Characteristics of mask layer on (1 0 0) silicon induced by tribo-nanolithography with diamond tip cantilevers based on AFM

Nanoscale fabrication of silicon substrate based on the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) followed by chemical etching was demonstrated. A specially designed cantilever with a diamond tip, allowing the formation of damaged layer on silicon substrate by a simple scratching process, has been applied instead of conventional silicon cantilever for scanning. A thin damaged layer forms in the substrate at the diamond tip–sample junction along scanning path of the tip, which was found to be a low crystallized amorphous silicon layer. Hence, these sequential processes, called tribo-nanolithography, TNL, can fabricate 2D or 3D microstructures in nanometer range. Diamond tip fabrication processes for TNL follow the micro-patterning, wet chemical etching and CVD based on MEMS processes. The developed TNL tools show outstanding machinability against single crystal silicon wafer. Hence, they are expected to have a possibility for industrial applications as a micro-to-nano-machining tool. In our previous work, is has been clearly known that the damaged layer withstands against aqueous potassium hydroxide solution, while it dissolves in diluted hydro fluoric solution. This study demonstrates the effect of various machining parameters on mask layer, followed by wet chemical etching in potassium hydroxide and hydro fluoric solution.