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Direct Patterning of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon by Near Field Scanning Optical Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Russell E. Hollingsworth ,
William C. Bradford ,
Mary K. Herndon ,
Joseph D. Beach  and
Reuben T. Collins
Russell E. Hollingsworth
Affiliation:
Materials Research Group, Inc.Wheat Ridge, CO
William C. Bradford
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
Mary K. Herndon
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
Joseph D. Beach
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
Reuben T. Collins
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
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Abstract

Practical methods for directly patterning hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films have been developed. Direct patterning involves selectively oxidizing the hydrogen passivated aSi:H surface, with the oxide then serving as an etch mask for subsequent hydrogen plasma removal of the unoxidized regions. Photo induced oxidation has been extensively studied using both far field projected patterns and near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) for direct write patterning. Examination of the threshold dose for pattern generation for excitation wavelengths from 248 to 633nm provides indirect evidence for involvement of electron-hole recombination in optically induced oxidation. Optical exposure of a-Si:H in vacuum demonstrated that oxygen must be present in the ambient atmosphere during exposure for successful pattern generation. This suggests that oxidation of the surface may not involve removal of hydrogen, but rather breaking of Si-Si backbonds and insertion of oxygen. An additional mechanism for oxide generation was observed whereby pattern generation resulted from simple proximity of an NSOM probe within ∼30nm from the sample surface. The probe dither amplitude was found to greatly affect the line width and height of patterns generated without light. Line widths of approximately 100nm, comparable to the probe diameter, were obtained.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 624: Symposium V – Materials Development for Direct Write Technologies , 2000 , 87
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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