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The development of equipment for the fabrication of thin film superconductor and nano structures

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The nano-age is more about the mesoscopic phenomena, than those occurring at molecular
and atomic level, which have been studied by chemists and physicists for more
than a hundred years. Nanotechnology is currently one of the most active fields being
explored in many different disciplines by many scientists across the world. In this
research field, it is imperative to continually create more effective and superior methods
to build smaller and smaller electronic devices, circuits and sensors. Technology
is being improved continually and, specifcally at our university, there was a need to
improve our device manufacturing facility. The aim of this work was to create a new
sputtering system, build a dry etching system and to make modifications to upgrade
existing equipment. This work has been done to produce nano structures or devices
and, most importantly, to save costs.
New systems and equipment have been built to keep up with the progress in this field.
In order to understand the significance of the different types of equipment used in
the fabrication of thin film superconductor layers, an overview will be given of the
complete process of manufacturing a patterned Josephson junction. The apparatus
used will be described and critically analyzed, whereby the shortfalls in design will be
highlighted and improvements shown. Some of the equipment, such as the plasma laser
deposition system, the lithography system and the test facility existed before and has
been modified. Newly designed systems were built to further improve the quality of
our thin film superconductors; these include the inverted cylindrical magnetron (ICM)
sputtering system, the argon ion mill and the incandescent substrate heater.
Finally, the results of the improved thin films and structures will be shown. To summarize:
The entire process was analyzed and upgraded, resulting in an improved device
manufacturing facility. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die nano-era het aangebreek en nanotegnologie is tans een van die mees aktiewe en diverse
navorsingsvelde wat wetenskaplikes wêreldwyd ontgin - hoofsaaklik as gevolg van
nuwe verskynsels op molekulêre en atomiese vlak. In die nanotegnologie-navorsingsveld
is die vereiste dat daar voortdurend meer effektiewe metodes gevind moet word om die
al hoe meer miniatuurwordende elektroniese meganismes met verbeterde energieverbruik,
spoed en ruimtebesparende vermoëns tot stand te bring.
Dit is duidelik dat in hierdie toonaangewende navorsingsveld, waar tegnologiese ontwikkeling
voorturend en snelgroeiend is, dit dikwels vinniger is om reeds bestaande
toerusting aan te pas en te moderniseer ten einde in pas te bly met nuutontwikkelde
en ontwikkelende tegnologieë. Die doel van die werk verrig, wat hier beskryf word, was
om 'n nuwe deponeerstelsel, sowel as 'n droogets stelsel te bou. Bestaande apparaat is
opgradeer deur verandering aan te bring. Die uiteintelikke doel is die vervaarding van
beter nano-strukture, en terselfde tyd om kostes te bespaar.
Nuwe stelsels en toerusting is gebou om tred te hou met tegnologiese vooruitgang. Om
die belangrikheid van die verskillende tipes toerusting wat in die vervaardiging van
dunlaag- supergeleierlae gebruik word te verstaan, sal 'n oorsig van die volledige vervaardigingsproses
van 'n Josephson-patroon gegee word. Die apparaat wat gebruik is,
sal beskryf en krities ontleed word en die tekorte in ontwerp sal uitgelig word, terwyl
verbeterings aangetoon sal word. Sommige van die toerusting het voorheen bestaan
en is aangepas, byvoorbeeld die plasmalaser-neerleggingstelsel, die litografiestelsel en
die toetsfasiliteit. Nuwe ontwerpstelsels is gebou om die gehalte van ons dunlaagsupergeleiers
verder te verbeter. Dit sluit die silindriese plasma deponeer stelsel, die
Argon-ioon bron en die substraatverwarmer in.
In hierdie tesis word daar eerstens 'n oorsig gegee van die totstandkomingsproses van
'n supergeleier kwantum-interfensiemeganisme, beginnende met dunlaagneerslag van
YBCO (Yttrium, Barium en Koperoksied). Die oorsig word gevolg deur 'n stap-virstap
beskrywing van elke daaropvolgende proses wat lei tot die voltooiing van die
meganisme. Daarna word die toetsprosedure van die dunlaag en instrumente verduidelik.
Bykomende veranderinge wat aan bestaande instrumente aangebring is (ten einde
die dunfilmlae te verbeter en die toetsfasiliteit op te gradeer) word ook bespreek.
Daar sal ook verwys word na artikels wat in verskeie joernale verskyn het oor die
vernuwende aanpassings en sisteme wat in hierdie tesis verduidelik word. Ten slotte
sal die resultate van die verbeterde dunlae en strukture getoon word. Kortom: die hele
proses is ontleed en opgegradeer om 'n verbeterde apparaatvervaardigingsfasiliteit tot
gevolg te hê.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6595
Date03 1900
CreatorsButtner, Ulrich
ContributorsPerold, W. J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format104 p. : ill.
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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