern three dimensionally with nanometer precision include 3D phase plates, and finely tuned and coupled Gaussian optical microcavities. Near perfect sinusoidal gratings, either parallel or superimposed on one another, are also possible to be patterned into the resist and transferred into desirable substrates (lithium niobate, silicon, silicon nitride) to realize unique optical Fourier surfaces [2]. NanoFrazor Technology is also enabling unique 2D material devices by taking advantage of the thermal stimulus rather than energetic particles to perform the pattern definition while providing marker-less overlay to generate patterns on 2D materials (with <5nm precision [3]) without the aid of alignment markers.

Within this presentation, the background and workings of t-SPL will be introduced as well as the nanolithography and processing of photonic/plasmonic structures, and electrical and optical device performance of 2D material-based devices fabricated with t-SPL.

[1] Howell et al., Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 6 (2020) 21.
[2] Lassaline et al., Nature, 582, 506-510 (2020).
[3] Rawlings et al., IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology, 6 (2014) 1204.
[4] Zheng et al., Nature Electronics, 2 (2019) 17.