With constant miniaturization of integrated circuits, the current densities experienced in interconnects in electronic circuits has been multiplied. Aluminum, which is widely used as an interconnect material, has fast diffusion kinetics under low temperatures. Unfortunately, the combination of high current density and fast diffusion at low temperatures causes the circuit to fail by electromigration (EM), which is the mass transport of atoms due to the momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diffusing atoms. In the present study, the effect of alloying elements in aluminum on the diffusion behavior is investigated using a non equilibrium molecular dynamics method (NEMD) under the effect of electromigration wind force. The electromigration force was computed by the use of a pseudopotential method in which the force depends on the imperfections on the lattice. 1.125 at% of various elements, namely Cu, Mg, Mn, Sn and Ti were added into aluminum. The electromigration force was then calculated on the alloying elements and the surrounding aluminum atoms and these forces incorporated into molecular dynamics using the non-equilibrium formalism. The jump frequencies of aluminum in these systems were then computed. Cu, Mn and Sn impurities were found to be very effective in lowering the kinetics of the diffusion under electromigration conditions. Cu was known experimentally to have such an effect on aluminum for several years, but the Mn and Sn elements are shown here for the first time that they can have a similar effect.

Thesis--University of Florida. / Description based on print version record. Typescript. Vita. Bibliography: leaves 187-190.

Solid oxide fuel cells are considered as one of the main alternatives for future sources of clean energy. To further improve their performance, theoretical methods able to describe the diffusion process in candidate electrolyte materials at finite temperatures are needed. The method of choice for simulating systems at finite temperature is molecular dynamics. However, if the forces are calculated directly from the Schrödinger equation (first-principles molecular dynamics) the computational expense is too high to allow long enough simulations to properly capture the diffusion process in most materials. This thesis introduces a method to deal with this problem using an external force field to speed up the diffusion process in the simulation. The method is applied to study the diffusion of oxygen ions in Sm-doped ceria, which has showed promise in its use as an electrolyte. Good agreement with experimental data is demonstrated, indicating high potential for future applications of the method.

No description available.

L'objectif de ce travail est de comprendre la structure et les interactions des liquides ioniques au contact de surfaces métalliques à l’échelle moléculaire en ayant recours aux méthodes de dynamique moléculaire. Il s’agit également d’étudier l’impact de ces caractéristiques microscopiques sur les propriétés tribologiques du système. Les liquides ioniques choisis en tant qu‘huiles lubrifiantes potentielles présentent des propriétés biodégradables et des caractéristiques tribologiques appropriées. Ils reposent sur des cations alkylammonium combinés avec des anions alkylsulfonate et bistriflamide. Notre étude est structurée en quatre parties. Elle commence par l’analyse des liquides ioniques purs puis, des liquides ioniques confinés entre deux surfaces de fer à l’équilibre et sous cisaillement, et enfin, en présence d’eau. Les propriétés structurales et dynamiques des liquides ioniques sont étudiées à travers la fonction de distribution radiale et les coefficients d’auto-diffusion. L’organisation des charges ainsi que la formation de micro-domaines en solution sont étudiées conjointement au comportement diffusif des espèces ioniques. Un champ de forces atomique, basé sur des méthodes quantiques, a été développé pour modéliser les interactions entre les liquides ioniques et la surface métallique. Des calculs DFT ont été réalisés sur des fragments de liquides ioniques en interaction avec un cluster de fer en fonction de la distance et de leur orientation. Une fonction modélisant des interactions site-site a été ajustée aux valeurs d’énergies fragment–cluster calculées par DFT afin d’obtenir les paramètres du champ de forces. Finalement, la polarisation du métal par les ions a été prise en compte en utilisant un modèle de dipôles induits afin de reproduire l’énergie d’interaction entre les charges et la surface conductrice. Avec ce modèle d’interaction, les simulations de dynamique moléculaire ont permis d’étudier la structure de l’interface entre une surface de fer plane et différents liquides ioniques. Cette analyse s’est concentrée sur l’étude du positionnement des différentes espèces au niveau de la surface, sur l’orientation des chaines alkyles et sur les profils de densité de charge. Des simulations de dynamique moléculaire hors-équilibre de liquides ioniques en interaction avec des surfaces de fer ont été réalisées en utilisant le champ de forces développé précédemment. Un protocole de simulation, basé sur une définition locale de la pression, a été développé pour prédire de manière quantitative le coefficient de friction en fonction de la valeur de la charge et du taux de cisaillement. La dépendance de la friction avec la charge, la vitesse de cisaillement, la topologie de la surface et la taille de la chaine alkyle du liquide ionique a été étudiée. La variation des forces de friction s’explique par l’arrangement spécifique des ions et l’orientation des groupements du liquide ionique à proximité de la surface. Finalement, l’effet de la présence d’eau en petite quantité dans une solution de liquide ionique a aussi été étudié à l’équilibre et hors-équilibre. Un potentiel a été construit pour décrire les interactions entre l’eau et une surface de fer en utilisant la même approche que celle décrite précédemment. Des résultats préliminaires concernant la structure de l’interface liquide-métal et la valeur du coefficient de friction ont été présentés et comparés avec ceux obtenus pour les liquides ioniques purs. / The aim of the present work is to understand at the molecular level the structure and interactions of ionic liquids at metallic surfaces, using molecular dynamics simulations, and to investigate the impact that these microscopic features can have in the tribological properties of the system. The chosen ionic liquids as potential lubricant oils present suitable ecotoxic and biodegradable properties and appropriate tribological characteristics. They are based in alkylammonium cations combined with alkylsulfonate and bistriflamide anions. Our study is divided in four parts, starting from the analyses of pure ionic liquids solutions and evolving to systems of ionic liquids confined between surfaces of iron, at the equilibrium, under shear and also in the presence of water. Structural and dynamic properties of ionic liquids are investigated in terms of the site-site radial distribution functions and the self-diffusion coefficients. The presence of charge-ordering and the formation of micro-domains in solution are discussed, as well as the diffusive behavior of the ionic species. An atomistic force field for ionic liquids interacting with a metal surface was built based on quantum methods. Density functional calculations of alkylammonium cations, alkylsulfonate and bistriflamide anions interacting with a cluster of iron atoms are performed, at a series of distances and orientations. A site-site potential function was then adjusted to the DFT interactions energies, to obtain the force field parameters. Finally, the polarization of the metal by the ions was taken into account using induced dipoles to reproduce the interaction energy between charges and a conductor surface. Using this interaction model, molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the structure of the interfacial layer of several ionic liquids at a flat iron surface, including analyses of the positional and orientational ordering of the ions near the surface, and charge density profiles. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of ionic liquids interacting with iron surfaces were carried out using the specific set of interaction parameters developed previously. A procedure was developed for a quantitative prediction of the friction coefficient at different loads and shear rates, based in a definition of pressure measured locally. The dependence of friction on the load, shear velocity, surface topology and length of alkyl side chains in the ionic liquid was investigated. The changes in the frictional forces were explained in terms of the specific arrangements and orientations of groups forming the ionic liquid at the vicinity of the surface. Finally, the effect of the presence of water in a small quantity in an ionic liquid solution is also studied at equilibrium and non-equilibrium. An interaction potential was build that describes the interaction between water and an iron surface, using the same approach described previously. Preliminary results are presented on the structure at the metal–liquid interface and friction coefficient, and compared with the pure ionic liquids.

Le comportement d’un fluide confiné dans un milieu poreux peu perméable (micro- and méso-pores) a été étudié en ce qui concerne ses propriétés de diffusion de masse, de conductivité thermique et de thermodiffusion. Pour ce faire des simulations de dynamique moléculaire hors équilibre ont été réalisées sur des mélanges binaires modèles placés dans des conditions thermodynamiques diverses, confinés dans des milieux poreux de géométrie lamellaire de différentes natures (lisse ou atomique, plus ou moins adsorbant) en utilisant l’ensemble __//_ et l’ensemble grand canonique. Les résultats ont montré que les effets du milieu poreux sur les propriétés de transport sont d’autant plus marqués que lataille de pore est petite, que l’adsorption est forte et que la température est basse. Les résultats ont permis d’évaluer quantitativement ces effets. Il a aussi été montré que la rugosité des murs a un impact très important sur le coefficient de diffusion de masse et non négligeable sur celui de thermodiffusion. / The aim of this work was to study how a fluid confined in a low permeability porous medium (micro- and meso-porous) behaves concerning its properties of mass diffusion, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusion. For this purpose, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on simple binary mixtures placed in various thermodynamic conditions, confined in a porous medium of lamellar geometry of different types (structure-less or atomistic, more or less adsorbent) in __//_ and grand canonical ensembles. The results show that the effects of porous medium on transport properties are more pronounced when the pore size is small, the adsorption is strong and the temperature is low. The results allowed to evaluate these effects quantitatively. In addition, it has been found that the wall roughness has a major impact on the mass diffusion coefficient and a non negligible one on the thermal diffusion coefficient.

Understanding thermal transport across length scales lays the foundation to developing high-performance electronic devices. Although many experiments and models of the past few decades have explored the physics of heat transfer at nanoscale, there are still open questions regarding the impact of periodic nanostructuring and coherent phonon effects, as well as the interaction of strain and thermal transport. Thermomechanical effects, as well as strains applied in flexible electronic devices, impact the thermal transport. In the simplest kinetic theory models, thermal conductivity is proportional to the phonon group velocity, heat capacity, and scattering times. Periodic porous nanostructures impact the phonon dispersion relationship (group velocity) and the boundaries of the pores increase the scattering times. Strain, on the other hand, affects the crystal structure of the lattice and slightly increases the thermal conductivity of the material under compression. Intriguingly, applying strain combined with the periodic porous structures is expected to influence both the dispersion relation and scattering rates and yield the ability to tune thermal transport actively. But often these interrelated effects are simplified in models.<br><br>This work evaluates the combination of structure and strain on thermal conductivity by revisiting some of the essential methods used to predict thermal transport for a single layer of graphene with a periodic porous lattice structure with and without applied strain. First, we use the highest fidelity method of Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD) simulations to estimate the thermal conductivity which considers the impact of the lattice structure, strain state, and phononic band structure together. Next, the impact of the geometry of the slots within the lattice is interrogated with Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) models under a Relaxation Time Approximation. A Monte Carlo based Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) solver is also used to estimate the thermal conductivity of phononic crystals with varying pore geometry. Dispersion relations calculated from continuum mechanics are used as input here. This method which utilizes a simplified pore geometry only partially accounts for the effects of scattering on the pore boundaries. Finally, a continuum level model is also used to predict the thermal conductivity and its variations under applied strain. As acoustic phonon branches tend to carry the most heat within the lattice, these continuum models and other simple kinetic theories only consider their group velocities to estimate their impact on phonon thermal conductivity. As such, they do not take into account the details of phonon transport across all wavelengths.<br><br>By comparing the results from these different methods, each of which has different assumptions and simplifications, the current work aims to understand the effects of changes to the dispersion relationship based on strain and the periodic nanostructures on the thermal conductivity. We evaluate the accuracy of the kinetic theory, ray tracing, and BTE models in comparison to the MD results to offer a perspective of the reliability of each method of thermal conductivity estimation. In addition, the effect of strain on each phononic crystal with different pore geometry is also predicted in terms of change to their in-plane thermal anisotropy values. To summarize, this deeper understanding of the nanoscale thermal transport and the interrelated effects of geometry, strain, and phonon band structure on thermal conductivity can aid in developing lattices specifically designed to achieve the required dynamic thermal response for future nano-scale thermoelectric applications.

In this thesis, we study the phenomenon of thermally induced polarisation using a combination of theory and computer simulation. Molecules of sufficiently low symmetry exhibit thermo-molecular orientation when subjected to a temperature gradient, leading to considerable electrostatic fields in polar liquids. Here, we first use non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to study this interesting effect numerically. To this end, we propose an integration algorithm to impose a constant heat flux in simulations and show that it greatly improves energy conservation compared to a previous algorithm. We next investigate the thermal polarisation of water and find that truncation of electrostatic interactions can lead to severe artefacts, such as the wrong sign of polarisation and an overestimation of the electric field. We further show that the quadrupole-moment contribution to the electric field is significant and responsible for an inversion of its sign. To facilitate the theoretical description of electrostatic interactions, we propose a new dipolar model fluid as a perturbation of a Stockmayer fluid. Using this modified Stockmayer model, we provide numerical evidence for the recently proposed phenomenon of thermally induced monopoles. We show that the electrostatic field generated by a pair of heated/cooled colloidal particles immersed in such a solvent can be trivially described by two Coulomb charges. Finally, we propose a mean-field theory to predict the thermo-polarisation effect exhibited by our model fluid theoretically, and demonstrate near quantitative agreement with simulation results.