TY - JOUR A1 - Yilmaz, M. A1 - Kilinc, Y. A1 - Nadar, G. A1 - Tasdemir, Z. A1 - Wollschläger, Nicole A1 - Österle, Werner A1 - Leblebici, Y. A1 - Alaca, B. E. T1 - Top-down technique for scaling to nano in silicon MEMS N2 - Nanoscale building blocks impart added functionalities to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The integration of silicon nanowires with MEMS-based sensors leading to miniaturization with improved sensitivity and higher noise immunity is one example highlighting the advantages of this multiscale approach. The accelerated pace of research in this area gives rise to an urgent need for batch-compatible solutions for scaling to nano. To address this challenge, a monolithic fabrication approach of silicon nanowires with 10-lm-thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MEMS is developed in this work. A two-step Si etching approach is adopted, where the first step creates a shallow surface protrusion and the second step releases it in the form of a nanowire. It is during this second deep etching step that MEMS—with at least a 2-order-of-magnitude scale difference - is formed as well. The technique provides a pathway for preserving the lithographic resolution and transforming it into a very high mechanical precision in the assembly of micro- and nanoscales with an extreme topography. Validation of the success of integration is carried out via in situ actuation of MEMS inside an electron microscope loading the nanowire up to its fracture. The technique yields nanowires on the top surface of MEMS, thereby providing ease of access for the purposes of carrying out surface processes such as doping and contact formation as well as in situ observation. As the first study demonstrating such monolithic integration in thick SOI, the work presents a pathway for scaling down to nano for future MEMS combining multiple scales. KW - Nanowires KW - Silicon KW - Top-down KW - MEMS PY - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4978047 SN - 1071-1023 VL - 35 IS - 2 SP - 022001-1 EP - 022001-7 PB - America Vacuum Society AN - OPUS4-39370 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yilmaz, M. A1 - Wollschläger, Nicole A1 - Esfahani, M. N. A1 - Österle, Werner A1 - Leblebici, Y. A1 - Alaca, B. E. T1 - Superplastic behavior of silica nanowires obtained by direct patterning of silsesquioxane-based precursors N2 - Silica nanowires spanning 10 μm-deep trenches are fabricated from different types of silsesquioxane-based precursors by direct e-beam patterning on silicon followed by release through deep reactive ion etching. Nanowire aspect ratios as large as 150 are achieved with a critical dimension of about 50 nm and nearly rectangular cross-sections. In situ bending tests are carried out inside a scanning electron microscope, where the etch depth of 10 mm provides sufficient space for deformation. Silica NWs are indeed observed to exhibit superplastic behavior without fracture with deflections reaching the full etch depth, about two orders of magnitude larger than the nanowire thickness. A large-deformation elastic bending model is utilized for predicting the deviation from the elastic behavior. The results of forty different tests indicate a critical stress level of 0.1–0.4 GPa for the onset of plasticity. The study hints at the possibility of fabricating silica nanowires in a monolithic Fashion through direct e-beam patterning of silsesquioxane-based resins. The fabrication technology is compatible with semiconductor manufacturing and provides silica nanowires with a very good structural integrity. KW - Silica nanowires KW - HSQ KW - Superplasticity KW - In situ bending tests PY - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/aa5b80 SN - 0957-4484 SN - 1361-6528 VL - 28 IS - 11 SP - Article 115302, 1 EP - 10 AN - OPUS4-39166 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -