Program 3: Semiconductor Materials and Devices Unit

Functional metal, organic thin films form the basis for a diverse range of critical emerging technologies including fuel cells, gas separation membranes, filters, superconductors, and thermal barrier/environmental barrier protective coatings. Research in this area is driven by a host of scientific issues as well as specific technological needs, in particular finding more efficient and greener methods of energy production and distribution. The key to success is the design of new materials with highly tailored and controlled structures synthesized in an economically viable manner.

Thin film technology has been developed primarily for the need of the integrated circuit industry. The demand for development of smaller and smaller devices with higher speed especially in new generation of integrated circuits requires advanced materials and new processing techniques suitable for future giga scale integration (GSI) technology. In this regard, physics and technology of thin films can play an important role to achieve this goal. The production of thin films for device purposes has been developed over the past 40 years. Thin film technology is based on three foundations: fabrication, characterization and applications. There are a vast number of deposition methods available and in use today. Some of the important techniques for thin film formation are, thermal evaporation technique, sputtering, CVD, MOCVD, and molecular beam epitaxy.

Thin films and coatings are used or applied to an almost limitless range of applications to provide a specific performance characteristic for a broad range of industrial products. These include coatings that provide antistatic properties, corrosion resistance, reduce wear, and promote adhesion; as well as thin films for optical devices, mirrors, semiconductor devices, magnetic media, and food wrap. Architectural glass, lenses, mirrors, and many other products are coated to provide specific optical properties. Some other important applications of thin films are microelectronics, communication, optical electronics, and catalysis, coating of all kinds, and energy generation and conservation strategies.

Moreover, thin film technology is pervasive in many applications, including microelectronics, optics, magnetic, hard and corrosion resistant coatings, micro-mechanics, etc. Progress in each of these areas depends upon the ability to selectively and controllably deposit thin films - thickness ranging from tens of angstroms to micrometers with specified physical properties. This, in turn, requires control - often at the atomic level - of film microstructure and microchemistry. 

Therefore, our concern was founded and constructed to fulfill parts of research needs for this type of technology.

We have formed a group at the physics department in Science College at King AbdulAziz University that has good built up knowledge in this field of scientific research. More knowledge still required which can be fulfilled through collaboration with highly experienced scientists in this field. In local level, some research links and collaboration is already in progress between Physics and chemistry in the Science College. On the international level collaboration is established with physics department at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. There is exchange of professors between the two departments.

The future proposed work would cover:

1. Preparation and characterization of thin films of WO₃ and its applications as electrochromic windows

2. Optical and electrical characterizations of amorphous chalcogenide semiconductors thin films

3. Dielectric properties of chalcogenide semiconductors thin films

4. Optical and electrical characterizations of amorphous organic semiconductors thin films

5. Dielectric characterization of organic semiconductors thin films

6. Thermal studies of  chalcogenide amorphous semiconductors

7. Schotchy barriers characterization of organic and inorganic semiconductors

8. Photocells of  organic and inorganic semiconductors materials