Thin film X-ray diffractometer

• Subject Area: Materials Science
• Term: Funded in 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 513268860

Thin film X-ray diffraction is probably the most important investigation method for thin films and thin film heterosystems. This applies in particular to epitaxial layer systems, in which the biaxial strain is an important parameter of the functional properties. In the Advanced Thin Film Technology group, two oxide/nitride molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems, two pulsed laser deposition (PLD) systems and two co-sputtering systems are used to produce functional layers on a daily basis. In addition, there is a recently approved UHV magnetron co-sputtering system, which will be operated in a joint cluster system in a cooperation between the Group of New Materials Electronics (Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology) and the Advanced Thin Film Technology Group (Department of Materials Science). The research focus is on thin films of electronic functional materials, which are integrated and investigated in model components (e.g. memristors, varactors, spintronic components, thin-film batteries, etc.). Due to the growing number of advanced thin film methods, the acquisition of a modern and state-of-the-art thin film X-ray diffractometer is indispensable.The essential requirements for the instrument are a high X-ray flux combined with a two-dimensional detector that enables rapid imaging of the reciprocal space. Equally important is a high resolution for the precise determination of lattice parameters and weak reflections in multilayer systems, and an integrated evaluation software. Due to the large number of people using the system, user-friendliness and automated measurement processes are further relevant criteria.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Dünnschicht-Röntgendiffraktometer
• Instrumentation Group: 4010 Einkristall-Diffraktometer
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Leader: Professor Dr. Lambert Alff