Demonstration of a nanolithographic technique using a self‐assembled monolayer resist for neutral atomic cesium

A new lithographic method of making nanostructures is demonstrated in which a patterned beam of neutral cesium atoms is used to damage a ∼1.2‐nm‐thick self‐assembled monolayer resist of alkanethiolates on gold. The attractive features of cesium for atomic lithography and the current techniques for neutral atom lithography are sketched. The method is detailed and investigations of the damage to the surface are described. This can be viewed as a first step towards fabricating nanostructures in silicon using optically patterned neutral atomic beams.