Methods for fabricating high aspect ratio probes and deforming high aspect ratio nanopillars and micropillars

1. A method for fabricating an array of high aspect ratio probes comprising:

providing a substrate;

coating the substrate with a first resist;

defining high aspect ratio nanopillars by lithographically patterning the first resist, thus forming a patterned first resist;

developing, with a developer, the patterned first resist to remove portions of the first resist on the substrate, thus forming a developed first resist and exposing portions of the substrate;

depositing an etch mask on the developed first resist and the exposed portions of the substrate to mask the exposed portions of the substrate;

coating the deposited etch mask with a second resist different from the first resist;

defining a placement of high aspect ratio micropillars by lithographically patterning the second resist, thus forming a patterned second resist;

developing, with a developer, the patterned second resist to remove portions of the second resist on an underlying layer comprising the deposited etch mask on both the developed first resist and the exposed portions of the substrate, thus exposing portions of the underlying layer;

performing a first etch with an SF6/O2 cryogenic etch to etch away unmasked portions of the substrate, thus creating the high aspect ratio micropillars in the underlying layer;

removing, by way of chemical reactions, the developed second resist;

placing the substrate in a chemical bath to dissolve, by way of chemical reactions, the developed first resist and the deposited etch mask on the developed first resist such that the deposited etch mask on the substrate remains undissolved;

performing a second etch with a SF6/C4F8 etch, thus establishing the high aspect ratio nanopillars;

removing a remainder of the deposited etch mask, thus forming the high aspect ratio nanopillars on the high aspect ratio micropillars; and

recoating the substrate with a third resist and selectively removing the third resist to define an exposed portion and a third resist covered portion of the substrate, the exposed portion including at least top regions of the high aspect ratio nanopillars and adapted to define a metal pattern;

depositing a metal layer on both the exposed portion and the third resist covered portion of the substrate; and

lifting off the third resist and the metal layer that is on the third resist covered portion of the substrate, thus leaving behind portions of the metal layer on the exposed portion of the substrate corresponding to the high aspect ratio nanopillars, thus creating metal contacts for the high aspect ratio nanopillars and thereby generating the array of high aspect ratio probes.

2. A method for fabricating an array of high aspect ratio probes comprising:

providing a substrate;

coating the substrate with a first resist;

defining high aspect ratio nanopillars by lithographically patterning the first resist, thus forming a patterned first resist;

developing, with a developer, the patterned first resist to remove portions of the first resist on the substrate, thus forming a developed first resist and exposing portions of the substrate;

depositing an etch mask on the developed first resist and the exposed portions of the substrate to mask the exposed portions of the substrate;

coating the deposited etch mask with a second resist different from the first resist;

defining a placement of high aspect ratio micropillars by lithographically patterning the second resist, thus forming a patterned second resist;

developing, with a developer, the patterned second resist to remove portions of the second resist on an underlying layer comprising the deposited etch mask on both the developed first resist and the exposed portions of the substrate, thus exposing portions of the underlying layer;

performing a first etch with an SF6/O2 cryogenic etch to etch away unmasked portions of the substate, thus creating the high aspect ratio micropillars in the underlying layer;

removing, by way of chemical reactions, the developed second resist;

placing the substrate in a chemical bath to dissolve, by way of chemical reactions, the developed first resist and the deposited etch mask on the developed first resist such that the deposited etch mask on the substrate remains undissolved;

performing a second etch with an SF6/C4F8 etch, thus establishing the high aspect ratio nanopillars;

removing a remainder of the deposited etch mask, thus forming the high aspect ratio nanopillars on the high aspect ratio micropillars; and

recoating the substrate with a third resist and selectively removing the third resist to define an exposed portion and a third resist covered portion of the substrate, the exposed portion including at least top regions of the high aspect ratio nanopillars and adapted to define a metal pattern;

depositing a metal layer on both the exposed portion and the third resist covered portion of the substrate; and

lifting off the third resist and the metal layer that is on the third resist covered portion of the substrate, thus leaving behind portions of the metal layer on the exposed portion of the substrate corresponding to the high aspect ratio nanopillars, thus creating metal contacts for the high aspect ratio nanopillars and thereby generating the array of high aspect ratio probes,

wherein the first resist is an electron-beam resist, the second resist is a photoresist and the etch mask is an alumina etch mask.

3. A method for fabricating an array of high aspect ratio probes comprising:

providing a substrate;

coating the substrate with a first resist;

defining high aspect ratio nanopillars by lithographically patterning the first resist, thus forming a patterned first resist;

developing, with a developer, the patterned first resist to remove portions of the first resist on the substrate, thus forming a developed first resist and exposing portions of the substrate;

depositing an etch mask on the developed first resist and the exposed portions of the to mask the exposed portions of the substrate;

coating the deposited etch mask with a second resist different from the first resist;

defining a placement of high aspect ratio micropillars by lithographically patterning the second resist, thus forming a patterned second resist;

developing, with a developer, the patterned second resist to remove portions of the second resist on an underlying layer comprising the deposited etch mask on both the developed first resist and the exposed portions of the substrate, thus exposing portions of the underlying layer;

performing a first etch with an SF6/O2 cryogenic etch to etch away unmasked portions of the substrate, thus creating the high aspect ratio micropillars in the underlying layer;

removing, by way of chemical reactions, the developed second resist;

placing the substrate in a chemical bath to dissolve, by way of chemical reactions, the developed first resist and the deposited etch mask on the developed first resist such that the deposited etch mask on the substrate remains undissolved;

performing a second etch with an SF6/C4F8 etch, thus establishing the high aspect ratio nanopillars;

removing a remainder of the deposited etch mask, thus forming the high aspect ratio nanopillars on the high aspect ratio micropillars; and

recoating the substrate with a third resist and selectively removing the third resist to define an exposed portion and a third resist covered portion of the substrate, the exposed portion including at least top regions of the high aspect ratio nanopillars and adapted to define a metal pattern;

depositing a metal layer on both the exposed portion and the third resist covered portion of the substrate; and

lifting off the third resist and the metal layer that is on the third resist covered portion of the substrate, thus leaving behind portions of the metal layer on the exposed portion of the substrate corresponding to the high aspect ratio nanopillars, thus creating metal contacts for the high aspect ratio nanopillars and thereby generating the array of high aspect ratio probes,

wherein the high aspect ratio nanopillars have diameters ranging from 30 to 50 nm with aspect ratios greater than 25 and the nanopillars are controllably placed within a distance of 50 nm or more from one another.