SBIR Phase I: Thermal Atomic Nitrogen/Hydrogen Source for Molecular Beam Epitaxy Applications

*96660948格里尔这个第一阶段小型企业创新研究项目将研究用于分子束外延应用的氮和氢原子热源的功效。这两种物质都可用于沉积许多电子、光学和摩擦学材料。目前，等离子体源产生大约1%的N1或H1，但也产生相同数量的高能离子，这在分子束外延生长GaN等材料时可能是不受欢迎的。此外，监测原子气体流量的能力将允许闭环反馈控制，大大改善了沉积过程。该项目将描述我们的热源生产N1和H1的效率，该热源应产生高达10%的N1和超过60%的H1，并且衬底表面的原子通量分别超过1和5×1015原子/厘米2/秒。我们将把这个源集成到分子束外延系统中，以生长高质量的GaN薄膜，然后对其进行表征。最后，我们计划对可能用作N1现场监测的潜在技术进行研究。与传统的等离子体源相比，我们的热N1/H1源具有许多优点，包括更高的原子通量，更低的污染，并且不产生离子。高通量热源N1/H1将使高质量MBE GaN材料的生长速率提高约一个数量级。GaN将用于包括蓝光激光器和LED在内的各种电光应用中，并将本身创造许多新的机会。此外，还预计该源将很快并入用于生长CBN、C3N4和/或低温金刚石材料的许多其他物理气相沉积过程中，仅举几例。每一种材料本身都可能带来新的或新兴的技术，并为许多美国公司创造机会。***

*** 96660948 Greer This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project will investigate the efficacy of a thermal source of atomic nitrogen and hydrogen for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) applications. Both of these species are useful in the deposition of many electronic, optical, and tribological materials. Presently plasma sources produce about 1% N1 or H1, but also yield an equal number of energetic ions which can be undesirable during the growth of materials like GaN by MBE. Furthermore, the ability to monitor the atomic gas flux would allow closed-loop feedback control greatly improving the deposition process. The project will characterize the efficiency of our thermal source for producing both N1 and H1 and this source should yield up to 10 % N1 and over 60 % H1 with atomic fluxes at the substrate surface in excess of 1 and 5 x 1015 atoms/cm2/sec, respectively. We will incorporate this source into an MBE system to grow and then characterize high quality GaN films. Finally, we plan to conduct a study of potential techniques which might be used as an in-situ monitor for N1. Our thermal N1/H1 source has many advantages over conventional plasma sources including a higher atomic flux, lower contamination, and does not produce ions. A high flux thermal N1/H1 source will increase the growth rates of high quality MBE GaN material by about an order of magnitude. GaN will be used in a variety electro-optic applications including blue lasers and LEDs and will create many new opportunities itself. Furthermore, it is also expected that this source will be quickly incorporated into many other physical vapor deposition processes for the growth of cBN, C3N4, and/or low temperature diamond materials, to name a few. Each of these materials themselves may enable new or emerging technologies and generate opportunities for many US companies. ***