Physics of Ultra Small Metal Structures

小行星9531638 先进的光刻技术将被用来制作 几种不同 非常小的金属结构。 这些结构将具有100 - 300的一维或多维，将用于研究凝聚态物理学中的基本问题。 其中将解决的问题包括磁性杂质的行为，在表面附近，并在无序环境的存在下，量子力学行为关闭磁畴壁铁磁体，和超小系统的临界点附近的波动。 除了对这些基本问题提供新的见解外，这项工作还应该与先进的微制造工艺相关的技术问题以及磁介质中的高密度信息存储有关。 这种不断改进的微制造技术，如那些用于制造高密度集成电路，为基础物理研究提供了独特的机会。许多有趣的现象只发生在极小的结构中。这项工作将使用小结构作为工具来解决凝聚态物理学中的几个基本问题。这些问题包括 金属中磁性杂质的行为，以及磁畴的量子力学行为 磁铁墙 这项基本工作是 也 因为将要阐明的物理学将与未来几代电子设备相关。特别是，磁畴壁的工作将直接关系到高密度磁存储设备。此外，将使用的光刻方法是生产未来几代电子器件所需方法的原型。 现在在开发和改进新的实验室规模的光刻技术方面所取得的进展可能证明在下一代器件的制造中是有用的。 ***

9531638 Giordano Advanced lithographic techniques will be used to make several different types of extremely small metallic structures. These structures, which will have one or more dimensions in the 100 - 300 , will be used to study fundamental problems in condensed matter physics. Issues which will be addressed include the behavior of magnetic impurities near surfaces and in the presence of a disordered environment, quantum mechanical behavior off magnetic domain walls in ferromagnets, and fluctuations near critical points in ultra-small systems. In addition to providing new insights into these fundamental problems, this work should also be relevant to the technological problems associated with advanced micro-fabrication processes, and to high density information storage in magnetic media. %%% This continuing improvements in micro-fabrication techniques, such as those used to make hgth density integrated circuits, provide unique opportunities for basic physics research. Many interesting phenomena occur only in extremely small structures. This work will use small structures as tools to address several fundamental questions in condensed matter physics. These questions include the behavior of magnetic impurities in metals, and the quantum mechanical behavior of domain walls in magnets. This fundamental work is also for technological interest, since the physics that will be elucidated will be relevant to future generations electronic devices. In particular, the work on domain walls will be of direct relevance to high density magnetic storage devices. Moreover, the lithographic methods that will be used are prototypes of the methods that will be required to produce future generations of electronic devices. Progress made now in developing and refining new laboratory scale lithographic techniques may prove useful in the fabrication of the next generation of devices. ***