Localized fabrication of Si nanostructures by focused ion beam implantation

Abstract

Si nanostructures have been fabricated by focused ion beam implantation (FIB) followed by etching in KOH/IPA. The FIB implantation into Si at a sufficiently high dose (≥1015/cm2) renders the local Si region much less susceptible to chemical etching. This effect has been observed for FIB implantation with Ga, Au, and Si ions. After etching, the implanted layer forms a cantilever structure whose thickness is a function of the implantation energy. At low energies (<30 keV) nanometer-scale Si structures can be formed using this technique.