Posted on 11/01/2004 2:12:28 PM PST by 4kevin
Combined electron and ion beam imprinter opens the way for numerous applications An ion-beam system that simultaneously combines focused beams of electrons and positive ions promises to improve the versatility, efficiency, and economy of this important technology. The new system was developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who report its principles and applications in the 8 November 2004 issue of "Applied Physics Letters." Focused ion beams are important in the semiconductor industry, where they are used to carve structures with dimensions measured in billionths of a meter, repair defects in masks used for photolithography, isolate and analyze elements of integrated circuits, "dope" semiconductors with specific atomic species, and perform other tasks. Focused ion beams have also been used to create images of surfaces, pattern thin films for dense magnetic storage, analyze the chemical content of samples, and investigate biological systems. And because ion beams can shape materials with microscopic precision, they can micromachine miniature medical implants, such as cardiac stents that hold weak blood vessels open.
Stuned beebers!
This is largely a lot of hype. It is very good for certain things, especially in research or expensive chips, but it has to be done in a very good vacuum, and is therefore uneconomic for many applications.
...that maybe true, but this is funny. :)
Paul Preuss has written some interesting science fiction novels, including Broken Symmetries, Human Error and Starfire, which are hard science fiction but with an emphais on characters and real-world dillemas.
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