Nano-fabrication of Superconducting Electrodes for New Type of LEDs

Cold temperature development (CTD) of electron beam (EB) patterned resists and subsequent dry etching were investigated for fabrication of nano-patterned Niobium (Nb). Bulky Nb fims on GaAs substrates were deposited with EB evaporation. Line patterns on Nb cathode were fabricated by EB patterning and reactive ion etching (RIE). Size deviations of nano-sized line patterns from CAD designed patterns are dependent on the EB total exposure, but it can be improved by CTD of EB-exposed resist. Line patterns of 10 to 300 nm widths of EB-exposed resist patterns were drawn under various exposure conditions of $0.2{\mu}s$/dot (total 240,000 dot) with a constant current (50 pA). Compared with room temperature development (RTD), the CTD improves pattern resolution due to the suppression of backscattering effect. RIE with $CF_4$ was performed for formation of several nano-sized line patterns on Nb. Each EB-resist patterned samples with RTDs and CTDs were etched with two different $CF_4$ gas pressures of 5 Pa. Nb etching rate increases while GaAs (or ZEP) etching rate decreases as the chamber pressure increases. This different dependent of the etching rate on the $CF_4$ pressure between Nb and GaAs (or ZEP) has a significant meaning because selective etching of nano-sized Nb line patterns is possible without etching of the underlying active layer.