Zyvex Labs is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a DOE Phase I STTR with Oak Ridge National Labs as (ORNL) its Research Institute partner.  The program is entitled “Scanning Tunneling Microscope-based Hydrogen Depassivation Lithography Automation Via Artificial Intelligence”.  This is being funded by DOE’s Basic Energy Science Office, Dr. George Maracas program manager. Dr. Udi Fuchs (pictured left) will be the Principal Investigator for Zyvex Labs and will work with Dr. Maxim Ziatdinov at ORNL, an expert in AI developed image analysis for their “Atom Forge” project where he has worked with Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) atom by atom fabrication. In this project he will work with Udi to develop AI based image recognition for Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) based hydrogen depassivation lithography (HDL).  HDL is a distant cousin to E-Beam Lithography but has remarkably higher resolution and precision, but still requires significant human intervention, usually looking at STM images to select where to pattern, to calibrate the tool, to find alignment markers, to inspect for successful patterning etc.  The goal of the program is to have image analysis routines that can make decisions allowing automated routines to proceed efficiently without human intervention. If successful this will be an important step to Atomically Precise manufacturing.  The figure below suggest that we expect to accomplish: Take a moderate quality STM image and determine unambiguously where all of the atoms are on the surface.

Zyvex Lab’s ZyVector™ Control system provides the world’s highest (sub-nm) resolution lithography technology. Click here for more information.

The Zyvex Creep and Hysteresis Correction Controller is a live tip position control for fast settling times after landing, and precise motion across the surface. Click here for more information.