An Integrated Lab-on-a-Chip for Nanoelectronic Materials

纳米电子材料集成芯片实验室。这项研究的目标是开发一种集成的芯片上实验室类型的设备，用于纳米级电子材料薄膜的多域表征。该方法是纳米制造一个3mm x 3mm x 0.5 mm尺寸的设备，具有多功能功能，如力和位移传感器和致动器，用于机械性能，微电极用于电导率和导热性表征。智力优势：芯片实验室工具将改变当前的范式（单域表征），真正同时进行纳米电子材料的多域输运研究。PI提出，在纳米尺度上，机械应变打破了电子和声子散射的传统规则，在物理域之间产生了前所未有的耦合。PI将探索极小长度尺度对这种耦合的作用。极端尺寸诱导耦合的概念将改变目前对材料物理学的理解，它消除了需要原子的特殊排列才能表现出任何耦合（例如只有中心对称原子才能产生压电）的先决条件，从而开辟了材料多物理的新领域。更广泛的影响：通过具有挑战性的跨领域实验研究，该研究将弥合纳米结构理论和实验研究之间的巨大差距。本研究的科学发现将为下一代纳米电子器件的尺寸和应变可调电子和声子输运开辟新的领域。这项研究将通过在研究生阶段开发教育模块，雇用代表性不足的本科生研究助理，并在州立大学地区学区K-12班开展外展活动，将研究整合到教育中。

An Integrated Lab-on-a-Chip for Nanoelectronic MaterialsM. A. Haque, the Pennsylvania State UniversityThe objective of this research is to develop an integrated lab-on-a-chip type device for multi-domain characterization of nanoscale thin films of electronic materials. The approach is to nanofabricate a 3 mm x 3mm x 0.5 mm size device with multi-functional capabilities, such as force and displacement sensors and actuator for mechanical properties and micro-electrodes for electrical and thermal conductivity characterization. Intellectual Merits: The lab-on-a-chip tool will transform the current paradigm (single-domain characterization) to truly simultaneous multi-domain transport studies on nanoelectronic materials. The PI proposes that at the nanoscale, mechanical strain breaks down the conventional rules for scattering of electrons and phonons, giving rise to unprecedented coupling among physical domains. The PI will explore the role of extremely small length-scales on such coupling. The concept of extreme dimension-induced coupling will transform the current understanding in materials physics by removing the pre-requisite that special arrangement of atoms are required to exhibit any coupling (such as only centro-symmetric atoms lead to piezo-electricity) and thereby open a new area of multi-physics of materials. Broader Impacts: By enabling challenging cross-cutting experimental studies, the research will bridge the existing wide gap between theoretical and experimental studies on nanostructures. The scientific findings of this research will open the area of dimension and strain tunable electron and phonon transport in next generation nanoelectronic devices. The research will be integrated to education by developing education modules at the graduate level, hiring under-represented undergraduate research assistants and performing outreach activities in the State College area school District K-12 classes.