title: Atomic calligraphy: the direct writing of nanoscale structures using a microelectromechanical system.
abstract: We present a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based method for the resist-free patterning of nanostructures. Using a focused ion beam to customize larger MEMS machines, we fabricate apertures with features less than 50 nm in diameter on plates that can be moved with nanometer precision over an area greater than 20 × 20 μm(2). Depositing thermally evaporated gold atoms though the apertures while moving the plate results in the deposition of nanoscale metal patterns. Adding a shutter positioned micrometers above the aperture enables high speed control of not only where but also when atoms are deposited. With this shutter, different-sized apertures can be opened and closed selectively for nanostructure fabrication with features ranging from nano- to micrometers in scale. The ability to evaporate materials with high precision, and thereby fabricate circuits and structures in situ, enables new kinds of experiments based on the interactions of a small number of atoms and eventually even single atoms.
authors.affiliation: Electrical and Computer Engineering and ‡Department of Physics, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imboden
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jackson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: Cristian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bolle
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lowell
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bishop
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*