Posted: Feb 09, 2015 |
Research shows benefits of nanocrystalline silicon carbide for sensors in harsh environments
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(Nanowerk News) The use of silicon carbide as a semiconductor for mechanical and electrical sensor devices is showing promise for improved operations and safety in harsh working environments, according to new research from Griffith University.
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Experiments with silicon carbide grown at the Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC) at Griffith University have demonstrated the compound's superiority as a semiconductor for high performance sensors.
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The research has identified advantages for fields including mining, aerospace, aviation and the automotive, electrochemical and biomedical industries.
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The findings appear in the specialist publication Journal of Materials Chemistry C ("The effect of strain on the electrical conductance of p-type nanocrystalline silicon carbide thin films") and for the first time present the effect of mechanical strain on the electrical conductivity of silicon carbide deposited on silicon wafer.
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"Over the past 50 years, silicon has been the dominant material used as a semiconductor for sensing devices and that continues today in computers, mobile phones, automobiles and more," says Dr Dzung Dao, from Griffith's School of Engineering and one of the lead researchers.
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"However, silicon is not suitable for electronic devices at high temperatures above 200°C due to the generation of thermal carriers and junction leakage.
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"Silicon carbide, on the other hand, possesses excellent mechanical strength, chemical inertness, thermal durability and electrical stability due to its unique electronic structure.
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"Thus it holds promise as the material for high performance sensors in, for example, deep-oil and coal mining, combustion engines, energy conversion devices and so on.
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"In areas where the temperature can reach well above 200°C, chemical corrosion and mechanical shock are extreme. That's where silicon carbide comes in.
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"Silicon carbide is already used in power electronics and these results are very encouraging for sensor technology, particularly in harsh working environments."
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The device-grade silicon carbide for this research was grown on six inches of silicon wafer at low temperature by Professor Sima Dimitrijev's team at QMNC.
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