Fine structure forming device

The micro machining apparatus comprising:

• a machining member having a metal body and an insulator, the insulator being in contact with at least one end of said metal body and having a leading end facing a workpiece, the leading end of the insulator having a needle-like shape;
• electric field producing means for producing an electric field with the metal body of the machining member as a cathode, the electric field starting from the workpiece and spreading substantially in parallel with a longitudinal surface of the insulator;
• and
• reactive gas supplying means for supplying a reactive gas along the surface of the insulator toward the surface of the workpiece, said reactive gas supplying means supplying a reactive gas that reacts with the material of the workpiece to thereby etch the workpiece.

A micro machining apparatus comprising:

• a very thin linear machining member having, at the leading end thereof, a discharge opening for blowing a reactive gas toward a workpiece, a reactive gas supplying means for supplying a reactive gas that reacts with a material of the workpiece to thereby etch the workpiece, wherein the machining member is a hollow nozzle composed of two electric hollow conductor tubes and a hollow insulator interposed between the conductors, and wherein a power source applies a voltage to both of said conductors provided at each end of the insulator;
• means for positioning the machining member opposite to the workpiece and feeding the machining member toward the workpiece while maintaining a constant distance between the machining member and an area to be etched of the workpiece;
• and
• means for locally decomposing and dissociating the reactive gas into active species in a zone between the leading end of the machining member and the workpiece.