Deposition and Fabrication Techniques:

Objectives:

The most interesting materials for the spintronic devices are in the form of thin films made from magnetic transition metals and magnetic perovskites, as well as oxides and metals for passivating and contacting the magnetic films. As discussed earlier, most of the these films need to be prepared either as single crystalline or as highly epitaxial nature with controllable structural properties (crystal structrue and microstructure). In this regard, the most suitable technique for preparing such films is physical vapor deposition and we shall restrict to only this deposition in the upcoming lectures. In addition, some spintronic devices need materials in micro and nanostructure forms. Hence, it is important to understand the basics and principles of some of the physical fabrication techniques for producing nanostructures.
Therefore, the next four lectures are intended to cover the basics and principles of the following fabrication techniques:

1. Physical vapor deposition:

• Thermal Evaporation,

• Laser Abalation,

• Molecular Beam Epitaxy,

• Sputtering methods: (DC, RF, Magnetron, Reactive, Ion Beam), and

• E-beam deposition.

2. Lithographic techniques:

• Photolithography,

• Electron beam lithography,

• Focused ion beam lithography, and

• X-ray lithography.