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- All Subjects: Electrical Engineering
- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Creators: Vasileska, Dragica
- Creators: Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia
Description
Many products undergo several stages of testing ranging from tests on individual components to end-item tests. Additionally, these products may be further "tested" via customer or field use. The later failure of a delivered product may in some cases be due to circumstances that have no correlation with the product's inherent quality. However, at times, there may be cues in the upstream test data that, if detected, could serve to predict the likelihood of downstream failure or performance degradation induced by product use or environmental stresses. This study explores the use of downstream factory test data or product field reliability data to infer data mining or pattern recognition criteria onto manufacturing process or upstream test data by means of support vector machines (SVM) in order to provide reliability prediction models. In concert with a risk/benefit analysis, these models can be utilized to drive improvement of the product or, at least, via screening to improve the reliability of the product delivered to the customer. Such models can be used to aid in reliability risk assessment based on detectable correlations between the product test performance and the sources of supply, test stands, or other factors related to product manufacture. As an enhancement to the usefulness of the SVM or hyperplane classifier within this context, L-moments and the Western Electric Company (WECO) Rules are used to augment or replace the native process or test data used as inputs to the classifier. As part of this research, a generalizable binary classification methodology was developed that can be used to design and implement predictors of end-item field failure or downstream product performance based on upstream test data that may be composed of single-parameter, time-series, or multivariate real-valued data. Additionally, the methodology provides input parameter weighting factors that have proved useful in failure analysis and root cause investigations as indicators of which of several upstream product parameters have the greater influence on the downstream failure outcomes.
ContributorsMosley, James (Author) / Morrell, Darryl (Committee member) / Cochran, Douglas (Committee member) / Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia (Committee member) / Roberts, Chell (Committee member) / Spanias, Andreas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
One of the challenges in future semiconductor device design is excessive rise of power dissipation and device temperatures. With the introduction of new geometrically confined device structures like SOI, FinFET, nanowires and continuous incorporation of new materials with poor thermal conductivities in the device active region, the device thermal problem is expected to become more challenging in coming years. This work examines the degradation in the ON-current due to self-heating effects in 10 nm channel length silicon nanowire transistors. As part of this dissertation, a 3D electrothermal device simulator is developed that self-consistently solves electron Boltzmann transport equation with 3D energy balance equations for both the acoustic and the optical phonons. This device simulator predicts temperature variations and other physical and electrical parameters across the device for different bias and boundary conditions. The simulation results show insignificant current degradation for nanowire self-heating because of pronounced velocity overshoot effect. In addition, this work explores the role of various placement of the source and drain contacts on the magnitude of self-heating effect in nanowire transistors. This work also investigates the simultaneous influence of self-heating and random charge effects on the magnitude of the ON current for both positively and negatively charged single charges. This research suggests that the self-heating effects affect the ON-current in two ways: (1) by lowering the barrier at the source end of the channel, thus allowing more carriers to go through, and (2) via the screening effect of the Coulomb potential. To examine the effect of temperature dependent thermal conductivity of thin silicon films in nanowire transistors, Selberherr's thermal conductivity model is used in the device simulator. The simulations results show larger current degradation because of self-heating due to decreased thermal conductivity . Crystallographic direction dependent thermal conductivity is also included in the device simulations. Larger degradation is observed in the current along the [100] direction when compared to the [110] direction which is in agreement with the values for the thermal conductivity tensor provided by Zlatan Aksamija.
ContributorsHossain, Arif (Author) / Vasileska, Dragica (Thesis advisor) / Ahmed, Shaikh (Committee member) / Bakkaloglu, Bertan (Committee member) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Underwater acoustic communications face significant challenges unprecedented in radio terrestrial communications including long multipath delay spreads, strong Doppler effects, and stringent bandwidth requirements. Recently, multi-carrier communications based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) have seen significant growth in underwater acoustic (UWA) communications, thanks to their well well-known robustness against severely time-dispersive channels. However, the performance of OFDM systems over UWA channels significantly deteriorates due to severe intercarrier interference (ICI) resulting from rapid time variations of the channel. With the motivation of developing enabling techniques for OFDM over UWA channels, the major contributions of this thesis include (1) two effective frequencydomain equalizers that provide general means to counteract the ICI; (2) a family of multiple-resampling receiver designs dealing with distortions caused by user and/or path specific Doppler scaling effects; (3) proposal of using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) as an effective multiple access scheme for UWA communications; (4) the capacity evaluation for single-resampling versus multiple-resampling receiver designs. All of the proposed receiver designs have been verified both through simulations and emulations based on data collected in real-life UWA communications experiments. Particularly, the frequency domain equalizers are shown to be effective with significantly reduced pilot overhead and offer robustness against Doppler and timing estimation errors. The multiple-resampling designs, where each branch is tasked with the Doppler distortion of different paths and/or users, overcome the disadvantages of the commonly-used single-resampling receivers and yield significant performance gains. Multiple-resampling receivers are also demonstrated to be necessary for UWA OFDMA systems. The unique design effectively mitigates interuser interference (IUI), opening up the possibility to exploit advanced user subcarrier assignment schemes. Finally, the benefits of the multiple-resampling receivers are further demonstrated through channel capacity evaluation results.
ContributorsTu, Kai (Author) / Duman, Tolga M. (Thesis advisor) / Zhang, Junshan (Committee member) / Tepedelenlioğlu, Cihan (Committee member) / Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Following the success in incorporating perceptual models in audio coding algorithms, their application in other speech/audio processing systems is expanding. In general, all perceptual speech/audio processing algorithms involve minimization of an objective function that directly/indirectly incorporates properties of human perception. This dissertation primarily investigates the problems associated with directly embedding an auditory model in the objective function formulation and proposes possible solutions to overcome high complexity issues for use in real-time speech/audio algorithms. Specific problems addressed in this dissertation include: 1) the development of approximate but computationally efficient auditory model implementations that are consistent with the principles of psychoacoustics, 2) the development of a mapping scheme that allows synthesizing a time/frequency domain representation from its equivalent auditory model output. The first problem is aimed at addressing the high computational complexity involved in solving perceptual objective functions that require repeated application of auditory model for evaluation of different candidate solutions. In this dissertation, a frequency pruning and a detector pruning algorithm is developed that efficiently implements the various auditory model stages. The performance of the pruned model is compared to that of the original auditory model for different types of test signals in the SQAM database. Experimental results indicate only a 4-7% relative error in loudness while attaining up to 80-90 % reduction in computational complexity. Similarly, a hybrid algorithm is developed specifically for use with sinusoidal signals and employs the proposed auditory pattern combining technique together with a look-up table to store representative auditory patterns. The second problem obtains an estimate of the auditory representation that minimizes a perceptual objective function and transforms the auditory pattern back to its equivalent time/frequency representation. This avoids the repeated application of auditory model stages to test different candidate time/frequency vectors in minimizing perceptual objective functions. In this dissertation, a constrained mapping scheme is developed by linearizing certain auditory model stages that ensures obtaining a time/frequency mapping corresponding to the estimated auditory representation. This paradigm was successfully incorporated in a perceptual speech enhancement algorithm and a sinusoidal component selection task.
ContributorsKrishnamoorthi, Harish (Author) / Spanias, Andreas (Thesis advisor) / Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia (Committee member) / Tepedelenlioğlu, Cihan (Committee member) / Tsakalis, Konstantinos (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Programmable Metallization Cell (PMC) is a technology platform which utilizes mass transport in solid or liquid electrolyte coupled with electrochemical (redox) reactions to form or remove nanoscale metallic electrodeposits on or in the electrolyte. The ability to redistribute metal mass and form metallic nanostructure in or on a structure in situ, via the application of a bias on laterally placed electrodes, creates a large number of promising applications. A novel PMC-based lateral microwave switch was fabricated and characterized for use in microwave systems. It has demonstrated low insertion loss, high isolation, low voltage operation, low power and low energy consumption, and excellent linearity. Due to its non-volatile nature the switch operates with fewer biases and its simple planar geometry makes possible innovative device structures which can be potentially integrated into microwave power distribution circuits. PMC technology is also used to develop lateral dendritic metal electrodes. A lateral metallic dendritic network can be grown in a solid electrolyte (GeSe) or electrodeposited on SiO2 or Si using a water-mediated method. These dendritic electrodes grown in a solid electrolyte (GeSe) can be used to lower resistances for applications like self-healing interconnects despite its relatively low light transparency; while the dendritic electrodes grown using water-mediated method can be potentially integrated into solar cell applications, like replacing conventional Ag screen-printed top electrodes as they not only reduce resistances but also are highly transparent. This research effort also laid a solid foundation for developing dendritic plasmonic structures. A PMC-based lateral dendritic plasmonic structure is a device that has metallic dendritic networks grown electrochemically on SiO2 with a thin layer of surface metal nanoparticles in liquid electrolyte. These structures increase the distribution of particle sizes by connecting pre-deposited Ag nanoparticles into fractal structures and result in three significant effects, resonance red-shift, resonance broadening and resonance enhancement, on surface plasmon resonance for light trapping simultaneously, which can potentially enhance thin film solar cells' performance at longer wavelengths.
ContributorsRen, Minghan (Author) / Kozicki, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Schroder, Dieter (Committee member) / Roedel, Ronald (Committee member) / Barnaby, Hugh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
In very small electronic devices the alternate capture and emission of carriers at an individual defect site located at the interface of Si:SiO2 of a MOSFET generates discrete switching in the device conductance referred to as a random telegraph signal (RTS) or random telegraph noise (RTN). In this research work, the integration of random defects positioned across the channel at the Si:SiO2 interface from source end to the drain end in the presence of different random dopant distributions are used to conduct Ensemble Monte-Carlo ( EMC ) based numerical simulation of key device performance metrics for 45 nm gate length MOSFET device. The two main performance parameters that affect RTS based reliability measurements are percentage change in threshold voltage and percentage change in drain current fluctuation in the saturation region. It has been observed as a result of the simulation that changes in both and values moderately decrease as the defect position is gradually moved from source end to the drain end of the channel. Precise analytical device physics based model needs to be developed to explain and assess the EMC simulation based higher VT fluctuations as experienced for trap positions at the source side. A new analytical model has been developed that simultaneously takes account of dopant number variations in the channel and depletion region underneath and carrier mobility fluctuations resulting from fluctuations in surface potential barriers. Comparisons of this new analytical model along with existing analytical models are shown to correlate with 3D EMC simulation based model for assessment of VT fluctuations percentage induced by a single interface trap. With scaling of devices beyond 32 nm node, halo doping at the source and drain are routinely incorporated to combat the threshold voltage roll-off that takes place with effective channel length reduction. As a final study on this regard, 3D EMC simulation method based computations of threshold voltage fluctuations have been performed for varying source and drain halo pocket length to illustrate the threshold voltage fluctuations related reliability problems that have been aggravated by trap positions near the source at the interface compared to conventional 45 nm MOSFET.
ContributorsAshraf, Nabil Shovon (Author) / Vasileska, Dragica (Thesis advisor) / Schroder, Dieter (Committee member) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Goryll, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
As existing solar cell technologies come closer to their theoretical efficiency, new concepts that overcome the Shockley-Queisser limit and exceed 50% efficiency need to be explored. New materials systems are often investigated to achieve this, but the use of existing solar cell materials in advanced concept approaches is compelling for multiple theoretical and practical reasons. In order to include advanced concept approaches into existing materials, nanostructures are used as they alter the physical properties of these materials. To explore advanced nanostructured concepts with existing materials such as III-V alloys, silicon and/or silicon/germanium and associated alloys, fundamental aspects of using these materials in advanced concept nanostructured solar cells must be understood. Chief among these is the determination and predication of optimum electronic band structures, including effects such as strain on the band structure, and the material's opto-electronic properties. Nanostructures have a large impact on band structure and electronic properties through quantum confinement. An additional large effect is the change in band structure due to elastic strain caused by lattice mismatch between the barrier and nanostructured (usually self-assembled QDs) materials. To develop a material model for advanced concept solar cells, the band structure is calculated for single as well as vertical array of quantum dots with the realistic effects such as strain, associated with the epitaxial growth of these materials. The results show significant effect of strain in band structure. More importantly, the band diagram of a vertical array of QDs with different spacer layer thickness show significant change in band offsets, especially for heavy and light hole valence bands when the spacer layer thickness is reduced. These results, ultimately, have significance to develop a material model for advance concept solar cells that use the QD nanostructures as absorbing medium. The band structure calculations serve as the basis for multiple other calculations. Chief among these is that the model allows the design of a practical QD advanced concept solar cell, which meets key design criteria such as a negligible valence band offset between the QD/barrier materials and close to optimum band gaps, resulting in the predication of optimum material combinations.
ContributorsDahal, Som Nath (Author) / Honsberg, Christiana (Thesis advisor) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Roedel, Ronald (Committee member) / Ponce, Fernando (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Silicon solar cells with heterojunction carrier collectors based on a-Si/c-Si heterojunction (SHJ) have a potential to overcome the limitations of the conventional diffused junction solar cells and become the next industry standard manufacturing technology of solar cells. A brand feature of SHJ technology is ultrapassivated surfaces with already demonstrated 750 mV open circuit voltages (Voc) and 24.7% efficiency on large area solar cell. Despite very good results achieved in research and development, large volume manufacturing of high efficiency SHJ cells remains a fundamental challenge. The main objectives of this work were to develop a SHJ solar cell fabrication flow using industry compatible tools and processes in a pilot production environment, study the interactions between the used fabrication steps, identify the minimum set of optimization parameters and characterization techniques needed to achieve 20% baseline efficiency, and analyze the losses of power in fabricated SHJ cells by numerical and analytical modeling. This manuscript presents a detailed description of a SHJ solar cell fabrication flow developed at ASU Solar Power Laboratory (SPL) which allows large area solar cells with >750 mV Voc. SHJ cells on 135 um thick 153 cm2 area wafers with 19.5% efficiency were fabricated. Passivation quality of (i)a-Si:H film, bulk conductivity of doped a-Si films, bulk conductivity of ITO, transmission of ITO and the thickness of all films were identified as the minimum set of optimization parameters necessary to set up a baseline high efficiency SHJ fabrication flow. The preparation of randomly textured wafers to minimize the concentration of surface impurities and to avoid epitaxial growth of a-Si films was found to be a key challenge in achieving a repeatable and uniform passivation. This work resolved this issue by using a multi-step cleaning process based on sequential oxidation in nitric/acetic acids, Piranha and RCA-b solutions. The developed process allowed state of the art surface passivation with perfect repeatability and negligible reflectance losses. Two additional studies demonstrated 750 mV local Voc on 50 micron thick SHJ solar cell and < 1 cm/s effective surface recombination velocity on n-type wafers passivated by a-Si/SiO2/SiNx stack.
ContributorsHerasimenka, Stanislau Yur'yevich (Author) / Honsberg, C. (Christiana B.) (Thesis advisor) / Bowden, Stuart G (Thesis advisor) / Tracy, Clarence (Committee member) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Holman, Zachary (Committee member) / Sinton, Ron (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Zinc oxide (ZnO), a naturally n-type semiconductor has been identified as a promising candidate to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) as the transparent electrode in solar cells, because of its wide bandgap (3.37 eV), abundant source materials and suitable refractive index (2.0 at 600 nm). Spray deposition is a convenient and low cost technique for large area and uniform deposition of semiconductor thin films. In particular, it provides an easier way to dope the film by simply adding the dopant precursor into the starting solution. In order to reduce the resistivity of undoped ZnO, many works have been done by doping in the ZnO with either group IIIA elements or VIIA elements using spray pyrolysis. However, the resistivity is still too high to meet TCO's resistivity requirement. In the present work, a novel co-spray deposition technique is developed to bypass a fundamental limitation in the conventional spray deposition technique, i.e. the deposition of metal oxides from incompatible precursors in the starting solution. With this technique, ZnO films codoped with one cationic dopant, Al, Cr, or Fe, and an anionic dopant, F, have been successfully synthesized, in which F is incompatible with all these three cationic dopants. Two starting solutions were prepared and co-sprayed through two separate spray heads. One solution contained only the F precursor, NH 4F. The second solution contained the Zn and one cationic dopant precursors, Zn(O 2CCH 3) 2 and AlCl 3, CrCl 3, or FeCl 3. The deposition was carried out at 500 °C; on soda-lime glass in air. Compared to singly-doped ZnO thin films, codoped ZnO samples showed better electrical properties. Besides, a minimum sheet resistance, 55.4 Ω/sq, was obtained for Al and F codoped ZnO films after vacuum annealing at 400 °C;, which was lower than singly-doped ZnO with either Al or F. The transmittance for the Al and F codoped ZnO samples was above 90% in the visible range. This co-spray deposition technique provides a simple and cost-effective way to synthesize metal oxides from incompatible precursors with improved properties.
ContributorsZhou, Bin (Author) / Tao, Meng (Thesis advisor) / Goryll, Michael (Committee member) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Yu, Hongbin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
Structural integrity is an important characteristic of performance for critical components used in applications such as aeronautics, materials, construction and transportation. When appraising the structural integrity of these components, evaluation methods must be accurate. In addition to possessing capability to perform damage detection, the ability to monitor the level of damage over time can provide extremely useful information in assessing the operational worthiness of a structure and in determining whether the structure should be repaired or removed from service. In this work, a sequential Bayesian approach with active sensing is employed for monitoring crack growth within fatigue-loaded materials. The monitoring approach is based on predicting crack damage state dynamics and modeling crack length observations. Since fatigue loading of a structural component can change while in service, an interacting multiple model technique is employed to estimate probabilities of different loading modes and incorporate this information in the crack length estimation problem. For the observation model, features are obtained from regions of high signal energy in the time-frequency plane and modeled for each crack length damage condition. Although this observation model approach exhibits high classification accuracy, the resolution characteristics can change depending upon the extent of the damage. Therefore, several different transmission waveforms and receiver sensors are considered to create multiple modes for making observations of crack damage. Resolution characteristics of the different observation modes are assessed using a predicted mean squared error criterion and observations are obtained using the predicted, optimal observation modes based on these characteristics. Calculation of the predicted mean square error metric can be computationally intensive, especially if performed in real time, and an approximation method is proposed. With this approach, the real time computational burden is decreased significantly and the number of possible observation modes can be increased. Using sensor measurements from real experiments, the overall sequential Bayesian estimation approach, with the adaptive capability of varying the state dynamics and observation modes, is demonstrated for tracking crack damage.
ContributorsHuff, Daniel W (Author) / Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia (Thesis advisor) / Kovvali, Narayan (Committee member) / Chakrabarti, Chaitali (Committee member) / Chattopadhyay, Aditi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013