This award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program supports the University of Oregon (UO) Eugene with the acquisition of an inductively-coupled plasma reactive ion etching instrument. The instrument will be housed in the semiconductor nanofabrication/characterization facility of the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR) at the UO. The instrument will greatly augment the nanofabrication capabilities at CAMCOR and will play an enabling role in a broad range of research programs at the UO and Oregon State University (OSU). The instrument will enable the fabrication of three-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures and hybrid inorganic semiconductor interfaces for solar energy and energy conversion applications, the fabrication of diamond nanopillars and microdisks for applications in quantum information processing, the development and understanding of the patterning chemistry of inorganic solution-processed films, and the fabrication of metallodielectric structured materials with unique nano-optical properties. The instrument will also be used for the UO Master's internship program in semiconductor devices and photovoltaics. As a part of CAMCOR, the instrument will directly enhance the research and education of a large number of graduate and undergraduate students.
The ability to controllably remove or add material from a surface is important for producing three-dimensional structures with nanometer-scale features. These features are critical for building and studying a variety of advanced materials and devices that are relevant to advancing new energy conversion and computing technologies. The Major Research Instrumentation program provides funds to support the University of Oregon (UO) with the acquisition of an inductively-coupled plasma reactive ion etching instrument. The instrument will provide state-of-the-art capabilities in etching (removing) and deposition (adding) of inorganic materials that are not currently available to researchers at both Oregon State University and the UO. The instrument will be housed in an open-access shared nanofabrication facility, the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR), on the UO campus and thus be professionally maintained and available for use by researchers in academia and industry throughout the region. The UO Master's internship program in semiconductor devices and photovoltaics will incorporate the use of the instrument into its curriculum, so that students entering industry are trained in this important technology.
