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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/D039800/1
Title: Excimer Laser for Electroceramics
Principal Investigator: Bowman, Professor R
Other Investigators:
Pollard, Dr R Gregg, Professor J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Mathematics and Physics
Organisation: Queen's University of Belfast
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 15 August 2005 Ends: 14 August 2006 Value (£): 21,167
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Processing Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Electronics
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
An excimer laser is most frequently chosen for pulsed laser deposition (PLD) due to its combination of output energy density, laser wavelength and pulse duration. It performance makes it ideal for the ablation of the complex multi-element ceramic targets. The ejected material is subsequently caught on a heated substrate stage and allowed to condense to form a thin film coating. The advantage and disadvantages of the technique are well documented but, it is unsurpassed as a research tool for the rapid, efficient and effective synthesis of complex oxides such as the ferroelectric perovskites.The Lambda-Physik KrF excimer laser at the heart of our PLD system has suffered a terminal failure, at a most inconvenient time. The internal fan that circulates the gas in the cavity to ensure effective lasing has failed. Due to the hazardous and aggressive environment (the laser operates using a fluorine gas mix) the fan is magnetically coupled into the sealed cavity. It therefore cannot be easily fixed or replaced. The only viable solution is to have the whole laser cavity replaced.With a fully operational laser we will be able to continue and fulfil our contractual commitments on two large EPSRC supported collaborative research grants with the University of Cambridge. These projects seek to understand the underlying science and develop new simple capacitors that might one day be a basis for next generation non-volatile data storage elements.
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Organisation Website: http://www.qub.ac.uk