Conceptual Study of Rotary-Wing Microrobotics

This thesis presents a novel rotary-wing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) robot design. Two MEMS wing designs were designed, fabricated and tested including one that possesses features conducive to insect level aerodynamics. Two methods for fabricating an angled wing were also attempted with photoresist and CrystalBond™ to create an angle of attack. One particular design consisted of the wing designs mounted on a gear which are driven by MEMS actuators. MEMS comb drive actuators were analyzed, simulated and tested as a feasible drive system. The comb drive resonators were also designed orthogonally which successfully rotated a gear without wings. With wings attached to the gear, orthogonal MEMS thermal actuators demonstrated wing rotation with limited success. Multi-disciplinary theoretical expressions were formulated to account for necessary mechanical force, allowable mass for lift, and electrical power requirements. The robot design did not achieve flight, but the small pieces presented in this research with minor modifications are promising for a potential complete robot design under 1 cm2 wingspan. The complete robot design would work best in a symmetrical quad-rotor configuration for simpler maneuverability and control. The military’s method to gather surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence could be transformed given a MEMS rotary-wing robot’s diminutive size and multi-role capabilities

Three-dimensional field-effect transistors with top-down and bottom-up nanowire-array channels

This dissertation research effort explores new transistor topologies using three-dimensional nanowire (NW)-array channels formed by both bottom-up and top-down synthesis. The bottom-up NW research centers on the Au-catalyzed planar GaAs NW assembly discovered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The top-down NW research approach involves plasma etching of an emerging wide-bandgap material, Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3), to make arrays of NW channels (or fins) for high-power electronics. Bottom-up AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure core-shell planar NWs are demonstrated on a wafer scale with excellent yield. Their placement is determined by lithographically patterning an array of Au seeds on semi-insulating GaAs substrate. The GaAs NWs assemble by lateral epitaxy via a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism and align in parallel arrays as a result of the (100) GaAs crystal plane orientation; then, a thin-film AlGaAs layer conforms to the GaAs NWs to form AlGaAs/GaAs NW high-electron mobility channels. Radio frequency (RF) transistors are fabricated and show excellent dc and high-frequency performance. An fmax > 75 GHz with 104 is measured which is superior compared to carbon-based nanoelectronics and “spin-on III-V NWs”. A comprehensive small-signal model is used to extract the contributing and limiting factors to the RF performance of AlGaAs/GaAs NW-array transistors and predict future performance. Finally, a process is developed to show that III-V NWs on sacrificial epitaxial templates can be transferred to arbitrary substrates. Top-down NWs were formed from Sn-doped Ga2O3 homoepitaxially grown on semi-insulating beta-phase Ga2O3 substrates by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. First, conventional planar transistors were fabricated from a sample set to characterize and understand the electrical performance as a function of Sn-doping and epitaxial channel thickness. Second, the high-critical field strength was evaluated to highlight the benefit of using Ga2O3 as a disruptive technology to GaN and SiC. Lastly, the planar transistor results feed into a design for a top-down NW-array transistor. The Ga2O3 NW-arrays were formed by BCl3 plasma etching. A new wrap-gate transistor demonstrates normally-off (enhancement-mode) operation with a high breakdown voltage exceeding 600 V which is superior to any transistor using a 3D channel

Enhancement-mode Ga2O3 wrap-gate fin field-effect transistors on native (100) β-Ga2O3 substrate with high breakdown voltage

Sn-doped gallium oxide (Ga2O3) wrap-gate fin-array field-effect transistors (finFETs) were formed by top-down BCl3 plasma etching on a native semi-insulating Mg-doped (100) β-Ga2O3 substrate. The fin channels have a triangular cross-section and are approximately 300 nm wide and 200 nm tall. FinFETs, with 20 nm Al2O3 gate dielectric and ∼2 μm wrap-gate, demonstrate normally-off operation with a threshold voltage between 0 and +1 V during high-voltage operation. The ION/IOFF ratio is greater than 105 and is mainly limited by high on-resistance that can be significantly improved. At VG = 0, a finFET with 21 μm gate-drain spacing achieved a three-terminal breakdown voltage exceeding 600 V without a field-plate

Nanoscale groove textured β-Ga2O3 by room temperature inverse metal-assisted chemical etching and photodiodes with enhanced responsivity

β-Ga2O3 is an emerging wide band-gap semiconductor that holds great promise for next generation power electronics and optoelectronics. β-Ga2O3 based ultraviolet photodetectors have been the subject of active research for the last few years. However, no micro and nanostructure surface texturing has been demonstrated for efficient light management in β-Ga2O3 optoelectronic applications yet. We hereby present nanoscale groove textured β-Ga2O3 metal-semiconductor-metal photodiodes, enabled by the unique metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) method at room temperature in liquid. Although the textured surface stoichiometry shows ∼10% oxygen deficiency which results in a reduced Schottky barrier height and increased dark current, clear enhancement of the responsivity is demonstrated, compared to the planar untreated surface. The realization of MacEtch's applicability to β-Ga2O3 opens the door for producing more sophisticated device structures for this material, without resorting to conventional dry etch and potential damage.Published versio