X-ray Diffractometer for Thin Film Analysis

• Subject Area: Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: Funded in 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 433623002

Funding is requested for an X-ray diffractometer for advanced analysis of semiconductor thin films and heterostructures. The system will be installed at the Walter Schottky Institute, Technical University of Munich (TUM), and will be a key characterization tool in the PI’s research dedicated to the development of nitride, oxynitride, and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials with application for solar energy conversion. These materials are prepared through a range of deposition techniques available in the PI’s research group, including reactive sputtering, atomic layer deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, and spin coating. A reliable and versatile X-ray diffractometer will be used to acquire structural information, including phase, strain, texture, and mosaicity. Results will provide feedback for the optimization of deposition procedures. In addition, an in situ temperature-controlled stage will be used to monitor the evolution of these properties at elevated temperature, as well as phase transformations at low temperature. Initial research projects will include: i) Development of p-type transition metal nitrides for solar energy capture, ii) Understanding composition-structure-function relationships in defect-engineered hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, iii) Elucidation of optoelectronic properties and photochemical characteristics of (GaN)1-x(ZnO)x thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy, and iv) Group III-N semiconductor-based heterostructures and nanosystems. The specifications of the proposed X-ray diffractometer are chosen to maximize scientific flexibility and, thus, value.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Röntgendiffraktometer für die Dünnschichtanalyse
• Instrumentation Group: 4011 Pulverdiffraktometer
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Leader: Professor Ian D. Sharp, Ph.D.