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Japan’s AIST uses Aixtron System
Aixtron's BM 300 system has been successfully started up at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan.
The system was installed in 2011 in AIST’s super cleanroom facility in Tsukuba and was commissioned by the local Aixtron support team.
“With the demonstration of monolayer graphene growth on 300mm wafers at AIST, we have achieved a significant milestone,” comments Dr. Ken Teo, Director of Nanoinstruments at Aixtron.
“The BM 300 is the most technologically advanced platform for graphene production available, incorporating a sophisticated gas delivery system for precise precursor delivery, ARGUS in-situ wafer thermal mapping, a high uniformity wafer heater and an automated handling system. The ability to deposit graphene with a high degree of controllability and repeatability onto 300mm wafers is an essential step in enabling large wafer-scale integration of graphene, and paves the way for exploiting the unique properties of graphene in next generation semiconductor devices.”
Dr. Sato’s team at AIST will use the system to deposit high-quality graphene with a controlled number of layers. This will be a key part of a process technology used for creating low-voltage operation CMOS FETs, in which the power supply voltage will be less than 0.3V.
The research is backed by the Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST), which aims to encourage cutting-edge research and development that will strengthen Japan’s international competitiveness and contribute to society and people’s welfare by sharing the results. The FIRST Program was approved by the Council for Science and Technology Policy, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan in 2009, and is being operated by the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
The wafer processing is being carried out at AIST’s Collaborative Research Team Green Nanoelectronics Center (GNC) within the research project ‘Development of Core Technologies for Green Nanoelectronics’ (core researcher Dr. Naoki Yokoyama), which has been adopted for the FIRST Program. The GNC was established in April 2010 and comprises researchers from both research and industry.