Targeted Thin-Film Depositions

Chamber identification: RA
Materials: Nitrides, formerly used for oxides (replaced by OA chamber)
Substrates: <4" diameter, <1200°C
Sources: 10 ports (3 CF40, 7 CF6): gallium, aluminum, indium, magnesium, silicon, germanium, and tin Gases:  Nitrogen radio-frequency (RF) plasma and oxygen RF plasma (formerly, replaced by OA chamber)
Base pressure: 10^-11-10^-10 Torr
Features: Load lock, preparation chamber, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and UV band-edge pyrometry (UV-BandiT), and artificial intelligence and machine learning enabled measurement and control for autonomous experimentation. Access a virtual tour of NREL’s power electronics facilities, and navigate to SERF: Lab W128 to view the RA chamber.

Publications:

Designing TaC Virtual Substrates for Vertical Al_xGa_1-xN Power Electronics Devices, PRX Energy (2024)

Improving Luminescence Response in ZnGeN₂/GaN Superlattices: Defect Reduction Through Composition Control, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics (2024)

Rapid Screening of Molecular Beam Epitaxy Conditions for Monoclinic (In_xGa_1−x)₂O₃ Alloys, Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2024)

Chamber identification: COMBE

Materials: Nitrides (can be reconfigured for oxides)

Substrates: <4" diameter, heater up to 1200°C, cryogenic cold stage to ~80K

Sources: Eight source ports, four of which are retractable and differentially pumped for rapid reconfiguration. Two of these are dedicated to electron-beam evaporators.

Gases: Nitrogen radio-frequency plasma.

Base pressure: 10^-11-10^-10 Torr

Features: Load lock glove box or atmosphere access, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, retractable/reloadable cells, 2x electron-beam cells, cryogenic substrate stage, programmable linear wedge shutters for combinatorial graded depositions

Chamber identification: OA
Materials: Oxides
Substrates: <3" diameter, <1000°C
Sources: 10 ports (five differentially pumped): gallium, aluminum, indium, germanium, tin, silicon, magnesium, 2x electron-beam evaporators (nickel, chromium, zirconium, boron, and others), and boron trioxide
Gases: Oxygen radio-frequency plasma
Base pressure: 10^-11-10^-10 Torr
Features: Load lock, preparation chamber, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, prep chamber heater and source ports, in situ mask changing station, 5x differentially pumped sources with individual turbo pumps, dual electron-beam sources for heterojunctions with low vapor pressure elements, UV Band-edge pyrometry (UV-BandiT), 900 °C preparatory chamber outgas station.

Pulsed Laser Deposition Chamber: No. 1
Materials: Oxides and other materials
Substrates: <3" diameter, <800 °C
Targets: 1” circular
Gases: Ar, O, N, N2/H2
Base pressure: 10-9-10-8 Torr
Features: Targeted material deposition

Publications:

NiGa2O4 Interfacial Layers in NiO/Ga2O3 Heterojunction Diodes at High Temperature,  Applied Physics Letters (2024)

Gallium Oxide Heterojunction Diodes for 400 °C High-Temperature Applications, Physica Status Solidi (2023)

Pulsed Laser Deposition Chamber: No. 2
Materials: Oxides
Substrates: <3" diameter, <800 °C
Targets: 1” circular
Gases: Ar, O, N, N₂/H₂
Base pressure: 10^-9-10^-8 Torr
Features: Targeted material deposition

Publications:

Enhanced Electron Mobility Due to Dopant-Defect Pairing in Conductive ZnMgO, Adv. Func. Mat. (2014)

Surface Origin of High Conductivities in Undoped In₂O₃ Thin Films, Phys. Rev. Lett. (2012)