# US 2020/0399782 A1 · Apparatus and method for molecular beam epitaxy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0399782 A1 - Document ID: US20200399782A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/634,717 - Filed: 2019-02-21 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-21 - Assignees: Anyon Systems Inc. - Applicants: Anyon Systems Inc. - Inventors: Alireza NAJAFI-YAZDI; William GEORGES - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399782A1 ## CPC - C30B 23/02: Epitaxial-layer growth - C30B 23/06: Heating of the deposition chamber, the substrate or the materials to be evaporated - C23C 14/28: by wave energy or particle radiation (C23C14/32 - C23C14/48 take precedence) - C23C 14/505: {for rotation of the substrates} - C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) ## Abstract An apparatus and method for molecular beam epitaxy are described herein. The apparatus comprises an enclosure defining a vacuum chamber. A substrate holder is mounted within the vacuum chamber. At least one molecular beam source is in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber. A cooling shroud having at least one surface is mounted within the vacuum chamber spaced from the substrate holder. A cryocooler having at least a portion extending into the vacuum chamber is operatively coupled to the cooling shroud for extracting heat therefrom, and cooling the at least one surface of the cooling shroud to cryogenic temperatures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for molecular beam epitaxy comprising: an enclosure defining a vacuum chamber; a substrate holder mounted within the vacuum chamber; at least one molecular beam source in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber; a cooling shroud mounted within the vacuum chamber and having at least one surface spaced from the substrate holder; and a cryocooler having at least a portion extending into the vacuum chamber and operatively coupled to the cooling shroud for extracting heat therefrom and cooling the at least one surface to cryogenic temperatures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cryocooler comprises a base outside of the enclosure, a cooling tube mounted to the base and extending into the vacuum chamber and a cold finger mounted to the cooling tube inside the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vibration damping mechanism attaching the cryocooler to the enclosure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the vibration damping mechanism is outside of the enclosure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cryocooler comprises a plurality of stages, and each one of the stages is operatively coupled to the cooling shroud. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thermal coupling mechanism between the cryocooler and the cooling shroud. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling shroud comprises a plurality of sections spaced apart. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sections of the cooling shroud are nested. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate holder is a multi-axis deposition stage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cryocooler is a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler or a pulse tube cryocooler. ### Claim 11 A method for molecular beam epitaxy, the method comprising: generating a molecular beam of material towards a substrate provided on a substrate holder inside a vacuum chamber to grow a film on the substrate; cooling a cooling shroud inside the vacuum chamber to cryogenic temperatures using a cryocooler operatively coupled to the cooling shroud, the cooling shroud having at least one surface spaced from the substrate holder; and trapping impurities on the at least one surface of the cooling shroud inside the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising displacing the substrate while growing the film on the substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein displacing the substrate holder comprises at least one of rotating and tilting the substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein displacing the substrate comprises changing an angle between the substrate and the molecular beam. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising damping vibration caused by the cryocooler through a vibration damping mechanism attaching the cryocooler to an enclosure defining the vacuum chamber. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein trapping impurities on the at least one surface of the cooling shroud comprises trapping impurities on a plurality of spaced apart sections of the cooling shroud. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of sections are nested. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein cooling the cooling shroud comprises applying the cryocooler to the plurality of sections using multiple stages of the cryocooler. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein cooling the cooling shroud comprises applying an end of the cryocooler to a thermal coupling mechanism in contact with the cooling shroud. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the cryocooler is a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler or a pulse tube cryocooler.