Matching Items (5)
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- All Subjects: Physics
- All Subjects: Star Formation
- Creators: Culbertson, Robert
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
ContributorsPowell, Devon (Author) / Gardner, Carl (Thesis director) / Scannapieco, Evan (Committee member) / Windhorst, Rogier (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2012-05
Description
Dry and steam NanoBonding™ are conceived and researched to bond Si-based surfaces, via nucleation and growth of a two-dimensional SiOxHy or hydrated SiOxHy interphase connecting surfaces at the nanoscale across macroscopic domains. The motivation is to create strong, long lasting, hermetically bonded sensors with their electronics for the development of an artificial pancreas and to bond solar cells to glass panels for robust photovoltaic technology. The first step in NanoBonding™ is to synthesize smooth surfaces with 20 nm wide atomic terraces via a precursor phase, ß-cSiO2 on Si(100) and oxygen-deficient SiOx on the silica using the Herbots-Atluri process and Entrepix’s spin etching. Smooth precursor phases act as geometric and chemical template to nucleate and grow macroscopic contacting domains where cross bridging occurs via arrays of molecular strands in the hydrated SiOxHy interphase. Steam pressurization is found to catalyze NanoBonding™ consistently, eliminating the need for direct mechanical compression that limits the size and shape of wafers to be bonded in turn, reducing the cost of processing. Total surface energy measurements via 3 Liquids Contact Angle Analysis (3L CAA) enables accurate quantitative analysis of the total surface energy and each of its components. 3L CAA at each step in the process shows that surface energy drops to 42.4 ± 0.6 mJ/m2 from 57.5 ± 1.4 mJ/m2 after the Herbots-Atluri clean of an “As Received” wafer. 3L CAA after steam pressurization Nanobonding™ shows almost complete elimination from 13.8 mJ/m2 ± 1.0 to 0.002 ±- 0.0002 mJ/m2 in the contribution of acceptors to the total free surface energy, and an increase from 0.2 ± .03 to 23.8± 1.6 mJ/m2 in the contribution of donors. This is consistent with an increase in hydroxylation of the ß-cSiO2 surface as a consistent precursor phase for cross-bridging. This research optimizes the use of glycerin, water, and α-bromo-naphtalene in the use of 3L CAA to effectively quantify the components of total free surface energy which helps to better understand the most consistent method for NanoBonding™.
ContributorsBennett-Kennett, Ross Buchanan (Author) / Culbertson, Robert (Thesis director) / Herbots, Nicole (Committee member) / Foy, Joseph (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) is a new and innovative radio telescope designed and constructed by the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). LOFAR unique capable of operating in very low frequencies (10-240 MHz) and consists of an extensive interferometry array of dipole antenna stations distributed throughout the Netherlands and Europe which allows it to achieve superb angular resolution. I investigate a part of the northern sky to search for rare radio objects such as radio haloes and radio relics that may have not been able to have been resolved by other radio telescopes.
ContributorsNguyen, Dustin Dinh (Author) / Scannapieco, Evan (Thesis director) / Butler, Nathaniel (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
This study explores the significant roles and responsibilities of Arizona physics teachers as well as the effect that these teachers have on students and thus their futures. In a two-fold survey administered to all 194 public comprehensive high school physics teachers with 60% participation, questions regarding the perception and expectations that physics teachers hold for themselves, students, and school counselors are addressed as well as the corresponding practices. This survey reveals that generally, teachers feel that students have preconceptions about what physics is and what the course requires, and yet approximately half of the teachers do not make significant recruitment efforts. It is pertinent to ask why physics has one of the lowest enrollment statuses out of all the sciences in high school. Even more so, it is crucial to ask why there is a teacher shortage in the subject of physics. In exploring these questions, results to the previously mentioned genres of questions will speak to the issues at hand and are intended to give a robust explanation as to why physics is fading away in Arizona.
ContributorsGagliardi, Toni (Author) / Jackson, Jane (Thesis director) / Culbertson, Robert (Committee member) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Semiconductor wafers are analyzed and their total surface energy γT is measured in three components according to the van Oss theory: (1) γLW, surface energy due to Lifshitz-van der Waals forces or dipole interactions, (2) γ+, surface energy due to interactions with electron donors, and (3) γ–, surface energy due to interactions with electron acceptors. Surface energy is measured via Three Liquid Contact Angle Analysis (3LCAA), a method of contact angle measurement using the sessile drop technique and three liquids: water, glycerin, and α-bromonaphthalene. This research optimizes the experimental methods of 3LCAA, proving that the technique produces reproducible measurements for surface energy on a variety of surfaces. Wafer surfaces are prepared via thermal oxidation, rapid thermal oxidation, ion beam oxidation, rapid thermal annealing, hydrofluoric acid etching, the RCA clean, the Herbots-Atluri (H-A) process, and the dry and wet anneals used for Dry and Wet NanoBonding™, respectively.
NanoBonding™ is a process for growing molecular bonds between semiconducting surfaces to create a hermetic seal. NanoBonding™ prevents fluid percolation, protecting integrated electronic sensors from corrosive mobile ion species such as sodium. This can extend the lifetime of marine sensors and glucose sensors from less than one week to over two years, dramatically reducing costs and improving quality of life for diabetic patients. Surface energy measurement is critical to understanding and optimizing NanoBonding™. Surface energies are modified through variations on the H-A process, and measured via 3LCAA. The majority of this research focuses on silicon oxide surfaces.
This is the first quantitative measurement of gallium arsenide surface energy in three components. GaAs is a III-V semiconductor with potential commercial use in transistors, but its oxide layer slowly evaporates over time. In subsequent research, 3LCAA may prove key to developing a stable GaAs oxide layer.
NanoBonding™ is a process for growing molecular bonds between semiconducting surfaces to create a hermetic seal. NanoBonding™ prevents fluid percolation, protecting integrated electronic sensors from corrosive mobile ion species such as sodium. This can extend the lifetime of marine sensors and glucose sensors from less than one week to over two years, dramatically reducing costs and improving quality of life for diabetic patients. Surface energy measurement is critical to understanding and optimizing NanoBonding™. Surface energies are modified through variations on the H-A process, and measured via 3LCAA. The majority of this research focuses on silicon oxide surfaces.
This is the first quantitative measurement of gallium arsenide surface energy in three components. GaAs is a III-V semiconductor with potential commercial use in transistors, but its oxide layer slowly evaporates over time. In subsequent research, 3LCAA may prove key to developing a stable GaAs oxide layer.
ContributorsDavis, Ender (Author) / Herbots, Nicole (Thesis director) / Culbertson, Robert (Committee member) / Watson, Clarizza (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05