In this paper, we design and simulate a micro-suspension based scanning probe for nanolithography using electrostatic actuation. The probe consists of a square plate with a pyramid tip at the center that is suspended by four beams. The entire probe is assumed to be made of single silicon and operated in air medium. Operation characteristics are analyzed by finite element method. | Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology 55 (4) (2017) 484-493 DOI: DESIGN AND SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF AN ELECTROSTATIC ACTUATOR FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF SCANNING PROBE NANOLITHOGRAPHY Le Van Tam1, Dang Van Hieu1, 2, Nguyen Duy Vy3, 4, Vu Ngoc Hung1, Chu Manh Hoang1, * 1 2 3 International Training Institute for Materials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Dai Co Viet, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Viet Nam Department of Electronics and Communications, Thanh Do University, Hanoi, Viet Nam Theoretical Physics Research Group, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 756636, Vietnam 4 Faculty of Applied Science, Ton Duc Thang University, Hochiminh City 756636. Vietnam. * Email: hoangcm@ Received: 22 October 2016; Accepted for publication: 21 February 2017 ABSTRACT In this paper, we design and simulate a micro-suspension based scanning probe for nanolithography using electrostatic actuation. The probe consists of a square plate with a pyramid tip at the center that is suspended by four beams. The entire probe is assumed to be made of single silicon and operated in air medium. Operation characteristics are analyzed by finite element method. The operation mode is symmetrical that overcomes the lateral displacement in the unsymmetrical operation mode of conventional scanning probe nanolithography, hence increasing the precision in lithographed nanostructures. The effect of electric field fringe and fixed electrode to the operation of the scanning probe are also analyzed in detail. Keywords: electrostatic actuator, symmetrical operation mode, scanning probe lithography. 1. INTRODUCTION The scanning probe based lithography has been developed to replace the conventional photolithography technology due to disadvantages such as the resolution limited by the diffraction phenomena and the requirement of expensive equipments. In order to fabricate patterns on surfaces with nano-scale dimensions and .
