Field-induced Chemical and Microstructure Evolution of Dielectric Materials
Abstract
We propose to develop processing and characterization facilities to explore the fundamentalphysics behind electric-field-induced chemical and microstructure evolution of materials.Electric fields are known to have sometimes profound, and often non-linear, influences on thechemistry and microstructure evolution of solid-state materials and can be utilized to enhanceprocessing kinetics and/or lead to highly non-equilibrium structures. In addition, the timeevolution of device material properties is strongly influenced by electric fields, which can lead tomaterials degradation or, on the other hand, can be harnessed to create new device functionality.While the interaction of electric fields with material kinetic processes has been of interest formany decades, there remain multiple areas where the underlying mechanisms are not completelyunderstood. North Carolina State University (NCSU) leads several research programs aimed toimprove our fundamental understanding of how dielectric materials respond to electric fields.The enabling equipment, which will enhance these and other research programs and proposedherein includes: (1) a novel microwave system that enables an highly non-equilibrium route forthe synthesis of a wide range of dielectric materials, (2) a cathodoluminescence (CL)spectrometer, which will be installed in an existing scanning electron microscope (SEM) toprobe defect optical states (which are induced by electric fields) at a spatial resolution ofnanometers, and (3) an infrared (IR) imaging system that can be used to monitor thermal profilesof materials both during microwave synthesis and during post-processing, in-operandoelectrical-field interactions. The equipment will be located at NCSU Nanofabrication Facilityand Analytical Instrumentation Facility and will be widely accessible to other academic andindustrial scientists via the Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 11, 2017
- Source ID
- FA95501712226
Entities
People
- Elizabeth C Dickey
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- North Carolina State University
- United States Air Force