University of South Florida

Verizon Corporate Services Group Inc.

Alabama State University

Ashok Kumar

Manoj Kumar Ram

Arun Babu Kumar

Arash Takshi

Jing Wang

Sylvia Thomas

Tapas K Das

Rajesh Ganesan

Shree R Singh

Paula C Algarin Amaris

Girish Nair

Garrett Matthews

Arun K Sikder

Souheil Zekri

Manoj Kumar Singh

Mikhail Ladanov

Vinay K Gupta

Parshuram Balkrishna Zantye

Cecil Coutinho

Ravi Guduru

Subrahmanya Mudhivarthi

Sathyaharish Jeedigunta

A method of forming an ordered nanorods array in a confined space is used to form a high surface area device where an ensemble of parallel trenches has micrometer dimensions for the width and depth of the trenches, which are decorated with crystalline nanowires radiating from the sidewalls and bases of the trenches. The high surface area device is formed by depositing a conformal crystalline seed coating in the trenches, forming microchannels from these trenches by placing a barrier layer on the open surface of the trenches, contacting the conformal coating with a crystal precursor solution that is caused to flow through the microchannels. In an embodiment, a very high surface area electrode is constructed with ZnO nanowires radiating from the sidewalls and base of trenches formed on a silicon substrate. The device can be a dye-sensitized solar cell.

Microstructured crystalline device in confined space, a dye-sensitized solar cell, and method of preparation thereof

The novel photoelectrochemical nano-hybrid film fabricated by blending regioregular polyhexylthiophene (RRPHTh) with titanium oxide (TiO), Zinc oxide (ZnO) and nanodiamond (ND) nanoparticles on ITO coated glass plate, n-type silicon, and gold coated glass surfaces. The photoelectrochemical study reveals photoinduced electron transfer in nano-hybrid RRPHTh with donor and ND as acceptor providing a molecular approach to high-efficiency photoelectrochemical conversion properties. The ND-RRPHTh has shown promising morphological and photoelectrochemical properties than RRPHTh as well as TiO-RRPHTh and ZnO-RRPHTh nano-hybrid films.

Nano-hybrid structured regioregular polyhexylthiophene (RRPHTh) blend films for production of photoelectrochemical energy

Organic-inorganic composites were prepared as colloidal particles of a cross-linked, thermally responsive polymer. Hybrid PNIPAM-polysiloxane particles and composite polymeric particles with embedded nanoparticles of an inorganic metal-oxide (MO) such as CeO2 and TiO2 were formed. To promote the incorporation of unaggregated nanoparticles, temperature responsive microspherical gels (microgels) of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) with interpenetrating (IP) linear chains of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were used. The organic-inorganic composition of the hybrid polymer network was controlled by changing the time for condensation and hydrolysis of the siloxane monomer during synthesis. Experimental results indicated that the planarization of silicon oxide wafers using these hybrid particles and composites exhibited lower topographical variations and surface roughness as compared to slurries consisting of only silica or ceria nanoparticles while achieving similar removal rates and better or similar frictional characteristics.

Polymeric microgels for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processing

The subject invention concerns materials and methods for detecting nucleic acid sequences. One aspect of the invention concerns a silicon-based 'biochip' comprising nucleic acid immobilized thereon. In one embodiment, the silicon comprises microcavities. The nucleic acid to be assayed for the presence of one or more target nucleic acid sequences is immobilized on the silicon. A nucleic acid, such as an oligonucleotide probe, having a sequence substantially complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence can be used to detect the immobilized nucleic acid on the silicon. If the nucleic acid used for detection hybridizes with a target nucleic acid sequence, the hybridized sequences can be detected directly or indirectly. In an exemplified embodiment, the oligonucleotide probe can be labeled with a detectable label, for example, a fluorescent molecule. The subject invention also concerns methods for detecting a target nucleic acid using a silicon-based biochip of the invention.

DNA biochip and methods of use

Provided herein is a method for the synthesis and the integration of ZnO nanowires and nanocrystalline diamond as a novel hybrid material useful in next generation MEMS/NEMS devices. As diamond can provide a highly stable surface for applications in the harsh environments, realization of such hybrid structures may prove to be very fruitful. The ZnO nanowires on NCD were synthesized by thermal evaporation technique.

Integration of ZnO nanowires with nanocrystalline diamond fibers

Provided herein is a method for the synthesis of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) wires by depositing nanocrystalline diamond on Si nanowires using chemical vapor deposition methods. Seeding the nanowires in solutions containing nanodiamond powers, NCD wires are fabricated in typical CVD growth conditions within a very short time. NCD wires were 0.5-5 &#x3bc;m in diameter, depending on the growth time, with lengths in the range of 20-100 &#x3bc;m. The average elastic modulus determined by nanoindentation is 474.16&#xb1;13.48 GPa. The unique mechanical properties of the NCD wire make it a potential material for active components of both electronic and electromechanical devices.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline diamond fibers

The proposed slurry can be used to planarize polymeric candidate ILD materials such Benzocylobutene (BCB), SILK, Polyimide, etc. The slurry consists of colloidal suspension of nanoparticle abrasives made up of Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)-derived silica and Zirconium-dioxide (ZrO), its derivatives and any materials modified from ZrOand/or TEOS, in a chemically active medium. The base solution of the slurry consists of deionized (Dl) water, buffering agents like inorganic buffer comprised of inorganic acids such as TRIS-Hcl, its derivatives and variants, cleansing agents, surface modified catalysts, and surface reagents. The organic solvents like isopropyl alcohol, methanol, and other organic alcohols ranging from 0.0005 to 0.05% are employed for active dissolution of the chemical surface complex formed as a result of the slurry chemical action. The inorganic buffer is so chosen that the complex salts resulting from the reaction impart hydrophobicity to the polished thin film surface. The advantages of hydrophobicity include: a) reduced particle adhesion on surface, b) less intensive post-CMP clean, c) no surface degradation or contamination, etc.

CMP slurry for polymeric interlayer dielectric planarization

The present invention is an online methodology for end point detection for use in a chemical mechanical planarization process which is both robust and inexpensive while overcoming some of the drawbacks of the existing end point detection approaches currently known in the art. The present invention provides a system and method for identifying a significant event in a chemical mechanical planarization process including the steps of decomposing coefficient of friction data acquired from a chemical mechanical planarization process using wavelet-based multiresolution analysis, and applying a sequential probability ratio test for variance on the decomposed data to identify a significant event in the chemical mechanical planarization process.

System and method for online end point detection for use in chemical mechanical planarization

A method is provided of presenting to a user a visual representation of a frameresident at a central officeof a telecommunications system. The method includes the steps of: accessing a database including data as to a current condition of the frame; displaying, based on the accessed data, a graphical representation of the framethe graphical representation including a visual indication of the current condition of the frameand allowing a user to interface with the graphical representation to effect a mapping between the frameand telecommunications lines leading to and from the frame

System and method for providing a graphical representation of a frame inside a central office of a telecommunications system

The present invention presents a novel application of a wavelet-based multiscale method in a nanomachining process chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of wafer fabrication. The invention involves identification of delamination defects of low-k dielectric layers by analyzing the nonstationary acoustic emission (AE) signal collected during copper damascene (Cu-low k) CMP processes. An offline strategy and a moving window-based strategy for online implementation of the wavelet monitoring approach are developed.

System and method for the identification of chemical mechanical planarization defects

A method is provided of presenting to a user a visual representation of a frameresident at a central officeof a telecommunications system. The method includes the steps of: accessing a database including data as to a current condition of the frame; displaying, based on the accessed data, a graphical representation of the frame, the graphical representation including a visual indication of the current condition of the frame; and allowing a user to interface with the graphical representation to effect a mapping between the frameand telecommunications lines leading to and from the frame.

The present invention utilizes a software application running on a digital computer () to enable a load balancing technician to assign customers services by assigning a specific port on a specific card in a telecommunications switch () to a service, while at the same time ensuring that load balancing criteria are met. The software performs a method in which a list is compiled of switches, cards and ports available for providing a service, and a port for providing a desired service is selected (steps S&#x2013;S) based on loading factors, weighting factors for which can be set by the load balancing technician.

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Tampa, FL, United States of America

Ashok Kumar