Fabrication of sub-10 nm Gap by using Electron Beam Lithography

Nanogap is an important research tool in the field of sensitive photoelectric sensors. Based on the surface plasmon resonance effect, the local electromagnetic field generated by the interaction between light and matter in the nanogap will be greatly enhanced, which can realize more applications of nano-functional devices. Fabricating sub-10 nm nanogaps precisely is a difficult and laborious work due to the operational accuracy of the Electron beam lithography (EBL). In this work, we propose a new manufacturing process for the nanogap electrode pairs. The shape and size of electrode pairs were set overlapping/zero spacing/non-overlapping strategy in the layout pattern at different angles. By using electron beam evaporation technology, the adhesions of electrode pair tips with sub-10 nm gaps were mitigated. Our study demonstrates a reliable manufacturing process for sub-10 nm gaps.