MRI: Acquisition Of an Atomic Layer Deposition System

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This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports Florida State University (FSU) with the acquisition of an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system. The system will enhance the materials research and education in the northern Florida region. ALD is an advanced thin film deposition technique with a unique operating principle enabling thin film deposition with unprecedented precision of thickness down to single atomic layers. Applications of ALD, in both industrial and academic research, have led to remarkable advancements in materials development for microelectronics, sustainable energy, advanced batteries, chemical and biological sensing, lighting and display technology, etc. The ALD system acquired through this award will be installed in the Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (CMMP) User Facility where the impact of the instrument will be maximized with broad access available to the entire research community in the region, including minority-serving institutions, and women's colleges as well as industrial partners. This facility will also serve as a basis for student training and education at all level from K-12 to graduate schools.The Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system will particularly enhance the nanofabrication capabilities at Florida State University (FSU) by creating thin films with pinhole-free quality, conformal morphology, and atomic layer precision. With its strong commitments in materials research, FSU is in pressing need of these unique features and capabilities especially since materials and devices with three-dimensional surface microstructures have become increasingly involved in recent research activities. At least fifteen research groups at FSU and FAMU, in disciplines spanning across physics, chemistry & biochemistry, chemical & biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering, will benefit immediately from regular access to an ALD system, covering research subjects from nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, solar energy harvesting, energy storage, photocatalysis, and spintronics. Not only will the current research projects benefit from this instrument acquisition, new collaborative activities are expected to be inspired by sharing the ALD in an interactive and multidisciplinary environment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.