The purpose of this project is to provide the equipment necessary to upgrade the undergraduate Surface Physics Laboratory. A pilot surface physics program, concentrating on sputtering, has been successful. One of the accomplishments of the current program has been the development of collaborations (research and student internships) with local semiconductor companies. The new equipment enables the department to build on current successes and develop new courses covering a broader area of surface physics. This program is providing unique opportunities for students to acquire summer internships and permanent employment in positions requiring knowledge and laboratory experience in vacuum technology, sputtering, and thin films. A UHV chamber and magnetron sputtering system are being used to deposit films. A quartz crystal microbalance is being used to control film thickness. Four-point probe resistivity measurements, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy are being used to characterize the films.
