CMU > Materials Science and Engineering

Professor Robert Davis
J. Bertucci Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

237 Roberts Engineering Hall
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890

Email address:
Phone: (412) 268-7264

Research Interests

The present suite of wide bandgap electronic materials of SiC, the III-Nitrides and selected oxide materials such as ZnO-based alloys are technologically important for (1) optoelectronic devices including light-emitting diodes and semiconductor lasers that emit in the green blue and ultra-violet regions of the spectrum for applications in next generation lighting, data storage and optical indicators, (2) microelectronic devices for high-frequency, high-power and high-temperature applications and (3) gas and biological sensors. Professor Davis' research interests focus on the vertical integration from thin film growth of the material device structures and their structural, microstructural, chemical, optical and electrical characterization to the development and fundamental investigations of ohmic and rectifying contacts, gate and field insulators, plasma etching, ion implantation, and device fabrication and characterization. A principal objective of this research is to provide continuous feedback to-and-from the several team members concerning fundamental problems that are hindering the continued development of the materials of choice from which various types of devices would be made and/or the devices of interest that are being fabricated from these materials. Professor Davis' technological interests include light-emitting devices, gas sensors, high-temperature materials and the use of semiconductor and other materials in energy saving applications.

Biography

Robert F. Davis is John and Clare Bertucci Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society and a member of the Materials Research Society and TMS. He has won numerous awards including the ALCOA Distinguished Research Award, the ALCOA Award for Research Performance in a Given Year, the Alumni Research Award, the ORNL Excellence in Publications Award, the Richard M. Fulrath Memorial Award from the American Ceramic Society and the R.J.R Reynolds Award as well as the Alexander Holladay Medal for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Outreach. He also received the National Collegiate Inventor of the Year award for 1999. He has been a guest lecturer of the Troisiéme Cycle de la Physique en Suisse Romande. His research interests include (i) growth and characterization of SiC, ZnO, GaN, AlN and nitride alloy thin films, (ii) the growth and characterization of gas and bio sensors, and (iii) the deposition and characterization of metallic films on non-metallic substrates. He has edited or co-edited seven books, authored or co-authored more than 270 chapters in edited proceedings or in books, published more than 370 peer reviewed papers in archival Journals and given more than 160 invited presentations.

Recent Publications

Books

"GaN-based Materials and Devices - Growth, Fabrication, Characterization and Performance", Selected Topics in Electronics and Systems - Vol. 33, ed. By M. S. Shur and R. F. Davis, World Scientific Publishing Company Pte. Ltd. Singapore, 2004.

Journal Papers

R. F. Davis, S. Einfeldt, E.A. Preble, A.M. Roskowski, Z. J. Reitmeier, and P.Q. Miraglia, "Gallium Nitride and Related Materials: Challenges in Materials Processing", Invited Paper. Acta Materialia 51(19), 5961-5979 (2003).

K. M. Tracy, W. J. Mecouch, R. J. Nemanich and R. F. Davis, "Preparation and Characterization of Atomically Clean, Stoichiometric Surfaces of n- and p-type GaN(0001)", Journal of Applied Physics 94, 3163-3172 (2003).

B. J. Coppa, P. J. Hartlieb, C. C. Fulton, B. J. Rodriguez, B. J. Shields, R. J. Nemanich and R. F. Davis, "In situ Cleaning and Characterization of Oxygen- and Zinc-terminated n-type ZnO{0001}Surfaces," Journal of Applied Physics, 95, 5856-5864 (2004).

T. P. Smith, H. A. McLean, D. J. Smith and R. F. Davis, "Homoepitaxial Growth of ZnO(000) Thin Films va Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy and their Characterization", Journal of Crystal Growth 265, 390-398 (2004).

R. I. Barabash, G. E. Ice, W. Liu, S. Einfeldt, A. M. Roskowski and R. F. Davis, "Local Strain, Defects, and Crystallographic Tilt in GaN(0001) Layers Grown by Maskless Pendeo-epitaxy from X-ray Microdiffraction" Journal of Applied Physics 97, 102-109 (2005).

J. M. Pierce, B. T. Adekore, F. A. Stevie and R. F. Davis "Growth of Dense ZnO Films via MOVPE on GaN(0001) Epilayers using a Low/High Temperature Sequence", Journal of Crystal Growth, 277, 345-351 (2005).

Roland Kröger, Sven Einfeldt, Rosa Chierchia, Detlef Hommel, Zachary J. Reitmeier Robert F. Davis and Quincy K. K. Liu, "On the Microstructure of AlxGa1-xN Layers Grown on 6H-SiC(0001) Substrates", Journal of Applied Physics 97, 825 - 892 (2005).

Ji-Soo Park, Daryl Fothergill, Xiyao Zhang1, Zachary J. Reitmeier, John F. Muth and Robert F. Davis, "Growth and Fabrication of AlGaN-based Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes on 6H-SiC(0001) Substrates and the Effect of Carrier-blocking Layers on their Emission Characteristics", Journal of Materials Science and Engineering B 127, 269-179 (2006).

R. I. Barabash, O. M. Barabash, G. E. Ice, C. Roder, S. Figge, S. Einfeldt, D. Hommel, T. M. Katona, J. S. Speck, S. P. DenBaars, & Robert F. Davis, "Characterization of Crystallographic Properties and Defects via X-ray Microdiffraction in GaN (0001) Layers", Physica Status Solidi A - Applications and Materials Science 203, 142-148 (2006).