Engineering Research Equipment Grant: RF Sputter DepositionSystem

一个生产质量的射频溅射沉积系统将由三个独立的工程实验室合作使用，以支持在数据存储和微电子中有用的各种薄膜结构特性的实验探索，并开发专门的微型传感器和控制设备。提出的研究的一个共同主题是实现对等离子体沉积过程的充分基本理解，以开发新的薄膜技术。通过分析各种沉积工艺参数与溅射膜重要的光学、磁性、电学和力学性能之间的关系，从而了解溅射膜的性能。该系统的主要应用将是溅射稀土过渡金属合金薄膜沉积磁光克尔效应介质。

A production quality radio-frequency sputter deposition system will be used collaboratively by three separate engineering laboratories to support experimental exploration of the properties of various thin film structures useful in data storage and micro- electronics, and to develop specialized micro-miniature sensors and control devices. A common theme of the proposed research is to achieve sufficient fundamental understanding of plasma deposition processes to develop novel thin film technologies. The understanding will be achieved by analyzing the relationships among various deposition process parameters and significant optical, magnetic, electrical and mechanical properties of the sputtered films. The principal system application will be deposition of magneto-optical Kerr effect media by sputtering thin films of rare earth-transition metal alloys.