Fabrication Technology for Oxide Film Heterostructure Devices

In this STTR program, Structured Materials Industries, Inc. (SMI) and our STTR partners will develop commercially viable fabrication technology for oxide heterostructure based nano electronic devices.  Oxide heterostructure devices, consisting of a polar oxide such as LaAlO3 and a non-polar oxide such as SrTiO3, offer a novel route to nano devices.  Although the initial concepts for 2 DEG oxide heterostructures have been demonstrated, the critical fabrication technology to build these devices at nanometer dimensions is still needed.  This STTR will address this critical need, and develop film deposition technology for high-quality, crystalline polar oxide films, with mono-layer thickness control.  Although the primary program emphasis will be on film deposition, we will also address issues for patterning and contact formation, as enabling technology to demonstrate fully functional prototypes in Phase II. BENEFIT: Oxide heterostructures offer the potential for nanoscale devices for both logic and memory applications.  The advantages include high information density, high speed and low power requirements, due to the small device dimensions, and inherent radiation hardness, since no charge storage is involved.  In Phase III, SMI will implement the oxide heterostructure based memory devices in applications of value to the Air Force.  SMI will also commercialize the technology resulting from this STTR program for a wide range of other military, commercial, scientific and space applications.)