Physics Commons^™

Surface Phenomena On The Tin-Dioxide Polycrystalline Layers, Andrei A. Fluerasu

Theses

Polycrystalline tin-dioxide is widely used in the detection of reducing gases (such as H₂, CO, CH₄, C₂H₅OH,...) in air by measuring its conductivity changes. The advantage of gas sensors based on such sensing devices is low cost and high sensitivity. In contrast to their widespread applications and to their successful empirical research and development work, the present understanding of the chemical sensing mechanisms is still immature.

In this thesis, for gas sensors based on thick and porous tin-dioxide layers, a study of the response function upon variation of the partial pressure of …

Noncentral Potentials And Spherical Harmonics Using Supersymmetry And Shape Invariance, Ranabir Dutt, Asim Gangopadhyaya, Uday P. Sukhatne

Physics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

It is shown that the operator methods of supersymmetric quantum mechanics and the concept of shape invariance can profitably be used to derive properties of spherical harmonics in a simple way. The same operator techniques can also be applied to several problems with noncentral vector and scalar potentials. As examples, we analyze the bound state spectra of an electron in a Coulomb plus an Aharonov – Bohm field and/or in the magnetic field of a Dirac monopole.

Degradation And Breakdown In Ultra-Thin Silicon Oxides, Christopher Franck

Theses

Emerging trends in the semiconductor device industry call for detailed knowledge of the properties of devices whose dimensions are small enough to exploit Quantum Mechanical effects. This thesis presents a complete picture of oxide degradation in MOS direct tunnel diodes (t0 <3.4 nm). It is demonstrated that for structures fabricated at different facilities and stressed with either gate or substrate injection, a universal degradation mode is revealed which is manifested as the build up of positive charge in the oxide. The data gathered demonstrates that the positive charging phenomena in sub-3.5 nm oxides is independent of oxide thickness, and is characterized by a voltage threshold and two-regime temperature dependence. Further, the catastrophic failure, or breakdown, of these oxides was studied and the strongest evidence to date is presented which links the positive charging phenomena to the oxide breakdown. This thesis concludes with the presentation of a novel device design which can exploit the properties of degradation and breakdown, in thin oxides, to achieve an EEPROM memory cell of superior endurance.

Design And Fabrication Of A Miniature Pressure Sensor Head Using Direct Bonded Ultra-Thin Silicon Wafers, Chad Eugene Statler

Theses

A miniature pressure sensor head is designed and fabricated using an ultra-thin silicon membrane directly bonded to an excimer laser micromachined substrate. The pressure sensor head has its intended implementation as part of an optically interrogated device with sensitivity to pressures ranging from 0.5 to 4.0 MPa. The pressure range design is shown to be easily adjusted by tailoring the thickness of the membrane wafer. The fabrication process features numerous advantages over existing pressure sensor construction technology including a maskless procedure and no chemical etching or mechanical thinning necessary to form the membrane after bonding. An optic lever is constructed …

Investigation Of Potential Oxygen Defect Mechanism Of Persistent Photoconductivity And Photoinduced Superconductivity In Yba2cu3ox, Denise Catherine Chew

Theses

In this thesis work, we conclude that oxygen vacancy defects play a fundamental role in the PPC/PISC mechanism and identify the oxygen defects as F centers (an oxygen vacancy which traps two electrons) or F⁺ centers. Also, the correlation between the peaks observed in the luminescence spectra and those observed in the wavelength dependence of PPC suggest that the photogeneration of charges and their annihilation via luminescent recombination occur in the same level (Cu-O chains) of the YBa₂Cu₃O_x crystal. Previous models had assigned the peaks in the PPC excitation spectrum to charge transfer in …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A New Class Of Μ3-Oh-Bridged Trimers That Contain Octahedrally Coordinated Divalent Metal Ions Bridged By Three Acetate Ligands And A Unique Catecholate Ligand. Solid State Molecular Structures Of The [(Py)5mii3(Oac)3(Μ3-Oh)((Cat)] Complexes (M = Mn(Ii), Fe(Ii), Co(Ii), Ni(Ii)), R.A. Reynolds, Edward Yu, W.R. Dunham, D. Coucouvanis

Edward Yu

The synthesis and structural characterization of a new class of “basic” trinuclear acetate clusters with solely divalent metal ions and a central μ3-OH ligand are reported. These molecules with the [(py)5MII3(OAc)3(μ3-OH)(cat)] stoichiometry (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) are X-ray isomorphous and isostructural and contain octahedrally coordinated metal ions. The core consists of an antiferromagnetically coupled M3 unit with the metals arranged in the corners of an isosceles triangle. Two of the M−M distances vary between 2.98 and 3.16 Å, and the longer M−M distance is observed between 3.65 and 3.76 Å. As expected from the relative ionic radius lengths, …

A Simple Model For Nonequilibrium Fluctuations In A Fluid, Alejandro Garcia, F. Baras, M. Malek Mansour

Faculty Publications

Presents a train model that shows the long-range spatial correlations of fluctuations in nonequilibrium fluid systems. Illustration of model through analysis of flat-car trains running on parallel tracks; Simulation of train model in computers; Theoretical analysis for fluctuations in the train model; Relationship between train model and the fluctuating hydrodynamic theory of fluids.

A Simple Model For Nonequilibrium Fluctuations In A Fluid, Alejandro Garcia, F. Baras, M. Malek Mansour

Alejandro Garcia

Presents a train model that shows the long-range spatial correlations of fluctuations in nonequilibrium fluid systems. Illustration of model through analysis of flat-car trains running on parallel tracks; Simulation of train model in computers; Theoretical analysis for fluctuations in the train model; Relationship between train model and the fluctuating hydrodynamic theory of fluids.