National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

The 2009 NNIN REU Interns at the Network-Wide Convocation, University of Michigan, August 2009. Edward Tang, Photographer.

Welcome from Prof. Sandip Tiwari, NNIN Director

The summer of 2009 was quite a successful time for the NNIN and its two REU programs. Seventy-four students participated in our Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, and 10 students, from the 2008 NNIN REU Program, participated in our International Research Experience for Undergraduates (iREU) Program.

This publication reflects the hard work of our interns, but also the dedication of the principal investigators, mentors, program coordinators and site staff. Taking on the challenge of completing comprehensive experi-mental research in ten weeks can be a very formative and defining experience for everyone involved, most especially the undergraduate intern. Our programs test the many skills of learning and applying that learning, and help determine the course of a student's life at a very critical stage when one is coming into one's own.

NNIN attempts to provide such an experience by bringing strong collaborations and interesting research problems in which undergraduate students can participate. Many of our interns get their first taste of advanced hands-on research as part of our program, and we work diligently to make this a positive exper-ience; focusing on advanced research and knowledge, seeking strong mentors and staff support, exposing our interns to a professional research environment, and having high expectations built into the research proj-ects, the convocation, and the final reports included here. In addition, we expect that at each site, students will enjoy the wider variety of research conducted by peers and other users across diverse disciplines of science and engineering within the unifying facilities.

My thanks to the staff, the graduate student mentors and the faculty for their participation and involvement. Particular thanks are due to Melanie-Claire Mallison and Lynn Rathbun at Cornell University, and Nancy Healy at Georgia Institute of Technology for their contributions in organizing the logistics of both programs, and many thanks to Sandrine Martin, Trasa Burkhardt and Brandon Lucas at the University of Michigan for organizing the August convocation.

I wish all our program participants the best wishes for future technical careers; the NNIN hopes to see you build on this summer's experience! Please keep in touch!

Sandip Tiwari
Director, NNIN

Unless otherwise noted, the links on this page are to PDF files ranging in size from 524 KB to 6 MB. Please contact Ms. Melanie-Claire Mallison if you have any questions or find any broken links.

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The 2009 NNIN REU Reports by Topic

Biological Applications, pages 2-41

Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Nanotoxicity, page 2
Sarah Connolly, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Florida

Microfluidic Single-Cell Assay Chip for Drug Efficacy Test, page 4
Nicolas Andrew Shillingford Cordero, Microbiology, Cornell University

Nanotextured Surfaces: New Generation Bioelectronic Interfaces for Nanomedicine, page 6
Ericka Cottman, Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University

Nanoporous Surfaces: Bioelectric Interfaces for Pathogen Detection, page 8
Lilian Gong, Biochemistry, Wellesley College

Nanostructured Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications, page 10
Nathaniel Hogrebe, Chemical Engineering, University of Dayton

Antimicrobial Effects of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles, page 12
Angela K. Horst, Biochemistry, Clarke College

Optical Detection of Thrombus Formation within a Microfluidic Device using a Helium-Neon Laser as a Radiation Source, page 14
Adam Kozak, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester

Modeling Intermediates in Prion Protein Fibril Formation, page 16
Stephanie Lau, Chemistry, Wellesley College

Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized with Thiolated Single-Stranded DNA, page 18
Alexandra J. Machen, Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas

Development and Fabrication of a Micro-Microbial Fuel Cell, page 20
Isaac Markus, Chemical Engineering, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Nanopores for DNA Translocation, page 22
Claire McLellan, Physics, Wake Forest University

Nanomechanical Properties of Motor Proteins, page 24
Margaret Merritt, Biomedical Engineering, Brown University

Microfluidics Guided Self-Assembly of Magnetoliposomes, page 26
Tiffany Moeller, Chemical Engineering, University of Nebraska

Using Molecular Self-Assembly for Surface Charged Monolayers to Control Bio-Assembly, page 28
Theresia Monikang, Chemistry, Hampton University

Engineering Hcp1 to Bind DNA, page 30
Keith Olson, Biochemistry and Psychology, Beloit College

Nano-Magnetic Particles for Cancer Diagnostics, page 32
Barbara D. Raynal, Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Optimization and Bioconjugation of Silicon Nanowire Biosensors for Cancer Marker Detection, page 34
Jacob Sadie, Electrical Engineering, Clemson University

Development of an Intravessel Xylem Probe for Viniculture and Forest Ecology, page 36
Ellen Sedlack, Microelectronic Engineering, Rochester Insitute of Technology

Artificially-Manufactured Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering-Active Nanoparticles for Cancer Diagnostics, page 38
Sweta Sengupta, Biology and Computer Science, Emory University

Development of a Multiplex CARS Flow Cytometer for Label-Free, Real-Time Classification, page 40
Hamsa Sridhar, Physics and Mathematics, Harvard College

Electronics, pages 42-65

Magnetron Sputtering and Characterization of Ag-Si for Infrared Photodetectors, page 42
John Abrahams, Electrical Engineering and Physics, University of Maryland, College Park

The Cyclic Charging of Reduction-Oxidation Markers in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Capacitors, page 44
Julie Bellfy, Chemical Engineering, Villanova University

Fabrication and Design of Nanowire Transistors, page 46
Gabrielle Castillo, Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University

Design and Fabrication of Aluminum Nanoelectromechanical Switches, page 48
Vivian Feig, Chemical Engineering, Columbia University

Plasmonic Focusing of Light, page 50
Chelsea Frid, Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan State University

Innovative Imprint Lithography for Chip-to-Chip Connections, page 52
Laura Gaskins, Chemical Engineering, Rice University

Integration of Gallium Nitride Nanowires with Silicon Circuits, page 54
Lydia Kisley, Chemistry, Wittenberg University

Semiconductor Nanocrystal Inks for Printed Photovoltaics, page 56
James Mueller, Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

High-Aspect-Ratio Polyimide Pore Array Template for Thin Film Solar Cells, page 58
Travis Rosmus, Chemistry, Saint Francis University

Optimization of Tunnel Diodes in Multi-Junction Solar Cells, page 60
Alexander Sharenko, Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ohmic Contact Study for Gallium Nitride-Based High Electron Mobility Transistors and Ultra-Short N-Type THz Devices, page 62
Ian Walsh, Applied Physics, Rice University

Sidewall Process for III-V MOSFET Fabrication, page 64
Lorraine Weis, Engineering Physics, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Materials, pages 66-101

Growth of CuIn(Ga)Se2 Thin Film Solar Cells, page 66
Menooa Badalian, Computer Engineering, Glendale Community College

Zn Diffusion for High Sensitivity InGaAsN Photodetectors, page 68
Jasmine Banks, Electrical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University

Graphene Synthesis by CVD on Copper Substrates, page 70
Mark Borysiak, Chemical Engineering, Ohio State University

Mechanical Properties of Atomic Layer Deposited Tungsten, page 72
Steven Brown, Physics and Mathematics, University of Minnesota

Photon-Enhanced Crystallization Kinetics and In Situ High Temperature Conductivity Studies in Ultra-Thin La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3-delta Films, page 74
Tyler Cain, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Annealing Thin-Film Block Copolymers to Achieve Ordered Morphologies, page 76
Kevin Donaher, Materials Science and Engineering, Simon's Rock College of Bard

Pattern Deposition of Nanoparticles of Different Shapes by an Aerosol Route, page 78
Richard Frnka, Math/Physics/Computer Science, Eckerd College

Growth of Silicon, Germanium, SixGe1-x and Various Polytypes of SiC Nanowires, page 80
Keara Harris, Electrical Engineering, Hampton University

Materials for CZTS Photovoltaic Devices, page 82
Rachel Hoffman, Chemical Engineering, Cornell University

Metallization for High Temperature Electronics, page 84
Katherine C. Kragh, Engineering Physics, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Characterization of Thermally Induced Bilayer Distortions, page 86
Arjunen Ryan Kutayiah, Physics, The City University of New York, Hunter College

Characterization of the Diffusivity of Conductive Polymers in Nanochannel Confinement, page 88
Jamal Lottier Molin, Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

ALD of High-k Gate Dielectrics for Thin Film Transistors, page 90
Du Nguyen, Physics, Michigan State University

Characterization and Acid Diffusion Studies of Cyclodextrin and its Carborane Inclusion Complex, page 92
Amanda Oehrlein, Chemistry, Hamline University

Elemental Analysis of Ge-SixGe1-x Core-Shell Nanowire Heterostructures, page 94
Arrielle Opotowsky, Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

Visible Optical Properties of Pulse-Laser-Melted Silicon with S, Se, Te, B, P and As, page 96
Si Hui Athena Pan, Physics, Brandeis University

Synthesis and Properties of Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles for Environmental Applications, page 98
Alexandra Rutz, Chemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Large-Area Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene over Thin Films of Cobalt, page 100
Devanand Sukhdeo, Electrical Engineering, Columbia University

Mechanical Devices, pages 102-109

Fabricating Mechanically Adjustable Single Molecule Electrical Contacts, page 102
Matthew T. Hershberger, Physics, Bethel College

Horizontally Aligned Carbon Nanotube Composite Beams, page 104
Alexander Hryn, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Microfabrication of Heaters and Resistance Thermal Detectors for Simulation of Hotspots, page 106
Julia Sokol, Mechanical Engineering, Harvard University

Fracture at the Nanoscale, page 108
Denys Zhuo, Material Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Optics and Opto-Electronics, pages 110-125

Fabrication and Characterization of Nanobeam Resonators with Waveguides, page 110
Arolyn Conwill, Physics, Pomona College

Fabrication of Grating Couplers and Optical Waveguide Sensors, page 112
Edgar Garay, Electrical Engineering and Physics, Florida International University

3D Photonic Crystals Fabricated Through Direct Laser Writing, page 114
Meredith Henstridge, Physics, Xavier University

Patterning Soft Materials with Light-on-Tip, page 116
Richard Purvis, Engineering Physics, Tulane University

Hybrid Silicon Microring Lasers, page 118
Daryl Spencer, Engineering Physics, University of Tulsa

Fabrication of Single Crystal Si Photonic Crystals, page 120
Matthew Strathman, Electrical Engineering, Montana State University

Fabrication of Silicon Nitride Waveguides, page 122
Takia Wheat, Chemistry, Jackson State University

Novel Fabrication Method for a High-Q Capillary-Based Whispering-Gallery-Mode Biosensor, page 124
Michael Zakrewsky, Chemical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Physics and Nanostructure Physics, pages 126-135

Space-Charge Limited Current Calculations in Nanowires, page 126
Ian Braly, Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University

Raman Topography Studies of Eutectic Systems of Strontium Ruthenate and Ruthenium, page 128
Eric Hao, Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

Fabrication of Sub-Micron Lateral Spin Valves, page 130
Alayne M. Lawrence, Chemical Engineering, Xavier University of Louisiana

Magneto-Transport in Photoexcited Diamond, page 132
Sarah Reiff, Physics, Marquette University
Fabrication of a Stable Tunable Fabry-Perot Interferometer in the Fractional Quantum Hall Regime, page 134
Paden Roder, Physics, Grinnell College

Process and Characterization, pages 136-149

Imaging and Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Growth and Transfer, page 136
Stephanie Bojarski, Materials Science and Engineering, Lehigh University

Fabrication and Characterization of Catalytic Nanomotors, page 138
Christine Burdett, Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University

Structure Optimization of Semiconducting Nanowires with AFM Direct-Write, page 140
Jacqueline Collette, Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University

Atomic Layer Deposition on Surfaces Modified with Thin Interfacial Organic Layers, page 142
Scott Isaacson, Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Process Development for a Traveling Wave Terahertz Detector, page 144
Benjamin D. McPheron, Electrical Engineering, Ohio Northern University

Fabrication of Nanohole Arrays with Nano-Imprint Lithography, page 146
Axel Palmstrom, Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara

DNA Electrophoresis in Sparse Ordered Obstacle Arrays, page 148
Alyssa Terry, Biomedical Engineering, Mississippi State University

2009 NNIN iREU: The Second Year Program, pages 150-169

Photoconductivity and Photolumniescence of Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs p-i-n Junction Quantum Well Solar Cells, page 150
David J. Christle, Physics and Mathematics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Preparation of Collagen-Glycosaminoglycan Scaffolds Using Ice Templates for Tissue Engineering, page 152
Sarah Grice, Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park

Electrochemical Deposition of Polyaniline on Nanoelectrode CrossBar Structures, page 154
Jose Guevarra, Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara

Charge Transfer of Recombinant Proteins, page 156
Jennifer Hou, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Johns Hopkins University

Effects of Immobilized Oligoarginine Peptides on Cellular Uptake of Gold Nanoparticles, page 158
Jillian Kiser, Mechanical Engineering, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

High-k Gate Stack for d-Dot FET, page 160
Kishore Padmaraju, Electrical Engineering and Physics, University of Rochester

Resistive Switching in Ag/Cu Doped Methyl-Silsesquioxane for Future Memory Applications, page 162
Adam C. Scofield, Electrical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Growth and Characterization of Graphene on Silicon Carbide, page 164
Julie Stiver, Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Study on Structural and Electronic Properties of Heavily Al-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition, page 166
Arun Swain, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University

Detection of DNA Hybridization Using a Field-Effect Device, page 168
Justine Yoon, Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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