Special INTRIQ Seminar

Progress in Atomically-Precise Dopant-in-Semiconductor Fabrication by Scanning Tunneliing Microscopy

Taylor J. Z. Stock

London Centre for Nanotechnology
University College London

Artificial lattices constructed from individual dopant atoms within a semiconductor crystal would provide novel materials with tailored optical and electronic properties. These materials would enable new areas of condensed matter physics to be explored and see the realisation of new computing architectures, including analogue quantum simulators and solid-state digital quantum computers. Scanning tunnelling microscopy hydrogen resist lithography is the only technique capable of fabricating such artificial lattices by positioning individual dopant atoms at nearly exact lattice sites in silicon and germanium crystals. This fabrication process typically uses the precursor phosphine to position phosphorus dopant atoms in silicon and germanium. Unfortunately, the phosphorus-based approach suffers from low yields in single-atom pattern production. Using arsine and arsenic in place of phosphine and phosphorus can improve the single-atom yield sufficiently to provide pathways to scale-up. In this seminar I will explore the advantages of single-atom arsenic doping in silicon and germanium.