Thermal nanolithography method and system
AssigneeNederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
InventorHamed Sadeghian Marnani
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Abstract
A system for thermal nanolithography comprises a cantilever (13) with a nanoscale tip (14) in proximity to a substrate surface (22). A probe light beam (L1) is reflected off the cantilever (13) and the reflected beam (R1) is measured to determine an atomic force interaction (F) between the tip (14) and the substrate surface (22). The tip (14) is heated to cause a heat-induced change at a localized part (22a) of the substrate surface (22) in proximity to the tip (14) by a heat flow (H) from the tip (14) to said localized part (22a). As described herein, the tip (14) is heated by absorption (A2) of a second, heat-inducing light beam (L2) that is distinct from the probe light beam (L1), in particular having a distinct wavelength (λ2) or other properties.
Claims20
A method for thermal nanolithography, the method comprising:
- providing a cantilever with a nanoscale tip in proximity to a substrate surface;
- reflecting a probe light beam off an area of the cantilever and measuring a reflection of the probe light beam off the area of the cantilever to determine an atomic force interaction between the nanoscale tip and the substrate surface;
- and
- illuminating an area on a back of the cantilever directly above the nanoscale tip with a second, heat-inducing, light beam, that is distinct from the probe light beam,
- wherein a material on the area on the back of the cantilever has an absorption coefficient absorbing more than fifty percent at a wavelength of the second, heat-inducing, light beam, to cause a heat flow between the back of the cantilever where the second, heat-inducing light beam is absorbed, via the nanoscale tip to the substrate surface to cause a heat-induced change at a localized part of the substrate surface in proximity to the nanoscale tip by the heat flow from the nanoscale tip to said localized part.
A method for thermal nanolithography, the method comprising:
- providing a cantilever with a nanoscale tip in proximity to a substrate surface;
- reflecting a probe light beam off the cantilever and measuring a reflection of the probe light beam off the cantilever to determine an atomic force interaction between the nanoscale tip and the substrate surface;
- and
- heating the nanoscale tip to cause a heat-induced change at a localized part of the substrate surface in proximity to the nanoscale tip by a heat flow from the nanoscale tip to said localized part;
- wherein the nanoscale tip is heated by an absorption of a second heat-inducing, light beam that is distinct from the probe light beam,
- wherein an area illuminated by the second, heat-inducing, light beam is on the cantilever at a position directly above the nanoscale tip, and
- wherein the second, heat-inducing, light beam is disabled and/or a distance between the tip and the substrate is increased when a predetermined threshold change in the deflected beam is measured, which threshold change is indicative for a desired change of the substrate caused by the heat flow.
A method for thermal nanolithography, the method comprising:
- providing a cantilever with a nanoscale tip in proximity to a substrate surface;
- reflecting a probe light beam off the cantilever and measuring a reflection of the probe light beam off the cantilever to determine an atomic force interaction between the nanoscale tip and the substrate surface;
- and
- heating the nanoscale tip to cause a heat-induced change at a localized part of the substrate surface in proximity to the nanoscale tip by a heat flow from the nanoscale tip to said localized part;
- wherein the nanoscale tip is heated by an absorption of a second, heat-inducing, light beam that is distinct from the probe light beam,
- wherein an area illuminated by the second, heat-inducing, light beam is on the cantilever at a position directly above the nanoscale tip, and
- wherein a distance and/or velocity of the nanoscale tip relative to the substrate is controlled based on a measure deflection to maintain a predetermined heat flow to the substrate.
A nanolithography system comprising
- a substrate holder configured to carry a substrate;
- a probe head comprising a cantilever with a nanoscale tip;
- a controller to control the substrate holder and/or probe head to bring the tip in proximity to the substrate surface;
- a first light source configured to reflect a probe light beam off an area of the cantilever;
- a detector configured to measure the reflected beam off the area of the cantilever to determine an atomic force interaction between the tip and the substrate surface;
- and
- a second light source configured to provide a second, heat-inducing, light beam that is distinct from the probe light beam,
- wherein the heat-inducing light beam is configured to heat an area on a back of the cantilever directly above the nanoscale tip, wherein the area on the back of the cantilever is provided with a material having an absorption coefficient for absorbing more than fifty percent at a wavelength of the second, heat-inducing, light beam, to cause a heat flow between the back of the cantilever where the second, heat-inducing light beam is absorbed, via the nanoscale tip to the substrate surface to cause a heat-induced change at a localized part of the substrate surface in proximity to the nanoscale tip by the heat flow from the nanoscale tip to said localized part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.