Upgrade an Existing 4-Target Sputtering System

阿拉巴马大学的MINT中心将购买设备来升级现有的Vac-Tec四靶溅射系统。具体来说，该提案要求为改造一个基于计算机的控制系统和安装一个专用的残余气体分析仪提供资金。该设备将用于加速几个研究项目的进展，包括用于磁流变磁头的巨磁阻多层材料的物理、磁性和磁阻特性的研究。以及用于薄膜记录磁头和介质的溅射FeN基材料的性能。这两个项目目前都以个人研究者资助的形式获得了美国国家科学基金会的大量资助。继续致力于这些教育和培训研究生的13名学生得到了相关项目的支持。使用这些材料，特别是在原子工程多层结构中，性能的提高是可能的，这使它们成为数据记录行业中非常有吸引力的开发候选材料。由大量相同的双层和反应溅射FeN薄膜和多层组成的多层膜的常规生产需要高度的过程控制。这种控制将由提议的升级提供，大大加强了正在进行的研究计划。

The MINT Center at the University of Alabama will purchase equipment to upgrade an existing Vac-Tec four target sputtering system. Specifically the proposal requests funds for retro-fitting a computer based control system and the installation of a dedicated residual gas analyzer. The equipment will be used to accelerate progress on several research projects, including an investigation of the physical, magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of giant magnetoresistance multilayers for use in MR heads, and of the properties of sputtered FeN based materials for both thin film recording heads and media. Both of these projects currently receive significant NSF funding in the form of individual investigator grants. A continuing commitment to these education and training of graduate students is evidenced by 13 students supported on related projects. The performance increases, which may be possible using these materials, especially in atomically engineered multilayer configurations, make them very attractive candidates for exploitation in the data recording industry. The routine production of multilayers composed of a large number of identical bilayers and of reactively sputtered FeN films and multilayers requires a high degree of process control. This control will be provided by the proposed upgrade greatly enhancing the ongoing research program.