MRI: Development of Rapid Annealing and in situ Characterization System

Wayne State University, Detroit MI

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract This instrument development project by a multi-disciplinary team from Wayne State University creates a Rapid Annealing and Characterization System (RACS) capable of rapidly annealing thin film samples and nanomaterials prepared externally and then characterizing these samples in situ using a variety of non-invasive techniques. With this highly flexible system, the researchers will develop and improve techniques to characterize how a variety of defects modify the materials properties. Defects, including dislocations, grain boundaries, impurity dopants, and vacancies have been found to dramatically alter the magnetic, electrical, and optical properties of materials. These defects are important in establishing the properties of nanomaterials, owing to the much higher surface to volume ratio than in bulk systems. The eventual goal of this study, which will focus on nitrides and superconducting thin films, is to control the type, density, and the distribution of defects to enable the synthesis of materials having specifically tailored properties. The custom designed vacuum chamber with rapid annealing capabilities coupled to a Scanning Electron Microscope with Wave Dispersion Spectrometer (WDS) using a proprietary airlock developed by JEOL will allow researchers to modify the defect structure by thermal annealing in one chamber and then conduct studies on the materials properties and defect structure in the second chamber, all without exposing the samples to ambient conditions. The WDS spectrometer is an important component of this study, as it will allow researchers to determine the concentration of oxygen vacancies, which is exceedingly difficult to determine using other techniques. The unique capabilities of RACS will be utilized to systematically probe the effects of a variety of defects on the fundamental properties of nanoscale systems, leading to a deeper understanding of how to tune the materials properties in nanostructured materials. Establishing the processing parameters for optimizing materials properties using RACS would allow the development of scalable fabrication protocols, which would promote the incorporation of these novel nanostructured materials into commercial devices. The development of this system will provide valuable training for a postdoctoral researcher as well as graduate and undergraduate students, specifically including underrepresented minorities in the Detroit metropolitan area.