Telescopic nanotube device for hot nanolithography

摘要

A device for maintaining a constant tip-surface distance for producing nanolithography patterns on a surface using a telescopic nanotube for hot nanolithography. An outer nanotube is attached to an AFM cantilever opposite a support end. An inner nanotube is telescopically disposed within the outer nanotube. The tip of the inner nanotube is heated to a sufficiently high temperature and brought in the vicinity of the surface. Heat is transmitted to the surface for thermal imprinting. Because the inner tube moves telescopically along the outer nanotube axis, a tip-surface distance is maintained constant due to the vdW force interaction, which in turn eliminates the need of an active feedback loop.

主权项

1. A nanolithography patterning method comprising steps of:
providing an atomic force microscope supporting a cantilever at a cantilever support end thereof, the cantilever further supporting at a side opposite the cantilever support end an outer nanotube having radius R2 within which an inner nanotube having radius R1 and a length longer than that of the outer nanotube is telescopically disposed; heating a tip of the inner nanotube to a desired temperature by applying a heat source thereto; and imprinting a desired pattern onto a material surface by bringing the heated tip into close proximity with said surface and moving the cantilever parallel to the surface, the inner nanotube telescopically moving during said bringing and moving to an equilibrium position determined by a minimum potential energy due to van der Waals forces, said equilibrium position providing a constant distance between the tip and surface.