Electrical properties of laser-ablation-initiated self-organized nanostructures on silicon surface

In view of the potential application as a template for the immobilization of bio-molecules on silicon substrate, the electrical properties of self-organized nanostructures, produced by laser ablation from the silicon surface, have been investigated by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). A comparison with the morphology of those structures, measured by both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals substantial surface potential variations which, though well mirroring the ablation morphology, cannot be attributed to this alone. Instead, there is a strong indication of significant intrinsic material changes, e.g. dopant redistribution, similar to segregation, within the nanostructures.