Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Recent Developments In Magneto-Optic Garnet-Type Thin-Film Materials Synthesis, Mohammad Nur E Alam, Mikhail Vasiliev, Viacheslav Kotov, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2013

Magneto-optic (MO) garnets are used in a range of applications in nanophotonics, integrated optics, communications and imaging. Bi-substituted iron garnets of different compositions are the most useful class of materials in applied magneto- optics due to their excellent MO properties (large Faraday effect) and record-high MO figure of merit among all semi- transparent dielectrics. It is highly desirable to synthesise garnets which possess simultaneously a high MO figure of merit and large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. However, the simultaneous optimization of several material properties and parameters can be difficult in single-layer garnet thin films, and it is also challenging to prepare …

Characterization Of And Controlling Morphology Of Ultra-Thin Nanocomposites, Guy C. Laine

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Ultrathin film nanocomposites are becoming increasingly important for specialized performance of commercial coatings. Critical challenges for ultrathin film nanocomposites include their synthesis and characterization as well as their performance properties, including surface roughness, optical properties (haze, refractive index as examples), and mechanical properties. The objective of this work is to control the surface roughness of ultrathin film nanocomposites by changing the average particle size and the particle volume fraction (loading) of monomodal particle size distributions. This work evaluated one-layer and two-layer films for their surface properties. Monodispersed colloidal silica nanoparticles were incorporated into an acrylate-based monomer system as the model …

Kinetic Study Of Photoelectrochemical Oxidation Of Lignin Model Compounds On Tio2 Nanotubes, Min Tian, Daniel Liba, Aicheng Chen

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this study, TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared via the electrochemical oxidation of titanium substrates in a non-aqueous electrolyte and their morphology and microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photoelectrochemical oxidation of two lignin model compounds, 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3-propanediol (DMP) and 3-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1,3-propanone (HDM), was investigated. A new band appeared at ~304 nm during the photoelectrochemical oxidation of DMP. The rate of DMP intermediate formation was amplified with the increase of initial concentrations, while it was diminished with increased temperature. Despite the similarity in structure between HDM and DMP, there are only small increases in absorbance …

Quantum Dot Deposition Into Pdms And Application Onto A Solar Cell, Christopher Marcus Botros, Richard N. Savage

Master's Theses

Research to increase the efficiency of conventional solar cells is constantly underway. The goal of this work is to increase the efficiency of conventional solar cells by incorporating quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles in the absorption mechanism. The strategy is to have the QDs absorb UV and fluoresce photons in the visible region that are more readily absorbed by the cells. The outcome is that the cells have more visible photons to absorb and have increased power output. The QDs, having a CdSe core and a ZnS shell, were applied to the solar cells as follows. First, the QDs were synthesized …

A Silicon Carbide Based Solid-State Fault Current Limiter For Modern Power Distribution Systems, Erik Darnell Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fault current limiter represents a developing technology which will greatly improve the reliability and stability of the power grid. By reducing the magnitude of fault currents in distribution systems, fault current limiters can alleviate much of the damage imposed by these events. Solid-state fault current limiters in particular offer many improved capabilities in comparison to the power system protection equipment which is currently being used for fault current mitigation. The use of silicon carbide power semiconductor devices in solid-state fault current limiters produces a system that would help to advance the infrastructure of the electric grid.

A solid-state fault …

P3ht:Pcpdtbt:Pcbm Multi- Polymer Single Layer Solar Cells, Ted Andreas

Physics

OPV efficiencies are limited by their narrow absorption; rather than using tandem architecture to overcome this obstacle, our group combined P3HT and PCPDTBT into a single layer BHJ solar cell that achieved 2.0% PCE. This is 33% higher than the pure P3HT control from this group, proving that multi-polymer solar cells have the potential to outperform their single-polymer components.

Fabrication And Characterization Of Thermomechanically Processed Sulfur And Boron Doped Amorphous Carbon Films, Lonnie Carlson

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Small scale, high power density, reliable, and long-life power supplies would be useful or even critical for space missions or the growing number of microdetectors, microsensors, and miniature vehicles. Alpha or beta particle voltaic devices could satisfy these requirements but have been shown to degrade quickly due to radiation damage. Amorphous carbon (a-C) PN junctions or PIN devices could provide radiation hardness and sufficiently high efficiency. As the range of alpha and beta particles in a-C is ~20-120μm, much thicker films than are typical are needed to maximize collection of the particle energy.

In this work, the fabrication of thermomechanically …

Semiconductor Nanocrystals: From Quantum Dots To Quantum Disks, Zheng Li

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The bottom-up colloidal synthesis opened up the possibility of finely tuning and tailoring the semiconductor nanocrystals. Numerous recipes were developed for the preparation of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, especially the traditional quantum dots. However, due to the lack of thorough understanding to those systems, the synthesis chemistry is still on the empirical level. CdS quantum dots synthesis in non-coordinating solvent were taken as a model system to investigate its molecular mechanism and formation process, ODE was identified as the reducing agent for the preparation of CdS nanocrystals, non-injection and low-temperature synthesis methods developed. In this model system, we not only proved …

A Silicon Carbide Linear Voltage Regulator For High Temperature Applications, Javier Antonio Valle Mayorga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current market demands have pushed the capabilities of silicon to the edge. High temperature and high power applications require a semiconductor device to operate reliably in very harsh environments. This situation has awakened interests in other types of semiconductors, usually with a higher bandgap than silicon's, as the next venue for the fabrication of integrated circuits (IC) and power devices. Silicon Carbide (SiC) has so far proven to be one of the best options in the power devices field.

This dissertation presents the first attempt to fabricate a SiC linear voltage regulator. This circuit would provide a power management option …

Numerical Analysis And Design Optimization Of Organic Bulk Hetero-Junction Solar Cells Using The Mixed Finite Element And Arc-Length Methods, James L. Dean

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Due to the high coupling and non-linear nature of the semiconductor equations, numerical stability becomes a major problem when using a purely Newtonian numerical method in solving these equations. Presented is a robust mixed finite element formulation with application for organic solar cell devices that incorporates the arc-length predictor-corrector method to bypass such stability issues. The simulated device represents a multilayered solar cell using organic bulk hetero-junction materials including donor materials Poly[2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl[4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4- b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl]] (PCPDTBT) and poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) with acceptor fullerene materials [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) or [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as the photoactive …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Torsional Micro-Hinge Structures, Mike Madrid Marrujo

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Fabrication and Characterization of Torsional Micro-Hinge Structures

Mike Marrujo

There are many electronic devices that operate on the micrometer-scale such as Digital Micro-Mirror Devices (DMD). Micro actuators are a common type of DMD that employ a diaphragm supported by torsional hinges, which deform during actuation and are critical for the devices to have high stability and reliability. The stress developed within the hinge during actuation controls how the actuator will respond to the actuating force. Electrostatically driven micro actuators observe to have a fully recoverable non-linear viscoelastic response. The device consists of a micro-hinge which is suspended by two …

The Effect Of Polarization And Ingan Quantum Well Shape In Multiple Quantum Well Light Emitting Diode Heterostructures, Patrick M. Mcbride

Master's Theses

Previous research in InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) employing semi-classical drift-diffusion models has used reduced polarization constants without much physical explanantion. This paper investigates possible physical explanations for this effective polarization reduction in InGaN LEDs through the use of the simulation software SiLENSe. One major problem of current LED simulations is the assumption of perfectly discrete transitions between the quantum well (QW) and blocking layers when experiments have shown this to not be the case. The In concentration profile within InGaN multiple quantum well (MQW) devices shows much smoother and delayed transitions indicative of indium diffusion and drift during …

Deposition, Characterization, And Fabrication Of A Zinc Oxide Piezoelectric Thin Film Microspeaker Using Dc Reactive Sputtering, Adam Olzick

Master's Theses

A piezoelectric microspeaker device that could be used in a variety of acoustic applications was designed and fabricated using a thin film ZnO layer that was reactively DC sputtered onto a single crystalline n-type silicon substrate. When tested the microspeaker did not produce sound due to complications in the etching process, the thickness of the diaphragms, and clamping effects. Instead, a characterization approach was taken and the structural, optical, electrical, and piezoelectric properties of the ZnO were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy were utilized to discover the ZnO’s structural properties. Using the XRD and SEM, …

The Design And Fabrication Of A Silicon Membrane For Electrostatic Actuation, Elizabeth L. Brooks

Materials Engineering

An electrostatically actuated silicon membrane was designed and fabricated utilizing a siliconon- insulator wafer. The SOI wafer contains three layers- a 400μm thick “handle” layer of silicon followed by a 2μm thick oxide layer topped with a 20μm thick “device” layer of silicon. The embedded oxide layer acts as an etch-stop during silicon etching, leaving a thin membrane of consistent thickness on the device side. The device dimensions were chosen to provide acceptable membrane deflection predicted by calculations and Finite Element Analysis. A microfabrication process plan was designed to produce thin membranes appropriate for electrostatic actuation. A 700nm layer of …

Bond Strength Characterization Of Su-8 To Su-8 For Fabricating Microchannels Of An Electrokinetic Microfluidic Pump, Nash Anderson

Materials Engineering

Photosensitive negative resist polymer layers of SU-8 2050 were adhered to 100 mm n-type silicon and Pyrex wafers via spin coating. These wafers were then bonded together at various temperatures of 100 ͦC, 120 ͦC, 140 ͦC, 150 ͦC, 160 ͦC, and 180 ͦC. The target thickness of each SU-8 layer was 100 µm. Photolithography was used to create microfluidic channels within the SU-8. An n-type silicon wafer and a Pyrex wafer, each with an SU-8 layer, were brought together on the “hard bake” or final step of SU-8 polymerization. A pressure of ~300 KPa was applied during the hard …

Design And Fabrication Of Serpentine-Hinged Silicon Micro-Mirror Devices, Nicholas Wiswell

Materials Engineering

Seven different actuating micro-mirror designs were created and verified via finite element analysis. Two were straight torsion beam hinge designs representative of previous work at Cal Poly; the remaining five were new designs incorporating serpentine hinges. The surface area of these mirror devices ranged from 0.5 square millimeters to 12.5 square millimeters. Geometric patterns representing the device profiles were created and used to obtain photolithographic masks. Beginning with a 400μm thick, 100mm diameter silicon on insulator wafer, a silicon dioxide layer was thermally grown on the surface at 1050 degrees Celsius. Positive photoresist was then spun onto the wafer at …

Improving Solar Cell Performance Using Cdse/Zns Core/Shell Quantum Dots In A Spectral Conversion System, Buddy Bump

Materials Engineering

Solar cells have been found to absorb light more efficiently and effectively when the energy of incoming photons matches the electronic band gap of the solar cell. Spectral conversion of light from UV to lower energy wavelengths can improve solar cell efficiency an estimated 14.5%. Cadmium Selenium/Zinc Sulfide Core/Shell quantum dots have been successfully embedded in PDMS silicone elastomer. Using a Keithley 2400 Electrometer with Labview software, voltage and current characteristics have been recorded in steps of 10 mV with a wait time of 250 ms on a commercially available solar cell using an artificial solar spectrum created by a …

Creating A Solar Cell Array From A Single Silicon Wafer, Samyukta Gade, Roderick Marstell

Materials Engineering

Two different processes to create multi-celled solar panels from single wafers were made and implemented. To do this, the cells must not have a common ground, and both designs use different approaches to solve this problem. One utilizes a 2.9 µm deep n-type well within a 10.74 µm deep p-type well in an n-type wafer. There are two cells in series, which has a theoretical voltage of 1 V. The cells are connected in series with 1.9 µm thick gold traces. Any area that the gold is not in contact with the silicon has a .5 µm layer silicon dioxide …

The Effects Of Concentration, Stir Rate, And Processing Temperature On The Iridescence Of Polymethyl Methacrylate Nanoparticles, David Baruela

Materials Engineering

Synthetic opals were synthesized by creating polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanospheres in order to determine which conditions would create the best iridescent samples. The factors affecting the iridescence were nanosphere concentration, stir rate, and processing temperature. PMMA solutions were made by adding 17 mg of granular azobis to a solution of 16 mL of distilled water with 3 mL of methyl methacrylate (MMA). The solution was stirred at different rates, slow and fast, and different temperatures, 70 °C and 90 °C, under a constant flow of nitrogen gas for 40 minutes until the polymerization reaction was complete. Glass substrates were prepared …

Fabricating Replacement Glass Prisms For The Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, Daniel Garcken

Materials Engineering

The objective of this project was to design and create a process for manufacturing replacement glass prisms for the Piedras Blancas lighthouse and several other lighthouses nationwide. The prisms were designed to be in multiple metal arrays spread across the floor of the beacon room (the topmost room of the lighthouses). The prisms functioned to transmit extra, radiant light from the beacon light through the floor of the beacon room and disperse it into the maintenance room below. Using computer aided drafting (CAD) software, an original prism was measured and modeled; the corresponding mold was also modeled. G-codes for controlling …

Synthesis Of White Cadmium-Selenium Quantum Dots, Kyle Reilly

Materials Engineering

A process was developed for the synthesis of cadmium-selenium quantum dots that fluoresce at multiple wavelengths, giving a white color to the solution. The process involved making a selenium pre-cursor, then a cadmium precursor, then injecting the selenium precursor into the cadmium precursor and extracting a sample. Once the a repeatable process for synthesizing white quantum dots was developed, the absorption and fluorescence was measured and recorded over a period of two weeks. In the development of the process, the key variables were the temperature of the cadmium precursor and the time between injecting the selenium precursor and extracting the …

Plasma-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growth Of Indium Nitride For Future Device Fabrication, Steven Paul Minor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need for energy conservation has heightened the search for new materials that can reduce energy consumption or produce energy by the means of photovoltaic cells. III-nitride alloys show promise for these applications due to their generally good transport properties and ability to withstand high power applications. Along with these, this family of semiconductor alloys has a direct bandgap energy range (0.7-6.2 eV) which spans the entire visible spectrum and encompasses a large portion of the available solar spectrum. Of the three root III-nitride semiconductors, AlN, GaN, and InN, InN has only recently become attainable epitaxially with qualities good enough …

Mott Transition And Electronic Structure In Complex Oxide Heterostructures, Jian Liu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Strongly correlated electron systems, particularly transition metal oxides, have been a focus of condensed matter physics for more than two decades since the discovery of high-temperature superconducting cuprates. Diverse competing phases emerge, spanning from exotic magnetism to unconventional superconductivity, in proximity to the localized-itinerant transition of Mott insulators. While studies were concentrated on bulk crystals, the recent rapid advance in synthesis has enabled fabrication of high-quality oxide heterostructures, offering a new route to create novel artificial quantum materials.

This dissertation details the investigation on ultrathin films and heterostructures of 3d⁷(t_2g⁶e_g¹) systems with …

Fabrication Of Vertical Silicon Nanowires Through Metal Assisted Deposition, Matthew Garett Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Controlled and ordered growth of Si nanowires through a low temperature fabrication method compatible with CMOS processing lines is a highly desirable replacement to future electronic fabrication technologies as well as a candidate for a low cost route to inexpensive photovoltaics. This stems from the fact that traditional CMOS based electronics are hitting physical barriers that are slowing the Moore's Law trend as well as the demand for an inexpensive solar cell technology that can obtain grid parity. A fractional factorial growth study is presented that compares the growth of Au and Al catalyzed Si nanowires at temperatures ranging from …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Aluminum Doped Zinc Oxide Nanowires For Photovoltaic Devices And Semiconductors, Travis J. Wilson^, Md. Ashiqur R. Khan, Mohammad A. I. Shuvo, Miguel Mendoza, Matthew Garcia, Yirong Lin*, Chintalapalle V. Ramana*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Lunalight Project: Solar-Rechargeable Led Lantern And Cell Phone Charger, Sean C. Dawson, Michael E. Deagen, Francisco N. Dye, Brian S. Mircheff, Ryan O. Ramelb

Materials Engineering

Today, 1.6 billion people in the world do not have access to grid electricity. Villagers living off the grid in developing nations resort to kerosene lanterns to light their homes. The fumes from burning kerosene are toxic and lead to respiratory illnesses over time. Our sponsor, OneMillionLights, plans to help people to escape poverty by providing them with a clean source of light at night. Children that must work in the fields during the day can use a solar-rechargeable lantern at night to read or study, and street vendors can use the lanterns at night to improve their businesses.

The …

The Design And Fabrication Of A Microfluidic Reactor For Synthesis Of Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots Using Silicon And Glass Substrates, Peter Robert Gonsalves

Master's Theses

A microfluidic reactor for synthesizing cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) was synthesized out of a silicon wafer and Pyrex glass. Microfabrication techniques were used to etch channels into the silicon wafer. Holes were wet-drilled into the Pyrex glass using a diamond-tip drill bit. The Pyrex wafer was anodically bonded to the etched silicon wafer to enclose the microfluidic reactor. Conditions for anodic bonding were created by exposing the stacked substrates to 300V at ~350oC under 5.46N of force. A syringe containing a room temperature CdSe solution was interfaced to the microfluidic reactor by using Poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as an …

Measurement Of Semiconductor Surface Potential Using The Scanning Electron Microscope, Jennifer T. Heath, Chun-Sheng Jiang, Mowafak M. Al-Jassim

Faculty Publications

We calibrate the secondary electron signal from a standard scanning electron microscope to voltage, yielding an image of the surface or near-surface potential. Data on both atomically abrupt heterojunction GaInP/GaAs and diffused homojunction Si solar cell devices clearly show the expected variation in potential with position and applied bias, giving depletion widths and locating metallurgical junctions to an accuracy better than 10 nm. In some images, distortion near the p-n junction is observed, seemingly consistent with the effects of lateral electric fields (patch fields). Reducing the tube bias removes this distortion. This approach results in rapid and straightforward collection of …

Fundamental Properties Of Functional Zinc Oxide Nanowires Obtained By Electrochemical Method And Their Device Applications, Athavan Nadarajah

Dissertations and Theses

We report on the fundamental properties and device applications of semiconductor nanoparticles. ZnO nanowires and CdSe quantum dots were used, prepared, characterized, and assembled into novel light-emitting diodes and solar cells. ZnO nanowire films were grown electrochemically using aqueous soluble chloride-based electrolytes as precursors at temperatures below 90° C. Dopants were added to the electrolyte in the form of chloride compounds, which are AlCl₃, CoCl₂, CuCl₂, and MnCl₂. The optical, magnetic, and structural properties of undoped and transition-metal-ion doped ZnO nanowires were explored. Our results indicate that the as-grown nanowire structures have …

Fabrication Of Horizontal Silicon Nanowires Using A Thin Aluminum Film As A Catalyst, Khaja Hafeezuddin Mohammed

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon nanowires have been the topic of research in recent years for their significant attention from the electronics industry to grow even smaller electronic devices. The semiconductor industry is built on silicon. Silicon nanowires can be the building blocks for future nanoelectronic devices. Various techniques have also been reported in fabricating the silicon nanowires. But most of the techniques reported, grow vertical silicon nanowires. In the semiconductor industry, integrated circuits are designed and fabricated in a horizontal architecture i.e. the device layout is flat compared to the substrate. When vertical silicon nanowires are introduced in the semiconductor industry, a whole …