Patent ID: 8334084
Filing Date: 2012-12-18
Classification: G01Q,G03F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for fabricating high aspect ratio nanostructures on a substrate using a nanomachining tip of an atomic force microscope, comprising: (a) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a first cut proximate to a first boundary of a work area on a substrate; (b) removing material from the surface of the substrate in a first cut direction until an end of the first cut is reached; (c) lifting the nanomachining tip from the cut; (d) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a subsequent cut adjacent to the end of the previous cut; (e) removing material from the surface of the substrate in a direction that is parallel and opposite to the previous cut direction until an end of the subsequent cut is reached; (f) repeating steps (c), (d) and (e) until a second boundary of the work area is reached; (g) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a first orthogonal cut adjacent to the first boundary of the work area; (h) removing material from the surface of the substrate in a first orthogonal cut direction until an end of the first orthogonal cut is reached; (i) lifting the nanomachining tip from the orthogonal cut; (j) positioning the nanomachining tip over a beginning of a subsequent orthogonal cut adjacent to the end of the previous orthogonal cut; (k) removing material from the surface of the substrate in a direction that is parallel and opposite to the previous orthogonal cut direction until an end of the subsequent orthogonal cut is reached; and (l) repeating steps (i), (j) and (k) until the second boundary of the work area is reached, wherein after the completion of step (l), an orthogonal series of isolated cuts defines a grid of high aspect ratio nanostructures in the work area.