Identifier

etd-07072014-170726

Degree

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Miniaturization in the electronics industry has been driven by advancements in material science. Recently, Hybrid Electronic Materials (HEMs) have been postulated to have unique material properties that can be used within the semiconductor industry. As such, the main focus of this research is to characterize the relevant properties of HEMs using atomic force microscopy (AFM), conductive probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM), and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Emphasis is placed on characterizing [R6G][TPB] GUMBOS which are a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts. GUMBOS exhibit properties such as fluorescence and magnetic susceptibility, both of which may be important with respect to their applications within the electronics industry. Next, the functionalization of substrates as HEM templates for na-noscale device technologies is an area of both scientific interest and techno-logical necessity. Historically, Aminopropyltriethoxy Silane (APTES) has been used as an effective silane (SiH4) coupling agent to enhance adhesion. In this work, a study of the morphology of APTES on silicon substrates, using both AFM and Raman spectroscopy has been undertaken. Finally, a great deal of research has focused on characterizing the me-chanical and chemical properties of biocompatible and biodegradable mate-rials. Therefore, the last part of this work focuses on characterizing the mor-phology of zein fibers. Zein is a class of biopolymer which falls into the cate-gory of prolamine proteins of corn (maize). Although not specifically identified as an electronic material by itself, zein has proven to be a valuable component of composite (hybrid) materials exhibiting characteristics of high tensile strength, selective permeability, and resistance to microbial attack, to name a few. If amenable to integration with sensor or biomedical electronics, investi-gating the processing mechanics of zein may be invaluable to potential device applications. Thus, this research takes a step in the direction of understanding the deposition mechanics and morphology of zein on substrates, using the tech-nique of electrospraying, in conjunction with AFM, scanning electron micros-copy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy.

Date

2014

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Daniels-Race, Theda

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1172

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