Multi-Chamber Deposition

About

The Royce Deposition System at the University of Leeds is a multi-chamber, multi-technique facility for thin film growth. Comprised of four deposition chambers connected via ultra-high vacuum transfer chambers, the Royce Deposition System allows for different deposition techniques to be combined. The mission of this Technology Platform is to create multi-layered thin film exploiting interfaces between different types of materials. These interfaces open up new physics and the possibility of new functions for devices.

A key global challenge is to make computing and data storage more energy efficient; we need to reduce the power consumption and associated carbon emissions of our growing digital infrastructure. Current research using the Deposition System studies the physics of thin film-based materials and devices for low-energy computing. The Multi-chamber Deposition Technology Platform is integrated in the Atoms to Devices research theme within Royce.

Key capabilities:

• Four connected deposition chambers
• Preparation chamber with heater and ion miller
• Sample sizes up to 2 inch wafers
• Substrate temperature from -100°C to 1200°C
• Load locks for fast sample turnaround
• UHV transfer chambers allow advanced heterostructures to be grown using multiple chambers and techniques
• Vacuum suitcase allows transfers to P-NAME (Manchester) for single-ion implantation

This chamber is for the epitaxial growth of thin film topological insulators and topological superconductors. The system allows a wide range of alloys with precise stoichiometry aided by two high-temperature cracker cells. 

• Four dual-filament effusion cells for deposition of materials such as bismuth selenide 
• Low temperature effusion cell for deposition of low melting point metals such as indium 
• Two valved-corrosive-metal-cracker-cells for precise stoichiometric control over materials such as antimony and tellurium 
• In-situ RHEED to monitor epitaxial growth 
• Substrate temperature range -100° to 1200°C 

This system has been purpose built for the deposition of a wide range of molecular and organic materials such as fullerenes, metallo-fullerenes, pthalocyanines and quinolines. Combined with an e-beam evaporator, this enables the growth of hybrid metal-organic devices with multiple organic components. 

• Four low temperature effusion cells for precisely controlled evaporation of organic molecules 
• Four pocket e-beam evaporation system for growth of metals 
• DC/RF magnetron sputtering gun for growth of metals and metal-oxides 
• Substrate temperature range from -100° to 1200°C