BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Carraro is an Associate Research Engineer with the department of Chemical Engineering and with the Electronic Research Laboratory at UC Berkeley. He received a PhD in physics from Caltech in 1990. He has authored and co-authored over 100 publications on the physics and mechanics of surfaces and thin films.

Silicon carbide process development and characterization for harsh-environment sensors [RM5/RTH]
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide band gap semiconductor with extraordinary properties and has attracted considerable attention for high temperature electronics. Recently, this material is being pursued for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications in harsh environments.
The goal of this project is to develop a series of SiC-based sensors and to characterize them for harsh environments. In order to achieve thisgoal, a series of microfabrication technologies including low-temperature CVD, reactive ion etching, and metalization of poly-SiC films need to be developed. In addition, the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the deposited SiC films need to be characterized. Recent progress includes Ni and Pt contacts characterization in room temperature and elevated temperature, and thermal stability study.