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

一个最先进的先进材料合成和加工设施，专注于陶瓷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，配备有微波等离子体源、流出室、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仪、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。该设备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，3)异质外延氧化物系统的表面和界面。在与当地工业有关的传感器工作中，将发展定义明确的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结构、掺杂剂类型和工作温度影响传感器性能的分子尺度机制。用于陶瓷基薄膜生长和制备的先进材料合成和加工设备将用于研究基于金属氧化物陶瓷薄膜的固态微传感器。我们将研究这些陶瓷薄膜的纳米力学性能，以及异质外延氧化物系统中的表面和界面。

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.