Extending ion-track lithography to the low-energy ion regime

Ion tracking and ion-track lithography have been performed almost exclusively using ions with energies near or above the maximum in electronic stopping, which occurs at {approx}1 MeV/amu. In this paper, ion-track lithography using ions with energies well below this maximum is discussed. The results of etching ion tracks created in polycarbonate films by ions with energies just above the anticipated threshold for creating etchable latent tracks with cylindrical geometry have been examined. Low-energy neon and argon ions with 18-60 keV/amu and fluences of {approx}10{sup 8}/cm{sup 2} were used to examine the limits for producing useful, etchable tracks in polycarbonate films. By concentrating on the early stages of etching (i.e., {approx}20 nm < SEM hole diameter < {approx}100 nm), the energy deposition calculated for the incident ion was correlated with the creation of etchable tracks. The experimental results are discussed with regard to the energy losses of the ions in the polycarbonate films and to the formation of continuous latent tracks through the entire thickness of the films. The probability distributions for large-angle scattering events were calculated to assess their importance as a function of ion energy. All these results have significant implications with respect to the threshold for formation of etchable tracks and to the use of low-energy ions for lithographic applications of ion tracking

A BAC pooling strategy combined with PCR-based screenings in a large, highly repetitive genome enables integration of the maize genetic and physical maps

BACKGROUND: Molecular markers serve three important functions in physical map assembly. First, they provide anchor points to genetic maps facilitating functional genomic studies. Second, they reduce the overlap required for BAC contig assembly from 80 to 50 percent. Finally, they validate assemblies based solely on BAC fingerprints. We employed a six-dimensional BAC pooling strategy in combination with a high-throughput PCR-based screening method to anchor the maize genetic and physical maps. RESULTS: A total of 110,592 maize BAC clones (~ 6x haploid genome equivalents) were pooled into six different matrices, each containing 48 pools of BAC DNA. The quality of the BAC DNA pools and their utility for identifying BACs containing target genomic sequences was tested using 254 PCR-based STS markers. Five types of PCR-based STS markers were screened to assess potential uses for the BAC pools. An average of 4.68 BAC clones were identified per marker analyzed. These results were integrated with BAC fingerprint data generated by the Arizona Genomics Institute (AGI) and the Arizona Genomics Computational Laboratory (AGCoL) to assemble the BAC contigs using the FingerPrinted Contigs (FPC) software and contribute to the construction and anchoring of the physical map. A total of 234 markers (92.5%) anchored BAC contigs to their genetic map positions. The results can be viewed on the integrated map of maize [1,2]. CONCLUSION: This BAC pooling strategy is a rapid, cost effective method for genome assembly and anchoring. The requirement for six replicate positive amplifications makes this a robust method for use in large genomes with high amounts of repetitive DNA such as maize. This strategy can be used to physically map duplicate loci, provide order information for loci in a small genetic interval or with no genetic recombination, and loci with conflicting hybridization-based information

Genetic variation among 481 diverse soybean accessions, inferred from genomic re-sequencing

We report characteristics of soybean genetic diversity and structure from the resequencing of 481 diverse soybean accessions, comprising 52 wild (Glycine soja) selections and 429 cultivated (Glycine max) varieties (landraces and elites). This data was used to identify 7.8 million SNPs, to predict SNP effects relative to genic regions, and to identify the genetic structure, relationships, and linkage disequilibrium. We found evidence of distinct, mostly independent selection of lineages by particular geographic location. Among cultivated varieties, we identified numerous highly conserved regions, suggesting selection during domestication. Comparisons of these accessions against the whole U.S. germplasm genotyped with the SoySNP50K iSelect BeadChip revealed that over 95% of the resequenced accessions have a high similarity to their SoySNP50K counterparts. Probable errors in seed source or genotype tracking were also identified in approximately 5% of the accessions

Hydrogen chemisorption on diamond surfaces. Final report

Previously we demonstrated the ability to measure submonolayer quantities of surface hydrogen on insulating glasses. The present study builds on this by examining hydrogen coverages on another insulating material: the technologically important diamond (100) surface. The information to be obtained in the present study will allow us to deduce the correct structures for the diamond (100)-(1X1) and -(2X1) surface phases and provide information on the kinetics of hydrogen desorption from the (100) surface. Such experiments are essential for a complete understanding of hydrogen surface chemistry during the chemical vapor deposition of thin diamond films. This report summarizes progress made in FY93 for measuring surface hydrogen concentrations on the diamond (100) surface. Although the available LDRD resources were insufficient to finish this study in FY93, completion of the study is planned using other resources and this detailed report as a reference

Microanalytical study of defect formation in thin bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide films

Thin bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide (BSCCO) films and (BSCCO) films and BSCCO/insulator/BSCCO trilayers have been prepared on SiTiO{sub 3} and MgO substrates by evaporation from elemental sources in an ozone atmosphere. Accurate control of the stoichiometry is achieved through monitoring of the atomic fluxes by use of in situ atomic absorption spectroscopy as well as by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Nevertheless, nanometer-scale second-phase precipitates are sometimes observed. These defects and the flat regions around them have been probed by a variety of microanalytical techniques, including Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE), atomic force microscopy (AFM), microscopic secondary ion mass spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)