Application of atomic–force microscope for creation of one–dimensional structure on the basis of GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure

Abstract

In the study of electron transport in low-dimensional structures, semiconductor heterostructures with a two-dimensional electron gas are often used. The conductive channel of these structures is separated from the gates by insulating regions, which can be formed in a varitey of ways. The peculiarities of such structures are the high quality of the initial plates and the need to change the topology in the research process. This makes the use of photolithography ineffective.This paper discusses the technology of forming insulating grooves using an atomic force microscope — a method of pulsed force nanolithography, which allows both working with individual samples and forming narrow and deep grooves on the semiconductor that provide good insulating characteristics. The measured transport characteristics of the nanostructures created by this method confirm the presence of quantization of the channel conductivity and the absence of a noticeable number of introduced defects.