1997-1998 Professional Research Certificate of Merit
Steven R. Smith received the Wohlleben/Hochwalt Professional Research Certificate of Merit at the Annual Awards Banquet in April for his research to advance the fundamental knowledge of silicon carbide (SiC) materials for high-power applications.
New advances in electronics technology will depend on the ability to handle larger power densities and higher voltages and to operate at high temperatures and in chemically hostile environments. The material best suited for these applications is SiC. However, the development of SiC poses a number of technical challenges connected with the choice of its over 120 crystalline polytypes, the marginal applicability of most traditional characterization methods to wide bandgap materials like SiC, and the need to understand the electrical behavior of a wide variety of dopants and residual impurities in the material. At the same time, the payoff from meeting these challenges can be great, resulting in mechanically less complicated and thus more reliable all-electric aircraft; high-density devices for greater computing power; and blue lasers for communication and data storage and light-emitting diodes for displays.
Steve solved the SiC characterization challenges through the use of four complementary techniques based on the electrical response of a Schottky diode: Capacitance-Voltage (C-V), Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS), Thermal Admittance Spectroscopy (TAS), and Optical Admittance Spectroscopy (OAS).
Since these techniques record the electrical "fingerprints" of impurities in a semiconductor, Steve was able for the first time to identify and thoroughly characterize a number of impurities in SiC. In particular, to overcome the limitation of TAS and DLTS to detect only shallow-level impurities, Steve independently invented and popularized the use of OAS, which can potentially detect all electrically-active levels present throughout the bandgap of all SiC polytypes, a technique which has since been adopted by several university laboratories throughout the world. Overall, his contributions in this effort have led to the development of semi-insulating material for substrates and semiconducting material for high-power, high-frequency devices.
1997 Outstanding Support Person Award
Monica J. Martin received the 1997 UDRI Outstanding Support Person Award.
Monica played a key role in bringing the Integrated Fund Accounting System (IFAS) on-line in a timely and cost-effective manner. As a result of training and studying the IFAS implementation and operation manuals, Monica assisted in the development of an action plan that included staff office training, provided unique reports for various end users, and streamlined access to the IFAS database.
Monica also worked with various groups to improve current processes and procedures. She assisted in establishing and implementing the proper guidelines and procedures to process purchases that require approval through the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO).
The work that Monica did in filtering the IFAS database has enabled the Contracts Office to pursue contract proposals more aggressively and has provided a better working relationship with Small Women Owned and Small Disadvantaged Companies. Monica has also saved funds for Air Products gas users by implementing an improved cylinder tracking system.
Monica is also being recognized for her leadership skills that support and promote harmony and goodwill throughout the Research Institute. She has managed and supported such projects as the UDRI Annual Picnic and Battle of the Businesses, and participated on several quality action teams and the UDRI Computer Users Committee.
Monica joined UDRI in 1995 as a purchasing clerk. She is currently pursuing a degree in Office Information Systems at Sinclair Community College and the University of Dayton.
1997 Outstanding Technician Award
John D. Camping received the 1997 UDRI Outstanding Technician Award. After 25 years with UDRI, John is chief mechanical technician in the Composites Group located at Wright-Patterson AFB.
John has made significant contributions to the mechanical characterization of materials, and he demonstrated outstanding accomplishment in the development of a composite stress analysis tool. In this recent work, John designed and developed a PC-based graphical user interface (GUI) for implementation of the Spline Variational Elastic Laminate Theory (SVELT) computer code.
The SVELT code, written in FORTRAN, is a powerful tool for analyzing stresses and predicting failure in bolted composite joints. UDRI, the U.S. Air Force, and major aircraft manufacturers formed an alliance to refine the SVELT code for structural analysis. Because its application had been restricted to those familiar with FORTRAN programming, development of a user interface was essential to implement the code.
John designed and developed an intuitive GUI which guides the user to respond to a series of menus with simple commands and choices. In order to do this, John quickly learned Visual Basic 5 and applied his years of experience in solving technical problems and his understanding of engineering analysis to the design of the interface. Extensive interactions were necessary with Microsoft, Inc., the manufacturer of the FORTRAN compiler, and the SVELT code developer. He did much of this development on his own time and at short notice, allowing for timely delivery of the software.
During the development process, John continued his normal duties. He applies his vast experience to develop and implement creative approaches to challenging, non-routine technical problems. During the past year, John has created and modified a variety of test fixtures and equipment for non-routine conditioning and/or characterization of materials.
May 1998
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