This thesis presents consolidated research results of a low-cost, high efficiency, high throughput detection system for fluorescence-based bio-assays. Such high throughput screening process is an invaluable tool for the multifaceted field of Systems Biology, where it is widely used in genomics and proteomics for drug and gene discovery applications. The thesis is divided into three parts: addressing the feasibility of using hydrogenated amorphous silicon photodiodes as the sensor, the development of an associated compact model suitable for circuit-level simulations, and integration of the sensors and switches to realize the array. Requirements of fluorescent bio-assays demand low sensor dark current densities in the order of 10¯¹¹A/cm² at room temperature. Fabrication of high quality segmented a–Si:H n–i–p photodiodes with such specification is achieved by tailoring defects at photodiode junction sidewalls, where both the dry etching and passivation conditions play important roles. Measurements of the fabricated photodiodes at different temperatures allowed the extraction of reverse current components, which are necessary in modeling such sensors in Verilog-A. Two prototype array designs are fabricated with pixel dimensions matching ANSI standard microwell plates. The functionalities of the small arrays are demonstrated with green LEDs to simulate fluorescent dyes that are commonly used in the high throughput bio-assay processes.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-159). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering." Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-155).

Thesis (Ph.D.(Physics))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:47:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 08314.pdf: 4232246 bytes, checksum: 37d2f607f0221e0096bb76c5f12711e9 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:44:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 06889.pdf: 2660879 bytes, checksum: 1ad6cb9abd7b6c1a92d40f0b7cb82b55 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP / FAPESP:97/12485-4

O conhecimento da distribuição espectral da radiação X emitida por unidades de radiodiagnóstico fornece importantes informações, que podem ser aplicadas aos programas de Garantia de Qualidade e de Proteção Radiológica. Detectores que utilizam fotodiodos PIN de Si como ponta de prova vêm sendo utilizados nos últimos anos devido, principalmente, ao seu baixo custo e por trabalharem a temperatura ambiente, não precisando dos tanques de nitrogênio líquido necessários em detectores de Ge e Si(Li). Embora, a princípio, os fotodiodos PIN tenham uma pior resolução, quando comparada com os detectores de Ge, ela é suficientemente boa para a maior parte das aplicações em radiodiagnóstico. Além disso, o desenvolvimento de sistemas refrigerados termoelétricamente e de pré-amplificadores de baixo ruído têm feito com que os fotodiodos PIN cheguem a resoluções comparáveis às do Ge. Este trabalho visa estabelecer as propriedades de detectores constituídos por fotodiodos PIN de Si e desenvolver o processo de correção dos espectros brutos para a eficiência do detector e outros fatores pertinentes, a fim de se obter o espectro real emitido por equipamentos de radiodiagnóstico. Espectros de radiação de equipamentos de radiodiagnóstico obtidos experimentalmente foram comparados com espectros teóricos calculados a partir de um modelo semi-empírico. Além disso, foram obtidos espectros de radiação emitidos por unidades de mamografia, espalhados por um objeto simulador de mama. Como aplicação direta dos espectros medidos experimentalmente, foram desenvolvidas metodologias para a determinação da tensão aceleradora de tubos de Raios X (kVp), para fins de calibração de medidores de kVp, e da camada semi-redutora (CSR) dos feixes de interesse. / Knowledge of the spectral distribution of radiation emitted by radiodiagnostic units provides important information, which can be applied to the Quality Assurance and Radiological Protection programs. Detectors which utilize Silicon PIN Photodiodes have been increasingly used in recent years, due to their low cost and being worked with at room temperature, the liquid nitrogen containers used with Ge and Si(Li) detectors not being necessary. Although, initially, the PIN photodiodes have a poorer energy resolution, as compared with Ge detectors, it\'s good enough for most purposes. Moreover, the development of thermoelectrically cooled systems and low noise level pre-amplifiers have resulted in PIN photodiodes achieving comparable resolutions to Ge ones. This work seeks to establish the properties of detectors made with Silicon PIN photodiodes and to develop the correctional process of the raw specffa both for the efficiency of the detector and other relevant factors, with the aim of obtaining the true spectrum emitted by radiodiagnostic equipment. The radiation spectra of radiodiagnostic equipment experimentally obtained were compared with theoretical spectra calculated from a semi-empirical model. Furthermore, mammography x-ray spectra scattered by a breast simulator were obtained. As a direct application of these experimentally measured spectra, methodologies were developed to determine the peak kilovoltage (kvp) of X-Ray tubes, to be able to calibrate kVp meters, and the half-value layer (HW) of the beams of interest.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:47:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 08314.pdf: 4232246 bytes, checksum: 37d2f607f0221e0096bb76c5f12711e9 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:44:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 06889.pdf: 2660879 bytes, checksum: 1ad6cb9abd7b6c1a92d40f0b7cb82b55 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP / FAPESP:97/12485-4

There are many potential areas for the utilization of GaN-based nitride materials, including ultraviolet photodetectors. Ultraviolet photodetectors are used in the military for missile plume detection and space communications. Medically, ultraviolet photodiodes are used in monitoring skin cancer. Schottky barrier metal-semiconductor contacts are choice devices for the manufacture of ultraviolet photodiodes due to higher short wavelength sensitivity and fast response. They also require simple fabrication technology; suffer lower breakdown voltages, and record larger leakage currents at lower voltages as compared to p-n structures of the same semiconductor material. Thus the formation of a Schottky contact with high barrier height, low leakage current, and good thermal stability in order to withstand high temperature processing and operation are some of the most important factors in improving the performance of Schottky barrier photodiodes to be used for ultraviolet detection. The first stage of this study was to establish a chemical cleaning and etching technique. It was found that KOH was suitable in reducing C from the surface and that (NH4)2S further reduced the surface oxides. The next phase of the work was to select a metal that will allow UV light to pass through at a high transmission percentage: a combination of annealed Ni/Au was found to be ideal. The transmission percentage of this alloy was found to be above 80%. The next phase was the fabrication of Ni/Au Schottky barrier diodes on GaN to study the electrical characteristics of the diodes. Electrical characterization of the diodes showed that the dominant current transport mechanism was thermionic emission, masked by the effects of series resistance, which resulted from the condition of the GaN surface. Finally, we fabricated GaN UV photodiodes and characterized them in the optoelectronic station designed and produced during this research. Device responsivity as high as 31.8 mA/W for GaN and 3.8 mA/W for AlGaN were recorded. The calculated quantum efficiencies of the photodiodes were 11 % for GaN and 1.7 % for AlGaN respectively. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Physics / unrestricted