News
- December 2021
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LASER heating system running!
Successful commissioning of the laser heating for one-sided high-temperature coating: The figure illustrates the low-weight substrate holder with built-in Si (111) substrate. Depending on the setting (selected power), the silicon glows differently (red-orange-yellow).
- October 2021
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Beam profile analysis by Faraday-Cup array!
Measurement of the ion beam profiles of the primary beam (see exemplary pictures in (a) and (b)) while operating with argon. The current measurement was carried out by recording the ion current by means of an array of eight Faraday cups. One can clearly observe the different focusing / the different beam divergence, when the ion source is operated with different extraction voltages or rf supply.
- August 2021
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Software control in Alpha-Version!
Final work on the alpha version of process automation. Operation of all supply electronics as well as monitoring of the safety systems are now carried out automatically via a PC control.
- May 2021
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Duplex sputter growth!
First deposition attempts by means of simultaneous bombardment of two material targets with anti-parallel ion beams (left). The material systems MgO and ZrO2 were chosen as a case study. The resulting coating on both sides of the substrate enables the formation of stress-free optical coatings. Evidence of the successful coating of the substrate with MgOx or ZrOx was provided by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) (right). A slight cross-contamination may be caused the not finally optimized process geometry.
- March 2021
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Material gradients established!
First deposition attempts by means of simultaneous bombardment of two material targets with parallel ion beams (left). The material systems MgO and ZnO were chosen as a case study. The resulting combinatorial coating of the substrate enables the formation of material gradients. Evidence of the successful coating of the substrate with ZnMgO was provided by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) (right).
- November 2020
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First successful operation of four ion sources!
After further optimization of the process geometry, two more ion
sources could be put into operation. Sequential and simultaneous
operation of up to four ion sources is thus established.
- October 2020
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First successful operation with two ion sources!
After successfully optimizing the gas inlet and control electronics,
two ion sources could be put into operation and were operated both
sequentially and simultaneously. In addition to pure argon plasmas,
gas mixtures such as argon-oxygen (left) and argon-nitrogen (right)
were used."
- September 2020
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First results with the 2DIBS method!
After the leak-tests of the process and loading chambers, a first ion beam source could be put into operation. With the compact radio frequency generators integrated at the ion beam source, an argon plasma was tested over a wide range of parameters in the 2DIBS facility in order to verify the values previously determined ex-situ. At the same time, the design and performance of the pumping system was confirmed.
