The Physical Electronics Department of SRI International (formerly
Stanford Research Institute) has been pioneering the development of
devices fabricated to submicron tolerances for well over 20 years. In
1961, a landmark paper on electron-beam lithography and its associated
technologies was published by K. R. Shoulderst (then at SRI), which set
the stage for our subsequent efforts in this field. He had the foresight
to believe that the building of such small devices was actually within
the range of human capabilities. As a result of this initial momentum,
our experience in the technologies associated with microfabrication has
become remarkably comprehensive, despite the relatively small size of
our research activity. We have frequently been asked to deliver seminars
or provide reviews on various aspects of micro- fabrication. These
activities made us aware of the need for a comprehensive overview of the
physics of microfabrication. We hope that this book will fill that need.