Gaurav Saraf's Homepage

Gaurav Saraf

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
94 Brett Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854

Phone: +1 (732) 445-0677 (Office)
Fax: +1 (732) 445-2820
Email: gsaraf@rci.rutgers.edu

I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in the ZnO research group, working with Prof. Yicheng Lu.

Job

I am actively looking for a full-time position in semiconductor manufacturing/ research and development.

Research

My research involves growth and characterization of non-polar a-plane (11-20) ZnO, MgZnO thin films and their heterostructures. I also study detailed structural properties using tools such as XRD, FESEM, TEM, AFM etc. The growth of these films is carried out in a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) chamber. Non-polar a-plane ZnO, MgZnO films and their heterostructures have in-plane anisotropic structural, optical, electrical and acoustic properties (along in-plane m-axis [1-100] and in-plane c-axis [0001]), thus it can be used for novel devices such as optical modulators etc. Furthermore, since a-plane is non-polar (i.e. has equal number of cations and anions on the surface) plane of ZnO, it avoids spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization fields, thus preventing spatial separation of electrons and holes in quantum confined devices. This renders a-plane non-polar ZnO based heterostructures and quantum wells to have higher quantum efficiency compared to commonly grown c-plane ZnO based devices.
In-plane anisotropy of the properties is also observed in transport behavior. Thus thin film field effect transistors (FETs) developed with this orientation is shows different device characteristics for devices aligned along the in-plane m-axis and in-plane c-axis, which can used to sensing applications.

I am also involved in several collaborative projects within the group as well as with researchers in other Universities and Companies. Some these projects include: ZnO-based Spintronics project, ZnO based Phosphors, ZnO-GaN based LEDs, ZnO and MgZnO film based Sensors etc.

Patents

“MOCVD-Sputtering Hybrid Technology to Deposit Multilayer and Multifunctional Epitaxial Films”, (with Prof. Y. Lu, Y. Chen and J. Zhu), US patent filed in 2006

Publications And Conference Presentations:

Refreed Journals:

G. Saraf, J. Zhong, O. Dulub, U. Diebold, T. Siegrist and Y. Lu, “Surface and Interface properties of MOCVD grown a-plane MgxZn1-xO (0 <= x <= 0.3) films”, Journal of Electronic Materials, Vol 36 (4), April ’2007. [Abstract]

P. Wu, G. Saraf, D. H. Hill, D. A. Arena, R. A. Bartynski, F. Cosandey, J. F. Al-Sharab, L. Wielunski, R. Gateau, J. Dvorak, A. Moodenbaugh, J. A. Raley, Y. K. Yeo, and Y. Lu, “Magnetic Properties of Fe Implanted ZnO Nanotips”, accepted to be published in Journal of Electronic Materials (special issue)’2007. [Abstract]

Y. Chen, G. Saraf, T. Siegrist, and Y. Lu,“Hybrid deposited piezoelectric a-plane MgxZn1-xO film”, submitted to Journal of Vacuum Science and Tech., 2006. [Abstract]

J. Zhong, G. Saraf, H. Chen, Y. Lu, Hock M. Ng, T. Siegrist, A. Parekh, E. A. Armour, “Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanotips Grown on GaN Using Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition”, accepted to be published in Journal Electronic Materials ‘2006. [Abstract]

G. Saraf, Y. Chen, T. Siegrist, L. S. Wielunski and Y. Lu, “Hybrid deposition of a-plane piezoelectric MgxZn1-xO films on R-sapphire substrates using RF sputtering and MOCVD”, Journal Electronic Materials, Vol. 35 (6), 2006. [Abstract]

P. Wu, G. Saraf, D. H. Hill, R. A. Bartynski, T. Siegrist, M. Y. Ryu, J. A. Raley, Y. K. Yeo and Y. Lu, “Ferromagnetism in Fe-implanted a-plane ZnO Films”, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 89, (012508), 2006. [Abstract]

D. H. Hill, D. A. Arena, R. A. Bartynski, P. Wu, G. Saraf, Y. Lu, L. Wielunski, R. Gateau, J. Dvorak, A. Moodenbaugh, and Yung Kee Yeo, “Room temperature ferromagnetism in Mn Ion implanted epitaxial ZnO films”, Phys. Stat. Sol. (a), Vol. 1–8, 2006. [Abstract]

J. Zhu, G. Saraf, J. Zhong, H. F. Sheng, B. V. Yakshinskiy and Y. Lu, “SiCl4-based Reactive Ion Etching of MgxZn1-xO and ZnO”, Journal Electronic Materials, Vol. 35 (6), 2006. [Abstract]

H. Chen, J. Zhong, G. Saraf, S. T. Hsu, Y. Ono and Y. Lu, “Interface Properties of ZnO Nanotips Grown on Si Substrates”, Journal Electronic Materials, Vol. 35 (6), 2006. [Abstract]

J. Zhu, Y. Chen, G. Saraf, N. W. Emanetoglu, and Y. Lu, ''Voltage tunable SAW phase shifter using semiconducting/piezoelectric ZnO dual-layers grown on r-Al2O3", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 89, (103513), 2006. [Abstract]

Z. Zhang, N. Emanetoglu, G. Saraf, Y. Chen, P. Wu, J. Zhong, Y. Lu, J. Chen, O. Mirochnitchenko, and M. Inouye, “DNA Immobilization and SAW Response in ZnO Nanotips Grown on LiNbO3 Substrates”, IEEE Trans. Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Freq. Cont, Vol. 53 (4), pp. 786, 2006. [Abstract]

E. Galoppini, J. Rochford, H. Chen,G. Saraf, Y. Lu, A. Hagfeldt and G. Boschloo, "Fast Electron Transport in Metal Organic Vapor Deposition Grown Dye-sensitized ZnO Nanorod Solar Cells", J. Phys. Chem. B, 110 (33), 16159 -16161, 2006. [Abstract]

O. Taratula, E. Galoppini, D. Wang, D. Chu, Z. Zhang, H. Chen, G. Saraf, and Y. Lu, “Binding Studies of Molecular Linkers to ZnO and MgZnO Nanotip Films”, J. Phys. Chem. B, Vol. 110 (13), pp. 6506 – 6515, 2006. [Abstract]

H. Sheng, G. Saraf, N. W. Emanetoglu, D. Hill, Y. Lu, “Al Ohmic Contacts to HCl Treated MgxZn1-xO”, TMS & IEEE Journal of Electronic Materials, Vol. 34 (6), pp. 754 – 757, 2005. [Abstract]

Y. Chen, N. W. Emanetoglu, G. Saraf, P. Wu, and Y. Lu, “Analysis of SAW properties in ZnO/AlxGa1-xN/c-Al2O3 Structures”, IEEE Trans. Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Freq. Cont., Vol. 52 (7), pp. 1161 - 1169, 2005. [Abstract]

H. Chen, J. Zhong, G. Saraf, Z. Zhang, L. A. Fetter, C. S. Pai and Yicheng Lu, "Properties of ZnO nanotips selectively grown by MOCVD", Proc. SPIE, Vol. 5592 (164), 2005. [Abstract]

Y. Song, M. Chan, C. Burman, H. Chen, G. Saraf, J. Zhong, and Y. Lu, “Novel ZnO Nanotips: Potential Nanomaterials for New Generation of Radiation Detectors”, Med. Phys. Vol. 32 (2006), 2005. [Abstract]

P. Wu, G. Saraf, H. Chen, Y. Chen, Y. Lu, R. Bartynski, M. Ryu, Y. K. Yeo, “Ion-beam induced sharpening of ZnO nanotips”, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 85 (7), 2004. [Abstract]

J. Zhong, S. Muthukumar, G. Saraf, Y. Chen, Y. Lu, “ZnO nanotips Grown on Silicon Substrates by Metal-Organic Chemical-Vapor Deposition”, TMS & IEEE Journal of Electronic Materials, Vol. 33 (6), pp. 654 - 657, 2004. [Abstract]

H. Wu, N. W. Emanetoglu, Y. Chen, G. Saraf, P. Wu, and Y. Lu, “SAW analysis on the MgxZn1-xO/SiO2/Si”, IEEE Trans. Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Freq. Cont., Vol. 2, pp.1153 - 1156, 2004. [Abstract]

Conference Proceedings:

J. Zhong, H. Chen, G. Saraf, H. M. Ng, C. K. Choi, J. J. Song and Y. Lu, “Photoluminescence and Electroluminescence Properties of ZnO Nanotips Grown on p-type GaN”, Elect. Mat. Conf. 2006, June 27-30, 2006, College Park, PA

G. Saraf, H. Chen, J. Zhong and Y. Lu, "MOCVD Growth and Properties of High Quality MgZnO Films and Nanotips", Laboratory of Surface Modification, Rutgers University, 2005

Y. Chen, G. Saraf, R. H. Wittstruck, N. W. Emanetoglu, Y. Lu, “ZnO and MgxZn1-xO Thin Film Resonators for Mass sensing”, Proceeding of the IEEE Frequency Control Symposium, Nov. 2005

Y. Chen, G. Saraf, R. H. Wittstruck, N. W. Emanetoglu, Y. Lu, “Studies on MgxZn1-xO thin film resonator for mass sensor application”, Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE International, Frequency Control Symposium and Exposition, 29-31, pp.142 - 145, 2005

J. Zhu, H. F. Sheng, G. Saraf, J. Zhong, and Y.Lu, “SiCl4-based Reactive Ion Etching of MgxZn1-xO and ZnO”, 2005 II-VI Workshop, 20-22, Boston, Massachusetts, 2005

G. Saraf, P. Wu, Y. Chen and Y. Lu, "Piezoelectricity in ZnO Epitaxial Thin Films", Laboratory of Surface Modification, Rutgers University, 2004

G. Saraf, S. Muthukumar, J. Zhong, Y. Chen, Y. Lu, “Structural characteristics of (Mg,Zn)O films grown on R-plane Sapphire substrates”, Laboratory of Surface Modification, Rutgers University, 2003.

H. Wu, N.W. Emanetoglu, G. Saraf, J. Zhu, P. Wu, Y. Chen, Y. Lu, "SAW Analysis of the MgxZn1-xO/SiO2/Si System", Proc. of IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 897-900, 2003