Scientists Get Atoms Ready for a Close-Up

May 15, 2002 | Source: New York Times

Scientists at Lucent Technologies’ Bell Labs have developed a microscopy technique that can image individual atoms within a silicon sheet, allowing for precision analysis of dopant distribution.
As transistor sizes shrink, they require higher concentrations of electrons to work and are more sensitive to problems with dopant distribution.

The Lucent microscope shoots a narrow beam of high-energy electrons and measures deflection angles to locate individual atoms.