Mechanisms of surface anodization produced by scanning probe microscopes

Abstract

The direct modification of silicon and other semiconductor and metal surfaces by the process of anodization using the electric field from a scanning probe microscope in conjunction with the absorbed water from the atmosphere as the electrolyte is one promising method of accomplishing direct write lithography for the electron devicefabrication using scanning probe microscopes. Both scanning tunneling microscopes and conductive‐tip atomic force microscopes have been used for anodization with the work reported here primarily accomplished with a conductive‐tip atomic force microscope. We have found that the terminating thickness of the scanning probe microscope induced oxide is governed by the diffusion limited electric field at the surface (which in this case is a function of the scanning probe microscope tip potential), with many similarities to liquid electrolyte anodization process. In particular, when using atmospheric water as the electrolyte on a silicon substrate and a conductive‐tip atomic force microscope with a −7 to −10 V tip potential, the terminating electric field that is reached as the silicon dioxide thickness increases is to its final value of 80 Å is ∼1×107 V/cm. This is consistent with the diffusion limited electric field that is observed in many other anodization processes and the native oxidation of silicon (Mott–Cabrera process).