Paul N. Butcher

Limitless scope for quantum-scale semiconductors

Small semiconductor devices fabricated by a combination of molecular beam epitaxy and electron beam lithography are the main-spring of current semiconductor research (see, for example, p45) The electronic behaviour of such devices is dominated by the wave-like aspect of the carrier electrons. Layered structures can be grown via MBE with tolerances down to one atomic layer and lithography can provide lateral patterning on a scale of 0.1μm.