Fabrication and Characterization of Micro- and Nano-structured Materials Systems

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This proposal is concerned with the fabrication and comprehensive characterization of complex materials structures, including - but not limited to - silicon-based systems for photonics applications. It is our aim to (a) contribute to a better understanding of the atomistic processes that determine properties that are critical to certain applications, (b) contribute to the optimization of materials and structures for photonic and - to a lesser extent - electronic applications, and (c) provide a strong and direct link between advanced materials science and state-of-the-art fabrication technology.**The proposed research program builds on the demonstrated successes of current and previous research projects and will further intensify our work in silicon photonics and organic light emitting materials and devices. Silicon photonics is an internationally hotly pursued field, with potentially massive economic benefits. Over the past few years, we have demonstrated our ability to design and fabricate silicon-based materials systems that emit light via nano-crystals and/or -clusters and/or through rare-earth doping, leading to strong emission in the green, blue, and red, respectively. Most exciting form a practical perspective is the potential for tunability of the emission wavelength and/or the generation of white light. Even though these results are reproducible at the technological level, much better understanding of the underlying microphysics is still required. A similar case - albeit in a more narrowly defined application space - can be made in favour of continued development of novel organic materials architectures for blue and white OLEDs. **Common to these materials systems is the complexity of their physical and chemical make-up and the tendency to incorporate impurities and/or defects, all of which determine the optical and electronic properties. We will place particular emphasis on synergistic use of complementary analytical tools to be able to link microscopic and/or structural features to optical and/or electronic properties of the investigated systems. One of the key facilities in that regard will be the McMaster Intense Positron Beam Facility (MIPBF), which was funded in the 2009 CFI competition and will be operational in late 2014. MIPBF includes one of the world's most intense sources of positrons, which will supply two experimental stations equipped to perform positron lifetime and Doppler-broadening studies of open-volume defects in materials and positron-based surface characterization, respectively.The MIPBF will be unique in Canada, one of only a few operating worldwide, and will greatly add to the collaborative facilities already in existence at McMaster, such as the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM), the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research (BIMR), and the Centre for Emerging Device Technologies (CEDT). Off campus, we will continue to use the ion beam analytical facilities at Western University in London, ON and the unique facilities at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) synchrotron laboratory in Saskatoon, SK.**In both research thrusts, the combination of wide-ranging fabrication capabilities with synchrotron-based X-ray studies, electron microscopy, positron annihilation spectroscopy, and optical characterization sets our work apart from many conventional studies of such systems. The proposed research program will provide ample opportunity for HQP to be trained in and work with state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization tools, in a multi-disciplinary and internationally collaborative environment. Such experience often is the differentiating factor when it comes to employment in academia, research institutes, or innovative companies.