Thin Film Laboratory

Ploycrystalline superlattice formed of alternating layers of TiN and NbN on an M-2 steel substrate.

Research in this laboratory involves thin film deposition, specifically in the areas of hard coatings, superlattice structures, and semiconductors. A five year NSF National Young Investigator project focuses on the development of new thin film materials for tribological applications, including deposition and analysis of novel multi-layer and superlattice structures. With Dr. Hendrick Viljoen in Chemical Engineering at UNL, a project is underway to evaluate the potential of using ZnO and other thin film sensor materials to create composites with self-diagnostic capabilities. In collaboration with other researchers studying nanostructured materials, an NSF/EPSCOR project is investigating the potential of using a femtosecond pulsed laser to deposit nanostructured thin films with novel mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties.

The laboratory's facilities include a unique ultra-high vaccum, dual-cathode unbalanced magnetron sputtering system, as well as the necessary substrate and TEM sample preparation equipment. This sputtering system can be used to coat parts as large as 6 inches in diameter and 6 inches high, and its ultra-high vacuum environment aids greatly studying the processes of thin film nucleation and growth in-situ. In addition, a number of specialized analytical instruments are available for characterization of the deposition process and evaluation of thin films: an Auger electron spectrometer, a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, a quadrapole mass spectrometer, and a unique scratch adhesion/tribotester.

The thin films research group currently receives funding from a variety of sources ranging from governmental organizations, such as the National Science Foundation and NATO, to independent corporations involved in magnetron design and thin films research, such as Materials Science, Inc., CA; Ion Coat, Ltd., the United Kingdom; and the J.A. Woolam Co., NE.

Suzanne L. Rohde, Facility Supervisor