Nitride Materials and Devices
Nitrides Personnel
To develop nitride-based sensors for materials processing and environmental control and monitoring in super ambient atmospheres
The Nitride Materials and Devices Project is headed by Professor Abdelhak Bensaoula. The main objective of the project is the integration of III-IV Nitride materials into a variety of devices and systems. In order to efficiently develop the necessary know how to realize such devices, the project structure consists of four tasks with clearly defined objectives, each headed by a staff scientist. In addition to postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, we are always interested in recruiting bright and motivated undergraduate students for active involvement in our research project.

Tasks
AlGaInN Materials and Heterostructures: This task encompasses the growth of AlGaInN materials and structures. To that end we have available two growth reactors; one dedicated to understanding the fundamental aspects of nitride thin films growth mechanisms using various in-situ characterization tools, the second is focused on device structures fabrication.

BN/CN/TiN Materials and Heterostructures: This task focuses on the development of BN, CN, TiN, BN/TiN, and BCN thin films for applications in hard coatings, microelectronics (MIS, LEDs, detectors, and field emitters) and micro-power devices (high energy density storage capacitor at high temperatures, high frequency switching power supplies).

Nitride Materials Wet and Dry Processing: The main objective of the task is to develop reactive ion etching (RIE) and photo-assisted RIE processes for GaN and BN materials. This effort has already resulted in an optimum etching process in terms of etch rate, surface morphology, surface composition, and selectivity at much lower power densities; thus reducing significantly the plasma-induced damage to devices.

Nitride Materials Device Fabrication and Characterization: This task integrates the group's capabilities toward the realization of devices and systems that fall within the main objectives of the project. The focus is on the development of miniature visible-blind optoelectronic chemical sensors for process control and monitoring.

Patents
6,218,771 B1 Group III Nitride Field Emitters
Igor Berishev
Abdelhak Bensaoula

6,054,333 Real time etch measurements and control using isotopes
Abdelhak Bensaoula

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For more information contact
Project Leader:
Professor Abdelhak Bensaoula at bens@space.svec.uh.edu
On the web at http://www.uh.edu/~bens/

Task Leaders:
Dr. Igor Berishev - AlGaInN Heterostructures - at igor@svec.uh.edu

Dr. Nacer Badi - BN/CN/TiN Heterostructures - at badi@svec.uh.edu

Dr. Nacr Medelci - Wet and Dry Processing - at nmedelci@svec.uh.edu

Dr. David Starikov - Device Fabrication and Characterization - at dstarikov@svec.uh.edu

SVEC is a NASA Commercial Space Center (CSC)
Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center Science and Research Building One room 724 University of Houston Houston, Texas 77204-5004	Phone... 713-743-3621 FAX...... 713-747-7724 Web Spinner: Dave Moore

Last modified: 2002 Jan 22