Silicon Carbide based Analog/Mixed Signal IC design for Harsh Environment

Research by Ayden Maralani

The research objective is to design and develop low power Silicon Carbide (SiC) based transistors and Integrated Circuits (ICs) that can withstand the elevated temperature, up to 600°C. The fabricated ICs will be integrated with SiC and AlN based sensors to develop high temperature sensing systems for various harsh environment applications.

Extreme Temperature and Radiation-Resistant SiC MSM Photodetector and JFET/MOSFET for Ultraviolet Sensing Applications

Research by Wei-Cheng Lien, Ayden Maralani

Integrated 4H-SiC UV detector chip could be used in space exploration and combustion and jet engine flame monitoring. The goal of my research project is to develop 4H-SiC lateral JFET and MOSFET integrated circuit technology and MSM UV detector for high temperature Ultraviolet sensor.

Journal Papers

1. W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, D.-H. Lien, D. G. Senesky, J.-H. He, A. P. Pisano, “4H-SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Ultraviolet Photodetectors in Operation of 450 °C,” IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 33, pp. 1586-1588, Nov. 2012.
2. W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, S.-H. Chiu, D. G. Senesky, R. Maboudian, A. P. Pisano, J.-H. He, “Low-Temperature, Ion Beam-Assisted SiC Thin Films With Antireflective ZnO Nanorod Arrays for High-Temperature Photodetection,” IEEE Elec. Dev. Lett., vol. 32, pp. 1564 - 1566, Nov. 2011.

Conference Papers

1. W.-C. Lien, D. S. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “4H-SiC Lateral JFET for Low Power Operational Amplifier Applications.” Pacific Rim Meeting on Electrochemical and Solid-State Science, Honolulu, USA, October 2012.
2. W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, D. S. Senesky, J.-H. He, and A. P. Pisano, “Extreme Temperature 4H-SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Ultraviolet Photodetectors.” Europe Solid-State Device Research Conferenece (ESSDERC), Bordeaux, France, Sep. 2012.
3. W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, S.-H. Chiu, D. G. Senesky, R. Maboudian, A. P. Pisano, and J.-H. He, “Nanocrystalline SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Photodetector with ZnO Nanorod Arrays for High-Temperature Applications.” in Tech. Dig. Intl. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsystems (Transducers), Beijing, China, Jun. 2011, pp. 1875-1878.

MEMS for Down-Hole Geothermal Temperature Sensing

Research by Sarah Wodin-Schwartz

Background

The development of harsh environment sensor technology can aid in data logging and monitoring of geothermal reservoirs which are challenging to assess. State-of-the-art sensors based on silicon technology are limited to temperatures below 300oC and cannot survive long exposure in geothermal conditions. As a result, new material platforms that utilize chemically inert, ceramic semiconductor materials are proposed for harsh environment applications. In the proposed work a temperature sensor that can withstand the harsh reservoir environment will be developed. The scope of the proposed research is to 1) perform experimental exposure testing of sensor materials in a small-scale pressure vessel at and around the critical point of water and geothermal brine and 2) develop a harsh environment temperature sensor that can operate in harsh supercritical conditions while maintaining high sensitivities. These tasks aid in the realization of advanced sensors for geothermal logging and monitoring. Ultimately, the harsh environment technology developed in this program can lead to improvements in geophysical models as well as increased reservoir lifetimes through direct monitoring.

Current Results

Conference Papers

1. S. Wodin-Schwartz, J. C. Cheng, D. G. Senesky, J. E. Hammer, and A. P. Pisano, “Geothermal environmental exposure testing of encapsulant and device materials for harsh environment MEMS sensors,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), Paris, France, Jan. 2012, pp. 432-435.
2. S. Wodin-Schwartz, M.W. Chan, K. Mansukhani, A.P. Pisano, D.G. Senesky, “MEMS Sensors for Down-Hole Monitoring of Geothermal Energy Systems,” in Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability & 9th Fuel Cell Science, Washington, DC, Aug. 2011.

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting for Extreme Harsh Environments

Research by Matilda Yun-Ju Lai, Ayden Maralani

This project aims to develop a micromachined piezoelectric energy harvester for pulsed pressure sources by utilizing silicon carbide (SiC) as the structural material and aluminum nitride (AlN) as the active piezoelectric element for operation within extreme harsh environments. The SiC/AlN energy harvesters have great potentials for integrating energy harvesting power source with SiC sensors and circuitry and enabling self-powered wireless sensing technology for structural health monitoring of harsh environment energy systems.

Conference Papers

1. Y.-J. Lai, W.-C. Li, C.-M. Lin, V. V. Felmetsger, and A. P. Pisano, “High-temperature stable piezoelectric aluminum nitride energy harvesters utilizing elastically supported diaphragms,” in Tech. Dig. Int. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsyst. (Transducers), Barcelona. Spain, Jun. 2013, pp. 2268-2271.
2. Y.-J. Lai, W.-C. Li, C.-M. Lin, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “SiC/AlN piezoelectric energy harvesters for pulsed pressure sources in harsh environment applications,” in Tech. Dig. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsyst. Workshop (Hilton Head), Hilton Head, SC, Jun. 2012, pp. 505-508.

SiC Bipolar Junction Transistors for Harsh Environment Sensing Applications

Research by Nuo Zhang, Ayden Maralani

The goal of this project is to develop silicon carbide (SiC) lateral bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) for harsh environment sensing applications. The wide bandgap energy (3.2eV) and low intrinsic carrier concentration allow SiC semiconductor device to function at much higher temperature than Si. This technology will enable the integration of SiC electronic devices with MEMS-based SiC sensors, and the development of self-powered sensing system with wireless telemetry capability for harsh environment applications.

Journal Papers

1. N. Zhang, C.-M. Lin, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Temperature sensor based on 4H-silicon carbide pn diode operational from 25ºC to 600ºC,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 104, 073504, Feb. 2014.

Conference Papers

1. N. Zhang and A. P. Pisano, “Harsh environment temperature sensor based on 4H-Silicon carbide PN diode,” in Tech. Dig. Int. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsyst. (Transducers), Barcelona. Spain, Jun. 2013, pp. 1016-1019.

SiC Diodes and Rectifiers for Harsh Environment Sensing Applications

Research by Shiqian Shao, Ayden Maralani

The goal of this project is to develop harsh environment rectification and sensing circuits. The devices and circuits are designed in silicon carbide (SiC) wafer due to its extraordinary performance in harsh environment such as high temperature, corrosive chemical. SiC diodes and rectifiers will be designed, fabricated and tested in my research project to develop harsh environment sensing system.

SiC Harsh Environment Pressure Sensors

Research by Kirti Mansukhani

The goal of this project is to develop a MEMS-based pressure sensor made of Silicon Carbide (SiC) for the direct monitoring of geothermal reservoirs in harsh supercritical conditions, as part of an effort to provide instrumentation and telemetry for harsh environments. The sensor will be engineered to survive and operate in H2O pressures up to 220 bar and temperatures as high as 374°C.

Conference Papers

1. F. Goericke, K. Mansukhani, K. Yamamoto, and A. P. Pisano, “Experimentally validated aluminum nitride based pressure, temperature and 3-axis acceleration sensors integration on a single chip ,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), San Francisco, CA, Jan. 2014, pp. 729-732.
2. S. Wodin-Schwartz, M.W. Chan, K. Mansukhani, A.P. Pisano, D.G. Senesky, “MEMS Sensors for Down-Hole Monitoring of Geothermal Energy Systems,” in Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability & 9th Fuel Cell Science, Washington, DC, Aug. 2011.

Bonding of SiC Sensors for Harsh Environments

Research by Matthew W. Chan, Mitsutoshi Makihata

Silicon Carbide (SiC) Sensors are appealing for harsh environment MEMS applications, specifically because of their ability to withstand high temperatures and resist corrosion. The long range goal of this project is to develop a robust process to bond SiC sensors to various components in order to obtain high-precision measurements in high-temperature and high-pressure environments.

SiC Thin-Film Flame Ionization Sensor

Research by David Rolfe

This project seeks to construct a thermally-isolated, SiC thin-film, ionization sensor to measure the propagation speed of flames in combustion chambers. Silicon carbide has been chosen as the sensor material because it is a ceramic semiconductor with low surface energy and excellent mechanical and electrical properties at high temperatures. A prototype MEMS planar sensor array has been designed and fabricated for parametric testing of sensor material and geometry. Future work will incorporate parametric optimization and thermal isolation of the sensor surface to minimize quenching. The creation of a flame ionization sensor capable of withstanding combustion environments will allow for measurement of flame speed, location and propagation around walls of a combustion chamber. Possible future applications include the real-time monitoring of flame speed in individual internal combustion engine cylinders or the monitoring of flame stability in turbine applications. Such applications would offer a significant improvement in combustion efficiency.

Conference Papers

1. D.A. Rolfe, S. Wodin-Schwartz, R. Alonso, and A. P. Pisano, “Planar SiC MEMS Flame Ionization Sensor for In-Engine Monitoring”, 13th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications, London, UK, 2013.

Temperature-Compensated & High-Q Aluminum Nitride Lamb Wave Resonators for Radio Front-End Technology

Research by Chih-Ming (Gimmy) Lin

The goal of this project is to develop aluminum nitride (AlN) Lamb wave resonators with small frequency-temperature shifts, high quality factors (Q), and CMOS compatibility for the integrated on-chip MEMS RF transceiver.

Journal Papers

1. C.-M. Lin, V. Yantchev, J. Zou, Y.-Y. Chen, and A. P. Pisano, “Micromachined one-port aluminum nitride Lamb wave resonators utilizing the lowest-order symmetric mode,” J. Microelectromech. Syst., vol. 23, pp. 78-91, Feb. 2014.
2. C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, W.-C. Lien, T. Riekkinen, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Surface acoustic wave devices on AlN/3C–SiC/Si multilayer structures,” J. Micromech. Microeng., vol. 23, 025019, Feb. 2013. [Selected for IOPselect]
3. C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “AlN/3C-SiC composite plate enabling high-frequency and high-Q micromechanical resonators,” Adv. Mater., vol. 24, pp. 2722-2727, May 2012. [Featured as the frontispiece]

Conference Papers

1. C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Two-port filters and resonators on AlN/3C-SiC plates utilizing high-order Lamb wave modes,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), Taipei, Taiwan, Jan. 2013, pp. 789-792.
2. C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Acoustic characteristics of the third-order quasi-symmetric Lamb wave mode in an AlN/3C–SiC plate,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Ultrason. Symp. (IUS), Prague, Czech Republic, Jul. 2013, pp. 1093-1096.
3. C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, G. Vigevani, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Micromachined aluminum nitride acoustic resonators with an epitaxial silicon carbide layer utilizing high-order Lamb wave modes,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), Paris, France, Jan. 2012, pp. 733-736.

Thermally Stable Aluminum Nitride Lamb Wave Resonators and Filters for Harsh Environment Applications

Research by Jie Zou

This project aims at developing high-Q aluminum nitride (AlN) Lamb wave resonators (LWRs) for wireless communications (e.g. oscillators or filters) in harsh environments. We also will particularly emphasize on lowering the temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of AlN LWRs by adding a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer at high temperatures.

Journal Papers

1. J. Zou, C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, and A. P. Pisano, “Theoretical study of thermally stable SiO2/AlN/SiO2 Lamb wave resonators at high temperatures,” J. Appl. Phys., vol. 115, 094510, Mar. 2014.
2. C.-M. Lin, V. Yantchev, J. Zou, Y.-Y. Chen, and A. P. Pisano, “Micromachined one-port aluminum nitride Lamb wave resonators utilizing the lowest-order symmetric mode,” J. Microelectromech. Syst., vol. 23, pp. 78-91, Feb. 2014.

Conference Papers

1. J. Zou, C.-M. Lin, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Thermally stable SiO2/AlN/SiO2 Lamb wave resonators utilizing the lowest-order symmetric mode at high temperatures,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Ultrason. Symp. (IUS), Prague, Czech Republic, Jul. 2013, pp. 1077-1080.

µcLHP Chip Cooling System

Research by Jim C. Cheng

Thermal management of high power density electronics is an essential, enabling technology for next generation electronic systems. Phase change is the preferred choice for heat transport solutions because of the ability to absorb large heat fluxes through latent heat. Current technology uses macro-scale capillary driven systems such as Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) and thermosyphons, which are passive devices that have proved to be efficient and reliable. However, these devices do not allow for chip-level integration and do not scale well for future (and even current cutting-edge high-performance) electronic requirements. The goal of the microColumnated Loop Heat Pipe (µcLHP) project is to develop a \"thermal ground plane\" (analogous to an electronic ground plane) which is a uniform, isothermal substrate for transporting heat away from high power density electronic devices.

Conference Papers

1. N. S. Dhillon, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Device Packaging Techniques for Implementing a Novel Thermal Flux Method for Fluid Degassing and Charging of a Planar Microscale Loop Heat Pipe," in ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Denver, Colorado, 2011
2. N. S. Dhillon, M. W. Chan, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Noninvasive Hermetic Sealing of Degassed Liquid Inside a Microfluidic Device based on Induction Heating," in The 11th International Workshop on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications Seoul, Korea, 2011.

µcLHP Chip Cooling System - Evaporator Design

Research by Lilla Smith

The micro scale loop heat pipe (Micro-LHP) is an ongoing research project dedicated to the design and testing of a new cooling system for thermal management of high-power electronics. One of the key technological innovations of the overall Micro-LHP project is the use of a columnated vapor chamber (CVC) leading to a micro-patterned surface intended to maximize evaporation. The micro-patterning, commonly used in micro heat pipes, is the main focus of this evaporator study. The purpose of this research is to translate previous work, on surface roughness, into a new method of spreading liquid along the evaporator. The optimal design will create a large interline evaporation region, which is expected to increase the thermal conductivity of the device. This research will detail both the function of the evaporator and the effect of different roughness patterning on the thermal conductivity of the evaporator region.

Conference Papers

1. L. Smith, W. Connacher, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Enhanced Heat Rejection of Microscale Geometries in Convective Flow Boiling Evaporators”, 13th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications, London, UK, 2013.
2. N. S. Dhillon, C. Hogue, M. W. Chan, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Minimizing the Wick Thickness in a Planar Microscale Loop Heat Pipe using Efficient Thermodynamic Design," in ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Denver, Colorado, 2011.
3. N. S. Dhillon, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Heat Transfer Due to Microscale Thin Film Evaporation From the Steady State Meniscus in a Coherent Porous Silicon Based Micro-Columnated Wicking Structure," in ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Denver, Colorado, 2011.
4. N. S. Dhillon, C. Hogue, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Experimental Investigation of Thin-Film Evaporation in an Open-Loop Columnated Micro- Evaporator," in The 11th International Workshop on Micro & Nanotechnology for Power Generation & Energy Conversion Applications Seoul, Korea, 2011.

µcLHP Chip Cooling System - Wick Design

Research by Hongyun So

The micro scale loop heat pipe (Micro-LHP) is an ongoing research project dedicated to the design and testing of a new cooling system for thermal management of high-power electronics.  The functionalized, coherent porous silicon wick is a key component to the system.  It acts as an efficient passive micro pump system combining the physical properties of nanowires and micropores. The nanowire-integrated microporous silicon membrane was created to feed coolant continuously onto the surface of the wick in a micro cooling device to ensure it remains hydrated and in case of dryout, allow for regeneration of the system. The membrane is fabricated by photoelectrochemical etching to form micropores followed by hydrothermal growth of nanowires. 

Journal Papers

1. H. So, J. C. Cheng and A. P. Pisano, “Nanowire-integrated Microporus Silicon Membrane for Continuous Fluid Transport in Micro Cooling Device,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 103 (16), pp. 163102, 2013.

Conference Papers

1. H. So, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Nanowire-assisted Micro Loop Heat Pipe with Porous Silicon Wicks”, Proceedings of the NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, Boston, MA, 2012.
2. H. So, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Multi-scale pore membrane for continuous, passive fluid transport in a micro cooling device”, Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, Barcelona, Spain, 2013.

Droplet-Based Microfluidic System for Monodispersed Nanoparticle and Nanostructure Synthesis

Research by Yegân Erdem, Jim C. Cheng

The proposed project is an interdisciplinary collaboration to synthesize monodispersed nanoparticles inside a novel microfluidic reactor. Microfluidic reactors are superior to conventional batch-wise techniques due to their ability to control temperature and concentration of reagents precisely, make rapid changes in reaction conditions and keep residence times of reagents uniform. Two microreactors are designed in this project and the first generation device works by mixing two reagents inside a droplet to synthesize nanoparticles. The second generation microreactor is designed to achieve monodispersity by separating nucleation and growth zones and this will lead to excellent size distributions.

Journal Papers

1. E. Y. Erdem, J. C. Cheng, F. M. Doyle, and A. P. Pisano, “Multi-Temperature Zone, Droplet-based Microreactor for Increased Temperature Control in Nanoparticle Synthesis,” Small, 2013.

Conference Papers

1. E. Y. Erdem, M. T. Demko, S. Choi, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Scalable, Integrated System for Mechanical, 3D Assembly of Monodisperse Nanoparticles Synthesized On-Demand," in Technologies for Future Micro/Nano Manufacturing Napa, CA, 2011.
2. E. Y. Erdem, J. C. Cheng, G. Vigevani, F. M. Doyle, and A. P. Pisano, "Chemically Robust, Rapidly Printed Polyurethane Microreactor for Synthesis of Monodisperse Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles," in The 15th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences Seattle, WA, 2011.
3. E.Y. Erdem, J. C. Cheng, F. M. Doyle, and A. P. Pisano, “Integrated Heating and Cooling Multi-zone Silicon Microreactor for Increased Monodispersity in TiO2 Nanoparticle Synthesis”, Proceedings of The 16th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, Okinawa, Japan, 2012.

High-Resolution Direct Patterning of Nanoparticles and Polymers by a Template-Based Microfluidic Process

Research by David Rolfe

High-resolution patterns of nanoparticles and polymers are created on a variety of substrates using a template-based microfluidic process. A rigid, vapor-permeable polymer mold is created by polymerizing 4-methyl-2-pentyne and solvent casting the resulting polymer. The mold is pre-filled with solvent by pressing into a coated substrate, and then filled with nanoparticle or polymer ink by permeation pumping. This allows high resolution patterning with good control over the three-dimensional geometry in a completely additive process with no residual layer or etching required. This process has been demonstrated by patterning low-temperature metal electrodes from gold nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanoparticles for use in a UV detector.

Journal Papers

1. M. T. Demko, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Rigid, Vapor-Permeable Poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) Templates for High Resolution Patterning of Nanoparticles and Polymers,” ACS Nano, vol. 6, pp. 6890-6896, Aug. 2012.
2. M.T. Demko, J.C. Cheng, and A.P. Pisano, “High-Resolution Direct Patterning of Gold Nanoparticles by the Microfluidic Molding Process,” Langmuir, vol. 26, no. 22, pp. 16710-16714, Oct. 2010.

Conference Papers

1. M. T. Demko, J. C. Cheng, T. H. Cauley III, S. H. Ko, H. Pan, C. P. Grigoropoulos, and A. P. Pisano, “Direct Patterning of Gold Electrodes on Ceramic Substrates by Imprint Molding (IM) in Microcapillaries,” The Eighth International Conference on Nanoimprint and Nanoprint Technology. San Jose, CA, USA, 2009.
2. M.T. Demko, J.C. Cheng, T.H. Cauley, S.H. Ko, H. Pan, C. Grigoropoulos, and A.P. Pisano, "Direct patterning of gold electrodes on ceramic substrates by micromolding in capillaries," The International Nanoimprint and Nanoprint Conference, San Jose, California, United States, November 11-13, 2009.

Nano-Composite Capacitor for High Performance Energy Storage

Research by Anju Toor

The goal of this project is to design and develop an innovative nanoparticle/polymer composite material and then apply this nanocomposite to the development of a supercapacitor module with high energy and high power density. A new technique for creating films of core/shell nanoparticles in a polymer matrix could allow cost effective fabrication of capacitors with enhanced energy storage capacity as compared to conventional devices. The module can serve as efficient energy storage for back-up power in buildings and for hybrid/electric vehicles where lack of fast recharging time, limits their usage.

Single Cell Microchamber Arrays (SiCMA)