Section of technologies and diagnostics of nanostructures

High vacuum precision magnetron machine MPS-4000-C6 (ULVAC Inc., Japan). It is used for the preparation of multilayer nanostructures with metallic and dielectric layers: magnetic metallic superlattices and spin valves with giant magnetoresistive effect, as well as spin-tunnel nanostructures with MgO dielectric. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • 6 direct current magnetrons;
  • 2 magnetrons on high frequency current - in the loading chamber and MgO chamber;
  • Base pressure in the metals chamber 6-10-7 Pa;
  • Substrate holder up to 100 mm with rotation drive 1 - 20 rpm;
  • Substrate heating up to 500°C;
  • Metal sputtering speed 30 - 70 Å/min;
  • MgO dielectric sputtering speed 7 Å/min;
  • Sputtering in a magnetic field of 80 - 110 Å;
  • Computer control of the sputtering process.

Ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy unit "Katun-S". It allows the growth of thin single-crystal metal films and multilayer magnetic nanostructures. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • 5 thermal evaporators (up to 1500°C) with zirconium oxide crucibles;
  • Minimum residual gas pressure of 2-10-8 Pa;
  • Possibility to load several substrates up to 100 mm in diameter;
  • Rotation 1 - 3 rpm of the substrate and heating up to 1000°C;
  • Metal growth rate from thermal sources 1 - 2 Å/min;
  • Computer control of the growth process of multilayer nanostructures;
  • For vaporisation of refractory metals and dielectrics the unit is equipped with Omicron EFM 6 electron beam evaporator.

Automated vibrating magnetometer AVM-1 (IMP Ural Branch of RAS, Ekaterinburg). It is designed to study at room temperature the magnetic characteristics of massive samples, thin magnetic films and multilayer nanostructures.
 
Main characteristics:
  • Permanent magnetic field variation range: ± 19.5 kOe;
  • Magnetic moment measurement limits 10-8 to 10-1 A·m2;
  • Measuring temperature is room temperature;
  • Computer control of the measurement process;
  • Separate insert for measuring the resistance of film samples.

Automated setup RTF-1 (IMP Ural Branch of RAS, Ekaterinburg). It is designed to measure temperature dependences of resistance (on direct current) in a given magnetic field and field dependences of magnetoresistance at a fixed temperature of both massive and film samples. It is possible to measure the volt-ampere characteristics of the sample.
 
Main characteristics:
  • Magnetic field strength variation range: ± 21 kOe;
  • Operating temperature range 15 - 475 K;
  • Stability of maintaining the set temperature 0.005 - 0.5 K;
  • Rotation of the sample relative to the applied magnetic field by an angle of up to 240°;
  • Cooling of the cryostat with liquid helium or liquid nitrogen;
  • Computer control of the measurement process.

Optical profilometer (interferometer) of white light NewView 7300 (ZygoLOT, Germany). The device is designed for non-contact surface examination and thickness determination of film materials. It allows to form 2D and 3D profiles of samples surface and to analyse the obtained images. It is used to study the roughness of opaque substrates and to measure the height of the "step" formed by the sprayed material. The step height measurements are used to determine the sputtering speed of different materials.
 
Main characteristics:
  • Z-axis resolution 0.1 nm;
  • Resolution in XY plane 10 - 20 nm;
  • Lenses with zoom x1, x10, x20, x50, x100;
  • Fields of view from 52-70 µm2 to 5-7 mm2.

Lithography section

Hermetised clean room module for nanospintronics technologies. Used to locate and operate technological, lithographic and analytical equipment. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Sluice block 12.2 m2;
  • Lithography block 43.6 m2 (purity class ISO 7 according to GOST R ISO 14644);
  • Block of molecular beam epitaxy technology 60.3 m2 (cleanliness class ISO 9);
  • Block of complex nanotechnologies 120.5 m2 (cleanliness class ISO 9).
 
 

The Elix 10 Milipore ultrapure water treatment system is designed to produce reagent-grade ultrapure water for use in the lithography cycle. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Specific resistance at 25°C not less than 18 Mohm·cm;
  • Total organic carbon content not more than 30 µg/litre;
  • Silicon removal not less than 99.9 %;
  • Average capacity not less than 200 litres/day.
 
 
 
 

Exposure and alignment setup MJB4 (SUSS Micro Tec., Germany). Designed for UV light illumination of photoresist using masks in the tasks of contact photolithography. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Minimum size of formed objects - 0.5 microns;
  • Minimum sample size - 10x10 mm2;
  • Maximum plate size - 100 mm;
  • Image matching accuracy - 1 micron;
  • The installation is based on an anti-vibration table.​

Sawatec SM 180 laboratory centrifuge (Sawatec Solutions, Liechtenstein). Designed for the application of homogeneous resist films by centrifugation at speeds up to 10'000 rpm. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • The insertable drying module allows the processing of substrates up to 150 mm in diameter;
  • Vacuum or mechanical clamping of the substrate is possible;
  • Controller with the possibility of memorising up to 10 recipes;
  • Complete with lid and bowl made of polyoxymethylene (plastic).

 

Sawatec HP-150 temperature table (Sawatec Solutions, Liechtenstein). The temperature table allows heating plates and substrates with high uniformity. It is used for drying photoresist, drying epoxy coatings, as well as for any other work that requires maintaining a precise heating temperature. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Heating temperature 25 - 250°C;
  • Digital temperature setting and display;
  • Temperature accuracy: +/-1°C per 100°C;
  • Manual loading of the substrate;
  • Vacuum fixation of the substrate in the centre of the table;
  • Substrate size up to 150 mm;
  • Air blowing and vapour extraction to an external exhaust hood;
  • Nitrogen blowing with manual control.

Semi-automatic ultrasonic microwelding unit HB16 ("TPT Wire bonder", Germany). Creation of wire leads or jumpers in microcircuits by ultrasonic resistance welding. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Welding methods: wedge-wedge and ball-wedge;
  • Motorised movement in the Y and Z axes;
  • Ultrasonic power 0 - 5 W;
  • Adjustable unwelding time, ultrasonic power and clamping force;
  • Wire diameter 17 - 75 µm;
  • Automatic wire feeding at an angle of 90°;
  • Tail formation.

Cascade PM5 probe station (Cascade Microtech GmbH, USA). Designed for measurements of electrical properties of spintronic devices and chips on wafers and substrates up to 150 mm in size. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • No magnetic interference to the plate under test;
  • Four styli with 7 micron thick tungsten needles;
  • Colour camera and monitor for real-time visual display of the visible field of view of the microscope and for monitoring stylus movement;
  • Vacuum clamping from 10x10mm2 pieces to 150mm diameter plates;
  • Anti-vibration table.​

DWL66+ maskless laser lithography unit (Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH, Germany). Designed for direct image formation on photoresist using diode laser (405 nm, 300mW). 
 
Main characteristics::
  • Minimum dimensions of formed elements - 0.6 microns;
  • Positioning resolution - 10 nm;
  • Exposure speed - 13 mm2/min;
  • Maximum writing area: 200 x 200 mm2;
  • Minimum substrate size - 10 x 10 mm2;
  • Maximum substrate size - 230 x 230 mm2;
  • Substrate thickness: up to 12 mm;
  • The installation is based on a granite anti-vibration base.

 

 

 

 

Analytical equipment

Inspect F raster scanning electron microscope (FEI Company) with a field autoemission cathode and Raith electron beam lithography system. It is designed for imaging of various objects with magnification exceeding 100'000x, as well as for imaging of micro-objects by means of programmable illumination of the electron resist layer with a focused electron beam. It is additionally equipped with an AMETEK APOLLO energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer with the EDAX GENESIS SPECTRUM system, which enables X-ray microanalysis of massive and film materials from chemical element B to U. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Accelerating voltage from 200 V to 30 kV;
  • Base pressure in the working chamber < 6·10-4 Pa;
  • Resolution in electron lithography mode 0.05 - 0.2 µm.

Table-top metal and carbon sputtering unit Q 150T ES (Quorum Technologies, UK). The unit is designed for vacuum deposition of metal films for lithographic tasks (metallisation of conductive tracks and contact pads), as well as for creation of thin carbon films on the surface of non-conductive samples used in electron microscopic studies. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Pumping system based on turbomolecular pump;
  • Quartz film thickness measurement monitor;
  • Replacement module for magnetron sputtering of metal target;
  • Interchangeable module for thermal atomisation of metals from a boat;
  • Replacement carbon rod vaporisation module.

Automated scanning probe microscope "Solver Next" (produced by NT-MDT CJSC, Russia), designed to determine physical and chemical properties of objects with high spatial resolution using scanning atomic force and tunnelling microscopy techniques. This device is used for characterisation of obtained and investigated nanomaterials and nanostructures (including metallic magnetic films, planar nanostructures, etc.).
 
High spatial resolution:
  • X and Y axes up to 0.3 nm,
  • Z axis 0.02 - 0.03 nm.
 

Automated X-ray diffractometer DRON-3M (Burevestnik, Russia) is designed for a wide range of X-ray diffraction studies of various samples. It is used for X-ray diffraction imaging in small (2θ = 0.2° ÷ 12°) and large angles, as well as texture studies of film samples. 
 
Main characteristics:
  • Co Kα radiation;
  • X-ray tube power up to 2 kW;
  • Accelerating voltage 20 - 50 kV;
  • Tube current 5 - 40 mA.