MRI: Acquisition of a Photonic Materials Molecular Beam Epitaxy System

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Objective: Through this grant we plan to assemble a multi-chamber semiconductor epitaxy system to enable the creation of high-quality optoelectronic materials and devices. This apparatus will consist of an automated molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system with access to at least two epitaxy chambers. The entire system will be available for everyone in the research and business community. Also, a full time engineer will staff the system to grow samples for outside users.Intellectual Merits: The systems chambers will have high band-gap III-V and Low band-gap III-V chambers along with the possibility for a Group IV (SiGeSn) and Oxide capability expansion. The MBE chambers will all be part of a Veeco Gen10A/20A MBE system, which is fully automated, making it easy for novice users to handle. A characterization tools from existing systems will be moved into the preparation chamber for this system. This multi-chamber system enables a significant number of experiments that would not be possible in separated systems due to the destructive influence exposure to atmosphere can cause. The mixture of components in this system will enable everything from the most fundamental materials research to the development of highly advances devices. This tool will be unique in the world and, better yet, it will be available to the general community.Broader Impact: The multi-chamber epitaxy system will be available for general use. While the standard rates used will be equal to those charged in NSF funded NNIN centers, we also intend to donate up to 10% of the available machine time for use by disadvantaged and minority serving institutions at substantially reduced rates or even for free. Tufts dedication to public service backed by its strong financial solvency makes it an ideal location to house this equipment. Additionally, the concentration of high-tech start-up companies, colleges, and universities in the Boston-area enhance the ideality of its placement.