Extensive work on the fabrication of thin‐film microstructures began in the early 1960's when it became apparent that thousands or even millions of circuits could potentially be integrated into a single piece of silicon less than a centimeter on a side. In the years since, the potential has been realized, as one can see from figure 1, and has produced the well‐known dramatic growth of the microelectronics industry. The same technologies that make large‐scale integrated circuits possible also make possible a variety of other devices of scientific and technological interest, including magnetic bubble devices, high‐speed computer switching circuits based on the Josephson effect, surface acoustic‐wave devices, integrated optical circuits, Josephson microbridges and zone‐plate lenses for focusing soft x rays.
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November 1979
November 01 1979
High‐resolution systems for microfabrication
With far‐ultraviolet and x‐ray lithography, optical projection systems and electron‐ and ion beam methods, one can produce solid‐state logic circuits at “biological” densities.
Physics Today 32 (11), 38–45 (1979);