Field emission from diamond nanotips for scanning probe lithography

Single-digit nanometer lithography is a basic requirement for beyond CMOS devices. To address this lithography challenge, a variety of different lithographic methods were developed. Here, the authors present the possibility of field emission scanning probe lithography (FE-SPL) with a diamond tip in order to enhance the lifetime of the used tip. A superior mechanical hardness and a good electron emission stability even after a total of 48 h of lithographic patterning by FE-SPL were proven, and features with half pitches down to 15 nm have been fabricated.