Graduation Year
2010
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.M.E.
Degree Granting Department
Mechanical Engineering
Major Professor
Nathan Crane, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Ashok Kumar, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Rasim Guldiken, Ph.D.
Keywords
pecvd, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, etch rates, electrical properties
Abstract
Electrowetting is a phenomenon that controls the wettability of liquids on solid
surfaces by the application of electric potential. It is an interesting method to handle tiny
amounts of liquid on solid surfaces. In recent times, researchers have been investigating
this phenomenon and have reported some unexplained behavior and degradation in the
Electrowetting system performance. Electrowetting systems include the presence of
electric field and different materials from metals to dielectrics and electrolytes that create
an environment in which corrosion processes play a very important role. With the small
dimensions of the electrodes, corrosion can cause failure quickly when the dielectric fails.
In this work, commonly used dielectric films such as silicon dioxide and silicon
nitride were deposited using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition and
characterized on the basis of thickness uniformity, etch rate measurements, Dry current
–
voltage measurements and Wet current
– voltage measurements. Sputtered silicon
dioxide films were also characterized using the same methods. The correlation between
Dry I
– V and Wet I – V measurements was studied and a comparison of dielectric
quality of films based on these measurements is presented. Also, impact of different
liquids on the dielectric quality of films was studied.
Scholar Commons Citation
Rajgadkar, Ajay, "Characterization of Dielectric Films for Electrowetting on Dielectric Systems" (2010). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/3607
