US5021672A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Etching of nanoscale structures
Assignee: EIDP Inc
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Filing: 1989-12-22
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Granted: 1991-06-04
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Expires: 2009-12-22
Abstract
Abstract A process for etching with a scanning tunneling microscope using a two-dimensional metal chalcogenide as the substrate, is disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce A. Parkinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:44
CPC Classifications
B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/004; G03F7/0042; G03F7/0043; G11; G11B; G11B9/00; G11B9/12; G11B9/14; G11B9/1463; G11B9/149; H; H10; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/20; H10P52/00; H10P95/00; H10P95/70; G01; G01Q; G01Q80/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/849; Y10S977/855; Y10S977/856
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
A process for etching a structure using a scanning tunneling microscope comprising scanning the microscope tip over a two dimensional substrate of at least one metal chalcogenide at a voltage of from about - 10 to about +10 volts and a current of up to about 2 microamps to generate a continuous controlled ablation of one or more molecular layers of the metal chalcogenide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
64 words
A process for etching a structure using a scanning tunneling microscope comprising scanning the microscope tip over a two dimensional substrate of at least one metal chalcogenide at a voltage of from about - 10 to about +10 volts and a current of up to about 2 microamps to generate a continuous controlled ablation of one or more molecular layers of the metal chalcogenide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 1 wherein a single molecular layer is ablated.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein more than one molecular layer is ablated simultaneously.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the metal chalcogenide comprises InSe, ZrS 2 , TiSe 2 , SnSe 2 , SnS 2 , NbSe 2 , TaS2, MoSe 2 , or WSe 2 or solid solutions thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the metal chalcogenide comprises SnSe 2 or NbSe 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a layered material prepared by molecular beam epitaxy wherein at least one portion of the top layer is a two dimensional metal chalcogenide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the metal chalcogenide comprises InSe, ZrS 2 , TiSe 2 , SnSe 2 , SnS 2 , NbSe 2 , TaS 2 , MoSe 2 , or WSe 2 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the structure etched can be viewed simultaneously with its creation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the depth of the etched structure is controlled to a precision of (0.0001×n) nanometer, wherein n is the number of layers etched.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the substrate remains free of deformation or residue.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the structure etched has a bottom surface that is atomically flat.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The etched structure comprising a two dimensional metal chalcogenide substrate from which surface atoms have been removed with a scanning tunneling microscope using the process of claim 1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-06-03 | 1994-12-03 | 1995-06-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-06-03 | 1998-12-03 | 1999-06-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-06-03 | 2002-12-03 | 2003-06-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |