Atomic Layer Deposition – the Intersection of Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry and Industry

About

This course offers participants a rare opportunity to explore ALD and its applications in depth, blending theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience. You will not only learn the principles and applications of ALD but also operate equipment to perform your own film depositions. Beyond that, you'll gain experience in characterisation techniques, including spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to analyse the structure, composition, and properties of the deposited films.

As you will work in groups, at the end of the course, you will compile your obtained results and theoretical knowledge into a project report, which you will present to other groups. You will describe the background of your project, results, and wrap things up with a conclusion and applications of the films you deposited.

Course leader

Kristjan Kalam Research Fellow in Materials Science at the University of Tartu's Institute of Physics, specifically within the Laboratory of Thin Film Technology. His research focuses on areas such as atomic layer deposition, ellipsometry, x-ray diffraction, and ferromagnetism. Taivo Jõgiaas Research Fellow in Materials Science at the University of Tartu's Institute of Physics, specifically within the Laboratory of Thin Film Technology. He has contributed to over 30 publications, with his research focusing on areas such as atomic layer deposition and the mechanical and optical properties of thin films. Jekaterina Kozlova Research Fellow in Electron Microscopy at the University of Tartu's Institute of Physics, specifically within the Laboratory of Thin Film Technology. She has expertise in areas such as nanoparticles, composites, thin films, nanocomposites, and nanomaterials synthesis. Hugo Mändar Associate professor in Materials Science at the University of Tartu's Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Thin Film Technology. His specialty is the implementation and application of the following X-ray structure analysis methods: powder diffraction (XRD), reflection (XRR), scattering (SAXS), X-ray topography (XRT), diffraction imaging (XRDI). Also developing of image analysis software for dislocation density determination from XRT images and single crystal surface etched optical microscopy images.

Target group

bachelor's, master's students

Course aim

Students can describe the method of atomic layer deposition (ALD), its advantages and limitations and can broadly name its applications.

Students understand how an ALD reactor works and can operate a similar device under supervision.

Students have a basic understanding of some state-of-the-art material characterisation tools, such as spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. They will also understand how such machines are operated and can perform these operations under supervision.

Students will have produced and presented a group project, in which they have presented their results and discussed the reasons why such results were obtained, what they mean, and how their produced material could be used for.

Fee info