Pulse force nanolithography on hard surfaces using atomic force microscopy with a sharp single-crystal diamond tip

• High-resolution AFM-based technique of nanolithography is proposed.
• The method enables rapid point by point indentation with a sharp diamond tip.
• The technique allows the creation of high aspect ratio grooves in hard materials.
• Groove arrays on Si surface with 30–100 nm pitches and 5–32 nm depths are fabricated.
• Cutting of a 63 nm thick metal magnetic film is demonstrated.

AFM-based technique of nanolithography is proposed. The method enables rapid point by point indentation with a sharp tip. When used in tandem with single-crystal diamond tips, this technique allows the creation of high aspect ratio grooves in hard materials, such as silicon or metals. Examples of fabricated groove arrays on Si surface with 30–100 nm pitches and 5–32 nm depths are presented. Cutting of a 63 nm thick metal magnetic film is demonstrated. The resulting structure is studied by the use of magnetic force microscopy.

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