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N-Heterocyclic Carbenes on Silicon: from Structure to Function

Project description

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes method for optimised silicon surfaces

Advanced nanoelectronics rely on silicon as a semiconductor in devices such as microchips. Research uses techniques like atomic layer deposition to optimise silicon surfaces for improved resistance and electrical conductivity. Researchers recently developed a method to attach N-heterocyclic carbene derivatives to boron-doped silicon. With support from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SMARTFACE project will apply N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) to silicon surfaces, such as Si(100). The project aims to develop a strategy for NHC immobilisation, explore the relationship between NHC structure and surface coverage, assess the impact of the coating on material properties, and investigate how surface modifications influence silicon’s characteristics.

Objective

The significance of cutting-edge nanoelectronics is inherently tied to the utilization and integration of silicon. The material is embedded as a semiconductor in a multitude of devices, such as nano- and microchips for computing. Given its paramount importance for the high-tech industry, intense research focuses on manipulating and optimising silicon surfaces. Silicon coating efforts aim to increase its resistance against harsh conditions (temperature, high electron potential, UV light, etc.), steer its electric conductivity, or covalently attach (bio)molecules for specific applications (such as biosensing). Depending on the objective, strategies for surface engineering include techniques such as atomic layer deposition or silanization. A fundamentally novel approach to functionalize silicon surfaces has recently been developed by the team of Prof. Frank Glorius from the University of Mnster, who described a strategy to immobilize derivatives of N-heterocyclic carbenes on a boron-doped silicon substrate. Transposing this concept to industrially applied silicon surfaces such as Si(100), SMARTFACE aims for the following research objectives: Develop a general strategy for NHC immobilization on silicon, study the connection of the molecular NHC structure and surface coverage, understand the impact of the coating on the material, and, finally, explore the effect of the surface modification on silicons relevant properties. The Glorius group has a unique knowledge base in the field of NHCs and surface engineering and simultaneously possesses state-of-the-art hardware to analyze fabricated materials. Given its potentially transformative impact on the field of silicon surface engineering, SMARTFACE perfectly falls within the scope of the HE Work Programme, specifically in the pursuit of developing and mastering the digital and key enabling technologies of the future.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 189 687,36
Address
SCHLOSSPLATZ 2
48149 Muenster
Germany

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Region
Nordrhein-Westfalen Münster Münster, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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