12.4 Deposition with the Help of Tips
455
Fig. 12.8 Schematic overview of the application of STM tips in various electrochemical nanomachining processes. a. Field-assisted local electrodeposition on the substrate merely with a counter
electrode reaction taking place on the tip; b. Application of the tip for high-voltage local oxidation
of a coating for producing an oxide nanodot; c. Cavity formation on a substrate with high-voltage
pulse; d. 1 and 2: collection of the metal to be deposited onto the tip, 3 and 4: reversing the tip bias
for dissolving the metal and depositing it at the same time onto the substrate; e, Same as d, with
applying a short high-voltage pulse in step 3 for etching an active spot on the substrate; f. 1 and 2:
electrodeposition of a metal onto the tip, 3: approaching the tip to the surface until contacting the
surface, 4: depositing a metal dots without changing the tip bias by tearing apart the deposit bridge
formed between the tip and the substrate with upward tip movement
process involved in the process of interest. A common advantage of all methods to be
described is that the electrochemical modification of the substrate can be performed
with very high spatial selectivity along a predefined pattern. When the tip itself is
used for electrodeposition in a step of a sequential process (see Fig. 12.8d–f), the
working distance of the tip is at least an order of magnitude larger than the tunnelling
455
Fig. 12.8 Schematic overview of the application of STM tips in various electrochemical nanomachining processes. a. Field-assisted local electrodeposition on the substrate merely with a counter
electrode reaction taking place on the tip; b. Application of the tip for high-voltage local oxidation
of a coating for producing an oxide nanodot; c. Cavity formation on a substrate with high-voltage
pulse; d. 1 and 2: collection of the metal to be deposited onto the tip, 3 and 4: reversing the tip bias
for dissolving the metal and depositing it at the same time onto the substrate; e, Same as d, with
applying a short high-voltage pulse in step 3 for etching an active spot on the substrate; f. 1 and 2:
electrodeposition of a metal onto the tip, 3: approaching the tip to the surface until contacting the
surface, 4: depositing a metal dots without changing the tip bias by tearing apart the deposit bridge
formed between the tip and the substrate with upward tip movement
process involved in the process of interest. A common advantage of all methods to be
described is that the electrochemical modification of the substrate can be performed
with very high spatial selectivity along a predefined pattern. When the tip itself is
used for electrodeposition in a step of a sequential process (see Fig. 12.8d–f), the
working distance of the tip is at least an order of magnitude larger than the tunnelling