The 47th International Conference on Electron,
Ion and Photon Beam Technology and Nanofabrication
Bizarre/Beautiful Micrograph Contest
"A good Micrograph is worth more than the MegaByte it consumes."
Results Submitted by John Randall



The fields of research covered by this conference have been at the forefront of the drive to develop technology to make smaller and smaller structures. We have ventured into size regimes where we are often dependent on microscopes and the skill of microscopists to see the results of our work (and often what went wrong). To highlight the importance of micrographs to the field, the conference holds a micrograph contest. The entries were judged both from the technological and artistic standpoint. Six categories were defined:

*The esteemed panel of judges exercised their prerogative to interpret the rules. There were no scanning probe entires so the judges choose to honor the Best Picasso Prize in place of a scanning probe micrograph. The rules included the following:

• Contestants must have been registered 2003 conference attendees.
• For the first time, we accepted Micrographs in electronic format along with a completed entry sheet.
• Entries had to be of a single image taken with a microscope and may not be significantly altered.
• There was no restriction with respect to the subject matter.
• Electron and ion micrographs had to be black and white.

In 2003, 25 entries were submitted. There were many outstanding micrographs. The work represented in the submitted micrographs covered a wide range of fields including micro mechanical, photonic, and integrated circuit fabrication, chemical and dry etching,  laser optics, genetic experiments, carbon nanotube structures,  carbon nanotube growth experimrnts,  biological samples, material science experiments and, of course, e-beam, ion beam, x-ray, and photo lithography experiments.

The panel of judges who selected the award winners consisted of:

Prof.  Franco Cerrina  
University of Wisconsin

Dr. Shalomb Wind 
Columbia University 

Dr. Don Tennant
Bell Laboratories

 

Best Electron MicroGraph

 

TITLE: Attack of the Clones
Description: Nanoscale soldiers in marching formation on the edge of a silicon substrate
Magnification: 200,000 x 
Instrument: LEO 1550 SEM
Submitted by: Zhaoning Yu, NSL: Princeton University

 

Best Ion MicroGraph

 

TITLE: Nano Trek
Description: Nano Space - The final frontier. The space ship Enterprise NCC-1701D of Star Trek was fabricated in one-billionth scale by 30 kV Ga+ focused-ion- beam CVD using phenanthrene gas. Length 8.8 µm.
Magnification (3"x4" image): 5,000X
Instrument: Seiko Instruments,Inc. SMI9200
Submitted by: Takayuki Hoshino & Shinji Matsui, Himeji Institute of Technology

 

Best Photon (Optical) MicroGraph

 

TITLE: Arachnophobia
Description: Laser beam diffracted by a circular transmission grating creates interference fringes near the center of the circle. Multiple beams arriving at the same location cause the observed Moiré pattern.
Magnification (3"x4" image):  70x
Instrument: Nikon INM20
Submitted by: Harun H. Solak: Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland)

 

Best Picasso Prize

 

TITLE: “The Face”
Description: Streaming video micrograph of transient electrostatic mirror decomposition on a passivated VLSIC sample
Magnification: (3"x4" image):  216X
Instrument: Hitachi S-4100 FESEM
Submitted by: Wai-Kin Wong: Stanford University/National University of Singapore


 
 Most Bizarre
 
 

TITLE: Dancing Girls
Description: Cupper damascene metal structure
Magnification: 50,000X
Instrument: Philips XL40FEG    
Submitted by: Frans Holthuysen:Bas Ketelaars

 

Grand Prize MicroGraph 

 

TITLE: Iron Maiden
Description: Thermally actuated serpentine MEMS device for RF and other applications.
Magnification (3"x4" image):   X400   
Instrument: LEO  
Submitted by: P. Foster, A. Geisberger, N. Sarkar: Zyvex Corporation


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