CPE Faculty and Staff

Karen J. Nordheden

Associate Professor

B. S., Physics, Michigan State University
M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Room: 4132D Learned Hall
Phone: (785) 864-8820
Fax: (785) 864-4967
E-mail: nordhed@ku.edu

Research Interests

My major research interest is in the area of development and characterization of new plasma etch processes for semiconductor device fabrication. The Plasma Research Laboratory is currently collaborating with engineers in industry and government laboratories who have provided us with materials and additional testing capabilities. Our current research deals with the development of etch processes for wide bandgap semiconductors such as SiC, GaN, and ZnO. Previous research topics have included the development of a GaAs via hole etch process which has been used on real device wafers in an effort with TRW; the development of a selective gate recess etch with TriQuint Semiconductor, a comprehensive study on the effects of the addition of gases such as SF₆ and N₂ on the plasma electron densities and GaAs etch rates of BCl₃ and SiCl₄ discharges.

Publication List:

Journals

Qiying Jiang, David A. Slade, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "A Comparison of Mixed-conducting Oxygen-permeable Membranes for CO₂ Reforming", Catalysis Today, accepted August 2009.
K. J. Nordheden, B. A. Pathak, and J. L. Alexander, "ICP etching of ZnO in BCl₃/SF₆ gas mixtures", Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 7217, pp. 72170Q-72170Q-5, 2009. (Invited)
Sedigheh Faraji, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "The Interaction Between SrFeCo_.05O_xCeramic Membranes and Pt/CeZrO₂ during Syngas Production from Methane", Catalysis Letters 131(1), pp. 114-121 (2009).
Trung Van Nguyen, Minh Vu Nguyen, and Karen J. Nordheden, "Effect of Bulk and Surface Treatments on the Surface Ionic Activity of Nafion Membranes and Their Performance in a PEMFC", J. Electrochem. Soc. 154(11), A1073-A1076 (2007).
Karen J. Nordheden, Mark Dineen, and Colin Welch, "Inductively coupled plasma etching of ZnO", Proceedings of the SPIE, SPIE Vol. 6474, pp. 6474OP1-4, 2007. (Invited)
David A. Slade, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Mixed-conducting oxygen permeable ceramic membranes for the carbon dioxide reforming of methane", Green Chemistry 9, 577 (2007).
Sean M. Murphy, David A. Slade, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Increasing Oxygen Flux through a Dense Oxygen Permeable Membrane by Photolithographic Patterning of Platinum", J. Membrane Science, 277(1-2), 94 (2006).
A. S. Agarwal, V. Berry, R. Alapati, and K. J. Nordheden, "Characterization of SiCl₄/N₂ Plasmas," J. Electrochem. Soc. 152(3) G210-G212 (2005)
Karen J. Nordheden, "Plasma etching of ZnO: a review", Quantum Sensing and Nanophotonic Devices, Proceedings of the SPIE, SPIE Vol. 5359 (January 25-29, 2004), pp. 228-233 (Invited).
Karen J. Nordheden and Joanne F. Sia, "Characterization of BCl₃/N₂ plasmas," J. Appl. Phys. 94(4), 2199 (2003).
Y.-S. Lee, J. F. Sia, and K. J. Nordheden, "Mass Spectrometric Characterization of BCl₃/SF₆Plasmas," J. Appl. Phys. 88(8), 4507 (2000). K. J.
Nordheden, K. Upadhyaya, Y.-S. Lee, S. P. Gogineni, and M.-Y. Kao, "GaAs Etch Rate Enhancement with SF₆ Addition to BCl₃ Plasmas," J. Electrochem. Soc. 147(10), 3850 (2000).
Y.-S. Lee, K. Upadhyaya, K. J. Nordheden, and M.-Y. Kao, "Selective RIE of GaAs/AlAs in BCl₃/SF₆ for Gate Recess", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18(5), 2505 (2000).

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K. J. Nordheden and M. H. Hoeflich, "Undergraduate Research & Intellectual Property Rights," IEEE Transactions on Education, 42(4), 233 (1999).
Barbara Abraham-Shrauner, Karen J. Nordheden and Yao-Sheng Lee, "Model For Etch Depth Dependence on GaAs Via Hole Diameter", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B17(3), 961 (1999).
K. J. Nordheden, X. D. Hua, Y. S. Lee, L. W. Yang, D. C. Streit, and H. C. Yen, "Smooth and anisotropic reactive ion etching of GaAs slot vias for monolithic microwave integrated circuits using Cl₂/BCl₃/Ar plasmas," J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B17(1), 158 (1999).
K. J. Nordheden, "RIE Initiation Delay in BCl₃/SF₆/Ar Plasmas Due to Native Oxide Removal in NH₄OH/H₂O," Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 2(1), 43 (1999).
P. C. Chao, M. Y. Kao, K. Nordheden and A. W. Swanson, "HEMT Degradation in Hydrogen Gas," IEEE Electron Device Lett.15(5), 151 (1994).
V. S. Wang, R. J. Matyi, and K. J. Nordheden, "Triple crystal x-ray diffraction analysis of reactive ion etched gallium arsenide," J. Appl. Phys. 75(8), 3835 (1994).
K. J. Nordheden, D. W. Ferguson, and P. M. Smith, "Reactive ion etching of via holes for GaAs high electron mobility transistors and monolithic microwave integrated circuits using Cl₂/BCl₃/Ar gas mixtures," J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 11(5), 1879 (1993).
Albert Chin, Li-Wu Yang, Paul. A. Martin, Karen J. Nordheden, Jim M. Ballingall, T. H. Yu, and P. C. Chao, "High performance heterojunction bipolar transistors grown by molecular-beam epitaxy using novel growth method," J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 11(3), 972 (1993).
P. M. Smith, K. Nordheden, and J. M. Ballingall, "Ku-band high efficiency high gain pseudomorphic HEMT," Electronics Lett. 27(3), 270 (1991).
K. J. Nordheden, T. R. Dill, and J. T. Verdeyen, "Predictable Reactive Ion Etching of GaAs and AlGaAs in HCl/Ar RF Discharges," J. Electrochem. Soc. 137(2), 691 (1990).
K. J. Nordheden and J. T. Verdeyen, "The Effect of Oxygen on the Etch Rate of NF₃ Discharges," J. Electrochem. Soc. 133(10), 2168 (1986).
K. J. N(ordheden) Badura and J. T. Verdeyen, "Radiative Efficiencies of Radio Frequency Sulfur Discharges," IEEE J. Quantum Elect. QE21(7), 748 (1985).

Non-refereed Journals:

K. J. Nordheden and M. H. Hoeflich, "Undergraduate Research and Intellectual Property Rights," The Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. VI, Number III, Summer/Fall 1997. [Also published in IEEE Transactions on Education, November 1999.]
M. H. Hoeflich and Karen Nordheden Hoeflich, "Accelerating Science: A Problem for the Legal System," UMKC Law Review 60(4), 717 (1992).

Conference Proceedings

David A. Slade, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Catalyst and Oxygen Permeable Membrane Synergy in Hydrocarbon Conversion Reactors", North American Catalysis Society Meeting, May 2007.
Qiying Jiang, Sedigheh Faraji, David A. Slade, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Performance Analysis of Mixed-Conducting Ceramic Membranes for Membrane Reactor Applications", 2007 AIChE Annual Meeting, November 7, 2007, Salt Lake City, UT.
David A. Slade, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Oxygen permeable ceramic membranes for hydrocarbon conversion reactors", 2006 AIChE Annual Meeting, November 13, 2006, San Francisco, CA.
David A. Slade, Sean M. Murphy, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Mixed-conducting oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes for the CO2 reforming of CH4", 232nd ACS National Meeting, September 13, 2006, San Francisco, CA.
David A. Slade, Sean M. Murphy, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Performance enhancement of mixed-conducting oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes", 2006 Western States Catalysis Club Meeting, February 24, 2006, Boulder, CO.
David A. Slade, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams "Enhanced CO2 reforming using oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes", 2nd Process Intensification and Process Innovation Conference, September 28, 2006, Christchurch, New Zealand.

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David A. Slade, Sean M. Murphy, Karen Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Synthesis Gas Generation Using Ionic/Electronic Oxygen Permeable Membranes", AIChE 2005 Annual Meeting, Conference Proceedings, 2005, pp. 2177-2182.
David Slade, Sean Murphy, Karen Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Synthesis Gas Generation Using Ionic/Electronic Oxygen Permeable Membranes", Proceedings from the 19th North American Catalysis Society Meeting, May (2005).
Saeed Taherion, Ronqing Hui, Karen Nordheden, Joanne Sia, Aldo Baldanzi, Michele Goano Enrico Bellotti, and Hongxing Jiang, "Experimental and Theoretical Study of Refractive Indices of Wurtzite GaN Thin Film from Visible to Infrared", Integrated Photonics Research, June 13-15 2001, Monterey, California.
Y.-S. Lee, K. Upadhyaya, and K. J. Nordheden,"Selective RIE in BCl₃/SF₆ Plasmas for GaAs HEMT Gate Recess Etching", Electrochemical Society Proceedings Vol. 2000-1 on State Of The Art Processing Of Compound Semiconductors (SOTAPOCS XXXII), May 2000, pp.182-188.
P. C. Chao, M. Y. Kao, K. Nordheden and A. W. Swanson, "HEMT Degradation in Hydrogen Gas," U.S. Conference on GaAs Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH), 1994, pp. 105-108.
V. S. Wang, R. J. Matyi, and K. J. Nordheden, "Characterization of reactive ion etch damage in GaAs by triple crystal x-ray diffraction," Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 324, pp. 445-450, 1994.
L. W. Yang, J. J. Komiak, M. Y. Kao, D. E. Houston, D. P. Smith, and K. J. Nordheden, "E-Beam Re-Aligned HBTs and A New Broadband MMIC Power Amplifier Using Bathtub as Heat Sink," IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) Tech. Digest, pp. 203-206, Dec. 11-14, 1994, San Francisco, CA.
L. W. Yang, J. J. Komiak, D. P. Smith, M. Y. Kao, R. S. Brozovich, K. J. Nordheden, D. R. Helms, D. E. Houston, and F. R. Bardsley, "Manufacturing Technology for High Performance HBT Linear Power Amplifiers," IEEE GaAs IC Symp.Tech. Digest, pp. 127-130, Oct. 16-19, 1994, Philadelphia, PA.
Ming-Yih Kao, Shih-Tsang Fu, Pin Ho, Phillip M. Smith, P. C. Chao, Karen J. Nordheden, and Sujane Wang, "Very High Voltage AlGaAs/InGaAs Pseudomorphic Power HEMTs," IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) Tech. Digest, pp.319-321, Dec. 13-16, 1992, San Francisco, CA.

Conference Presentations

Karen J. Nordheden, Mark Dineen, and Colin Welch, "Inductively coupled plasma etching of ZnO", Photonics West, SPIE, San Jose, January 21-24, 2007. (invited)
Qiying Jiang, Sedigheh Faraji, David A. Slade, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Performance Analysis of Mixed-Conducting Ceramic Membranes for Membrane Reactor Applications", (Poster) 2007 AIChE Annual Meeting, November 7, 2007, Salt Lake City, UT.
David A. Slade, Karen J. Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Catalyst and Oxygen Permeable Membrane Synergy in Hydrocarbon Conversion Reactors", (Poster) North American Catalysis Society Meeting, May 2007.
David A. Slade, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Oxygen permeable ceramic membranes for hydrocarbon conversion reactors", 2006 AIChE Annual Meeting, November 13, 2006, San Francisco, CA.
David A. Slade, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams "Enhanced CO2 reforming using oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes", 2nd Process Intensification and Process Innovation Conference, September 28, 2006, Christchurch, New Zealand.
David A. Slade, Sean M. Murphy, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Mixed-conducting oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes for the CO2 reforming of CH4", 232nd ACS National Meeting, September 13, 2006, San Francisco, CA.
David A. Slade, Sean M. Murphy, Andrew M. Duncan, Karen J. Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Performance enhancement of mixed-conducting oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes", 2006 Western States Catalysis Club Meeting, February 24, 2006, Boulder, CO.

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David A. Slade, Sean M. Murphy, Karen Nordheden, Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Synthesis Gas Generation Using Ionic/Electronic Oxygen Permeable Membranes", AIChE 2005 Annual Meeting, October (2005).
David Slade, Sean Murphy, Karen Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Synthesis Gas Generation Using Ionic/Electronic Oxygen Permeable Membranes", 19th North American Catalysis Society Meeting, May (2005).
Sean Murphy, David Slade, Karen Nordheden, and Susan M. Stagg-Williams, "Deposition of catalytic materials on mixed metal oxide membranes using photolithography and electron beam evaporation", Annual meeting of the Western States Catalysis Club, February (2005).
"Photolithography and Nanoparticle Synthesis for Optical Waveguides", Joel T. Abrahamson, Rongqing Hui, and Karen J. Nordheden, AIChE student poster session 95d, Materials Engineering and Sciences, Cincinnati OH, October 31, 2005.
Ramakanth Alapati and Karen J. Nordheden, "Reactive Ion Etching of SiC in SF₆/He plasmas," 56^th Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference, San Francisco, CA, October 21-24, 2003.
"Effect of SF₆ addition to BCl₃ Etching Plasmas," Yao-Sheng Lee, Kaushal Upadhyaya, Prasad Gogineni, and Karen J. Nordheden, presented at the 52^nd Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC), Norfolk, VA, October, 1999.
"Smooth and anisotropic RIE of GaAs slot via holes for HEMTs using Cl₂/BCl₃/Ar plasmas," Y. S. Lee, X. D. Hua, and K. J. Nordheden, presented at the K*STAR NSF EPSCoR Meeting, Topeka, KS, April, 1999.
"Smooth and anisotropic RIE of GaAs slot via holes for HEMTs using Cl₂/BCl₃/Ar plasmas," Y. S. Lee, X. D. Hua, and K. J. Nordheden, presented at the 194th Meeting of The Electrochemical Society, Boston, MA, November, 1998.
"Reactive ion etching of via holes for GaAs HEMTs and MMICs using Cl₂/BCl₃/Ar gas mixtures," K. J. Nordheden, presented at the IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS), June 1995, Madison, WI.
"High performance heterojunction bipolar transistors grown by molecular-beam epitaxy using novel growth method," Albert Chin, Li-Wu Yang, Paul. A. Martin, Karen J. Nordheden, Jim M. Ballingall, T.H. Yu, and P.C. Chao, presented at the 12th North American Conference on Molecular-Beam Epitaxy, Oct.12-14, 1992, Ottawa, Ont., Canada.
"Reactive Ion Etching of GaAs in HCl/Ar Discharges," K.J. Nordheden, J.H. Beberman, T.R. Dill, and J.T. Verdeyen, poster presentation at the Twenty-First Physical Electronics Industrial Affiliates Program, April 6-7, 1988, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.
"The Effect of Oxygen on the Etch Rate of Si/SiO₂ in NF₃ Discharges," K.J. Nordheden, J.H. Beberman, T.R. Dill, and J.T. Verdeyen, poster presentation at the Nineteenth Physical Electronics Industrial Affiliates Program, April 15-16, 1986, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.
"Optical, Microwave, and Mass-spectroscopy of Plasma Processing Discharges," J. T. Verdeyen, G. Hebner, K. Nordheden, and L. Overzet, presented at the Tegal Conference, J. Electrochem. Soc. 133(8), PC311, 1986, San Diego, CA.

Invited Talks

Karen J. Nordheden, Mark Dineen, and Colin Welch, "Inductively coupled plasma etching of ZnO", presented at the Zinc Oxide Materials and Devices session of the SPIE Integrated Optoelectronics Devices Symposium, January 22, 2007.
"Reactive Ion Etching of SiC in SF₆/He plasmas", Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, April 14, 2004.
Karen J. Nordheden, "Plasma Etching of ZnO-A Review," Photonics West 2004, San Jose, CA, January 24-29, 2004.
"Characterization of Plasma Etches for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors", AFOSR Semiconductor Materials Program Review, Williamsburg, VA, June 9-11, 2003.
"Lawyers and Scientists," M. H. Hoeflich and K. J. Nordheden, National Academy of Science, Washington, DC, Sept. 7, 2000.
"GaAs Etch Rate Enhancement with SF₆ addition to BCl₃ Plasmas", Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhatan, KS, October 1999.
"Reactive Ion Etching of GaAs," Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, April 1998.
"Reactive Ion Etch Processes for HEMTs," Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, March 1998.
"Plasma Processes for GaAs Devices," Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, December 1996.
"Plasma Etching of HEMTs and MMICs," Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, March 1995.