Microfabrication of The Scanning Tunneling Microscope

该奖项将支持旨在开发硅芯片扫描隧道显微镜的研究。这项研究的目的是证明整个扫描隧道显微镜可以用与硅刻蚀相关的微制造技术来构建。利用集成电路制造中常用的沉积图案化和蚀刻技术，将使用平面批量微制造工艺在硅衬底上生产集成的STM扫描仪和针尖。该装置的尺寸为6X200X1000微米，它将包括一个薄膜压电致动器，用于扫描样品表面上的尖端。如果成功，这项工作可能会带来一种新的、非常便宜的显微镜，用于在原子尺度上研究许多现象。这也可能导致一类新的极其灵敏的加速度和力测量传感器。

This award will support research aimed at the development of a scanning tunneling microscope on a silicon chip. It is the purpose of the research to demonstrate that the entire STM can be constructed with the microfabrication technology associated with the etching of silicon. A planar batch-microfabrication process will be used to produce an integrated STM scanner and tip on a silicon substrate using deposition patterning and etching techniques commonly used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The device will have dimensions of 6 X 200 X 1000 microns, and it will include a thin film piezoelectric actuator for scanning the tip over the sample surface. If successful, this work could lead to a new and very inexpensive class of microscopes for the study of many phenomena on an atomic scale. It could also lead to a new class of extremely sensitive sensors for acceleration and force measurement.