Brianna Grace Ashcroft
Mechanical engineering
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2025
FURI | Summer 2023
Computational Discovery of Novel Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors
This project examines the impact of dopants on the energy and conductivity of Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) through density functional theory simulations. The lowest energy state likely to exist in nature is sought in combination with the highest conductivity to identify the optimal pairing. The results indicate the potential for customized material design, as specific dopants show promising enhancements in the electrical conductivity of Ga2O3. These findings provide valuable insights for the optimization of Ga2O3-based semiconductors and the advancement of their applications in high-performance electronic devices.
Mentor: Houlong Zhuang
Sponsored project | Summer 2023
Brianna Ashcroft’s FURI project is sponsored by TSMC.
TSMC is a global leader in the semiconductor foundry business. The company’s industry-leading process technologies and portfolio of design enablement solutions help its customers and partners unleash semiconductor innovation. With its recent expansion into Phoenix, TSMC sees the benefit of a strong partnership with ASU faculty and student researchers. TSMC supports the FURI program by providing additional funding for exceptional research projects related to the semiconductor industry. FURI student researchers who pursue a project related to the Semiconductor Manufacturing research theme are eligible for this sponsorship. TSMC-supported FURI students receive a $2,600 stipend and $400 to use for materials. Exceptional research proposals that align with the research theme of Semiconductor Manufacturing will be considered for this additional funding.