MRI: Acquisition of Major Instrumentation: Deep Reactive Ion Etching

重大研究仪器项目的这一奖项支持北卡罗来纳州立大学购买具有感应耦合等离子体灵活性的最先进的反应离子蚀刻机。这种仪器为该机构提供了独立调整化学和物理蚀刻机制的能力，提供了无与伦比的各向异性、快速和选择性的图案化能力。通过此次收购，对NCSU当前和未来的研究计划至关重要的四个一般主题领域将得以实现：(1)先进的集成战略，(2)用于纳米科学研究的纳米级图案化，(3)微电子机械系统(MEMS)，以及(4)宽带隙半导体研究。11名教师被指定为主要用户，集体研究小组由50名研究生和500万美元的年度研究支出组成。这一工具将有利于相关的研究活动，重要的是，将开发和支持新的和高度协作的未来计划。这一能力预计将影响研究生和本科生研究的相关性和复杂性。有了这些工具，北卡罗来纳州立大学将有一个独特的机会来影响大量学生的教育，教他们如何使用尖端能力来利用他们的研究，并为毫无疑问将成为未来纳米科学努力的关键工具提供实践经验。北卡罗来纳州立大学将获得具有感应耦合等离子体灵活性的最先进的反应离子蚀刻机。这种仪器允许在没有液体溶剂的情况下蚀刻厚度在纳米到毫米之间的材料层。作为液体腐蚀剂的替代品，等离子体状态下的反应性气体物种实现了这种材料的去除。这种机制的一个重要结果是能够产生高度各向异性的结构或特征，如窄柱和超薄壁。这种结构对于制造下一代纳米级、微机电、光电子学和高度集成的器件是至关重要的，否则就无法制造这些器件。鉴于基于系统和器件的研究的国际环境，北卡罗来纳州立大学对这种设备存在着关键的需求。建立这种能力将有助于NCSU保持其作为领先技术研究机构的地位。来自三所学院和11个系的教员被确定为主要用户，从而保证了学术上多样化的用户基础：这些用户总共管理着一个由50名研究生和500万美元的年度研究支出组成的研究小组。拟议的仪器将补充NCSU百年校区现有的一套微电子加工和制造设备，随着NCSU最近被指定为国家纳米技术基础设施网络的附属机构，将确保能够接触到广泛的科学界

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation program supports North Carolina State University with the acquisition of a state-of-the-art reactive ion etcher with the flexibility of an inductively coupled plasma. This instrumentation provides the institution with the ability to independently tune the chemical and physical etching mechanisms affording unparalleled ability to pattern anisotropically, rapidly, and selectively. Four general subject areas critical to the current and future research programs at NCSU will be enabled through this acquisition: (1) advanced integration strategies, (2) nano-scale patterning for nanoscience research, (3) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and (4) wide band-gap semiconductor research. Eleven faculty are designated as primary users with collective research groups comprising 50 graduate students and $5 millions in annual research expenditure. This instrumentation will benefit the associated research activities, and importantly, new and highly collaborative future programs will be developed and supported. This capability is expected to impact both the relevance and the sophistication of graduate and undergraduate student research. With these tools, the university will have a unique opportunity to influence a large number of students' education by teaching them how to use leading-edge capabilities to leverage their research, and offer hands-on experience to what will undoubtedly become a key tool of future nano-scientific endeavors.With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation program North Carolina State University with will acquire a state-of-the-art reactive ion etcher with the flexibility of an inductively coupled plasma. This instrument allows layers of material ranging between nanoscopic and millimeter thicknesses to be etched in the absence of liquid solvents. As an alternative to liquid etchants, reactive gas species in the plasma state accomplish this material removal. An important consequence of this mechanism is the ability to produce highly anisotropic structures, or features such as narrow pillars and ultra-thin walls. Such structures are critical to the fabrication of next generation nanoscale, microelectromechanical, optoelectronic and highly integrated devices which cannot be fabricated otherwise.Given the international environment of system and device-based research there exists a critical requirement for this equipment at North Carolina State University. Establishing this capability will help NCSU to maintain its position as a leading technical research institution. Faculty from three colleges and 11 departments are identified as primary users thus guaranteeing an academically diverse user base: collectively these users manage a research group comprising 50 graduate students and $5 millions in annual research expenditure. The proposed instrument will complement the existing set of microelectronics processing and fabrication equipment on the NCSU Centennial campus, and with NCSU's recent designation as affiliate of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, access to a broad section of the scientific community will be ensured