Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising nanomaterials for high frequency applications due to their unique physical characteristics. CNTs have a low heat capacity, low intrinsic capacitance, and incredibly fast thermal time constants. They can also exhibit ballistic transport at low bias, for both phonons and electrons, as evident by their fairly long mean free paths. However, despite the great potential they present, the RF behavior of these nanostructures is not completely understood. In order to explore this high frequency regime we studied the microwave (MW) and terahertz (THz) response of individual and bundled single wall nanotube based devices. This thesis is an experimental study which attempts to understand the high frequency characteristics of metallic single walled carbon nanotubes, and to develop an ultra-fast and sensitive direct THz detector. First, the appropriate high frequency detector background is introduced. CNTs previously measured behavior draws similarities to two types of detectors: diode and bolometer. Therefore, our CNT devices are geared towards those designs. Second the fabrication process of devices is reviewed. UV lithography is used to pattern THz coupling log periodic antennas, on top of which CNTs are deposited by using a dielectrophoretic process. Third, the fabricated devices are tested at DC, MW, and THz frequencies. All of these measurements are done as a function of temperature, power, and frequency. Finally, the physical processes that give rise to the diode and bolometric detections at MW and THz detection at different temperatures and under different bias regimes (i.e. low and high) are explained.

Modern semiconductor manufacturing requires photolithographic printing of subillumination wavelength features in photoresist via electromagnetic energy scattered by complicated photomask designs. This results in aerial images which are subject to constructive and destructive wave interference, as well as electromagnetic resonances in the photomask features. This thesis proposes a 3-D full-wave frequency domain nonconformal Octree mesh based Finite Element Method (OFEM) electromagnetic scattering solver in combination with Fourier Optics to accurately simulate the entire projection photolithography system, from illumination source to final image intensity in the photoresist layer. A rapid 1-irregular octree based geometry model mesher is developed and shown to perform remarkably well compared to a tetrahedral mesher. A special set of nonconformal 1st and 2nd order hierarchal OFEM basis functions is presented, and 1st order numerical results show good performance compared to tetrahedral FEM. Optical and modern photomask phenomenology is examined, including optical proximity correction (OPC) with thick PEC metal layer, and chromeless phase inversion (PI) masks.

Metasurfaces are arrays of subwavelength meta-atoms that shape waves in a compact and planar form factor. During recent years, metasurfaces have gained a lot of attention due to their compact form factor, easy integration with other devices, multi functionality and straightforward fabrication using conventional CMOS techniques. To provide and evaluate an efficient metasurface, an optimized design, high resolution fabrication and accurate measurement is required. Analysis and design of metasurfaces require accurate methods for modeling their interactions with waves. Conventional modeling techniques assume that metasurfaces are locally periodic structures excited by plane waves, restricting their applicability to gradually varying metasurfaces that are illuminated with plane waves. In this work, we will first provide a novel technique that enables the development of accurate and general models for 1D metasurfaces. This approach can be easily extended to 2D metasurfaces. Due to the remarkable importance of accurate characterization of metasurfaces, we will provide a rigorous method to characterize 1D metasurfaces. Finally, we will provide an accurate approach to fabricate and characterize 2D metasrufaces.

Gold wire bonding typically uses 60 KHz ultrasonic frequency. Studies have been reported that increasing ultrasonic frequency from 60KHz to 120KHz can decrease bonding time, lower bonding temperature, and/or improve the bondability of Au metalized organic substrates. This thesis presents a systematic study of the effects of 120 KHz ultrasonic frequency on the reliability of fine pitch gold wire bonding. Two wire sizes, 25.4 and 17.8 μm in diameter (1.0 and 0.7 mil, respectively) were used. The gold wires were bonded to metalized pads over organic substrates with five different metallization. The studies were carried out using a thermosonic ball bonder that is able to easily switch from ultrasonic frequency from 60 KHz to 120 KHz by changing the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic generator. Bonding parameters were optimized through design of experiment methodology for four different cases: 60 KHz with 25.4 μm wire, 60 KHz with 17.8 μm wire, 120 KHz with 25.4 μm wire, and 120 KHz with 17.8 μm wire. The integrity of wire bonds was evaluated by the wire pull and the ball bond shear tests. With the optimized bonding parameters, over 2,250 bonds were made for each frequency and wire size. The samples were then divided into three groups. The first group was subjected to temperature cycling from -55°C to +125°C with one hour per cycle for up to 1000 cycles. The second group was subject to thermal aging at 125°C for up to 1000 hours. The third group was subject to humidity at 85°C/85% relative humidity (RH) for up to 1000 hours. The bond integrity was evaluated through the wire pull and the ball shear tests immediately after bonding, and after each 150, 300, 500, and 1000 hours time interval in the reliability tests. The pull and shear data are then analyzed to compare the wire bond performance between different ultrasonic frequencies.

As the transistor count per chip in computer microprocessors surpasses one billion, the semiconductor industry has become more and more concerned with meeting processor’s power requirements. This poses a design challenge for the power supply module, especially when the processor operates at low voltage range. For example, the electrical requirement for the newest Intel microprocessors has exceeded 100A with an input voltage of approximately 1V. To overcome this problem, multiphase DC-to-DC converters encased in a voltage regulator module (VRM) have become the standard means of supplying power to computer microprocessor. This study proposes a new topology for the multiphase DC-to-DC converter for powering microprocessors. The new topology accepts 12 V input, and outputs a steady state voltage of 1 V with a maximum output current of 40 A. The proposed topology aims to improve the input and output characteristics of the basic multiphase “buck” converter, along with an improved efficiency, line regulation, and load regulation. To explore the feasibility of such a topology, open-loop computer simulation and closed-loop hardware tests were performed. On open-loop simulation, OrCad pspice was used to verify design calculations and evaluate its performance. Then the closed-loop hardware prototype was tested to compare the circuit performance with those values obtained from simulation. The result shows the proposed topology improvement of efficiency, board size, output ripple, and regulations.

In the last 15 years, an immense amount of research has gone into developing high efficiency Gallium Nitride based light emitting diodes (LED). These devices have become increasingly popular in LED displays and solid state lighting. Due to the large difference in refractive index between GaN and Air, a significant amount of light reflects at the boundary and does not escape the device. This drawback decreases external quantum efficiency (EQE) by minimizing light extraction. Scientists and engineers continue to develop creative solutions to enhance light extraction. Some solutions include surface roughening, patterned sapphire substrates, and reflective layers. This study proposes to increase external quantum efficiency and optimize light extraction efficiency of several LED structures using finite difference time domain analysis (FDTD). The structures under investigation include GaN based LEDs with nanoscale top gratings, patterned sapphire substrates in combination with SiO2 nanorod arrays, and reflective surfaces below and above the sapphire substrate. First, we optimize GaN based nanoscale top gratings and increase light extraction by 17.8%. Next, we simulate ITO based top gratings and enhance light extraction by 40%. Third, we optimize patterned sapphire substrate period and width and the vertical position of a SiO2 nanorod array. We achieve as high as 51.8% improvement in light extraction. Finally, we increase light extraction by 160% with the use of a silver reflection layer.

This paper studies the optical properties of a GaN Laser Diode (LD). Through simulation, the GaN LD is optimized for the best optical confinement factor. It is found that there are optimal thicknesses of each layer in the diode that yield the highest optical confinement factor. There is a strong relationship between the optical confinement factor and lasing threshold—a higher optical confinement factor results in a lower lasing threshold. Increasing optical confinement improves lasing efficiency. Blue LDs are important to the future of lighting sources as they represent the final color in the RGB spectrum that does not have a high efficiency solution. The modeled GaN LD emits blue light at around ~450nm. Each layer of the GaN LD is drawn in a model simulation program called LaserMOD created by RSOFT Design Group, Inc. By properly modifying the properties of each layer, an accurate model of the GaN LD is created and then simulated. This paper describes the steps taken to properly model and optimize the GaN LD in the 1D and 2D models.

To keep downsizing transistors, new materials must be explored since traditional 3D materials begin to experience tunneling and other problematic physical phenomena at small sizes. 2D materials are appealing due to their thinness and bandgap. The relatively weak van der Waals forces between layers in 2D materials allow easy exfoliation and device fabrication but they also result in poor heat transfer to the substrate, which is the main path for heat removal. The impaired thermal coupling is exacerbated in few-layer devices where heat dissipated in the layers further from the substrate encounters additional interlayer thermal resistance before reaching the substrate, which results in self-heating and degradation of mobility. This study explores the electro-thermal properties of five materials (MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, WSe2, and 2D black phosphorous) which have been identified as possible replacements for Si in future sub-5-nm channel-length devices. We have developed a coupled electro-thermal model to calculate device mobility. The carrier wavefunctions and distribution are obtained from solving the coupled Schrodinger and Poisson equations in the cross-plane direction. The screening length is then calculated from the screening wavenumber. We calculate TBC for each layer in the stack into the substrate from a model based on first-principles phonon dispersion. We determine the local temperature in each layer from a ratio of its dissipated energy and its TBC. We simulate various devices with self-heating (Delta T does not equal 0, where Delta T is the temperature rise of the few-layer device) under several parameters and examined the effects on mobility and change in device temperature. The effects are compared to the isothermal case (Delta T = 0). We observe that self-heating has a significant effect on temperature rise, layer-wise drain current, and effective mobility. Black phosphorous performs the best electrothermally and WS2 performs the worst overall. This thesis will inform future thermally aware designs of nanoelectronic devices based on 2D materials.

O desenvolvimento e utilização do padrão IEC 61850 alterou a concepção e operação das subestações de energia elétrica. O desempenho e confiabilidade do sistema de proteção depende da rede de comunicação de dados. Esta pesquisa propõe um parâmetro de dimensionamento e comparação de desempenho para o tempo de transferência das mensagens Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) entre Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). Esse parâmetro foi obtido através do levantamento experimental da curva do tempo de transferência das mensagens GOOSE versus a ocupação percentual da largura de banda dos IEDs. Para a realização dos experimentos foram utilizados três IEDs, um switch Ethernet gerenciável, três microcomputadores do tipo PC, um relógio sincronizador Global Positioning System (GPS), cordões de fibra óptica, cabos do tipo par trançado sem blindagem e aplicativos de software. Os resultados mostraram que a partir de um limiar característico, o qual é distinto para cada IED ensaiado, o tempo de transferência excede o limite máximo permitido pelo padrão IEC 61850. A partir da análise destes dados, foi desenvolvido um sistema preditivo de monitoramento de banda para supervisionar a interface de rede dos IEDs. O sistema preditivo apresentou para a medição de banda um erro relativo médio igual a 0,55% em relação ao aplicativo comercial utilizado na comparação, já a predição feita pela rede neural artificial apresentou um erro de estimativa menor do que 3% para 91,30% das amostras utilizadas, além de modelar adequadamente o comportamento da série temporal que representa a ocupação de banda do IED monitorado. / The development and utilization of IEC 61850 standard changed the design and operation of electric power substations. The performance and reliability of the protection system depends on the data communication network. This research proposes a parameter for dimensioning and comparising the transfer time of Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages between different Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). This parameter was obtained from experimental data related to the transfer time of GOOSE messages curve versus IEDs bandwidth percentage occupation. In this context, a laboratory structure was set up in order to carry out these experiments. This structure mainly consists of three IEDs, an Ethernet switch, three personal computers, a GPS Clock, fiber optic cables, unshielded twisted pair cables, as well as support software. The results show the existence of a characteristic threshold, different for each IED tested, after which the transfer time exceeded the total transmission time allowed for the IEC 61850 standard. Based on these results, a predictive bandwidth monitoring system was developed to supervise the IEDs bandwidth interface. The bandwidth measurement has a mean relative error of 0.55% regarding to the commercial software used for comparison. Finally, the forecasting made by the artificial neural network has a relative error of 3% for 91,30% of the samples used in test phase. In addition, that it was able to model the behaviour of the time series that represent the bandwidth occupation.

O desenvolvimento e utilização do padrão IEC 61850 alterou a concepção e operação das subestações de energia elétrica. O desempenho e confiabilidade do sistema de proteção depende da rede de comunicação de dados. Esta pesquisa propõe um parâmetro de dimensionamento e comparação de desempenho para o tempo de transferência das mensagens Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) entre Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). Esse parâmetro foi obtido através do levantamento experimental da curva do tempo de transferência das mensagens GOOSE versus a ocupação percentual da largura de banda dos IEDs. Para a realização dos experimentos foram utilizados três IEDs, um switch Ethernet gerenciável, três microcomputadores do tipo PC, um relógio sincronizador Global Positioning System (GPS), cordões de fibra óptica, cabos do tipo par trançado sem blindagem e aplicativos de software. Os resultados mostraram que a partir de um limiar característico, o qual é distinto para cada IED ensaiado, o tempo de transferência excede o limite máximo permitido pelo padrão IEC 61850. A partir da análise destes dados, foi desenvolvido um sistema preditivo de monitoramento de banda para supervisionar a interface de rede dos IEDs. O sistema preditivo apresentou para a medição de banda um erro relativo médio igual a 0,55% em relação ao aplicativo comercial utilizado na comparação, já a predição feita pela rede neural artificial apresentou um erro de estimativa menor do que 3% para 91,30% das amostras utilizadas, além de modelar adequadamente o comportamento da série temporal que representa a ocupação de banda do IED monitorado. / The development and utilization of IEC 61850 standard changed the design and operation of electric power substations. The performance and reliability of the protection system depends on the data communication network. This research proposes a parameter for dimensioning and comparising the transfer time of Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) messages between different Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). This parameter was obtained from experimental data related to the transfer time of GOOSE messages curve versus IEDs bandwidth percentage occupation. In this context, a laboratory structure was set up in order to carry out these experiments. This structure mainly consists of three IEDs, an Ethernet switch, three personal computers, a GPS Clock, fiber optic cables, unshielded twisted pair cables, as well as support software. The results show the existence of a characteristic threshold, different for each IED tested, after which the transfer time exceeded the total transmission time allowed for the IEC 61850 standard. Based on these results, a predictive bandwidth monitoring system was developed to supervise the IEDs bandwidth interface. The bandwidth measurement has a mean relative error of 0.55% regarding to the commercial software used for comparison. Finally, the forecasting made by the artificial neural network has a relative error of 3% for 91,30% of the samples used in test phase. In addition, that it was able to model the behaviour of the time series that represent the bandwidth occupation.