Nanopatterning by ion implantation through nanoporous alumina masks

Abstract

The important problem of how to generate lateral order for ion implantation patterning of substrates is solved by using a nanoporous anodic alumina membrane as a mask. Co and Pt implantation is used at two implantation doses. In order to observe the achieved implantation zones free from artifacts, electron transparent thin nitride and oxide films are used as substrates, which allows the quality of pattern transfer from the mask to the thin film to be assessed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy. Characteristic density variations of implanted elements across projected pore-regions of the mask, such as ring and dome shapes, and corresponding variation of cluster size are discussed, and therefore the method also serves as a suitable test bed for ion beam focusing studies by cylindrical or conical pores.

Zn nanodot patterning in borosilicate glasses by electron irradiation

“…Occurrence of particle chains or sequences of precipitates with ordered spacing has been mentioned briefly. Inducing order into a precipitation process in glass has in the past been achieved by external patterning, either via laser gratings 25 or ion implantation masks 13 , however, in our experiment only self-organisation may apply (as reported by Mohr et al 26 ). It is well known that following a nucleation event during phase separation and precipitation phenomena (with and without spinodal decomposition), the glass matrix will be locally altered (depleted in the separated element(s)) and therefore the statistically most probable random next nucleation event will occur at a minimum distance from the first one, related to the diffusion length.…”

“…On the other hand, patterned particle formation in glasses is known e.g. via ion implantation through nanoporous masks for cobalt implanted into amorphous silica 13 and for zinc implanted into both crystalline CaF 2 and amorphous silica 14 . Against this background ''direct write'' electron beam patterning of initially uniform glasses without a mask appears to be promising due to its greater flexibility and resolution.…”

Novel method for the production of SiC micro and nanopatterns

“…He + , Ne + -through a lithographically prepared or self assembled nanosphere masks [15,16]. Co and Pt ions were used to achieve nanopatterns through a nanoporous alumina mask [17]. Mesoporous silica thin films were patterned by Xe + through a Langmuir-Blodgett film [18].…”