Growth and Simulation of Dielectric-Metal Nanoheterostructured Thin Films by Ballistic Deposition

Authors

Shawn Wimer, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Eva Schubert

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Electrical Engineering

Date of this Version

7-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Eletcrical Engineering

Under the supervision of Professor Eva Schubert

Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2024

Comments

Copyright 2024, Shawn Wimer. Used by permission

Abstract

This thesis is divided into two related topics: the structural and chemical characterization of dielectric-metal nanoheterostructured thin films grown by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and the results of the simulated growth of films and structures by GLAD with discrete-space and continuous-space Monte Carlo ballistic simulation.

Individual structures comprising films grown by GLAD were investigated by S/TEM and SEM imaging, electron diffraction, and chemical characterization and mapping by EDX. Different intermolecular interactions within and between different materials, including Si, Ag, Au, and ZrO₂, are linked to differences in the shapes of individual materials in heterostructures, the shape of heterostructures as a whole, the degree of atomic order in materials, and the quality of the heterostructure interfaces between materials.

Monte Carlo ballistic simulation methods to simulate GLAD deposition were developed for both discrete-space and continuous-space. New approaches to simulate the diffusion of particles in GLAD heterostructure deposition were created. The effects of the material flux angle-of-incidence, random deviation in the angle-of-incidence of individual particles, the amount of diffusion, and different diffusion models are determined for the void fraction of the film and the inclination angle of individual structures. These results are compared with measurements of the void fraction and inclination angle of experimental slanted columnar films as determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry and SEM.

Advisor: Eva Schubert

Recommended Citation

Wimer, Shawn, "Growth and Simulation of Dielectric-Metal Nanoheterostructured Thin Films by Ballistic Deposition" (2024). Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–. 178.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/178