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Physical Review A

Quantum-mechanical analysis of atom lithography

Chang Jae Lee

Published May 11, 2000• 31 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We analyze by direct numerical simulations the effects of the wave nature of an atom on lithography with a laser standing wave. Specific calculations are done for chromium atom deposition with the experimental parameters given in the literature. In the absence of source imperfections and atomic motion during and after the deposition most of the feature width comes from diffractive aberration. Spontaneous emission broadens the linewidth further, giving a full width at half maximum about 8.9 nm and a contrast about 26:1. These are what may be achieved ultimately with the said experimental parameters and show that the nonclassical properties of the atom cannot simply be ignored. We then suggest some strategies for improving atom lithography experiments.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.61.063604

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We analyze by direct numerical simulations the effects of the wave nature of an atom on lithography with a laser standing wave. Specific calculations are done for chromium atom deposition with the experimental parameters given in the literature. In the absence of source imperfections and atomic motion during and after the deposition most of the feature width comes from diffractive aberration. Spontaneous emission broadens the linewidth further, giving a full width at half maximum about 8.9 nm and a contrast about 26:1. These are what may be achieved ultimately with the said experimental parameters and show that the nonclassical properties of the atom cannot simply be ignored. We then suggest some strategies for improving atom lithography experiments.
The two-level atom focusing in a Gaussian standing wave laser field was analyzed from the perspective of both classical mechanics and wave mechanics. The effects of source imperfection such as velocity spread and beam spread on atom focusing were analyzed by numerically integrating the classical equation of atomic motion. The ideal focal plane can be easily determined by the variation of atomic density at the minimal potential of the standing wave laser field as a function of traveling distance. In the absence of source imperfection, the contribution of diffractive aberration originating from the wave nature of the atom to broadening of feature width is larger than that of spherical aberration. Several methods for improving atom lithography experiments were presented.
Direct-write atom lithography is a new technique in which resonant light is used to pattern an atomic beam and the nanostructures are formed when the atoms are deposited on the substrate. The characteristics of chromium atoms deposit on a substrateare are discussed. We simulated and analysed the characteristics of nanostructure under different laser power and on different y-plane. At the same time, the characteristics of nanostructure are analysed with respect to the effects of atomic beam divergence, the resulting full width at half maximum and contrast are shown under respective conditions.
Direct-write atom lithography is a new technique in which resonant light is used to pattern an atomic beam and the nanostructures are formed when the atoms deposit on a substrate. The motorial characteristics of chromium atoms in an elliptical standing wave filed are discussed, and the simulation results are given with different deflective angles of elliptical standing wave. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) is 3.2 nm and the contrast is 36 ∶1 with a deflective angle of 0. The FWHM is 6.5nm and the contrast is 24 ∶1 with a deflective angel of 15, but when the deflective angle reaches 30, the stripe splits and two-peak configuration is formed.
Atom lens generated by a laser standing wave can be used to focus an atomic beam to nanometer dimensions. Aberrations exist in atom lens owing to the influence of velocity spread, beam spread, wave nature of atoms and so on. Two theoretical models were built to describe atom lens. Spherical aberration, chromatic aberration and the aberration caused by angular spread were analyzed with semi-classical model, and diffractive aberration was analyzed using quantum model. Simulation results show that aberration originates mainly from beam spread, and diffractive aberration is larger than spherical aberration and chromatic aberration. Three solutions of optimization of experimental parameters, adding beam mask and using etching technologies for improving atom lithography quality are presented.
The experimental researches on atom lithography got a rapid development these years and have made a series of significant progress.The research of the processes of atomic deposition using different atoms in various conditions has an important significance.The finite-differences approximation is used to solve a Schrodinger equation describing the atom-laser field interactions.The effect of laser power,detuning,waist radius and longitudinal velocity of atoms to focusing are analyzed.The effects by some parameter to the atoms in a laser standing wave field are got.