A MEMS Based Device for Direct Fabrication of Multilayer Nanoscale Structures

Speaker: Han Han

When: May 16, 2013 (Thu), 10:00AM to 11:00AM (add to my calendar)
Location: SCI 352

This event is part of the Preliminary Oral Exam.

Dissertation Committee: David Bishop, Steve Ahlen, Shyamsunder Erramilli, Pankaj Mehta

Abstract:

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are electrically controlled micro-machines. Here we present a MEMS based device for precisely controlled atom deposition, which enables us to directly fabricate nanoscale circuits or structures, leading to a new regime of experiments for a small amount of atoms. The core component of this device is a thin silicon plate with apertures as small as 50nm, which can move in three dimensions under the precise control of four MEMS linear motors. By thermally evaporating metals while actuating the motors, a flux of atoms passes through the aperture and condenses on the substrate, forming a pre-designed pattern. Complex nanoscale structures made from different materials can be manufactured by repeated passes and using multiple apertures. This fabrication technique will be used to conduct experiments in mesoscopic physics.