MRI: Acquisition of a hybrid sputtering/evaporation thin film deposition system

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Part 1: This award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program supports research and training at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) through the acquisition of a thin film sputter deposition system. The proposed deposition system allows the principal investigator to grow high-quality ferroic oxide thin films and multilayers. By controlling the film thickness and composition, specific material properties or combinations of properties can be fine-tuned. This system will be utilized alongside the existing capabilities of the NSF-CREST funded CSUSB Center for Advanced Functional Materials, which will allow for the creation and characterization of novel hybrid organic/oxide systems as well as broaden student research participation and training at a large Hispanic- and minority-serving institution. The development of thin films for research aims and applications has led to important discoveries that have advanced the understanding of the interesting science at play in these films as well as allowed an accelerated development of technological materials. Ferroic materials, including ferroelectric and magnetic and multiferroics, have "led the charge" in many areas of research and development and will continue to do so in the future. As the need to understand and engineer ferroic thin film systems that can operate faster, more efficiently, or display novel functional properties grows, acquiring high-quality thin films will play a vital role in research programs centered around functional material studies. Part 2: This award supports the acquisition of a thin film sputter deposition system for scientific research and research training at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). This system will be used to deposit thin films and multilayered samples as a part of several research both within CSUSB and with domestic and international collaborators. It will combine off-axis rf-magneton sputtering and existing thermal evaporation capabilities in order to engineer a wide variety of single crystal and polycrystalline samples. The use of two techniques will allow research on novel systems combining often dissimilar materials, such as oxide and organic ferroelectrics, as well as allow for in-situ deposition of bottom electrodes, which can help avoid problems of interfacial contamination or electrically dead layers. This instrument supports research efforts by current faculty members, visiting graduate students, and undergraduate researchers and will enhance CSUSB's NSF-CREST funded Center for Advanced Functional Materials (CAFM). Current research focus includes: 1) Engineering novel ferroelectric and magnetic properties into single crystal oxide thin films using a variety of control parameters accessible though film growth including epitaxial strain and multilayer growth 2) Developing organic ferroelectric thin films 3) The study of functional hybrid organic/oxide systems. This award will increase the research infrastructure at CSUSB, particularly by furthering access to equipment for the deposition of a wide variety of thin films. CSUSB is an undergraduate-focused university and a qualifying Hispanic- and Minority-Serving institution, allowing the acquisition of this instrument to broaden participation of students from these demographics in state-of-the-art research. Community college partnerships will broaden the local reach of the instrumentation and further develop the STEM pipeline in the local area. Through the CREST program, the feasibility of a Materials Science Masters program is being investigated and a hybrid deposition system would serve as a major facility for research projects and training associated with such a program. Additionally, the ability to provide high-quality thin film samples will support the development of strong domestic and international collaborations focusing on the characterization of new thin film based systems.