Agilent teams with Stanford for nanoscale devices

According to Agilent, the research will allow the rapid prototyping and characterization of nanoscale devices with breakthroughs in sub-10-nm scale for a wide range of applications.

By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 10/28/2009

Agilent Technologies Inc is collaborating with Stanford University in a research program designed to explore a new class of nanoscale devices using combinations of the SPM (scanning probe microscope) and ALD (atomic layer deposition).

According to Agilent, the research will allow the rapid prototyping and characterization of nanoscale devices with breakthroughs in sub-10-nm scale for a wide range of applications.

"The novel nanostructures will be fabricated and characterized in-situ in this unique SPM-ALD tool in order to rapidly prototype a wide variety of next-generation devices," said Fritz Prinz, Stanford University professor and chairman of mechanical engineering, in a statement. "The SPM-ALD tool will enable us to build devices which take advantage of the quantum confinement effects present at small length scales, length scales that could not be accessed with traditional lithography methods. These devices can only be built with manufacturing tools possessing extraordinary spatial resolution."

Agilent said the program focuses on the integration of ALD, a thin-film technique capable of sub-nanometer precision in thickness, with the nanometer lateral resolution SPM in a drive to extend the capability of scanning probe techniques to prototyping and device fabrication. The Santa Clara, Calif-based measurement company explained that, historically, performance of electronic devices has been limited by traditional manufacturing methods, such as optical and electron beam lithography, which are not likely to deliver feature resolution significantly below 20 nm. However, the quantum mechanical effects of electron confinement in devices 10 nm or smaller result in phenomena qualitatively different than those seen in larger devices, Agilent said, adding that taking advantage of this quantum confinement is predicted to result in a new paradigm for electronic devices. 

The work between Agilent and Stanford is part of Agilent's university relations program, which facilitates collaborations with universities around the world. Agilent supports scientific work with universities worldwide through direct grants and collaborative research.