Nano-holes in silicon wafers using laser-induced surface plasmon polaritons.
Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) have been explored for a multitude of applications including sub-wavelength lithography, data storage, microscopy and photonics. In this paper, we report the use of SPPs for nanomachining silicon in massively parallel fashion. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser beam was impinged on gold-thin film deposited, porous alumina membrane (PAM) that contains periodic 2-D array of thousands of nano-holes. The silicon substrate was placed in close proximity with PAM. The formation of SPPs and their coherent interference at the exit of PAM holes created strong nanoscale electrical fields which in turn produced 50-70 nm diameter holes in silicon.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Laboratory for Lasers, MEMS and Nanotechnology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Pal
P
Molian
Zhiqun
Z
Lin
Qingze
Q
Zou
D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D007834:Lasers; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D016062:Porosity; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012825:Silicon