Laterally disposed nanostructures of silicon on an insulating substrate

US6103540A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Stephen D. Russell · San Diego, US
• Robert C. Dynes · Village of La Jolla, US
• Paul R. de la Houssaye · San Diego, US
• Wadad B. Dubbelday · Lemon Grove, US
• Randy L. Shimabukuro · San Diego, US
• Andrew S. Katz · Village of La Jolla, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 4, 1998
• Grant date: Aug 15, 2000
• Expiry date: Nov 4, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S438/962

Abstract

A single crystal silicon film nanostructure capable of optical emission is aterally disposed on an insulating transparent substrate of sapphire. By laterally disposing the nanostructure, adequate support for the structure is provided, and the option of fabricating efficient electrical contact structures to the nanostructure is made possible. The method of the invention begins with the deposition of ultrathin layers of silicon on the substrate. A Solid Phase Epitaxy improvement process is then used to remove crystalline defects formed during the deposition. The silicon is then annealed and thinned using thermal oxidation steps to reduce its thickness to be on the order of five nanometers in height. The width and length of the nanostructure are defined by lithography. The nanometer dimensioned silicon is then spin-coated with a resist with width and length definition in the resist being performed by way of electron beam exposure. The photoresist is developed and the e-beam written pattern is transferred to the silicon by etching. Oxidations and etchings may subsequently be employed to further thin the width of the nanostructure to be on the order of two to three nanometers. The singl…