Automated Atomicscale Construction

An automation scheme for atom/molecule manipulations with the scanning tunneling microscope tip is developed. The program recognizes the type of particles to be manipulated such as atoms, molecules, or nanoparticles based on their sizes and shapes. It also determines the obstacles to be avoided during manipulation such as defects, steps, and clusters. The shortest manipulation paths are then computed by the program and finally, the manipulations are performed according to the computed paths. This method allows automated construction of nanostructures using single atoms or molecules as basic building blocks.