AVS 45th International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Division Thursday Sessions
       Session NS-ThP

Paper NS-ThP1
A Low Temperature STM System for the Study of Quantum Electronic Systems@footnote 1@

Thursday, November 5, 1998, 5:30 pm, Room Hall A

Session: Nanometer-Scale Science and Technology Division Poster Session
Presenter: J.A. Stroscio, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Authors: J.A. Stroscio, National Institute of Standards and Technology
R.J. Celotta, National Institute of Standards and Technology
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We describe a new experimental system with the goal of providing new measurement capabilities for the study of quantum electronic systems. Several experimental challenges are posed in the study of electronic systems confined to nanoscale dimensions. The physical information desired in such systems includes: the quantized electron energy distributions arising from spatial or magnetic confinement, the spatial extent of electronic wavefunctions, the role of electron-electron interactions and electron interactions with the confining boundaries, the exact physical structure of the system, the shape of the confining potentials, and finally, the physics of the electron transport. To meet these measurement challenges, we have designed a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that will operate in the temperature range from 2-150 K with the capability of applying magnetic fields up to 10 Tesla. Equally challenging to the measurement methodology is the fabrication of quantum electronic systems. The STM is part of a facility that includes separate MBE fabrication systems for III-V semiconductor growth and thin metal film growth with in-situ transfer of samples to the STM system. In addition to these traditional fabrication techniques we are developing an autonomous atom assembler to fabricate quantum structures atom-by-atom on a large scale. In this poster we will describe the design of the overall system, its components, and performance to date. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ This work is supported in part by the Office of Naval Research.