Semiconductor quantum structures with single-atom precision

Abstract

Atom manipulation is a technology to assemble microstructures atom-by-atom by controlling the number of component atoms and their configuration. Combining this technology with the epitaxial growth of high quality semiconductor crystals makes it possible to uniformly manufacture and integrate quantum structures with single-atom precision. This technological innovation is expected to enable the next generation of electronics to overcome the limits of conventional silicon technology. In this article, atom manipulation of quantum structures at a compound semiconductor surface is reviewed, and a typical example is described-the fabrication of an ultimately precise quantum dot and quantum dot molecules.