CAREER: RUI: Development and Investigations of Transition-Metal-Doped Ferromagnetic SnO2 Thin Films and Structures

磁电子学，通常被称为自旋电子学，利用量子力学粒子的自旋来携带信号和处理信息，而传统电子学则依赖于它们的电荷。随着传统的基于半导体的电子技术迅速接近小型化的极限，它已被提出作为一种急需的未来技术。为了实现实用化的自旋电子器件，开发室温铁磁性半导体势在必行。本CAREER项目旨在开发高质量的锡基磁性半导体薄膜。这些材料在气敏应用中也非常有吸引力，因为它们的磁性与氧化学计量学有很强的依赖性——氧化学计量学是PI首次开发和报道的一种新的气敏方法。这些磁性半导体薄膜将通过使用溅射沉积（工业上最常用的制造技术）将半导体二氧化锡与磁性元素（如铁和钴）掺杂来制备。这项工作每年将涉及至少两名本科生和一名材料科学研究生，从而在5年内为多达15名学生提供前所未有的研究和培训机会。他们将与太平洋西北国家实验室、劳伦斯伯克利国家实验室、美光技术实验室（博伊西）、爱达荷大学和阿贡国家实验室的科学家合作。拟议的研究活动将通过开发新课程和现有课程的课程材料，进一步整合到物理和材料科学本科/研究生课程中，并将加强博伊西州立大学拟议于2008年开设的新的跨学科材料科学博士课程。该职业计划的重点是开发高质量的铁磁半导体薄膜，这对于磁性/磁电子器件和新型磁性气敏器件的发展至关重要。随着传统的基于半导体的电子技术迅速接近小型化、数据处理和存储的极限，磁电子学（自旋电子学）已被提出作为一种急需的未来技术。该项目将开发的基于二氧化锡的磁性半导体对于气敏应用也很有吸引力，因为它们的磁性依赖于氧化学计量学——这是PI首次开发并报道的一种新的气敏方法。多达15名本科生/研究生将有机会在五年内与各个国家实验室和行业的科学家合作。该项目将显著提高物理学和材料科学本科/研究生课程的研究和教学质量，并将加强博伊西州立大学2008年新提出的跨学科材料科学博士课程。

Magneto-electronics, commonly known as spintronics, employs the spins of quantum-mechanical particles to carry signals and process information, in contrast to conventional electronics, which relies on their charges. It has been proposed as a much-needed future technology as the conventional semiconductor based electronic technology quickly approaches the limits of miniaturization. For the realization of practical spintronic devices, it is imperative to develop semiconductors that are ferromagnetic at room temperature. This CAREER project proposes to develop high-quality tin-dioxide-based magnetic semiconductor thin films. These materials are also very attractive in gas-sensing applications due to the strong dependence of their magnetic properties on oxygen stoichiometry - a new gas-sensing method developed and reported for the first time by the PI. These magnetic semiconductor films will be prepared by doping semiconducting tin dioxide with magnetic elements such as iron and cobalt using sputter deposition - the most commonly used fabrication technique in industry. This work will be carried out involving at least two undergraduate students and a materials science graduate student every year, thus providing unprecedented research and training opportunities in for as many as 15 students over the 5-year period. They will collaborate with scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Micron Technology Labs (Boise), the University of Idaho, and Argonne National Lab. The proposed research activities will be further integrated into the physics and materials science undergraduate/graduate programs through development of course materials for new and existing courses, and will also strengthen the new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Materials Science at Boise State University that is proposed for 2008.This CAREER proposal focuses on the development of high-quality ferromagnetic semiconductor thin films that are crucial for the development of magnetic/magneto-electronic devices and for novel magnetic gas-sensing devices. Magneto-electronics (spintronics) has been proposed as a much-needed future technology as the conventional semiconductor based electronic technology rapidly approaches the limits of miniaturization, data processing, and storage. The tin-dioxide-based magnetic semiconductors that will be developed in this project are also attractive for gas-sensing applications using the dependence of their magnetic properties on the oxygen stoichiometry - a new gas-sensing method developed and reported for the first time by the PI. As many as 15 undergraduate/graduate students will have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists at various national labs and industry over the five-year period. The project will significantly improve the quality of research and teaching activities in the physics and materials science undergraduate/graduate programs and will strengthen the new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Materials Science at Boise State University that has been proposed for 2008.