Fabrication of a silicon-based superfluid oscillator

Author

Schwab, Keith ; Steinhauer, J. ; Davis, J.C. ; Packard, Richard E.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., California Univ., Berkeley, CA, USA

Volume

5

Issue

3

fYear

1996

fDate

9/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

180

Lastpage

186

Abstract

We have constructed an integrated superfluid oscillator using various silicon processing techniques, including micromachining and electron beam lithography. This device has the advantage of a very small internal volume (0.72 mm³). This makes it insensitive to spurious external acoustic noise which has limited the performance of larger experiments. We have tested the performance of this device in two configurations, one with a single micro-aperture and another with an additional fine tube. Both configurations demonstrate macroscopic quantum phenomena in superfluid ⁴He at low temperatures (0.25 K<T<2.2 K) and have been used to study these effects in detail

Keywords

acoustic noise; cryogenic electronics; electron beam lithography; elemental semiconductors; micromachining; micromechanical resonators; oscillators; semiconductor technology; silicon; superfluid helium-4; 0.25 to 2.2 K; He; Helmholtz oscillator; Si; electron beam lithography; internal volume; macroscopic quantum phenomena; micromachining; single micro-aperture; spurious external acoustic noise; superfluid oscillator; Acoustic noise; Acoustic testing; Electron beams; Fabrication; Helium; Lithography; Micromachining; Oscillators; Silicon; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1057-7157

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/84.536624

Filename

536624