SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ULTRANANOCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS FOR MULTIFUNCTIONAL MEMS/NEMS DEVICES

The objectives of this project are to investigate microstructure-mechanical-electronic transport property relationships of a new multifunctional material designated as ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD), and to utilize this material in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Through interdisciplinary research and educational efforts of the team members from Northwestern University (NU), University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and University of Missouri-Columbia (UMC), in collaboration with Argonne and Sandia National Laboratories (ANL and SNL), an integrated experimental, analytical and computational program has evolved with the following approaches: 1. Scan probe microscopy approaches, including conductive atomic force microcopy and ultra high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, for nanoscale characterization of surface structure and conductivity of UNCD films, that will enable the microstructure to be ascertained for films made with various dopings; 2. Investigation of mechanical properties, such as Young’s modulus, hardness, plasticity, and fracture, of UNCD with varying degrees of doping at the microlevel using a recently developed membrane deflection experiment, and at the nanolevel by means of a nove