Enhance research capabilities at the advanced materials synthesis and characterization laboratory (amscl) at seton hall university to enable research on low-temperature plasmas (ltps) that are used in…

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded a $963,000 Project Grant (CFDA 11.617 - Congressionally-Identified Projects) to Seton Hall University to enhance the research capabilities of the Advanced Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory (AMSCL). The purpose is to enable research on low-temperature plasmas used in advanced manufacturing. The enhanced facilities will provide independent control, variation, and optimization of neutral, ion, electron, and photon fluxes within the low-temperature plasmas interacting with surfaces of emerging semiconductor materials and other advanced functional materials. This will create opportunities for students to gain direct experience with advanced engineering equipment and serve as a platform to develop targeted curricula. The research will focus on areas such as new materials for semiconductor devices and processing, photovoltaic cells, and the correlation between thin film growth, structure, and electrical properties of photovoltaic thin films. The award period is from Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2026.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to enhance research capabilities at the advanced materials synthesis and characterization laboratory (amscl) at seton hall university to enable research on low-temperature plasmas (ltps) that are used in advanced manufacturing. This equipment will provide independent control, variation, and optimization of neutral, ION, electron, and photon fluxes within ltps interacting with surfaces of emerging semiconductors materials and other advanced functional materials. These enhanced capabilities will provide opportunities for students to gain direct experience with advanced engineering equipment and serve as a platform to develop targeted curricula.

Activities

The researchers will utilize these facilities to investigate problems in several areas including new materials for semiconductor devices and processing and photovoltaic cells. Specifically, the amscl will be able to synthesize thin films of materials through pulsed-laser deposition that can be characterized at advanced facilities such as the nsls-II synchrotron-based x-RAY absorption spectroscopy at brookhaven national lab. And, investigations of the correlation of thin film growth, structure, and electrical properties of photovoltaic thin films and materials based upon cdte and cigs, candidates for next-generation photovoltaic thin films.

Expected outcomes

The increased capabilities will expand the range of research possible at the university and enhance the range of materials that can be investigated at external research sites such as brookhaven national laboratory. A number of materials systems will be available to study including HF-based dielectrics that are needed in advanced transistors, glass photonic films based upon NB, cdte, cigs, and materials modified by dielectric barrier discharge techniques. The research output from the facility in the form or peer-reviewed papers and presentations will increase.

Intended beneficiaries

Students, both undergraduate and graduate levels, will be the primary beneficiaries of the enhanced facilities where advanced research can be performed. Students would also benefit from the direct experiential learning the fundamentals of plasma processing, a technique widely used in the semiconductor industry. These facilities would be unavailable without this support.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.