Voltage Modulation Scanned Probe Oxidation

Abstract

Scanned probe microscope (SPM) oxidation with voltage modulation leads to a significant enhancement of the oxide growth rate, improvement of the aspect ratio of oxide features, and control of the structural and electrical properties of the SPM oxide. Variation of the voltage-pulse parameters confirms that the oxide dimensions can be controlled sensitively over a wide range of pulse parameters and that voltage modulation overcomes the self-limiting character of SPM oxidation by reducing the buildup of space charge within the oxide during growth. The enhancement can be used to increase the writing speed or lower the voltage, both beneficial for practical nanoelectronics fabrication.