Manipulating feature sizes in Si-based grating structures by thermal oxidation.

We report a method for manipulating feature sizes in Si-based grating structures by thermal oxidation, which allows the realization of fin width/period ratios not directly accessible by laser interference lithography. Taking advantage of the expansion in volume associated with the thermal oxidation of Si, grating structures with very high fin width/period ratios of the order of 0.96 were obtained, whereas subsequent chemical etching of the oxide yields grating structures with fin width/period ratios as small as ∼0.06.