Materials Science Instrumentation
Explore the materials science instrumentation available in the College of Science, including descriptions, capabilities, and common applications.
AJA ATC-Orion 8 UHV Sputtering Deposition System
Sputtering systems are used for depositing precise metal and dielectric thin films onto various substrates. By layering different materials in highly specific sequences, researchers can develop advanced microelectronic frameworks, such as experimental solar cells or microchips.
This system features a user-friendly interface coupled with a highly versatile coating architecture to accommodate a broad spectrum of specialized nanofabrication applications.
Example Use Cases:
- Coating silicon substrates for experimental solar cell production
- Conferring conductive properties to non-conductive substrates through target metal deposition
Surface Profilometer
A surface profilometer gauge is used to capture physical surface and topographic profile data of a sample. It measures roughness, flatness, step height, and other critical 2D and 3D geometric dimensions with extremely high metrological accuracy.
These precise measurement principles are routinely leveraged for advanced process control applications where the final substrate or thin film must conform to rigid physical flatness specifications.
Example Use Cases:
- Measuring the exact structural flatness and step thickness of thin films applied by the sputtering tool
- Serving as a physical quality control verification tool for material fabrication lines
Anatech Hummer 6.2 Sputterer and Carbon Coater
The Anatech Hummer 6.2 performs sputter coating via a cold plasma process where gas ions impact a target metal source to dislodge metal atoms. These atoms disperse throughout the chamber to uniformly coat irregularly shaped specimens without causing thermal damage. This mechanism yields high-quality, repeatable thin films with easily regulated thickness parameters.
Additionally, the system features a specialized Carbon Coating accessory. This is highly useful for preparing non-conductive SEM samples, successfully suppressing the electron beam charging effects that otherwise degrade raw imaging outputs.
Example Use Cases:
- Evaporating carbon coatings onto non-conductive SEM samples to suppress imaging charge artifacts
- Depositing ultrathin, uniform protective layers of gold or platinum onto fragile specimen surfaces