Nanopatterning by ion implantation through nanoporous alumina masks

• Published in: Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP 2013-03, Vol.15 (12), p.4291-4296
• Main Authors: Guan, Wei, Ross, Ian M, Bhatta, Umananda M, Ghatak, Jay, Peng, Nianhua, Inkson, Beverley J, Möbus, Günter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Density; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Implantation; Ion implantation; Masks; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Porous materials
• ISSN: 1463-9076; 1463-9084
• DOI: 10.1039/c3cp50196e

The important problem of how to generate lateral order for ion implantation patterning of substrates is solved by using a nanoporous anodic alumina membrane as a mask. Co and Pt implantation is used at two implantation doses. In order to observe the achieved implantation zones free from artifacts, electron transparent thin nitride and oxide films are used as substrates, which allows the quality of pattern transfer from the mask to the thin film to be assessed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy. Characteristic density variations of implanted elements across projected pore-regions of the mask, such as ring and dome shapes, and corresponding variation of cluster size are discussed, and therefore the method also serves as a suitable test bed for ion beam focusing studies by cylindrical or conical pores. Co ion implantation into SiO 2 has been laterally structured by irradiating through a mask of periodic-porous anodic aluminium oxide.