Abstract
The techniques regarding the fabrication of nanostructures by atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanolithography including nano-oxidation and nanomachining are explored. Corresponding mechanisms and application to the selective growth of one-dimensional nanomaterials are also discussed in this thesis. By applying a bias to an AFM probe, a strong field between the probe and the sample leads to the occurrence of local oxidation that is called AFM nano-oxidation. AFM nano-oxidation was performed silicon and nickel, and the smallest oxide dot sizes were around 100 nm and 27 nm, respectively. After the removal of unoxidized nickel by wet chemical etching, the residual nickel oxide patterns were used for the selective growth of one-dimensional nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and silica nanowires. The fabrication of metal nanostructures by AFM nanomachining and subsequent lift-off was also accomplished. AFM nanomachining was firstly performed on a thin resist pre-coated on a silicon or sapphire substrate, and then metal was coated. After lift-off process, metal nanostructures were created successfully. By coating different metal, various metal nanostructures could be created by this stable process and the smallest nanodot size of gold coated on silicon substrate was 20 nm. The selective growth of zinc oxide and silica nanowires was also successfully realized with the use of catalytic gold and nickel nanopatterns, respectively. Localized surface plasmon resonance of metal nanostructures was also observed by dark-field optical microscope.