Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

The Effect Of Radiation On The Electrical Properties Of Aluminum Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride Heterostructures, John W. Mcclory

Theses and Dissertations

AlGaN/GaN Heterojunction Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) were irradiated at low temperature and the temperature dependent changes to drain current, gate current, capacitance, and transconductance were measured. The results were compared to the charge control model of the drain current and trap-assisted tunneling model of the gate current to determine the source of the radiation-induced changes. AlGaN/GaN HFETs demonstrated threshold voltage shifts and drain current changes after irradiation. After electron and neutron irradiation applied at ~80 K, measurement of the drain current at this temperature showed an increase that saturated after 10¹³ electrons/cm² or 10¹⁰ neutrons/cm² due …

Preparation And Photoelectrochemical Properties Of Fe-Doped Tio2 Nanotube Arrays, Jing Li, Lan Sun, Hui-Fang Zhuang, Cheng-Lin Wang, Rong-Gui Du, Chang-Jian Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays were fabricated in Fe(NO₃)₃-HF mixing solutions by electrochemical anodic oxidation method,and characterized by FESEM,Raman,XPS and DRS.The effect of Fe concentratiions on photoelectrochemical property of the arrays was also investigated.The diameters and lengths of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays were 50~90 nm and about 200 nm,respectively.Compared with the undoped TiO₂ nanotube arrays,the absorption edge of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays appeared red shifting.The more Fe content,the larger red shifting,in addition,the photocurrent of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays increased obviously.

The Effect Of Vibratory Milling On The Powder Properties Of Zinc Oxide Varistors, Maura Kelleher, M.S.J. Hashmi

Articles

The formation of powders from multi-elemental oxides for the subsequent formation of a green and sintered compact body is a major processing operation in the manufacture of ZnO varistors. The physical and chemical properties of the metal oxides are crucial not only for the formation of a varistor component with optimum microstructure and thus electrical characteristics but also for avoiding the introduction of flaws and reduced yield during subsequent manufacturing stages. The effect of vibratory milling using cylindrical zirconia media on the physical and chemical properties of the mixed multi-elemental oxide additives of a commercial ZnO varistor formulation was studied. …

Optical Properties Of Colloidal Core/Shell Nanocrystals, Abhishek Joshi

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recently, colloidal core/shell nanocrystals have found use in several applications such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, fluorescent dies, etc. In this thesis, optical properties of colloidal CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals were studied. The samples were prepared such that the nanocrystals were embedded in a UV curable resin. Once the samples were cured, they were placed in different spectrophotometers to measure the absorbance and the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. The effect on the absorbance and PL spectra was investigated by using nanocrystal samples of different quantum dot sizes and by changing the temperature of the samples. It was found that the energy …

Development Of Low Temperature Alpha Alumina Coatings By Ac Magnetron Sputtering, Andrew Cloud

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Alpha-phase aluminum oxide thin films were created using an Isoflux ICM-10 dual target inverted cylindrical magnetron sputtering system using mid-frequency AC power supplies. Alpha alumina films were deposited at a magnetron power of 6 kW, 50% oxygen partial pressure by volume, and -35 V DC bias. Film thickness, substrate material, and position and orientation within the deposition chamber were varied. To ensure the deposition conditions are suitable for alloys, the substrate temperature was measured using temperature indicating liquids. The experimental results, supported by Explicit Euler numerical analysis, revealed a steady state temperature of ~480°C at 6kW. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) …

An Ultrahigh Vacuum Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon Compatible Nonlithographic System To Fabricate Nanoparticle-Based Devices, Arghya Banerjee, Biswajit Das

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

Nanoparticles of metals and semiconductors are promising for the implementation of a variety of photonic and electronic devices with superior performances and new functionalities. However, their successful implementation has been limited due to the lack of appropriate fabrication processes that are suitable for volume manufacturing. The current techniques for the fabrication of nanoparticles either are solution based, thus requiring complex surface passivation, or have severe constraints over the choice of particle size and material. We have developed an ultrahigh vacuum system for the implementation of a complex nanosystem that is flexible and compatible with the silicon integrated circuit process, thus …

Nano Quasicrystal Formation And Local Atomic Structure In Zr––Pd And Zr––Pt Binary Metallic Glasses, Junji Saida, Takashi Sanada, Shigeo Sato, Muneyuki Imafuku, Chunfei Li, Akihisa Inoue

Center for Electron Microscopy and Nanofabrication Publications and Presentations

Formation of the nanoscale icosahedral quasicrystalline phase (I-phase) in the melt-spun Zr₇₀Pd₃₀ and Zr₈₀Pt₂₀ binary metallic glasses were reported. Local atomic structure in the glassy and quasicrystal (QC)-formed states were also analyzed by XRD and EXAFS measurements in order to investigate the formation mechanism of QC phase. The distorted icosahedral-like local structure can be identified around Zr atom in the Zr₇₀Pd₃₀ metallic glass. In the QC formation process, a change of local environment around Zr is detected, in which the approximately one Zr atom substitutes for one Pd atom. In contrast, …

Growth Rate Calculations For Epitaxially Grown Thin Films, D. Bullock

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Dielectric Properties In Single Crystal-Like Bifeo3 Thin Films Grown By Flux-Mediated Epitaxy, S.-H. Lim, M. Murakami, J. H. Yang, S.-Y. Young, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers, M. Wuttig, L. G. Salamanca-Riba, I. Takeuchi

Faculty Publications

We have fabricated single crystal-like BiFeO₃ (BFO) thin films by flux-mediated epitaxy using pulsed laser deposition(PLD). The Bi–Cu–O flux composition and its thickness were optimized using composition spread, thickness gradient, and temperature gradient libraries. The optimized BFO thin films grown with this technique showed larger grain size of ∼2μm and higher dielectric constant in the range of 260–340 than those for standard PLD grown films. In addition, the leakage current density of the films was reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to that of standard PLD grown films.

Nonthermal Laser-Induced Formation Of Crystalline Ge Quantum Dots On Si(100), M. S. Hegazy, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The effects of laser-induced electronic excitations on the self-assembly of Ge quantum dots on Si (100) - (2×1) grown by pulsed laser deposition are studied. Electronic excitations due to laser irradiation of the Si substrate and the Ge film during growth are shown to decrease the roughness of films grown at a substrate temperature of ∼120 °C. At this temperature, the grown films are nonepitaxial. Electronic excitation results in the formation of an epitaxial wetting layer and crystalline Ge quantum dots at ∼260 °C, a temperature at which no crystalline quantum dots form without excitation under the same deposition conditions. …

Activation Energy Of Surface Diffusion And Terrace Width Dynamics During The Growth Of In (4×3) On Si (100) - (2×1) By Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition, M. A. Hafez, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The nucleation and growth of indium on a vicinal Si (100) - (2×1) surface at high temperature by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition was investigated by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). RHEED intensity relaxation was observed for the first ∼2 ML during the growth of In (4×3) by step flow. From the temperature dependence of the rate of relaxation, an activation energy of 1.4±0.2 eV of surface diffusion was determined. The results indicate that indium small clusters diffused to terrace step edges with a diffusion frequency constant of (1.0±0.1) × 10¹¹ s^-1. The RHEED specular …

Electrical Activation Studies Of Silicon Implanted Aluminum Gallium Nitride With High Aluminum Mole Fraction, Elizabeth A. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

This research demonstrates a method for producing highly conductive Si-implanted n-type aluminum gallium nitride (Al_xGa_1-xN) alloys, and represents a comprehensive analysis of the resulting material's electrical and optical properties as a function of Al mole fraction, anneal temperature, anneal time, and implantation dose. Highly conductive alloys are critical to the fabrication of devices operating in deep UV, high-temperature, high-power, and high-frequency environments, and thus this research is significant in regard to the application of such devices. The Al_xGa_1-xN wafers of this study, with Al concentrations of 10 to 50%, were implanted at …

Band Gap Engineering Of Two Dimensional Silicon Photonic Crystals By Oxidation And Oxide Etching, Makhin Thitsa

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis a thorough analysis is presented on the effects of oxidation and oxide etching on the band structure of two dimensional silicon photonic crystals (2 D Si PC's). By using the plane wave expansion method (PWM), two structures of triangular lattice, namely, air cylinders embedded in a silicon background and silicon cylinders embedded in an air background are modeled. The thesis focuses on triangular lattice arrangement because for certain parameter values such a lattice can give rise to absolute band gap, which prohibits the propagation of either transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations.

During oxidation three …

Optical Parametric Oscillation In Orientation-Patterned Gallium Arsenide, Scott A. Shell

Theses and Dissertations

Tunable laser sources in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range are required for several Air Force applications. Existing lasers with output in the near-infrared can be converted to more desirable MIR by using nonlinear effects. Orientation patterned gallium arsenide (OPGaAs) is a promising nonlinear conversion material because it has broad transparency and can be engineered for specific pump laser and output wavelengths using quasi-phase matching techniques. This research examines optical parametric oscillation (OPO) of several OPGaAs samples using a 2.052 micrometers wavelength Tm, Ho:YLF pump laser. Of the seven samples available the five that were capable of getting OPO output with …

Cobalt Doping Of Semiconducting Boron Carbide Using Cobaltocene, Lonnie Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

The decomposition of cobaltocene and metacarborane (closo-1,7-dicarba-decaborane) under low energy electron irradiation at about 200 K results in a material with the Fermi level closer to the valence band than the material resulting from the decomposition of metacarborane alone. This indicates that cobaltocene provides a relatively p-type dopant as seen in ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy/inverse photoemission spectroscopy. Upon warming to room temperature, however, the Fermi level shifts towards the conduction band, suggesting an n-type dopant. This temperature dependent surface photovoltage effect is not compelling evidence for the majority carrier type but does suggest an increase in the carrier concentration …

Formation Of In- (2×1) And In Islands On Si (100) - (2×1) By Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Deposition, M. A. Hafez, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The growth of indium on a vicinal Si (100) - (2×1) surface at room temperature by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition (fsPLD) was investigated by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Recovery of the RHEED intensity was observed between laser pulses and when the growth was terminated. The surface diffusion coefficient of deposited In on initial two-dimensional (2D) In- (2×1) layer was determined. As growth proceeds, three-dimensional In islands grew on the 2D In- (2×1) layer. The RHEED specular profile was analyzed during film growth, while the grown In islands were examined by ex situ atomic force microscopy. The full …

Characterization Of Passivated Indium Antimonide, Catherine Ann Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Infrared absorption and photoluminescence measurements have been used to optically characterize bulk-grown, 680-μm thick, indium antimonide (InSb), both as-grown and after passivation by either anodization or a 700-Å layer of silicon oxide (SiOx). Spectra were obtained using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Results include the effects of sample temperature in the range of 10 to 300 K and 4.636 μm laser pump power in the range of 28 mW to 1.43 W for the photoluminescence spectrum.

Application Of Electrolessplating Technology In Interconnection Manufacturing Of Ultralarge-Scale Integration, Zeng-Lin Wang, Zhi-Juan Liu, Hong-Yan Jiang, Xiu-Wen Wang, Shingubara Shoso

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper,research progresses in electroless plating for damascene copper process were reviewed.Electroless nickel ternary alloy deposition for barrier layer and electroless copper plating for seed layer were presented.Bottom-up copper fill high-aspect-via-hole and electroless plating after ICB-Pd catalytic layer for seed layer were mainly introduced.The applications of electroless plating in ultralarge-scale integration were discussed,and the developing tendency was also suggested.

Optical Characterization Of Thick Growth Orientation-Patterned Gallium Arsenide, Joshua W. Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

Tunable laser sources in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range are required for several Air Force applications. Existing lasers with output in the near-infrared can be converted to more desirable MIR by using nonlinear effects. Orientation patterned gallium arsenide (OPGaAs) is a promising nonlinear conversion material because it has broad transparency and can be engineered for specific pump laser and output wavelengths using quasi-phase matching techniques. This research examines the optical quality of seven OPGaAs crystal samples and explores the design of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) device. The Air Force Research Laboratory Electro-Optical Countermeasures Technology Branch obtained the samples from …

Characterization Of Stress In Gan-On-Sapphire Microelectromechanical Systems (Mems) Structures Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy, Francisco E. Parada

Theses and Dissertations

Micro-Raman (µRaman) spectroscopy is an efficient, non-destructive technique widely used to determine the quality of semiconductor materials and microelectromechanical systems. This work characterizes the stress distribution in wurtzite gallium nitride grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. This wide bandgap semiconductor material is being considered by the Air Force Research Laboratory for the fabrication of shock-hardened MEMS accelerometers. µRaman spectroscopy is particularly useful for stress characterization because of its ability to measure the spectral shifts in Raman peaks in a material, and correlate those shifts to stress and strain. The spectral peak shift as a function of stress, …

Passive Multiple Beam Combination In Optical Fibers Via Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Kirk C. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Many active methods of scaling laser brightness have been demonstrated in recent years. The goal of this research was to demonstrate the feasibility of passively combining multiple laser beams using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in a long multimode optical fiber. This method of combination employed a “Gatling gun” fiber array that allowed several collimated beams to be focused by a lens into an optical fiber. The retroreflected Stokes beam is passed through the center of the beam combiner for analysis. In addition to experimental methodology and equipment used, the theoretical and historical background of SBS in optical fibers is provided. …

Analysis Of Photoconductive Properties In Ge2Sb2Te5 (Gst) Chalcogenide Films For Applications In Novel Electronics, John R. V. Chezem

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the thermal phase-change properties in Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) chalcogenide-based films and determined the feasibility of coupling the GST with photosensitive DNA material for novel optical device applications. Modeling and testing of GST were researched with the approach that GST would react as a resistive mechanism through thermal manipulation. A test structure was fabricated with a 2-micronmeter MEMS fabrication process. GST material was deposited (by RF sputtering) on the surface of the test structures. The GST was analyzed primarily in the amorphous to crystalline transition states due to more distinct changes in the resistance …

Characteristics Of Two-Dimensional Triangular And Three-Dimensional Face-Centered-Cubic Photonic Crystals, Jeffery D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The fabrication of photonic crystals (PhC) with photonic band gaps (PBG) in the visible range is a difficult task due to the small structural feature sizes of the PhC. The particular type of PhC examined is a two-dimensional (2-D) triangular structure with a PBG designed for visible wavelengths with applications in visible integrated photonic systems. This work examines the processes involved and viability of fabricating 2-D triangular PhC's by a variety of techniques: focused ion beam, electron lithography and holographic photo-polymerization/lithography. The design of the PhC was based on a program created to display gap maps for triangular structures. The …

Carrier Lifetime Dynamics Of Epitaxial Layer Hvpe Gallium Arsenide Using Time-Resolved Experiments, Wayne E. Eikenberry

Theses and Dissertations

GaAs is a potential semiconductor material for producing both mid-infrared and terahertz radiation using the new technique of quasi-phase matching in an orientationally patterned GaAs (OP-GaAs) crystal. OP-GaAs is grown using a fast growth process called hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Unfortunately, HVPE produces a high number of defects. These defects cause Shockley-Read-Hall recombination rates to dominate over Auger and radiative recombination rates. The carrier lifetime from four OP-GaAs samples are reported here using two different experimental techniques. The first experiment used a streak camera to measure the carrier lifetime via time-resolved photoluminescence. The temporal resolution of the streak camera …

Special Photoelectrochemical Response Of Nano-Crystalline Tio2 Electrode, Bi-Bo Lan, Jian-Zhang Zhou, Yan-Yan Xi, Hong-Xiang Chen, Guang-Hua Yao, Zhong-Hua Lin

Journal of Electrochemistry

The nano-crystalline TiO₂ electrodes were prepared by spread method,electrodeposition and sol-gel method.The experimental results show that the nano-crystalline TiO₂ electrodes have special photoelectrochemical response-the photocrrent-potential curves appear peaks.The special photoelectrochemical behaviors of nano-(crystalline) TiO₂  electrodes are ascribed to nano-structure as well as special light induced redox reaction mechanism of nano-crystalline semiconductor electrodes.

Combinatorial Study Of Ni-Ti-Pt Ternary Metal Gate Electrodes On Hfo2 For The Advanced Gate Stack, K.-S. Chang, M. L. Green, J. Suehle, E. M. Vogel, H. Xiong, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers, I. Takeuchi, O. Famodu, K. Ohmori, P. Ahmet, T. Chikyow, P. Majhi, B.-H. Lee, M. Gardner

Faculty Publications

The authors have fabricated combinatorial Ni–Ti–Pt ternary metal gate thin film libraries on HfO₂ using magnetron co-sputtering to investigate flatband voltage shift (ΔV_fb) , work function (Φ_m) , and leakage current density (J_L) variations. A more negative ΔV_fb is observed close to the Ti-rich corner than at the Ni- and Pt-rich corners, implying smaller Φ_m near the Ti-rich corners and higher Φ_m near the Ni- and Pt-rich corners. In addition, measured J_L values can be explained consistently with the observed Φ_m variations. Combinatorial methodologies prove to be useful …

Growth Of Ge Quantum Dots On Si(100)-(2×1) By Pulsed Laser Deposition, M. S. Hegazy, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Self-assembled germanium quantum dots (QDs) were grown on Si(100)-(2×1) by pulsed laser deposition. In situ reflection-high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and postdeposition atomic force microscopy are used to study the growth of the QDs. Several films of different thicknesses were grown at a substrate temperature of 400 °C using a Q-switched Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser (λ= 1064 nm, 40 ns pulse width, 23 J/cm ² fluence, and 10 Hz repetition rate). At low film thicknesses, hut clusters that are faceted by different planes, depending on their height, are observed after the completion of the wetting layer. With increasing film thickness, …

Melting And Solidification Study Of As-Deposited And Recrystallized Bi Thin Films, M. K. Zayed, H. E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Melting and solidification of as-deposited and recrystallized Bi crystallites, deposited on highly oriented 002-graphite at 423 K, were studied using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Films with mean thickness between 1.5 and 33 ML (monolayers) were studied. Ex situ atomic force microscopy was used to study the morphology and the size distribution of the formed nanocrystals. The as-deposited films grew in the form of three-dimensional crystallites with different shapes and sizes, while those recrystallized from the melt were formed in nearly similar shapes but different sizes. The change in the RHEED pattern with temperature was used to probe the melting …

Multiple Channel Laser Beam Combination And Phasing Using Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Optical Fibers, Brent W. Grime

Theses and Dissertations

Brightness scaling lasers using stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in optical fibers is explored. A multiple-channel amplifier approach is used to increase the total power of a laser system while avoiding a significant burden on a single channel. The work explores two approaches utilizing both SBS beam cleanup and SBS piston error conjugation. A unique beam combiner that takes advantage of the SBS beam cleanup properties of a long, gradient-index multimode fiber was designed and tested. The beam combiner was developed to combine multiple-channel laser beams simultaneously with high input and output coupling efficiency. The design for the SBS beam combiner …

Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of An Electrostatically Actuated Microfluidic Valve, Ryan Dale Rivers

Master's Theses

Microfluidic device construction uses certain critical structures throughout many different applications. The valve structure remains one of the primary structures that present a barrier to miniaturization and portability. The extensive support devices required to power common microfluidic valves remove a significant amount of freedom from microfluidic device design. Moving to electrostatic methods of actuation could reduce the overall footprint of the microfluidic valve. This thesis covers three concept prototypes. Concept I presents an attempt at inlaying gold electrodes into polydimethylsiloxane substrates. Concept II attempts to use liquid silver injected into channels as electrode materials. Concept III uses aluminum sputtering to …