kSA BandiT Plays a Key Role in Qubit Manufacturing for Quantum Computer Applications

k-Space has seen its kSA BandiT tools installed recently for multiple applications related to the research and development of quantum computing. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has helped put Australia on the map for their work in quantum computing. One of their renowned researchers, Professor Michelle Simmons, was honored as the 2018 Australian of the year, in part, for her pioneering research in the field of quantum computing. UNSW recently installed two kSA BandiT systems in their research labs to help Professor Simmons and her colleagues in their research.

k-Space also recently installed a kSA BandiT temperature measurement instrument on an Angstrom Engineering Quantum Series Josephson junction fabrication platform. Josephson junctions are used in qubit manufacturing, an important part of quantum computing. 

With the ability for in situ Si temperature measurement at 250°C and below, the kSA BandiT is an ideal in situ tool for quantum computing applications.

k-Space CEO, Darryl Barlett, stated, “With the patented technology that the kSA BandiT offers, there really is no alternative that has the same measurement capabilities for the type of growths required in qubit manufacturing. We are proud to contribute to this exciting area of development that is revolutionizing the computing world.”

In addition to the kSA Bandit installations, k-Space has recently engineered a customized kSA 400 analytical RHEED system for a quantum computing application in the United States.

For more information on kSA BandiT or kSA 400, visit www.k-space.com.


Over 20 New References Using k-Space Metrology in Research

The thin film and semiconductor fields have incorporated k-Space metrology into various exciting new research endeavors. To highlight the ways our products are being used in the field, we recently updated our website to add over 20 citations of published papers that feature projects that use k‑Space metrology. Here are a few of the citations that were added.

Ex situ wafer stress measurement under changing thermal conditions with kSA MOS ThermalScan:

  • Fracture Properties of Thin Film TiN at Elevated Temperatures
    J. Buchinger, L. Löfler, J. Ast, A. Wagner, Z. Chend, J. Michler, Z. L. Zhang, P.H. Mayrhofer, D. Holec, and M. Bartosika
    Materials & Design, Volume 194, September 2020, 108885; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108885

In situ measurements of surface reflectivity and temperature with kSA ICE (integrated control for epitaxy):

  • Impact of Pits Formed in the AlN Nucleation Layer on Buffer Leakage in GaN/AlGaN High Electron Mobility Transistor Structures on Si (111)
    Shashwat Rathkanthiwar, Anisha Kalra, Nayana Remesh, Abheek Bardhan, Rangarajan Muralidharan, Digbijoy N. Nath, and Srinivasan Raghavan
    J. Appl. Phys. 127, 215705 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5140507
  • Si-Matched BxGa1-xP Grown via Hybrid Solid- and Gas-Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy
    Zak H. Blumer, Jacob T. Boyer, Ari N. Blumer, Daniel L. Lepkowski, and Tyler J. Grassman
    Applied Physics Letters, Lett. 117, 122102 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0021493
  • Reduced Dislocation Introduction in III-V Si Heterostructures with Glide-Enhancing Compressively Strained Superlattices
    Jacob T. Boyer, Ari N. Blumer, Zak H. Blumer, Daniel L. Lepkowski, and Tyler J. Grassman
    Crystal Growth & Design, September 15, 2020, 20, 10, 6939–6946; https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.0c00992

In addition to those listed above, there were citations that referenced the kSA 400 analytical RHEED system, kSA BandiT for real-time absolute temperature measurement, and kSA MOS for in situ curvature and stress. A full list of article references is available on our site. 


k-Space Ships Custom Stress Measurement Metrology System to South Korea

k-Space recently fulfilled a large order for a custom kSA MOS ThermalScan TS50 for a customer in South Korea. The ex situ thin-film metrology system is a fully integrated solution that measures thermally induced curvature, thin-film stress, bow height, and surface tilt. The system combines k‑Space’s patented high-resolution Multi-beam Optical Sensor (MOS) with a fully integrated vacuum heating system and linear stage for easy sample entry and removal. It can accommodate wafers up to 100mm in diameter and can heat up to 1000°C in vacuum or in partial pressures of nitrogen or argon.

“Frequently, our customers have very specific measurement constraints that cannot be met with standard metrology systems. Our team of experienced physicists and software, electrical, and mechanical engineers work closely with our customers to design a custom system that meets their exact specifications. Our customer in South Korea provided their requirements, and we were able to customize our kSA MOS ThermalScan system to meet their needs,” stated Darryl Barlett, CEO of k‑Space. These types of measurement systems are needed in the market because thermally induced curvature and thin-film stress are critical parameters that must be understood when manufacturing devices under high temperature conditions.

To learn more about the kSA MOS ThermalScan, visit https://k-space.com/product/mos-scan/.


Happy Holidays and Good Riddance to 2020!

k-Space will be closed for the winter holidays starting at the end of business on December 22, 2020 and reopening January 4, 2021. The New Year could not come any sooner –   Happy Holidays!

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