Systems and methods for nanocrystal fabrication

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for the controlled growth of nanocrystals suitable for electron diffraction measurements for atomic structure determination. A fluidic support structure is contacted with a solution containing a nanocrystal forming material such that the solution is retained thereon. An energy beam, configured to locally induce nucleation and nanocrystal growth, is delivered to spatially-separated locations on the fluidic support structure, thereby forming spatially separated nanocrystals. The fluidic support structure is capable of retaining the solution with a sufficiently thin layer such that the nanocrystals have a submicron thickness suitable for analysis by electron diffraction, without needing transfer of the nanocrystals to a separate holder. The fluidic support structure may include lateral fluidic confinement structures defining a plurality of nanocrystal growth regions, such that each nanocrystal growth region is laterally confined on a submicron to micron scale to isolate growing nanocrystals to create conditions for homogenous nanocrystal growth.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.