We seek applicants who want to apply their theoretical solid-state physics skills to multidisciplinary challenges in advancing semiconductors. We are interested in semiconductor applications for nanoelectronics, more than Moore applications of electronics, bioelectronics, telemedicine, and the “next switch” to replace CMOS. The commercial success of many emerging technologies will require contacts or interconnects to micro- and macro-scale devices. For example, current instrumentation to characterize three-dimensional nanoscale contacts and interconnects is not adequate for accelerating innovation and commercialization. Current measurement methods and the theories used to interpret the data from such measurements make it difficult to assess performance, reliability, and durability of contacts; interconnects; and interfaces in advanced semiconductor and bioelectronic devices. The performance, reliability, and durability of future devices depend critically on gaining molecular-level and nanoscale-level understanding of the transport of electrons, holes, and ions and their electrical; optical; magnetic; chemical; and mechanical properties.
Our research teams would like to answer the following theoretical and experimental questions for controlling key process parameters and developing new measurements and their associated standards. (1) How are electronic, optical, magnetic, chemical, and mechanical properties of the nano-electro-mechanical devices affected by contacts? (2) How do molecules and nano-electro-materials respond when contacts are fabricated? (3) What roles do contact metals and alloys play in the performance, reliability, and durability of semiconductor devices? (4) Are our theoretical understanding, computer simulations, and visualization methods such that we can predict the carrier and ion transport as well as electrical, optical, magnetic, chemical, and mechanical properties of nanoscale systems? (5) How will we separate electronic, optical, magnetic, chemical, and mechanical effects and measure detailed changes in such effects during the fabrication and lifetime of contacts?
References
Bennett HS: Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 112(4): 209, 2007
Richter CA, et al: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 55(11): 3086, 2008
Electronics; Bioelectronics; Densities of states; Semiconductors; Optical properties; Magnetic properties; Performance assessment; Reliability; Durability;