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Cross linking molecular systems to form ultrathin dielectric layers

Danqin Feng, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

Dehydrogenation leads to cross linking of polymer or polymer like formation in very different systems: self-assembled monolayers and in closo -carboranes leading to the formation of semiconducting and dielectric boron carbide. We find evidence of intermolecular interactions for a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formed from a large molecular adsorbate, [1,1';4',1"-terphenyl]-4,4"-dimethanethiol, from the dispersion of the molecular orbitals with changing the wave vector k and from the changes with temperature. With the formation self assembled molecular (SAM) layer, the molecular orbitals hybridize to electronic bands, with indications of significant band dispersion of the unoccupied molecular orbitals. Although organic adsorbates and thin films are generally regarded as “soft” materials, the effective Debye temperature, indicative of the dynamic motion of the lattice normal to the surface, can be very high, e.g. in the multilayer film formed from [1,1'-biphenyl]-4,4'-dimethanethiol (BPDMT). Depending on molecular orientation, the effective Debye temperature can be comparable to that of graphite due to the ‘stiffness’ of the benzene rings, but follows the expected Debye-Waller behavior for the core level photoemission intensities with temperature. This is not always the case. We find that a monomolecular film formed from [1,1';4',1"-terphenyl]-4,4"-dimethanethiol deviates from Debye-Waller temperature behavior and is likely caused by temperature dependent changes in molecular orientation. We also find evidence for the increase in dielectric character with polymerization (cross-linking) in spite of the decrease in the HOMO-LUMO gap upon irradiation of TPDMT. The changes in the HOMO-LUMO gap, with cross-linking, are roughly consistent with the band dispersion. The decomposition and cross-linking processes are also accompanied by changes in molecular orientation. The energetics of the three isomeric carborane cage compounds [ closo-1,2-orthocarborane, closo-1,7-metacarborane, closo-1,12-paracarborane (C2B10H12)] decomposition are investigated. Thermodynamic Born-Haber cycles are constructed for neutral and ionic species in an attempt to systemically characterize closo-carborane decomposition process. The decomposition processes are in favor of lower energy decomposition processes. Among the ionic species the photon induced decomposition is dominated by BH+ and BH 2+ fragment loss, and associated with core to bound excitations. It has been observed that dehydrogenation of the closo-carboranes leads to possible cross-linking and formation of a boron rich semiconductor with good dielectric properties.

Subject Area

Condensation

Recommended Citation

Feng, Danqin, "Cross linking molecular systems to form ultrathin dielectric layers" (2007). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3266778.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3266778

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