Understanding the mechanisms that control the mechanical behavior of microscale actuators is necessary to design an actuator that responds to an applied actuation force with the desired behavior. Micro actuators which employ a diaphragm supported by torsional hinges which deform during actuation are used in many applications where device stability and reliability are critical. The material response to the stress developed within the hinge during actuation controls how the actuator will respond to the actuating force. A fully recoverable non-linear viscoelastic response has been observed in electrostatically driven micro actuators employing torsional hinges of silicon covered with thin metal films. The viscoelastic response occurs over a time period of 50 minutes at an operating temperature of 35°C. This viscoelastic phenomenon is similar to that reported in articles addressing anelastic behavior associated with viscous grain boundary slippage and dislocation bowing. In order to investigate this viscoelastic response as a function of metal film composition and thickness, bi-layer torsional hinge actuators consisting of Si with a deposited metal layer were designed to exhibit similar stress levels as the electrostatically driven micro actuators. The test devices were fabricated using common semiconductor fabrication techniques. The actuators were micromachined by deep etching 100mm diameter, 425µm thick, double side polished, single crystal (100) wafers to create a 4.5µm thick device layer. Subsequent etching of the device layer released the fixed-fixed torsional hinge test actuators. Physical vapor depositions of Au, Al and Al-Ti in two different thicknesses (100nm, and 150nm) were deposited in order to investigate the impact of metal film thickness and composition on the viscoelastic response. Grain sizes of the deposited films were estimated using backscattered electron images. Rotational actuation of the test actuators was achieved by using a modified Ambios XP-1 surface profiler that applies a constant force of 0.28mN while measuring the displacement of the actuator with respect to time. The viscoelastic response was observed in the test devices with Au and Al thin films indicating that this phenomenon is attributable to the stresses induced on the torsional hinge. Results indicate that the viscoelastic response was not observed in AlTi thin films consisting of 0.3at% titanium. Two theoretical models are presented that discuss the mechanism associated with the viscoelastic response as well as a method for inhibiting these mechanisms by the addition of an alloying element to form a second phase precipitate.

Microfluidics refers to manipulation, precise control, and behavior of fluids at the micro and nanoliter scales. It has entered the realm of science as a way to precisely measure or mix small amounts of fluid to perform highly controlled reactions. Glass and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are common materials used to create microfluidic devices; however, glass is difficult to process and PDMS is relatively hydrophobic. In this study, SU-8, an epoxy based (negative) photoresist was used to create various electrokinetic microfluidic chips. SU-8 is commonly used in microelectromechanical design. Spin coating of various SU-8 formulations allows for 1 μm to 100 μm thick layers with aspect ratios reportedly as high as 50:1. Case studies were performed to understand the curing/crosslinking process of SU-8 by differential scanning calorimetry. Supplier (MicroChem) recommended parameters were then altered to allow for adequate development of microfluidic channels, while maintaining enough molecular mobility to subsequently bond the SU-8 to a secondary substrate. Three SU-8 layers were used to create fully (SU-8) enclosed microfluidic channels. An (1) SU-8 2050 fully cured base layer was used as a platform on silicon to build from, (2) an SU-8 2050 partially cured layer for developing microfluidic channels , and (3) an SU-8 2007 uncured layer for bonding a secondary substrate to enclose the microfluidic channels. Bond quality was verified by optical and scanning electron microscopy, which resulted in a nearly 100% bond with little to no reflow of SU-8 into channels. Working pressures (ΔP across the capillary) of 15.57 lb/in2 (max detection) were obtained with no fluid leaks. Electroosmotic flow and steaming potential measurements failed. Electrophoretic behavior of glass particles was observed and particle velocities were compared by the application of 200 volts and 300 volts, across a channel length of 2 cm. Particle velocities obtained ranged from 100 μm/s to 1500 μm/s.

A microfluidic reactor for synthesizing cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) was synthesized out of a silicon wafer and Pyrex glass. Microfabrication techniques were used to etch channels into the silicon wafer. Holes were wet-drilled into the Pyrex glass using a diamond-tip drill bit. The Pyrex wafer was anodically bonded to the etched silicon wafer to enclose the microfluidic reactor. Conditions for anodic bonding were created by exposing the stacked substrates to 300V at ~350oC under 5.46N of force. A syringe containing a room temperature CdSe solution was interfaced to the microfluidic reactor by using Poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as an interface. The reactor was placed on a hot plate at 225oC, creating thermodynamic conditions for the QD chemical reaction to occur within the etched channels. Tygon® tubing transported solutions in and out of the microfluidic reactor. The CdSe solution was injected into the reactor by a syringe pump at an injection rate of 5 mL/hr, with a channel length of 2.5 cm. While in the microfluidic channels, QD residence time of approximately 30 seconds was sufficient enough for nucleation and growth of QDs to occur. The QD size was characterized by fluorescence full-width-half-maximum (FWHM), which is directly proportional to size distribution. The FWHM of the QDs synthesized was 38 nm, with a peak wavelength of 492 nm. By controlling combinations of pump rate and channel length, a range of QD sizes was able to be consistently synthesized through the microfluidic reactor with significant repeatability and reproducibility.

Water soluble conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs), which fall under the category of conductive polymers, possess numerous advantages over other conductive materials for the fabrication of electronic devices. Namely, the processing of water soluble conjugated polyelectrolytes into thin film electronic devices is much less costly as compared to the processing of inorganic materials. Moreover, the handling of conjugated polyelectrolytes can be performed in a much more environmentally friendly manner than in the processing of other conjugated polymers because conjugated polyelectrolytes are water soluble, whereas other polymers will only dissolve in toxic organic solvents. The processing of electronic devices containing inorganic constituents such as copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), is much more expensive and poses much greater environmental risks because toxic metals may be released into landfills or waterways upon cell disposal.75 Because conjugated polyelectrolytes enjoy an assortment of advantages over other materials for the manufacturing of thin film electronic devices, there is globally vested interest in the researching of their properties. Despite the fact that CPEs can serve as efficient electron transport mediums, devices such as organic solar cells cannot realize their highest efficiencies unless the morphology of CPEs is precisely controlled. Charged surfactants can electrostatically and ionically interact with CPEs, and when introduced in specific concentrations, molar ratios, and temperature ranges, will aid in a ‘coil to rod’ transition of the CPE, wherein polymer chains undergo intramolecular transitions to obtain rigid-rod morphologies. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the ‘coil to rod’ transition are heavily dependent upon the type(s) of charged surfactant complexed with the CPE (i.e. on the surfactant architecture). By performing UV/Vis Spectroscopy and Fluorometry on dilute polymer/surfactant solutions, Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM) and Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) on high concentration polymer/surfactant solutions, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) on solid-state polymer/surfactant samples, the role of various surfactant architectures on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the ‘coil to rod’ transition was studied. The liquid crystalline physical properties and the extent of solid state crystallinity were also investigated. Through an analysis of the data obtained from these various techniques, it was found that the ‘coil to rod’ transition is progressively favored when the alkyl chain length of a single tailed surfactant is sequentially increased, and that as the concentration of double-tailed surfactant increases, the ‘coil to rod’ transition is negated.

In this thesis we examine the feasibility of developing a white light source capable of producing colors between 2500 and 7500 Kelvin on the black-body radiator spectrum by simply adjusting amperage to a blue and ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED). The purpose of a lighting source of this nature is to better replicate daylight inside a building at a given time of day. This study analyzes the proposed light source using a 385 nm UV LED, a 457 nm blue LED, a 479 nm blue LED, a 562 nm peak cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce) phosphor, and a 647 nm peak selenium doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Se) phosphor. Our approach to this study initially examined optical performance of yellow-emitting phosphor (YAG:Ce) positioned at specific distances above a blue LED using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a substrate. An understanding of how phosphor concentration within the PDMS, the thickness of the PDMS, and how substrate distance from the LED die affected light intensity and color values (determined quantitatively by utilizing the 1931 CIE 2° Standard Observer) enabled equations to be developed for various lens designs to efficiently produce white light using a 457 nm peak wavelength LED. The combination of two luminescent sources (457 nm LED and YAG:Ce) provided a linear trend on the 1931 CIE diagram which required a red illumination source to obtain Kelvin values from 2500 to 7500. Red-emitting phosphor (ZnS:Se), selected to compliment the system, was dispersed with YAG:Ce throughout PDMS where they were stimulated with a blue LED thereby enabling all desired Kelvin values with differing concentration lenses. Stimulating ZnS:Se with the addition of a UV LED did not provide the ability to change the color value of the set up to the degree required. Many other factors resulted in the decision to remove the UV LED contribution from the multi-Kelvin light source design. The final design incorporated a combination of ZnS:Se and YAG:Ce stimulated with a blue LED to obtain a 2500 Kelvin value. A separate blue LED provides the means to obtain 7500 Kelvin light and the other color values in between, with a linear approximation, by adjusting the amperages of both LEDs. In addition to investigating the feasibility of obtaining the Kelvin values from 2500 to 7500, this thesis also examined the problem of ZnS:Se’s inability to cure in PDMS and a method to create a lens shape to provide equal color values at all points above a phosphor converted LED source. ZnS:Se was found to be curable in PDMS if first coated with a low viscosity silicon oil prior to dispersion within PDMS. The lens configuration consists of phosphors equally distributed in PDMS and cured in the shape of a Gaussian distribution unique to multiple factors in LED-based white light design.

No description available.

<p>Preparing silicon wafers is a tedious multi-step process that includes etching, polishing, and cleaning. The minimum wafer thickness attainable in current high volume wafer production processes is generally 160 to 300 μm, and the kerf loss for these processes is up to 40% of the total volume. Thin silicon wafers (~30 to 100μm) are very expensive to produce and the wafering process is not cost effective due to the high amount of material loss (more than 80% at these dimensions) during the process and the risk of breakage of the wafers during wafering. In this thesis, a new method called Vapour-Liquid Interface Growth (VLIG) is proposed. VLIG is capable of directly growing a sheet of single crystal silicon without wafering with a thickness of about 30 to 50μm. The features of the process are 1) low temperature operation; 2) the resulting silicon sheet is easily detachable and self-supporting; 3) the resulting sheet has uniform thickness and is single crystal. The system operates in a supersaturated growth solution of an indium-silicon melt. A seed line in a substrate facing down is employed. A layer of single crystal silicon grows on the seed line at the melt surface due to surface segregation during the super cooling process. The grown silicon can grow laterally due to the limited thickness of the melt depth that minimizes growth in the vertical growth direction. The grown silicon can be easily peeled off from the seed line substrate due to the presence of a gap between the grown silicon sheet and the oxide layer on the seed line substrate. The self-supporting silicon sheet now comprises a very thin silicon substrate or sheet.</p> <p>VLIG silicon sheet is characterized by X-ray diffraction to determine the crystallinity. Hall Effect measurements are performed to measure the electrical properties. VLIG silicon sheet is (111) oriented single crystal and it exhibits the same orientation as the substrate. The growth temperature is from 975 to 850^oC, and the VLIG silicon is p-type doped with indium. The resistivity is 4.181x10^-3 ohm-cm, and the doping level is around 5.3.0x10¹⁸ /cm3. The measured mobility is ranging from 280 cm²/V.s. In this study, VLIG demonstrates the potential of growing thin sheet of single crystal silicon with qualities that feasible for photovoltaic application.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) are semiconductor sensors that have the capability to determine the selected concentration of a specific ion in a solution. Most modern ISFETs utilize their ion selective properties for glucose monitors for diabetics. However, in this thesis, the ISFET fabricated is for the selective detection of K+. The goals of this thesis are to develop a functioning ion-selective polymer membrane, manufacture a working FET device, and implement the two aspects together into a working bench-top K+ selective ISFET device. Properties of a polymer composed of 33 wt.% polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 66 wt.% dioctyl sebacate (DOS) and 1 wt.% valinomycin applied to an ion-sensitive electrode (ISE) were investigated. The membrane generated a sensitivity value of -9.864E-08 Ω/log10(CK). Though this data set was affected by both the maximum resolution of the I-V curve tracing device and the thin-membrane effect. Selectivity tests following the IUPAC two-solution method in the presence of Na+ as the interfering ion, provided selectivity values of 0.228 and 0.443 with higher ratios of primary ion to interfering ion resulting in higher selectivity coefficients. Additionally, utilizing an illumination test, dielectric constants of 17.71 and 10.88 were calculated dependent on the amount of solvent used during formulation. Fabrication of the FET device also resulted in developments in metal contact materials, nitride film processing, and physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes. With further improvements, it is possible to fabricate a biocompatible, wearable K+-selective monitor for continuously testing dialysis patients.

This dissertation is focus on the study of solid-electrolyte interphases (SEIs) on advanced lithium ion battery (LIB) anodes. The purposes of this dissertation are to a) develop a methodology to study the properties of SEIs; and b) provide guidelines for designing engineered SEIs. The general knowledge gained through this research will be beneficial for the entire battery research community.

This thesis describes investigations into the photophysical properties of luminescent materials and their application in optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes and photodetectors. The materials used were all solution processable because of the interest in low cost processing of organics. I have investigated the photophysics of 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexamethyltriphenylene, a triphenylene derivative which has its luminescence enhanced by the addition of methyl groups. These groups change the planar shape of the triphenylene molecule into a twisted one, changing the symmetry of the molecule and increasing its dipole moment in absorption and emission by ~4 fold. This increased its rate of radiative deexcitation by ~20 times. In addition, the twisted shape of the molecule prevents intermolecular interactions and concentration effects from affecting the luminescence. This results in an efficient solid-state photoluminescence quantum yield of 31%. This thesis also includes an investigation into phosphorescent polymer dendrimers, designed to have suitable viscosities in solution for inkjet printed OLED applications. A photophysical study of the intra-chain aggregation effects on the luminescence was undertaken in both homopolymers and copolymers with high energy gap spacer units. Using double dendrons to increase the steric protection of the luminescent cores, the best homopolymers achieved 12.1% external quantum efficiency (39.3 cd/A) at 100 cd/m² brightness and the best co-polymer achieved 14.7% EQE (48.3 cd/A) at 100 cd/m². This compares favourably with 11.8% EQE for the best phosphorescent polymer and 16% for the best solution processed dendrimer OLED previously reported. Finally I have applied a solution processed enhancement layer to silicon photodiodes to enhance their ultraviolet response. Using a blend of materials to give favourable absorption and emission properties, 61% external quantum efficiency was achieved at 200 nm, which is better than the 20-30% typical for vacuum deposited lumogen enhancement layers used commercially.