Date of Award
3-14-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Department of Engineering Physics
First Advisor
Timothy W. Zens, PhD.
Abstract
A new System Protection (SP) technology is explored by using electrical and mechanical interference-sensing devices that are implemented with granular memristive material. The granular materials consist of oxide-coated copper spheres with radii of about 700 µm that are placed in contact to produce thin oxide junctions which exhibit memristive behavior. Processes for etching, which compared acetic acid and nitric acid etches, and thermal oxidation at 100°C are performed and compared to produce copper spheres with a copper oxide layer over the sphere surface. Oxidized copper spheres are tested as sensor arrays by loading into a capillary tube in an aligned arrangement. The spheres are held in contact to characterize current-voltage behavior for various oxide thicknesses with typical ROFF values in the megaohm range. Electrical characterization of the oxidized copper spheres reveal directly proportional changes to current-voltage hyseteresis in µW under compressive forces. The thinnest oxide exhibited changes of 8.3 to 21.2 µW over 9 mN while the thickest had a response from 0.4 to 2.5 µW over 22.3 mN.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-ENP-14-M-40
DTIC Accession Number
ADA601447
Recommended Citation
Orta, James P., "Electrical Characterization of Spherical Copper Oxide Memristive Array Sensors" (2014). Theses and Dissertations. 655.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/655