Fabricating nanometer-scale Co dot and line arrays on Cu(100) surfaces

We have templated Cu(100) surfaces with self-assembled arrays of atomic nitrogen islands and then used these islands as masks for Co growth. This method of nanolithography enables the creation of Co dot arrays with dot densities 4 x 10(12) cm(-2) (27 teradots/in.(2)). Adjusting the nitrogen coverage also enabled the creation of arrays of Co lines spaced 10 nm (0.01 mu m) apart. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04309-6].