Events Calendar

AME - Department Seminar

Speaker: Debbie G. Senesky, Assistant Professor in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at Stanford University

Talk Title: Micro- and Nano-systems for Extreme Harsh Environments

Abstract: Wide bandgap semiconductor materials are inherently temperature-tolerant, radiation-hardened and biocompatible which can extend the operation regime of micro- and nano-scale devices to extreme harsh environments (e.g. deep space, subsurface environments, combustion environments, and the human body). In addition, wide bandgap semiconductor materials are often simultaneously piezoelectric, piezoresistive and pyroelectric, which can be leveraged in the design of a multitude of micro- and nano-scale devices such as inertial sensors, bolometers, micromechanical resonators and energy harvesters in a single material layer. In this talk, a review of the advancements in manufacturing technology for polycrystalline thin film, epitaxial thin film and nanowire growth of wide bandgap semiconductor materials is presented. In addition, the compelling results of silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and aluminum nitride (AlN) device operation at temperatures as high as 600°C will be reviewed. These robust material sets can serve as a platform for the realization of sensor, actuator and electronic systems that can operate and collect data under the most hostile conditions.

Biography: Debbie G. Senesky received the B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California in 2001. She received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004 and 2007, respectively. From 2007 to 2008, she was a Design Engineer for GE Sensing (formerly known as NovaSensor). From 2008 to 2012, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center developing silicon carbide (SiC) sensing technology for extreme harsh environments. Recently, she has been appointed to the faculty in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at Stanford University. Her research interests include the development of micro- and nano-scale sensors, wide bandgap electronics and ceramic materials for operation within extreme harsh environments.

Host: Professor Dravinski

More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/11-7-12-senesky.shtml

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: April Mundy

Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/11-7-12-senesky.shtml