Patent ID: 9536737
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: B82B,H01L

Claim:
1. A process of fabricating a nanostructure, the process comprising: providing a substrate, forming a trench in the substrate, placing a metal catalyst in the trench, wherein the metal catalyst is select for catalyzing nanostructure growth, covering the substrate, the metal catalyst and the trench with a protective layer, growing a buried nanostructure in situ within the trench, wherein the buried nanostructure is formed within the substrate, and wherein the substrate comprises a major surface; and removing the protective layer, wherein the nanostructure remains buried within the trench, and wherein removing the protective layer exposes the nanostructure at the major surface; wherein said placing comprises evaporating a metal catalyst material into said trench so to at least partially fill said trench by said metal catalyst material, and etching a portion of said metal catalyst material off said trench under controlled conditions selected so as to maintain a remnant of said metal catalyst material within said trench; wherein said evaporating said metal catalyst material into said trench comprises, evaporating said metal catalyst material onto a surface of said substrate including said trench, and removing said metal catalyst material from said surface, thereby leaving said metal catalyst material only in said trench; and wherein said removing said metal catalyst material from said surface is effected by a liftoff process.