Development of metallic electrodes on KBr

A system for the deposition of metallic electrodes on KBr under ultra-high vacuum conditions has been designed and fabricated. Stencil masks and membranes 4-5 mum thick are fabricated on silicon chips have been created using wet etching in tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) with a boron etch stop. A holding system for UHV has been designed and built with a modified sample holder for performing electrical measurements on samples. The UHV system contains an AFM, STM, and SEM for surface examination and characterization. The growth of metals on KBr was examined using a separately constructed sample holder under high vacuum. Examination of 2.5 and 5 nm tantalum and 20 nm gold films using AFM and SEM revealed significant differences in the film growth and quality. Tantalum films appeared to be continuous, though possessing significant buckling whereas gold films have significant voids and poor edge definition around simple masks