GAS JET DEPOSITION OF MULTICOMPONENT ULTRAFINE MICROSTRUCTURES

THE POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF MULTICOMPONENT ULTRAFINE MICROSTRUCTURES MAKES IT ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOP METHODS OF FORMATION WHICH PERMIT BOTH HIGHER GROWTH RATES AND IMPROVED CONTROL OVER MATERIAL PROPERTIES. WE PROPOSE A NEW TECHNIQUE, "GAS JET DEPOSITION", THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE THESE CAPABILITIES AND OTHER ADVANTAGES OVER ESTABLISHED METHODS. IN THIS TECHNIQUE, DEPOSITING ATOMS, MOLECULES OR CLUSTERS ARE "SEEDED" INTO A FREE JET WHICH IS DIRECTED AT A SUBSTRATE IN A "HIGH" BACKGROUND PRESSURE. THE DEPOSITION RATES CAN BE EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE. DESPITE THE HIGH PRESSURE, THEIMPACT ENERGY OF THE DEPOSITING SPECIES CAN BE VARIED OVER MANY ELECTRON VOLTS TO INFLUENCE DEPOSIT PROPERTIES. VIRTUALLY ANY METAL, SEMICONDUCTOR, OR INSULATOR CAN BE EFFICIENTLY DEPOSITED. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FEATURES IN ONE METHOD MAKES GAS JET DEPOSITION A POTENTIALLY POWERFUL AND COMMERCIALLY ATTRACTIVE APPROACH TO PRODUCTION OF BOTH MULTILAYER AND CLUSTER/MATRIX STRUCTURES. IN PHASE I WE WILL DEMONSTRATE AND EVALUATE ITS ABILITY TO DEPOSIT BOTH TYPES OF ULTRAFINE STRUCTURES AT HIGH RATE. IN PHASE II WE WILL SYSTEMATICALLY DEVELOP THESE CAPABILITIES INTO A VIABLE, INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY.