Nanostructured Materials and Plasma Processes for Adaptive Interfaces and Flexible Electronic Devices

Adaptive interfaces capable to self-adjust under extremes of environments and operation loads are sought for a number of applications, including strain-resilient and flexible electronic devices, electrical and thermal interfaces, aerospace tribological pairs and others. The presentation highlights major approaches and practical realization examples where nanostructured material science and plasma assisted thin film technology are used to create adaptive interfaces counteracting mechanical loads, temperature changes, humidity cycling, electric fields, etc. A detailed consideration is given to 2D semiconductor and dielectric material growth toward manufacturing conformal and strain-resilient RF electronics, sensors and opto-electronic devices. Plasma assisted synthesis routes are demonstrated for fast, reproducible, substrate agnostic, scalable, and cost effective processing technologies of 2D materials and their heterostructures. Examples for direct growth of semiconducting materials (MoS2 and WS2) and insulating boron nitride are presented for a variety of substrate materials, including amorphous silicon oxide, glass, sapphire, graphite as well as flexible polymers. Thermodynamically driven tendency to form islands at low temperature growth is overcome by maximizing ad-atom atomic mobility through the control of incident flux ionization state, energies, and densities. Examples of 2D material integration in field effect transistors and other device prototypes are provided where plasma assisted synthesis helps to overcome Schottky barrier heights at contacts and allow integration with other additive manufacturing methods.

Bio:

Dr. Andrey A. Voevodin, is a Research Team Leader of Nanoelectronic Materials Branch at the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, where he leads 35 scientists and engineers in nanoscale electronic materials research. He received the B.S. degree in Metallurgy Engineering in 1986 and Ph.D. degree in Materials Science in 1991 from Tula State Technical University, Russia. After UK Royal Society Associate Fellowship (1993-1994) in University of Hull, he joined AFRL under US NRC Fellowship (1994-1996). In AFRL, Dr. Voevodin established and successfully led research groups in Tribology and Protective Coatings (2003-2007), Thermal Sciences (2007-2012), and Nanoelectronic Materials (2012-present). His expertise spans thin film deposition, plasma processes, surface characterization, protective coatings, MEMS contacts, thermal and mechanical interfaces, thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, and nanoscale electronic devices. Dr. Voevodin has over 200 peer-reviewed publications, a book and eight book chapters, multiple inventions and patents in thin film technologies. He is an adjunct Professor of the University of Dayton and Purdue University, teaching Materials Science courses since 1998 and graduating PhD and MSc students. Dr. Voevodin is a Fellow of AVS Science and Technology Society and has multiple achievement awards from United States Air Force and professional societies for excellence in science and scientific leadership.