Conductivity control

Hao Van Bui

When a material is made as thin as a few nanometers, its properties will quite suddenly change. Dielectrics will cease to insulate, and metals will cease to conduct as thicker layers would. In this project, we study the properties of such thin conducting films. We use atomic layer deposition to create thin films of metal nitrides in a highly controlled manner. Then, the conduction is measured as a function of deposition conditions. We aim to describe the conductivity control in the few-nm thickness regime, and also to assess the viability of such layers in a few identified electronic systems.