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The
Electronic Materials & Devices (EMD) Group at AFR conducts research
and development of advanced thin film materials for electronic device
applications as well as development of in-situ thin film metrology tools.
For over a decade, research at AFR has involved epitaxial growth of high
temperature superconductor (e.g., YBa2Cu3O7-x),
ferroelectric (e.g., Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, (Ba,Sr)TiO3), dielectric
(e.g., YSZ, CeO2, CaF2) and semiconductor (SiC) thin films
on various substrate materials including silicon wafers. The
primary deposition technique at AFR is pulsed laser deposition (PLD).
In PLD, an intense pulsed laser beam (typically ultraviolet) is focused
onto a target resulting in a highly energetic plasma, the so-called plume, of
neutrals and ions which are directed onto a heated substrate.
The pulsed energy density at the target is the driving force for
effectively depositing materials containing elements with different vapor
pressures. Using the correct
process parameters (e.g., appropriate energy density range), PLD has an inherent
ability to maintain the target stoichiometry in the deposited film.
By virtue of its versatility and relative simplicity, PLD is a convenient
method for depositing multi-layer structures, in-situ, utilizing a movable,
multi-target holder. Although PLD
has not emerged as a mainstream technique for commercial thin film deposition,
it is widely regarded as an excellent research tool for rapidly exploring thin
film materials and structures. Two
PLD chambers are available at AFR for deposition of a wide variety of materials.
The first is a turbomolecular-pumped system configured for PLD of up to
five materials in-situ in a single deposition routine.
The second is a hybrid system for deposition of thin film materials by
PLD and/or thermal evaporation. |
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For More Information Contact: This web site was designed and created by Karin Dutton, Advanced Fuel Research, Inc. |
