INSPIRE Track 1: Manufacture and Characterization of Nanocrystalline/Amorphous Silicon for Particle Detection

INSPIRE奖的部分资金来自数学和物理科学理事会物理系的基本粒子物理项目、数学和物理科学理事会物理系的加速器物理和物理仪器项目、数学和物理科学理事会材料研究部的电子和光子材料项目。数学和物理科学理事会的多学科活动办公室，以及工程理事会土木、机械和制造创新司的纳米制造计划。这是一项INSPIRE Track 1奖，授予明尼苏达大学用于颗粒检测的纳米晶/非晶硅的制造和表征。与INSPIRE项目目标一致，这是一项高风险的多学科工作，包括粒子物理学、R. Rusack、凝聚态物理学、J. Kakalios和材料工程、U. Kortshagen。该计划的目标包括：鉴定、制造和测试至少一种适合的非晶/纳米晶硅材料，该材料在电荷迁移率、重组率和辐射损伤稳健性方面具有优异的性能特征；开发这些已识别材料的加工条件，使其能够在每个设备的实际时间尺度上生产合理的探测器尺寸和厚度；并将技术转移到工业中，以大规模生产适合探测器应用的材料。在项目的第一阶段，该小组将利用现有的双反应器共沉积系统来生产和研究一些非晶/纳米晶体硅薄膜，以确定纳米晶体的尺寸和密度，从而优化迁移率和复合寿命。辐射研究将会考虑到这一优化。与这些研究并行，将设计和制造一个具有可平移基板级的新的替代反应器系统。在最后阶段，利用新的反应器系统，该小组的目标是在一个合理的区域内展示一种用于混合相生长的新型共沉积系统，以此为基础，可以进行大规模的工业加工。这种可扩展的纳米制造技术的发展可以使混合相非晶/纳米晶材料找到广泛的应用。除了开发创新的新型粒子探测器材料和技术外，新型混合相材料还可能带来其他重要应用，例如在高效率光伏器件、非易失性存储器、医用x射线成像材料、热电和电致发光器件等方面的潜在进展。

This INSPIRE award is partially funded by the Elementary Particle Physics Program in the Division of Physics in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the Accelerator Physics and Physics Instrumentation Program in the Division of Physics in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the Electronic and Photonic Materials Program in the Division of Materials Research in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and the NanoManufacturing Program in the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation in the Directorate for Engineering.This is an INSPIRE Track 1 Award to the University of Minnesota for the manufacture and characterization of nanocrystalline/amorphous silicon for particle detection. In alignment with INSPIRE program objectives, this is a high risk, multidisciplinary effort including particle physics, R. Rusack, condensed matter physics, J. Kakalios and materials engineering, U. Kortshagen. The program objectives include: the identification, fabrication and testing of at least one suitable amorphous/nanocrystalline Si material with excellent performance characteristics for charge mobility, recombination rate and robustness to radiation damage; the development of processing conditions for these identified material(s) that allow production of a reasonable detector size and thickness on a practical timescale per device; and technology transfer to industry to produce the materials at scale suitable for detector applications. In the first phase of the program, the group will utilize an existing dual reactor co-deposition system to produce and study a number of amorphous/nanocrystal silicon films to determine the nanocrystal size and density that will optimize mobility and recombination lifetime. Irradiation studies will factor into this optimization. In parallel with these studies, a new, replacement reactor system with a translatable substrate stage will be designed and fabricated. In the final phase and with the new reactor system, the group's objective is to demonstrate a functioning new co-deposition system for mixed phase growth over a reasonable area, from which larger scale industrial processing could be based.Development of such scalable nano-manufacturing technologies could enable mixed-phase amorphous/nanocrystalline materials to find a broad range of applications. In addition to the development of innovative new particle detector materials and technologies, novel mixed-phase materials might lead to other important applications, for example potential advances in high efficiency photovoltaic devices, non-volatile memories, materials for medical x-ray imaging, thermo-electrics and electroluminescent devices.