Nanomaterial Depositions Facility - Nanotechnology Research Centre

National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, Alberta
What the facility does

Translating inorganic nanomaterial depositions into solutions for technological challenges

Areas of expertise

The Nanomaterial Depositions Facility specializes in synthesizing and depositing nanomaterials as well as their integration into devices. The facility includes capabilities for performing depositions via wet chemistry approaches (e.g. hydrothermal, electrochemical, etc.) and via dry vapour phase methods (e.g. chemical and physical vapour depositions, atomic layer deposition, etc.). Key deposition capabilities include large-bore reactors for the chemical vapour deposition of carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires, and atomic layer deposition of ultrathin metal films. The facility includes basic microfabrication capabilities (e.g. photolithography, metallization, etching, etc.), housed in class 1000 cleanroom space to enable device integration. Other deposition techniques available include electrospinning and spray coating.

Research services

Self-serve or fee-for-service access to unique equipment and facilities, clean room space, collaborative research agreements

Sectors of application
  • Aerospace and satellites
  • Automotive
  • Chemical industries
  • Clean technology
  • Defence and security industries
  • Energy
  • Information and communication technologies and media
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
  • Manufacturing and processing
EquipmentFunction
Johnsen Ultravac (JUV) 6-source 8-wafer evaporatorElectron beam evaporator for the deposition of multilayer metal and dielectric films on planar surfaces using a planetary motion substrate holder
Tystar TYTAN Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) reactorsChemical vapour deposition reactors for the deposition of carbon nanotubes, semiconductor nanowires, and oxide films (up to 1 micron) on 50 150-mm wafers (or equivalent volume)
Oxford Instruments FlexAL Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PE-ALD) reactorAtomic layer deposition reactor for depositing ultrathin, conformal coatings of dielectric or metal on up to 150-mm substrates
Semitool SpinBall XP Semi-automatic Spin Coater/developer trackPhotolithography spin coater that automatically dispenses photoresist and/or developer for coating substrates up to 150mm in diameter
Sono-Tek ExactaCoat Spray CoaterAutomated, programmable benchtop ultra-sonic spray coating system with coordinated XYZ motion control
Kato Tech ElectrospinnerElectrospinning unit is capable of axial producing 50 to 800 nm diameter fibers easily from a small amount of various polymers using an electrospinning technique
Apogee manual Spin CoaterPhotolithography spin coater for coating substrates up to 150mm in diameter
YES HMDS OvenDual-function HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) prime and image reversal ovens producing stable process results while minimizing costly, toxic chemical usage
Quintel Q4006 Contact Aligner PhotolithographySoft, pressure or vacuum contact printing and will process partial and whole substrates up to 150mm (6”) diameter with a print resolution =>0.6 microns
Qualiflow Jetfirst 100 Rapid Thermal Annealer (RTA)A cold wall reaction chamber with a maximum 100mm wafer capability and a powerful multizone halogen lamp furnace up to 1250°C with a ramp rate of 50°C/s within a vacuum or inert atmosphere
Oxford Instruments Plasmalab System 100 Chlorine EtcherAn inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etcher is a multipurpose fluorocarbon-based system that provides users anisotropic etching of silicon, silicon oxide, and other dielectric materials. Equipped with a temperature controlled electrode to help users tailor their etch feature profiles. The manual load system can accommodate substrates ranging from 150 mm diameter wafers down to small pieces.
Tegal 901e Plasma EtcherCassette fed single-wafer plasma dry etch station of polysilicon, nitride, and silicon oxide on 100mm substrates
Nanonex NX-2500 Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) SystemCreates nano-scaled features in polymer substrates. Heat and pressure are uniformly applied to the substrate and master so that features from the master are embossed into the surface of the substrate. The imprinter is also configured with an internal ultraviolet light source for use with ultraviolet-curable resins at room temperature. An alignment module is included to help align imprinting masters over substrates with existing features.
Kulicke & Soffa 4523 Manual Wedge Wire BonderA semi-automatic digital wire/wedge bonder bonding with a 30/45 degree wire feed angle, ultrasonic generator, 2 channel independent bonding parameters. Semi-automatic and manual Z bonding modes with a built in digital temperature controller for the heated chuck/sample holder. Uses 1 mil Al and Au wire.