Metal-Organic Molecular Beam Epitaxy cluster (MO-MBE) for functional oxides

Contacts : Davide Cammilleri and Thomas Maroutian  

 

New UHV system from DCA Instruments was delivered in March 2024 for the growth of oxides by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using metallic and metalorganic sources (also referred to as hybrid MBE).

The hybrid MBE approach is essential to access a desorption-controlled growth window for ternary oxides, significantly reducing the need for precise control over atomic fluxes, which is typically required in standard oxide MBE.

It will enable the growth of high-quality oxide layers with improved control over interfaces and better reproducibility compared to pulsed laser deposition (PLD), on larger substrates (up to 2 inches in diameter).

 

The system is equipped with a wide range of sources:

• 7 effusion cells with differential pumping:
• 3 low-temperature cells
• 2 high-temperature cells
• 2 standard dual-filament cells
• 3 metalorganic injectors for liquid sources
• 1 RF atomic oxygen source
• 1 ozone injector (supplied by a pure ozone generator from MEIDEN)
• 1 e-gun evaporator (4 pockets)

 

Characterization tools include:

• RHEED for growth monitoring
• QCM and BFM for flux calibration
• Mass spectrometer for residual pressure analysis