ROLE OF SCANNING PROBES IN NANOELECTRONICS: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Abstract

The continuous downsizing of electronic devices has promoted many ideas of lithography and fabrication techniques at the nanometer scale. Scanning probe lithography (SPL) has been intensively explored as a potential alternative. The conceptual development of the SPL endeavors and their basic mechanisms in the past decade are briefly reviewed. Scaling down the conventional field effect transistors below 30 nm may present enormous technical and economical challenges. Random polarization and fabrication of reproducible lateral tunneling junctions continue to be two major barriers for quantum devices. Instead of trying to compete with other projection type lithographic techniques at the nanometer scale, scanning probes are best suited to explore atom scale devices.