Ut-Battelle, Inc.

Albina Y Borisevich

Sergei V Kalinin

Stephen Jesse

Raymond Robert Unocic

Petro Maksymovych

Bobby G Sumpter

Nina Balke

Ondrej E Dyck

Yunseok Kim

Evgheni Strelcov

Andrew R Lupini

Qian He

A system and method (referred to as the system) fabricates controllable atomic assemblies in two and three dimensions. The systems identify by a non-invasive imager, a local atomic structure, distribution of vacancies, and dopant atoms and modify, by a microscopic modifier, the local atomic structure, via electron beam irradiation. The systems store, by a knowledge base, cause-and-effect relationships based on a non-invasive imaging and electron scans. The systems detect, by detectors, changes in the local atomic structure induced by the electron irradiation; and fabricate, a modified atomic structure by a beam control software and feedback.

Atomic-scale e-beam sculptor

A method for sculpting crystalline oxide structures for bulk nanofabrication is provided. The method includes the controlled electron beam induced irradiation of amorphous and liquid phase precursor solutions using a scanning transmission electron microscope. The atomically focused electron beam includes operating parameters (e.g., location, dwell time, raster speed) that are selected to provide a higher electron dose in patterned areas and a lower electron dose in non-patterned areas. Concurrently with the epitaxial growth of crystalline features, the present method includes scanning the substrate to provide information on the size of the crystalline features with atomic resolution. This approach provides for atomic level sculpting of crystalline oxide materials from a metastable amorphous precursor and the liquid phase patterning of nanocrystals.

Bulk nanofabrication with single atomic plane precision via atomic-level sculpting of crystalline oxides

An excitation voltage biases an ionic conducting material sample over a nanoscale grid. The bias sweeps a modulated voltage with increasing maximal amplitudes. A current response is measured at grid locations. Current response reversal curves are mapped over maximal amplitudes of the bias cycles. Reversal curves are averaged over the grid for each bias cycle and mapped over maximal bias amplitudes for each bias cycle. Average reversal curve areas are mapped over maximal amplitudes of the bias cycles. Thresholds are determined for onset and ending of electrochemical activity. A predetermined number of bias sweeps may vary in frequency where each sweep has a constant number of cycles and reversal response curves may indicate ionic diffusion kinetics.

Real space mapping of oxygen vacancy diffusion and electrochemical transformations by hysteretic current reversal curve measurements

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Albina Y Borisevich