Nanoscale manipulation of materials patterning through thermomechanical nanolithography using atomic force microscopy

Abstract

We conducted thermomechanical nanolithography to realize nanoscale manipulation of materials patterning on a polymethyl methacrylate thin film. We used atomic force microscopy with a heated tip make a single scratch on the film surface. The error in the machining force caused by the thermal expansion of the tip cantilever was corrected to guarantee the accuracy of machining force by calibrating the machining parameters, including the spring constant of the tip cantilever and the sensitivity coefficient of the optical lever for different tip temperatures. Three kinds of nanostructure including polymer nanowires, nanopit arrays, and nanogrooves were regulated via controlling scratching velocity and the heated temperature. Inspection of the nanopit arrays proved that fabrication of continuous bundles with desired dimensions can be realized by controlling the feed between adjacent scratching paths. The good agreement between the calculated stick–slip friction and observed machining outcomes demonstrated the feasibility of using stick–slip friction to predict the generation of nanopit structures.

Keywords

• Atomic force microscopy
• Thermomechanical nanolithography
• Nanoscale manipulation
• Polymer thin film
• Nanostructure