Facility for ion-assisted pulsed laser deposition of thin films

Abstract

Semiconductor devices, magnetic recording media, tools, tribological applications, laser mirrors, sensors, sun glasses, etc., all utilize thin film technology. It would be impossible to comprehensively list the numerous areas in which thin films are a vital part of a particular technology. Thin film compositions are becoming more complex, straining the capabilities of existing deposition techniques. In many cases, the stoichiometry and microstructure of the thin film are vital to the particular application. For example, the new high temperature oxide superconductors require an exact stoichiometry of several elements and an oriented microstructure if the material is to have zero resistance and a high current carrying capacity. For some systems, the material composition consists of elements with widely ranging vapor pressures, making it difficult to achieve accurate and reproducible elemental concentration ratios throughout the film structure.Semiconductor devices, magnetic recording media, tools, tribological applications, laser mirrors, sensors, sun glasses, etc., all utilize thin film technology. It would be impossible to comprehensively list the numerous areas in which thin films are a vital part of a particular technology. Thin film compositions are becoming more complex, straining the capabilities of existing deposition techniques. In many cases, the stoichiometry and microstructure of the thin film are vital to the particular application. For example, the new high temperature oxide superconductors require an exact stoichiometry of several elements and an oriented microstructure if the material is to have zero resistance and a high current carrying capacity. For some systems, the material composition consists of elements with widely ranging vapor pressures, making it difficult to achieve accurate and reproducible elemental concentration ratios throughout the film structure.