Electropolishing has been continuously studied and used for various purposes in research and industry for many years and has found new interest in Semiconductor Processing.  Electropolishing combined with CMP is predicted to be the most widely used planarization technique in the coming years. This research helps our understanding on how the copper surface morphology evolves during electropolishing.

The fundamental concept and mathematical description of an ideal electropolishing process have been described by Carl Wagner’s Theory of Electropolishing. However, the kinetic surface smoothening during electropolishing is still not well understood. The concept of scaling analysis for describing the kinetic roughening of the surface during the non-equilibrium deposition or erosion processes is already established. Most of the systems where the surface can be represented as self-affined fractal geometry can be described by normal scaling law.

The electropolishing can be simulated in the same way as that of erosion process through normal scaling laws. Brankovic et al. has shown a unique concept of combining scaling laws with Wagner’s Electropolishing theory to predict the surface morphology evolution of Cu during electropolishing.

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Micro/nano-fabrication Techniques (Vacuum Technology, System Integration, Etching and Deposition Techniques: reactive ion etching, physical etching, sputtering, evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, etc.)

Metrology at Nanoscale (Electron beam microscopy: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM);
Scanning probe microscopy: atom force microscopy (AFM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM);
Surface analysis techniques)

Fabrication and Synthesis at nanoscale (Lithography: optical, charged particle – electron, ion, atom; Emerging technologies: nanoimprint lithography, self-assembly; Nanostructured materials synthesis: sputtering, electrochemical synthesis, molecular beam epitaxy, etc.)

Nanodevices and Systems (Nanophotonics and Plasmonics; Nanoelectronics and spintronics; Magnetic computing: data storage, random access memory, logic; Semiconductor lasers and light emitting diodes; Sensors and sensor arrays)

Introduction to MEMS, NEMS & Nanodevices, Introduction to Microfabrication, Review of Essential Electrical, Thermal and Mechanical Concepts, Electrostatic Sensing and Actuation, Thermal Sensing and Actuation, Piezoresistive Sensors, Piezoelectric Sensors, Magnetic Actuators, Summary of Sensing and Actuators, Bulk Micromachining and Silicon Anisotropic Etching, Surface Micromachining, Microfluidics Applications.

Lithographic system Overview, Optical Lithography, Image Formation (Aerial and Latent Images), Resist Images (Development), Modeling and Parameter Extraction, Process Latitude, Electron Beam Lithography, Imprint Lithography, Various Other Lithography Techniques, Ion/Atom Beam Proximity Lithography.

Thermodynamics of Phase Equilibrium and Phase Transformation, Surface Energy, Surface Stress, Strain Energy, Energies, Diffusion, Epitaxy, Surfaces, Misfit, Epitaxial Strain, etc, Nucleation: Thermodynamics and Kinetics, Growth Modes: Thermodynamics vs. Kinetics, Misfit Dislocations, Critical Thickness, etc. Stress Evolution in Thin Films, Applications.

Solar Cells and Sunlight: the photovoltaic vision, physical source of sunlight,solar radiation and ideal conversion efficiency, optical absorption and reflection in semiconductors. Review of Semiconductor Properties: band theory, dynamics of electrons and holes, generation and recombination processes in semiconductors. P-N Junction and Operating Principles of Solar Cells: dark and illuminated characteristics of solar cells, internal quantum efficiency of solar cell, equivalent circuit of solar cells, solar cell output parameters,efficiency limits and losses in solar cells. Silicon Solar Cell and Module Fabrication: promising photovoltaic silicon materials, baseline silicon solar cell fabrication, processing of advanced silicon solar cells, photovoltaic module construction. Design of High Efficiency silicon Solar Cells: surface recombination velocity and spectral response considerations, heavy doping effects, junction depth, emitter dopant profile considerations, substrate doping, thickness and diffusion length considerations. Heterojunction, Thin-Film and Other Promising Solar Cells: gallium arsenide solar cells, amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells. polycrystalline thin-film CdTe and CuInSe2 cells, multijunciton solar cells, organic solar cells, concentrator cells. Photovoltaic Storage and Systems: storage in PV systems, stand along PV systems, utility-interactive PV systems, modeling and design of PV systems, PV in buildings, cost analysis and future of PV systems.

Introductions & Definitions (Thick Film, Thin Film, Monolithic, Examples), IC Structures (Bipolar Transistors, Resistors, Capacitors, MOS), Theory of IC Structures (Drift Current, Sheet Resistance, Base Diffusion, Diffusion Conduction, PN Junction [Barrier Voltage, Depletion Width, Depletion Capacitance]), Diffusion Theory (Gaussian, Error Function), Monolithic Integrated Circuits (Basic Processes, Bipolar Design – Resistor and Specific Contact Resistance, IC Bipolar Transistor, Bipolar Integrated Circuit), Ion Implantation (LSS Theory, Two Layer Solution), Computer-Aided VLSI Design (Hardware, UNIX Shell Commands, CALP and MAGIC, CIF Format, Design Rule Checker, Circuit Extractors, VLSI Spice Simulation, Cadence), MOS Integrated Circuit Fundamentals ( MOS Transistor [I-V Analysis, Pinch-off, Processing], Fabrication of Basic Cells [NMOS, CMOS]), NMOS Layout (Layer Definition, Design Rules, Stick Diagrams and Sym Forms, Design of EXOR Gate), CMOS Layout and Design (Layer Definitions, Switching Speed, CMOS Fabrication, CMOS Layout, CMOS Design Rules), Standard Cells (Two input NOR Gate, Two input NAND Gate, Pass Transistors, Transmission Gates, Static RAM Memory, Latches, Pads and Static Protection), Subsystem Design and Layout (Read Only Memories, Adders, Arithmetic Logic Units), Inverter Design (Basic Inverter, Analytical Approach to Design, Depletion Load Inverter, Turn-on Time)

Embedded Systems: Overview, Design Challenge – Optimizing Design Metrics, Processor Technology, IC Technology, Design Technology, Tradeoffs
Custom Single Purpose Processors: Introduction, Combinational logic, Sequential logic, Custom single-purpose processor design, RT-level custom single-purpose processor design
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One of the major challenges in designing intelligent vehicles capable of being tracked and monitored is reliable global positioning system (GPS) navigation. This is available now with the help of satellites we have around the globe. This remote monitoring and guidance is available at any part of the earth making it the most reliable source of guidance and tracking system. RS232 interface connects the GPS system to the main control computer through which various parameters can monitored and signals can be sent across.

This project is to demonstrate the various parameters that can be monitored in a vehicle using GPS, which can be implemented in the real time for higher efficiency. This project is done with the help of PIC microcontroller (PIC16F877) as the controlling unit and the vehicle is driven using stepper motors. The signals are transmitted to the computer to monitor and it is interfaced with the computer using MAX232 and it is represented using visual basic.