Center For Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Planned Capabilities of the CNSE Nanofabrication Facility

November 13, 2007

The UCR Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Nanofabrication Facility (CNSENF) has been designed to enhance the research capabilities of a diverse set of researchers engaged in multidisciplinary nanotechnology research. The laboratory space occupies approximately 2,000 sq. ft. and includes the environmental controls necessary to provide clean areas of Class 1,000 and Class 100 specifications. The tools described in this overview are located within this controlled environment and provide the committed users a convenient, safe and technologically advanced laboratory within which to conduct research in Nanoscale science and engineering.

The majority of the research within the CNSEF involves fundamental materials investigation in the areas of silicon-based CMOS, FET transistors and MEMS devices or variants of these devices with novel materials and process sequences. These samples and experimental substrates form the basic platform for research that may take any form or direction. In addition, the facility includes Electron Beam lithography and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) instruments that provide state-of-the-art nanofabrication capabilities - the FIB is located outside the clean room envelope to facilitate access by a variety of researchers

Fabrication Processes

Some of the fabrication process steps required to perfom this research include the standard suite of capabilities available in clean room operations: Surface preparation, Thermal gate oxidation, Low Pressure and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition, Photolithography and associated wet chemical processing, Electron-beam Pattern Generation, Reactive Ion Etching, Plasma Etching, Thermal and Electron-beam Evaporation of various metals and materials, Metal Sputtering and Rapid Thermal Annealing.

Metrology Capabilities

The processes and research capabilities also require a suite of metrology tools with material and surface analysis capability that includes: Oxide metrology for oxide/nitride measurements, Thin-film profiling for photo resist and metal layer thickness, C/V Stress measurement to ensure gate oxide process integrity, I/V Probe for electrical parametric control and standard Optical Microscopes for surface inspection. The Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis (CFAMM) is located adjacent to CNSENF, and maintains instrumentation for the microscopic characterization of organic and inorganic materials, biological tissue and minerals by the application of electron beam techniques.


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Table: The Initial Tool Set >> Planned Capabilities of the CNSE Nanofabrication Facility November 13, 2007 The UCR Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Nanofabrication Facility (CNSENF) has been designed to enhance the research capabilities of a diverse set of researchers engaged in multidisciplinary nanotechnology research. The laboratory space occupies approximately 2,000 sq. ft. and includes the environmental controls necessary to provide clean areas of Class 1,000 and Class 100 specifications. The tools described in this overview are located within this controlled environment and provide the committed users a convenient, safe and technologically advanced laboratory within which to conduct research in Nanoscale science and engineering. The majority of the research within the CNSEF involves fundamental materials investigation in the areas of silicon-based CMOS, FET transistors and MEMS devices or variants of these devices with novel materials and process sequences. These samples and experimental substrates form the basic platform for research that may take any form or direction. In addition, the facility includes Electron Beam lithography and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) instruments that provide state-of-the-art nanofabrication capabilities - the FIB is located outside the clean room envelope to facilitate access by a variety of researchers Fabrication Processes Some of the fabrication process steps required to perfom this research include the standard suite of capabilities available in clean room operations: Surface preparation, Thermal gate oxidation, Low Pressure and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition, Photolithography and associated wet chemical processing, Electron-beam Pattern Generation, Reactive Ion Etching, Plasma Etching, Thermal and Electron-beam Evaporation of various metals and materials, Metal Sputtering and Rapid Thermal Annealing. Metrology Capabilities The processes and research capabilities also require a suite of metrology tools with material and surface analysis capability that includes: Oxide metrology for oxide/nitride measurements, Thin-film profiling for photo resist and metal layer thickness, C/V Stress measurement to ensure gate oxide process integrity, I/V Probe for electrical parametric control and standard Optical Microscopes for surface inspection. The Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis (CFAMM) is located adjacent to CNSENF, and maintains instrumentation for the microscopic characterization of organic and inorganic materials, biological tissue and minerals by the application of electron beam techniques.
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