Study of spatial homogeneity and nitridation of an Al nanopattern template with spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscopy

摘要

We report a study on the spatial homogeneity and nitridation of a nanopattern template using a spectroscopic photoemission and low energy electron microscopy. The template was composed of Al nanodots which were patterned into aSiO_2/Si(111) surface using e-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. The template exhibited a global inhomogeneity in terms of the local topography, Al composition and structure of the individual nanopatterns. After nitridation, the individual nanopatterns were diminished, more corrugated and faceted. The nitridated nanopatterns were structurally ordered but differently orientated. The nitridation effectively removed the fluorine contaminants by decomposition of the fluorocarbon sidewalls, resulting in the A1N nanopatterns and partially nitridated Si substrate surface outside the nanopattern domains.