Title: Nanopit generation on HOPG surface induced by CAFM electric lithography

Authors: Ye Yang; Wansheng Zhao

Addresses: The State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. ' The State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

Abstract: Nanopits in the diameter of sub-hundred and hundreds of nanometres were generated under different voltage magnitudes by conductive atomic force microscope (CAFM) electric lithography method in ambient environment. The pit lithography was conducted through applying conductive probe to measure the I-V curve during AFM contact state. The pit patterns were generated at the position beneath the tip along the I-V curve measurement process. By comparing the geometry sizes of the formed nanopits and their process current evolution under different bias voltages, the nano-machining phenomenon of CAFM electric point lithography was studied and the nanoscale electrical breakdown was suggested as the possible mechanism besides the local anodic oxidation in the high voltage range.

Keywords: conductive atomic force microscopy; CAFM; nanoscale electric lithography; HOPG surface modification; nanoscale electrical breakdown; local anodic oxidation; nanopits; nanotechnology; pit patterns; nanomachining; highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2012.048578

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2012 Vol.8 No.4, pp.263 - 277

Received: 18 Nov 2011
Accepted: 18 Jan 2012
Published online: 21 Aug 2014 *

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