Project Details
Projekt
Multimaterial coating centre
Subject Area
Materials Engineering
Term
Funded in 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 566347064
The multi-material coating centre based on ALD technology offers the possibility of producing dielectric, conductive and semi-conductive coatings with high density, purity and low porosity. The process is based on the precursor and the reactive gas being applied to the substrate in separate, sequential phases, with rinsing taking place after each phase. This leads to a high layer quality and excellent controllability of the layer thicknesses. In addition to the thermal ALD process, the system also offers the option of plasma ALD, which enables precise control of the deposition processes. The mixed operation mode within a recipe is particularly noteworthy. This means that it is possible, for example, to start with thermal Al2O3 on sensitive substrates and interfaces and then continue with plasma ALD for optimized material properties. This allows flexible and customized adaptation of processes to specific requirements. In addition, the system offers extensive process capabilities, including a variety of precursor options to meet the needs and requirements of different research projects. Fast pressure control (in terms of opening and closing time during the ALD cycle) is designed to ensure efficient utilization of the precursor and rapid saturation through high pressure, as well as rapid removal of reaction products through the ALD cycle. These features help to maximize the efficiency and quality of depositions. Another important feature is the extensive modularity, which includes support for liquid and solid precursors and a temperature range of 30-200°C. In-situ diagnostics enable real-time data logging, ensuring continuous process monitoring and optimization. Especially in plasma ALD, additional parameters such as plasma power, pressure and reactant flow rate allow greater flexibility in optimizing film properties. Furthermore, the film properties in plasma ALD can be further improved by applying a bias voltage to the substrate during deposition. By adjusting this voltage, the energy of the ions generated in the plasma can be regulated to optimize properties such as refractive index, conductivity, crystallinity and stresses. The procurement of the multi-material coating center is essential for the further development of our research work in the fields of microsystems and Q-MOEMS. The technical properties described ensure high conformity and quality of the deposits, even at low process temperatures, as well as a long service life and efficiency of the systems, enabling us to effectively achieve our research goals.
DFG Programme
Major Research Instrumentation
Major Instrumentation
Multimaterial-Beschichtungszentrum
Instrumentation Group
8330 Vakuumbedampfungsanlagen und -präparieranlagen für Elektronenmikroskopie
Applicant Institution
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
