Atomic Layer Deposition System (ALD)

• Subject Area: Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
• Term: Funded in 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 568740625

The atomic layer deposition system (ALD) enables high-precision and at the same time very conformal deposition of thin layers (layer thickness range typically 1 nm - 50 nm), with precisely adjusted chemical composition. In particular, high-quality dielectric layers can be deposited uniformly with the same thickness everywhere, even on surfaces with complex topography (e.g., deep trenches). Compared to simpler ALD devices, the ALD system is characterized by the fact that integrated plasma processes are used for optimized layer deposition but can also be used in many ways for plasma treatment of surfaces (e.g., precise etching back of layers). Optional equipment with in-situ analytics (ellipsometer for layer thickness measurement) is prepared on the system side. The system is embedded in the Central Electronics and Information Technology Laboratory (ZEITlab) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The ZEITlab is an organizational unit of the School of Computation, Information and Technology (SoCIT). Since 2022, it has been housed in the new TUM Electrical Engineering and Information Technology building on the Garching campus. The center consists of a clean room with an area of 950 m² and associated characterization laboratories. Its vision is to establish a "makerspace for microelectronics prototypes" that supports a wide range of research areas as a broad-based technology center of SoCIT. In the ZEITlab, proof-of-concept demonstrators in the field of electronics and sensor technology are realized on the basis of modern materials and components and made available for various fields of application. This type of "rapid prototyping" uses innovative processing and characterization technologies and is systematically supplemented by circuit design and modelling. ZEITlab provides a central and shared access to micro- and nanofabrication for a large number of research groups working on topics such as quantum and sensor technologies, micro-, opto-, and neuroelectronics, as well as hybrid nanosystems. The bundled infrastructure, therefore, enables an efficient transfer of technologies from basic research to engineering issues and applications.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Atomic Layer Deposition System
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Markus Becherer