Oxford Instruments
has just won an order for 6 systems to equip the Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), California, USA, a DOE user facility
for nanoscience and a centre of excellence in scientific research. The Oxford
Instruments systems ordered comprise 6 tools – 3 ICP Plasma etch systems,
2 Plasmalab®80Plus tools, and a FlexAL® atomic layer deposition tool.
The systems will enable users at the Molecular Foundry to utilise plasma based
etching and deposition to pursue pioneering research in nanoscience. The ICP
systems and FlexAL will have new capabilities tailored to Berkeley Lab’s
specific research requirements.
Silicon Wires etched using an Oxford ICP 380 10 nm, 20:1 aspect ratio.
The Molecular Foundry is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national user facility
charged with providing support to nanoscience researchers in academic, government
and industrial laboratories around the world. It also provides users with instruments,
techniques and collaborators to enhance their studies of the synthesis, characterisation
and theory of nanoscale materials.
As a leading provider of high technology tools and systems, Oxford Instruments
Plasma Technology (OIPT) is involved in a long term collaboration with the prestigious
LBNL research institute. The collaboration includes OIPT’s funding of
a Post doctoral fellow at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, looking specifically
at advanced process control for nanoetching, and demonstrating OIPT’s
continuing involvement in scientific research.
The Oxford systems will enable the Molecular Foundry in areas such as etching
of micro and nano-scale silicon features with ultra-smooth sidewalls, pattern
transfer of sub-20 nm features and beyond, plasma etching for nanoimprint lithography
templates and printing, and sub-nanometer control of conformal film deposition.
Mark Vosloo, Sales Director for Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology comments,
“We are delighted to receive this order from such a prestigious established
customer, which underlines the importance we place on providing market-leading
process technologies.”