Silicon Nanowire based Reconfigurable Field Effect Transistor (SiNW RFET) presents a solution to increase the system functionality beyond the limits of classical CMOS scaling in More-than-Moore era of semiconductor technology. They are not only spatially reconfigurable, i.e., the source and the drain can be interchangeable in design, but in such devices one can also control the primary charge carrier by controlling the voltage in the control gate. The two key morphological factors controlling reconfigurability are the structure and composition of the Schottky junctions, which serve as the location for Program and Control gates and radial strain induced by the self-limiting oxidation, which influences the carrier mobility resulting in symmetric p and n characteristic curves of an RFET. Despite its potential, in-depth nanoscale studies on the structural and compositional characterization of the key features controlling the reconfigurability are limited and thereby presents as a novel area of research. In this study, the composition and morphology of the Schottky junction and the radial strain profile due to self-limiting oxidation were studied using advanced imaging and sample preparation techniques like Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imaging alongside with precise sample preparation methods like Focused Ion Beam (FIB) liftout techniques. For analysis of radial strain in nanowires that underwent self-limiting oxidation, a TEM lamella was taken of a cross-section of the NW. The lamella was kept at 200 nm thickness to preserve the strain state of the nanowire cross-section. It was observed that nanowires undergoing such oxidation have an omega (Ω) shaped oxide shell where the shell was discontinued at the spot where the nanowire was touching the substrate. Fast Fourier transform of the high-resolution image of such a NW crossection was used to calculate the strain profile. The strain is also found to be not radially uniform for such Ω shaped oxide shells. The strain profile shows a local maxima near the nanowire base where it touches the substrate then a minima approximately at the geometric center followed by the maximum strain at the area adjacent to the oxide shell thereby showing a sinusoidal profile. Theoretical simulations performed by Dr. Tim Baldauf further verified the nature of the sinusoidal strain that was observed experimentally. Similar simulations were done for different omega shell shapes, which yielded strain plots of similar sinusoidal strain plots, with the local maxima depending on the level of encapsulation of the NW by the shell. In the characterization of the Schottky junction, a TEM lamella was taken along the longitudinal direction of a nanowire, which was silicidized from both ends, similar to ones used in SiNW RFET devices. High resolution TEM micrographs and EDX (Energy dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy) in the TEM along the Schottky junction showed a Ni rich phase and pure Si on either side of the junction. This participating phase was identified as NiSi2. However, the transition between the phases shows a gradient and in-situ experiments were designed to verify the sharpness of the junction. In in-situ silicidation experiments, Si nanowires with a thin native oxide shell were distributed on an electron transparent surface and were partially covered with Ni islands by shadow sputtering. The whole setup was then heated in a heating stage of a TEM and the Ni was allowed to disperse within the Si nanowires forming NiSi2. HRTEM (High Resolution TEM), EDX and EELS (Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy) studies were performed on the silicidized samples for further ex-situ analysis. During the in-situ experiment, it was observed that Ni-phase interface is atomistically sharp and seldom progresses perpendicularly to the nanowire’s direction but through the closed packed planes of the NW. The interface velocity at different temperatures was used to calculate the activation energy of the silicidation process. The value of the activation energy indicates the Ni undergoing volume diffusion through the Ni-rich phase. The velocity of the interface was observed to be much higher in nanowires with smaller diameters than those with higher diameters, further proving the hypothesis. During the in-situ experiments, in around 10% of nanowires that underwent complete silicidation and held isothermally, the crystalline silicide phase was observed to partially or fully diffuse out of the nanowire core, leaving only a thin shell of Silicon oxide forming ultra-thin walled SiO2 nanotubes (NT). The onset and the time required for completion of the process varies in the nanowires depending on size of the nanowire, the distance and contact to the nearest Ni islands and presence of defects such as kinks and twists within the nanowire. In order to study the dynamics of the process, the velocity of the receding front was calculated for nanowires of two different diameters. They are found to be identical, indicating the volume flow rate of the process is directly proportional to the cross-sectional area. The voids were formed by the reduced diffusivity of Ni in Ni2Si phase in comparison to phases with lower percent of Ni. This indicates that the reason behind the phenomenon is coalition of Kirkendall voids and thus dependent on volume diffusion. From this study, it can be concluded that the extent of self-limiting oxidation and shape of the shell can influence the radial strain state. This can be used to manipulate the strain to tailor the electron and hole transfer characteristics within the RFET. A variety of factors including temperature, time, orientation and radius of the nanowires has been studied with respect to silicidation of a SiNW. The calculated activation energy can be used for precise process control over the location and morphology of Schottky junction. Although not directly related to SiNW RFET devices, the self-assembly of ultra-thin-walled SiO2 NT is a novel research area in itself, the findings of which can be applied in to design novel electronics and sensors.:TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface List of Abbreviations CHAPTER 1: Introduction and Motivation 1.1 Definition and History 1.2 Synthesis Routes 1.3 Properties and Applications 1.4 Nanoscale Electronics and Role of Si Nws 1.4.1 1.4.2 SiNW Reconfigurable Field Effect Transistor 1.5 Introduction to The Topic of The Thesis 1.6 Outline of The Thesis CHAPTER 2: Physical Basics and Previous Research: A Short Summary 2.1 Strain Measurement and Effects of Strain on on Nanoelectronics 2.1.1 Strain Analysis in Planar CMOS Structures 2.2 Silicidation and Schottky Junction 2.2.1 In-situ Silicidation 2.2.2 Silicon oxide nanotubes CHAPTER 3: Background of Instruments and Experimental Set-up 3.1 Scanning Electron Microscope 3.2 Transmission Electron Microscope 3.2.1 Imaging Techniques 3.2.2 TEM sample preparation 3.3 Focused Ion Beam CHAPTER 4: Strain in Nanowire 4.1 Goal of This Study 4.2 Strain in SiNW RFET Devices 4.3 Strain Analysis in SiNW Cross-section 4.3.1 Sample Preparation 4.3.2 Experimental Process 4.3.3 Results and Discussion 4.4 Conclusions CHAPTER 5: Schottky Junction 5.1 Crystallographic Data on Nickel Silicides 5.2 Formation of Silicides in 2-D Structures 5.2.1 Sample History 5.2.2 Sample Preparation 5.2.3 Results and Discussion 5.3 Formation of Silicides in 1-D Structures: Schottky Junction in NWs 5.3.1 Sample History 5.3.2 Sample Preparation 5.3.3 Results and Discussion 5.3.4 Shortcomings of The Lift-out Technique 5.4 In-situ Silicidation 5.4.1 Motivation 5.4.2 Sample Preparation 5.4.3 Experimental Procedure 5.4.4 Results and Discussions 5.4.5 Shortcoming of The Experiment 5.5 Self-assembling SiO2 Nanotubes 5.5.1 Sample Preparation 5.5.2 Experimental Process 5.5.3 Results and Discussion . 5.5.4 Post In-situ Experiment TEM Analysis 5.5.5 Conclusions CHAPTER 6: Conclusions and Outlook 6.1 Strain Analysis 6.2 Schottky Junction Studies Bibliography Acknowledgements

This work presents a new approach of fabricating arrays of electrodes, separated by sub-micrometer gaps allowing the systematic investigation of electric properties of organic semiconductors. The laterally stacked devices are fabricated by using a trench isolation technique for separating different electrical potentials, as it is known for micromachining technologies like Single Crystal Reactive Ion Etching and Metallization (SCREAM). The essential part of this process is the patterning of sub-micrometer trenches onto the silicon substrate in a single lithographic step. Afterwards, the trenches are refilled by SiO2 to allow the precise tuning of the electrode separation gap. The metal electrodes are formed via magnetron sputtering. This technological approach allows us to fabricate device structures with a transport channel length in the range of 100-250 nm by conventional photolithography. In this experiment, three different metals like Au, Co, and Ni were used as the electrode materials, while copper phthalocyanine, being deposited by thermal evaporation in high vacuum, was employed as the organic semiconductor under evaluation. The final aim has been study of spin transport through the organic channel in varied geometry.

El espermatozoide humano es uno de los tipos celulares más diferenciados, capaz de moverse con autonomía al salir del cuerpo masculino donde se produce y lograr su objetivo en el sistema reproductor femenino. Se forma a partir de un complejo y ordenado proceso de división y diferenciación celular. Para conseguir este proceso, debe reestructurar sus orgánulos internos, dividir su carga genética a la mitad, condensar su ADN para facilitar la motilidad y evitar daños irreparables, y reducir su volumen. Además, debe madurar su membrana para alcanzar el objetivo de fecundar el ovocito femenino. Desde el descubrimiento del espermatozoide, muchas publicaciones han mostrado la estructura morfológica que define a esta célula. Sin embargo, en el núcleo del espermatozoide, existe una estructura que ha suscitado mucha controversia hasta nuestros días, y que se les llama ‘vacuolas’. Estas estructuras fueron documentadas en un informe escrito por Theodor Eimer hace más de un siglo (Eimer 1874). Antiguos trabajos realizados en primates llevados a cabo por Bedford (Bedford 1967) y Zamboni (Zamboni y col. 1971) mediante microscopía electrónica reportaron que las vacuolas nucleares son estructuras específicas de la cabeza del espermatozoide humano. Estas vacuolas estaban presentes tanto en el espermatozoide maduro como en espermátidas tempranas (Holstein y Roosen-Runge, 1981; Johannisson 1987; Auger y Dadoune, 1993). Por lo que se ha sugerido que esta formación vacuolar ocurre de manera natural durante el proceso de condensación del núcleo espermático (Tanaka y col. 2012). Sin embargo, muchos años después del descubrimiento de las vacuolas, sigue sin estar clara su naturaleza, origen y función. En esta tesis doctoral, hemos estudiado las vacuolas nucleares del espermatozoide humano mediante técnicas ultraestructurales e inmuno-citoquímicas. Además, hemos analizado las mismas muestras espermáticas en fresco y seleccionándolas mediante swim-up con medios capacitantes. A partir de las micrografías obtenidas con estas técnicas, hemos analizado morfológica y morfométricamente las vacuolas. Con ello demostramos que las vacuolas son, en realidad, invaginaciones de la envoltura nuclear y su contenido procede del citoplasma. Estas estructuras no varían después de seleccionar los espermatozoides mediante su motilidad con medio capacitante. En el último apartado, mostramos la utilización de una técnica ultraestructural y de análisis de imagen para recrear un diseño 3D de la cabeza del espermatozoide y de las vacuolas. En esta tomografía en 3D corroboramos los resultados demostrados. Por ello, debido a todos los datos publicados en esta tesis doctoral, proponemos cambiar la terminología de estas ‘vacuolas’ por ‘invaginaciones nucleares’. Asimismo, es necesaria una revisión en la clasificación de estas invaginaciones como parámetro negativo de calidad espermática.

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