Title: Isolating and moving single atoms using silicon nanocrystals

Abstract

A method is disclosed for isolating single atoms of an atomic species of interest by locating the atoms within silicon nanocrystals. This can be done by implanting, on the average, a single atom of the atomic species of interest into each nanocrystal, and then measuring an electrical charge distribution on the nanocrystals with scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) or electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) to identify and select those nanocrystals having exactly one atom of the atomic species of interest therein. The nanocrystals with the single atom of the atomic species of interest therein can be sorted and moved using an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. The method is useful for forming nanoscale electronic and optical devices including quantum computers and single-photon light sources.

Inventors:

Carroll, Malcolm S ^[1]

---

+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Albuquerque, NM

Issue Date:

2010-09-07

Research Org.:

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1014668

Patent Number(s):

7790051

Application Number:

US Patent Application 11/931,155

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82B - NANOSTRUCTURES FORMED BY MANIPULATION OF INDIVIDUAL ATOMS, MOLECULES, OR LIMITED COLLECTIONS OF ATOMS OR MOLECULES AS DISCRETE UNITS

Show more

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Y10S977/855 - for manufacture of nanostructure

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82B - NANOSTRUCTURES FORMED BY MANIPULATION OF INDIVIDUAL ATOMS, MOLECULES, OR LIMITED COLLECTIONS OF ATOMS OR MOLECULES AS DISCRETE UNITS

B82B3/0071 - {Sorting nanostructures}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Y10S977/888 - Shaping or removal of materials, e.g. etching

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L33/06 - within the light emitting region, e.g. quantum confinement structure or tunnel barrier
H01L29/7613 - {Single electron transistors

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

B82Y20/00 - Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01Q - SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS

G01Q80/00 - Applications, other than SPM, of scanning-probe techniques

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L33/0054 - {for devices with an active region comprising only group IV elements}
H01L29/127 - {Quantum box structures}
H01L33/465 - {with a resonant cavity structure}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Y10S977/856 - including etching/cutting

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES

B82Y10/00 - Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Y10S977/858 - including positioning/mounting nanostructure

Show less

DOE Contract Number:  

AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English