Papers by Author: Stephen E. Saddow

Abstract: Silicon Carbide (SiC) has been demonstrated as both a bio- and neuro-compatible wide-band-gap semiconductor with a high thermal conductivity and magnetic susceptibility and may be potentially compatible with human brain tissue. Two single-crystal, solid-state forms of SiC have been used to create monolithic intracortical neural implants (INI) without using physiologically exposed metals or polymers, thus eliminating many known reliability challenges in-vivo through a single, homogenous material. Amorphous SiC (a-SiC) was used to insulate 16-channel functional INI and the electrochemical and MRI compatibility (7T) performance were measured. 4H-SiC interfaces were fabricated using homoepitaxy,alternating epitaxial films of n-type and p-type forming an isolating PN junction which prevents substrate leakage current between the 16 adjacent electrodes and traces fabricated which were formed using deep-reactive ion etching (DRIE). 3C-SiC interfaces were fabricated in a similar fashion, but the epitaial conductive layers were grown on on both bulk crystalline (100) silicon and SOI wafers. In both cases a conformal coating of a-SiC was used as the top-side insulator and windows opened using RIE to allow electrochemical interaction. Electrochemical charaterization achieved through electrochemcial impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) indicates performance on par, or exceeding, that of Pt reference electrodes with the same form fit. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential, non-contact method used to investigate issues with the nervous system, the high field MRI (e.g., 3 T and higher) necessary for proper diagnosis can be a safety issue for patients with INI due to inductive coupling between the powerful electromagnetic fields and the implanted device. This results in having to use lower electromagnetic field power (less than 1.5T), and therefore lower resolution, which hinders diagnostic prognosis for these patients. In this work the MRI compliance of epitaxial, monolithic SiC INI was studied. The specific absorption rate (SAR), induced heating, and image artifacts caused by the portion of the implant within a brain tissue phantom located in a 7 T small animal MRI machine were estimated and measured via finite element method (FEM) and Fourier-based simulations. Both the simulation and experimental results revealed that free-standing 3C-SiC films had no observable image artifacts compared to silicon and platinum reference materials inside the MRI at 7 T while FEM simulations predicted an ~30% SAR reduction for 3C-SiC compared to Pt. These initial simulations and experiments indicate a SiC monolithic INI may effectively reduce MRI induced heating and image artifacts in high field MRI.

Abstract: Core–shell Si/SiC nanostructures appear as promising building blocks for sensing applications, thanks to the high chemical stability of SiC coupled with the semiconducting properties of Si. In order to optimize the fabrication process of such structures, Si nanowires were coated with a thin SiC layer, and integrated as back-gated field-effet transistors. Two approaches for the fabrication of the SiC shell were then investigated. The first approach involves chemical vapor deposition of amorphous SiC on Si nanowires, without the need for masking; the second approach involves carbonization of Si surfaces to produce a thin crystalline SiC layer, but requires a larger thermal budget. The resulting structures were analyzed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and the devices were characterized electrically. Electrical characterization shows that the carbonization approach induces a dramatic decrease in drain-to-source current associated with gate leakage, whereas the electrical performances were preserved in the case of chemical deposition.

Abstract: Silicon carbide is a well-known wide-band gap semiconductor traditionally used in power electronics and solid-state lighting due to its extremely low intrinsic carrier concentration and high thermal conductivity. What is only recently being discovered is that it possesses excellent compatibility within the biological world. Since publication of the first edition of Silicon Carbide Biotechnology: A Biocompatible Semiconductor for Advanced Biomedical Devices and Applications five years ago [1], significant progress has been made on numerous research and development fronts. In this paper three very promising developments are briefly highlighted – progress towards the realization of a continuous glucose monitoring system, implantable neural interfaces made from free-standing 3C-SiC, and a custom-made low-power ‘wireless capable’ four channel neural recording chip for brain-machine interface applications.

Abstract: An ever-increasing demand for biocompatible materials provides motivation for the development of advanced materials for challenging applications ranging from disease detection to organ function restoration. Carbon-based materials are considered promising candidates because they combine good biocompatibility with high chemical resistance. In this work we present an initial assessment of the biocompatibility of epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001). We have analyzed the interaction of HaCaT (human keratinocyte) cells on epitaxial graphene and compared it with that on bare 6H-SiC(0001). We have found that for both graphene and 6H-SiC there is evidence of cell-cell and cell substrate interaction which is normally an indication of the biocompatibility of the material.

Abstract: Crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro by directly culturing three skin and connective tissue cell lines, two immortalized neural cell lines, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on these semiconducting substrates. The in vivo biocompatibility was then evaluated via implantation of 3C-SiC and Si shanks into a C57/BL6 wild type mouse. The in vivo results, while preliminary, were outstanding with Si being almost completely enveloped with activated microglia and astrocytes, indicating a severe immune system response, while the 3C-SiC film was virtually untouched. The in vitro experiments were performed specifically for the three adopted SiC polytypes, namely 3C-, 4H- and 6H-SiC, and the results were compared to those obtained for Si crystals. Cell proliferation and adhesion quality were studied using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assays and fluorescent microscopy. The neural cells were studied via atomic force microscopy (AFM) which was used to quantify filopodia and lamellipodia extensions on the surface of the tested materials. Fluorescent microscopy was used to assess platelet adhesion to the semiconductor surfaces where significantly lower values of platelet adhesion to 3C-SiC was observed compared to Si. The reported results show good indicators that SiC is indeed a more biocompatible substrate than Si. While there were some differences among the degree of biocompatibility of the various SiC polytypes tested, SiC appears to be a highly biocompatible material in vitro that is also somewhat hemocompatible. This extremely intriguing result appears to put SiC into a unique class of materials that is both bio- and hemo-compatible and is, to the best of our knowledge, the only semiconductor with this property.

Abstract: SiC is a candidate material for micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS). The fabrication of SiC MEMS-based sensors requires new processes able to realize microstructures on either bulk material or on the SiC surface. The hetero-epitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on silicon substrates allows one to overcome the traditional limitations of SiC micro-fabrication, but the high residual stress created during the film grow limits the development of the material for these applications. In order to evaluate the amount of residual stress released from the epi-film, different micro-machined structures were developed. Finite elements simulations of the micro-machined structures have also been carried out in order to evaluate, in detail, the stress field inside the structures and to test the analytical model used. With finite element modeling a exponential approximation of the stress relationship was studied, yielding a better fit with the experimental data. This study shows that this new approximation of the total residual stress function reduces the disagreement between experimental and simulated data.

Abstract: The fabrication of SiC MEMS-based sensors requires new processes able to realize microstructures on either bulk material or on the SiC surface. The hetero-epitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on silicon substrates allows one to overcome the traditional limitations of SiC micro-fabrication. In this work a comparison between single crystal and poly crystal 3C-SiC micro-machined structures will be presented. The free-standing structures realized (cantilevers and membrane) are also a suitable method for residual field stress investigation in 3C-SiC films. Measurement of the Raman shift indicates that the mono and poly-crystal 3C-SiC structures release the stress in different ways. Finite element analysis was performed to determine the stress field inside the films and provided a good fit to the experimental data. A comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of 3C-SiC MEMS structures has been performed and is presented.

Abstract: SiC is a candidate material for micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS). In order to understand the impact that the growth rate has on the residual stress of CVD-grown 3C-SiC hetero-epitaxial films on Si substrates, growth experiments were performed and the resulting stress was evaluated. Film growth was performed using a two-step growth process with propane and silane as the C and Si precursors in hydrogen carrier gas. The film thickness was held constant at ~2.5 µm independent of the growth rate so as to allow for direct films comparison as a function of the growth rate. Supported by profilometry, Raman and XRD analysis, this study shows that the growth rate is a fundamental parameter for low-defect and low-stress hetero-epitaxial growth process of 3C-SiC on Si substrates. XRD (rocking curve analysis) and Raman spectroscopy show that the crystal quality of the films increases with decreasing growth rate. From curvature measurements, the average residual stress within the layer using the modified Stoney’s equation was calculated. The results show that the films are under compressive stress and the calculated residual stress also increases with growth rate, from -0.78 GPa to -1.11 GPa for 3C-SiC films grown at 2.45 and 4 µm/h, respectively.

Abstract: Single crystal 3C-SiC films were grown on (100) and (111) Si substrate orientations in order to study the resulting mechanical properties of this material. In addition, poly-crystalline 3C-SiC was also grown on (100)Si so that a comparison with monocrystaline 3C-SiC, also grown on (100)Si, could be made. The mechanical properties of single crystal and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films grown on Si substrates were measured by means of nanoindentation using a Berkovich diamond tip. These results indicate that polycrystalline SiC thin films are attractive for MEMS applications when compared with the single crystal 3C-SiC, which is promising since growing single crystal 3C-SiC films is more challenging. MEMS cantilevers and membranes fabricated from a 2 µm thick single crystal 3C-SiC grown on (100)Si under similar conditions resulted in a small degree of bow with only 9 µm of deflection for a cantilever of 700 µm length with an estimated tensile film stress of 300 MPa. Single crystal 3C-SiC films on (111)Si substrates have the highest elastic and plastic properties, although due to high residual stress they tend to crack and delaminate.

Abstract: The fabrication of SiC MEMS-based sensors requires new processes able to realize microstructures on bulk material or on the SiC surface. The hetero-epitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on silicon substrates allows one to overcome the traditional limitations of SiC micro-fabrication. This approach puts together the standard silicon bulk microfabrication methodologies with the robust mechanical properties of 3C-SiC. Using this approach we were able to fabricate SiC cantilevers for a new class of pressure sensor. In the present research, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) in the low pressure regime of 3C–SiC on silicon substrates was carried out using silane (SiH4), propane (C3 H8) and hydrogen (H2) as the silicon supply, carbon supply and gas carrier, respectively. The resulting bow in the MEMS structures was evaluated optically and the residual stress in the films calculated using the modified stoney equation and determined to be approximately 300 MPa.