Scanning Probe Lithography (SPL) Nanofabrication Approach

More and more nanoelectronics, high density data storage devices, nanophotonics, scaffolds in bioengineering for cell proliferation applications demands on high-throughput and high-accuracy nanofabrication methods. This paper presents an overview of mechanism and research status and characteristics of a nanofabrication approach-scanning probe lithography. The focus is on the effects of thermal, chemistry, electric fields and force between probe and substrate on SPL. It concludes that the mechanical SPL demonstrates an outstanding fabrication ability and is a promising thread in the future nanofabrication approaches. Despite all this, it has to overcome current challenges in low processing efficiency and the restriction of the tip radius size to genuinely realize industrial scale production.