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Projects/Programs

Displaying 51 - 75 of 125

Future Directions for Magnetic Sensors

Completed
Bringing new or improved magnetic sensors to market requires modeling for rapid assessment of the effect of new designs or improved materials properties. To this end, we are investigating the fundamental properties of a new class of magnetic sensors that is rapidly displacing ones based on older

GaN Nanowire Metrology and Applications

Ongoing
GaN Nanowire LEDs: Our selective epitaxy methods and dopant characterization techniques have enabled fabrication of arrays of nanowire LEDs with controlled location and spatial layout. This development is complemented by modeling of the carrier flow and recombination. These LEDs were combined to

Genomics of Electronic Materials

Ongoing
We approach this multidimensional characterization problem by developing measurement-based techniques to rapidly quantify all of the relevant properties of thin-film materials, interfaces, and microelectronic structures. We make extensive use of finite-element simulations, as well as linear and non

High Amplification Laser-pressure Optic (HALO)

Ongoing
We have assembled a high-accuracy laser power meter based on radiation pressure with multiple reflections of the laser on the sensing mirror. A custom electrostatic force balance supports a high-reflectivity sensing mirror upon which a high-power continuous wave laser beam is incident at ~ 45

High Speed Metrology for Magnetoelectronic Devices and Models

Ongoing
The U.S. Semiconductor industry is integrating ferromagnet-based microelectronic devices such as magnetic RAM (MRAM) into existing silicon-based technologies. MRAM has much shorter write times and higher write endurance than the embedded Flash currently used. These properties makes MRAM highly

High-Power Laser Applications

Ongoing
Measurement challenges Traditional measurements of laser power or energy involve absorbing the laser light and measuring the resulting temperature increase of the absorber. However, as the power and total energy delivered by these lasers increases, thermal management, absorber size, and response

Hybrid Quantum Optomechanical Systems with Solid-State Artificial Atoms

Ongoing
Quantum Dot – Surface Acoustic Wave Microwave-to-Optical Transducers In this project, we focus on coupling nanoscale acoustic resonators with InAs quantum dot (QD) single photon sources (Fig. 1). At ultra-low temperatures, such as those in a dilution refrigerator, the acoustic resonators act as

Kinetic Inductance Spectrophotometry

Ongoing
Within this application space, the transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter is the most mature technology, with demonstrated x-ray energy resolving capabilities of better than a part per thousand. Current TES readout techniques require the use of superconducting quantum interference device

Laser-wavelength conversion with nonlinear photonics

Ongoing
Many sophisticated technologies, including detection and characterization of biological samples, quantum sensing of magnetic and electric fields, time standards based on atomic clocks, and precision metrology, demand versatile laser sources spanning a broad range of wavelengths. Nonlinear optics

Lead-Free Surface Finishes for Electronic Components: Tin Whisker Growth

Completed
Tin is widely used as a coating in the electronics industry because it provides excellent solderability, ductility, electrical conductivity, and corrosion resistance. Unfortunately, tin whiskers often grow spontaneously from pure tin electrodeposits and short-circuit finely pitched electrical

Long Wavelength Sensors and Applications

Ongoing
Our project designs and micro-fabricates custom devices that achieve sensitivity at fundamental limits and are based on the principles of superconductivity. We often work in large collaborations to apply these devices to challenging measurements of high scientific interest, such as those which

Low Temperature Regenerator and Pulse Tube Losses

Ongoing
All-digital radio communication between the various forces of the U.S. military is required to improve communications to the level needed in the near future. Such communication requires analog-to-digital converters of speeds only possible with low temperature superconducting electronics. The

Magnetic Imaging

Completed
Advanced magnetic devices and storage media will rely on ultra thin ferromagnetic films; since such films are quasi two-dimensional magnets, they can have strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Optimization of future materials, including improved yields, requires an ability to measure film

Magnetic Nanostructures for post-CMOS Electronics

Completed
We focus primarily on arrays of magnetic nanostructures in order to reveal how defects alter the fundamental physics of magnetization reversal processes in the nanometer regime. We have an integrated approach that consists of four inter-related elements. The first element, film edge metrology

Magnetic Random Access Memory

Ongoing
Focus areas include (1) the fundamental understanding of the interactions between spin and magnetic materials and materials with large spin-orbit scattering; (2) the nonlinear dynamics of both individual and interacting nanoscale magnetic systems; and (3) the role of thermal noise in nanomagnetic

Mapping of Thermal Properties at the Nanoscale

Ongoing
Continuous advances in the performance and functionality of semiconductor devices have been driven by scale reduction, incorporation of new and nanomaterials, and by heterogeneous integration (HI). However, such scaling and integrated architecture has rendered existing thermal metrology inadequate

METIS

Ongoing
A Metrology Exchange to Innovate in Semiconductors

Metrology for extreme ultraviolet lithography

Ongoing
Patterning with light 13 nm brings a host a new challenges Light at 13 nm is well within the vacuum ultraviolet, where radiation is strongly absorbed by all materials. This requires that the technology take place in vacuum and rely on mirrors rather than lenses. Moreover generating sufficient

RF Metrology for High-Frequency Transistor Models

Ongoing
Due to the challenges of high-frequency measurements, that includes inaccuracy in on-wafer calibration and a lack of instrumentation for transistor characterization, models are currently extracted from low frequency measurements and extrapolated to higher frequencies. This methodology has been shown

Metrology for Integration of New Magnetic Materials

Ongoing
Integration of magnetic materials remains a key challenge facing advanced packaging technologies. High power applications require voltage conversion at or near the die, and most practical power converters rely on inductors. Beyond power electronics, integration of magnetic components such as

Metrology of the Ohm

Ongoing
The Metrology of the Ohm Project has been a leader in providing internationally consistent resistance standards that are readily available to support the scientific and industrial foundations of the U.S. economy. Through this very broad customer base, the activities of the project enable cost