Laser-Focused Atomic Deposition - Nanofabrication via Atom Optics

Published

May 15, 2000

Author(s)

Jabez J. McClelland, Robert Celotta

Abstract

In conventional molecular-beam epitaxy, atoms from a diffuse source randomly impinge upon a surface, accumulating in atomic layers or islands. We have recently demonstrated an enhancement of this process, in which the trajectories of the atoms are controlled with nanometer-scale resolution during deposition. Using the forces exerted by laser light tuned near an atomic transition, an array of atom lenses is formed, which focus, or concentrate the atoms into an array of lines or dots with size as small as 30 nm. This new technique represents a novel form of nanofabrication that can create nanometer-scale structures in parallel over a large (millimeter-size) area without the use of any resist or pattern-transfer techniques.

Citation

Thin Solid Films

Volume

367

Issue

No. 1-2

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

atom optics, chromium, deposition, laser-focused deposition, MBE, nanofabrication, standing wave

Citation

McClelland, J. and Celotta, R. (2000), Laser-Focused Atomic Deposition - Nanofabrication via Atom Optics, Thin Solid Films, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=620525 (Accessed October 10, 2025)