Thin-film deposition lab

Many modern devices rely on structures composed of thin films, which enable researchers to engineer materials and electronic properties at nanometer length scales. The thin-film deposition lab provides the tools required to fabricate these layers with controlled thickness, uniformity, and composition.

Our lab specializes in physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods, particularly:

Sputtering, ideal for depositing metals, magnetic materials, superconductors, and complex alloys.
Thermal and electron-beam evaporation, allowing precise deposition of materials with excellent purity.

These techniques support research in quantum materials, superconducting devices, magnetism, van der Waals heterostructures, and other cutting-edge fields. The facility is accessible to students, researchers, and start-ups who require reproducible and high-quality thin films for their experiments and prototypes.

Facilities

Sputter processes
- (Reactive) magnetron sputtering ▾
  The AJA International ATC-1800 offers reactive sputtering with O₂ and N₂, allowing deposition of ZrN, Nb(Ti)N and RuO₂, amongst others.
- RF diode sputtering ▾
  Our modernized Leybold Z400's offer RF diode sputtering of high quality materials (e.g. SiOx, Au, MoGe).
- Epitaxial sputtering ▾
  The epitaxial sputtering system allows to sputter oxides at low sputter rates, enabling the deposition of a.o. LSMO and YBCO.
- UHV sputtering ▾
  The UHV sputtering system sputters high quality Cu, Pt and Nb (superconducting).
Evaporation processes
- E-beam evaporation ▾
  The Plassys e-beam evaporator allows high quality evaporation of up to six materials (e.g. Nb, Ti, Cu, Pt, Co, Au, Al). The stage can be rotated and tilted, enabling shadow evaporation. The main chamber also has an ion beam gun for cleaning and etching substrates before evaporation. Finally, the loadlock can function as an oxidation chamber.
- Resistive evaporation ▾
  The resistive evaporation system evaporates Au, Ag or Cr.
- Knudsen-cell evaporation

Location

The deposition labs are located on the 6th floor of the Huygens building, in the Faculty of Science.

Commercial use

Guest users (for commercial use) can also use the equipment in the thin-film deposition lab. For further details, contact Marcel Hesselberth.

Students and employees

Students and employees can use the systems in the thin-film deposition lab for nano-fabrication if they have completed the relevant trainings for each system. For sputtering systems, contact Sander van Leeuwen, and for evaporation systems, contact Luc Wigbout.