Cleaning of nanostructures
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorPio Peter Niraj Nirmalraj
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for removing a polymeric material from a surface of a nanostructure. The method includes applying, by a scanning probe microscope, an electrical field between a probe tip of the scanning probe microscope and the nanostructure, and simultaneously scanning over the surface of the nanostructure. Thereby, bonds connecting the polymeric material to the surface of the nanostructure are broken. A further step includes cleaning the surface of the nanostructure. A scanning probe microscope for performing such a method and a computer program product for controlling the scanning probe microscope are also disclosed.
Claims7
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a probe tip having an apex tip area of more than 300 nm2;
- a voltage source for applying a bias voltage between the probe tip and a nanostructure;
- a sample positioner configured to position the nanostructure in relation to the probe tip;
- and
- a system controller configured to control the scanning probe microscope;
- wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises a cleaning mode and wherein the cleaning mode is configured to:
- apply an electrical field between the probe tip and the nanostructure in order to break bonds connecting a polymeric material to the surface of the nanostructure;
- and
- scan over the surface of the nanostructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.