Increased interest in the field of sensor technology stems from the availability of an inexpensive and robust sensor to detect and quantify the presence of a specific gas. Bulk p-CuO/n-ZnO heterocontact based gas sensors have been shown to exhibit the necessary sensitivity and selectivity characteristics, however, low interfacial CuO/ZnO contact...
Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are manufactured at the greatest rate of any class of nanomaterial due to their wide variety of industrial, commercial, and environmental applications. The sustainable use of MONPs requires a balance of careful consideration of their potential negative environmental impacts with the effective exploitation of their unique...
This work explores the synthesis and characterization of the metastable alloys Sn1-xCaxCh (Ch= S, Se) and nitride compounds Zn-W-Mo-N, which have recently been predicted by theorists. Single phase thin films of Sn1-xCaxS are prepared by pulsed laser deposition and radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and of Sn1-xCaxSe are prepared by pulsed laser...
The solution chemistry and kinetic behavior of hafnium peroxy sulfate solutions ("HafSOx") is described in terms of peroxide content and solution speciation. Additionally, thin film behavior, including thermal behavior and solubility, is characterized, and a mechanism of patterning is presented, as well as parameters that should be considered when looking...
Solid-state amorphous materials show amazing promise in thin-film electronics. The interface-to-bulk ratio of thin films makes interfacial chemistries of these systems of utmost importance. Thin films of amorphous metals, dielectrics and semiconductors have novel chemistries that are not only based upon their elemental constituent makeup, but also based upon the...
Spintronics is an emerging field of research wherein the electron spin instead of, or along with, the conventional electron charge may be utilized in developing next generation logic devices. One of the most promising aspects of spintronics is that information transfer may be achieved by spin waves in logic devices,...
Thin films are an enabling technology for a wide range of applications, from microprocessors to diffusion barriers. Nanolaminate thin films combine two (or more) materials in a layered structure to achieve performance that neither film could provide on its own. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a chemical vapor deposition technique...
The implementation and construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls has undergone substantial expansions in recent years, owing to its relatively low cost, ease of construction, and high efficiency compared to conventional retaining methods. As a result, MSE walls are being constructed to greater heights with complex features (e.g. multiple...
Structure-specific synthesis processes are of key importance to the growth of polymorphic functional compounds such as TiO₂, where material properties strongly depend on structure as well as chemistry. The robust growth of the brookite polymorph of TiO₂, a promising photocatalyst, has been difficult in both powder and thin-film forms due...
Phase change memory materials are a set of chalcogenide or pnictogenide materials systems currently being researched for use in optical and resistive based memory systems due to their large change in optoelectronic properties between the amorphous and the crystalline states. For these materials systems to be considered as a suitable...