Electrically induced structure formation and pattern transfer
Electrically induced structure formation and pattern transfer
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DOI：
10.1038/35002540
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发表时间：
2000-02-24
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
Steiner, U
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Schäffer, E;Thurn-Albrecht, T;Steiner, U
光的波长对集成电路上制造越来越小的元件构成了一个基本的技术障碍。如果计算能力要以目前的速度继续提高，就需要开发能够在小于100纳米的尺度上复制图案的新技术。在此我们报道一种简单的静电技术，它能在亚微米长度尺度上在聚合物薄膜中产生并复制横向结构。我们的方法基于这样一个事实：电介质在电场梯度中会受到一个力。强电场梯度能够产生克服薄液膜表面张力的力，引发一种具有特征六边形有序性的不稳定性。在我们的实验中，图案形成在高温下的聚合物薄膜中发生，并通过将样品冷却到室温而固定下来。施加一个横向变化的电场会使不稳定性聚焦在电场最强的方向。这导致一个具有地形结构的电极被复制。我们报道了横向尺寸为140纳米的图案，但是将该技术扩展到在小于100纳米的尺度上进行图案复制似乎是可行的。
The wavelength of light represents a fundamental technological barrier(1) to the production of increasingly smaller features on integrated circuits. New technologies that allow the replication of patterns on scales less than 100 nm need to be developed if increases in computing power are to continue at the present rate(2). Here we report a simple electrostatic technique that creates and replicates lateral structures in polymer films on a submicrometre length scale. Our method is based on the fact that dielectric media experience a force in an electric field gradient(3). Strong field gradients can produce forces that overcome the surface tension in thin liquid films, inducing an instability that features a characteristic hexagonal order. In our experiments, pattern formation takes place in polymer films at elevated temperatures, and is fixed by cooling the sample to room temperature. The application of a laterally varying electric field causes the instability to be focused in the direction of the highest electric field. This results in the replication of a topographically structured electrode. We report patterns with lateral dimensions of 140 nm, but the extension of the technique to pattern replication on scales smaller than 100 nm seems feasible.