Acquisition of an MOVPE System for Electronic Materials Research and Education

0076312

Redwing

This award provides partial support for the acquisition of a metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) system at Penn State University for the epitaxial growth of aluminum-gallium-indium nitride (Al,Ga,In)N alloys. The MOVPE system is designed to facilitate a combination of fundamental studies of transport, growth chemistry, nucleation and thin film stress evolution within the context of a small-scale production MOVPE tool. The MOVPE reactor is custom designed to incorporate an in-situ optical stress measurement system for real time measurement of sample curvature and growth rate. The instrument will permit controlled mixing of Group III and V sources to enable a study of homogenous chemistry effects on film properties. The facility will significantly enhance research and educational opportunities in electronic and photonic materials at Penn State. It will provide an interdisciplinary resource for the education and training of graduate and undergraduate students from Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and the Intercollege Graduate Research Program in Materials. The epitaxial growth facility will be used to develop class activities and problem sets for undergraduate and graduate courses on electronic and photonic materials fabrication and characterization and semiconductor crystal growth.

This award provides partial support for the acquisition of a metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) system at Penn State University. The equipment is designed to facilitate a combination of fundamental growth studies within the context of a small-scale production MOVPE tool. It will enable in-situ measurements of thin film stress and growth rate using high-resolution laser reflectometry. The MOVPE facility will significantly enhance research and educational opportunities in electronic and photonic materials at Penn State. It will provide an interdisciplinary resource for education and training of graduate and undergraduate students from Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and the Intercollege Graduate Research Program in Materials. The epitaxial growth facility will be used to develop class activities and problem sets for undergraduate and graduate courses on electronic and photonic materials fabrication and characterization and semiconductor crystal growth.