LabAdviser/Technology Research/Nanoscale characterization of ultra-thin metal films for nanofabrication applications: Difference between revisions
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==Project Description== | ==Project Description== | ||
The aim of this Ph.D. project is to obtain a deeper understanding of the interaction at the nanoscale level between ultra-thin metal films used in micro/nanofabrication, exploiting the unique capabilities of thin-film fabrication and characterization offered by the combination of the DTU Danchip/Cen facilities. | |||
With the constant miniaturization of the devices and the fabrication of increasingly complex multi-material structures, the interaction between different ultra-thin layers has gained considerable importance in the field of thin-film science and technology in recent years. Therefore the characterization of such interactions in a wide range of temperatures and the description of their impact on the chemical composition, morphology and distribution of crystallographic orientations of multilayer thin-films is of utmost importance. | |||
The project focuses in particular on the description of the interaction between noble metal films, widely used in different areas of micro- and nanofabrication, and extremely thin films of reactive transition metals, used to enhance adhesion onto the substrate - and thus referred as ``adhesion layers". Different material and multilayer combinations are investigated; particular emphasis is placed on the description and use of the recently developed transmission Kikuchi diffraction technique for the in-situ study of thin-film nanostructure evolution with changing chemical composition and temperature. | |||
Metal thin films have reached very high importance in several technology branches, ranging from semiconductor industry to production of substrates for graphene growth, to photonics and photovoltaics applications, to catalysis purposes, to diffusion barrier coatings. | Metal thin films have reached very high importance in several technology branches, ranging from semiconductor industry to production of substrates for graphene growth, to photonics and photovoltaics applications, to catalysis purposes, to diffusion barrier coatings. | ||
Between them an extremely important role is played by adhesion layers, permitting uniform deposition of films over substrates of completely different materials. | Between them an extremely important role is played by adhesion layers, permitting uniform deposition of films over substrates of completely different materials. | ||