Acquisition of an Ultrahigh Vacuum Sputter Deposition System for the Preparation of Nanostructured Metal Films

为购置最先进的超高真空溅射沉积系统提供资金，用于制备纳米结构金属薄膜。该系统配备了两个磁控溅射源，两个离子束源（一个用于沉积，一个用于同时离子束改变微观结构），衬底加热和偏置能力，两个气体供应（用于溅射的氩气和氧气或氮气），残余气体分析仪，两个用于厚度测量的晶体速率监视器和计算机过程控制。特高压溅射沉积系统与世界一流的分析电子显微镜设备相结合，将为在纳米尺度上研究和操纵金属薄膜的组成和微观结构提供独特的机会。利用该系统可以制备出不同成分、杂质含量和不同微观结构的金属薄膜。微观结构、组成和杂质含量的控制在正在进行的研究中很重要，主要解决以下问题：1)研究多层薄膜中晶粒结构和晶界扩散的作用，2)研究铬向钴合金薄膜晶界偏析的机制，杂质（如氧）对这种偏析的影响，以及这种偏析在钴合金薄膜存储介质的磁噪声特性中所起的作用（与IBM合作研究磁存储应用）。3)纳米非均质薄膜中颗粒间和相间磁交换耦合的基础研究（与布鲁克海文国家实验室和通用汽车研发中心合作进行能源应用）。溅射沉积系统也将有助于薄膜材料加工的研究生和本科生的教育。

Funds are provided for the acquisition of a state-of-art ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) sputter deposition system for the preparation of nanostructured metal films. The system is equipped with two magnetron sputtering sources, two ion beam sources (one for deposition and one for simultaneous ion- beam modification of the microstructure), capabilities for substrate heating and biasing, two gas supplies (argon for sputtering, and oxygen or nitrogen), residual gas analyzer, two crystal rate monitors for thickness measurement, and computer process control. The combination of the UHV sputter deposition system with the world-class analytical electron microscopy facilities at the University will provide a unique opportunity to investigate and manipulate the composition and microstructure of metal films on the nanometer scale. With this system, metal films can be fabricated that have different composition and impurity content and different microstructure. The control of microstructure, composition and impurity content is important in on-going research addressing: 1) examination of the role of grain structure and grain boundary diffusion in multilayer thin films, 2) studies of the mechanism of segregation of chromium to grain boundaries of cobalt-alloy films, the effect of impurities (such as oxygen) on this segregation, and the role that this segregation plays in the magnetic noise characteristics of cobalt-alloy thin film storage media (in collaboration with IBM for magnetic storage applications), and 3) fundamental studies of interparticulate and interphase magnetic exchange coupling in nanoheterogeneous thin films (in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory and General Motors R&D for energy applications). The sputter deposition system also will be useful in the education of graduate and undergraduate students in thin film materials processing.