Isolated Nanometer-Size Si Dot Arrays Fabricated Using Electron-Beam Lithography, Reactive Ion Etching, and Wet Etching in NH4OH/H2O2/H2O

A simple technique for fabricating an array of isolated nanometer-size Si dots is reported. The processing procedures consist of electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching followed by wet etching in NH4OH/H2O2/H2O. The resulting array has isolated crystalline Si dots, each 10 nm in diameter and 10 nm high. To our knowledge, these are the smallest isolated crystalline Si dots reported to date.