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Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) excimer lamp is a very attractive source for Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It has a number of advantages compared to the mercury lamp which is the main lamp used in the industry for UV production. Some of these advantages are instant UV radiation (no warm-up period), narrow UV spectrum, longer life times and simple construction. The DBD UV lamp can be used in number of applications like water disinfection, Plasma Display Panels (PDP) and surface treatment in the semiconductor industry. Yet, the full industrial application of this lamp still faces some problems mainly related to finding the optimum electrical driver to maximize the efficiency of such a lamp. This includes the type of the electrical waveform to generate and the power electronic driver to produce it. In this thesis, firstly a physically based circuit model for the DBD lamp using the Finite Volume Method (FVM) is developed. This model provides the electrical and optical characteristics of the lamp. Using this model the sensitivity of the lamp efficiency to the proposed electrical waveform has been determined. Secondly, the order of this FVM model has been reduced to obtain a model which is used in the design procedure of the proposed driver. Since the DBD lamp has a capacitive nature, a current controlled driver is proposed in this thesis as opposed to most of the published drivers which are voltage controlled drivers. The design of this driver is intended to enhance the electrical to optical efficiency of the lamp and therefore enhancing the overall efficiency of the system. The driver topology permits direct control of the peak lamp current and the operating frequency of the supplied current to the DBD lamp. The width of the current pulses is determined by the transformer magnetizing inductance and the lamp capacitance. Experimental results of the proposed driver connected to a XeCl DBD lamp are presented to validate the performance of the driver and to prove the concept of such a current controlled driver. The proposed driver performance is compared to a voltage source driver which was also implemented. The proposed driver produced higher overall system efficiency but at the expense of a reduction in the driver efficiency as compared to the voltage source driver. The complete system, which consists of the developed FVM based model and the equivalent circuit of the proposed driver, was simulated and the results were compared to the experimental results to validate the accuracy of the developed model for the DBD lamp.

The development of efficient, high-performance materials for electrical energy storage and conversion applications has become a must to meet an ever-increasing need for electrical energy. Among devices developed for this purpose, capacitors have been used for pulsed power applications that require large power density with millisecond-scale charge and discharge. However, conventional polymeric films, which possess high breakdown strength, are limited due to low permittivity and hence compromise the energy storage capability of capacitors. In order to develop high energy density dielectric materials for pulsed power applications, two hurdles must be overcome: 1) the appropriate selection of materials that possess not only large permittivity but also high breakdown strength, 2) the optimization of material processing to improve morphology of dielectric films to minimize loss during energy extraction process. This thesis will present the development of novel dielectric material, with emphasis on the optimization of material and thin film processing toward improved morphology as ways to achieve high energy density at the material level. After first two chapters of introduction and experimental details, Chapter 3 will demonstrate the improvement of nanocomposite morphology via processing optimization and study its effect on the energy storage characteristics of nanocomposites thereof. Chapter 4 will investigate dielectric sol-gel materials containing dipolar cyano side groups, which are relatively a new class of material for pulsed power applications. Finally, Chapter 5 will discuss the effect of tunneling barrier layer on sol-gel films to mitigate charge carrier injection and associated conduction and breakdown phenomena, which would be significantly detrimental to the energy storage performance of dielectric sol-gel films.

Ce travail de thèse consiste en une étude approfondie du comportement de l'oxyde de silicium implanté Kr ou Xe pour son application comme matériau à faible constante diélectrique. Deux volets sont examinés: une étude structurale par l'utilisation de plusieurs techniques (RBS, PL, MET et PAS) et une étude de la variation de la constante diélectrique par utilisation de la spectroscopie IR avec le développement d'un modèle de la fonction diélectrique et des mesures C(V). Pour la caractérisation structurale, les principaux résultats confirment pour le cas du Kr, une distribution homogène de ce dernier jusqu'à 400°C. Pour le cas du Xe, le profil de distribution en profondeur de Xe est quasi-gaussien. Le Xe reste stable dans le SiO2 jusqu'à 900°C et désorbe à 1100°C et les bulles se transforment en cavités. Les bulles sont formées au niveau du pic des lacunes (p(lacunes)R). Alors qu’en l’absence des bulles, le Xe se localise à la profondeur de fin de parcours du Xe (RpXe) calculée par SRIM. On note aussi la présence de défauts chargés négativement et des défauts paramagnétiques E'. Ces défauts négatifs disparaissent après un recuit à 750°C. La forme des bulles, pour les deux cas Xe et Kr, est influencée par la position de l'interface SiO2/Si; sans doute à cause de la différence des modules d'Young des deux matrices. L'IR et les mesures C(V) ont permis de montrer que l'implantation des deux gaz fait diminuer la valeur de la constante diélectrique jusqu'à 2.8 pour le cas Kr et entre 1.8 et 2.4 pour le cas Xe. La cohérence des résultats obtenus par les deux techniques montrent bien que ces deux gaz rares peuvent être utilisés pour la réalisation de SiO2 de faible constante diélectrique avec un impact plus important quand le Xe est utilisé. Cette étude a permis aussi de montrer la contribution de la polarisabilité et de la porosité sur la réduction de la valeur de la constante diélectrique du SiO2 implanté. / This thesis aims to get a deep insight of Kr and Xe-implanted amorphous SiO2 for its possible application as low-k material. This work is divided in two parts: Two sides are examined: a structural study by using several techniques (RBS, PL, MET et PAS) and investigation of the evolution of the dielectric constant by using IR spectroscopy with a dielectric function model developing and C-V measurements. From structural characterization, our main results confirm, in the case of Kr implantation, an homogeneous distribution for temperature up to 400°C. For Xe, the distribution profile is quasi-gaussian. Xe remains stable in SiO2 then desorbs completely at 1100°C. We demonstrated that Xe-bubbles are located at the projected range of vacancies (RPV) as simulated by SRIM. However, we also showed that if Xe dose is not higher enough to induce bubbles, Xe is located at RP. Such a behavior helps understanding the formation of Xe-bubbles in SiO2. We reported the presence of negative defects charge and the paramagnetic defects E'. These defects disappear after 750°C annealing. The shape of bubbles induced by both Kr and Xe is SiO2/Si interface dependent. They are spherically shaped when interface is closed and quite irregular when this one is far. Differences in Young Modulus of Si and SiO2 can probably explain such a behavior. IR and C-V measurements show that Xe and Kr implantation result in decreasing the dielectric constant value down to 2.8 in the Kr case and in the range 1.8-2.4 in the Xe case. The good agreement between k values provided by IR and C-V measurements clearly valids the fact that Kr or Xe-implantation in SiO2 is a powerful approach to building low-k dielectrics. With Xe leading to a higher decrease. This study has also pointed out the contribution of both the polarisability and the porosity in the reduction of the dielectric constant of the implanted SiO2.

The objective of this dissertation is to understand the structural and optoelectronic properties of group III-nitride materials grown by High-Pressure Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (HP-MOCVD) and Migration Enhanced Plasma Assisted MOCVD by FTIR reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Atomic Force Microscopy. The influence of the substrates/templates (Sapphire, AlN, Ga-polar GaN, N-polar GaN, n-GaN, and p-GaN) on the free carrier concentration, carrier mobility, short-range crystalline ordering, and surface morphology of the InN layers grown on HP-MOCVD were investigated using those techniques. The lowest carrier concentration of 7.1×1018 cm-3 with mobility of 660 cm2V-1s-1 was found in the InN film on AlN template, by FTIR reflectance spectra analysis. Furthermore, in addition to the bulk layer, an intermediate InN layers with different optoelectronic properties were identified in these samples. The best local crystalline order was observed in the InN/AlN/Sapphire by the Raman E2 high analysis. The smoothest InN surface was observed on the InN film on p-GaN template. The influence of reactor pressures (2.5–18.5 bar) on the long-range crystalline order, in plane structural quality, local crystalline order, free carrier concentration, and carrier mobility of the InN epilayers deposited on GaN/sapphire by HP-MOCVD has also been studied using those methods. Within the studied process parameter space, the best material properties were achieved at a reactor pressure of 12.5 bar and a group-V/III ratio of 2500 with a free carrier concentration of 1.5x1018 cm-3, a mobility in the bulk InN layer of 270 cm2 V-1s-1 and the Raman (E2 high) FWHM of 10.3 cm-1. The crystalline properties, probed by XRD 2θ–ω scans have shown an improvement with the increasing reactor pressure. The effect of an AlN buffer layer on the free carrier concentration, carrier mobility, local crystalline order, and surface morphology of InN layers grown by Migration-Enhanced Plasma Assisted MOCVD were also investigated. Here, the AlN nucleation layer was varied to assess the physical properties of the InN layers. This study was focused on optimization of the AlN nucleation layer (e.g. temporal precursor exposure, nitrogen plasma exposure, and plasma power) and its effect on the InN layer properties.

A resonant frequency cavity was used to determine the dielectric properties of various preparations of Azotobacter vinelandii ATTC 12837. It was found that the bacteria investigated did interact with microwave radiation in the absence of free water. The data presented here indicate that bacteria demonstrate frequency specific dielectric properties. The techniques employed in these experiments may also be used to determine microwave spectra of other species of bacteria in different physiological stages.

The shift to the Cu/low-k interconnect scheme requires the development of diffusion barrier/adhesion promoter materials that provide excellent performance in preventing the diffusion and intermixing of Cu into the adjacent dielectrics. The integration of Cu with low-k materials may decrease RC delays in signal propagation but pose additional problems because such materials are often porous and contain significant amounts of carbon. Therefore barrier metal diffusion into the dielectric and the formation of interfacial carbides and oxides are of significant concern. The objective of the present research is to investigate the fundamental surface interactions between diffusion barriers and various low-k dielectric materials. Two major diffusion barriers¾ tatalum (Ta) and titanium nitride (TiN) are prepared by DC magnetron sputtering and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), respectively. Surface analytical techniques, such as X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are employed. Ta sputter-deposited onto a Si-O-C low dielectric constant substrate forms a reaction layer composed of Ta oxide and TaC. The composition of the reaction layer varies with deposition rate (1 Å-min-1 vs. 2 Å-sec-1), but in both cases, the thickness of the TaC layer is found to be at least 30 Å on the basis of XPS spectra, which is corroborated with cross-sectional TEM data. Sputter-deposited Cu will not wet the TaC layer and displays facile agglomeration, even at 400 K. Deposition for longer time at 2 Å-sec-1 results in formation of a metallic Ta layer. Sputter deposited Cu wets (grows conformally) on the metallic Ta surface at 300 K, and resists significant agglomeration at up to ~ 600 K. Cu diffusion into the substrate is not observed up to 800 K in the UHV environment. Tetrakis(diethylamido) titanium (TDEAT) interactions with SiO2, Cu and a variety of low-k samples in the presence (~ 10-7 Torr or co-adsorbed) and absence of NH3 result in different products. TDEAT interactions with SiO2 are dominated by Ti interactions with substrate oxygen sites, and that Ti oxide/sub-oxide bond formation can proceed with relatively low activation energy. No Ti carbide or Si carbide formation is observed. Co-adsorption of TDEAT and NH3 on SiO2 at 120K followed by annealing to higher temperature results in enhanced Ti-N bond formation, which is stable against oxidation up to 900K in UHV. Similarly, continuous exposures of TDEAT on SiO2 at 500K in the presence of NH3 exhibit a relatively enhanced Ti-N spectral component. Co-adsorption of NH3 and TDEAT on Cu (poly) surface at 120K, followed by annealing to 500K, results in complete desorption of Ti, N or C-containing species from the Cu substrate. Reaction of TDEAT with a Cu surface at 500K yields a Ti-alkyl species via a b-hydride elimination pathway. TDEAT/Cu interactions are not observably affected by overpressures of NH3 of 10-7 Torr. TDEAT interaction with a porous carbon doped oxide low-k substrate at 700K demonstrates undissociated or partly dissociated Ti-NR species trapped in the dielectrics matrix due to its high porosity. In addition, carbide formation is observed from C(1s) XPS spectra. For a hydrocarbon low-k film, the majority sites (carbon) are highly unreactive towards TDEAT even at higher temperature due to a lack of functional groups to initiate the TDEAT/low-k surface chemistry.