abstract: In this dissertation, various characterization techniques have been used to investigate many aspects of the properties of III-nitride materials and devices for optoelectronic applications. The first part of this work is focused on the evolution of microstructures of BAlN thin films. The films were grown by flow-modulated epitaxy at 1010 oC, with B/(B+Al) gas-flow ratios ranging from 0.06 to 0.18. The boron content obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns ranges from x = 0.02 to 0.09, while Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) measures x = 0.06 to 0.16. Transmission electron microscopy indicates the sole presence of the wurtzite crystal structure in the BAlN films, and a tendency towards twin formation and finer microstructure for B/(B+Al) gas-flow ratios greater than 0.15. The RBS data suggest that the incorporation of B is highly efficient, while the XRD data indicate that the epitaxial growth may be limited by a solubility limit in the crystal phase at about 9%. Electron energy loss spectroscopy has been used to profile spatial variations in the composition of the films. It has also located point defects in the films with nanometer resolution. The defects are identified as B and Al interstitials and N vacancies by comparison of the observed energy thresholds with results of density functional theory calculations. The second part of this work investigates dislocation clusters observed in thick InxGa1-xN films with 0.07 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. The clusters resemble baskets with a higher indium content at their interior. Threading dislocations at the basket boundaries are of the misfit edge type, and their separation is consistent with misfit strain relaxation due the difference in indium content between the baskets and the surrounding matrix. The base of the baskets exhibits no observable misfit dislocations connected to the threading dislocations, and often no net displacements like those due to stacking faults. It is argued that the origin of these threading dislocation arrays is associated with misfit dislocations at the basal plane that dissociate, forming stacking faults. When the stacking faults form simultaneously satisfying the crystal symmetry, the sum of their translation vectors does add up to zero, consistent with our experimental observations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Physics 2018

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abstract: The chemical, structural, and electrical properties of niobium-silicon, niobium-germanium, and YBCO-dielectric interfaces are characterized. Reduction in the concentration of interfacial defects in these structures can improve the performance of (i) many devices including low-loss coplanar, microstrip, and stripline microwave resonators used in next-generation cryogenic communication, sensor, and quantum information technologies and (ii) layers used in device isolation, inter-wiring dielectrics, and passivation in microwave and Josephson junction circuit fabrication. Methods were developed to synthesize amorphous-Ge (a-Ge) and homoepitaxial-Si dielectric thin-films with loss tangents of 1–2×10 -6 and 0.6–2×10 -5 at near single-photon powers and sub-Kelvin temperatures (≈40 mK), making them potentially a better choice over undoped silicon and sapphire substrates used in quantum devices. The Nb/Ge interface has 20 nm of chemical intermixing, which is reduced by a factor of four using 10 nm Ta diffusion layers. Niobium coplanar resonators using this structure exhibit reduced microwave losses. The nature and concentration of defects near Nb-Si interfaces prepared with commonly-used Si surface treatments were characterized. All samples have H, C, O, F, and Cl in the Si within 50 nm of the interface, and electrically active defects with activation energies of 0.147, 0.194, 0.247, 0.339, and 0.556 eV above the valence band maximum (E vbm ), with concentrations dominated by a hole trap at E vbm +0.556 eV (presumably Nb Si ). The optimum surface treatment is an HF etch followed by an in-situ 100 eV Ar ion mill. RCA etches, and higher energy ion milling processes increase the concentration of electrically active defects. A thin SrTiO 3 buffer layer used in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconductor/high-performance Ba(Zn 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 and Ba(Cd 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 microwave dielectric trilayers improves the structural quality of the layers and results in 90 K superconductor critical temperatures. This advance enables the production of more compact high-temperature superconductor capacitors, inductors, and microwave microstrip and stripline devices. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Materials Science and Engineering 2020

abstract: Interconnection methods for IBC photovoltaic (PV) module integration have widely been explored yet a concrete and cost-effective solution has yet to be found. Traditional methods of tabbing and stringing which are still being used today impart increased stress on the cells, not to mention the high temperatures induced during the soldering process as well. In this work and effective and economical interconnection method is demonstrated, by laser welding an embossed aluminum (Al) electrode layer to screen-printed silver (Ag) on the solar cell. Contact resistivity below 1mΩ.cm2 is measured with the proposed design. Cross-sectional analysis of interfaces is conducted via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS) methods. Typical laser weld phenomenon observed involves Al ejection at the entrance of the weld, followed by Al and Ag fusing together mid-way through the weld spot, as revealed by cross-sectional depth analysis. The effects of voltage and lamp intensity are also tested on the welding process. With the range of voltages tested, 240V seems to show the least process variability and the most uniform contact between Al and Ag layers, upon using an Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) encapsulant. Two lamp intensities were also explored with a Polyolefin (POE) encapsulant with Al and Ag layers seen welded together as well. Smaller effect sizes at lamp 2 intensity showed better contact. A process variability analysis was conducted to understand the effects of the two different lamps on welds being formed. Lamp 2 showed a bi-modal size distribution with a higher peak intensity, with more pulses coupling into the sample, as compared to lamp 1. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Materials Science and Engineering 2019

Transmitarrays antennas (TAs) can be seen as the planar counterpart of optical lenses. They are composed of thin radiating elements (unit cells) which introduce different local phase shifts on an incident electromagnetic wave, emitted by a primary source, and re-radiate it. By properly designing the unit cells and their distribution in the TA, the properties of the incident wave, e.g. wavefront and polarization, as well as the pattern of the radiated field can be tailored. Moreover, TAs are suited to low-cost multilayer fabrication processes, e.g. printed circuit board (PCB) technology, and can achieve electronic reconfiguration embedding diodes. Therefore, TAs are natural and cost-effective candidates for applications requiring to steer and shape the antenna beam, such as satellite communications (Satcom) and future terrestrial wireless networks. For instance, satellite antennas radiate contoured beams to cover specific Earth regions, whereas Satcom ground terminals and mobile base stations require very directive beams compliant with prescribed radiation masks. In many cases, the amplitude of the field impinging on the TA is fixed and the TA phase profile, i.e. the spatial distribution of the phase-shifting elements, is the only parameter that can be designed to generate the desired radiation pattern. Thus, versatile, efficient and robust phase-only synthesis methods are essential. Closed-form expressions for the phase profile can be derived only in a few cases and for specific targeted far-field patterns. On the other hand, synthesis approaches based on global optimization techniques, such as genetic algorithms, are general purpose but their convergence and accuracy is often poor, despite the long computation time. In this thesis, a mathematical approach for the phase-only synthesis of TAs using convex optimization is developed to solve diverse pattern shaping problems. The use of convex optimization ensures a good compromise between the generality, robustness and computational cost of the method.First, a model for the analysis of the TA is presented. It accurately predicts the antenna radiation pattern using the equivalence theorem and includes the impact of the spillover, i.e. the direct radiation from the TA feed. Then, the TA synthesis is formulated in terms of the far-field intensity pattern computed by the model. The phase-only synthesis problem is inherently non-convex. However, a sequential convex optimization procedure relying on proper relaxations is proposed to approximately solve it. The accuracy of these sub-optimal solutions is discussed and methods to enhance it are compared. The procedure is successfully applied to synthesize relatively large TAs, with symmetrical and non-symmetrical phase profiles, radiating either focused-beam or shaped-beam patterns, with challenging mask constraints.Finally, three millimeter-wave TAs, comprising different sets of unit cells, are designed using the synthesis procedure. The good agreement between the predicted radiation patterns and those obtained from full-wave simulations of the antennas demonstrates the precision and versatility of the proposed tool, within its range of validity. / Transmitarray antennas (TAs) är en typ av antenna som konsiderades som optiska lenser motparten. Transmitterray antennas (TAs) are a type of antenna that is considered as optical lenses counterpart.De är sammansatta av tunna strålande element eller unit cell (UCs) som introducerar olika lokala fasförskjutningar på en inkommande elektromagnetisk våg och stråla ut den igen. They are composed of thin radiating elements or unit cells (UCs) that introduce different local phase shifts on an incoming electromagnetic wave and radiate it out again.Den här vågen kommer från en primär elektromagnetisk källa. This wave comes from a primary electromagnetic source.Syftet med detta examensarbete är att bestämma hur man ska UC placera för att skapa en önskad utgångsstråle.This master thesis aim is to determine how to place the UC in order to create a desired output beam.TAs är biliga att bygga och kan också vara elektroniska omkonfigurerbara med hjälp av dioder. TAs are cheap to produce and can also be electronically reconfigurable using diodes. TAs används i Satcom-domänen eller för att designa ny hög hastighet nätverk (6G).TAs are used in the Satcom domain or to design new high-speed network (6G). När man skapar en antenn, kan man stämma fas och amplitud av kompositerna för att skapa en önskad utgångsstråle. På TAs är det lite svårare.When someone create an antenna, one can tune phase and amplitude of the composants to create a desired output beam. For TAs it is a little bit more difficult.Faktiskt kan man stämma endast fas i TA- arkitektur. In fact, one can only tune the phase in the TA architecture. Så behöver vi speciell designprocedur som kallas: fassyntesSo, we need special design procedure called: phase-only synthesis.Konvex optimering är en bra kompromiss mellan metodens generalitet och uträkningstimeConvex optimization is a good compromise between generality and computation time.Här presenterar vi en fassyntes metod på skapa TAs som utstrålar en önskad stråle. Here we present a phase-only synthesis method in order to create TAs which radiate a precise beam. Metoden är baserade på konvex optimering.

abstract: Silicon photonic technology continues to dominate the solar industry driven by steady improvement in device and module efficiencies. Currently, the world record conversion efficiency (~26.6%) for single junction silicon solar cell technologies is held by silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and crystalline silicon (c-Si). These solar cells utilize the concept of carrier selective contacts to improve device efficiencies. A carrier selective contact is designed to optimize the collection of majority carriers while blocking the collection of minority carriers. In the case of SHJ cells, a thin intrinsic a-Si:H layer provides crucial passivation between doped a-Si:H and the c-Si absorber that is required to create a high efficiency cell. There has been much debate regarding the role of the intrinsic a-Si:H passivation layer on the transport of photogenerated carriers, and its role in optimizing device performance. In this work, a multiscale model is presented which utilizes different simulation methodologies to study interfacial transport across the intrinsic a-Si:H/c-Si heterointerface and through the a-Si:H passivation layer. In particular, an ensemble Monte Carlo simulator was developed to study high field behavior of photogenerated carriers at the intrinsic a-Si:H/c-Si heterointerface, a kinetic Monte Carlo program was used to study transport of photogenerated carriers across the intrinsic a-Si:H passivation layer, and a drift-diffusion model was developed to model the behavior in the quasi-neutral regions of the solar cell. This work reports de-coupled and self-consistent simulations to fully understand the role and effect of transport across the a-Si:H passivation layer in silicon heterojunction solar cells, and relates this to overall solar cell device performance. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2019

Biological nanoparticles have enormous utility as well as potential adverse impacts in biotechnology, human health, and medicine. The physical and chemical properties of these nanoparticles have strong implications on their distribution, circulation, and clearance in vivo. Accurate morphological visualization and chemical characterization of nanoparticles by label-free (direct) optical microscopy would provide valuable insights into their natural and intrinsic properties. However, three major challenges related to label-free nanoparticle imaging must be overcome: (i) weak contrast due to exceptionally small size and low-refractive-index difference with the surrounding medium, (ii) inadequate spatial resolution to discern nanoscale features, and (iii) lack of chemical specificity. Advances in common-path interferometric microscopy have successfully overcome the weak contrast limitation and enabled direct detection of low-index biological nanoparticles down to single proteins. However, interferometric light microscopy does not overcome the diffraction limit, and studying the nanoparticle morphology at sub-wavelength spatial resolution remains a significant challenge. Moreover, chemical signature and composition are inaccessible in these interferometric optical measurements. This dissertation explores innovations in common-path interferometric microscopy to provide enhanced spatial resolution and chemical specificity in high-throughput imaging of individual nanoparticles. The dissertation research effort focuses on a particular modality of interferometric imaging, termed “single-particle interferometric reflectance (SPIR) microscopy”, that uses an oxide-coated silicon substrate for enhanced coherent detection of the weakly scattered light. We seek to advance three specific aspects of SPIR microscopy: sensitivity, spatial resolution, and chemical specificity. The first one is to enhance particle visibility via novel optical and computational methods that push optical detection sensitivity. The second one is to improve the lateral resolution beyond the system's classical limit by a new computational imaging method with an engineered illumination function that accesses high-resolution spatial information at the nanoscale. The last one is to extract a distinctive chemical signature by probing the mid-infrared absorption-induced photothermal effect. To realize these goals, we introduce new theoretical models and experimental concepts. This dissertation makes the following four major contributions in the wide-field common-path interferometric microscopy field: (1) formulating vectorial-optics based linear forward model that describes interferometric light scattering near planar interfaces in the quasi-static limit, (2) developing computationally efficient image reconstruction methods from defocus images to detect a single 25 nm dielectric nanoparticle, (3) developing asymmetric illumination based computational microscopy methods to achieve direct morphological visualization of nanoparticles at 150 nm, and (4) developing bond-selective interferometric microscopy to enable multispectral chemical imaging of sub-wavelength nanoparticles in the vibrational fingerprint region. Collectively, through these research projects, we demonstrate significant advancement in the wide-field common-path interferometric microscopy field to achieve high-resolution and accurate visualization and chemical characterization of a broad size range of individual biological nanoparticles with high sensitivity.

The thesis examines the prospects of using the superconductor NbN as the gatemetal for an InP HEMT. A HEMT or High Electron Mobility Transistor is aheterostructure transistor engineered to reach very high electron mobility. InPHEMTs are used as cryogenic Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), which have increasedin demand as quantum computing is scaling up. A superconducting NbN gate isof interest as it has the potential to decrease the amount of noise generated by theHEMT LNAs.A gate width dependence for both the transconductance (gm) and the large-signal HEMT channel resistance (RON ) of the NbN HEMTs at room temperaturehas been observed, and the first goal pf the thesis is to determine the originof the dependence. Moreover, the measured RF characteristics of the NbNdevices tend to deviate from the norm of a standard HEMT, and the secondgoal is to understand why. The third goal is to determine if the NbN gate stayssuperconducting at cryogenic temperatures or if self-heating from the channelduring DC operations will break superconductivity.In the thesis, it was possible to recreate the observed gate width dependence withnew devices, and additionally, a gate width dependence in the threshold voltageis observed. The origin of width dependence is most likely related to the straincreated by the NbN gate. At DC, extremely high peaks in the transconductanceare observed, which is most likely related to impact ionization and a subsequentincrease in hole trapping caused by the introduction of the NbN gate.Using simulations, it was possible to accurately recreate the observed deviantbehaviour, likely associated with the NbN gate’s high capacitance, inductance andresistance at room temperature. The high capacitance is likely partly related tosome NbN gates of the HEMTs being broken. Finally, the HEMT can operatein DC at 2 K with VG = 0.3 V and a maximum VD = 0.1 V before self-heatingfrom the channel will break the NbN superconductivity of the gate. This is oneof the critical conclusions of the work because it shows that a superconductinggate electrode can be implemented and functional in a high-performance HEMTdevice structure and under realistic operating bias conditions. As long as it can bedemonstrated that the superconductivity does not break when operating in RF, aNbN gate is a promising avenue to increase the noise performance of the cryogenicHEMT. / Detta arbete utforskar möjligheterna att använda supraledaren NbN som metallför gaten av en InP HEMT. En HEMT eller High Electron Mobility Transistor är entyp av transistor som är designad för väldigt hög elektron mobilitet. InP HEMTsanvänds som lågbrusförstärkare eller på engelska Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs),vilket har ökat i efterfrågan när kvantdatorer nu skalar upp. En supraledande gateär av intresse för att den har potentialen att minska mängden brus som skapas ien HEMT LNA.Ett gatebredd beroende för både transkonduktans och RON har observerats och ettmål i arbetet är försöka fastställa dess ursprung. Utöver detta tenderar beteendet,av HEMTs med en NbN gate, att avvika från normen av en standard HEMT närden drivs i RF, och det andra målet är att förstå varför. Det tredje målet äratt fastställa om en NbN gate kommer supraleda i kryogen temperatur eller omsjälvuppvärmning från kanalen i HEMTen kommer bryta supraledningen.I arbetet var det möjligt att återskapa beroendet av gatebredden för nyaHEMTs och ett gatebredd beroende för HEMTens tröskelström observeradesockså. Gatebredd beroendet kommer troligtvis från spänning i HEMTen skapatav introduktionen av NbN gaten. I DC observerades väldigt höga toppar itranskonduktansen, vilket troligt är relaterat till processen ”impact ionization”och en efterföljande ökning i infångningen av hål som skapats på grund av NbNgaten.Genom simulationer är det möjligt att återskapa det observerade avvikandebeteendet i RF, vilket troligtvis är relaterat till NbN gatens höga resistans,kapacitans och induktans i rumstemperatur. Den höga kapacitansen är möjligtvisrelaterad till att vissa gates är trasiga. Slutligen fastställer vi att HEMTen kanvara i funktion under DC med T = 2 K, VG = 0.3 V och en max source-drainpotential av VD = 0.1 V, innan självuppvärmning bryter supraledningen. Dettaär den viktigaste slutsatsen i arbetet, eftersom den visar att en supraledandegateelektrod kan implementeras i en högpresterande HEMT och fungera underrimliga driftförhållanden. Så länge det går att visa att supraledningen inte brytsunder RF, är en HEMT med en supraledande NbN gate en lovande väg framåt föratt förbättra brusprestandan för en kryogenisk HEMT.