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School of Materials Science and Engineering

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College of Engineering

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 233

Piezoelectric Nanostructures of Zinc Oxide: Synthesis, Characterization and Devices

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-11-28) Gao, Puxian

In this thesis, a systematic study has been carried out on the synthesis, characterization and device fabrication of piezoelectric ZnO nanstructures. The achieved results are composed of the following four parts. Firstly, through a systematic investigation on the Sn-catalyzed ZnO nanostructure, an improved understanding of the chemical and physical process occurring during the growth of hierarchical nanostructures has been achieved. Decomposed Sn from SnO2 has been successfully demonstrated and proved to be an effective catalyst guiding the growth of not only aligned ZnO nanowires, but also the hierarchical nanowire-nanoribbon junction arrays and nanopropeller arrays. During the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) catalyzing growth process at high temperature, Sn in the liquid state has been proved to be able to guide the growth of nanowires and nanoribbons in terms of growth directions, side facets, and crystallographic interfaces between Sn and ZnO nanostructures. Secondly, using pure ZnO as the only source material, by precisely tuning and controlling the growth kinetics, a variety of hierarchical polar surface dominated nanostructures have been achieved, such as single crystal nanorings, nanobows, nanosprings and superlattice nanohelices. High yield synthesis of ZnO nanosprings over 50% has been successfully obtained by mainly controlling the pre-pumping level associated with the partial pressure of residual oxygen during the vapor-solid growth process. The rigid superlattice nanohelices of ZnO have been discovered, which is a result of minimization of the electrostatic energy induced by polar surfaces. The formation process of the nanohelix has been systematically characterized. Thirdly, two new strategies have been successfully developed for fabricating ZnO quantum dots and synthesis of ZnO nanodiskettes and nanotubes. The formation process is based on a common concept of self-assembly. Finally, a series of devices and applications studies based on several piezoelectric ZnO nanostructures, such as nanobelts, nanopropellers and nanohelices, have been carried out utilizing the electro-mechanical resonance, bio-surface functionalization, devices fabrication and electrical characterization. Individual nanobelt and nanohelix based nanodevices have been successfully fabricated for applications in chemical and biological sensing. The study opens a few new areas in oxide nanostructures and applications.
Large-Scale Patterned Oxide Nanostructures: Fabrication, Characterization and Applications

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-11-28) Wang, Xudong

Nanotechnology is experiencing a flourishing development in a variety of fields covering all of the areas from science to engineering and to biology. As an active field in nanotechnology, the work presented in this dissertation is mostly focused on the fundamental study about the fabrication and assembly of functional oxide nanostructures. In particular, Zinc Oxide, one of the most important functional semiconducting materials, is the core objective of this research, from the controlled growth of nanoscale building blocks to understanding their properties and to how to organize these building blocks. Thermal evaporation process based on a single-zone tube furnace has been employed for synthesizing a range of 1D nanostructures. By controlling the experimental conditions, different morphologies, such as ultra-small ZnO nanobelts, mesoporous ZnO nanowires and core-shell nanowire were achieved. In order to pattern the nanostructures, a large-scale highly-ordered nanobowl structure based on the self-assembly of submicron spheres was created and utilized as patterning template. The growth and patterning techniques were thereafter integrated for aligning and patterning of ZnO nanowires. The aligning mechanisms and growth conditions were thoroughly studied so as to achieve a systematic control over the morphology, distribution and density. The related electronic and electromechanical properties of the aligned ZnO nanowires were investigated. The feasibility of some potential applications, such as photonic crystals, solar cells and sensor arrays, has also been studied. This research may set a foundation for many industrial applications from controlled synthesis to nanomanufacturing.
Particle cracking damage evolution in 7075 wrought aluminum alloy under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-11-22) Harris, James Joel

7xxx series Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-base wrought Al-alloy products are widely used for aerospace structural applications where monotonic and cyclic mechanical properties are of prime concern. Microstructure of these commercial alloys usually contains brittle coarse constituent particles or inclusions of Fe-rich intermetallic compounds and Mg2Si, typically in the size range of 1 to 50 micron. Plastic deformation and fracture of 7xxx series alloys (as well as of numerous other wrought Al-alloys) is associated with gradual microstructural damage accumulation that involves cracking of the coarse constituent particles, growth of voids around the cracked particles, and the void coalescence. To understand and model the microstructural damage evolution processes such particle cracking, quantitative microstructural data associated with the damage nucleation are required under monotonic as well as cyclic loading conditions. In the past quantitative characterization of particle cracking damage in these alloys has been problematic. However, with recent advances in digital image analysis and stereology based techniques, it is now possible to quantitatively characterize the damage nucleation in hot-rolled 7075(T6) Al-alloy (a typical alloy of 7xxx series) due to cracking of the Fe-rich coarse constituent particles. The objectives of this work are: * Quantitative characterization of the cracking of Fe-rich constituent particles as a function of strain under quasi-static loading. This involves measurements of number density of cracked particles, volume fraction of the cracked particles, their size, shape, and orientation distribution, as well as nearest neighbor distribution and two-point correlation functions to quantify spatial dispersion of the cracked particles in a series of interrupted uniaxial tensile test specimens at different strain levels. * Quantitative characterization of the cracking of Fe-rich constituent particles under cyclic loading to study the differences between the particle cracking damage due to monotonic and cyclic loading.
Design of FeCo Nanoalloy Morphology via Control of Reaction Kinetics

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-11-22) Williams, Melissa Ann Zubris

Nanoalloys are an exciting new class of materials in the growing field of nanotechnology. Nanoalloys consist of the nanoscale co-aggregation of two or more metals with a potential to form compositionally-ordered phases or superstructures that have properties unlike those of the individual metal clusters or of bulk alloys of the constituent metals. This research seizes the opportunity that the nanoscale domain has to offer, and focuses on the synthesis of iron and cobalt nanoalloys via the simultaneous decomposition of iron cobalt organometallic precursors in a stabilizing environment, accompanied by the thorough characterization of the resulting nanoclusters. Zero-valent FeCo nanoalloys may potentially have interesting uses as magnetic materials. Since these clusters have sizes less than the size of their magnetic domain, the clusters will exhibit single domain magnetism. This magnetism may be observed by the presence of chain structures of FeCo nanoclusters due to the alignment of their single magnetic domains. In order to create a near-atomically homogeneous nanoalloy without preferential aggregation of its metal atom constituents, no clustering and phase separation should take place. In the bulk, alloys of iron and cobalt phase separate over most of the compositional range. Conversely, at the nanoscale, it may be possible to synthesize nanoalloy structures that are not normally favorable at given compositions, by the manipulation of reaction kinetics. In order to produce an atomically mixed nanoalloy, the transformation reactions of the organometallic precursors should display similar kinetic features, i.e. similar reaction rates. Therefore, the reaction kinetics of all the species in the reaction must be similar to avoid competition between them. As a result, kinetic control of the individual transformation reaction rates of each species may be used to modulate the aggregation and phase separation of the different species, and consequently control cluster morphology. This work has provided the framework for the design of synthesis methods that enable the control of the structure of FeCo nanoalloys with careful attention to precursor decomposition kinetics and the correlation between reaction kinetics and nanoalloy morphology.
Growth and field-emission property of tungsten oxide nanotip arrays

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-11-21) Zhou, Jun ; Gong, Li ; Deng, Shao Zhi ; Chen, Jun ; She, Jun Cong ; Xu, Ning Sheng ; Yang, Rusen ; Wang, Z. L. (Zhong Lin)

Large-area, quasialigned nanotips of tungsten oxide have been grown by a two-step high-temperature, catalyst-free, physical evaporation deposition process. The tungsten oxide nanotips are single crystalline with growth direction of [010]. The tungsten oxide nanotips exhibit excellent field-emission properties with a low threshold field (for an emission current density of 10 mA/cm²) ~4.37 MV/m and uniform emission from the entire arrays, as well as high time stability. These results make tungsten oxide nanotip arrays a competitive candidate for field-emission displays.
A Multifunctional Approach to Development, Fabrication, and Characterization of Fe3O4 Composites

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-11-14) Liong, Silvia

A unique approach for lightweight multifunctional composites was developed using Fe3O4 nanoparticles and polypyrrole-coated Fe3O4 particles as fillers. Fe3O4 particles are a good candidate for filler in a multifunctional composite system because they can reinforce mechanical properties of a polymer matrix and impart magnetic properties into a composite. Polypyrrole coating on Fe3O4 particles was utilized to incorporate electrical conductivity to the properties of composites. The effects of filler size and filler content were studied on both the mechanical and electromagnetic properties. Fe3O4 nanoparticles improved fracture toughness, but they compromised strength and modulus. Polypyrrole-coated Fe3O4 has potential for multifunctional material applications because the coating allows for concurrent increase in magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity in a composite. The polypyrrole coating also improved the strength of the composite. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were a major part of this work from their synthesis to their application in composites. The surface effect on magnetic properties was analyzed for Fe3O4 nanoparticles, resulting in a more accurate calculation of the magnetically dead layer thickness than previously reported. The results from this work contributed to further understanding of synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles, fabrication and characterization of nanocomposites, and design and development of lightweight multifunctional materials. Although the properties of the fabricated composites require further improvement, the methodology and approach provide a basis for future work in development of lightweight multifunctional composites.
Ultra-thin Ceramic Films for Low-temperature Temperature Embedding of Decoupling Capacitors into Organic Printed Wiring Boards

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-10-27) Balaraman, Devarajan

As microprocessors move towards higher frequencies, lower operating voltages and higher power consumption, supplying noise-free power to the ICs becomes increasingly challenging. Decoupling capacitors with low inductance interconnections are critical to meet the power supply impedance targets. A variety of capacitors are used today to provide decoupling at different frequencies. Surface-mount multi-layer ceramic capacitors currently used at package level provide decoupling only till about 100 MHz because of the component and lead inductances. Embedding thin film capacitors into the package can expand the operating range of package level capacitors to low GHz frequencies. Thin films with capacitance of several microfarads and organic-compatible processes are required for embedding decoupling capacitors at package level. The organic-compatible high-permittivity materials available today do not provide adequate capacitance for the application on hand. While ferroelectric thin films can provide the required capacitance, processing temperatures over 300o C are required to achieve crystalline films with high permittivity. Hence, there is a need to develop novel materials and processes to integrate decoupling capacitors into currently prevalent organic packages. To this end, hydrothermal synthesis and sol-gel synthesis of BaTiO3 films were explored in this study. BaTiO3 films were synthesized by low temperature hydrothermal conversion of metallic titanium. Hydrothermal process parameters such as bath molarity and temperature were optimized to obtain thin films with grain sizes close to 100 nm, at temperatures less than 100o C. Novel post-hydrothermal treatments were developed to improve the dielectric properties of the films. Sol-gel process requires sintering at >700o C to obtain crystalline BaTiO3 films. However, the films can be synthesized on free-standing copper foils and subsequently integrated into organic packages using lamination. Prevention of foil oxidation during sintering is critical. Nickel and titanium barriers explored in this study were ineffective due to instabilities at the interfaces. Hence, films were synthesized on bare copper foils by controlling the oxygen partial pressure during sintering. Using these techniques BaTiO3 thin films with capacitances of 400 1000 nF/cm2 and breakdown voltages of 6 15 V were demonstrated. The films synthesized via either techniques exhibited stable dielectric properties up to 8 GHz owing to fine grain sizes.
Field emission of individual carbon nanotube with in situ tip image and real work function

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-10-10) Xu, Zhi ; Bai, X. D. ; Wang, E. G. ; Wang, Z. L. (Zhong Lin)

The field emission properties of individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been measured simultaneously in correlation to the emitter images and their real work functions at tips by the in situ transmission electron microscopy method. The field emission of a single nanotube still follows the Fowler-Nordheim law. The field enhancement factor has been determined by the real work function rather than a given constant. In situ imaging and measurement show that the work function at the nanotube tip depends strongly on its structure and surface condition. This study provides an approach of direct linking field emission with the in situ emitter structure and the real work function at the emitter tip.
Interphase exchange coupling in Fe/Sm–Co bilayers with gradient Fe thickness

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-09-30) Yu, Ming-hui ; Hattrick-Simpers, Jason ; Takeuchi, Ichiro ; Li, Jing ; Wang, Z. L. (Zhong Lin) ; Liu, J. Ping ; Lofland, S. E. ; Tyagi, Somdev ; Freeland, J. W. ; Giubertoni, D. ; Bersani, M. ; Anderle, M.

We have fabricated Fe/Sm–Co bilayers with gradient Fe thicknesses in order to systematically study the dependence of exchange coupling on the thickness of the Fe layer. The Fe layer was deposited at two different temperatures (150 and 300 °C) to study the effect of deposition temperature on the exchange coupling. Magneto-optical Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) have been employed as nondestructive rapid characterization tools to map the magnetic properties of the gradient samples. Systematic enhancement in exchange coupling between the soft layer and the hard layer is observed as the soft layer thickness is decreased. Separate exchange couplings of the Fe layer with Co and Sm in the hard layer are revealed through measuring the element-specific hysteresis curves using XMCD. The single-phase-like magnetization reversal critical thickness increases from 12 nm for Fe deposited at 150 °C to 24 nm for Fe deposited at 300 °C, indicating an important role of the state of the interface in the exchange coupling.
Optical Properties of Superlattice Photonic Crystals

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-09-22) Neff, Curtis Wayne

Photonic band gap materials, commonly referred to as photonic crystals (PCs), have been a topic of great interest for almost two decades due to their promise of unprecedented control over the propagation and generation of light. We report investigations of the optical properties of a new PC structure based upon a triangular lattice in which adjacent [i, j] rows of holes possess different properties, creating a superlattice (SL) periodicity. Symmetry arguments predicted and quot;band folding and quot; and band splitting behaviors, both of which are direct consequences of the new basis that converts the Brillouin zone from hexagonal (six-fold) to rectangular (two-fold). Plane wave expansion and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical calculations were used to explore the effects of the new structure on the photonic dispersion relationship of the SL PC. Electron beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma dry etching were used to fabricate 1 mm2 PC areas (lattice constant, a =358 nm and 480 nm) with hole radius ratios ranging from 1.0 (triangular) to 0.585 (r2/r1 = 73.26 nm/125.26 nm) on Silicon-on-insulator wafers. The effects of modifying structural parameters (such as hole size, lattice constant, and SL strength) were measured using the coupled resonant band technique, confirming the SL symmetry arguments and corroborating the band structure calculations. Analysis of the dispersion contours of the static SL (SSL) PC predicted both giant refraction (change in beam propagation angle of 110 for an 8 change in incident angle) and superprism behavior (change in beam propagation angle of 108 for a 12% change in normalized frequency) in these structures. Dynamic control of these refraction effects was also investigated by incorporating electro-optic and nonlinear materials into the SSL PC structure. Wave vector analyses on these structures predicted a change in beam propagation angle and gt;96 when the refractive index inside of the holes of the structure changed from n=1.5 to 1.7. Through this investigation, the first successful measurement of the band folding effect in multidimensional PCs as well as the first explicit measurement of the dielectric band of a 2D PC were reported. In addition, the SL PCs impact on new opto-electronic devices was explored.