SGER: Epitaxial Electrodeposition for Large Area Single Crystals

SGER：大面积单晶外延电沉积

• 批准号: 0817507
• 负责人: Eric Chason
• 金额: $ 17.62万
• 依托单位: Brown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-06-01 至 2011-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0817507&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; Epitaxial; Electrodeposition; Large; Area

TECHNICAL: In many thin film applications, single crystals have much better performance than polycrystalline material. The long-range order, preferred orientation and lack of grain boundaries in single crystals significantly enhance material properties for many applications such as photovoltaics, high temperature superconductors and magnetic information storage. In spite of the benefits, however, polycrystalline films are often used because single crystal substrates (such as Si wafers) are prohibitively expensive, limited in area or difficult to work with. To make single crystal substrates available to a wider range of applications, PI plans to develop a method that will enable free-standing single crystal substrates to be fabricated inexpensively over large areas. The process is based on a sequence of electrodeposition and etching steps in which a sacrificial layer is first electrodeposited epitaxially on a starting single crystal template, followed by a thicker final layer. The sacrificial layer is then selectively etched from between the substrate and final layer, releasing the final layer and making the substrate available for re-deposition. By forming the initial substrate into a loop that can pass through sequential electrochemical cells, the process can be extended into a technique for continuous formation of a seamless product layer. In preliminary work, PI has shown that electrodeposition and etching can be used to make small samples of free-standing single crystal Ni; the resulting films have crystalline quality that is as good as the starting template. However, significant research is necessary to understand and improve the individual etching and deposition processes and to develop equivalent capabilities for other single component and alloy material systems. In addition, scientific and technological challenges must be overcome to integrate these steps into a continuous process. NON-TECHNICAL: The broader impact of this work will be in its effect on numerous technologies. As PI?s processing method develops, PI will work with collaborators in industry and academics to explore the improvements that can be gained by using our material. In addition, this program will educate graduate and undergraduate students, both in the science of electrodeposition and epitaxial growth and by exposing them to numerous technologies where this material can have an impact.

技术：在许多薄膜应用中，单晶比多晶材料具有更好的性能。单晶的长程有序、择优取向和缺乏晶界显著提高了材料的性能，可用于光伏、高温超导体和磁信息存储等许多应用。尽管有这些好处，但由于单晶衬底（如硅晶片）过于昂贵，面积有限或难以处理，因此经常使用多晶薄膜。为了使单晶衬底的应用范围更广，PI计划开发一种方法，使独立的单晶衬底能够在大面积上廉价地制造。该工艺基于一系列电沉积和蚀刻步骤，其中首先在起始单晶模板上外延电沉积牺牲层，然后是更厚的最终层。然后选择性地从衬底和最终层之间蚀刻牺牲层，释放最终层并使衬底可用于再沉积。通过将初始衬底形成可以通过顺序电化学电池的回路，该过程可以扩展为连续形成无缝产品层的技术。在前期工作中，PI已经证明电沉积和蚀刻可以用来制作独立单晶Ni的小样品；所得到的薄膜具有与起始模板一样好的结晶质量。然而，对于理解和改进单个蚀刻和沉积工艺，以及开发其他单组分和合金材料系统的等效能力，还需要进行重要的研究。此外，必须克服科学和技术方面的挑战，将这些步骤纳入一个连续的进程。非技术：这项工作的广泛影响将体现在它对许多技术的影响上。π吗?随着加工方法的发展，PI将与工业界和学术界的合作者合作，探索使用我们的材料可以获得的改进。此外，该项目将教育研究生和本科生，在电沉积和外延生长科学方面，并通过让他们接触到这种材料可以产生影响的众多技术。