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Nanostructured Semiconductor Materials and Devices

Prof. Xiuling Li's Research Group at UT Austin

Strain-induced Self-Rolled-up Membrane (S-RuM) technology

Strain-induced Self-Rolled-up Membrane (S-RuM): (a) mechanism (b) scalability (c) modeling
  • Fabrication: CMOS compatible 2D processing for 3D structures via spontaneous strain relaxation
    1. A. Khandelwal, Z. Ren, S. Namiki, Z. Yang, N. Choudhary, C. Li, P. Wang, Z. Mi, and X. Li, “Self-rolled-up Aluminum Nitride-based 3D Architectures Enabled by Record-high Differential Stress,” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2022.
    2. J. A. Michaels, D. Wood, P. Froeter, W. Huang, D. Sievers, and X. Li, “Effect of Perforation on the Thermal and Electrical Breakdown of Self-Rolled-up Nanomembrane Structures,” Adv. Mater. Interfaces, 6, 21, 1901022 (2019).
    3. W. Huang, S. Koric, K. J. Hsia, X. Yu, and X. Li, “Precision structural engineering of self-rolled-up 3D nanomembranes guided by transient quasi-static FEM modeling”, Nano Lett., 14 (11), 6293 (2014).
    4. P. Froeter, X. Yu, W. Huang, F. Du, M. Li, I. S. Chun, S. H. Kim, J. Hsia, J. A. Rogers, and X. Li, ”3D hierarchical architectures based on self-rolled-up silicon nitride membranes”, Nanotechnology 24, 475301 (2013).
    5. I.S. Chun, A. Challa, B. Derickson, K.J. Hsia, and X. Li, “Geometry Effect on the Strain-Induced Self-rolling of Semiconductor Membranes”, Nano Lett. 10, 3927-3932 (2010).
    6. I.S. Chun, and X. Li, “Controlled Assembly and Dispersion of Strain-Induced InGaAs/GaAs Nanotubes,” IEEE Trans. Nanotech. 7, 493-495 (2008). 
  • Rolled-up passive electronics: extreme reduction in size and weight, and performance (SWaP) enhancement
    1. Z. Yang, M. D. Kraman, Z. Zheng, H. Zhao, J. Zhang, S. Gong, Y. V. Shao, W. Huang, P. Wang, and X. Li, “Monolithic Heterogeneous Integration of 3D Radio Frequency L-C Elements by Self-Rolled-up Membrane Nanotechnology,” Adv. Func. Mater. 30, 40, 2004034 (2020).
    2. W. Huang, Z. Yang, M. D. Kraman, Q. Wang, Z. Ou, M. M. Rojo, A. S. Yalamarthy, V. Chen, F. Lian, J. H. Ni, S. Liu, H. Yu, L. Sang, J. Michaels, D. J. Sievers, J. G. Eden, P. V. Braun, Q. Chen, S. Gong, D. G. Senesky, E. Pop, and X. Li, “Monolithic mTesla-Level Magnetic Induction by Self-Rolled-up Membrane Technology,” Sci. Adv. 6, eaay4508 (2020).
    3. L. Sang, H. Zhou, Z. Yang, M. D. Kraman, H. Zhao, J. A. Michaels, D. J. Sievers, J. E. Schutt-aine, X. Li, and W. Huang, “Monolithic radio frequency SiNx self-rolled-up nanomembrane interdigital capacitor modeling and fabrication,” Nanotechnology, 30, 364001 (2019).
    4. W. Huang, J. Zhou, P. Froeter, K. Walsh, S. Liu, M. Li, J. Michaels, D. Sievers, S. Gong, and X. Li, “Three-dimensional radio frequency transformers based on a self-rolled-up membrane platform,” Nat. Electron. 1, 305-313 (2018).
    5. X. Yu, W. Huang, M. Li, T. M. Comberiate, S. Gong, J. E. Schutt-Aine, and X. Li, “Ultra-Small, High-Frequency, and Substrate-Immune Microtube Inductors Transformed from 2D to 3D,” Sci. Rep. 5, Article number: 9661 (2015).
    6. W. Huang, X. Yu, P. Froeter, R. Xu, P. Ferreira, and X. Li, “On-Chip Inductors with Self-Rolled-Up SiNx Nanomembrane Tubes: A Novel Design Platform for Extreme Miniaturization”, Nano Lett. 12, 6283-6288(2012).
  • Rolled-up photonics:
    1. X. Yu, L. L. Goddard, J. Zhu, X. Li, and X. Chen, “Passive wavelength tuning and multichannel photonic coupling using monolithically integrated vertical micro resonators on ridge waveguides,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 112, 021108 (2018).
    2. X. Yu, L. L. Goddard, X. Li and X. Chen, “Enhanced axial confinement in a monolithically integrated self-rolled-up SiNx vertical microring photonic coupler,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 109, 111104 (2016).
    3. X. Yu, E. Arbabi, L. L. Goddard, X. Li and X. Chen, “Monolithically integrated self-rolled-up microtube-based vertical coupler for 3D photonic integration,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 031102 (2015).
    4. I.S. Chun, K.P. Bassett, A. Challa, and X. Li, “Tuning the photoluminescence characteristics with curvature for rolled-up GaAs quantum well microtubes”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 251106 (2010).
  • Rolled-up biofluidic interface: guiding, accelerating, and monitoring neuron cell growth and DNA storage
    1. A. Khandelwal, N. Athreya, M. Q. Tu, L. Janavicius, Z. Yang, O. Milenkovic, J.-P. Leburton, C. Schroeder, and X. Li, “Self-assembled microtubular electrodes for on-chip low-voltage electrophoretic manipulation of charged particles and macromolecules,” Microsyst. Nanoeng, 8, Article number: 27 (2022).
    2. O. V. Cangellaris, E. A. Corbin, P. Froeter, J. A. Michaels, X. Li, and M. U. Gillette, “Aligning Synthetic Hippocampal Neural Circuits via Self-Rolled-Up Silicon Nitride Microtube Arrays,” ACS appl. mater. interfaces, 10 (42), pp 35705-35714 (2018).
    3. P. Froeter, Y. Huang, O. V. Cangellaris, M. U. Gillette, J. C. Williams and X. Li, “Toward Intelligent Synthetic Neural Circuits: Directing and Accelerating Neuron Cell Growth by Self-Rolled-Up Silicon Nitride Microtube Array,” ACS Nano, 8 (11), 11108 (2014).
  • Related Review Articles and Presentations:
    1. Summary of self-rolled-up membrane concept, fabrication, properties, and applications 
    2. X. Li, “Strain Induced Self-rolled-up Ring Resonators: a review of geometrical and resonant properties”, Adv. Opt. Photonics, invited article, 3 (4), 366-387 (2011).
    3. X. Li, “Strain induced semiconductor nanotubes: from formation process to device applications”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41, 193001 (2008).