Dissertation Defense Schedule
Academic Excellence
Sharing original dissertation research is a principle to which the University of Delaware is deeply committed. It is the single most important assignment our graduate students undertake and upon completion is met with great pride.
We invite you to celebrate this milestone by attending their dissertation defense. Please review the upcoming dissertation defense schedule below and join us!
PROGRAM | Materials Science & Engineering
Limiting Behaviors in Molecular Beam Epitaxy: From Source Cell Non-Idealities to Growth Condition Sensitivity of Dilute Bismuthides
By: James Bork Chair: Joshua Zide
ABSTRACT
Growth of modern materials by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) often involves narrow growth windows and high sensitivity to growth conditions, placing stringent requirements on flux control and stability. This dissertation investigates fundamental limitations in MBE source behavior and develops strategies to optimize growth control. Through systematic study of liquid sources, valved sources, and filament sources, several key effects are identified and characterized. A novel continuous valve rotation calibration method is developed for valved sources, enabling more precise flux control and revealing non-monotonic valve behavior. Temperature instabilities in filament sources are shown to cause significant variations in doping concentrations. These findings are applied to the growth of InAlBiAs, demonstrating the successful synthesis of high-quality films with up to 5.1% Bi content and controlled strain states. The work establishes critical guidelines for MBE operation, such as directional flux calibration and repeated cell temperature oscillation, and highlights the importance of source-specific considerations in achieving reproducible growth of sensitive materials. These insights advance our fundamental understanding of MBE growth limitations and provide practical strategies for improving the synthesis of next-generation semiconductor materials.
The Process
Step-by-Step
Visit our “Step-by-Step Graduation Guide” to take you through the graduation process.From formatting your Dissertation to Doctoral Hooding procedures.
Dissertation Manual
Wondering how to set up the format for your paper. Refer to the “UD Thesis/Dissertation Manual” for formatting requirements and more.
Defense Submission Form
This form must be completed two weeks in advance of a dissertation defense to meet the University of Delaware Graduate and Professional Education’s requirements.
