NanoTechnology: Materials, Processes & Devices

Research that includes:

  • Development of nanostructure fabrication technology
  • Nanomagnetics, Microphotonics
  • CMOS Integrated Nanowires/Nanotubes (CMOS-Inn)

BPN527: Materials Development for Nanopillar Array Photovoltaics

Daniel J. Ruebusch
Rehan R. Kapadia
Zhiyong Fan
Xiaobo Zhang
2010

We have previously demonstrated a first generation solar cell employing an array of vertically oriented and spatially ordered n-CdS nanopillars (NPLs) embedded in a p-CdTe film. The single crystal NPLs are grown by a Au catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process that is compatible with a wide range of materials systems. We seek to expand the design space of our solar cells by developing and integrating promising NPL materials. Successfully grown NPLs will be characterized and ultimately integrated into complete solar cells.

Project end date: 08/11/10

BPN535: MEMS Poly/Nano: Nano-Particulate Composite Materials for Energy and Sensing Applications

Nuo Zhang
2010

The goal of this project is to develop a high-K, high breakdown, polymer nanocomposite material system. The novel material is composed of a high dielectric strength polymer seeded with core-shell nanoparticles. This technology will enable the development of low-cost, highly reliable, high energy density ultracapacitor system for energy storage. It is also a possible method to enhance the sensitivity of polymer based infrared sensor.

Project end date: 08/12/10

BPN601: Strain Engineering of Epitaxially Transferred, Ultrathin Layers of III-V Semiconductor on Insulator

Hui Fang
Morten Madsen
Kuniharu Takei
Ha Sul Kim
2011

Strain state of ultrathin InAs-on-insulator layers obtained from an epitaxial transfer process is studied. The as-grown InAs epilayer (10¨C20 nm thick) on the GaSb/AlGaSb source wafer has the expected ~0.62% tensile strain. The strain is found to fully release during the epitaxial transfer of the InAs layer onto a Si/SiO2 substrate. In order to engineer the strain of the transferred InAs layers, a ZrOx cap was used during the transfer process to effectively preserve the strain. The work presents an important advance toward the control of materials properties of III-V on insulator...

BPN588: Direct Bonding of Ultra-Thin InAs on SiO2 for High Performance Transistors

Morten Madsen
Kuniharu Takei
Hui Fang
2010

In the past years, integration of III-V materials on Si have been thoroughly investigated, in order to combine the well establish, low cost, processing of the Si technology with the high mobility of III-V semiconductors for high performance electron devices. In this work, direct bonding of InAs nanoribbons on Si/SiO2 (XOI) is proposed as a method for obtaining high performance nanoscale transistors with clean and purely inorganic interfaces between InAs and SiO2.

Project end date: 02/03/11

BPN462: Programmable Matter

Xiaobo Zhang
Bryan Schubert
2011

Poly NIPAM (N-isopropylacrylamide) is a kind of thermal responsive polymer that can be synthesized by polymerize NIPAM monomer from its water solution by UV radiation or other synthetic methods. The main impetus to study this material is due to its novel thermal behaviors such as "squeezing out" water from inside, switching from hydrophilic to hydrophobic and changing from transparent to opaque when heating up to its phase transition temperature. Numerous poly NIPAM co- polymers and composites were made to utilize these properties for drug delivery, chemical connectors, and optical...

BPN531: Gigahertz Operation of Flexible Transistors Using InAs Nanomaterial Arrays

Toshitake Takahashi
Kuniharu Takei
2011

In this project, we present NW-based high frequency flexible transistors operating in gigahertz regime. InAs NWs are printed on polyimide (PI) substrate with contact printing method, in which semiconducting NWs on the growth chip can be directly transferred to and aligned on the receiver substrate. Thus fabricated NW-based devices have ft = 1.04 GHz (unit transit frequency of the current gain) and fmax = 1.8 GHz (maximum frequency of oscillation). These results promise the potential of NW-based flexible TFT for future microwave applications.

Project end date: 08/...

BPN610: Measuring Contractile Force in Engineered Muscle via Percolation Strain Gauges

Daniel J. Cohen
2011

The Technology: I am developing a new kind of piezoresistive strain sensor capable of sustaining strains up to at least 25% and with a gauge factor far greater than that found in traditional resistive gauges. The sensor is designed as an elastomer-nanotube composite that deliberately avoids the major failure modes of traditional resistive strain gauges. In addition to improved elasticity and sensitivity, this type of sensor can be shaped into nearly any configuration and embedded in a variety of polymers. These attributes are particular important given that the application is to...

BPN583: Development of Functional Nanowire Devices

Min Hyung Lee
2011

Semiconductor nanowires have been widely studied for applications such as sensors, photovoltaics, field-effect transistors, and lasers due to their unique physical properties. However, controlling the density and alignment of nanowires over large-area is still challenging for commercial applications. In this project, we plan to design programmable nanowire integration and actuation methods using soft matters. Field-effect transistors and sensing devices will be tested.

Project end date: 08/17/11

BPN528: Graphene Synthesis

Maxwell Zheng
Kuniharu Takei
Steven Chuang
2011

This project focuses on various methods of synthesizing device quality graphene for simple integration into semiconductor process flows.

Project end date: 08/18/11

BPN461: Low Energy Electronics

Ha sul Kim
2011

We introduce a novel transistor based on the inter-band tunneling by III-V materials. The type II staggered heterojunction between two compound semiconductors can provide an electron tunneling by quantum mechanical effect from the valence band to the conduction band of semiconductors, and result in reduced sub-threshold swing compared to diffusion in MOSFETs. This allows for these devices to be operated at lower voltages, and thus function with less power consumption.

Project end date: 08/18/11