ACROSS is an experimental chamber equipped with a RHEED, a LEED and an AES system for the characterization of structural, physical and chemical properties of surfaces, ultrathin films and nanoarchitectures
The UHV (Ultra High Vacuum) chamber hosts two multicell evaporators: both give the possibility to evaporate 3 different materials, one is a e-beam EPI evaporator for high temperature evaporants (for example metals such as Fe, Co, Ni, …), while the other one is for low temperature evaporants (below 500 °C, such as organic molecules). There is also a RHEED (Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction) and a LEED (Low Energy Electron Diffraction) apparatus for checking the growth and the structure of the thin films. The LEED can operate also to perform AES (Auger Electron Spectroscopy) measurements to complement the structural studies with chemical information.
We are upgrading the UHV chamber with an electron analyser and a UV (Ultra-violet) source. The data acquisition and analysis software will be implemented as well. We have also implemented routines to read out and analyse the data of the ALOISA beamline, in particular for the PED (PhotoElectron Diffraction) experiments.
The main research activity is the study of the growth and of the electronic and structural properties of surfaces and thin films (organic and inorganic), deposited on metals and semiconductors. In the last years the systems studied are metallorganic molecules (porphyrins, corroles, phthalocyanines, ...) deposited on coinage metals and on oxidized metals. Moreover, the research is also focused in the study of the growth, electronic and structural properties of blue phosphorous – a single layer of phosphorous grown on the Au(111). This system is a very interesting candidate as a substrate for energy harvesting related molecules. The research activity is run in the “Laboratorio Congiunto Superfici e Nanostrutture” using the experimental chamber ACROSS (Advanced ChambeR fOr Surface Studies) and at the ALOISA beamline in Trieste.
"Corso formativo di tecniche di vuoto per le scuole superiori", 2021-2022
