IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,322,522
Granted Patent B2
US 12,322,522 · App. 18/395,196 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Low-voltage electron beam control of conductive state at a complex-oxide interface

Inventor: Jeremy Levy (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
G21K5/04H01J37/147H01J37/28H01J37/3174H10N52/01H10N60/01H10N60/30H10N70/041H10N70/257H01J2237/004
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,322,522
App. No.
18/395,196
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described is a method comprising directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to a surface of a first insulating layer. The first insulating layer is disposed on a second insulating layer. The method includes modifying, by the application of the ultra-low voltage electron beam, the surface of the first insulating layer to selectively switch an interface between a first state having a first electronic property and a second state having a second electronic property.

Claims (28)

1. A method, comprising:

(a) directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to a surface of a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer disposed on a second insulating layer, the second insulting layer disposed on silicon; and

(b) modifying, by application of the ultra-low voltage electron beam, the surface of the first insulating layer to selectively switch an interface between a first state having a first electronic property and a second state having a second electronic property, the interface being between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 , LaVO 3 , KTaO 3 , CaZrO 3 , and α-Al 2 O 3 .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second insulating layer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 , LaVO 3 , KTaO 3 , CaZrO 3 , and α-Al 2 O 3 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 .

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultra-low voltage electron beam is configured to operate in a range of greater than or equal to 100 V.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first state is an insulating state and the second state is a conductive state.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first state is a first conductive state and the second state is a second conductive state.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the ultra-low voltage electron beam through an overlayer disposed on the first insulating layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the overlayer comprises graphene.

11. A reconfigurable device comprising:

(a) a first insulating layer disposed on a second insulating layer, the second insulating layer disposed on a substrate comprising silicon; and

(b) an interface between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer,

wherein an electronic property of the interface is modifiable in response to an ultra-low voltage electron beam being directed to the first insulating layer.

12. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 , LaVO 3 , KTaO 3 , CaZrO 3 , and α-Al 2 O 3 .

13. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the second insulating layer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 , LaVO 3 , KTaO 3 , CaZrO 3 , and α-Al 2 O 3 .

14. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 .

15. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 .

16. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor.

17. An electronic assembly comprising:

(a) one or more device electrodes;

(b) one or more interface electrodes configured to be coupled with the one or more device electrodes;

(c) a first insulating layer disposed on a second insulating layer, the second insulating layer disposed on a substrate comprising a semiconductor; and

(d) an interface between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the interface coupled with the one or more interface electrodes,

wherein the electronic assembly is reconfigurable by directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to the first insulating layer.

18. The electronic assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 .

Assignments (1)
GOVERNMENT INTEREST AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 10, 2025
From: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
To: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Reel/Frame 070165/0375 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17917669
Provisional Application 63009211 · Apr 13, 2020
Related Publication 20240412889A1 · Dec 12, 2024
References Cited (27)
US 5240906A · Bednorz · 1993 [cited by examiner]
US 7999248B2 · Levy · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 8748950B2 · Levy · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9899372B1 · Bi · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10580872B2 · Eom · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11894162B2 · Levy · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20080237578A1 · Levy · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20170167012A1 · Eom · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180337238A1 · Eom · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190198403A1 · Fang · 2019 [cited by examiner]
C. Cen et al., “Nanoscale control of an interfacial metal-insulator transition at room temperature,” Nature Materials vol. 7, pp. 298-302 (Mar. 2008). [cited by applicant]
Krivoshapkina, et al., “Low-energy Electron Exposure of Ultrathin Polymer Films with Scanning Probe Lithography,” Microelectronic Engineering, vol. 177, pp. 78-86 (Feb. 2017). [cited by applicant]
Gariglio, “Research Update: Conductivity and Beyond at the LaAIO3/S1TiO3 Interface.” APL Materials 4, 060701, 15 pages (Jun. 2016). [cited by applicant]
Aurino, et al., “Nano-patterning of the Electron Gas at the LaAIO3/StTiO3 Interface Using Low-Energy Ion Beam Irradiation,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 102(20), p. 201610, 4 pages (May 2013). [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/US2021/017644, dated Oct. 27, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Lee et al., “Electron beam induced epitaxial crystallization in a conducting and insulating a-LaAIO3/SrTiO3 system,” Royal Society of Chemistry Advances, Aug. 2017, vol. 7, No. 64 (pp. 40279-40285). [cited by applicant]
Gemma Rius Suñé, Electron Beam Lithography for Nanofabrication, Department de Fisica, Facultat de Ciencies, University of Barcelona, Jan. 2008, 127 pages. [cited by applicant]
Tomczyk, et al., “Electrostatically Tuned Dimensional Crossover in LaAIO [cited by applicant]
Pham, “Fabrication of Single Nanowire Device using Electron Beam Lithography,” Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Univ. of Arkansas, May 31, 2014, 128 pages. [cited by applicant]
Brown, et al., “Giant Conductivity Switching of LaA1O [cited by applicant]
Singh, et al., “Nanopatterning of Weak Links in Superconducting Oxide Interfaces,” [cited by applicant]
Yang, et al., “Nanoscale Control of LaA1O3/SrTiO3 Metal-Insulator Transition Using Ultra-Low-Voltage Electron-Beam Lithography,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 117, No. 25, 12 pages (Dec. 2020). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in International Patent Application No. PCT/US2021/017644, May 23, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Communication issued in co-pending European Patent Application No. 21787847, dated Apr. 8, 2024 (8 pages). [cited by applicant]
Jnawali et al., “Graphene-Complex-oxide Nanoscale Device Concepts,” arxiv.org, Cornell University Library, 201 Olin Library Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, Jun. 30, 2017 (27 pages). [cited by applicant]
Lee et al., “Atomic and Electronic Reconstruction at the a-LAO/STO Interface by E-Beam Induced Crystallization,” Microscopy and Microanalysis, Aug. 1, 2019, vol. 25, No. S2 (pp. 1894-1895). [cited by applicant]
J.W. Park et al., “Creation of a two-dimensional electron gas at an oxide interface on silicon”, [cited by applicant]