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Shem Purnell

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Shem Pernell

Shem Purnell joined the Nanoscale Materials and Device Group as a sophomore in Electrical Engineering in January of 2010. He has performed several characterization tests on high-k semi-conductor devices, as well as high temperature (423 K) I-V (Current-Voltage) measurements and low temperature (6 K) I-V, C-V (Capacitance-Voltage), and NBTI (Negative Bias Temperature Instability) measurements.

Shem has standardized the groups plotting of data in the Origin software by writing code for a button which modifies the graphs to make them more appealing to the eye. This has proven to be a useful tool, especially when working with large projects that have several graphs.

Currently Shem has received his Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering at Boise State University. He graduated May 12, 2012 and is continuing to provide value to the group in performing measurements and writing standard operating procedure documents.

Instruments and Techniques

Keithley 4200-SCS Semiconductor Characterization System

  • Perform I-V measurements on various devices
  • Pulsed I-V measurements
  • Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) Measurements
  • Connect to external equipment to perform other measurements:
  1. Capacitance-Voltage
  2. Conductance
  3. Single Pulse Charge Trapping

Agilent E5250A Switching Matrix

Agilent Infiniium 54832D Oscilloscope

Single Pulse Charge Trapping

Agilent 4156C Precision Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer

  • Perform I-V measurements on various devices
  • Connect to external equipment to perform other measurements:
  1. Capacitance-Voltage
  2. Conductance

nScrypt Micro Dispense Pump CNC Machine

Apply conductive paste to device contact pads to facilitate wire bonding

Agilent 4284 Precision LCR

Perform Capacitance-Voltage measurements

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal Publications

None at this time.

Conference Publications

Richard G. Southwick III, Shem T. Purnell**, Blake A. Rapp**, Ryan J. Thompson**, Shane K Pugmire**, Ben Kaczer, Tibor Grasser, and William B. Knowlton, Cryogenic to Room Temperature Effects of NBTI in high-k PMOS Devices, conference publication at the IEEE International Integrated Reliability Workshop (Fallen Leaf Lake, CA; Oct. 16-20, 2011).

Conference Presentations and Posters

Shem T. Purnell**, Shane K Pugmire**, Blake A. Rapp**, Ryan J. Thompson**, Richard G. Southwick III, Tibor Grasser, Ben Kaczer, and William B. Knowlton, Comparison of Trends in Cryogenic Measurements of SiO2 and HfO2/SiO2 pMOSFETs, poster presentation at the IEEE International Integrated Reliability Workshop (Fallen Leaf Lake, CA; Oct. 16-20, 2011).

B. Rapp**, S. Purnell**, S. Pugmire**, R. Thompson**, R. Butler*, R. G. Southwick III, W. B. Knowlton. Thermal Effects of Light Exposure on pMOSFET Device Behavior. Poster presentation at 8th annual Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Conference (Boise, ID; April 11, 2011).

Ryan J. Thompson**, Shem T. Purnell**, Blake A. Rapp**, Development of Sensors for Tracking Behavior of Wildlife, poster presentation at the 2012 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference (Boise, Idaho; April 16, 2012)