Matching Items (15)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Thin films
- All Subjects: Physics
- Creators: Newman, Nathan
Description
Microwave dielectrics are widely used to make resonators and filters in telecommunication systems. The production of thin films with high dielectric constant and low loss could potentially enable a marked reduction in the size of devices and systems. However, studies of these materials in thin film form are very sparse. In this research, experiments were carried out on practical high-performance dielectrics including ZrTiO4-ZnNb2O6 (ZTZN) and Ba(Co,Zn)1/3Nb2/3O3 (BCZN) with high dielectric constant and low loss tangent. Thin films were deposited by laser ablation on various substrates, with a systematical study of growth conditions like substrate temperature, oxygen pressure and annealing to optimize the film quality, and the compositional, microstructural, optical and electric properties were characterized. The deposited ZTZN films were randomly oriented polycrystalline on Si substrate and textured on MgO substrate with a tetragonal lattice change at elevated temperature. The BCZN films deposited on MgO substrate showed superior film quality relative to that on other substrates, which grow epitaxially with an orientation of (001) // MgO (001) and (100) // MgO (100) when substrate temperature was above 500 oC. In-situ annealing at growth temperature in 200 mTorr oxygen pressure was found to enhance the quality of the films, reducing the peak width of the X-ray Diffraction (XRD) rocking curve to 0.53o and the χmin of channeling Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) to 8.8% when grown at 800oC. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to study the topography and found a monotonic decrease in the surface roughness when the growth temperature increased. Optical absorption and transmission measurements were used to determine the energy bandgap and the refractive index respectively. A low-frequency dielectric constant of 34 was measured using a planar interdigital measurement structure. The resistivity of the film is ~3×1010 ohm·cm at room temperature and has an activation energy of thermal activated current of 0.66 eV.
ContributorsLi, You (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Terry (Committee member) / Singh, Rakesh (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
In this research, our goal was to fabricate Josephson junctions that can be stably processed at 300°C or higher. With the purpose of integrating Josephson junction fabrication with the current semiconductor circuit fabrication process, back-end process temperatures (>350 °C) will be a key for producing large scale junction circuits reliably, which requires the junctions to be more thermally stable than current Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb junctions. Based on thermodynamics, Hf was chosen to produce thermally stable Nb/Hf-HfOx/Nb superconductor tunnel Josephson junctions that can be grown or processed at elevated temperatures. Also elevated synthesis temperatures improve the structural and electrical properties of Nb electrode layers that could potentially improve junction device performance. The refractory nature of Hf, HfO2 and Nb allow for the formation of flat, abrupt and thermally-stable interfaces. But the current Al-based barrier will have problems when using with high-temperature grown and high-quality Nb. So our work is aimed at using Nb grown at elevated temperatures to fabricate thermally stable Josephson tunnel junctions. As a junction barrier metal, Hf was studied and compared with the traditional Al-barrier material. We have proved that Hf-HfOx is a good barrier candidate for high-temperature synthesized Josephson junction. Hf deposited at 500 °C on Nb forms flat and chemically abrupt interfaces. Nb/Hf-HfOx/Nb Josephson junctions were synthesized, fabricated and characterized with different oxidizing conditions. The results of materials characterization and junction electrical measurements are reported and analyzed. We have improved the annealing stability of Nb junctions and also used high-quality Nb grown at 500 °C as the bottom electrode successfully. Adding a buffer layer or multiple oxidation steps improves the annealing stability of Josephson junctions. We also have attempted to use the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) method for the growth of Hf oxide as the junction barrier and got tunneling results.
ContributorsHuang, Mengchu, 1987- (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Rowell, John M. (Committee member) / Singh, Rakesh K. (Committee member) / Chamberlin, Ralph (Committee member) / Wang, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
A series of pyrite thin films were synthesized using a novel sequential evaporation
technique to study the effects of substrate temperature on deposition rate and micro-structure of
the deposited material. Pyrite was deposited in a monolayer-by-monolayer fashion using
sequential evaporation of Fe under high vacuum, followed by sulfidation at high S pressures
(typically > 1 mTorr to 1 Torr). Thin films were synthesized using two different growth processes; a
one-step process in which a constant growth temperature is maintained throughout growth, and a
three-step process in which an initial low temperature seed layer is deposited, followed by a high
temperature layer, and then finished with a low temperature capping layer. Analysis methods to
analyze the properties of the films included Glancing Angle X-Ray Diffraction (GAXRD),
Rutherford Back-scattering Spectroscopy (RBS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),
Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS), 2-point IV measurements, and Hall effect
measurements. Our results show that crystallinity of the pyrite thin film improves and grain size
increases with increasing substrate temperature. The sticking coefficient of Fe was found to
increase with increasing growth temperature, indicating that the Fe incorporation into the growing
film is a thermally activated process.
technique to study the effects of substrate temperature on deposition rate and micro-structure of
the deposited material. Pyrite was deposited in a monolayer-by-monolayer fashion using
sequential evaporation of Fe under high vacuum, followed by sulfidation at high S pressures
(typically > 1 mTorr to 1 Torr). Thin films were synthesized using two different growth processes; a
one-step process in which a constant growth temperature is maintained throughout growth, and a
three-step process in which an initial low temperature seed layer is deposited, followed by a high
temperature layer, and then finished with a low temperature capping layer. Analysis methods to
analyze the properties of the films included Glancing Angle X-Ray Diffraction (GAXRD),
Rutherford Back-scattering Spectroscopy (RBS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM),
Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS), 2-point IV measurements, and Hall effect
measurements. Our results show that crystallinity of the pyrite thin film improves and grain size
increases with increasing substrate temperature. The sticking coefficient of Fe was found to
increase with increasing growth temperature, indicating that the Fe incorporation into the growing
film is a thermally activated process.
ContributorsWertheim, Alex (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Singh, Rakesh (Committee member) / Bertoni, Mariana (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
This thesis focuses on the theoretical work done to determine thermodynamic properties of a chalcopyrite thin-film material for use as a photovoltaic material in a tandem device. The material of main focus here is ZnGeAs2, which was chosen for the relative abundance of constituents, favorable photovoltaic properties, and good lattice matching with ZnSnP2, the other component in this tandem device. This work is divided into two main chapters, which will cover: calculations and method to determine the formation energy and abundance of native point defects, and a model to calculate the vapor pressure over a ternary material from first-principles. The purpose of this work is to guide experimental work being done in tandem to synthesize ZnGeAs2 in thin-film form with high enough quality such that it can be used as a photovoltaic. Since properties of photovoltaic depend greatly on defect concentrations and film quality, a theoretical understanding of how laboratory conditions affect these properties is very valuable. The work done here is from first-principles and utilizes density functional theory using the local density approximation. Results from the native point defect study show that the zinc vacancy (VZn) and the germanium antisite (GeZn) are the more prominent defects; which most likely produce non-stoichiometric films. The vapor pressure model for a ternary system is validated using known vapor pressure for monatomic and binary test systems. With a valid ternary system vapor pressure model, results show there is a kinetic barrier to decomposition for ZnGeAs2.
ContributorsTucker, Jon R (Author) / Van Schilfgaarde, Mark (Thesis advisor) / Newman, Nathan (Committee member) / Adams, James (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
This work is an investigation into the information provided by the concurrent use of in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). The two analytical methods were employed during growth of metal, semiconductor and superconductor thin films by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Surface sensitivity of the REELS spectrometer was found to be less than 1 nm for 20 KeV electrons incident at a 2 degree angle to an atomically flat film surface, agreeing with the standard electron escape depth data when adjusted incident angle. Film surface topography was found to strongly influence the REELS spectra and this was correlated with in situ RHEED patterns and ex situ analysis by comparison with atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was observed in all the experimental results that from very smooth films the plasmon peak maxima did not fall at the predicted surface plasmon values but at slightly higher energies, even for nearly atomically flat films. This suggested the REELS plasmon loss spectra are always a combination of surface and bulk plasmon losses. The resulting summation of these two types of losses shifted the peak to below the bulk plasmon value but held its minimum to a higher energy than the pure surface plasmon value. Curve fitting supported this conclusion.
ContributorsStrawbridge, Brett William (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Chamberlin, Ralph (Committee member) / Rizzo, Nicholas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Doping and alloying agents are commonly used to engineer the properties of magnetic materials. This study investigates the effects of doping manganese in thin films of Ni80Fe20 (permalloy) and Ni65Fe15Co20 magnetic systems for low power memory technologies, including those that operate at low temperature.
Elemental manganese is anti-ferromagnetic with a Neel temperature of 100 K. When used as a dopant in a magnetic material, it is found to often align its moment in an antiferromagnetic direction. Thus, the addition of manganese might be expected to reduce the overall saturation magnetization (MS) of the magnetic system. In this study, we show that the use of manganese dopants in Ni80Fe20 (permalloy) and Ni65Fe15Co20 thin films can reduce their saturation magnetization and still retain excellent switching properties.
Magnetic properties and transport properties were determined using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. A 19% decrease in the MS of (Ni80Fe20)1-xMnx thin films and a 36% decrease for (Ni65Fe15Co20)1-xMnx thin films for dopant levels of x = 30%. The impact of depositing a ruthenium (Ru) under-layer for (Ni65Fe15Co20)1-xMnx system was also studied.
The structural (lattice parameters and phases), surface (roughness and topography) and electrical properties (resistivity and mean free path) of the Mn-doped Ni65Fe15Co20 films were determined with X-Ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Four-Point probe technique respectively.
The properties were analyzed and Ni65Fe15Co20 system with Ru- under-layer with 20 at. % Mn content was found to exhibit the following low-field switching properties at 10 K; MS~700 emu.cm-3, easy axis coercivity ~10 Oe and hard axis coercivity ~5 Oe, easy axis squareness ~0.9 and anisotropy field ~12 Oe, that are deemed useful for low-power memory applications that could be used at cryogenic temperatures.
To determine the transport properties thought these magnetic layers for use in superconductor/ferromagnetic memory structures, a study of the oxidation conditions of Al films was performed in order to produce a reliable aluminum oxide tunnel barrier on top of these films. The production of N-I-F-S (Normal metal-Insulator-Ferromagnet-Superconductor) tunnel junctions will allow for the investigation of the tunneling density of states as a function of ferromagnetic layer thickness, allowing for the determination of important transport parameters relevant to magnetic barrier Josephson junction devices.
Elemental manganese is anti-ferromagnetic with a Neel temperature of 100 K. When used as a dopant in a magnetic material, it is found to often align its moment in an antiferromagnetic direction. Thus, the addition of manganese might be expected to reduce the overall saturation magnetization (MS) of the magnetic system. In this study, we show that the use of manganese dopants in Ni80Fe20 (permalloy) and Ni65Fe15Co20 thin films can reduce their saturation magnetization and still retain excellent switching properties.
Magnetic properties and transport properties were determined using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. A 19% decrease in the MS of (Ni80Fe20)1-xMnx thin films and a 36% decrease for (Ni65Fe15Co20)1-xMnx thin films for dopant levels of x = 30%. The impact of depositing a ruthenium (Ru) under-layer for (Ni65Fe15Co20)1-xMnx system was also studied.
The structural (lattice parameters and phases), surface (roughness and topography) and electrical properties (resistivity and mean free path) of the Mn-doped Ni65Fe15Co20 films were determined with X-Ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and Four-Point probe technique respectively.
The properties were analyzed and Ni65Fe15Co20 system with Ru- under-layer with 20 at. % Mn content was found to exhibit the following low-field switching properties at 10 K; MS~700 emu.cm-3, easy axis coercivity ~10 Oe and hard axis coercivity ~5 Oe, easy axis squareness ~0.9 and anisotropy field ~12 Oe, that are deemed useful for low-power memory applications that could be used at cryogenic temperatures.
To determine the transport properties thought these magnetic layers for use in superconductor/ferromagnetic memory structures, a study of the oxidation conditions of Al films was performed in order to produce a reliable aluminum oxide tunnel barrier on top of these films. The production of N-I-F-S (Normal metal-Insulator-Ferromagnet-Superconductor) tunnel junctions will allow for the investigation of the tunneling density of states as a function of ferromagnetic layer thickness, allowing for the determination of important transport parameters relevant to magnetic barrier Josephson junction devices.
ContributorsBoochakravarthy, Ashwin Agathya (Author) / Newman, Nathan (Thesis advisor) / Alford, Terry L. (Committee member) / Singh, Rakesh K. (Committee member) / Chamberlin, Ralph V (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Measurements of the response of superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) devices to changes in various forms of input power can be used for characterization of the devices and for probing device-level physics. Two niobium nitride (NbN) superconducting nanowires developed for use as SNSPD devices are embedded as the inductive (L) component in resonant inductor/capacitor (LC) circuits coupled to a microwave transmission line. The capacitors are low loss commercial chip capacitors which limit the internal quality factor of the resonators to approximately $Qi = 170$. The resonator quality factor, approximately $Qr = 23$, is dominated by the coupling to the feedline and limits the detection bandwidth to on the order of 1MHz. In our experiments with this first generation device, we measure the response of the SNSPD devices to changes in thermal and optical power in both the time domain and the frequency domain. Additionally, we explore the non-linear response of the devices to an applied bias current. For these nanowires, we find that the band-gap energy is $\Delta_0 \approx 1.1$meV and that the density of states at the Fermi energy is $N_0 \sim 10^{10}$/eV/$\mu$m$^3$.
We present the results of experimentation with a superconducting nanowire that can be operated in two detection modes: i) as a kinetic inductance detector (KID) or ii) as a single photon detector (SPD). When operated as a KID mode in linear mode, the detectors are AC-biased with tones at their resonant frequencies of 45.85 and 91.81MHz. When operated as an SPD in Geiger mode, the resonators are DC biased through cryogenic bias tees and each photon produces a sharp voltage step followed by a ringdown signal at the resonant frequency of the detector. We show that a high AC bias in KID mode is inferior for photon counting experiments compared to operation in a DC-biased SPD mode due to the small fraction of time spent near the critical current with an AC bias. We find a photon count rate of $\Gamma_{KID} = 150~$photons/s/mA in a critically biased KID mode and a photon count rate of $\Gamma_{SPD} = 10^6~$photons/s/mA in SPD mode.
This dissertation additionally presents simulations of a DC-biased, frequency-multiplexed readout of SNSPD devices in Advanced Design System (ADS), LTspice, and Sonnet. A multiplexing factor of 100 is achievable with a total count rate of $>5$MHz. This readout could enable a 10000-pixel array for astronomy or quantum communications. Finally, we present a prototype array design based on lumped element components. An early implementation of the array is presented with 16 pixels in the frequency range of 74.9 to 161MHz. We find good agreement between simulation and experimental data in both the time domain and the frequency domain and present modifications for future versions of the array.
We present the results of experimentation with a superconducting nanowire that can be operated in two detection modes: i) as a kinetic inductance detector (KID) or ii) as a single photon detector (SPD). When operated as a KID mode in linear mode, the detectors are AC-biased with tones at their resonant frequencies of 45.85 and 91.81MHz. When operated as an SPD in Geiger mode, the resonators are DC biased through cryogenic bias tees and each photon produces a sharp voltage step followed by a ringdown signal at the resonant frequency of the detector. We show that a high AC bias in KID mode is inferior for photon counting experiments compared to operation in a DC-biased SPD mode due to the small fraction of time spent near the critical current with an AC bias. We find a photon count rate of $\Gamma_{KID} = 150~$photons/s/mA in a critically biased KID mode and a photon count rate of $\Gamma_{SPD} = 10^6~$photons/s/mA in SPD mode.
This dissertation additionally presents simulations of a DC-biased, frequency-multiplexed readout of SNSPD devices in Advanced Design System (ADS), LTspice, and Sonnet. A multiplexing factor of 100 is achievable with a total count rate of $>5$MHz. This readout could enable a 10000-pixel array for astronomy or quantum communications. Finally, we present a prototype array design based on lumped element components. An early implementation of the array is presented with 16 pixels in the frequency range of 74.9 to 161MHz. We find good agreement between simulation and experimental data in both the time domain and the frequency domain and present modifications for future versions of the array.
ContributorsSchroeder, Edward, Ph.D (Author) / Mauskopf, Philip (Thesis advisor) / Chamberlin, Ralph (Committee member) / Lindsay, Stuart (Committee member) / Newman, Nathan (Committee member) / Easson, Damien (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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
DescriptionThere is a growing market for lightweight firearm barrels. Currently this market is dominated by Aluminum and Carbon fiber barrels, however, Gunwright, LLC proposes an innovative new way to manufacture Titanium firearm barrels. This report offers insight into potential customers and existing competitors.
ContributorsKeberle, Katelyn Frances (Author) / Adams, Jim (Thesis director) / Newman, Nathan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
How can we change what it means to be a human? Products can be used that will allow for near-instantaneous communication with one’s friends and family wherever they are: and the newest devices do not have to be even carried around, as they can be worn instead. Wearable electronics are quickly becoming very popular, with 232.0 million wearable devices sold in 2015. This report provides an overview of current and developing wearable devices, investigates the characteristics of the average buyer for these different types of devices. Finally, marketing strategies are suggested. This work was completed in conjunction with a capstone project with Intel, where three objectives were achieved: First, a universal strain tester that could strain samples cyclically in a manner similar to the body was designed. This equipment was especially designed to be flexible in the testing conditions it could be exposed to, so samples could be tested at elevated temperatures or even underwater. Next, dogbone shaped samples for the testing of Young’s Modulus and elongation to failure were produced, and the cut quality of laser, water-jet, and die-cutting was compared in order to select the most defect-free method for reliable testing. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a fantastic candidate material for wearable electronics, however there is some discrepancies in the literature—such as from Eleni et. al—about the impact of ultraviolet radiation on the mechanical properties. By conducting accelerated aging tests simulating up to five years exposure to the sun, it was determined that ultraviolet-induced cross-linking of the polymer chains does occur, leading to severe embrittlement (strain to failure reduced from 3.27 to 0.06 in some cases, reduction to approximately 0.21 on average). As simulated tests of possible usage conditions required strains of at least 0.50-0.70, a variety of solutions were suggested to reduce this embrittlement. This project can lead to standardization of wearables electronics testing methods for more reliable predictions about the device behavior, whether that device is a simple pedometer or something that allows the visually impaired to “see”, such as Toyota’s Blaid.
ContributorsNiebroski, Alexander Wayne (Author) / Adams, James (Thesis director) / Anwar, Shahriar (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05