Acquisition of an Ultra-high Vacuum Chamber for Etching Studies and Student Training

University Of Tulsa, Tulsa OK

Investigators

Abstract

This grant supports the purchase of an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chamber pumped by a turbomolecular drag pump. The chamber will have a mass spectrometer, an Auger electron spectrometer, and a reflection/absorption infrared spectrometer for analytical equipment. The chamber will also have an ion gauge, an ion gun, and a xyzq sample manipulator. The laboratory currently does not have access to a UHV chamber. Without a UHV chamber, the investigators can only observe the end products and the kinetics of their formation in a low-vacuum reactor. A UHV chamber allows determination of what intermediate species form on the surface, which in, turn, leads to a fuller understanding of the reactions. This is necessary for research to determine reaction pathways of b-diketones on various surfaces. With a deeper understanding of the reactions, the investigators can develop methods of cleanly etching surfaces such as nickel/iron alloys, alumina, and tungsten with b-diketones. This UHV chamber will permit the training of graduate and undergraduate students in UHV techniques and will provide new opportunities for students in UHV surface science. This project will greatly enhance the training of students in surface science at the University of Tulsa.