The objective of this study was to assess the effect of low stress (LS) handling of beef calves on weight gain and calf activity associated with the weaning process. Cattle were of Angus and Angus cross breeding from two separate herds in Virginia. Handlers for the LS groups went through a short training session. Handlers for the Control (C) groups did not have any special training and handled their group as they would have with no adjustments. Handling and calf activity were monitored each time (6 times) the cows were worked from calving through one month post-weaning. Weights were taken from birth to one month post-weaning. During the week post-weaning the C calves averaged a gain of 4.38 lbs. and the LS calves averaged a gain of 16.94 lbs. One month post-weaning the C calves averaged a gain of 49.01 lbs., while the LS calves averaged a gain of 68.6 lbs. This showed a difference (p < 0.0001) between handling method for weight gain in calves for one week and one month post-weaning. Pedometers were used to assess calf activity post-weaning. Steps per hour (SPH) for the week post-weaning was numerically higher for those calves handled conventionally and not trained for weaning. The C calves averaged 1048 to 1629 SPH for the first three days, where the LS calves averaged 443 to 644 SPH for the first three days. Additionally, the artificial insemination conception rates (AICR) were calculated in each herd and treatment groups compared, however results were equivocal. This study demonstrated that handling cattle using low stress techniques can make significant improvements with regard to weaning weights and has potential to increase other areas of production in beef cattle. / Master of Science

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Daniel U. Thomson / Beta-adrenergic agonists (βAA) are administered during the final weeks of the beef production system to improve efficiency and increase meat yield. Welfare concerns linked to the administration of βAA have garnered significant attention in recent years due to anecdotal reports of increased mortality during βAA feeding periods and cattle without obvious disease or injury having difficulty walking at abattoirs being overrepresented in cattle fed βAA. Thomson et al. (2015) reported 2 events where cattle were distressed, became non-responsive to handling, sloughed hoof walls and were euthanized while in lairage at the abattoir. Consistent blood abnormalities in euthanized cattle included elevated blood lactate (25.6 mmol/L; ref. range: < 4-5) and creatine kinase (CK; 6,890 U/L, ref. range: 159- 332). Although no causal relationship had been established, dialogues among groups of packers, animal scientists, and welfare experts implicating the βAA zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZIL; Zilmax®, Merck Animal Health, Desoto, KS) as one possible etiology resulted in a major beef packer announcing plans to stop accepting cattle fed ZIL. Consequently, Merck announced a self-imposed suspension of ZIL sales in U.S. and Canadian markets until further research could be conducted to investigate the manner. Utilization of technologies such as βAA are imperative to meeting the demands of a growing world population and verdicts regarding such technologies, including their impact on animal welfare, should be based on scientific merit. The first objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of shade on performance and animal well-being in cattle fed ZIL. The second objective was to characterize the clinical description and hematological profile of fatigued cattle presented to abattoirs. The third objective was to evaluate the effects of handling intensity during shipment for slaughter in cattle fed a βAA. The fourth objective was to evaluate the effects of βAA administration on performance and physiological response to different handling intensities during shipping for slaughter. Shade provision reduced open-mouth breathing and increased dry matter intake and dressing percentage. Fatigued cattle observed at abattoirs had increased respiratory rates and muscle tremors, although blood parameters were relatively normal compared to their cohorts. Metabolic acidosis, a precursor for Fatigued Cattle Syndrome, was observed in cattle exposed to aggressive handling regardless of βAA status. This research confirms the improved growth performance of cattle fed βAA and highlights the improvement of animal welfare through shade provision and low-stress handling in heavy-weight feedlot cattle.

The material properties of low stress silicon nitride make it a possible replacement material for beryllium in X-ray windows. In this study, X-ray windows made of LPCVD deposited low stress silicon nitride are fabricated and characterized. The Young's modulus of the LPCVD low stress silicon nitride are characterized and found to be 226±23 GPa. The residual stress is characterized using two different methods and is found to be 127±25 MPa and 141±0.28 MPa. Two support structure geometries for the low stress silicon nitride X-ray windows are used. X-ray windows with thicknesses of 100 nm and 200 nm are suspended on a silicon rib support structure. A freestanding circular geometry is used for a 600 nm thick X-ray window. The 100 nm and 200 nm thick low stress silicon nitride X-ray windows with a silicon support structure are burst tested, cycling tested and leak rate tested. The average burst pressure for the 100 and 200 nm films on a silicon support structure are 1.4 atm and 2.2 atm respectively. Both 100 nm and 200 nm windows are able to withstand a difference in pressure of 1 atm for over 100 cycles with a leak rate of less than 10-10 mbar-L/s.The low stress silicon nitride with 100 nm and 200 nm thicknesses, the 600 nm freestanding low stress silicon nitride windows and freestanding 8 micron thick beryllium windows are mechanical shock resistance tested. The support structure low stress silicon nitride and beryllium windows are tested with an applied vacuum. The freestanding 600 nm thick low stress silicon nitride windows burst at 0.4 atm and are therefore mechanical shock wave tested without an applied vacuum. The support structure low stress silicon nitride windows fractured when subjected to an acceleration of roughly 5,000 g. The 8 micron thick beryllium windows are subjected to accelerations of over 30,000 g without fracturing. A quasistatic model is used to show that for low stress silicon nitride with a freestanding circular geometry, an acceleration of 106 g is required to have the same order of magnitude of stress caused by a pressure differential of 1 atm. Low stress silicon nitride can act as a replacement for beryllium in X-ray windows, but the support geometry, residual stress, and strength of the material need to be optimized.

The goal of this thesis is on improving the understanding of mechanical and tribological mechanisms in microelectronic wire bonding. In particular, it focusses on the development and application of quantitative models of ultrasonic (US) friction and interfacial wear in wire bonding. Another objective of the thesis is to develop a low-stress Cu ball bonding process that minimizes damage to the microchip. These are accomplished through experimental measurements of in situ US tangential force by piezoresistive microsensors integrated next to the bonding zone using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The processes investigated are thermosonic (TS) Au ball bonding on Al pads (Au-Al process), TS Cu ball bonding on Al pads (Cu-Al process), and US Al wedge-wedge bonding on Al pads (Al-Al process). TS ball bonding processes are optimized with one Au and two Cu wire types, obtaining average shear strength (SS) of more than 120 MPa. Ball bonds made with Cu wire show at least 15% higher SS than those made with Au wire. However, 30% higher US force induced to the bonding pad is measured for the Cu process using the microsensor, which increases the risk of underpad damage. The US force can be reduced by: (i) using a Cu wire type that produces softer deformed ball results in a measured US force reduction of 5%; and (ii) reducing the US level to 0.9 times the conventionally optimized level, the US force can be reduced by 9%. It is shown that using a softer Cu deformed ball and a reduced US level reduces the extra stress observed with Cu wire compared to Au wire by 42%. To study the combined effect of bond force (BF) and US in Cu ball bonding, the US parameter is optimized for eight levels of BF. For ball bonds made with conventionally optimized BF and US settings, the SS is ≈ 140 MPa. The amount of Al pad splash extruding out of bonded ball interface (for conventionally optimized BF and US settings) is between 10–12 µm. It can be reduced to 3–7 µm if accepting a SS reduction to 50–70 MPa. For excessive US settings, elliptical shaped Cu bonded balls are observed, with the major axis perpendicular to the US direction. By using a lower value of BF combined with a reduced US level, the US force can be reduced by 30% while achieving an average SS of at least 120 MPa. These process settings also aid in reducing the amount of splash by 4.3 µm. The US force measurement is like a signature of the bond as it allows for detailed insight into the tribological mechanisms during the bonding process. The relative amount of the third harmonic of US force in the Cu-Al process is found to be five times smaller than in the Au-Al process. In contrast, in the Al-Al process, a large second harmonic content is observed, describing a non-symmetric deviation of the force signal waveform from the sinusoidal shape. This deviation might be due to the reduced geometrical symmetry of the wedge tool. The analysis of harmonics of the US force indicates that although slightly different from each other, stick-slip friction is an important mechanism in all these wire bonding variants. A friction power theory is used to derive the US friction power during Au-Al, Cu-Al, and Al-Al processes. Auxiliary measurements include the current delivered to the US transducer, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip in free-air, and the US tangential force acting on the bonding pad. For bonds made with typical process parameters, several characteristic values used in the friction power model such as the ultrasonic compliance of the bonding system and the profile of the relative interfacial sliding amplitude are determined. The maximum interfacial friction power during Al-Al process is at least 11.5 mW (3.9 W/mm²), which is only about 4.8% of the total electrical power delivered to the US transducer. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the Al-Al wedge bond is 60.4 mJ (20.4 J/mm²). For the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, the US friction power is derived with an improved, more accurate method to derive the US compliance. The method uses a multi-step bonding process. In the first two steps, the US current is set to levels that are low enough to prevent sliding. Sliding and bonding take place during the third step, when the current is ramped up to the optimum value. The US compliance values are derived from the first two steps. The average maximum interfacial friction power is 10.3 mW (10.8 W/mm²) and 16.9 mW (18.7 W/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the bond is 48.5 mJ (50.3 J/mm²) and 49.4 mJ (54.8 J/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. Finally, the sliding wear theory is used to derive the amount of interfacial wear during Au-Al and Cu-Al processes. The method uses the US force and the derived interfacial sliding amplitude as the main inputs. The estimated total average depth of interfacial wear in Au-Al and Cu-Al processes is 416 nm and 895 nm, respectively. However, the error of estimation of wear in both the Au-Al and the Cu-Al processes is ≈ 50%, making this method less accurate than the friction power and energy results. Given the error in the determination of compliance in the Al-Al process, the error in the estimation of wear in the Al-Al process might have been even larger; hence the wear results pertaining to the Al-Al process are not discussed in this study.

The goal of this thesis is on improving the understanding of mechanical and tribological mechanisms in microelectronic wire bonding. In particular, it focusses on the development and application of quantitative models of ultrasonic (US) friction and interfacial wear in wire bonding. Another objective of the thesis is to develop a low-stress Cu ball bonding process that minimizes damage to the microchip. These are accomplished through experimental measurements of in situ US tangential force by piezoresistive microsensors integrated next to the bonding zone using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The processes investigated are thermosonic (TS) Au ball bonding on Al pads (Au-Al process), TS Cu ball bonding on Al pads (Cu-Al process), and US Al wedge-wedge bonding on Al pads (Al-Al process). TS ball bonding processes are optimized with one Au and two Cu wire types, obtaining average shear strength (SS) of more than 120 MPa. Ball bonds made with Cu wire show at least 15% higher SS than those made with Au wire. However, 30% higher US force induced to the bonding pad is measured for the Cu process using the microsensor, which increases the risk of underpad damage. The US force can be reduced by: (i) using a Cu wire type that produces softer deformed ball results in a measured US force reduction of 5%; and (ii) reducing the US level to 0.9 times the conventionally optimized level, the US force can be reduced by 9%. It is shown that using a softer Cu deformed ball and a reduced US level reduces the extra stress observed with Cu wire compared to Au wire by 42%. To study the combined effect of bond force (BF) and US in Cu ball bonding, the US parameter is optimized for eight levels of BF. For ball bonds made with conventionally optimized BF and US settings, the SS is ≈ 140 MPa. The amount of Al pad splash extruding out of bonded ball interface (for conventionally optimized BF and US settings) is between 10–12 µm. It can be reduced to 3–7 µm if accepting a SS reduction to 50–70 MPa. For excessive US settings, elliptical shaped Cu bonded balls are observed, with the major axis perpendicular to the US direction. By using a lower value of BF combined with a reduced US level, the US force can be reduced by 30% while achieving an average SS of at least 120 MPa. These process settings also aid in reducing the amount of splash by 4.3 µm. The US force measurement is like a signature of the bond as it allows for detailed insight into the tribological mechanisms during the bonding process. The relative amount of the third harmonic of US force in the Cu-Al process is found to be five times smaller than in the Au-Al process. In contrast, in the Al-Al process, a large second harmonic content is observed, describing a non-symmetric deviation of the force signal waveform from the sinusoidal shape. This deviation might be due to the reduced geometrical symmetry of the wedge tool. The analysis of harmonics of the US force indicates that although slightly different from each other, stick-slip friction is an important mechanism in all these wire bonding variants. A friction power theory is used to derive the US friction power during Au-Al, Cu-Al, and Al-Al processes. Auxiliary measurements include the current delivered to the US transducer, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip in free-air, and the US tangential force acting on the bonding pad. For bonds made with typical process parameters, several characteristic values used in the friction power model such as the ultrasonic compliance of the bonding system and the profile of the relative interfacial sliding amplitude are determined. The maximum interfacial friction power during Al-Al process is at least 11.5 mW (3.9 W/mm²), which is only about 4.8% of the total electrical power delivered to the US transducer. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the Al-Al wedge bond is 60.4 mJ (20.4 J/mm²). For the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, the US friction power is derived with an improved, more accurate method to derive the US compliance. The method uses a multi-step bonding process. In the first two steps, the US current is set to levels that are low enough to prevent sliding. Sliding and bonding take place during the third step, when the current is ramped up to the optimum value. The US compliance values are derived from the first two steps. The average maximum interfacial friction power is 10.3 mW (10.8 W/mm²) and 16.9 mW (18.7 W/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the bond is 48.5 mJ (50.3 J/mm²) and 49.4 mJ (54.8 J/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. Finally, the sliding wear theory is used to derive the amount of interfacial wear during Au-Al and Cu-Al processes. The method uses the US force and the derived interfacial sliding amplitude as the main inputs. The estimated total average depth of interfacial wear in Au-Al and Cu-Al processes is 416 nm and 895 nm, respectively. However, the error of estimation of wear in both the Au-Al and the Cu-Al processes is ≈ 50%, making this method less accurate than the friction power and energy results. Given the error in the determination of compliance in the Al-Al process, the error in the estimation of wear in the Al-Al process might have been even larger; hence the wear results pertaining to the Al-Al process are not discussed in this study.

Radio-frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF~MEMS) are highly miniaturized devices intended to switch, modulate, filter or tune electrical signals from DC to microwave frequencies. The micromachining techniques used to fabricate these components are based on the standard clean-room manufacturing processes for high-volume integrated semiconductor circuits. RF~MEMS switches are characterized by their high isolation, low insertion loss, large bandwidth and by their unparalleled signal linearity. They are relatively simple to control, are very small and have almost zero power consumption. Despite these benefits, RF~MEMS switches are not yet seen in commercial products because of reliability issues, limits in signal power handling and questions in packaging and integration. Also, the actuation voltages are typically too high for electronics applications and require additional drive circuitry. This thesis presents a novel MEMS switch concept based on an S-shaped film actuator, which consists of a thin and flexible membrane rolling between a top and a bottom electrode. The special design makes it possible to have high RF isolation due to the large contact distance in the off-state, while maintaining low operation voltages due to the zipper-like movement of the electrostatic dual-actuator. The switch comprises two separately fabricated parts which allows simple integration even with RF circuits incompatible with certain MEMS fabrication processes. The two parts are assembled by chip or wafer bonding which results in an encapsulated, ready-to-dice package. The thesis discusses the concept of the switch and reports on the successful fabrication and evaluation of prototype devices. Furthermore, this thesis presents research results in wafer-level packaging of (RF) MEMS devices by full-wafer bonding with an adhesive intermediate layer, which is structured before bonding to create defined cavities for housing MEMS devices. This technique has the advantage of simple, robust and low temperature fabrication, and is highly tolerant to surface non-uniformities and particles in the bonding interface. It allows cavities with a height of up to many tens of micrometers to be created directly in the bonding interface. In contrast to conventional wafer-level packaging methods with individual chip-capping, the encapsulation is done using a single wafer-bonding step. The thesis investigates the process parameters for patterned adhesive wafer bonding with benzocyclobutene, describes the fabrication of glass lid packages based on this technique, and introduces a method to create through-wafer electrical interconnections in glass substrates by a two-step etch technique, involving powder-blasting and chemical etching. Also, it discusses a technique of improving the hermetic properties of adhesive bonded structures by additional passivation layers. Finally, it presents a method to substantially improve the bond strength of patterned adhesive bonding by using the solid/liquid phase combination of a patterned polymer layer with a contact-printed thin adhesive film. / QC 20100617