Reactive co-sputtering thin film deposition system

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Funding is requested for a reactive co-sputtering system for deposition of semiconductor thin films and heterostructures with controlled composition, phase, and structure. The system will be installed at the Walter Schottky Institute, Technical University of Munich (TUM), and will complement existing deposition capabilities, which do not currently include reactive co-sputtering. The system will be a key tool in the Pl's research dedicated to the development of oxide, nitride, and oxynitride-based materials with application for conversion of sunlight into renewable fuels. The PI is a new faculty member at TUM and envisions the submission of multiple new research proposals enabled by this capability. Initial research projects will include the following : i) deposition of oriented and/or heteroepitaxial transition metal oxide semiconductor photoelectrodes as model systems that will be used for studies of carrier transport, (photo)corrosion, and recombination mechanisms, ii) deposition of perovskite oxynitride semiconductors with near optimal bandgaps for solar energy harvesting, and iii) deposition and development of novel p-type semiconductor photocathodes based on Cu-based nitrides for solar fuel formation. The PI has extensive experience with the reactive co-sputtering deposition technique, which has been specifically chosen to provide unique control over composition, phase, and structure, while also providing versatility to explore new materials with comparatively moderate time and resource investments.