Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing Commons^™

Treated Hfo2 Based Rram Devices With Ru, Tan, Tin As Top Electrode For In-Memory Computing Hardware, Yuvraj Dineshkumar Patel

Theses

The scalability and power efficiency of the conventional CMOS technology is steadily coming to a halt due to increasing problems and challenges in fabrication technology. Many non-volatile memory devices have emerged recently to meet the scaling challenges. Memory devices such as RRAMs or ReRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory) have proved to be a promising candidate for analog in memory computing applications related to inference and learning in artificial intelligence. A RRAM cell has a MIM (Metal insulator metal) structure that exhibits reversible resistive switching on application of positive or negative voltage. But detailed studies on the power consumption, repeatability and retention …

Design, Fabrication, And Reliability Effects Of Additively Manufactured First Level Compliant Interconnects For Microelectronics Application, Tumininu David Olatunji

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Semiconductor packaging and development is greatly dependent on the magnitude of interconnect and on-chip stress that ultimately limits the reliability of electronic components. Thermomechanical related strains occur because of the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch from different conjoined materials being assembled to manufacture a device. To curb the effect of thermal expansion mismatch between conjoined parts, studies have been done in integrating compliant structures between dies, solder balls, and substrates. Initial studies have enabled the design and manufacturing of these structures using a photolithography approach which involves a high number of fabrication steps depending on the complexity of the structures …

Growth And Characterization Of Semiconductor Materials And Devices For Extreme Environments Applications, Abbas Sabbar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous industries require electronics to operate reliably in harsh environments, such as extreme high temperatures (HTs), low temperature (LT), radiation rich environments, multi-extreme, etc. This dissertation is focused on two harsh environments: HT and multi-extreme.

The first study is on HT optoelectronics for future high-density power module applications. In the power modules design, galvanic isolation is required to pass through the gate control signal, reject the transient noise, and break the ground loops. The optocoupler, which consists of a lighting emitting diode (LED) and photodetector (PD), is commonly used as the solution of galvanic isolation at room temperatures. There is …

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy For The Measurement Of Gesn/(Si)Gesn, Solomon Opeyemi Ojo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Photoluminescence (PL) and Electroluminescence (EL) characterization techniques are important tools for studying the optical and electrical properties of (Si)GeSn. Light emission from these PL and EL measurements provides relevant information on material quality, bandgap energy, current density, and device efficiency. Prior to this work, the in-house PL set-up of this lab which involves the use of a commercially-obtained dispersive spectrometer was used for characterizing both GeSn thin film and fabricated devices, but these measurements were limited by issues bordering on low spectral resolution, spectral artifacts, and poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) thereby resulting in the possible loss of vital information and …

Novel Memristor Based True Random Number Generator, Scott Stoller

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Random numbers are an important, but often overlooked part of the modern computing environment. They are used everywhere around us for a variety of purposes, from simple decision making in video games such as a coin toss, to securing financial transactions and encrypting confidential communications. They are even useful for gambling and the lottery.

Random numbers are generated in many ways. Pseudo random number generators (PRNGs) generate numbers based on a formula. True random number generators (TRNGs) capture entropy from the environment to generate randomness. As our society and our devices become more connected in the digital world, it is …

High-Temperature Optoelectronic Device Characterization And Integration Towards Optical Isolation For High-Density Power Modules, Syam Madhusoodhanan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Power modules based on wide bandgap (WBG) materials enhance reliability and considerably reduce cooling requirements that lead to a significant reduction in total system cost and weight. Although these innovative properties lead power modules to higher power density, some concerns still need to be addressed to take full advantage of WBG-based modules. For example, the use of bulky transformers as a galvanic isolation system to float the high voltage gate driver limits further size reduction of the high-temperature power modules. Bulky transformers can be replaced by integrating high-temperature optocouplers to scale down power modules further and achieve disrupting performance in …

Design Of A 350 Kw Silicon Carbide Based 3-Phase Inverter With Ultra-Low Parasitic Inductance, Matthew Feurtado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to present a design for a low parasitic inductance, high power density 3-phase inverter using silicon-carbide power modules for traction application in the electric vehicles with a power rating of 350 kW. With the market share of electric vehicles continuing to grow, there is a great opportunity for wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) to improve the efficiency and size of the motor drives in these applications. In order to accomplish this goal, careful design and selection of each component in the system for optimum performance from an electrical, mechanical, and thermal …

Simulation Of An Sp8t 18 Ghz Rf Switch Using Smt Pin Diodes, Andre De Souza Vigano

Master's Theses

Radio frequency (RF) and microwave switches are widely used in several different applications including radar, measurement systems, telecommunications, and other areas. An RF switch can control a radar’s transmit vs. receive mode, select the operating band, or direct an RF signal to different paths. In this study, a single pole eight throw (SP8T) switch using only Surface Mount (SMT) components is designed and simulated in Keysight’s Advanced Design System (ADS). Single pole eight throw is defined as one input and eight possible outputs. A star network configuration with series-shunt PIN diode switches is used to create the 8-way RF switch. …

An Exploratory Study Of Pulse Width And Delta Sigma Modulators, Logan B. Penrod

Master's Theses

This paper explores the noise shaping and noise producing qualities of Delta-Sigma Modulators (DSM) and Pulse-Width Modulators (PWM). DSM has long been dominant in the Delta Sigma Analog-to-Digital Converter (DSADC) as a noise-shaped quantizer and time discretizer, while PWM, with a similar self oscillating structure, has seen use in Class D Power Amplifiers, performing a similar function. It has been shown that the PWM in Class D Amplifiers outperforms the DSM [1], but could this advantage be used in DSADC use-cases? LTSpice simulation and printed circuit board implementation and test are used to present data on four variations of these …

Thermal Transport Modeling Of Semiconductor Materials From First Principles, Aliya Qureshi

Masters Theses

Over the past few years, the size of semiconductor devices has been shrinking whereas the density of transistors has exponentially increased. Thus, thermal management has become a serious concern as device performance and reliability is greatly affected by heat. An understanding of thermal transport properties at device level along with predictive modelling can lead us to design of new systems and materials tailored according to the thermal conductivity. In our work we first review different models used to calculate thermal conductivity and examine their accuracy using the experimentally measured thermal conductivity for Si. Our results suggest that empirically calculated rates …

Fabrication Of Silicon Microneedles For Dermal Interstitial Fluid Extraction In Human Subjects, Caleb A. Berry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project is to design and develop a fabrication process for silicon microneedle arrays to extract dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) from human skin. ISF is a cell- free, living tissue medium that is known to contain many of the same, clinical biomarkers of general health, stress response and immune status as in blood. However, a significant barrier to adoption of ISF as a diagnostic matrix is the lack of a rapid, minimally invasive method of access and collection for analysis. Microfabricated chips containing arrays of microneedles that can rapidly and painlessly access and collect dermal ISF for …

The Effects Of Radiation On Memristor-Based Electronic Spiking Neural Networks, Sumedha Gandharava Dahl

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, memristor-based spiking neural networks (SNNs) are used to analyze the effect of radiation on the spatio-temporal pattern recognition (STPR) capability of the networks. Two-terminal resistive memory devices (memristors) are used as synapses to manipulate conductivity paths in the network. Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) learning behavior results in pattern learning and is achieved using biphasic shaped pre- and post-synaptic spikes. A TiO₂ based non-linear drift memristor model designed in Verilog-A implements synaptic behavior and is modified to include experimentally observed effects of state-altering, ionizing, and off-state degradation radiation on the device. The impact of neuron “death” (disabled neuron …

Studies On Space Grade Nano-Iconic Radiation Sensors Using Additive Manufacturing Technology, Shah Mohammad Rahmot Ullah

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Though Additive manufacturing technology has been developing for 30 years, in recent years, it gets researchers’ and industries’ attention for new expansion in fabricated electronics devices, especially on a flexible substrate. This technology allows fabricating complex design of electronics devices with multi-functionality. Its application has been significantly expanded to different fields such as sensors and other device prototypes for nuclear facilities, aerospace manufacturing, bio-medical, solar energy, etc. due to its low-cost efficiency and sustainable manufacturing. It has a huge advantage over traditional methods such as lower materials waste during production, avoiding complex etching system and harmful chemicals, simplified assembly system …

Performance Of Pld Grown Zno Thin Film As A Thin Film Transistor, Shahidul Asif

MSU Graduate Theses

The performance of ZnO thin film (grown in different parameters) as a thin film transistor (TFT) is the focus of this study. ZnO is renowned for being n-type semiconductor naturally which was utilized in fabricating a thin film transistor here. This thesis is compared the performance of ZnO thin film transistor by growing the thin film using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on two slightly different substrates at different temperatures in an optimal 0.1 milli bar oxygen pressure which was later analyzed using other material characterization methods. The substrates were both Si (100) but had different resistivity due to different amount …

Device-Level Predictive Modeling Of Extreme Electromagnetic Interference, Nishchay H. Sule

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Radio Frequency (RF) interference is a prominent issue for modern electronic devices. As device size and supply power shrink to meet the on-going demand for compact and complex Integrated Circuits (ICs), their susceptibility to external noise coupling to the input or power supply increases significantly. One such type of noise that acts upon a system to be considered is Extreme Electromagnetic Interference (EEMI). Previous works done to understand and evaluate the impact of EEMI onto a system or sub-system have been conducted on a statistical or empirical analysis level, which has led to complex and convoluted analysis, that requires significant …

Synthesis And Application Of Ceramic Paste For High-Temperature Electronic Packaging, Ardalan Nasiri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research focused on the synthesis and application of ceramic paste for high-temperature applications. An alumina paste material comprising aluminum dihydric phosphate and alumina powder was developed for high-temperature electronic packaging. Nano aluminum nitride and nano-silica powders were embedded to promote the paste curing process, limit the grain growth, and increase its bond shear strength. The chip-to-substrate bond strength was enhanced and met the MIL-STD requirements for die-attach assembly. Its encapsulation property was improved with fewer cracks compared to similar commercial ceramic encapsulants. The die-attach material and encapsulation properties tested at 500°C showed no defect or additional cracks. Thermal …

Design And Optimization Of Multichip Gan Module Enabling Improved Switching Performance, Asif Imran Emon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wide bandgap semiconductors (SiC & GaN) due to their enhanced performance and superior material properties compared to traditional silicon power devices have become the ultimate choice for future high-performance power electronics energy conversion. GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) offers very fast switching capability enabling the designer to push switching frequency to the MHz range. Traditional device packaging becomes a limiting factor in fully harnessing the benefits offered by these advanced power devices, and thus, improved and advanced packaging structures are a must to bridge the gap between GaN devices and their applications. A co-design, co-optimization method has been followed …

Converter- And Module-Level Packaging For High Power Density And High Efficiency Power Conversion, Amol Rajendrakumar Deshpande

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in the converter- and module-level packaging will be the key for the development of the emerging high-power, high power-density, high-eciency power conversion applications, such as traction, shipboards, more-electric-aircraft, and locomotive. Wide bandgap (WBG) devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET attract much attention in these applications for their fast switching speeds, resulting in low loss and a consequent possibility for high switching frequency to increase the power density. However, for high-current, high power implementations, WBG devices are still available in small die sizes. Multiple SiC devices need to be connected in parallel to replace a large IGBT die. It …

High Speed, High Current Monitoring System, Nicolette Lila Ray

Electrical Engineering

Electronics testing requires lengthy data collection and analysis. Streamlining at least part of this process allows resource reallocation, and faster data processing. Verifying a signal’s efficiency is key specification for a component’s datasheet. This project focuses on streamlining data collection when measuring a device’s output current. It combines amplifier design and digital interfacing to perform monitor a device’s output current. A computer-enable interface displays a graphical output current representation. It ensures accurate, high speed, high current measurements while removing a person’s need to manually plot data after testing. A new testing method provides room for company and product growth with …

Reducing Emi In Sic Direct Torque Controlled Motor Drive, Michael Sykes

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper covers the comparison between Silicon (Si) vs Silicon Carbide (SiC) for Motor Drive systems and a possible control algorithm to limit the increased Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) caused by using SiC transistors for the inverter. Motor Drive systems need constant improvements if the world is going to move on from machines that emit CO₂ and other harmful gases into the Earth’s atmosphere. One reason these electric machines are not commonplace today is because of their efficiency and other problems they may cause. Silicon transistors are the most commonplace transistor around the world today, but advances over the past …

Simultaneous Ohmic Contacts To N And P-Type Silicon Carbide For Future Electric Vehicles, Hayden Hunter

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The paper explores possible metallization schemes to form simultaneous ohmic contacts to n-type and p-type silicon carbide contacts. Silicon carbide has shown promise in revolutionizing the power electronics market due to its increased switching speed, compact design, and higher temperature tolerance when compared to Silicon, the market standard. With the continuing development of silicon carbide technology, higher efficiency in future electric vehicles can be achieved by employing this new technology. This paper discusses theoretical contact formation between metals and semiconductors along with a proposed experiment to create a Ni/Al metallization scheme on both n and p-type contacts simultaneously on a …

Low-Cost Test And Characterization Platform For Memristors, Lyle Jones

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The electrical Testing and Characterization of the devices built under research conditions on silicon wafers, diced wafers, or package parts have hampered research since the beginning of integrated circuits. The challenges of performing electrical characterization on devices are to acquire useful and accurate data, the ease of use of the test platform, the portability of the test equipment, the ability to automate quickly, to allow modifications to the platform, the ability to change the configuration of the Device Under Test (DUT) or the Memristor Based Design (MBD), and to do this within budget. The devices that this research is focused …

Ohmic Contact Metallization For Silicon Carbide In Future Transportation And Aviation Systems, Tanner W. Rice

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper analyzes metallization stacks in both n-type and p-type used in Silicon Carbide to create Ohmic Contacts. Silicon Carbide has shown its significance in usage as a semiconductor in high temperatures, and other extreme environments compared to its silicon counterpart. Additionally, silicon carbide exhibits many other favorable attributes such as strong radiation hardness, high power capability, and high-temperature tolerance. These attributes translate into great components for use in aviation and other future transportations by increasing reliability in a sector that already requires high reliability. Applications of this material could prove useful in fields such as aviation, among others. This …

Design Of Submicron Structured Guided-Mode-Resonance Near-Infrared Polarizer, Marzia Zaman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to design a larger submicron linear polarizer in the near-infrared wavelength range with a wide bandwidth which can be fabricated using the conventional thin-film microfabrication technology to reduce cost. For this purpose, a gold (Au) wire-grid transmission-type transverse-magnetic (TM) polarizer and a silicon (Si) wire-grid reflection-type TM polarizer, were designed using the guided-mode-resonance filter. The Au wire-grid TM polarizer of 700nm grating width and 1200nm grating period has 95% transmittance at 2400nm, more than 1000nm resonance peak bandwidth, and an extinction ratio (ER) of around 300 with a moderated level of sidebands. The 700nm …

Microrobots For Wafer Scale Microfactory: Design Fabrication Integration And Control., Ruoshi Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Future assembly technologies will involve higher automation levels, in order to satisfy increased micro scale or nano scale precision requirements. Traditionally, assembly using a top-down robotic approach has been well-studied and applied to micro-electronics and MEMS industries, but less so in nanotechnology. With the bloom of nanotechnology ever since the 1990s, newly designed products with new materials, coatings and nanoparticles are gradually entering everyone’s life, while the industry has grown into a billion-dollar volume worldwide. Traditionally, nanotechnology products are assembled using bottom-up methods, such as self-assembly, rather than with top-down robotic assembly. This is due to considerations of volume handling …

Characterization Of Reactive Ion Etch Chemistries Using Direct Write Lithography, Dylan T. Martin-Abood

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD requires a variety of COTS and number of custom microelectronics to provide important functionality to critical military systems. Photolithography and DRIE are two techniques commonly used in the development of deep anisotropic features for the fabrication and modification of microelectronics and MEMS. However, standard photolithography techniques are ineffective for unique substrate geometries and DRIE processes require a chemical passivation step only applicable to Si substrates. This work confirmed the capability of RIE using DWL to perform deep, highly selective, anisotropic etching on elevated, non-circular substrates.

Molecular Design Of Organic Semiconductors For Interfacial And Emissive Material Applications, Marcus David Cole

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes the synthesis and characterization of functional optoelectronically active materials. Synthetic techniques were used to prepare polymers containing perylene diimide (PDI) or tetraphenylethylene (TPE) moieties in the polymer backbone. PDI-based structures were prepared with embedded cationic or zwitterionic moieties intended to tailor organic/inorganic interfaces in thin film photovoltaic devices. The aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active TPE polymers were synthesized to study how AIE properties evolve in π-conjugated polymers. The syntheses discussed here focused on modulation of molecular architecture to give rise to materials with tailored optoelectronic properties. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the field of organic electronics and …

Noble-Transition Alloy Absorbers For Near-Infrared Hot-Carrier Optoelectronics, Sara Karoline Figueiredo Stofela

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Optoelectronics is the field of technology concerned with the study and application of electronic devices that source, detect and control light. Here we focus on the optical communications field which relies on optical fiber systems to carry signals to their destinations operating in the near-infrared range. To improve the performance of current optical fiber systems, one of the paths is to develop better near-infrared photodetectors.

The current group of materials used for near-infrared photodetection relies in the III-V semiconductor family. Although their spectral photosensitivity correlates well with the near-infrared, response time performance and electronic circuit integration remain limited for this …

A Hybrid Electronic Nose System Based On Metal Oxide Semiconductor Gas Sensors And Compact Paper-Pased Colorimteric Sensors For Volatile Organic Compounds Classification, Aung Khant Maw

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Commercial metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensors usually employed in electronic noses (e-noses) are well known for being low-cost, portability, and ease of use. However, these sensors can only identify a limited number of odors due to insufficient selectivity. Recent studies improved the selectivity by jointly integrating the MOS sensors with additional sensor sources. However, the published hybrid systems involved complex fabrication and measurement procedures. On the contrary, this work utilizes paper-based colorimetric sensors which are simpler and easier to use. This proposed hybrid system consists of 8 commercial metal oxide sensors and a paper-based colorimetric sensor coated with phenol red, …

Synthesis Of Graphene Using Plasma Etching And Atmospheric Pressure Annealing: Process And Sensor Development, Andrew Robert Graves

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Having been theorized in 1947, it was not until 2004 that graphene was first isolated. In the years since its isolation, graphene has been the subject of intense, world-wide study due to its incredibly diverse array of useful properties. Even though many billions of dollars have been spent on its development, graphene has yet to break out of the laboratory and penetrate mainstream industrial applications markets. This is because graphene faces a ‘grand challenge.’ Simply put, there is currently no method of manufacturing high-quality graphene on the industrial scale. This grand challenge looms particularly large for electronic applications where the …