NanoMIR

France 2030

Objective

The III-Sb technology offer unrivalled opportunities for extensive band structure engineering and for designing devices operating in the whole range from the near-IR to the long-IR and THz. In addition, the variety of band-structure configurations give access to new concepts in condensed matter physics (topological states, fermions, etc.). The III-Sb technology is thus a key enabling technology for applications at the crossroad of several research clusters identified by the research and innovation programs of the EU. It has progressively matured through the last decade and reached a turning point. On the one hand, most optoelectronic devices (lasers diodes, quantum cascade lasers, photodetectors) are now mature enough to evolve from research to innovation while both fundamental and technological research still need to be carried out to explore disruptive concepts for future generation devices.

In this context, nanoMIR has been awarded two important projects to strengthen its expertises and develop the III-Sb technology.

Equipex+ HYBAT

HYBAT (HYBrid Antimonide Technologies, 2021-2029) is financed by the France 2030 program (Equipex+ HYBAT, ANR-21-ESRE-0026). This is a joint project between the EE (IES) and Physics (L2C) departments of U. Montpellier, together with Centre de Technologie de Montpellier, the clean room service of U. Montpellier. The aim is to perform fundamental research on the antimonide technology at large. Initial projects deal with photonic integrated circuits, topological insulators, and spintronics. A set of new equipments has been installed thanks to HYBAT, including:

  • a cluster MBE reactor with 3 interconnected growth chambers, installed in 2023
  • THz quantum cascade lasers and a FTIR spectrometer, installed in 2023 and 2024
  • Atomic force and scanning electron microscopes, installed in 2023
  • an Inductively-Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching, installed in 2023
MBE cluster
THz QCLs

EquipEx EXTRA

EXTRA (EXcellence cenTeR on Antimonides, 2012-2022) was financed by the French program on “Investments for the Future” (EquipEx EXTRA, ANR-11-EQPX-0016). The aim was to renew the nanoMIR’s scientific equipment in order to continue working at the forefront of the field.

EXTRA allowed investing in several new equipments including:

  • an Inductively-Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching, installed in 2014
  • a high-resolution X-ray diffractometer, installed in 2014
  • the upgrade of a RIBER C21 molecular-beam epitaxy system, done in 2015
  • a new RIBER 412 molecular-beam epitaxy system, installed in 2015
  • an e-gun deposition system, installed in 2016.

RIBER 412 molecular-beam epitaxy reactor

Collaboration/Contact

Both EXTRA and HYBAT platforms are open to external users, either through collaborative projects or through service offering.

Contact Prof. Eric Tournié for further information.