Projects (Supported Under CREST)

• The current project aims to develop new material compositions comprising of candidates like V2O5, Ag2WO4, Bi2O3, CuO, etc., and assessment of their visible-light photocatalytic properties. The promising candidates shall be identified and fabricated into nanostructured thin films; wherein nanoimprinting technique is envisaged to play a significant role. The synthesized materials/fabricated nanostructured thin films shall be characterized for structural, morphological, electronic and optical properties. Finally, the photodisinfection efficacy, longevity and in vitro cytotoxicity of the developed thin films under dark-light dual mode shall be assessed. Based on the results, patent filing, research publication and proposal submission activities shall be carried out.

Semiconductor heterostructure have great importance in electronic device which is basically needed to fabricate a transistor or to have control over the current flowing through the channel region. A large number of heterostructure combinations are possible due to the existence of interlayer coupling in 2D TMDs materials. Apart from the development of heterostructure, it is very critical to understand the charge carrier dynamics at heterostructure’s interface. The work deals with experimental and theortical understanding of 2D vDW TMDs heterostructures. Further, stacking and doping effects on such heterostructures will be studied.

The current project concerns the atomistic modeling of newly explored van der Waals 2D materials by using modern Density Functional Theory (DFT) and further realization of quantum transport phenomenon in 2D field effect transistors (FETs) by using Non-Equilibrium Greens function (NEGF). Later on, a few selective 2D layered materials will be synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route and characterized structurally and morphologically. It would be followed by the fabrication of 2D materials based back gated field effect transistors and characterizations. Finally, the theoretical and experimental figure of merits will be correlated to assess fulfilling the demands of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS).

Lab-grown diamonds/Diamond based composite films are finding wide applications as semiconductor materials in optoelectronic devices and quantum technologies owing to their unique properties that include optical and electronic properties, high thermal conductivity, high breakdown voltage, wear resistance etc. The ongoing R&D in this area also includes generating colour centres with a particular focus on solid-state quantum technologies. As part of this project, we aim to fabricate lab-grown diamond/diamond-based composite films on a wide range of substrate materials. Additionally, we will also explore the tailoring of lab-grown diamonds through impurities-induced defects for enhancement in properties.

The current project aims to develop new material compositions comprising of candidates like V2O5, Ag2WO4, Bi2O3, CuO, etc., and assessment of their visible-light photocatalytic properties. The promising candidates shall be identified and fabricated into nanostructured thin films; wherein nanoimprinting technique is envisaged to play a significant role. The synthesized materials/fabricated nanostructured thin films shall be characterized for structural, morphological, electronic and optical properties. Finally, the photodisinfection efficacy, longevity and in vitro cytotoxicity of the developed thin films under dark-light dual mode shall be assessed. Based on the results, patent filing, research publication and proposal submission activities shall be carried out.

One of the key issues with the devices produced by the semiconductor industry are multi material interfaces. In order to ensure the mechanical reliability of the devices it is necessary to measure the adhesion strength between these various interfaces reliably. Given the push for miniaturization, the size of the various films that are deposited on the substrates are approaching the range of 10-20 nm. In this ultrathin regime, traditional adhesion characterization techniques like the super-layer test and the indentation tests cannot be used. The project will develop a new metrology technique for measurement of strength and interface adhesion in ultrathin films (< 200 nm), with special emphasis on films of relevance to Back-End of Line (BEOL) structures. The objectives of the projects are, Characterization of self-assembled organic monolayer; Design and fabrication of ultra-thin films on silicon substrate; Interfacial adhesion and film strength measurements using organic monolayers.

The proposed project aims to develop a semiconductor-based fuel cell that can clean air and simultaneously generate electricity. A suitable energy storage interfacing and energy management system will be developed and integrated with the fuel cell to power an IoT enabled sensor node.

IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) biosensors offer several advantages compared to traditional silicon-based biosensors: IGZO has a high electron mobility, making them more sensitive and responsive to changes in the charge or potential at the sensor surface, enhancing their detection capabilities. IGZO is transparent to visible light, making it suitable for optical detection or imaging applications. Transparent IGZO biosensors can be integrated with other optical components, enabling label-free and real-time monitoring of biological reactions. The high mobility channel coupled with a high-k gate dielectric enables operation at lower voltages than silicon-based sensors, making them more energy efficient. These can be fabricated as thin-film devices on flexible substrates. We will demonstrate synthesis of nanostructured IGZO on substrate  (silicon/glass/flexible polymer) using relatively low temperature method and demonstrate a solution-based TFT technology based on a-IGZO with mobility of at least 5cm2/Vs

 on a flexible substrate and integration of a bio-sensor on the TFT and demonstrate improved sensitivity.

In this project, first the Gallium oxide based Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBD) will be fabricated and characterized.  After that, p-type oxide (Cu2O and NiO) will be grown on n type gallium oxide. Its interface and crystal quality will be analyzed. The Junction Barrier Schottky Diodes (JBSD) structure will be realized using grown p-type oxide/n-type Ga2O3. The ohmic and Schottky contact formation will be investigated using different metal structures. Electrical measurements (AC and DC characteristics) will be carried out for SBD and JBSD structures. The reverse breakdown voltage (VBR), reverse recovery time (trr) and on resistance (RON) will be extracted from measured characteristics. Using the collected parameters’ data, Machine Learning (ML) model will be formulated to predict the IV characteristics, breakdown and reverse-down voltage, etc. for unknown values and verification of such prediction.

Electrophoresis is a multipurpose and prime technology used in health care and medical research to diagnose and categorize bio molecules. A few exciting applications of Electrophoresis are DNA analysis, protein analysis, antibody testing, antibiotics, Vaccine testing, hemoglobin analysis, etc. Electrophoresis is a well-established technology that requires sophisticated equipment, skilled technicians, and large sample and reagent volumes. At the same time, on-chip electrophoresis provides higher throughput, quicker investigation, automation, and portability, making it beneficial for point-of-care diagnostics and application resources in limited settings. Diagnostics plays a vital role in the many steps of the health care system, such as screening, monitoring, and prognosis. The underprivileged people residing in rural India do not have access to the sophisticated diagnostics laboratory. To provide effective treatment and establish a prevention policy, it is foremost required to detect and quantify the levels of various analytes in resource-limited settings using portable point care diagnostics tools using microfluidics and lab-on-chip technology. This project will develop microchip capillary electrophoretic (MCE) platform technology for on-chip sensing of bioanalytes.