Source: http://prime.eng.ucsd.edu/projects
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 00:57:26+00:00

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The research objective is to design and develop low power Silicon Carbide (SiC) based transistors and Integrated Circuits (ICs) that can withstand the elevated temperature, up to 600°C. The fabricated ICs will be integrated with SiC and AlN based sensors to develop high temperature sensing systems for various harsh environment applications.
In this project, we design, fabricate and test MEMS sensors based on piezoelectric aluminum nitride. The long-term goal is a sensor platform that can be used to generate sensor cluster systems that survive harsh environment conditions, such as high termperatures, high pressures, corrosive media, high G-shock or radiation. So far, we have successfully demonstrated gyroscopes, accelerometers and strain sensors based on aluminum nitride. We have also shown that the strain sensors can operate at temperatures of up to 570 °C. We are currently working on integrating pressure sensors and temperature sensors on the same chip with inertial sensors.
This project presents an array of research opportunities from fundamental material considerations, dynamic modelling, and device design to device fabrication in a cleanroom environment, construction of testing apparatuses and electronics, and experimental evaluation of complex sensor systems. It is a great way to learn about the full spectrum of MEMS sensor development in a hands-on environment.
F. Goericke, K. Mansukhani, K. Yamamoto, and A. P. Pisano, “Experimentally validated aluminum nitride based pressure, temperature and 3-axis acceleration sensors integration on a single chip ,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), San Francisco, CA, Jan. 2014, pp. 729-732.
F.T. Goericke, G. Vigevani, I.I. Izyumin, B.E. Boser, and A.P.Pisano, “Novel Thin-Film Piezoelectric Aluminum Nitride Rate Gyroscope,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Ultrason. Symp. (IUS), Dresden, Germany, Oct. 2012, pp. 1067-1070.
F. T. Goericke, M. W. Chan, G. Vigevani, I. Izyumin, B. E. Boser and A. P. Pisano, “High temperature compatible aluminum nitride resonating strain sensor,” in Tech. Dig. Intl. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsystems (Transducers), Beijing, China, Jun. 2011, pp. 1994-1997.
Integrated 4H-SiC UV detector chip could be used in space exploration and combustion and jet engine flame monitoring. The goal of my research project is to develop 4H-SiC lateral JFET and MOSFET integrated circuit technology and MSM UV detector for high temperature Ultraviolet sensor.
W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, D.-H. Lien, D. G. Senesky, J.-H. He, A. P. Pisano, “4H-SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Ultraviolet Photodetectors in Operation of 450 °C,” IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 33, pp. 1586-1588, Nov. 2012.
W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, S.-H. Chiu, D. G. Senesky, R. Maboudian, A. P. Pisano, J.-H. He, “Low-Temperature, Ion Beam-Assisted SiC Thin Films With Antireflective ZnO Nanorod Arrays for High-Temperature Photodetection,” IEEE Elec. Dev. Lett., vol. 32, pp. 1564 - 1566, Nov. 2011.
W.-C. Lien, D. S. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “4H-SiC Lateral JFET for Low Power Operational Amplifier Applications.” Pacific Rim Meeting on Electrochemical and Solid-State Science, Honolulu, USA, October 2012.
W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, D. S. Senesky, J.-H. He, and A. P. Pisano, “Extreme Temperature 4H-SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Ultraviolet Photodetectors.” Europe Solid-State Device Research Conferenece (ESSDERC), Bordeaux, France, Sep. 2012.
W.-C. Lien, D.-S. Tsai, S.-H. Chiu, D. G. Senesky, R. Maboudian, A. P. Pisano, and J.-H. He, “Nanocrystalline SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Photodetector with ZnO Nanorod Arrays for High-Temperature Applications.” in Tech. Dig. Intl. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsystems (Transducers), Beijing, China, Jun. 2011, pp. 1875-1878.
Geothermal energy currently accounts for 0.35% of the energy generated within the US. However, with approximately 200,000 exajoules available, it has the potential to meet around 22% of current electrical demand. The development of harsh environment sensor technology can aid in data logging and monitoring of geothermal reservoirs which are challenging to assess. State-of-the-art sensors based on silicon technology are limited to temperatures below 300oC and are not suitable for geothermal conditions. As a result, new material platforms that utilize chemically inert, ceramic semiconductor materials are proposed for harsh environment applications. Technology developed at UC Berkeley has demonstrated the chemical and mechanical robustness of SiC sensors at temperatures as high as 600oC and in dry steam.
The development of harsh environment sensor technology can aid in data logging and monitoring of geothermal reservoirs which are challenging to assess. State-of-the-art sensors based on silicon technology are limited to temperatures below 300oC and cannot survive long exposure in geothermal conditions. As a result, new material platforms that utilize chemically inert, ceramic semiconductor materials are proposed for harsh environment applications. In the proposed work a temperature sensor that can withstand the harsh reservoir environment will be developed. The scope of the proposed research is to 1) perform experimental exposure testing of sensor materials in a small-scale pressure vessel at and around the critical point of water and geothermal brine and 2) develop a harsh environment temperature sensor that can operate in harsh supercritical conditions while maintaining high sensitivities. These tasks aid in the realization of advanced sensors for geothermal logging and monitoring. Ultimately, the harsh environment technology developed in this program can lead to improvements in geophysical models as well as increased reservoir lifetimes through direct monitoring.
Thick SiC devices were fabricated to reduce the out of plane motion of the SiC temperature sensors. Eight attempts to fabricate the SiO2 side wall were completed. While the strain gradient did decrease with thickness, the strain gradient was still large enough to have all of the comb fingers are not inter-digitated on the released devices. This phenomenon reduces the device capacitance to a level that appears to be blow the noise floor of the LCR meter used for signal detection with temperature. Thicker SiC devices have been tested up to 600°C and measured optically. ANSYS models were modified to include residual SiC film stress. Sensors begin to actuate at about 350°C due to the film stress. Thin, out of plane, SiC sensors were designed and fabricated. The out of plane motion is less critically dependent on SiC film stress and strain gradient. These devices will utilize the bimorph phenomenon using SiC and Al as the higher CTE material. ANSYS simulations are currently underway to determine optimal layer thicknesses and appropriate SiC deposition methods to tailor the initial film strain. For the exposure testing portion of this research, new materials for exposure testing have been determined. Synthetic diamond (sp3) has been deposited on 4x4mm Si dies (5-7 microns on all sides) for testing in supercritical salt water. In addition to diamond, glossy carbon will be tested as a potential coating material within the simulated geothermal environment. Single crystal diamond will also be tested. Silver and gold capsules have been welded and pressure tested at 100°C with water enclosed to test for leaking.
S. Wodin-Schwartz, J. C. Cheng, D. G. Senesky, J. E. Hammer, and A. P. Pisano, “Geothermal environmental exposure testing of encapsulant and device materials for harsh environment MEMS sensors,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), Paris, France, Jan. 2012, pp. 432-435.
S. Wodin-Schwartz, M.W. Chan, K. Mansukhani, A.P. Pisano, D.G. Senesky, “MEMS Sensors for Down-Hole Monitoring of Geothermal Energy Systems,” in Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Energy Sustainability & 9th Fuel Cell Science, Washington, DC, Aug. 2011.
This project aims to develop a micromachined piezoelectric energy harvester for pulsed pressure sources by utilizing silicon carbide (SiC) as the structural material and aluminum nitride (AlN) as the active piezoelectric element for operation within extreme harsh environments. The SiC/AlN energy harvesters have great potentials for integrating energy harvesting power source with SiC sensors and circuitry and enabling self-powered wireless sensing technology for structural health monitoring of harsh environment energy systems.
Y.-J. Lai, W.-C. Li, C.-M. Lin, V. V. Felmetsger, and A. P. Pisano, “High-temperature stable piezoelectric aluminum nitride energy harvesters utilizing elastically supported diaphragms,” in Tech. Dig. Int. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsyst. (Transducers), Barcelona. Spain, Jun. 2013, pp. 2268-2271.
Y.-J. Lai, W.-C. Li, C.-M. Lin, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “SiC/AlN piezoelectric energy harvesters for pulsed pressure sources in harsh environment applications,” in Tech. Dig. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsyst. Workshop (Hilton Head), Hilton Head, SC, Jun. 2012, pp. 505-508.
The goal of this project is to develop silicon carbide (SiC) lateral bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) for harsh environment sensing applications. The wide bandgap energy (3.2eV) and low intrinsic carrier concentration allow SiC semiconductor device to function at much higher temperature than Si. This technology will enable the integration of SiC electronic devices with MEMS-based SiC sensors, and the development of self-powered sensing system with wireless telemetry capability for harsh environment applications.
N. Zhang, C.-M. Lin, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Temperature sensor based on 4H-silicon carbide pn diode operational from 25ºC to 600ºC,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 104, 073504, Feb. 2014.
N. Zhang and A. P. Pisano, “Harsh environment temperature sensor based on 4H-Silicon carbide PN diode,” in Tech. Dig. Int. Conf. Solid-State Sens. Actuators Microsyst. (Transducers), Barcelona. Spain, Jun. 2013, pp. 1016-1019.
The goal of this project is to develop harsh environment rectification and sensing circuits. The devices and circuits are designed in silicon carbide (SiC) wafer due to its extraordinary performance in harsh environment such as high temperature, corrosive chemical. SiC diodes and rectifiers will be designed, fabricated and tested in my research project to develop harsh environment sensing system.
The goal of this project is to develop a MEMS-based pressure sensor made of Silicon Carbide (SiC) for the direct monitoring of geothermal reservoirs in harsh supercritical conditions, as part of an effort to provide instrumentation and telemetry for harsh environments. The sensor will be engineered to survive and operate in H2O pressures up to 220 bar and temperatures as high as 374°C.
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Sensors are appealing for harsh environment MEMS applications, specifically because of their ability to withstand high temperatures and resist corrosion. The long range goal of this project is to develop a robust process to bond SiC sensors to various components in order to obtain high-precision measurements in high-temperature and high-pressure environments.
This project seeks to construct a thermally-isolated, SiC thin-film, ionization sensor to measure the propagation speed of flames in combustion chambers. Silicon carbide has been chosen as the sensor material because it is a ceramic semiconductor with low surface energy and excellent mechanical and electrical properties at high temperatures. A prototype MEMS planar sensor array has been designed and fabricated for parametric testing of sensor material and geometry. Future work will incorporate parametric optimization and thermal isolation of the sensor surface to minimize quenching. The creation of a flame ionization sensor capable of withstanding combustion environments will allow for measurement of flame speed, location and propagation around walls of a combustion chamber. Possible future applications include the real-time monitoring of flame speed in individual internal combustion engine cylinders or the monitoring of flame stability in turbine applications. Such applications would offer a significant improvement in combustion efficiency.
D.A. Rolfe, S. Wodin-Schwartz, R. Alonso, and A. P. Pisano, “Planar SiC MEMS Flame Ionization Sensor for In-Engine Monitoring”, 13th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications, London, UK, 2013.
The goal of this project is to develop aluminum nitride (AlN) Lamb wave resonators with small frequency-temperature shifts, high quality factors (Q), and CMOS compatibility for the integrated on-chip MEMS RF transceiver.
C.-M. Lin, V. Yantchev, J. Zou, Y.-Y. Chen, and A. P. Pisano, “Micromachined one-port aluminum nitride Lamb wave resonators utilizing the lowest-order symmetric mode,” J. Microelectromech. Syst., vol. 23, pp. 78-91, Feb. 2014.
C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Two-port filters and resonators on AlN/3C-SiC plates utilizing high-order Lamb wave modes,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), Taipei, Taiwan, Jan. 2013, pp. 789-792.
C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Acoustic characteristics of the third-order quasi-symmetric Lamb wave mode in an AlN/3C–SiC plate,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Ultrason. Symp. (IUS), Prague, Czech Republic, Jul. 2013, pp. 1093-1096.
C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, V. V. Felmetsger, G. Vigevani, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Micromachined aluminum nitride acoustic resonators with an epitaxial silicon carbide layer utilizing high-order Lamb wave modes,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (MEMS), Paris, France, Jan. 2012, pp. 733-736.
This project aims at developing high-Q aluminum nitride (AlN) Lamb wave resonators (LWRs) for wireless communications (e.g. oscillators or filters) in harsh environments. We also will particularly emphasize on lowering the temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of AlN LWRs by adding a silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer at high temperatures.
J. Zou, C.-M. Lin, Y.-Y. Chen, and A. P. Pisano, “Theoretical study of thermally stable SiO2/AlN/SiO2 Lamb wave resonators at high temperatures,” J. Appl. Phys., vol. 115, 094510, Mar. 2014.
J. Zou, C.-M. Lin, D. G. Senesky, and A. P. Pisano, “Thermally stable SiO2/AlN/SiO2 Lamb wave resonators utilizing the lowest-order symmetric mode at high temperatures,” in Proc. IEEE Int. Ultrason. Symp. (IUS), Prague, Czech Republic, Jul. 2013, pp. 1077-1080.
Thermal management of high power density electronics is an essential, enabling technology for next generation electronic systems. Phase change is the preferred choice for heat transport solutions because of the ability to absorb large heat fluxes through latent heat. Current technology uses macro-scale capillary driven systems such as Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) and thermosyphons, which are passive devices that have proved to be efficient and reliable. However, these devices do not allow for chip-level integration and do not scale well for future (and even current cutting-edge high-performance) electronic requirements. The goal of the microColumnated Loop Heat Pipe (µcLHP) project is to develop a \"thermal ground plane\" (analogous to an electronic ground plane) which is a uniform, isothermal substrate for transporting heat away from high power density electronic devices.
N. S. Dhillon, M. W. Chan, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Noninvasive Hermetic Sealing of Degassed Liquid Inside a Microfluidic Device based on Induction Heating," in The 11th International Workshop on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications Seoul, Korea, 2011.
The micro scale loop heat pipe (Micro-LHP) is an ongoing research project dedicated to the design and testing of a new cooling system for thermal management of high-power electronics. One of the key technological innovations of the overall Micro-LHP project is the use of a columnated vapor chamber (CVC) leading to a micro-patterned surface intended to maximize evaporation. The micro-patterning, commonly used in micro heat pipes, is the main focus of this evaporator study. The purpose of this research is to translate previous work, on surface roughness, into a new method of spreading liquid along the evaporator. The optimal design will create a large interline evaporation region, which is expected to increase the thermal conductivity of the device. This research will detail both the function of the evaporator and the effect of different roughness patterning on the thermal conductivity of the evaporator region.
L. Smith, W. Connacher, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Enhanced Heat Rejection of Microscale Geometries in Convective Flow Boiling Evaporators”, 13th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications, London, UK, 2013.
N. S. Dhillon, C. Hogue, M. W. Chan, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Minimizing the Wick Thickness in a Planar Microscale Loop Heat Pipe using Efficient Thermodynamic Design," in ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Denver, Colorado, 2011.
N. S. Dhillon, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Heat Transfer Due to Microscale Thin Film Evaporation From the Steady State Meniscus in a Coherent Porous Silicon Based Micro-Columnated Wicking Structure," in ASME 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Denver, Colorado, 2011.
N. S. Dhillon, C. Hogue, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Experimental Investigation of Thin-Film Evaporation in an Open-Loop Columnated Micro- Evaporator," in The 11th International Workshop on Micro & Nanotechnology for Power Generation & Energy Conversion Applications Seoul, Korea, 2011.
The micro scale loop heat pipe (Micro-LHP) is an ongoing research project dedicated to the design and testing of a new cooling system for thermal management of high-power electronics. The functionalized, coherent porous silicon wick is a key component to the system. It acts as an efficient passive micro pump system combining the physical properties of nanowires and micropores. The nanowire-integrated microporous silicon membrane was created to feed coolant continuously onto the surface of the wick in a micro cooling device to ensure it remains hydrated and in case of dryout, allow for regeneration of the system. The membrane is fabricated by photoelectrochemical etching to form micropores followed by hydrothermal growth of nanowires.
H. So, J. C. Cheng and A. P. Pisano, “Nanowire-integrated Microporus Silicon Membrane for Continuous Fluid Transport in Micro Cooling Device,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 103 (16), pp. 163102, 2013.
H. So, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Nanowire-assisted Micro Loop Heat Pipe with Porous Silicon Wicks”, Proceedings of the NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, Boston, MA, 2012.
H. So, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Multi-scale pore membrane for continuous, passive fluid transport in a micro cooling device”, Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, Barcelona, Spain, 2013.
The proposed project is an interdisciplinary collaboration to synthesize monodispersed nanoparticles inside a novel microfluidic reactor. Microfluidic reactors are superior to conventional batch-wise techniques due to their ability to control temperature and concentration of reagents precisely, make rapid changes in reaction conditions and keep residence times of reagents uniform. Two microreactors are designed in this project and the first generation device works by mixing two reagents inside a droplet to synthesize nanoparticles. The second generation microreactor is designed to achieve monodispersity by separating nucleation and growth zones and this will lead to excellent size distributions.
E. Y. Erdem, J. C. Cheng, F. M. Doyle, and A. P. Pisano, “Multi-Temperature Zone, Droplet-based Microreactor for Increased Temperature Control in Nanoparticle Synthesis,” Small, 2013.
E. Y. Erdem, M. T. Demko, S. Choi, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, "Scalable, Integrated System for Mechanical, 3D Assembly of Monodisperse Nanoparticles Synthesized On-Demand," in Technologies for Future Micro/Nano Manufacturing Napa, CA, 2011.
E. Y. Erdem, J. C. Cheng, G. Vigevani, F. M. Doyle, and A. P. Pisano, "Chemically Robust, Rapidly Printed Polyurethane Microreactor for Synthesis of Monodisperse Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles," in The 15th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences Seattle, WA, 2011.
E.Y. Erdem, J. C. Cheng, F. M. Doyle, and A. P. Pisano, “Integrated Heating and Cooling Multi-zone Silicon Microreactor for Increased Monodispersity in TiO2 Nanoparticle Synthesis”, Proceedings of The 16th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, Okinawa, Japan, 2012.
High-resolution patterns of nanoparticles and polymers are created on a variety of substrates using a template-based microfluidic process. A rigid, vapor-permeable polymer mold is created by polymerizing 4-methyl-2-pentyne and solvent casting the resulting polymer. The mold is pre-filled with solvent by pressing into a coated substrate, and then filled with nanoparticle or polymer ink by permeation pumping. This allows high resolution patterning with good control over the three-dimensional geometry in a completely additive process with no residual layer or etching required. This process has been demonstrated by patterning low-temperature metal electrodes from gold nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanoparticles for use in a UV detector.
M. T. Demko, J. C. Cheng, and A. P. Pisano, “Rigid, Vapor-Permeable Poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) Templates for High Resolution Patterning of Nanoparticles and Polymers,” ACS Nano, vol. 6, pp. 6890-6896, Aug. 2012.
M.T. Demko, J.C. Cheng, and A.P. Pisano, “High-Resolution Direct Patterning of Gold Nanoparticles by the Microfluidic Molding Process,” Langmuir, vol. 26, no. 22, pp. 16710-16714, Oct. 2010.
M. T. Demko, J. C. Cheng, T. H. Cauley III, S. H. Ko, H. Pan, C. P. Grigoropoulos, and A. P. Pisano, “Direct Patterning of Gold Electrodes on Ceramic Substrates by Imprint Molding (IM) in Microcapillaries,” The Eighth International Conference on Nanoimprint and Nanoprint Technology. San Jose, CA, USA, 2009.
M.T. Demko, J.C. Cheng, T.H. Cauley, S.H. Ko, H. Pan, C. Grigoropoulos, and A.P. Pisano, "Direct patterning of gold electrodes on ceramic substrates by micromolding in capillaries," The International Nanoimprint and Nanoprint Conference, San Jose, California, United States, November 11-13, 2009.
The goal of this project is to design and develop an innovative nanoparticle/polymer composite material and then apply this nanocomposite to the development of a supercapacitor module with high energy and high power density. A new technique for creating films of core/shell nanoparticles in a polymer matrix could allow cost effective fabrication of capacitors with enhanced energy storage capacity as compared to conventional devices. The module can serve as efficient energy storage for back-up power in buildings and for hybrid/electric vehicles where lack of fast recharging time, limits their usage.
This joint research project with CHORI (Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute) aims to develop a new method to analyze the cytoplasmic contents of single cells in large cell populations. The new method consists of an array of microchambers in which individual cells are collected, enclosed, and lysed to create a reaction mixture of the cytoplasm with extracellular detection agents. This approach should be interesting for a variety of applications that would benefit from the ability to measure the distribution of cytoplasmic compounds in complex cell populations, including hematology, oncology, and immunology.

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