Nano-structure and method of fabricating nano-structures

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a nano-structure includes forming a feature on a substrate, depositing multiple layers of material over the substrate and feature to form a multi-layer stack, depositing a film over the multi-layer stack, removing a portion of the film and the multi-layer stack to expose edges of the layers of material, and removing portions of the layers of material to form trenches at a surface of the nano-structure.

1 . A nano-structure, comprising: 
 a substrate;    a feature formed on the substrate that extends upwardly from a surface of the substrate;    layers of material that overlie the substrate surface and at least a portion of the feature; and    an exposed surface comprising a top surface of the feature and edges of the layers of material;    wherein portions of selected layers of material have been etched away to form trenches adjacent the top surface of the top surface of the feature.    
     
     
         2 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein the feature has a trapezoidal cross-section.  
     
     
         3 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein the feature has a width adjacent the substrate surface of approximately 250 nanometers to approximately 100 microns.  
     
     
         4 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein the layers of material comprise at least two different types of material.  
     
     
         5 . The nano-structure of  claim 4 , wherein layers of different material are formed in an alternating arrangement.  
     
     
         6 . The nano-structure of  claim 5 , wherein only the layers of one type of material have been etched away to form the trenches.  
     
     
         7 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein each layer of material has a thickness of approximately 10 Angstroms to approximately 1000 Angstroms.  
     
     
         8 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a planarization film adjacent the edges that overlies a portion of the layers of material.  
     
     
         9 . The nano-structure of  claim 8 , wherein the planarization film is composed of silicon oxide.  
     
     
         10 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein the trenches comprise opposed side walls and a base.  
     
     
         11 . The nano-structure of  claim 10 , wherein the opposed side walls are formed from a first material and the base is formed of a second material.  
     
     
         12 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein the trenches are oriented in an oblique direction relative to the exposed surface.  
     
     
         13 . The nano-structure of  claim 1 , wherein the nano-structure is a nano-imprint stamp.  
     
     
         14 . A method for fabricating a nano-structure, the method comprising: 
 forming a feature on a substrate;    depositing multiple layers of material over the substrate and feature to form a multi-layer stack;    depositing a film over the multi-layer stack;    removing a portion of the film and the multi-layer stack to expose edges of the layers of material; and    removing portions of the layers of material to form trenches at a surface of the nano-structure.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming a feature comprises forming a dielectric bump on the substrate.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dielectric bump has a trapezoidal cross-section.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dielectric bump has a width adjacent a surface of the substrate of approximately 250 nanometers to approximately 100 microns.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein depositing multiple layers of material comprises depositing at least two different materials in an alternating arrangement such that the multi-layer stack comprises alternating layers of material.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein depositing a film comprises depositing a film over the multi-layer stack having a height that exceeds the top of the multi-layer stack.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein removing a portion of the film and the multi-layer stack comprises planarizing the film and the multi-layer stack together to form the surface of the nano-structure and the edges.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein removing portions of the layers comprises etching away portions of selected layers to form the trenches.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein etching away portions of selected layers comprises etching away layers of a first type of material without etching away layers of a second type of material.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method comprises a method for fabricating a nano-imprint stamp.  
     
     
         24 . A method for fabricating a nano-structure, the method comprising: 
 forming a dielectric bump on a surface of a substrate, the feature having opposed sides, at least one of the sides extending in an oblique direction from the substrate surface;    depositing multiple layers of at least two different materials in an alternating manner over the substrate surface and the dielectric bump to form a multi-layer stack of alternating materials;    depositing a film over the multi-layer stack such that the multi-layer stack is completely covered by the film;    planarizing the film and the multi-layer stack to form a surface that comprises exposed edges of the layers of material; and    etching away layers of one of the materials to form trenches in the formed surface, the trenches extending in an oblique direction relative to the formed surface.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the dielectric bump has a trapezoidal cross-section.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the dielectric bump has a width adjacent a surface of the substrate of approximately 250 nanometers to approximately 100 microns.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the method comprises a method for fabricating a nano-imprint stamp.