MRI: Acquisition of a sputtering deposition system to expand science and engineering research at Utah State University

各种金属和绝缘材料的几纳米厚的薄膜广泛应用于器件和传感器中。目前，犹他州立大学（USU），一所拥有28,000多名学生的赠地大学，没有能够在4英寸晶圆上进行均匀薄膜沉积的薄膜沉积系统。现有的小型蒸发器只能沉积低熔点的金属，如铝和金，这严重限制了犹他州立大学的研究能力。该方案旨在获得一种先进的溅射沉积系统，该系统将提供关键的改进包括：(1)4英寸晶圆的衬底支架，(2)高达800°C的衬底加热器，(3)足够的功率溅射高熔点金属，磁性材料和介电材料，以及(4)负载锁定以提高吞吐量和薄膜质量。提出的溅射沉积系统将使USU资助的广泛的变革性研究成为可能，包括：(1)基于碳纳米管的辐射计，在测量辐射方面具有前所未有的精度，用于监测全球变暖和校准激光功率。(2)在有图案的碳纳米管侧壁上沉积催化纳米颗粒，用于二氧化碳捕获，以帮助减缓气候变化并转化为有用的化学物质，如甲醇。(3)沉积介质和生长石墨烯模式，用于制造下一代认知无线通信的智能天线。(4)制备氧化钛纳米结构，研究纳米形貌对细胞行为的影响。(5)沉积钴磷薄膜，增强高能量密度化学燃料的电催化水分解。(6)沉积镍和氧化铝薄膜，研究基于固液界面不稳定性自组装的纳米颗粒在光电子和磁数据存储中的应用。(7)沉积各种氧化物和碳化物薄膜，研究多层样品的充电、沉积和电子传递，以减轻静电放电对航天器和电网的损害。由于该工具仅受全球供应商提供的目标的限制，因此将支持更多的创新研究。此工具的更广泛影响应通过与NDL的其他工具整体上的协同作用来评估。提议的溅射镀膜机将被整合到NDL中，NDL已经服务于工程和科学学院至少5个部门的教师的研究需求。来自6个主要研究小组的大约30名研究生和本科生预计将在NDL接受培训，并将该工具与其他工具一起用于他们的研究。该工具还计划参与4个工程类的顶点和高级研究项目（约20名学生/年）和两个微加工类的实验室模块（约30名学生/年）。除了为大学生提供高级培训外，NDL还参加了许多由南洋大学各单位组织的向公众传播新科学技术的活动。拟议的工具所带来的扩展研究能力也将有助于学术界与工业界的合作伙伴关系，如现有的SBIR和STTR项目，其中包括Box Elder Innovations、LAM research、Ball aerospace和Orbital Sciences等。

Thin films of various metallic and insulating materials of a few-nanometer thick are widely used in devices and sensors. At present, Utah State University (USU), a land-grant university of more than 28,000 students, has no thin film deposition system that can perform a uniform thin-film deposition across a 4-in wafer. The fact that the existing small evaporator can only deposit low-melting point metals, such as aluminum and gold, severely limits the research capability at Utah State University. This proposal is to acquire an advanced sputtering deposition system which will provide crucial improvements include: (1) substrate holder for a 4-in wafer, (2) substrate heater up to 800 °C, (3) sufficient power to sputter high-melting point metals, magnetic materials, and dielectric materials, and (4) a load-lock to improve through-put and film quality. The proposed sputtering deposition system will enable a broad range of funded transformative research at USU including: (1) carbon-nanotube-based radiometer for unprecedented accuracy on measuring radiation for monitoring global warming and calibrate laser power. (2) Depositing catalytic nano-particles on patterned carbon-nanotube sidewalls for CO2 capture to help mitigate climate changes and conversion to useful chemicals such as methanol. (3) Depositing dielectrics and growing graphene patterns for the fabrication of intelligent antennas for next generation of cognitive wireless communication. (4) Fabricating titanium oxide nano-structures to investigate cell behavior affected by nanotopography. (5) Depositing thin film of cobalt and phosphorous to enhance electrocatalytic water splitting for high-energy-density chemical fuels. (6) Depositing nickel and alumina thin films to investigate nanoparticles self-assembled by solid-liquid interface instability for optoelectronics and magnetic data storage. (7) Depositing various oxide and carbide thin films to investigate electrical charging, deposition and electron transport in multi-layered samples to mitigate electrostatic discharge damage to spacecraft and power grid. More innovative research will be supported since the tool is only limited by the targets available from suppliers around the globe. The broader impacts of this tool should be assessed by the synergy with other tools at NDL as a whole. The proposed sputter coater will be integrated into NDL which has been serving the research needs of faculty from at least 5 departments in Colleges of Engineering and Science. Approximate 30 graduate and undergraduate students from the 6 profiled major research groups are expected to be trained and using this tool with other tools at NDL for their research. This tool is also planned to be involved in the capstone and senior research projects (~20 students/yr) in 4 engineering classes and a laboratory module for two microfabrication classes (~30 student/yr). In addition to offering advanced training for university students, NDL participates in many activities organized by various units of USU for disseminating new science and technology to the general public. The expanded research capability brought by the proposed tool will also help academia-industry partnership such as the existing SBIR and STTR programs with Box Elder Innovations, LAM Research, Ball aerospace, and Orbital Sciences, among others.