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2005 Nuggets

Two Level Molecular Ruler Based Lithography
(M. E. Anderson, L. P. Tan, M. Mihok, G. S. McCarthy, M. W. Horn and P. S. Weiss, IRG 1)

Two levels of conventional lithography are utilized in conjunction with self-assembled multilayers to produce aligned microstructures whose spacing and edge resolution yield precision at the nanoscale. Controlled placement and thickness of these multilayers, form a precise "molecular ruler" resist that is selectively deposited on initial photolithographically patterned gold structures (I-a,b) before a registered second level of photoresist patterning (I-c,d). Metal deposition (I-e) and subsequent "lift-off" of both the conventional and molecular ruler resist (I-f) have demonstrated hierarchical nanostructures with the controlled orientation and spacing necessary for nanoscale device fabrication.

This concept is demonstrated in these field emission scanning electron micrographs of parent (P) and daughter (D) structures (II and III). A tailored 20 nm gap was created by photolithographic patterning after the deposition of a 10 molecular ruler resist of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (~2 nm each) and Cu(ClO4)2