Advanced scanning probe lithography

TL;DR

This paper reviews the fundamentals and recent advances in scanning probe lithography, highlighting its high precision and unique patterning capabilities, while discussing challenges related to throughput for technological applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of scanning probe lithography methods based on thermal, chemical, and voltage-induced processes, emphasizing their potential and limitations.

Findings

High patterning precision and versatility of scanning probe lithography

Challenges in throughput limit large-scale applications

Potential for advanced materials science and nanotechnology applications

Abstract

The nanoscale control afforded by scanning probe microscopes has prompted the development of a wide variety of scanning probe-based patterning methods. Some of these methods have demonstrated a high degree of robustness and patterning capabilities that are unmatched by other lithographic techniques. However, the limited throughput of scanning probe lithography has prevented their exploitation in technological applications. Here, we review the fundamentals of scanning probe lithography and its use in materials science and nanotechnology. We focus on the methods and processes that offer genuinely lithography capabilities such as those based on thermal effects, chemical reactions and voltage-induced processes.