Amplified nanopatterning by self-organized shadow mask ion lithography

The self-organized formation of high aspect ratio dielectric nanostructures can be guided and sped-up recurring to a sacrificial metal film during ion beam sputtering. Following ion irradiation, the metal film evolves into a disconnected array of laterally ordered nanowires, which guide etching of the dielectric substrate. While the amplification rate of large scale features can be described simply in terms of the ratio of the sputtering yields of substrate and film, for small scale features the amplification rate depends on the interplay and lateral range of the smoothing and erosive mechanisms of the two materials. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3473770]