Chemistry at Semiconductor Surfaces
Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Solid State and Physical Chemistry in (1972); IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center (1972-1982); Department of Chemistry of the University of North Carolina (1982-Present)
Our research is concerned with reactions at semiconductor surfaces that lead to electronically relevant film-semiconductor interfaces and with the materials and electronic characterization of those films and interfaces. The main objective is to understand the relationships between materials and electronics properties.
Our research in the field of microelectronics materials is concerned primarily with properties and reactions at semiconductor surfaces and film-semiconductor interfaces. Our focus is on technologically relevant issues from the area of microelectronics that require scientific understanding, and we organize research projects around those issues. Among the semiconductor surfaces that are presently under investigation are: Si, Ge, InP, GaAs, GaN and SiC. Both film growth (surface oxidation and nitridation) and chemical vapor deposition reactions are studied.
Particular electronic relevance lies with the formation and properties of dielectric films such as oxides and nitrides on semiconductor surfaces. Both the film formation processes and film and interface properties are determined, in order to elucidate the relationships between materials and electronic properties. Among the emphasized materials issues are film nucleation and growth dynamics, film structure and morphology, materials properties as well as the electronic properties of the resulting interfaces.