AVS 50th International Symposium
    Processing at the Nanoscale Tuesday Sessions
       Session NS+MI-TuA

Paper NS+MI-TuA3
Buffer Layer Assisted Laser Patterning of Metals at the Nanometer Scale

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 2:40 pm, Room 308

Session: Nanoscale Patterning and Lithography
Presenter: G. Kerner, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Authors: G. Kerner, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
M. Asscher, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Correspondent: Click to Email
Spatial patterning of thin films on surfaces is of great importance for basic physical sciences and technology. An innovative method is presented for a single pulse, macroscopic scale laser patterning of metallic thin film to form nanometer range variable width conducting wires. Employing laser induced thermal desorption (LITD) via interfering split low power beams- metallic gold and potassium coverage grating on top of multilayer Xe is formed over Ru and Si at 20K as a demonstration. Upon annealing to 80K, the Xe layer desorbs and the metallic pattern softly lands and strongly attaches to the substrate. This is a highly versatile patterning technique that can be employed with practically any element and chemical species. It may readily be utilized to prepare millimeters long, 30nm wide conducting wires using current laser technology. The structure and thermal stability of the metallic pattern has been studied by means of AFM, STM, optical second harmonic and linear diffraction. The metallic structures are composed of nanometer size clusters, their size and distribution depend on the buffer layer thickness. The technique presented here is potentially an attractive alternative method for the deposition of periodic and more complex spatial patterns of conducting wires at widths well below the current limits.