DCA has received a record number of new MBE system orders

DCA's push for new epitaxial techniques has resulted in several new orders from leading laboratories around the world:

- New South Wales University in Australia has placed an order for M600 oxide MBE system.

- Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany has ordered two M600 oxide MBE systems combined with surface analysis systems.

- Paul Drude Institute in Berlin, Germany has selected DCA's P600 MBE system for III-nitrides growth.

These new orders combined with the existing order stock will make 2010 a record year for DCA Instruments.

For further information please e-mail Jari Vanhatalo (jari.vanhatalo@dca.fi).

Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CIGS) Cluster Tool delivered to NREL

DCA Instruments has completed the installation of a unique UHV cluster tool based deposition and analysis system at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado.

The Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CIGS) cluster tool was delivered to the NREL Process Development and Integration Laboratory. The system provides powerful capabilities with integrated chambers for depositing, processing, measuring, and characterizing photovoltaic materials and devices.

The UHV cluster tool system includes:

- UHV evaporation and deposition system based on P1000 growth chamber for CIGS and other chalcogenide compounds
- RF sputtering chamber for transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) such as
i-ZnO, n-ZnO, ITO, and others
- RF sputtering chamber for CdS and other "window" materials such as ZnS and InS
- DC sputtering chamber for back contacts such as Mo, Cr, and Na precursors and other back-contact metals
- Auger analysis chamber
- UHV cluster tool chamber with central robot
- Load lock chamber

For further information please visit
the NREL WEB site here.

Phosphorus Effusion Cell Arrangement and Method for Producing Molecular Phosphorus

EP 1769106

The European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a patent for DCA's new advanced valved cracker technology for phosphorus. The new phosphorus cracker features a removable tank for red phosphorus. The new design eliminates flux stability problems and minimizes contamination during source refilling. The source allows refilling of the red phosphorus tank without venting the white phosphorus zone of the cracker.

Earlier in 2008, a patent was granted for the phosphorus valved cracker in China.

Ozone Delivery System

DCA Instruments has developed a new high performance Ozone delivery system. The system provides safe and efficient high purity Ozone delivery for oxide MBE growth.

The Ozone Delivery system is retrofittable to most MBE systems including Veeco and Riber machines. The DCA system is in use in leading oxide MBE laboratories including Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNL).

For further information please e-mail info@dca.fi.

New 4x4" MBE System

We have expanded our MBE system range with a new cluster tool type MBE system for III-V epitaxy. The P1000 system is a fully automated multiwafer production system. The system is designed for high-volume production of epiwafers used in electronic and optoelectronic device fabrication. The design allows two growth chambers to be connected to the cluster tool to increase throughput.

Additional modules for substrate preparation
can also be connected to the cluster tool.

The growth chamber is designed for easy
and fast cryo panel clean-up. The source
flange can be lowered on a movable trolley
giving excellent access to the source flange
cryo panel and to the main cryopanel.

The growth chamber is also available in a
GaN configuration either using a 4x4" platen
or single 200 mm Si substrate. The chamber
has twelve source ports for high capacity
effusion cells and valved crackers.

Laser Heated Sample Manipulator

It is difficult to reach very high sample temperatures at oxidizing environment using conventional resistive heaters. The new laser heating system provides an optimal solution to this problem. The system consists of a heavy duty manipulator with XYZ-stage, azimuthal sample rotation, sample stage for up to 15 mm x 15 mm sample, 140 W diode laser and focusing optics. The laser beam is focused through a window onto the sample backside. Therefore only the sample is heated leaving other sample stage construction materials relatively cool. The laser heated sample manipulator is UHV compatible and can be used with a RHEED system.

Depending on the sample size and material, temperatures up to 1,500 ^oC can be reached. A pyrometer can be integrated into the optical set-up allowing temperature measurement from the backside of the sample. The samples are attached to sample holders which can be loaded through a load locked system.

Advances in Oxide Epitaxy

Oxide MBE system order from ANL

DCA’s leading position in the oxide MBE field was further strengthened by an order from Argonne National Laboratory (IL, USA) for an oxide MBE system. The research team lead by Dr. Anand Bhattcharya and Dr. Stephen Streiffer at the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory will use the unique ozone assisted MBE system for the growth of a range of complex oxides. The MBE system is highly customized version of the DCA R450 MBE and includes ten differentially pumped effusion cells and an e-gun allowing a very wide range of material combinations to be studied.

200 mm oxide MBE installation completed at IBM

DCA has extended the ET4US installation at IBM Research Laboratories in Ruschlikon, Switzerland with an additional oxide MBE growth chamber. The new growth chamber is optimized for 200 mm wafer size. The system includes extensive substrate preparation facilities and a fully automated wafer transfer system based on a UHV robotic wafer handler.

New tools for oxide epi

DCA's strong commitment to advance oxide epitaxy continues with new product development. DCA has recently introduced a laser heating system option for sample manipulators. This allows very high temperature deposition (up to 1400 ^oC) at high oxygen partial pressures.

Work is also going on to develop a completely new ozone delivery system which will include extensive safety automation and fully automated performance.

The new ozone delivery system will be available as a retrofit system to existing MBE systems during summer 2007.