High-resolution X-Ray diffractometer

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The Chair for Semiconductor Technology in the Walter Schottky Institute (WSI) of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) performs research on novel mid-infrared and terahertz quantum cascade lasers, mid-infrared surface-emitting lasers, nonlinear optical metasurfaces based on semiconductor heterostructures processed into sub-wavelength optical nanoresonators, and photonic integrated circuits that combine semiconductor laser sources, detectors, as well as passive and active photonic elements on the same semiconductor platform. To produce the III/V semiconductor heterostructures for all of these research topics, the Chair uses three Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) systems and one Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) system. An X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) system is critical to provide calibration of the compound semiconductor layer composition and thicknesses for the structures grown by MBE and MOVPE. It is thus one of the basic requirements for the feasibility of each of our research projects. In addition, the system should be able to perform homogeneity measurements over an area of at least 4 × 4 inches, as well as crystal quality studies using Reciprocal Space Maps. The latter is particularly interesting since most of the device structures used are highly strained layer packages. The only suitable XRD system in the Walter Schottky Institute is more than 30 years old and is at the end of its lifetime. Specifically, its hardware and computer software are no longer supported by the manufacturer. In the past several years, the system experienced several breakdowns that were fixed by a local electronic shop as the manufacturer does not support the system any longer. This proposal requests support from the Federal Government in acquiring a new XRD system to replace the old system and enable the continuation of the chair research.