Apparatus for producing ultraclean bicrystals by the molecular beam epitaxy growth and ultrahigh vacuum bonding of thin films

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1144344· OSTI ID:6223548

Amiri-Hezaveh, A; Balluffi, R W ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

An apparatus has been designed and constructed which is capable of growing single-crystal thin films and then bonding them together face-to-face to produce bicrystals under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The films are grown in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system capable of growing well-characterized single-crystal thin films of metals, semiconductors, and high [ital T][sub [ital c]] superconductors. It has the unique capability to perform multiple processing steps on a substrate within a continuous 10[sup [minus]11] Torr (base pressure) UHV environment. The system is computer controlled and whole-growth sequence parameters can be readily programmed. This design allows the manufacture of films of new structural materials and the ability to change layer type or composition within atomic monolayer dimensions. The MBE chamber is connected to a surface analytical and bonding chamber into which the grown films can be transferred, characterized, and bonded together at controlled misorientations. The bonding operation is carried out in a 10[sup [minus]10] Torr UHV environment, assuring cleanliness of interfaces. The system has the potential to produce a wide variety of new homophase and heterophase bicrystals containing interfaces in a form suitable for further study.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-87ER45310
• OSTI ID: 6223548
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States), Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments; (United States) Vol. 64:10; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
BICRYSTALS
BONDING
CRYSTALS
EPITAXY
FABRICATION
FILMS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
JOINING
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
POLYCRYSTALS
SYNTHESIS
THIN FILMS
ULTRAHIGH VACUUM