Critical and urgent upgrade to ultra-high vacuum chamber for growing 2D materials

纳米尺度科学是基于这样一个概念，即材料在缩小的维度上表现出独特的性质。本提案中所要求的仪器将支持的研究重点是具有工程电子性能的新型分子基和合成无机低维材料的表面生长。为了构建新颖的一维和二维（1D/2D）材料，我们的方法是在表面上进行纳米材料的开发。这可以使用超高真空（UHV）室来实现，该室为这些材料在表面上的制造提供了良好的控制环境。表面的化学性质、表面平面和催化活性决定了化学反应和合成的纳米材料。在特高压条件下，实验的所有步骤都是在现场进行的，包括表面的原子尺度清洗，化合物的沉积，表面后退火以调解反应，或通过添加原子或离子氢来促进反应，以及纳米材料的表征。对于材料的外延生长，要求的仪器包括（1,2）用于沉积低和中等升华温度的前驱体的分子束蒸发器，(3)用于沉积低蒸汽压材料元素原子的电子束蒸发器。所要求的(4)氢裂解装置促进表面的氢介导反应，(5)俄歇电子能谱/低能电子衍射将用于化学分析和测量形成材料的结晶度。这些分项列出的仪器将安装在特高压室中，每个仪器都具有所描述的附加功能，并共同促进了碳基和无机低维纳米材料表面生长的拟议研究。这些材料将呈现出独特的电子特性、电荷迁移率和/或电子自旋结构。前驱体的多样性提供了共价结构的形成，包括人工石墨烯、多孔二维聚合物和具有半导体特性的一维/二维聚合物，适用于碳基纳米电子学，具有有序电子自旋位的低维材料，适用于自旋电子学，以及用于能源和光学应用的合成无机二维材料等。所获得的材料的结晶度和大的畴尺寸使它们有希望在技术应用中集成。该研究为设计下一代具有集成纳米电子学潜力的类石墨烯纳米材料提供了一种新的方法。所要求的仪器还将为培训高素质人员及其在纳米材料制造方面的研究提供主要基础设施。这种具有独特电子特性的新型纳米材料将对加拿大乃至全球的科学技术产生重大影响。

Nanoscale science is based on the concept that materials illustrate unique properties at reduced dimensions. The research that will be supported by the instrumentation requested in this proposal focuses on the on-surface growth of novel molecular-based and synthetic inorganic low-dimensional materials with engineered electronic properties. To architect novel one- and two-dimensional (1D/2D) materials, our approach is to carry out the development of nanomaterials on surfaces. This can be achieved using ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chambers which provide a well-controlled environment for the fabrication of these materials on surfaces. The chemical nature, surface plane, and catalytic activity of the surfaces contribute to the chemical reactions and the resultant nanomaterials. Under UHV conditions, all steps of the experiments are performed in-situ, including atomic-scale cleaning of the surfaces, deposition of chemical compounds, post-annealing the surface to mediate reactions, or to boost a reaction by adding atomic or ionic hydrogen, and the characterization of the nanomaterials. For the epitaxial growth of materials, the requested instruments include (1, 2) molecular beam evaporators for depositing precursors with low and medium sublimation temperature, (3) e-beam evaporator to deposit elemental atoms from materials with low vapor pressure. The requested (4) hydrogen cracker facilitates hydrogen-mediated reactions at surfaces, and (5) Auger electron spectroscopy / Low energy electron diffraction will be used for the chemical analysis and measuring the crystallinity of the formed materials. These itemized instruments will be installed on the UHV chamber, each with added functionality described, and altogether facilitates the proposed research in the on-surface growth of carbon-based and inorganic low-dimensional nanomaterials. These materials will be tailored to exhibit unique electronic properties, charge mobility and/or electron spin-based structure. The diversity of precursors affords the formation of covalent structures, including artificial graphene, porous 2D polymers, and 1D/2D polymers with semiconducting properties suitable for carbon-based nanoelectronics, low-dimensional materials with ordered electron-spin sites for spintronics, and synthetic inorganic 2D materials for energy and optical applications, among others. The crystallinity and large domain size of the obtained materials make them promising candidates for integration in technological applications. This research provides a novel approach for designing the next generation of graphene-like nanomaterials with the potential to be integrated in nanoelectronics. The requested instruments will also offer the main infrastructure for the training of highly qualified personnel and their research in the fabrication of nanomaterials. The novel nanomaterials with unique electronic properties will have significant impact in science and technology, both in Canada and globally.