ACTIVITY

The scientific research has been mainly focused on the design, fabrication and characterization of electronic devices and systems based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si: H). In particular:

1. study of electronic defects in a-Si: H and their influence on the electronic performance of the a-Si:H based devices. In this framework, investigation techniques based on capacitance-voltage measurements as a function of frequency and temperature have been performed and modeled by specific theory applied to thin film stacked structures;

2. design, fabrication and characterization of electronic devices and innovative photosensors based on a-Si:H. In particular:

a. two terminal switching device for active matrices;

b. field-effect transistor (JFET);

c. bistable thin film device (SCR);

d. photosensor for radiation in the near infrared;

e. phototransistor;

f.  light sensor for ultraviolet (UV) radiation;

g. two-color photosensor;

h. heterojunction solar cells a-Si: H / c-Si.

3. development of integrated systems (Lab-on-Chip), based on arrays of sensors in a-Si: H, for applications in the field of biomolecular analysis. In this context, systems have been developed for:

a. detection of DNA molecules label-free;

b. detection of DNA molecules labeled with fluorochromes or biomolecules naturally fluorescent;

c. chromatographic quantitative analysis by thin layer (TLC SMART) for the detection of mycotoxins;

d. detection of biomarkers for celiac.

4. design and development of electronic real-out low noise for arrays of photosensors.

In parallel, Domenico Caputo is interested in the study of aspects and problems of ultrascalata microelectronics, in particular to the reliability of oxides of silicon, of high dielectric constant oxides and devices for low non-volatile memories of the research activity power consumption. In this area we have been developed original theoretical models and have been applied appropriately, the survey techniques for thin films, developed within the research on thin films of amorphous silicon.

Finally, Domenico Caputo is involved in the characterization of photosensors for ultraviolet radiation based on zinc oxide ultraporoso (in collaboration with the Australian National University in Canberra), in the development of dosimeters for X-ray-based photodiodes in synthetic diamond and of electronic circuits for the reading circuits of the charge division of gamma camera systems. These last two topics are developed in collaboration with CNR of Montelibretti (Rome).