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Electrodeposition of Diamond-like Carbon Films

Description: Electrodeposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films was studied on different substrates using two different electrochemical methods. The first electrochemical method using a three-electrode system was studied to successfully deposit hydrogenated DLC films on Nickel, Copper and Brass substrates. The as-deposited films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and cyclic vol… more
Date: August 2002
Creator: Chen, Minhua
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Hydrogen terminated silicon surfaces: Development of sensors to detect metallic contaminants and stability studies under different environments

Description: Hydrogen terminated silicon surfaces have been utilized to develop sensors for semiconductor and environmental applications. The interaction of these surfaces with different environments has also been studied in detail. The sensor assembly relevant to the semiconductor industry utilizes a silicon-based sensor to detect trace levels of metallic contaminants in hydrofluoric acid. The sensor performance with respect to two non-contaminating reference electrode systems was evaluated. In the fi… more
Date: August 2002
Creator: Ponnuswamy, Thomas Anand
Partner: UNT Libraries

Interfacial Electrochemistry of Metal Nanoparticles Formation on Diamond and Copper Electroplating on Ruthenium Surface

Description: An extremely facile and novel method called spontaneous deposition, to deposit noble metal nanoparticles on a most stable form of carbon (C) i.e. diamond is presented. Nanometer sized particles of such metals as platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) could be deposited on boron-doped (B-doped) polycrystalline diamond films grown on silicon (Si) substrates, by simply immersing the diamond/Si sample in hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution containing ions of the correspon… more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: May 2003
Creator: Arunagiri, Tiruchirapalli Natarajan
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Copper Electrodeposition on Iridium, Ruthenium and Its Conductive Oxide Substrate

Description: The aim of this thesis was to investigate the physical and electrochemical properties of sub monolayer and monolayer of copper deposition on the polycrystalline iridium, ruthenium and its conductive oxide. The electrochemical methods cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronocoulometry were used to study the under potential deposition. The electrochemical methods to oxidize the ruthenium metal are presented, and the electrochemical properties of the oxide ruthenium are studied. The full range of … more
Date: December 2003
Creator: Huang, Long
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Fabrication and light scattering study of multi-responsive nanostructured hydrogels and water-soluble polymers.

Description: Monodispersed microgels composed of poly-acrylic acid (PAAc) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) interpenetrating networks were synthesized by 2-step method with first preparing PNIPAM microgel and then polymerizing acrylic acid that interpenetrates into the PNIPAM network. The semi-dilute aqueous solutions of the PNIPAM-PAAc IPN microgels exhibit an inverse thermo-reversible gelation. Furthermore, IPN microgels undergo the reversible volume phase transitions in response to both pH and tem… more
Date: December 2003
Creator: Xia, Xiaohu
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Interfacial Electrochemistry and Surface Characterization: Hydrogen Terminated Silicon, Electrolessly Deposited Palladium & Platinum on Pyrolyzed Photoresist Films and Electrodeposited Copper on Iridium

Description: Hydrogen terminated silicon surfaces play an important role in the integrated circuit (IC) industry. Ultra-pure water is extensively used for the cleaning and surface preparation of silicon surfaces. This work studies the effects of ultra-pure water on hydrogen passivated silicon surfaces in a short time frame of 120 minutes using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy – attenuated total reflection techniques. Varying conditions of ultra-pure water are used. This includes dissolved oxygen poor… more
Date: December 2003
Creator: Chan, Raymond
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Study of Interactions Between Diffusion Barrier Layers and Low-k Dielectric Materials for Copper/Low-k Integration

Description: The shift to the Cu/low-k interconnect scheme requires the development of diffusion barrier/adhesion promoter materials that provide excellent performance in preventing the diffusion and intermixing of Cu into the adjacent dielectrics. The integration of Cu with low-k materials may decrease RC delays in signal propagation but pose additional problems because such materials are often porous and contain significant amounts of carbon. Therefore barrier metal diffusion into the dielectric and the… more
Date: December 2003
Creator: Tong, Jinhong
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Adherence/Diffusion Barrier Layers for Copper Metallization: Amorphous Carbon:Silicon Polymerized Films

Description: Semiconductor circuitry feature miniaturization continues in response to Moore 's Law pushing the limits of aluminum and forcing the transition to Cu due to its lower resistivity and electromigration. Copper diffuses into silicon dioxide under thermal and electrical stresses, requiring the use of barriers to inhibit diffusion, adding to the insulator thickness and delay time, or replacement of SiO2 with new insulator materials that can inhibit diffusion while enabling Cu wetting. This stu… more
Date: May 2004
Creator: Pritchett, Merry
Partner: UNT Libraries

Electrodeposition of adherent copper film on unmodified tungsten.

Description: Adherent Cu films were electrodeposited onto polycrystalline W foils from purged solutions of 0.05 M CuSO4 in H2SO4 supporting electrolyte and 0.025 M CuCO3∙Cu(OH)2 in 0.32 M H3BO3 and corresponding HBF4 supporting electrolyte, both at pH = 1. Films were deposited under constant potential conditions at voltages between -0.6 V and -0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl. All films produced by pulses of 10 s duration were visible to the eye, copper colored, and survived a crude test called "the Scotch tape test", … more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: May 2004
Creator: Wang, Chen
Partner: UNT Libraries

Passivation effects of surface iodine layer on tantalum for the electroless copper deposition.

Description: The ability to passivate metallic surfaces under non-UHV conditions is not only of fundamental interests, but also of growing practical importance in catalysis and microelectronics. In this work, the passivation effect of a surface iodine layer on air-exposed Ta for the copper electroless deposition was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although the passivation effect was seriously weakened by the prolonged air exposure, iodine passiv… more
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Date: May 2004
Creator: Liu, Jian
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Reactivity of Oxide Surfaces and Metal-Oxide Interfaces: Effects of Water Vapor Pressure on Ultrathin Aluminum Oxide Films, and Studies of Platinum Growth Modes on Ultrathin Oxide Films and Their Effects on Adhesion

Description: The reactivity of oxide surfaces and metal-oxide interfaces play an important role in many technological applications such as corrosion, heterogeneous catalysis, and microelectronics. The focus of this research was (1) understanding the effects of water vapor exposure of ultrathin aluminum oxide films under non-ultrahigh vacuum conditions (>10-9 Torr) and (2) characterization of Pt growth modes on ultrathin Ta silicate and silicon dioxide films and the effects of growth modes on adhesion of a … more
Date: May 2004
Creator: Garza, Michelle
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Synthesis and study of crystalline hydrogels, guided by a phase diagram.

Description: Monodispersed nanoparticles of poly-N-isopropylacrylamide-co-allylamine (PNIPAM-co-allylamine) and PNIPAM-co-acrylic acid (AA) have been synthesized and used as building blocks for creating three-dimensional networks. The close-packed PNIPAM-co-allylamine and PNIPAM-co-AA nanoparticles were stabilized by covalently bonding neighboring particles at room temperature and at neutral pH; factors which make these networks amicable for drug loading and release. Controlled release studies have been pe… more
Date: December 2004
Creator: Huang, Gang
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Tantalum- and ruthenium-based diffusion barriers/adhesion promoters for copper/silicon dioxide and copper/low κ integration.

Description: The TaSiO6 films, ~8Å thick, were formed by sputter deposition of Ta onto ultrathin SiO2 substrates at 300 K, followed by annealing to 600 K in 2 torr O2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of the films yielded a Si(2p) binding energy at 102.1 eV and Ta(4f7/2) binding energy at 26.2 eV, indicative of Ta silicate formation. O(1s) spectra indicate that the film is substantially hydroxylated. Annealing the film to > 900 K in UHV resulted in silicate decomposition to SiO2 and Ta2… more
Date: December 2004
Creator: Zhao, Xiaopeng
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Chemistry, Detection, and Control of Metals during Silicon Processing

Description: This dissertation focuses on the chemistry, detection, and control of metals and metal contaminants during manufacturing of integrated circuits (ICs) on silicon wafers. Chapter 1 begins with an overview of IC manufacturing, including discussion of the common aqueous cleaning solutions, metallization processes, and analytical techniques that will be investigated in subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 covers initial investigations into the chemistry of the SC2 clean - a mixture of HCl, H2O2, and DI wa… more
Date: May 2005
Creator: Hurd, Trace Q.
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Interfacial Study of Copper Electrodeposition with the Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM)

Description: The electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) has been proven an effective mean of monitoring up to nano-scale mass changes related to electrode potential variations at its surface. The principles of operation are based on the converse piezoelectric response of quartz crystals to mass variations on the crystal surface. In this work, principles and operations of the EQCM and piezo-electrodes are discussed. A conductive oxide, ruthenium oxide (RuO2) is a promising material to be used as … more
Date: May 2005
Creator: Ojeda Mota, Oscar Ulises
Partner: UNT Libraries

Cu Electrodeposition on Ru with a Chemisorbed Iodine Surface Layer.

Description: An iodine surface layer has been prepared on Ru(poly) and Ru(0001) electrodes by exposure to iodine vapor in UHV and polarizing in a 0.1 M HClO4/0.005 M KI solution, respectively. A saturation coverage of I on a Ru(poly) electrode passivates the Ru surface against significant hydroxide, chemisorbed oxygen or oxide formation during exposure to water vapor over an electrochemical cell in a UHV-electrochemistry transfer system. Immersion of I-Ru(poly) results in greater hydroxide and chemisorbed o… more
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Date: August 2005
Creator: Lei, Jipu
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Metal Oxide Reactions in Complex Environments: High Electric Fields and Pressures above Ultrahigh Vacuum

Description: Metal oxide reactions at metal oxide surfaces or at metal-metal oxide interfaces are of exceptional significance in areas such as catalysis, micro- and nanoelectronics, chemical sensors, and catalysis. Such reactions are frequently complicated by the presence of high electric fields and/or H2O-containing environments. The focus of this research was to understand (1) the iron oxide growth mechanism on Fe(111) at 300 K and 500 K together with the effect of high electric fields on these iron oxide… more
Date: August 2005
Creator: Qin, Feili
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Process Evaluation and Characterization of Tungsten Nitride as a Diffusion Barrier for Copper Interconnect Technology

Description: The integration of copper (Cu) and dielectric materials has been outlined in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) as a critical goal for future microelectronic devices. A necessity toward achieving this goal is the development of diffusion barriers that resolve the Cu and dielectric incompatibility. The focus of this research examines the potential use of tungsten nitride as a diffusion barrier by characterizing the interfacial properties with Cu and evaluating its p… more
Date: August 2005
Creator: Ekstrom, Bradley Mitsuharu
Partner: UNT Libraries

The Revival of Electrochemistry: Electrochemical Deposition of Metals in Semiconductor Related Research

Description: Adherent Cu films were electrodeposited onto polycrystalline W foils from purged solutions of 0.05 M CuSO4 in H2SO4 supporting electrolyte and 0.025 M CuCO3∙Cu(OH)2 in 0.32 M H3BO3 and corresponding HBF4 supporting electrolyte, both at pH = 1. Films were deposited under constant potential conditions at voltages between -0.6 V and -0.2 V versus Ag/AgCl. All films produced by pulses of 10 s duration were visible to the eye, copper colored, and survived a crude test called "the Scotch tape test… more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: August 2005
Creator: Wang, Chen
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Study of Ruthenium and Ruthenium Oxide's Electrochemical Properties and Application as a Copper Diffusion Barrier

Description: As a very promising material of copper diffusion barrier for next generation microelectronics, Ru has already obtained a considerable attention recently. In this dissertation, we investigated ruthenium and ruthenium oxide electrochemical properties and the application as a copper diffusion barrier. Cu under potential deposition (UPD) on the RuOx formed electrochemically was first observed. Strong binding interaction, manifesting by the observed Cu UPD process, exists between Cu and Ru as well … more
Date: August 2005
Creator: Zhang, Yibin
Partner: UNT Libraries
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The synthesis and study of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/poly(acrylic acid) interpenetrating polymer network nanoparticle hydrogels.

Description: Homogeneous hydrogels made of an interpenetrating network of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) are synthesized by a two-step process; first making PNIPAm hydrogels and then interpenetrating acrylic acid throughout the hydrogel through polymerization. The kinetic growth of the IPN is plotted and an equation is fitted to the data. When diluted to certain concentrations in water, the hydrogels show reversible, inverse thermal gelation at about 34°C. This shows u… more
Date: August 2006
Creator: Crouch, Stephen Wallace
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Thermodynamics of the Abraham General Solvation Model: Solubility and Partition Aspects

Description: Experimental mole fraction solubilities of several carboxylic acids (2-methoxybenzoic acid, 4-methoxybenzoic acid, 4-nitrobenzoic acid, 4-chloro-3-nitrobenzoic acid, 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzoic acid,2-methylbenzoic acid and ibuprofen) and 9-fluorenone, thianthrene and xanthene were measured in a wide range of solvents of varying polarity and hydrogen-bonding characteristics. Results of these measurements were used to calculate gas-to-organic solvent and water-to-organic solvent solubility ratios,… more
Date: August 2006
Creator: Stovall, Dawn Michele
Partner: UNT Libraries

Electrochemical Synthesis and Characterization of Inorganic Materials from Aqueous Solutions

Description: The dissertation consists of the following three sections: 1. Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings. In this work, we deposited HA precursor films from weak basic electrolytic solution (pH= 8-9) via an electrochemical approach; the deposits were changed into crystallite coatings of hydroxyapatite by sintering at specific temperatures (600-800 ºC). The formed coatings were mainly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microsc… more
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Date: December 2006
Creator: Yuan, Qiuhua
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Study of Substituted Benzenesulfonate-Containing Layered Double Hydroxides and Investigation of the Hexamethylenetetramine Route of LDH Synthesis

Description: Benzenesulfonates, para-substituted with amine, chloride and methyl groups were successfully incorporated into layered double hydroxides of two different compositions, 2:1 Mg-Al LDH and 2:1 Zn-Al LDH. These parent materials were also doped with small amounts of nickel and the differences in the two systems were studied. The hexamethylenetetramine route of layered double hydroxide synthesis was investigated to verify if the mechanism is indeed homogeneous. This included attempting preparation of… more
Date: May 2007
Creator: Ambadapadi, Sriram
Partner: UNT Libraries
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