NANOMETRIC SCALE COHERENTLY CONTROLLED DEPOSITION

摘要

A method for the controlled nanometer-scale deposition of atomic or molecular species on a surface (24), by means of coherently controlled optical focusing. The coherent control is conveniently performed by inducing a linear superposition of excited atomic states or molecular bound states respectively, by means of electromagnetic fields supplied by an applied laser beam (13). The optical focusing is conveniently performed by passing a beam (10) of such suitably prepared species through another electromagnetic field supplied by a standing wave (14, 18) induced by two interacting laser beams (20, 22). Altering the characteristics of the laser beams alters the forces operating on the species, thus directing them to the desired position on the surface (24). Selection of the frequencies, intensities, and relative phases of the electromagnetic fields, as well as the geometry of the interaction between the beam and the electromagnetic fields, enables deposition of aperiodic patterns (26) on the surface with a resolution of 10 to 15 nanometers. Such nanoscale focusing of atoms or molecules by coherent light can be used for executing nanometric lithographic processes.