MRI: Acquisition of a UHV multi-source sputtering system for multidisciplinary material research

Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr PA

Investigators

Abstract

Technical Abstract: A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College and Villanova University propose to acquire a customized AJA Orion-8 UHV multi-source sputtering system with the capability of fabricating a variety of multi-layered or single-layered thin films with sub-nanometer thickness control under ultrahigh base vacuum and controlled atmosphere. The research projects that will be enabled or greatly enhanced by the acquisition of this sputtering system include (1) spin dynamics in magnetic nanostructures; (2) templated electrodeposition of nanoporous materials; (3) many-body interactions between ultracold highly-excited atoms; (4) photo electronics research; (5) nanomechanical characterization of interfaces; (6) high strength and toughness ceramic materials; and (7) silicon nitride nanofibers. The results from these projects will shed light on a variety of fundamental physics and engineering subjects in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and lead to applications in data storage and sensing, energy generation and storage, and biomedical engineering. The use of this instrument will also be incorporated into teaching activities to expose more students to the capabilities of advanced nanofabrication techniques. The addition of this sputtering system into the three institutions will enhance the instrument-sharing infrastructure for research and education in the three institutions; facilitate cross-disciplinary interactions and lead to the realization of previously undiscovered synergies in research at the three institutions; give a diverse group of undergraduate students and graduate students in the three institutions an opportunity to carry out hands-on research in materials science using cutting-edge technology; and provide opportunities for faculty belonging to under-represented minority groups to carry out cutting-edge research, which in turn will attract more women into these research areas. Non-Technical Abstract: Nanostructured materials, with one or more dimensions at the nanoscale, often exhibit new and enhanced properties over their bulk counterparts. Sputtering, a technique for precisely depositing thin layers of materials onto sample surfaces, is one of the most important nanomaterials deposition methods. For example, the giant magnetoresistance effect (2007 Nobel Prize in Physics) was discovered in nanoscale multilayered films fabricated by the sputtering method. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College and Villanova University propose to acquire a customized AJA Orion-8 UHV multi-source sputtering system. The research projects that will be enabled or greatly enhanced by the acquisition of this sputtering system include studies in nanomagnetism, ultracold atomic systems, photo electronics, and nanomechanical engineering. The results from these projects will shed light on a variety of fundamental physics and engineering subjects in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and lead to applications in data storage and sensing, energy generation and storage, and biomedical engineering. The addition of this sputtering system into the diverse and dynamic environment existing in the three institutions will facilitate enhanced cross-disciplinary interactions, give a diverse group of undergraduate students and graduate students in the three institutions an unparalleled opportunity to carry out hands-on research in materials science using cutting-edge technology, and provide opportunities for faculty belonging to under-represented minority groups to carry out cutting-edge research, which in turn will attract more women into these research areas.