These authors contributed equally to this work.
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Full Paper
Novel Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Probes for High-Resolution Low-Wear Nanolithographic Techniques
Article first published online: 20 JUL 2005
DOI: 10.1002/smll.200500028
Copyright © 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Additional Information
How to Cite
Kim, K.-H., Moldovan, N., Ke, C., Espinosa, H., Xiao, X., Carlisle, J. and Auciello, O. (2005), Novel Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Probes for High-Resolution Low-Wear Nanolithographic Techniques. Small, 1: 866–874. doi: 10.1002/smll.200500028
Publication History
- Issue published online: 20 JUL 2005
- Article first published online: 20 JUL 2005
- Manuscript Received: 24 JAN 2005
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- AFM;
- diamond;
- dip-pen nanolithography;
- nanocrystalline materials;
- probe tips
Graphical Abstract
Ace of diamonds: Ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) probes for contact-mode writing techniques are fabricated by molding into sharpened pyramidal pits etched in silicon, then metal electroforming to build the handling chip. The UNCD tips have radii of about 30 nm (see SEM image) and can be integrated with diamond cantilevers. The probes have superior wear performance in AFM imaging and dip-pen nanolithography compared to that of commercial silicon nitride tips.
Abstract
A hard, low-wear probe for contact-mode writing techniques, such as dip-pen nanolithography (DPN), was fabricated using ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD). Molding within anisotropically etched and oxidized pyramidal pits in silicon was used to obtain diamond tips with radii down to 30 nm through growth of UNCD films followed by selective etching of the silicon template substrate. The probes were monolithically integrated with diamond cantilevers and subsequently integrated into a chip body obtained by metal electroforming. The probes were characterized in terms of their mechanical properties, wear, and atomic force microscopy imaging capabilities. The developed probes performed exceptionally well in DPN molecular writing/imaging mode. Furthermore, the integration of UNCD films with appropriate substrates and the use of directed microfabrication techniques are particularly suitable for fabrication of one- and two-dimensional arrays of probes that can be used for massive parallel fabrication of nanostructures by the DPN method.