Achieving Molecular Level Control over the Chemical, Electrochemical, and Electrical Properties of Crystalline Si Surfaces

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。化学系的分析和表面化学(ASC)计划将支持加州理工学院(Caltech)内森·刘易斯教授的研究项目。Lewis教授和他的学生将详细了解定义良好的平面硅表面的化学反应性，从而形成将这种化学反应转化为更复杂结构的基础；探索并表征硅(111)上的混合烷基单分子膜，以优化其电学性能，同时保持执行进一步理想的官能化反应的能力；制作定义明确、透明的硅/导电聚合物结，使其具有各种势垒高度；并研究自组装的基本方面，从而开发能够自发地将各向同性半导体棒悬浮体组织成定向电极阵列的方法。这项研究项目涉及操纵硅的性质，因此在光伏、光电电池等技术以及大量利用硅表面化学的蚀刻和光刻工艺中具有重要意义。该项目将为希望专门从事与可再生能源、信息和光通信行业国家竞争力密切相关的尖端研究领域的本科生、研究生和博士后研究员提供极好的培训机会。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Analytical and Surface Chemistry (ASC) Program of the Division of Chemistry will support the research project of Prof. Nathan Lewis of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Prof. Lewis and his students will develop a detailed understanding of the chemical reactivity of well-defined, planar Si surfaces and thereby form the basis for transferring this chemistry to more complex structures; explore and characterize mixed-alkyl monolayers on Si(111) to optimize their electrical properties while retaining the ability to perform further, desirable functionalization reactions; make well-defined, transparent Si/conductive polymer junctions having a variety of barrier heights; and study the fundamental aspects of self-assembly, thus developing methodologies that will enable the spontaneous organization of isotropic semiconductor rod suspensions into oriented electrode arrays. This research project involves manipulating the properties of Si and it is therefore of importance in technologies such as photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical cells, and to processes such as etching and lithography in which the chemistry of Si surfaces is heavily exploited. The project will provide excellent training opportunities to undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who wish to specialize in a cutting edge research area of great relevance to national competitiveness in the renewable energy, information, and optical communications industries.