Nicole Herbots

Professor Emeritus , Ph.D., University Catholique De Louvain, Condensed Matter, Materials and Solid State Physics

Office - PSH 351, Phone - (480) 965-0581

E-mail - nicole.herbots@asu.edu

Classes taught at ASU:  Undergraduate Classes: I developed "Studio Physics" for teaching  calculus-based University Physics to non-majors in an interactive, highly engaging discussion format with large enrollment classes with 100 (2000-01), 200 (2003-04), and 300 (2004-05) students. This includes using both technology such as in-class personal response systems (PRS) with live display and low cost, small tech "desk experiments" during lectures. "Studio Physics" involvies for example having each student bend repeatedly a paper clip to physically experience the heat release under his/her fingers and experience physically the hardening from atomic bond breaking - to achieve an actual sensorial observation of the physical work as opposed to only remote computer simulations or demonstrations.  Studio Physics consists also in having the whole class drop his/her pencil from varying heights (low, mid, heigh) above their desk to explore the  relationship between potential energy and the role of spatial location/configuration in a potential such as the gravitational potential of the earth, and direct observation of energy conservation as the velocity and kinetic energy of the pens is seen to increase with drop height and increasing initial potential energy.  "Studio Physics" is implemented for Calculus based University Physics for Engineers, Chemists and Majors, for first semester I (Mechanics) PHY 121,  second semester II (Electricity & Magnetism), PHY 131, and  third/fourth III (Modern Physics) PHY 361. It arose in part from the NSF-funded Foundation Coalition for A Better Engineering Education , which integrated Math, Physics, Engineeing 101, and English 101 for first year engineering students cohorts, I also taught Advanced Physics Laboratory PHY 334, Graduate Classes: Graduate Solid State Physics PHY 581,  NSF funded Multidisciplinary course on Materials Synthesis & Processing PHY/MSE/CHM 391, Physics Laboratory Research for the gifted students PHY 499 (Individualized Instruction), PHY495 (Undergraduate Research Project) PHY 592 (Master Thesis Research) 4, PHY 794 (Graduate Research seminar),PHY 792 (Graduate Thesis Research) - Advanced Ion Beam Analysis Seminar: Combining MeV Ion Channeling and Nuclear Resonance Energy Profiling

Classes taught at MIT in Course III Department of Materials Science & Engineering:  Graduate Classes:  (1) Electronic Devices and Materials, (2) Electronic Materials Processing, (3) IAP "Growing Materials Atom-by-Atom" Advanced Molecular Techniques for Surface and Thin Film Synthesis and Processing, (Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Chemical Vapor Deposition, Ion Implantation, Ion Beam Depostion, etc..) and "Looking at Materials Atom-by-Atom: Advanced Molecular Techniques for Surface and Thin Film Characterization. Undergraduate Classes: Electronic Materials Processing Laboratory in a teaching clean-room.

BIO-Narrative: Nicole Herbots, i.r., PhD UCL, doctor ingenieur, joined ASU's Department of Physics & Astronomy in 1991 ,after 4 years as a faculty at MIT (1987-1991), and 3.5 years as research scientist in the Solid State Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1984-1987). She is presently a professor emeritus in Physics at ASU. She is an inventor who holds multiple patents in semiconductors, medical electronics, molecular inorganic and organic nanophases and nanoscale technology. She is also a science educator who won a teaching award from engineering students for her development of interactive in-class and desktop experiments to teach fundamental and quantum physics concepts to undergraduates, and for her use of technology and whiteboards. She was an IBM Professor of Electronic Materials and a Carl Soderberg professor at MIT and a researcher in the Particle-Solid Interactions in the Solid State Division at Oak Ridge National Lab.

She founded and directs at ASU the Combined Ion & Molecular Deposition and SiO2 Laboratories. She earned her doctorate in Applied Physics at the Université Catholique de Louvain, where her work involved 3 departments – Condensed Matter Physics, Nuclear Physics (UCL Cyclotron facility), and Electrical Engineering (UCL clean-room WINFAB).

Her students research & model low temperature (T<480 K) synthesis of new semiconductor nanophases such as sub-nanometer ordered silicon dioxides (US Patent 6,613,677) & SiGeO2 (US patent 5,124,421).

Her methods, CIMD (US Patent 4,800,200) combines molecular beams, Ion Beam Deposition, Ion Beam Oxidation & Nitridation, & new low temperature (T ≤ 200° C) techniques such as the Herbots-Atluri Clean, the EpOX™ process, EpOxNOx™ and SilOxSi(S)™ to produce templates for (hetero) epitaxy in her clean-room laboratory, "nanostacks" of ultrathin films to create high performance gate oxides, peroskvites and photovoltaic surfaces and wafer bonding.

Her most recent technology disclosures are at the boundary of condensed matter physics, biology and medical electronics, with applications in medical devices implants such as integrated single device medical implants and InterOcular Lenses (IOL's) used in cataract surgery to replace clouded natural lenses and restore the ability to focus eye vision.

In physics instruction research,

N. Herbots implemented the Peer instruction method developped by Erik Mazur at Harvard University starting as early in 1993 in large enrollment physics classes (270 students) using recitations and hands-on experiments in Modern Physics.  In 1997, engineering students awarded her a Physics instruction award for this innovation.

In 1998-1999, N. Herbots integrated further the Physics Modellng approach in her NSF-Foundation Coalition class, included whiteboarding during lectures, and added the Energy Conservation-thread and Materials/Atomc model-thread to build curriculum narratives. She also used on-line homework submission and class-room computers for real-time individualized discussions with students. She also systematically integrated outcomes instruments (FCI, MBT, CSEM) for students and instructors (RTOP) for each course.

In 2000-2001, with support for ACEPT, N. Herbots introduced desk-stop experiments and Personal Response systems (individual clickers) to large lectures in physics while developping a new series of desk-stop experiments for electricity & magnetism. 

In 2003-2004, she introduced for the first time the use of on-line homework tutorials, conceptual and quantitative physics problem-solving with Mastering Physics.

LABORATORY FACILITIES CONSTRUCTED WHILE AT ASU:

1) N. Herbots' Combined Ion and Molecular Deposition/SiO2 Class 100 Clean Room Laboratory has an area of 400 square feet. It includes among others

- a new 16" wafer compatible and recently upgraded class 10  Wet Chemical Processing Laminar Flow Hood, where RCA cleaning, Herbots-Atluri Cleaning (US patent 6,613,677) , Langmuir-Blodgett molecular film formation, wafer bonding between Si-based materials, and nano-phase & interphase synthesis can be conducted, including commensurate beta-crystobalite on (1x1) Si(100) at 300 K.

- an newly upgraded hazardous materials, HF compatible customized glove-box made exclusively of polyproylene and teflon, with an 8 cubic feet  vented loadlock, and a 24 cubic feet work volume totally contained and vented to an acid hood, where a controlled atmosphere of nitrogen, oxygen, helium, argon or forming gas can be used for Langmuir-Blodgett molecular film formation, wafer bonding between Si-based materials, and nano-phase & interphase synthesis can be conducted, including commensurate beta-crystobalite on (1x1) Si(100) at 300 K

- a three-chambered UHV system with a loadlock, annealing chamber, controlled atmosphere loading, 6  simulatenous deposition sources (CIMD 40 cc Si and Ge, Boron K-cell, CIMD carbon, and a triple oven metal depostion source including Titanium, 

The CIMD portion of the CIMD/SIO2 lab can be toured virtually at http://ceaspub.eas.asu.edu/phy132/herbots.htm, thr SiO2/Bio-Medical Materials Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory can be toured at www.SiO2WaferBonding.com, www.SiO2BioMolecularFilms.com, www.SiO2HydroAffinity.com and www.SiO2MEIS.com

The IBeam User facility where the CIMD and some of the SiO2/Wafer Bonding/SiO2HydroAffinity facilities are located can be toured at http://www.ibeam.asu.edu/ 

Synthesis and Processing instrumentation description is described in several US Patents including 6,613,677 (granted 9/2/03), 5,241,214, 4,800,100 and the 6 patents listed below.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology  janvier 1987 à août 1991

IBM Professor of Electronic Materials, Course III, DMSE

Carl SodeBerg Professor of Materials Science & Engineering (Dpt of Mat Sci & Eng)

Research: Modelling, Computer Simulations, Experimentation and Surface Analysis via Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) of direct Ion Beam Deposition (IBD), Ion Beam Oxidation (IBO), Ion Beam Nitridation (IBN) and Combined Ion Molecular Deposition (CIMD, US Patent 4,800,100.

Design and Construction of a multi-chambered UHV Combined Ion and Molecular Deposition (CIMD) and class 100 clean-room including in-situ angular resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometry (XPS), a.k.a as ESCA.

Surface, Interface and Thin Film analysis via Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) combined with Ion Channeling and the 3.045±0.005 MeB alpha(016,O16)alpha Nuclear Resonance Analysis (NRA), 200 keV Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in plane view and cross-section, X-ray rocking curve crystal and thin film strain analysis, Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) of IBD

Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Solid State Division, Particle-Solid Interaction Group/SMAC Facility

Research Scientist · septembre 1984 à janvier 1987 · Oak Ridge, Tennessee

RESEARCH: 5 eV -1 keV very low energy Direct Ion Beam Deposition (IBD) of thin isotopic semiconductors films, superlattices and ultra-thin room temperature oxides on Si(100), including amorphous, poylcrystalline and (hetero)epitaxial Si30 and Ge74.

EDUCATION: 

Université catholique de Louvain    PhD in Applied Physics, Microelectronic Science · 

I.R.S.I.A Doctoral Fellow · août 1981 à septembre 1984 ·Louvain-la-Neuve

3-year doctoral research in Applied Physics, in the Science of Microelectronics: Thin/Film IC processing in the Electrical Engineering Class 100 clean-room with  Prof. Van de Wiele, Ion Beam Analysis on the RBS line at the UCL Van der Graaff accelerator in the Cyclotron with Prof. Grégoire, and Auger Electron Spectroscopy and Scanning Microscopy with Porf. Bertrand

Metal/Semiconductor interfaces, polysilicon, MOS structures, doping, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, Channeling, Auger Electron Spectroscopy, Transmission and Scanning Electron Micscopy, IC fabrication of electrical testing structures for ohmic contact resistances

Université catholique de Louvain Engineer in Applied Physics, Senior Thesis:

"Design, Construction and Testing of Rutherford Backscattering Vacuum Chamber and beamlime and Testing with As-doped Si(100) via Ion Implantation and Au films on Si(100)

Prof. Herbots sample Class web pages can be seen at: PHY 121 http://phyastweb.la.asu.edu/classes/phy121-herbots/ PHY 131 http://phyastweb.la.asu.edu/phy131-herbots/ PHY 334 http://phyastweb.la.asu.edu/phy334-herbots/

Selected PUBLICATIONS

 Comparative Study of Surface Energies of Native Oxides of Si(100) and Si(111) via Three Liquid Contact Angle Analysis​ S. R. Narayan, J. M. Day, H. L. Thinakaran, N. Herbots, M. E. Bertram, C. E. Cornejo, T. C. Diaz, K. L. Kavanagh, R. J. Culbertson, F. J. Ark, S. Ram, M. W. Mangus, R. Islam. (2018). MRS Advances 100, 1-12.

Infrared spectroscopic analysis of an ordered Si/SiO2 interface  K. T. Queeney N. Herbots, Justin M. Shaw,  V. Atluri, Y. J. Chabal Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 493 (2004); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1644030

Ion Beam Analysis Of Silicon-Based Surfaces And Correlation With Surface Energy Measurements. Qian Xing, N. Herbots, M. Hart, J. D. Bradley, B. J. Wilkens, D. A. Sell, Clive H. Sell, Henry M.  Kwong Jr, R. J. Culbertson, and S. D. Whaley,   AIP Conference Proceeding of the  International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry (CAARI), Vol . 1336 pp. 201-207 (May 2011) DOI:10.1063/1.3586089

Particle-.Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) Of Silicate Coatings On High Impact Resistance Polycarbonates Qian Xing, M. A. Hart, R. J. Culbertson, J. D. Bradley, N. Herbots, Barry J. Wilkens, David A. Sell, Clarizza Fiel Watson:  06/2011; 1336. DOI:10.1063/1.3586109

IBMM of OH adsorbates and interphases on Si-based materials. N. Herbots, Qian Xing, M. Hart, J.D. Bradley, D.A. Sell, R.J. Culbertson, Barry J. Wilkens:  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms (2012); 272:330–333. DOI:10.1016/j.nimb.2011.01.09

New SiGe dielectrics grown at room temperature by low‐energy ion beam oxidation and nitridation O. Vancauwenberghe, O. C. Hellman, N. Herbots, and W. J. Tan Appl. Phys. Lett. 59, 2031 (1991); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.106122

 Ion Beam Deposition of Materials At 40– 200 Ev: Effect of Ion Energy And Substrate Temperature On Interface, Thin Film And Damage Formation.  N. Herbots, B.R. Appleton, S.J. Pennycook, T.S. Noggle, R.A. Zuhr: MRS Online Proceeding Library 01/2011; 51. DOI:10.1557/PROC-51-369

Surface Characterization of Arsenic Implanted Silicon (100): A New Insight into the Inhibition of Aluminum/Silicon Interdiffusion.Nicole Herbots, D. Gloesener, E. J. Van Loenen, A. E. M. J. Fischer:  MRS Online Proceeding Library 01/2011; 37. DOI:10.1557/PROC-37-613