Inert atmosphere Cluster Tool

Glovebox transfer and Characterization

Inert atmosphere Cluster Tool with the 2D transfer stage pictured above, more components to arrive soon

Description of Instrument: 

The 2DCC Inert Atmosphere Cluster Tool enables the Glovebox Cluster Tool 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.

Capabilities: 

The two-box cluster (to be installed):

  • Custom stands and mechanical connections to minimize vibration;
  • Integrated vacuum chamber and e-beam evaporation with 4 sources

2D transfer stage:

  • 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 (to be installed):

  • Accommodate large samples, up to 80mm diameter and up to 10mm thick.
  • ORCA cantilever holder for conductive AFM measurements
  • Customized for operations inside a glovebox

Current Process Capabilities:

Exfoliation and precise transfer stacking of van der Waals heterostructures (x, y, z, twist) in the ambient environment

To Arrive Soon

  • Processing and transfer of air-sensitive van der Waals materials and thin films inside the glovebox
  • AFM characterization (topography, KPFM, EFM, conductive AFM)
  • In-situ physical vapor deposition of metals (Au, Pt, Ti) and oxides (Al2O3)

 

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