Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Engineering The Ground State Of Complex Oxides, Derek Joseph Meyers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transition metal oxides featuring strong electron-electron interactions have been at the forefront of condensed matter physics research in the past few decades due to the myriad of novel and exciting phases derived from their competing interactions. Beyond their numerous intriguing properties displayed in the bulk they have also shown to be quite susceptible to externally applied perturbation in various forms. The dominant theme of this work is the exploration of three emerging methods for engineering the ground states of these materials to access both their applicability and their deficiencies.

The first of the three methods involves a relatively new set …

Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (Icvd) Polymer Thin Films : Structure-Property Effects On Thermal Degradation And Adhesion, Vijay Jain Bharamaiah Jeevendrakumar

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Opportunities and challenges for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of polymer thin films stems from their applications in electronics, sensors, and adhesives with demands for control over film composition, conformity and stability. Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is a subset of the CVD technique that conjoins bulk free-radical polymerization chemistry with gas-phase processing. The novelty of iCVD technique stems from the use of an initiator that can be activated at low energies (150 – 300 °C) to react with surface adsorbed monomer to form a polymer film. This reduces risk for potential unwarranted side-reactions.

The Development Of 6.7% Efficient Copper Zinc Indium Selenide Devices From Copper Zinc Indium Sulfide Nanocrystal Inks, Brian Kemp Graeser

Open Access Theses

As solar cell absorber materials, alloys of CuIn(S,Se)2 and Zn(S,Se) provide an opportunity to reduce the usage of indium along with the ability to tune the band gap. Here we report successful synthesis of alloyed (CuInS2 )0.5(ZnS)0.5 nanocrystals by a method that solely uses oleylamine as the liquid medium for synthesis. The reactive sintering of a thin film of these nanocrystals via selenization at 500 °C results in a uniform composition alloy (CuIn(S,Se)2 )0.5 (Zn(S,Se)) 0.5 layer with micron size grains. Due to the large amount of zinc in the film, the sintered grains exhibit the zinc blende structure instead …

Pulse Sharpening Effects Of Thin Film Ferroelectric Transmission Lines, Robert J. Sleezer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advances in material science have resulted in the development of electrically nonlinear high dielectric thin film ferroelectrics, which have led to new opportunities for the creation of novel devices. This dissertation investigated one such device: a low voltage nonlinear transmission line (NLTL). A finite element simulation of ferroelectric transmission lines showed that NLTLs are capable of creating shockwaves. Additionally, if the losses are kept sufficiently low, it was shown that voltage gain should be possible. Furthermore, a method of accounting for material dispersion was developed. Results from simulations including material dispersion showed that temporal solitons might be possible from a …

Nanocomposite Thin Films Of Au Nanoparticles Embedded In Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia For Plasmonic-Based Harsh Environment Gas Detection, Phillip Henry Rogers

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Increased health concerns due to the emission of gases linked to the production of tropospheric ozone by petroleum based fuel burning engines has resulted in the codification of more stringent emissions regulations domestically. Emissions regulations on commercial jetliners are one of the areas to be met with stricter standards. Currently there is not a sensing technology that can detect the emissions gases in the exhaust stream of a jet turbine engine with lower detection limits that meet these standards.