Parallel nanogap fabrication with nanometer size control using III–V semiconductor epitaxial technology

Abstract

A nanogap fabrication process using strained epitaxial III–V beams is reported. The process is highly reproducible, allowing parallel fabrication and nanogap size control. The beams are fabricated from MBE-grown (GaAs/GaP)/AlGaAs strained heterostructures, standard e-beam lithography and wet etching. During the wet etching process, the relaxation of the accumulated stress at the epitaxial heterostructure produces a controlled beam breakage at the previously defined beam notch. After the breakage, the relaxed strain is proportional to the beam length, allowing nanogap size control. The starting structure is similar to a mechanically adjustable break junction but the stress causing the breakage is, in this case, built into the beam. This novel technique should be useful for molecular-scale electronic devices.