Matching Items (45)
Description
Semiconductor nanowires are featured by their unique one-dimensional structure which makes them promising for small scale electronic and photonic device applications. Among them, III-V material nanowires are particularly outstanding due to their good electronic properties. In bulk, these materials reveal electron mobility much higher than conventional silicon based devices, for example at room temperature, InAs field effect transistor (FET) has electron mobility of 40,000 cm2/Vs more than 10 times of Si FET. This makes such materials promising for high speed nanowire FETs. With small bandgap, such as 0.354 eV for InAs and 1.52 eV for GaAs, it does not need high voltage to turn on such devices which leads to low power consumption devices. Another feature of direct bandgap allows their applications of optoelectronic devices such as avalanche photodiodes. However, there are challenges to face up. Due to their large surface to volume ratio, nanowire devices typically are strongly affected by the surface states. Although nanowires can be grown into single crystal structure, people observe crystal defects along the wires which can significantly affect the performance of devices. In this work, FETs made of two types of III-V nanowire, GaAs and InAs, are demonstrated. These nanowires are grown by catalyst-free MOCVD growth method. Vertically nanowires are transferred onto patterned substrates for coordinate calibration. Then electrodes are defined by e-beam lithography followed by deposition of contact metals. Prior to metal deposition, however, the substrates are dipped in ammonium hydroxide solution to remove native oxide layer formed on nanowire surface. Current vs. source-drain voltage with different gate bias are measured at room temperature. GaAs nanowire FETs show photo response while InAs nanowire FETs do not show that. Surface passivation is performed on GaAs FETs by using ammonium surfide solution. The best results on current increase is observed with around 20-30 minutes chemical treatment time. Gate response measurements are performed at room temperature, from which field effect mobility as high as 1490 cm2/Vs is extracted for InAs FETs. One major contributor for this is stacking faults defect existing along nanowires. For InAs FETs, thermal excitations observed from temperature dependent results which leads us to investigate potential barriers.
ContributorsLiang, Hanshuang (Author) / Yu, Hongbin (Thesis advisor) / Ferry, David (Committee member) / Tracy, Clarence (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Like individual organisms, complex social groups are able to maintain predictable trajectories of growth, from initial colony foundation to mature reproductively capable units. They do so while simultaneously responding flexibly to variation in nutrient availability and intake. Leafcutter ant colonies function as tri-trophic systems, in which the ants harvest vegetation to grow a fungus that, in turn, serves as food for the colony. Fungal growth rates and colony worker production are interdependent, regulated by nutritional and behavioral feedbacks. Fungal growth and quality are directly affected by worker foraging decisions, while worker production is, in turn, dependent on the amount and condition of the fungus. In this dissertation, I first characterized the growth relationship between the workers and the fungus of the desert leafcutter ant Acromyrmex versicolor during early stages of colony development, from colony foundation by groups of queens through the beginnings of exponential growth. I found that this relationship undergoes a period of slow growth and instability when workers first emerge, and then becomes allometrically positive. I then evaluated how mass and element ratios of resources collected by the ants are translated into fungus and worker population growth, and refuse, finding that colony digestive efficiency is comparable to digestive efficiencies of other herbivorous insects and ruminants. To test how colonies behaviorally respond to perturbations of the fungus garden, I quantified activity levels and task performance of workers in colonies with either supplemented or diminished fungus gardens, and found that colonies adjusted activity and task allocation in response to the fungus garden size. Finally, to identify possible forms of nutrient limitation, I measured how colony performance was affected by changes in the relative amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and phosphorus available in the resources used to grow the fungus garden. From this experiment, I concluded that colony growth is primarily carbohydrate-limited.
ContributorsClark, Rebecca, 1981- (Author) / Fewell, Jennifer H (Thesis advisor) / Mueller, Ulrich (Committee member) / Liebig, Juergen (Committee member) / Elser, James (Committee member) / Harrison, Jon (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
ABSTRACT An Ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) computer code has been developed to simulate, semi-classically, spin-dependent electron transport in quasi two-dimensional (2D) III-V semiconductors. The code accounts for both three-dimensional (3D) and quasi-2D transport, utilizing either 3D or 2D scattering mechanisms, as appropriate. Phonon, alloy, interface roughness, and impurity scattering mechanisms are included, accounting for the Pauli Exclusion Principle via a rejection algorithm. The 2D carrier states are calculated via a self-consistent 1D Schrödinger-3D-Poisson solution in which the charge distribution of the 2D carriers in the quantization direction is taken as the spatial distribution of the squared envelope functions within the Hartree approximation. The wavefunctions, subband energies, and 2D scattering rates are updated periodically by solving a series of 1D Schrödinger wave equations (SWE) over the real-space domain of the device at fixed time intervals. The electrostatic potential is updated by periodically solving the 3D Poisson equation. Spin-polarized transport is modeled via a spin density-matrix formalism that accounts for D'yakanov-Perel (DP) scattering. Also, the code allows for the easy inclusion of additional scattering mechanisms and structural modifications to devices. As an application of the simulator, the current voltage characteristics of an InGaAs/InAlAs HEMT are simulated, corresponding to nanoscale III-V HEMTs currently being fabricated by Intel Corporation. The comparative effects of various scattering parameters, material properties and structural attributes are investigated and compared with experiments where reasonable agreement is obtained. The spatial evolution of spin-polarized carriers in prototypical Spin Field Effect Transistor (SpinFET) devices is then simulated. Studies of the spin coherence times in quasi-2D structures is first investigated and compared to experimental results. It is found that the simulated spin coherence times for GaAs structures are in reasonable agreement with experiment. The SpinFET structure studied is a scaled-down version of the InGaAs/InAlAs HEMT discussed in this work, in which spin-polarized carriers are injected at the source, and the coherence length is studied as a function of gate voltage via the Rashba effect.
ContributorsTierney, Brian David (Author) / Goodnick, Stephen (Thesis advisor) / Ferry, David (Committee member) / Akis, Richard (Committee member) / Saraniti, Marco (Committee member) / Vasileska, Dragica (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Land management practices such as domestic animal grazing can alter plant communities via changes in soil structure and chemistry, species composition, and plant nutrient content. These changes can affect the abundance and quality of plants consumed by insect herbivores with consequent changes in population dynamics. These population changes can translate to massive crop damage and pest control costs. My dissertation focused on Oedaleus asiaticus, a dominant Asian locust, and had three main objectives. First, I identified morphological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of the migratory ("brown") and non-migratory ("green") phenotypes. I found that brown morphs had longer wings, larger thoraxes and higher metabolic rates compared to green morphs, suggesting that developmental plasticity allows greater migratory capacity in the brown morph of this locust. Second, I tested the hypothesis of a causal link between livestock overgrazing and an increase in migratory swarms of O. asiaticus. Current paradigms generally assume that increased plant nitrogen (N) should enhance herbivore performance by relieving protein-limitation, increasing herbivorous insect populations. I showed, in contrast to this scenario, that host plant N-enrichment and high protein artificial diets decreased the size and viability of O. asiaticus. Plant N content was lowest and locust abundance highest in heavily livestock-grazed fields where soils were N-depleted, likely due to enhanced erosion and leaching. These results suggest that heavy livestock grazing promotes outbreaks of this locust by reducing plant protein content. Third, I tested for the influence of dietary imbalance, in conjunction with high population density, on migratory plasticity. While high population density has clearly been shown to induce the migratory morph in several locusts, the effect of diet has been unclear. I found that locusts reared at high population density and fed unfertilized plants (i.e. high quality plants for O. asiaticus) had the greatest migratory capacity, and maintained a high percent of brown locusts. These results did not support the hypothesis that poor-quality resources increased expression of migratory phenotypes. This highlights a need to develop new theoretical frameworks for predicting how environmental factors will regulate migratory plasticity in locusts and perhaps other insects.
ContributorsCease, Arianne (Author) / Harrison, Jon (Thesis advisor) / Elser, James (Thesis advisor) / DeNardo, Dale (Committee member) / Quinlan, Michael (Committee member) / Sabo, John (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Many studies over the past two decades examined the link between climate patterns and discharge, but few have attempted to study the effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on localized and watershed specific processes such as nutrient loading in the Southwestern United States. The Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) is used to describe the state of the ENSO, with positive (negative) values referring to an El Niño condition (La Niña condition). This study examined the connection between the MEI and precipitation, discharge, and total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the Upper Salt River Watershed in Arizona. Unrestricted regression models (UMs) and restricted regression models (RMs) were used to investigate the relationship between the discharges in Tonto Creek and the Salt River as functions of the magnitude of the MEI, precipitation, and season (winter/summer). The results suggest that in addition to precipitation, the MEI/season relationship is an important factor for predicting discharge. Additionally, high discharge events were associated with high magnitude ENSO events, both El Niño and La Niña. An UM including discharge and season, and a RM (restricting the seasonal factor to zero), were applied to TN and TP concentrations in the Salt River. Discharge and seasonality were significant factors describing the variability in TN in the Salt River while discharge alone was the significant factor describing TP. TN and TP in Roosevelt Lake were evaluated as functions of both discharge and MEI. Some significant correlations were found but internal nutrient cycling as well as seasonal stratification of the water column of the lake likely masks the true relationships. Based on these results, the MEI is a useful predictor of discharge, as well as nutrient loading in the Salt River Watershed through the Salt River and Tonto Creek. A predictive model investigating the effect of ENSO on nutrient loading through discharge can illustrate the effects of large scale climate patterns on smaller systems.
ContributorsSversvold, Darren (Author) / Neuer, Susanne (Thesis advisor) / Elser, James (Committee member) / Fenichel, Eli (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
It is well known that deficiencies in key chemical elements (such as phosphorus, P) can reduce animal growth; however, recent empirical data have shown that high levels of dietary nutrients can also reduce animal growth. In ecological stoichiometry, this phenomenon is known as the "stoichiometric knife edge," but its underlying mechanisms are not well-known. Previous work has suggested that the crustacean zooplankter Daphnia reduces its feeding rates on phosphorus-rich food, causing low growth due to insufficient C (energy) intake. To test for this mechanism, feeding rates of Daphnia magna on algae (Scenedesmus acutus) differing in C:P ratio (P content) were determined. Overall, there was a significant difference among all treatments for feeding rate (p < 0.05) with generally higher feeding rates on P-rich algae. These data indicate that both high and low food C:P ratio do affect Daphnia feeding rate but are in contradiction with previous work that showed that P-rich food led to strong reductions in feeding rate. Additional experiments are needed to gain further insights.
ContributorsSchimpp, Sarah Ann (Author) / Elser, James (Thesis director) / Neuer, Susanne (Committee member) / Peace, Angela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Many studies have shown that as the calcium carbonate precipitates, it sequesters phosphate. Although the geochemical interactions between phosphate and calcium carbonate are known, only a few studies have considered calcium carbonate deposition's effect on stream ecology. Further, those studies considering decomposition have produced conflicting results. In this study, nutrient-diffusing cups with organic substrata were used to determine the nutrient limitation of decomposers in the travertine streams in the Huachuca Mountains. After processing a subset of the experiments, only one site (in Huachuca Canyon) from the four study streams was significantly nutrient-limited (NP co-limitation).
ContributorsNevarez, Nicole Michelle (Author) / Elser, James (Thesis director) / Sabo, John (Committee member) / Corman, Jessica (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
“The Long Alchemy of Becoming: Aqua es Vida” is a short, artistic film depicting the history of the Universe shown through the microcosm of the Mexican town, Cuatro Ciénegas, in the state of Coahuila. The film takes the viewer from the start of the universe to what scientists believe will be its end, via a poem written by Dr. James Elser. “The Long Alchemy of Becoming: Aqua es Vida” starts with the Big Bang, through the formation of matter, stars, planets, including Earth. From there, the viewer witnesses how life evolved illustrated via scenes in the ciénegas (‘marsh’ in Spanish) found in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico. The film explores how life expanded out from water, producing plants and animals, including humans. Then, modern life in Cuatro Ciénegas is shown, including the modern agricultural practices that are threatening to destroy the ciénegas that sustain long histories of microbial evolution. The film concludes with the end mankind and the eventual destruction of Earth by the dying sun. Cuatro Ciénegas is a biologically and ecologically significant location, because its pools and marshes are home to many endemic species, including stromatolites, which are very rare, bio-chemical living structures. This film is part of a National Science Foundation grant, and reflects the extensive scientific research efforts in and around Cuatro Ciénegas and its unique pools.
ContributorsDavis, Samantha Kristen (Author) / Elser, James (Thesis director) / Lloyd, Samantha (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Graphene, a one atomic thick planar sheet of carbon atoms, has a zero gap band structure with a linear dispersion relation. This unique property makes graphene a favorite for physicists and engineers, who are trying to understand the mechanism of charge transport in graphene and using it as channel material for field effect transistor (FET) beyond silicon. Therefore, an in-depth exploring of these electrical properties of graphene is urgent, which is the purpose of this dissertation. In this dissertation, the charge transport and quantum capacitance of graphene were studied. Firstly, the transport properties of back-gated graphene transistor covering by high dielectric medium were systematically studied. The gate efficiency increased by up to two orders of magnitude in the presence of a high top dielectric medium, but the mobility did not change significantly. The results strongly suggested that the previously reported top dielectric medium-induced charge transport properties of graphene FETs were possibly due to the increase of gate capacitance, rather than enhancement of carrier mobility. Secondly, a direct measurement of quantum capacitance of graphene was performed. The quantum capacitance displayed a non-zero minimum at the Dirac point and a linear increase on both sides of the minimum with relatively small slopes. The findings - which were not predicted by theory for ideal graphene - suggested that scattering from charged impurities also influences the quantum capacitance. The capacitances in aqueous solutions at different ionic concentrations were also measured, which strongly suggested that the longstanding puzzle about the interfacial capacitance in carbon-based electrodes had a quantum origin. Finally, the transport and quantum capacitance of epitaxial graphene were studied simultaneously, the quantum capacitance of epitaxial graphene was extracted, which was similar to that of exfoliated graphene near the Dirac Point, but exhibited a large sub-linear behavior at high carrier density. The self-consistent theory was found to provide a reasonable description of the transport data of the epitaxial graphene device, but a more complete theory was needed to explain both the transport and quantum capacitance data.
ContributorsXia, Jilin (Author) / Tao, N.J. (Thesis advisor) / Ferry, David (Committee member) / Thornton, Trevor (Committee member) / Tsui, Raymond (Committee member) / Yu, Hongbin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description
This thesis explores the imperative of spatial agency in the context of affordable housing within a capitalist free-market economy and an age in which agency has been stripped from the architect and inhabitant alike. It defines the concepts of spatial agency of both the architect and inhabitant as well as the means to achieve this, namely prefabrication and adaptability as frameworks within the social sciences and architectural discourse. These definitions will then be further evaluated via their practical applications in several case studies dated between 1936 and the present. Ultimately, a flexible and low-impact solution will be implemented into the design of off site housing units for the Roden Crater housing project as well as one possible solution to affordable housing crises in an effort to utilize the once profit-driven means of prefabrication towards a more socialist end.
ContributorsChowdhury, Nasrynn (Author) / Neveu, Marc (Thesis director) / The Design School (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05