CAREER: X-Ray Diffraction Studies of Semiconductor and Metal Thin Film Growth

这个CAREER项目旨在发展金属/半导体生长和表面自组织模式形成领域的领先研究和教育活动。通过将创新研究与广泛的教育和推广工作相结合，该项目预计将极大地促进对有机和无机薄膜生长和蚀刻动力学的基本理解。一系列的实验旨在为与信息技术相关的几种材料系统中的下一代器件提供控制薄膜结构的方法。关键领域包括：(1)脉冲激光分子束外延动力学。重要的问题是非平衡合金的形成和极限，以及结构与载流子输运和磁性能的相互作用。（ii）离子蚀刻表面图案。本研究寻求自组织制造纳米结构薄膜和控制材料之间界面结构的方法。（iii）有机电子学，了解晶体结构和薄膜生长动力学与电性能和稳定性/可靠性的相互作用至关重要。这三个研究领域通过对互补薄膜材料在光电子学、磁电子学、自旋电子学和低成本电子学中的应用的更好理解和发展，具有共同的知识主题。该项目涉及电子材料科学中具有技术相关性的基础研究问题。该研究计划与一个充满活力的教育和推广计划紧密结合，包括广泛的指导。新课程将为本科生和研究生提供x射线物理学、材料科学和纳米技术的坚实背景。除了研究生研究助理外，本科生也将参与研究计划，为他们提供宝贵的机会来补充他们的理论训练。将鼓励各级学生在国家会议上介绍成果。一个更大的专注于薄膜电子材料的社区是由校园和其他学院、大学、国家实验室和当地工业的不同群体组成的，这将给学生提供体验多学科环境的机会。该项目将利用国家同步加速器光源（NSLS）的实时分析材料x射线研究多用户设备（X-SMART），以及佛蒙特大学和康奈尔大学的设备。一个针对K-12学生和教师、女性/少数族裔学院和行业的扩展外展项目将在佛蒙特州HELIX项目的基础上，将这些福利扩展到佛蒙特州农村和纽约内城的学校。这个项目将在与现代技术有关的一个重要科学领域创造新知识，为相关行业培养高技能工人，并提高社会对科学和技术的兴趣水平，从而造福社会。＊＊＊

This CAREER project aims to develop a leading research and education activity in the area of metal/semiconductor growth, and self-organized pattern formation on surfaces. Through integra-tion of innovative research with a broad education and outreach effort, the project expects to dramatically advance fundamental understanding of organic and inorganic thin-film growth and etching kinetics. A series of experiments are aimed at producing methods of controlling the structure of thin films for the next generation of devices in several materials systems related to information technology. Key areas include: (i) Kinetics of pulsed laser Molecular Beam Epitaxy. Important issues are the formation and ultimate limits of non-equilibrium alloys, and the interplay of structure with carrier transport and magnetic properties. (ii) Patterning of surfaces by ion etch-ing. This research seeks methods for self-organized fabrication of nanostructured thin films and control of the structure of interfaces between materials. (iii) Organic electronics, where it is of paramount importance to understand the interplay of crystalline structure and thin film growth kinetics with electrical properties and stability/reliability. The three research areas have a common intellectual theme through greater understanding and development of complementary thin film materials for applications in optoelectronics, magneto-electronics, spintronics, and low cost electronics. %%%The project addresses fundamental research issues in electronic materials science having technological relevance. The research plan is closely integrated with an energetic education and outreach program incorporating extensive mentoring. New courses will be developed to provide un-dergraduate and graduate students with a solid background in x-ray physics, materials science, and nanotechnology. In addition to graduate research assistants, undergraduate students will be involved in the research program, providing them with valuable opportunities to complement their theoretical training. Students at all levels will be encouraged to present results at national meetings. A greater community focusing on thin film electronic materials is envisioned from diverse groups across the campus and at other colleges, universities, national laboratories, and local industry, which will give students the opportunity to experience a multidisciplinary environment. The program will make use of the multi-user facility for X-ray Studies of Materials with Analysis in Real-Time (X-SMART) at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), as well as facilities at the University of Vermont and at Cornell University. An extended outreach program aimed at K-12 students and teachers, female/minority colleges, and industry, will build on the Vermont HELIX program, extending these benefits to rural Vermont and inner city New York schools. This project will benefit society by creating new knowledge in an important area of science re-lated to modern technology, by producing highly skilled workers for related industries, and by raising the level of community interest in science and technology. ***