Abstract : In this study, we propose a simple and effective method for fabricating hierarchical silicon structures via the combination of scanning probe lithography (SPL) and wet chemical etching. Here, silicon oxide structures were protruded from a /10 0S-oriented silicon surface, followed by the passivation of silicon nitride by AFM tip-induced local oxidation. Based on the two-dimensional (2D) silicon oxide patterns, three-dimensional (3D) microstructures with high aspect ratios were formed by wet etching with HF and KOH. A variety of combinations of SPL and the etching process allowed us to fabricate diverse silicon-based structures such as deep-etched microstructures and multi-terraced nanostructures.

Keywords : Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Silicon structure, Scanning probe lithography (SPL), Wet etching