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Cost-effective generation of single-digit nano-lithographic features could be the way by which novel nanoelectronic devices, as single electron transistors combined with sophisticated CMOS integrated circuits, can be obtained. The capabilities of Field-Emission Scanning Probe Lithography (FE-SPL) and reactive ion etching (RIE) at cryogenic temperature open up a route to overcome the fundamental size limitations in nanofabrication. FE-SPL employs Fowler-Nordheim electron emission from the tip of a scanning probe in ambient conditions. The energy of the emitted electrons (<100 eV) is close to the lithographically relevant chemical excitations of the resist, thus strongly reducing proximity effects. The use of active, i.e. self-sensing and self-actuated, cantilevers as probes for FE-SPL leads to several promising performance benefits. These include: (1) Closed-loop lithography including pre-imaging, overlay alignment, exposure, and post-imaging for feature inspection; (2) Sub-5-nm lithographic resolution with sub-nm line edge roughness; (3) High overlay alignment accuracy; (4) Relatively low costs of ownership, since no vacuum is needed, and ease-of-use. Thus, FE-SPL is a promising tool for rapid nanoscale prototyping and fabrication of high resolution nanoimprint lithography templates. To demonstrate its capabilities we applied FE-SPL and RIE to fabricate single electron transistors (SET) targeted to operate at room temperature. Electrical characterization of these SET confirmed that the smallest functional structures had a diameter of only 1.8 nanometers. Devices at single digit nano-dimensions contain only a few dopant atoms and thus, these might be used to store and process quantum information by employing the states of individual atoms., European Union (European Union); Horizon 2020; European Research Council (ERC) European Union's Seventh Framework Program; FP7/2007-2013

Sub-10 nanometer lithography is opening a new area for beyond-CMOS devices. Regarding to single nano-digit manufacturing we have established a new maskless patterning scheme by using field-emission, current controlled Scanning Probe Lithography (cc-SPL) in order to create optical nanodevices in thin silicon-oninsulator (SOI) substrates. This work aims to manufacture split ring resonators into calixarene resist by using SPL, while plasma etching at cryogenic temperatures is applied for an efficient pattern transfer into the underlying Si layer. Such electromagnetic resonators take the form of a ring with a narrow gap, whose 2D array was the first left-handed material tailored to demonstrate the so-called left-hand behavior of the wave propagation. It is shown that the resonance frequency can be tuned with the feature size of the resonator, and the resonance frequency can be shifted further into near infrared or even visible light regions., Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA)