An integrated materials nanofabrication workstation to stack membranes for the Quantum Materials and Device Foundry

集成材料纳米加工工作站，用于为量子材料和器件铸造厂堆叠薄膜

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00121
• 负责人: Zou, Ke
• 金额: $ 10.46万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741832
• 关键词: integrated; materials; nanofabrication; workstation; stack

This proposal is for the urgent purchase of an integrated nanofabrication workstation for stacking membranes, based on a precision inert-atmosphere glovebox with computer-controlled microscope interfaced directly to the existing molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) systems in the Quantum Materials and Devices Foundry, part of the Quantum Materials Institute (QMI) at UBC. In the workstation, we will apply a unique combination of "exfoliation and stacking" techniques to create, for the first time, freestanding atomically-thin stacks of oxides and chalcogenides from thin films grown by MBE. Exfoliation techniques are nearly always applied to graphene or chalcogenide materials whose crystals can be preferentially pulled apart between their weakly-bonded "van der Walls" (vdW) layers; but so far, stacking of atomically-thin layers of oxides and chalcogenides has never been successfully reported. Critically, standard exfoliation techniques developed for chalcogenide materials do not work for oxides because the vast majority of technologically interesting oxides (ferroelectric, ferro- or antiferromagnetic, multiferroic) are strongly 3-dimensionally bonded with no weakly-bonded vdW layers. Instead, a new "lift-off" technique for perovskite oxides has been recently developed in 2019 using a water-soluble sacrificial buffer layer that, once dissolved, allows the overlying oxide to float off freely. Surprisingly, the resulting layers keep their ferroic properties even down to thicknesses of a few atomic layers. This provides the groundwork for creating and stacking together oxide and chalcogenide layers, opening up a huge playground of materials' combinations never before studied that may possess new and completely unexpected electronic properties. To avoid contamination from air exposure, the workstation design requires a vacuum loadlock allowing ultra-clean transfer from our MBEs into the glovebox where the preparation and stacking will be done. The primary goal of the workstation is to create new cutting-edge capabilities for designing and constructing novel quantum materials by combining materials, grown as thin films in our MBEs, into freestanding atomic-layer stacks. We will focus on combinations of materials that can provide a platform for emergent properties aligned with relevant research thrusts within the QMI Grand Challenges (https://qmi.ubc.ca/grand-challenges). More broadly, new quantum materials form a key part of Canada's roadmap for future quantum technologies and this proposal offers a broad range of useful training opportunities for highly qualified personnel (HQP) of strategic importance. The innovative capabilities of the proposed workstation is perfectly placed to generate new collaborations in condensed matter physics and nanoscience communities within the QMI at UBC, and external Canadian institutions beyond UBC.

该提案是为了迫切购买用于堆叠膜的集成纳米制造工作站，基于精确的惰性含量 - 大气手套盒，其计算机控制的显微镜直接连接到现有的分子梁外Stymaxy（MBE）系统中的量子材料和量子材料和dectices Founderry，founderry，founderry，founderry， UBC的量子材料研究所（QMI）的一部分。在工作站中，我们将采用“去角质和堆叠”技术的独特组合来创建从MBE生长的薄膜中独立的原子稀薄氧化物和硫化剂。去角质技术几乎总是适用于石墨烯或硫族化物材料，它们的晶体可以优先在其弱块状的“范德尔壁”（VDW）层之间拉开；但是到目前为止，从未成功报道过原子上稀薄的氧化物和葡萄干层层的叠加。至关重要的是，针对葡萄干剂材料开发的标准去角质技术不适用于氧化物，因为绝大多数技术有趣的氧化物（铁电，铁磁或抗铁磁磁性，多用量）在没有弱键合的VDW层没有强烈的3维键上。取而代之的是，最近使用水溶性的牺牲缓冲层开发了一种新的钙钛矿氧化物的“提升”技术，该技术一旦溶解，允许上覆的氧化物自由漂浮。令人惊讶的是，所得的层将其铁反特性保持在几个原子层的厚度。这为创建和堆叠在一起的氧化物和葡萄干化物层提供了基础，开辟了一个从未有过的材料组合的巨大游乐场，这些组合可能具有新的，完全出乎意料的电子特性。为了避免空气曝光受到污染，工作站设计需要真空负载锁，允许从我们的MBES转移到杂物箱中，并进行准备和堆叠。工作站的主要目的是创建新的尖端功能，以通过将MBE中的薄膜成长为薄膜，将新型量子材料设计和构建新型量子材料，从而创建为独立的原子层堆栈。我们将专注于可以为QMI Grand挑战（https://qmi.ubc.ca/grand-challenges）中相关研究推力的新兴属性提供平台的材料组合。更广泛地说，新的量子材料构成了加拿大未来量子技术路线图的关键部分，该提案为高素质的人员（HQP）提供了广泛的有用培训机会，即战略重要性。拟议的工作站的创新能力非常适合在UBC的QMI和UBC以外的加拿大外部机构中建立凝聚态物理和纳米科学社区的新合作。