Advanced apparatus for combinatorial synthesis of buried II-VI nanocrystals by ion implantation

The understanding, discovery and optimization of new complex functional materials requires combinatorial synthesis techniques and suitable fast screening and analysis methods. In this contribution the synthesis of buried II-VI compound semiconductor nanocrystals by combinatorial ion-implantation in SiO2, on silicon will be presented. To this end we constructed a computer controlled implanter target station, in which a 4-in. wafer can be implanted with a lateral pattern of distinct dose or energy combinations. The chemical reaction of the implanted components is initiated either during the implantation process or in a second step, with the advantage that also a reactive atmosphere can be applied, during annealing. The resulting optical photoluminescence properties of the individual fields of the pattern can then be screened in rapid succession in an optical cryostat into which the whole wafer is mounted and cooled down. In this way complex interdependences of the physical parameters will be studied on one wafer and the technically relevant properties optimized. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.