University of Toronto Enhanced Molecular Beam Epitaxy Facility

分子束外延（MBE）是用于制造化合物半导体纳米结构的现有技术工具之一，并且提供实现例如光电子学、电信、量子光学和量子计算、传感、光电子学和光子学等领域中的技术应用的手段。MBE基于使用超高纯度（所谓的超高真空，UHV）环境，其中组成元素的原子/分子束在加热的衬底上喷射以制备具有受控尺寸和纯度的材料的层、岛或线，具有单层水平控制。目前，只有一个MBE系统为多伦多大学（UofT）的所有用户提供服务，并使化合物半导体材料能够使用最先进的纳米加工工具进行后续处理-例如，使用ECTI和纳米技术中心的电子束光刻工具。这个MBE系统在过去十年中成功地为广泛的用户提供了服务，现在需要进行关键的改进，以继续为UofT的研究人员和学生提供服务。所要求的增强集中在（i）在长时间内保持超真空（UHV）完整性（即，使用辅助真空系统和带阀裂化器）和（ii）实现对MBE生长过程的精确控制（即，通过种类/生长模式控制，通过精确的生长温度（Tg）监控，甚至在低Tg和先进的电子衍射软件）。在UofT拥有这个增强的设施与其他独特的世界级制造/表征设施相结合，能够实现独特的纳米结构/器件的端到端实现，并能够在短的周转时间内调整工艺。

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is one of the state of the art tools used in the fabrication of compound semiconductor nanostructures, and providing the means to realise technological applications in areas such as optoelectronics, telecommunications, quantum optics and quantum computing, sensing, photovoltaics, and photonics, for example. MBE is based on using an ultrahigh purity (so called ultra high vacuum, UHV) environment in which atomic/molecular beams of constituent elements empinge on a heated substrate to prepare layers, islands or wires of material with controlled dimensions and purity, with monolayer level control. Currently there is only a single MBE system serving all of the users at the University of Toronto (UofT) and enabling compound semiconductor materials for subsequent processing using state of the art nanofabrication tools - for example, using the electron beam lithography tools in ECTI and also the Centre for Nanotechnology. This MBE system which has successfully served a broad base of users for over the past decade is now in need of key enhancements to continue to serve the researchers and students within UofT. Requested enhancements focus on (i) maintaining ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) integrity over long periods (i.e., using an auxiliary vacuum system and valved cracker) and (ii) achieving precise control over the MBE growth processes (i.e., by species/growth mode control through accurate growth temperature (Tg) monitoring even at v.low Tg and advanced electron diffraction software). Having this enhanced facility at UofT in conjunction with other unique world class fabrication/characterisation facilities, enables end-to-end realization of unique nanostructures/devices, with the ability to tune processes with short turn-around times.