University of New South Wales:
Dr Warrick Clarke
Dr Xiaojing Zhou
Dr Andreas Fuhrer
Prof Alex Hamilton
Dr Adam Micolich
University of Sydney:
Prof David McKenzie
Dr Nigel Marks
Dr Oliver Warschkow
University of Newcastle: Prof Philip Smith
Dr Marian Radny
Dr Steven Schofield
Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA:
Dr Marilyn Hawley
Dr Geoff Brown
Dr Holger Grube
Program Description: Within the Atomic Fabrication and Crystal Growth Program we have developed a unique nano to atomic-scale device fabrication strategy in silicon to manipulate and incorporate dopants at the atomic level using a combination of scanning probe microscopy and molecular beam epitaxy. By adapting scanning probe systems and combining them with crystal growth systems we have moved the STM away from just an imaging tool, to a device patterning and fabrication tool. Significantly we have developed a method to reliably make four terminal electrical contact to devices patterned using the atomic precision of the STM once they are removed from the ultra-high vacuum microscope environment. In addition we can image each stage of the fabrication process. In this way we are able to measure the electrical characteristics of STM-patterned devices at cryogenic temperatures and in high magnetic fields, allowing us to correlate electronic device characteristics directly with dopant placement and number.
We use this technology to develop device architectures down to the atomic-level with the long term goal of realising atomically precise, scalable qubits in silicon. Central to this goal is the need to understand how to identify single dopants in silicon, how to determine their location during each stage of the fabrication process, how to characterise the electrical environment of the dopants and then how to control charge and spin transfer between dopants. Each of these fields represents a formidable challenge.
Identification and Manipulation of Single Dopants in Silicon We have an extensive program investigating the surface chemistry and incorporation of P as the dopant using phosphine gas as the dopant source. Using STM-based hydrogen resist lithography we pattern P dopants in silicon with atomic precision.
Atomic-Scale Device Fabrication Strategy We have developed a unique strategy to pattern planar dopants in silicon with the atomic-precision of the STM. We are now enhancing this technology to incorporate low temperature silicon dioxide growth so that we may align surface gates to buried STM-patterned dopants.