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University of Minnesota
Site Expertise: Energy and Remote
Processing & Characterization
The node at the
University of
Minnesota is served by The
Nanofabrication
Center (NFC: www.nfc.umn.edu). With an annual budget of approximately 1.9
M$, NFC runs a class
10 clean room with 14 permanent staff. The node is currently planni ng for
a major expansion as part of the planned Experimental Physics and
Nanotechnology
Building. Expected to open in 2012, the new facility
will triple the existing clean room space. NFC hosts a full suite of processing
tools for building micro and nano devices. The lithography section includes three Karl Suss contact printers, a
Canon i-line stepper, and a Raith 150 direct write e-beam system. Etch
capabilities include multiple RIE systems, an inductively coupled plasma
system, a Bosch etcher for high aspect ratio etching in silicon, an ion mill
system, and the typical wet etch stations. These film deposition capabilities include four evaporators, two
sputtering systems, three LPCVD tubes which are used for doped and undoped
poly, conventional and low stress nitride, LTO, PSG, and BPSG. Other thin film tools include an atomic layer
deposition system and a PECVD tool. Thermal processing includes conventional and rapid thermal ovens. Other
specialty systems include wafer bonding (Karl Suss), critical point drying,
photomask generation, plating, sawing, and die bonding.  The
Minnesota node brings two areas of technical excellence to the network: energy and remote
processing and characterization. In the energy area,
Minnesota has developed
an MBE-like system for depositing calchogenides such as CIGS and CZTS. Once completed, this system will be made
available to researchers interested in thin film photovoltaic applications. The second area of specialization at
Minnesota is remote
access. Currently these nodes allow external users access to equipment
and will also run single process steps remotely. Under NNIN, the
Minnesota node will
perform sophisticated fabrication and/or characterization sequences under the
direction of a remote user. Some researchers have processing capability,
but inadequate characterization, or characterization but no fabrication.
For many more, the intellectual content of the research lies not in the
fabrication, but in the design, unique characterization, or use of a
nanostructure.
For further Information contact;
Greg Cibuzar
User Contact
(612)-624-8005
cibuzar@ece.umn.edu
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