"Research Initiation Award: Fabrication and Characterization of Composite Contacts on Wide Band Gap Semiconductor for High Temperature Application in Air."

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Elizabeth City State University's Research Initiation Award entitled - Fabrication and Characterization of Composite Contacts on Wide Band Gap Semiconductor for High Temperature Application in Air - is a collaborative effort between the principal investigator at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) and faculty at the Center for Materials Research at Norfolk State University (CMR-NSU). The project supports materials research activities by faculty at ECSU and CMR-NSU, as well as research education and training of undergraduate students at ECSU. The project has the potential to contribute to the undergraduate education knowledge base through integration of education and research. It also provides summer research experiences to high school students.The research objective of the proposal is to explore vacuum sputtered nanolayers ( 100 nm thick) of conducting refractory metals, metal silicides and titanium-tungsten, as oxidation and diffusion barrier layers to protect contacts on Wide Band Gap (WBG) semiconductor devices that will function in a high temperature environment. The effectiveness and reliability of the devices operating at high temperature ( 500º C ) over an extended period of time ( 5000 hours) will depend on the interfacial reactions, oxygen defect and mobility or accumulation of carbon close to the contact/barrier layer interface. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Electron Microscopy (TEM & SEM) will be employed to physically characterize interface reaction at such elevated annealing temperatures.