FABRICATION OF PARALLEL QUASI-ONE-DIMENSIONAL WIRES USING A NOVEL CONFORMABLE X-RAY MASK TECHNOLOGY

We report on the fabrication of quasi-one-dimensional wires on modulation-doped GaAs/AlGaAs using a novel conformable x-ray mask technology which allows us to expose arbitrary sized samples, including samples much smaller than the membrane area, using our laboratory's standard 31 mm-diam silicon-nitride x-ray mask. After optical alignment, the sample and mask are brought into contact electrically, and then loaded into a specially designed cartridge which allows a vacuum to be pulled between mask and substrate. The vacuum causes the x-ray mask to conform around the sample. We find that a vacuum hold down is necessary to allow easy separation of the sample from the mask with minimal risk to both.