The objective of this research is to fabricate nanoscale devices and structures at time scales, size scales and yields which significantly outpace current methodologies based on photolithography. The approach comprises the use of particle beams to pattern functional nanoparticle building blocks of metals, semiconductors and insulators at very rapid time scales. The goal of ultrafast nanoscale fabrication is to bring about a significant impact on the complexity per unit cost at which nanoscale devices may be fabricated enabling, for example, significantly more powerful processing elements and higher density memories than those anticipated to be enabled by conventional means. Ultrafast nanoscale fabrication may also serve as a useful tool for the rapid prototyping of nanoscale devices and structures allowing a broad cross section of people to rapidly and inexpensively try out ideas at the nanoscale.
