Nanostructures fabricated on the as-prepared surfaces of NdBa₂Cu₃O_yhigh temperature superconductors using a scanning tunnelling microscope

Various nanostructures of both convex and concave shapes have been successfully fabricated on newly discovered stable surfaces of NdBa2Cu3Oy (Nd123) single crystals and thin films by means of the tip of an ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) at room temperature. It is also demonstrated that the materials on the surfaces of Nd123 thin films can be removed gradually using an STM tip milling technique. Possible mechanisms responsible for the fabrication processes are discussed. From these preliminary results, we suggest that many other microscopic or macroscopic modification and patterning processes may be performed on the as-prepared surfaces of Nd123 high-temperature superconductors using scanning probe microscopes.