Text preview for : 5991-3468EN Humidity-dependent AFM Nanolithography - Application Note c20141020 [2].pdf part of Agilent 5991-3468EN Humidity-dependent AFM Nanolithography - Application Note c20141020 [2] Agilent 5991-3468EN Humidity-dependent AFM Nanolithography - Application Note c20141020 [2].pdf
Back to : 5991-3468EN Humidity-depe | Home
Keysight Technologies
Humidity-dependent AFM Nanolithography
Application Brief
Introduction Effect of RH on AFM- the tip can be formed once a conduc-
tive probe is used and a suficient
The Keysight Technologies, Inc. 7500
based Nanolithography bias is applied to the probe while the
AFM system is comprised of a sealed sample is connected to a grounding
In AFM operation, water present on cable. As a consequence, the existing
environmental chamber with a built-
sample surfaces at nonzero RH could water between the tip and sample can
in sensor to monitor the local relative
lead to the formation of meniscus be electrolyzed to generate oxygen
humidity (RH) and temperature around
around the tip when the cantilever is in radicals that will subsequently lead to
the sample. In addition, the eight preset
contact with the sample. Since material an oxidation of neighboring regions of
ports through to the chamber at the
transport through the liquid meniscus the sample.
AFM base allow the easy incorpora-
has been proposed as one of the pos-
tion of 7500 AFM with an external gas
sible mechanisms for probe mediated
humidiication system, thus allowing
deposition (PMD), the effect of RH on Humidity-dependent
the control of the RH during AFM
measurements.
this type of AFM-based nanolithog- AFM Nanolithography
raphy has been well reported. For
instance, the size of the meniscus is via Tip-directed Electro-
Membranes have emerged as an at-
tractive material for separating gases
proven to be critical for the results of chemical Reactions
dip-pen nanolithography (DPN).
from liquid and gaseous streams due to
Shown in Figure 2a is an example of
their advantages of low energy require-
The impact of RH on other types of AFM AFM-based nanolithography using
ments, simplicity of operation, and high
nanofabrication such as tip-directed Keysight PicoLITH software, from which
speciicity. They can be conigured into
electrochemical reactions is expected both the location and the geometry of
hollow iber tubes and assembled into
to follow a similar trend. The working targeted surface modiication can be
a membrane gas humidiier. Either air
principle of tip-directed electrochemi- deined. In this case, an equally sepa-
or a gas stream enters from a port on
cal reactions or anodic oxidation is that rated 3 x 3 array is chosen as the design
one end and lows through the lumens
a localized electrochemical cell around pattern. The exact fabrication condi-
of those hollow ibers. Meanwhile,
water is illed into the shell side and it
can permeate into the lumens thereby
humidifying the gas stream that is Desiccator Air lock
inally connected to a closed AFM. For
AFM chamber
the Keysight 7500 atomic force micro-
Gas
scope, the RH inside its environmental supply
chamber can be effectively regulated
using this method and a schematic of
Membrane
the setup is shown in Figure 1. In this gas
application brief, the impact of RH on humidiier
AFM-based nanolithography will be
demonstrated. Figure 1. A setup schematic of the Keysight 7500 AFM with controlled humidity.
larger meniscus are formed at a RH
of 90%. It has been claimed by Weeks
at al. that at high relative humidity,
70%