Ion Assisted Deposition

Our test and process team is putting one of our Nexdep PVD platforms through its paces to be ready for its final home in a Russian lab. The E-beam system is equipped with an Ion source (left photo) which will help the scientists pre-clean the substrate to remove any contaminants such as dust or adsorbed organics prior to deposition taking place. Our partners find this process greatly improves the thin-films they produce, so it has become a popular inclusion in system chambers for particular research and production avenues.

The Ion source can also be used to perform an Ion Assisted deposition, in order to improve film densification and/or surface finish of the thin film, or as a means of removing material by etching the surface of the film.

Every tool needs the right components for the job it is performing. Ion Beam cleaning and assist are components that we find help many of our partners reach their goals, and we at Angstrom Engineering are very experienced in its implementation.

For more information on Ion sources, click here.

Having arrived in Brazil, our partner’s logistics team takes the lead, taking it out of the wooden box so that it can fit through the door of the facility. The journey resulted in the standard small bumps and dents that are categorized and logged so that our installation team can quickly and effectively get the system up and running, which they do.

Finally, all that’s left to do is to fabricate some superconducting circuits, and further the field of quantum computing. Our partners at Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (CBPF) expressed their excitement at having gained the capabilities  of partnering with us in this translated LinkedIn post:

 

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the arrival of the newest equipment, from Angstrom Engineering, to the Quantum Technologies Laboratory of CBPF. This laboratory is complementary to Labnano, one of the strategic laboratories of SisNANO – the National System of Nanotechnology Laboratories of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).

SisNANO is comprised of a set of laboratories focused on research, development and innovation (RD&I) in nanosciences and nanotechnologies, with the essential characteristic of being multi-user and open access to public and private institutions.

Acquired with funding from Finep and support from MCTI, the new equipment will allow CBPF to advance in the manufacture of superconducting quantum nanodevices, such as Josephson junctions and SQUIDS. These devices are essential for the development of future quantum chips, which promise to transform areas such as computing, secure communication and metrology.

The impact of this advance is also connected to related projects funded by FAPERJ, CNPq and Petrobras, consolidating a robust research ecosystem in Brazil.

This achievement reinforces the commitment of CBPF and MCTI to leading the frontier of scientific research, contributing to enabling the country to compete in a global scenario marked by disruptive and strategic advances.

We would like to thank the institutions involved and the professionals who made this achievement possible. We invite the scientific, technological and industrial community to closely monitor the transformative results that this new infrastructure will provide.

Resources

News & Events – Keep up with the innovative work in the industry or what Angstrom Engineering® is up to.
Education – Explore our growing educational content. Check back often!