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Research Overview

We investigate thin-film growth mechanisms, surface roughness evolution, and scattering and diffraction from rough surfaces through experimental and theoretical approaches, and explore how surface and interface roughness influence the electrical and magnetic properties of thin films.

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Publications

Thin Film Growth - Experiment

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  • H.-N. Yang, Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Noise-induced roughening evolution of amorphous Si films grown by thermal evaporation,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 3774 (1996).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, J. T. Drotar, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Roughening in plasma etch fronts of Si(100),” Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4882 (1999).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, J. B. Fortin, G. Bonvallet, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Kinetic roughening in vapor deposition polymerization of linear-chain polymer films,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3229 (2000).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, Reply to Das Sarma's Comment, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2697 (2001).

  • T. Karabacak, Y.-P. Zhao, Jason T. Drotar, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Growth-front roughening in amorphous silicon films by sputtering,” Phys. Rev. B 64, 085323 (2001).

  • T. Karabacak, Y.-P. Zhao, Jason T. Drotar, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Kinetic roughening in silicon nitride films growth by PECVD,” Phys. Rev. B 66, 075329 (2002).

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Thin Film Growth - Theory

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  • H.-N. Yang, Y.-P. Zhao, A. Chan, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Sampling-induced hidden cycles in correlated random rough surface,” Phys. Rev. B 56, 4224 (1997).

  • Jason T. Drotar, Y.-P. Zhao, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Numerical analysis of the noisy Kuramoto-Sivashisky equation in 2+1 dimensions,” Phys. Rev. E 59, 177 (1999).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, A.R. Hopper, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Monte Carlo simulation of the initial growth stage in vapor deposition polymerization,” Phys. Rev. E 60, 4310 (1999).

  • Jason T. Drotar, Y.-P. Zhao, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Mechanisms for plasma and reactive ion etch-front roughening,” Phys. Rev. B 61, 3012 (2000).

  • Jason T. Drotar, Y.-P. Zhao, T.-M. Lu and G.-C. Wang, “Surface roughening in shadowing growth and etching in 2+1 dimensions,” Phys. Rev. B 62, 2118 (2000).

  • Jason T. Drotar, Y.-P. Zhao, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Surface-roughening in low-pressure chemical vapor deposition,” Phys. Rev. B 64, 125411 (2001).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, Jason T. Drotar, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Morphology transition during low pressure chemical vapor deposition,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 136102 (2001).

  • Wade Bowie and Y.-P. Zhao, “Monte Carlo simulation of vapor deposition polymerization,” Surf. Sci. Lett. 563, L245–L250 (2004).

  • S. Tangirala, D. P. Landau, and Y.-P. Zhao, ‘‘Dynamic scaling study of vapor deposition polymerization: a Monte Carlo approach,” Phys. Rev. E 81, 011605 (2010).

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Scattering from Rough Surfaces - Experiment

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  • Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Diffraction from non-Gaussian rough surfaces,” Phys. Rev. B 55, 13938 (1997).

  • T.-M. Lu, G.-C. Wang, and Y.-P. Zhao, “Beyond intensity oscillation,” Surface Science Review and Letter 5, 899 (1998).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, H.-N. Yang, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Diffraction from diffusion barrier induced mound structures in epitaxial growth fronts,” Phys. Rev. B 57, 1922 (1998).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Diffraction from anisotropic random rough surfaces,” Phys. Rev. B 58, 7300 (1998).

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Scattering from Rough Surfaces - Experiment

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  • Y. P. Zhao, H.-N. Yang, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Extraction of real-space correlation function of a rough surface by light scattering using diode array detectors,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 3063 (1996).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, Y.-J. Wu, H.-N. Yang, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “In situ real-time study of chemical etching process of Si(100) using light scattering,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 221 (1996).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, C.-F. Cheng, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Power law behavior in diffraction from fractal surfaces,” Surf. Sci. Lett. 409, L703 (1998).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, Irene Wu, C.-F. Cheng, Ueyn Block, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Characterization of random rough surfaces by in-plane light scattering,” J. Appl. Phys. 84, 2571 (1998).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, C.-F. Cheng, G.-C. Wang, and T.-M. Lu, “Characterization of pitting corrosion in aluminum films by light scattering,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 2432 (1998).

  • T. Karabacak, Y.-P. Zhao, M. Stowe, B. Quayle, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Large angle in-plane light scattering from rough surfaces,” Appl. Opt. 39, 4658 (2000).

  • T. Karabacak, Y.-P. Zhao, T. Liew, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Anisotropic scaling of hard disk surface structures,” J. Appl. Phys. 88, 3361 (2000).

  • Jason T. Drotar, B. Q. Wei, Y.-P. Zhao, G. Ramanath , P. M. Ajayan, T.-M. Lu, and G.-C. Wang, “Reflection high-energy electron diffraction from carbon nanotubes,” Phys. Rev. B. 64, 125417 (2001).

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Roughness Effect on Electric Property

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  • Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang, T.-M. Lu, G. Palasantzas, and J. Th. M. De Hosson, “Surface roughness effect on capacitance and leakage current of an insulating film,” Phys. Rev. B 60, 9157 (1999).

  • M. Li, Y.-P. Zhao, and G.-C. Wang, “In-situ measurement of thickness dependence of electrical resistance of ultrathin Co films on SiO2/Si(111) substrate,” J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A 18, 2992 (2000).

  • G. Palasantzas, Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang, T.-M. Lu, J. Barnas, and J. Th. M. De Hosson, “Electrical conductivity and thin films growth dynamics,” Phys. Rev. B 61, 11109 (2000).

  • H.-D. Liu, Y.-P. Zhao, G. Ramanath , S. P. Murarka, and G.-C. Wang, “In-situ measurement of thickness dependent of electrical resistance of ultrathin Cu films on thick SiO2/Si(100) substrate,” Thin Solid Films 384, 151–156 (2001).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, B. Q. Wei, P. M. Ajayan, G. Ramanath , T.-M. Lu, G.-C. Wang, A. Rubio, and S. Roche, “Frequency-dependent electrical transport in carbon nanotubes,” Phys. Rev. B 64, 201402(R) (2001).

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Roughness Effect on Magnetic Property

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  • M. Li, Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang and H.-G. Min, “Effect of surface roughness on magnetization reversal of Co films on plasma-etched Si(100) substrates,” J. Appl. Phys. 83, 6287 (1998).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, G. Palasantzas, G.-C. Wang, and J. Th. M. De Hosson, “Surface/interface roughness induced demagnetizing effect in thin magnetic films,” Phys. Rev. B 60, 1216 (1999).

  • G. Palasantzas, Y.-P. Zhao, G.-C. Wang, and J. Th. M. De Hosson, “Roughness effects on magnetic properties of thin films,” Physica B 283, 199 (2000).

  • Y.-P. Zhao, R. M. Gamache, G.-C. Wang, T.-M. Lu, G. Palasantzas, and J. Th. M. De Hosson, “Effect of surface roughness on magnetic domain wall thickness, domain size, and coercivity,” J. Appl. Phys. 89, 1325 (2001).

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