Effects of In-Situ Temperature Control on the Nanostructure of Glancing Angle Deposition Thin Films

Abstract: Glancing angle deposition (GLAD) is a thin film deposition technique that utilizes oblique vapour incidence and substrate rotation to grow various nanocolumn structures. The growth of these structures is heavily influenced by the substrate temperature during deposition. Therefore, in-situ change of substrate temperature offers an additional dimension of control for GLAD growth. This thesis describes the design of a GLAD compatible heating and cooling system. This system is then used to explore the effects of substrate temperature on the inclination angle of slanted posts grown through GLAD. Results varied depending on material type and material melting temperature. Using the heating system, a method was developed for producing Sn seeds through thermal dewetting. SiO2 vertical posts were grown on seeded and unseeded samples, and a linear relationship was observed between seed separation and post separation.