Leading Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) systems manufacturer Picosun
Oy, Finland, won public tender to deliver state-of-the-art ALD system to
the University of Lund, Sweden. SUNALE(TM) R-100 ALD reactor has now been installed.
The phase of acceptance tests was carried out in a record time of five days
only.
The evaluation group, set up by the Division of Solid State Physics, Faculty
of Engineering of the University of Lund, praises the technical specifications
of the Picosun SUNALE(TM) R-100 ALD reactor. The design of the reaction chamber,
and gas system were deemed to be advantageous. Separate gas inlets may reduce
cross-contamination; easily removable hot-wall reaction chamber, three-way valves
for gas lines, and other such innovations in the design of R-100 were noted
as winning features by the evaluation group.
An important novelty in Picosun’s design was the integration of the ALD
system with a glove box to enable handling samples in oxygen- and water-free
atmosphere, an important precondition allowing the creation of high-quality
interfaces on, e.g. III-V materials. “This special feature together with
good technical concept of the ALD machine was clearly a decisive factor in our
decision making process,” says Dr. Ivan Maximov of Lund University.
“Besides, the SUNALE R-100 machine has an automatic lift arm and software
with a touch screen interface, which simplify operation of the system. The system
from Picosun Oy offers technically more favorable solution,” the evaluation
group states in their final award document.
Also, in terms of cost/quality/performance, the Picosun package offered most
to the experts in Lund.
The University of Lund is one of the most ancient universities in Europe. In
the year of its foundation, 1666, it was the fourth in the then empire of Sweden,
preceded only by the universities of Uppsala (1477), University of Tartu (1632,
in today’s Estonia), and the University of Åbo (1640, today in Helsinki,
Finland). The University of Lund, with its 40,000 students and 6,000 staff is
consistently evaluated as one of the best 100 universities in the world.
Picosun, the Swedish ALD science community plus ALD experts from other European
countries will meet at the Baltic ALD 2009 conference at the Ångström
Laboratory of the University of Uppsala 15 – 16 June 2009.
Picosun develops and manufactures Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) reactors for
micro- and nanotechnology applications. Picosun represents continuity to over
three decades of ALD reactor manufacturing in Finland. Picosun is based in Espoo,
Finland and has its US headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. SUNALE(TM) ALD process
tools are installed in various universities, research institutes and companies
across Europe, USA and Asia.
Dr Tuomo Suntola, inventor of ALD technology, is Member of the Board of Directors
of Picosun. World’s most experienced ALD reactor designer Sven Lindfors
is Picosun’s Chief Technology Officer and one of the founders of the company.
Picosun Oy is a part of Stephen Industries Inc Oy.