Jimmy
L. Davidson Email:
jim.davidson@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: (615) 343-7886
Fax: 343-6614
Office: 5601 Stevenson Center
Address: Microelectronics Group,
VU Station B 351683, Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN 37235-1683 USA
Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering,
Professor of Interdisciplinary Program in Materials
Science
Jimmy L. Davidson received the B.A. degree from Hendrix College majoring in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics and the M.S. and Ph.D. in Material Science from Columbia University. Previously in his career, he was Manager of Advanced Process Development and Director of Product Assurance at Harris Semiconductor, Inc., Vice President of Operations at InSouth Microelectronics Corp. and a Professor at Auburn University where he was also Associate Director of the Alabama Microelectronics Center.
In September 1989 he became Professor, Electrical Engineering and Professor, Material Science and Engineering at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN and Director, Vanderbilt Microelectronics Laboratory. He conducts applied research in advanced electronic materials and microelectronic microsensors and is developing programs in synthetic diamond and other rugged advanced wide band gap semiconductors for electronic, biological and mechanical applications. Made first determinations of elastic modulus, tensile strength, chemical sensing properties, tip electron emission of diamond films and developed first technology for patterning diamond films. Designed, fabricated, developed and characterized first diamond MEMS sensors, diamond-based chemical sensors, resistors, capacitors, and highly efficient diamond microemitter vacuum microelectronic devices. He has over 100 publications and 6 patents in this area.
Vanderbilt University Engineering Capability Brief re.
Diamond Research and Development
follows:

Vanderbilt
University Diamond Research and Development J. L. Davidson, Professor -
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Engineering Capability Brief
Diamond research and
development activities at Vanderbilt University, have yielded new innovative
ideas in applying diamond technology for the development of solid state and
vacuum microelectronics, microsensors, MEMS, and electric power devices. A
complete capability is in place at Vanderbilt to conduct modeling, design,
development, fabrication, characterization and testing of diamond devices. Over 40 scientific papers have been
published, in excess of 50 conference presentations and several patents are
pending as a result of Vanderbilt's applied diamond research and development.
The multiple projects underway are funded by NASA, USAF, USN, DOD, and others.
|
DIAMOND PRESSURE SENSOR |

DIAMOND MICROEMITTER |
Diamond
is generally recognized as a principal candidate for next generation
semiconductor materials. Major advantages for the use of CVD diamond technology
for applications such as microelectronic devices, sensors,
microelectromechanical systems, and high power devices are: (1) superior
electronic properties at much higher temperatures and harsh environments, (2)
high breakdown voltage, electron saturation velocity, carrier mobility, thermal
conductivity, and electrical stability for microelectronic devices with very
high power and frequency possibilities, (3) wide-band gap and NEA properties
vacuum microelectronics with outstanding power, speed, and radiation hardness,
(4) chemical and electrical stability, compatible with hostile environments for
chemical/gas sensing, (5) rugged piezoresistive properties, (6) excellent
thermal conductivity for flow sensing, (7) unprecedented stiffness and hardness
for microdynamic structures and novel composites, and (8) low coefficient of
friction, virtual "wearless" moving interfaces to achieve MEMS that
operate at higher frequency, higher RPM and lower energy.
Example Applications: Vanderbilt researchers have
demonstrated the capability to directly address the research and development
necessary to implement the science and technology to apply diamond for
practical solutions.
Major
Diamond-Based research programs currently underway at Vanderbilt are:
Example
References, Recent Publications and Conference Papers:
1) W. P. Kang, T. Fisher, and J. L. Davidson, ※Diamond Microemitters
每 The New Frontier of Electron Field Emissions and Beyond,§ New Diamond and
Frontier Carbon Technology, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 129-146, 2001. (Invited)
2) J. L. Davidson, W. P. Kang, K. Holmes, A. Wisitsora-at, P.
Taylor, V. Pulugurta, R. Venkatasubramanian, and F. Wells, ※CVD Diamond for
Components and Emitters,§ Diamond and related Materials, 10, pp. 1736-1742,
2001.
3) W. P. Kang, J. L. Davidson, A. Wisitsora-at, D.V. Kerns, and
S. Kerns, ※Recent Development of Diamond Microtip Field Emitter Cathodes and
Devices,§ Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, Vol. 19 (3), pp. 936-941,
2001. (Invited).
4) W. P. Kang, A. Wisitsora-at, J. L. Davidson, O. K. Tan, W.
G. Zhu, Q. Li and J. F. Xu, ※Electron Emission from Silicon Tips Coated with
Sol-gel (Ba0.67Sr0.33)TiO3 Ferroelectric Thin Film,§ Journal of Vacuum Science
and Technology B, Vol. 19 (3), pp. 1073-1076, 2001.
5) A. Wisitsora-at, W. P. Kang, J. L. Davidson, D. V. Kerns,
and S. E. Kerns, ※Diamond Emitter Arrays with Uniform Self-Aligned Gate Built
from Silicon-on-Insulator Wafer,§ Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B,
Vol. 19 (3), pp. 971-974, 2001.
6) A. Wisitsora-at, W. P. Kang, J. L. Davidson, D. V. Kerns,
and T. Fisher, ※Diamond Field Emission Triode with Low Gate Turn-on Voltage and
High Gain,§ Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, Vol. 21 (1)
7) Y. M. Wong, W. P. Kang,
J. L. Davidson, A. Wisitsora-at, K. L. Soh and T. Fisher, ※Field Emitter Using
Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Grown On Silicon Tip Region By Microwave Plasma
Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition,§ Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology
B, Vol. 21 (1)
8) W. P. Kang, J. L.
Davidson, A. Wisitsora-at, M. Howell, A. Jamuhadin, Y. M. Wong, K. L. Soh, and
D. V. Kerns, ※Fabrication and Field Emission Characteristics of Lateral Diamond
Field Emitter,§ Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, Vol. 21 (1)
9) W. P. Kang, A.
Wisitsora-at, J. L. Davidson, O. K. Tan, W. G. Zhu, Q. Li, and J. F. Xu ※The
Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Electron Emission Characteristics of Silicon
Tips Coated with Ba0.67Sr0.33TiO3 Thin Film,§ Journal of Vacuum Science and
Technology B, Vol. 21 (1)
10) K. L. Soh, W. P. Kang,
J. L. Davidson, Y. M. Wong, A. Wisitsora-at, G. Swain, and D.E. Cliffel,
※DIAMOND MICROTIPS AS MICROELECTRODE FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSING,§ Technical
Digest of 9th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors, pp. 104-105, Boston,
USA, July 7-10, 2002.
11) Y. M. Wong, W. P. Kang,
J. L. Davidson, A. Wisitsora-at and K. L. Soh, ※A NOVEL MICROELECTRONIC GAS
SENSOR UTILIZING CARBON NANOTUBES FOR HYDROGEN GAS DETECTION,§ Technical Digest
of 9th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors, pp. 206-207, Boston, USA,
July 7-10, 2002.
12) A. Wisitsora-at, W. P.
Kang, J. L. Davidson, M. Howell, and D. V. Kerns, ※MODELING OF THE TRANSISTOR
CHARACTERISTICS OF A MONOLITHIC DIAMOND VACUUM TRIODE,§ Technical Digest of
15th International Vacuum Microelectronics Conference, pp. PT.07, July 7-11,
2002, Lyon, France
13) A. Wisitsora-at, W. P.
Kang, J. L. Davidson, M. Howell, and D. V. Kerns, ※HIGH CURRENT DIAMOND FIELD
EMISSION DIODE,§ Technical Digest of 15th International Vacuum Microelectronics
Conference, pp. OB1.12, July 7-11, 2002, Lyon, France
14) Qiong Li, Jingfang Xu,
Ke Yu, Tao Feng, Xi Wang, Xianghuai Liu, W. P. Kang, and J. L. Davidson, ※Field
Emission Characteristics of Nodular Carbon Nanotube,§ Technical Digest of 15th
International Vacuum Microelectronics Conference, pp. PT.41, July 7-11, 2002,
Lyon, France
15) (Invited) J. L.
Davidson, W. P. Kang, Y. M. Wong, K. L. Soh, and A. Wisitsora-at, ※Comparing
Solid Diamond Films and Carbon Nanotubes as Chemical Sensors§, Proceedings of
the AICHE 2002 Annual Meeting, session 34-Diamond and Diamond-like Carbon Based
Sensors, Indianapolis, Indiana, November 3 每 8, 2002, pp. 159-162.
16) (Invited) J.L. Davidson, W.P. Kang, T.
Fisher, A.M. Strauss, K. Holmes, A. Wisitsora-At, M. Howell, ※Diamond
Microelectromechanical Structures (DMEMS)§, Proceedings of CIMTEC 2002,
International Conferences on Modern Materials and Technologies, 3rd Forum on
New Materials, Section 4 每 Devices, Applications and Prospects, Florence,
Italy, July 14-18, 2002, p. 217
17) Yun Wang, T.S. Fisher,
J.L. Davidson, Lixin Jiang, ※Thermal conductivity of Nanoparticle Suspensions§,
Proceedings of the 8th AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics)/ASME Joint Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Conference, St. Louis,
Missouri, 24-26 June 2002, AIAA 2002-3345, p.1-6
18) J. L. Davidson, W. P.
Kang, and A. Wisitsora-at, ※Diamond Field Emission devices,§ Proceedings of
Diamond 2002, 13th European Conference on Diamond, Diamond-Like Materials,
Carbon Nanotubes, Nitrides & Silicon Carbide, September 2002, Granada,
Spain, pp. 16.1.
19) J.L. Davidson, W.P.
Kang, T. Fisher, K. Holmes, A. Wisitsora-At, M. Howell, ※Some Practical Examples
of Diamond Micromechanical Structures (DMEMS)§, Diamonds Materials VII,
Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Diamond Science and
Technology, 2001 Joint International Meeting/200th Meeting of the
Electrochemical Society, San Francisco, CA., September 2-7, 2001. Proceeding
Volume 2001-25, published 2002, pp. 240-251.
20) Y. M. Wong, W.P. Kang,
J.L. Davidson, A. Wisitsora-At, K. L. Soh, ※Highly Efficient Field Emitter
Using Carbon Nanotubes Grown by Microwave Plasma-Enhanced CVD§, Diamonds
Materials VII, Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Diamond
Science and Technology, 2001 Joint International Meeting/200th Meeting of the
Electrochemical Society, San Francisco, CA., September 2-7, 2001. Proceeding
Volume 2001-25, published 2002, pp. 281-288.
21) Y.M. Wong, W.P. Kang,
J.L. Davidson, A. Wisitsora-at, and K.L. Soh, ※Carbon Nanotubes for Gas Sensing
Applications§, 201st Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, ECS Centennial
Meeting, "Microfabricated Systems and MEMS VI", Proceedings of
Microfabricated Systems and MEMS VI Symposium, 201st Meeting of the
Electrochemical Society, Philadelphia, PA, May 12-17th, 2002. Proceeding Volume
2002-6, pp.32-35, 2002.
22) K.C. Holmes, J.L.
Davidson, and W.P. Kang, ※Piezoresistive Micro-Electro-Mechanical Application
in Diamond Films§, 201st Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, ECS Centennial
Meeting, "Microfabricated Systems and MEMS VI", Proceedings of
Microfabricated Systems and MEMS VI Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, May 12-17th,
2002. Proceeding Volume 2002-6, pp.77-83, 2002.
23) K.L. Soh, W.P. Kang,
J.L. Davidson, Y.M. Wong, A. Wisitora-at, ※Boron-doped CVD Diamond Planar Film
as an Electrode for Electrochemical Sensing§, 201st Meeting of the
Electrochemical Society, ECS Centennial Meeting, "Microfabricated Systems
and MEMS VI", Proceedings of Microfabricated Systems and MEMS VI
Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, May 12-17th, 2002. Proceeding Volume 2002-6,
pp.235-238, 2002.
Books:
Editor, J. L. Davidson,
"Diamonds Materials VII", Proceedings of the Seventh International
Conference on Diamond Science and Technology, 2001 Joint International
Meeting/200th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, San Francisco, CA.,
September 2-7, 2001. Proceeding Volume 2001-25, co 每 editor with G. M. Swain,
J. C. Angus, T. Ando, W. D. Brown, published 2002.
Editor, J. L. Davidson,
"Microfabricated Systems and MEMS VI", Proceedings of Microfabricated
Systems and MEMS VI Symposium, 201st Meeting of the Electrochemical Society,
Philadelphia, PA, May 12-17th, 2002. Proceeding Volume 2002-6, co 每 editor with
P. J. Hesketh, S.S. Ang, H. G. Hughes, D. Misra, published 2002.