Pioneer 180 MAPLE PLD System

Special Features

• Stand-alone MAPLE PLD System
• Deposition of Organic and Polymer thin films
• Additional deposition sources (Optional) in the same chamber: Pulsed Electron Deposition (PED), RF/DC Sputtering and DC ion sources
• Load-lockable substrate stage
• Integration with XPS analytical System, insitu wafer transfer from PLD system to Analytical System

Overview

Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) is a variant of PLD. This was introduced by the NRL group to facilitate deposition of certain functional organic materials as thin films. UV based (5-6 eV) conventional PLD techniques may not be applicable in this case, due to photo-chemical reactions that could deteriorate the functionality of the organic molecules, polymers etc. In MAPLE, a special target is prepared by mixing the organics (or polymers) to be deposited, with a laser wavelength-absorbing solvent (the Matrix). In addition to optical absorption, a high vapor pressure at the deposition conditions is a prerequisite for the Matrix. The liquid target is then frozen into a solid by cooling with Liquid Nitrogen. The laser radiation is primarily absorbed by the highly volatile, frozen, solvent (matrix) molecules of the target, which are subsequently disorbed from the solid target, trapping and carrying away the organic molecules of interest. During their transit towards the substrate, the highly volatile matrix molecules are pumped away, delivering the organic molecules to the substrate where a film is deposited.