Cleaning of nanostructures
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorPio Peter N. 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.
Claims13
A method for removing a polymeric material from a surface of a nanostructure, the method comprising:
- applying, by a scanning probe microscope, an electrical field between a probe tip of the scanning probe microscope and the nanostructure;
- scanning over the surface of the nanostructure, thereby breaking bonds connecting the polymeric material to the surface of the nanostructure;
- and
- cleaning the surface of the nanostructure.
A method according to 1, wherein an apex tip area of the probe tip is greater than 300 nm2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.