Inert atmosphere Cluster Tool (GboxClust)

Inert atmosphere Cluster Tool

Glovebox transfer and Characterization

Description of Instrument: 

The 2DCC Inert Atmosphere Cluster Tool enables the fabrication and characterization of air-sensitive van der Waals heterostructures and devices. It consists of three major pieces of instrumentation housed in two conjoined, argon gas-filled gloveboxes. The tool features a state-of-the-art transfer stage from HQ Graphene, an atomic force microscope from Asylum Research (MFP-3D Origin+) and a customized two-glovebox system from M. Braun, Inc, with integrated physical vapor deposition capabilities from Island e-Beam.

Capabilities: 

The two-box cluster: (GboxClust)

Process air-sensitive van der Waals materials and thin films inside the glovebox

  • Custom stands and mechanical connections to minimize vibration
  • Filled with argon gas with oxygen < 0.1 PPM, water < 0.1 PPM
  • Sample transfer through a vacuum suitcase
  • Exfoliation area
  • Hot plate

 

2D transfer stage (GBox-TRS):

Precise transfer stacking of air-sensitive van der Waals heterostructures

  • Fully motorized, compute-controlled transfer
  • 9 Degrees of Freedom: sample stage x/y/z/rotate, mask x/y/rotate/tilt, focus
  • Precise translational motion control < 1µm
  • Rotational motion with 0.01° precision
  • 6 Objectives with darkfield mode: 2X, 10X, 20X, 40X, 50X, 100X (3mm working distance)
  • PID-controlled heating and cooling of the sample stage, with a maximum stage temperature of 200℃

 

Atomic Force Microscopy (GBox-AFM2):

AFM characterization of air-sensitive van der Waals materials and thin films

  • Accommodate large samples, up to 80mm diameter and up to 10mm thick
  • Modes: topography, KPFM, EFM, conductive AFM
  • Noise level < 0.2 nm

Built-in E-beam Evaporator (GBox-EVA):

In-situ physical vapor deposition of contacts for air-sensitive samples, and lithography-free device fabrication with stencil mask

  • Vacuum: as low as 5E-7 mbar (4E-7 Torr, 5E-5 Pa)
  • Up to 4 crucibles
  • Source materials: metals (Au, Ti, Cr, Al) and oxides (Al2O3)

Publications: None 

Technical Contacts: 

     
Jun Zhu   Yangyang Chen  Carlton Drew 
Professor- Physics  Postdoctoral Scholar  Graduate Student 
Email Address: jxz26@psu.edu  yuc552@psu.edu cvd5506@psu.edu