Acquisition of a Multi-User Thin Film Synthesis and Processing Facility

一个最先进的材料合成和加工设备，专注于陶瓷基薄膜材料的生长和制造，将在学术研究基础设施计划的帮助下获得资助。该设施将包括一个多技术薄膜材料合成室，配备微波等离子体源、积液池、电子束蒸发器、磁控溅射源和考夫曼离子源。表征能力将包括原位反射高能电子衍射（RHEED）、用于控制生长过程的质谱、x射线光电子能谱（XPS）和用于原位薄膜表征的新型霍尔探针。该设施将对三个主要研究领域产生重大影响，即1)固态微传感器，2)材料纳米力学，以及3)异质外延氧化物系统的表面和界面。在与当地工业有联系的传感器工作中，将发展明确掺杂金属氧化物薄膜的合成和加工，目的是了解和控制表面微观结构、掺杂类型和工作温度影响传感器性能的分子尺度机制。一个广泛的先进材料合成和加工设备，用于生长和制造陶瓷基薄膜，用于研究基于金属氧化物陶瓷薄膜的固态微传感器。这些陶瓷薄膜的纳米力学将被研究，以及表面和界面出现在异质外延氧化物系统。

A state-of-the-art advanced materials synthesis and processing facility focusing on the growth and fabrication of ceramic- based thin film materials will be funded with the assistance of the Academic Research Infrastructure Program. The facility will include a multi-technique thin film materials synthesis chamber equipped with a microwave plasma source, effusion cells, electron beam evaporators, magnetron sputter sources, and a Kauffman ion source. Characterization capabilities will include in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), mass spectrometry for controlling growth processes, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a novel Hall probe for in- situ film characterization. Three major areas of research will be impacted significantly by the facility, namely 1) solid state micro-sensors, 2) nanomechanics of materials, and 3) surfaces and interfaces in hetero-epitaxial oxide systems. In the sensor work, which has connections with local industry, the synthesis and processing of well-defined doped metal-oxide films will be developed with the goal of understanding and controlling the molecular scale mechanisms by which surface microstructure, dopant type, and operating temperature influence sensor performance. A broad based advanced materials synthesis and processing facility for the growth and fabrication of ceramic-based thin films will be operated for the study of solid state microsensors based on metal-oxide ceramic films. The nanomechanics of these ceramic thin films will be studied, as well as the surfaces and interfaces occurring in heteroepitaxial oxide systems.