Dal-Hyun Kim

Effects of UV/ozone treatment of a polymer dielectric surface on the properties of pentacene thin films for organic transistors

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the energy level alignment and growth morphology of pentacene (Pn) films deposited on a PMMA derivative-based dielectric surface with and without ultraviolet/ozone treatment. The treated surface exhibited higher offset values for the highest occupied molecular orbital levels between Pn and the polymer, which would result in higher threshold voltages for the device. However, aligned vacuum levels of the treated surface and the Pn at the interface were observed, suggesting that the dipole field would be reduced in the Pn film on the treated surface. The hydrophilic nature of the treated surface, observed by water contact angle measurement, allowed for a larger grain size of the Pn film, as confirmed by the AFM measurements, which will also favorably contribute to device mobility.

The role of an amorphous carbon layer on a multi-wall carbon nanotube attached atomic force microscope tip in making good electrical contact to a gold electrode

Multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT) attached atomic force microscope (AFM) tips (MWNT tips) have good potential for use in AFM lithography. Good conducting MWNT tips are needed in such applications. However, characterizing the conductance of MWNT tips is nontrivial: making a good electrical contact between the MWNT and electrode is difficult. We observed that MWNT tips produced by hydrocarbon-deposition attachment usually do not make good electrical contacts to gold electrodes because of the thin and rough amorphous carbon layer on the MWNT that was unintentionally deposited during the attachment. We found that good contacts can be made if a more amorphous carbon layer is deposited to form a thick and smooth amorphous carbon layer on MWNTs. Good contact was made either by transformation of the amorphous carbon layer into a conducting or peel-off layer, exposing the bare MWNT surface. MWNT tips with an exposed MWNT surface showed the well-known high-current-flowing capacity and the stepped-cutting behavior of bare MWNTs. The peeling-off behavior of a thick amorphous carbon layer may be utilized in producing bare-surfaced MWNT tips that have good conductance and therefore are useful for applications.

Evaluation of carbon nanotube probes in critical dimension atomic force microscopes

Abstract. The decreasing size of semiconductor features and the increasing structural complexity of advanced devices have placed continuously greater demands on manufacturing metrology, arising both from the measurement challenges of smaller feature sizes and the growing requirement to characterize structures in more than just a single critical dimension. For scanning electron microscopy, this has resulted in increasing sophistication of imaging models. For critical dimension atomic force microscopes (CD-AFMs), this has resulted in the need for smaller and more complex tips. Carbon nanotube (CNT) tips have thus been the focus of much interest and effort by a number of researchers. However, there have been significant issues surrounding both the manufacture and use of CNT tips. Specifically, the growth or attachment of CNTs to AFM cantilevers has been a challenge to the fabrication of CNT tips, and the flexibility and resultant bending artifacts have presented challenges to using CNT tips. The Korea Research Institute for Standards and Science (KRISS) has invested considerable effort in the controlled fabrication of CNT tips and is collaborating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology on the application of CNT tips for CD-AFM. Progress by KRISS on the precise control of CNT orientation, length, and end modification, using manipulation and focused ion beam processes, has allowed us to implement ball-capped CNT tips and bent CNT tips for CD-AFM. Using two different generations of CD-AFM instruments, we have evaluated these tip types by imaging a line/space grating and a programmed line edge roughness specimen. We concluded that these CNTs are capable of scanning the profiles of these structures, including re-entrant sidewalls, but there remain important challenges to address. These challenges include tighter control of tip geometry and careful optimization of scan parameters and algorithms for using CNT tips.

Ion Beam Bending of Nano Scale Materials in Free Space

We report an ion beam bending process to control the shape of nanometer scale materials. 5–30 keV gallium ion beam was found to plastically bend diverse materials having nanometer scale geometries of free-standing tube, spike and plank, along the ion beam so that their free end is directed toward the ion source, in vacuum space free of any applied electric or magnetic field. With the process, we could create a bent tip for scanning force microscope and hooks for nano-manipulation, out of straight spikes carved with nano-scale dimensions.

Shortening multiwalled carbon nanotube on atomic force microscope tip: Experiments and two possible mechanisms

We demonstrate a technique to cut a multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) attached on an atomic force microscope tip by flowing direct current through the nanotube as a method to precisely control nanotube tip length. The cutting process consists of two steps: (1) making a mechanical contact between a sharp metal wire and a target cutting position on a MWNT attached to a silicon mother tip, and (2) applying voltage between the MWNT and the metal wire until the current flow cuts the tube. To cut the MWNT without discharging, a firm mechanical and electrical contact was made between the tube and the wire. Nanotubes were reproducibly cut at the contact point, and we achieved a 30nm cutting resolution and a 100nm shortest tube protrusion. We simultaneously monitored the current flow through the nanotube during the cutting process and evaluated the current size of each MWNT tip at the moment of cutting. We found that the cutting process happened in two current ranges: higher than 100μA and smaller than 1μA. The m...

Atomic Structure of Si(100) Surfaces

The structure of a clean Si(100) and a Ni-contaminated si(100) was investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy. The clean Si (100) shows the 2 × 1 reconstruction with a surface dimer vacancy density less than 2%. The major defects on the clean surface are a single dimer vacancy and the C defect. A small amount of Ni on the surface drastically changes the surface structure and produces 2 × n reconstructions. The formation of vacancy clusters is favored. A rebonded SB step is preferred on the clean Si(100) while a nonrebonded SB step with a split-off dimer is mainly observed on the Ni-contaminated Si(100) and in the vicinity of dimer vacancies of the lower terrace on the clean Si(100).

Fabrication of ball-shaped atomic force microscope tips by ion-beam-induced deposition of platinum on multiwall carbon nanotubes.

Ball-shaped atomic force microscope (AFM) tips (ball tips) are useful in AFM metrology, particularly in critical dimension AFM metrology and in micro-tribology. However, a systematic fabrication method for nano-scale ball tips has not been reported. We report that nano-scale ball tips can be fabricated by ion-beam-induced deposition (IBID) of Pt at the free end of multiwall carbon nanotubes that are attached to AFM tips. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses were done on the Pt ball tips produced by IBID in this manner, using ranges of Ga ion beam conditions. The Pt ball tips produced consisted of aggregated Pt nano-particles and were found to be strong enough for AFM imaging.