State-of-the art neuromodulators are bulky, and they are mostly fabricated on rigid substrates. Furthermore, they are not provided with a feedback control loop re- sulting in undesired off-target effects. This thesis paves the way for fabrication of lightweight neural interfaces with the capability to implement closed-loop controlled neuromodulation down to a single-cell resolution. In this work, an approach based on hybrid optical-electrical devices to implement neuromodulation is presented. The rationale of this choice, design illustration, fabrication and characterization is discussed. In addition, a proof-of-concept neural interface is illustrated. Specif- ically, hybrid optical-electrical devices are developed based on inorganic thin films, i.e., nanomembranes (NMs) formed in ordered arrays of buckled channels on com- pliant substrates. The buckled NMs include light-emitting structures in the visible range (namely Si nano-crystals) and graphene electrodes to control and record neu- ral activity, respectively. The compliant substrates of choice is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Buckled NMs are obtained by guided self-assembly of the supported thin films under compressive strain. The cross-sectional size of buckled NM channels is scaled to match the dimensions of single neurons. This work primarily focuses on the fabrication and integration of an optically active NM, with a conductive film, thus obtaining a hybrid optical-electrical platform for potential neuronal in-vitro studies. A process is established based on multiple layer releases and transfers which enables graphene electrodes to be fabricated on the inner side of the buckle-delaminated channels.In addition, structural characterization of the fabricated devices is performed, along with current/voltage measurements of the graphene electrodes, and photoluminescence spectroscopy to assess the optical emission from the buckled NMs.
","abstract_html":"<p>State-of-the art neuromodulators are bulky, and they are mostly fabricated on rigid substrates. Furthermore, they are not provided with a feedback control loop re- sulting in undesired off-target effects. This thesis paves the way for fabrication of lightweight neural interfaces with the capability to implement closed-loop controlled neuromodulation down to a single-cell resolution. In this work, an approach based on hybrid optical-electrical devices to implement neuromodulation is presented. The rationale of this choice, design illustration, fabrication and characterization is discussed. In addition, a proof-of-concept neural interface is illustrated. Specif- ically, hybrid optical-electrical devices are developed based on inorganic thin films, i.e., nanomembranes (NMs) formed in ordered arrays of buckled channels on com- pliant substrates. The buckled NMs include light-emitting structures in the visible range (namely Si nano-crystals) and graphene electrodes to control and record neu- ral activity, respectively. The compliant substrates of choice is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Buckled NMs are obtained by guided self-assembly of the supported thin films under compressive strain. The cross-sectional size of buckled NM channels is scaled to match the dimensions of single neurons. This work primarily focuses on the fabrication and integration of an optically active NM, with a conductive film, thus obtaining a hybrid optical-electrical platform for potential neuronal in-vitro studies. A process is established based on multiple layer releases and transfers which enables graphene electrodes to be fabricated on the inner side of the buckle-delaminated channels.In addition, structural characterization of the fabricated devices is performed, along with current/voltage measurements of the graphene electrodes, and photoluminescence spectroscopy to assess the optical emission from the buckled NMs.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kondapi, Aneesha"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Electrical Engineering","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Electrical and Computer Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cavallo, Francesca","Krishna, Sanjay","Shreve, Andrew","N/A"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-08-25T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-08-25T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:27:19Z","subjects":["Semiconductor fabrication","Nanomembranes","Neuromodulation","3D nanostructures","Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ece_etds/141","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Cavallo, Francesca","Krishna, Sanjay","Shreve, Andrew","N/A"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kondapi, Aneesha"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-07-30T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis","Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Electrical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Semiconductor fabrication","Nanomembranes","Neuromodulation","3D nanostructures","Electrical and Computer Engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ece_etds/141"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["State-of-the art neuromodulators are bulky, and they are mostly fabricated on rigid substrates. Furthermore, they are not provided with a feedback control loop re- sulting in undesired off-target effects. This thesis paves the way for fabrication of lightweight neural interfaces with the capability to implement closed-loop controlled neuromodulation down to a single-cell resolution. In this work, an approach based on hybrid optical-electrical devices to implement neuromodulation is presented. The rationale of this choice, design illustration, fabrication and characterization is discussed. In addition, a proof-of-concept neural interface is illustrated. Specif- ically, hybrid optical-electrical devices are developed based on inorganic thin films, i.e., nanomembranes (NMs) formed in ordered arrays of buckled channels on com- pliant substrates. The buckled NMs include light-emitting structures in the visible range (namely Si nano-crystals) and graphene electrodes to control and record neu- ral activity, respectively. The compliant substrates of choice is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Buckled NMs are obtained by guided self-assembly of the supported thin films under compressive strain. The cross-sectional size of buckled NM channels is scaled to match the dimensions of single neurons. This work primarily focuses on the fabrication and integration of an optically active NM, with a conductive film, thus obtaining a hybrid optical-electrical platform for potential neuronal in-vitro studies. A process is established based on multiple layer releases and transfers which enables graphene electrodes to be fabricated on the inner side of the buckle-delaminated channels.In addition, structural characterization of the fabricated devices is performed, along with current/voltage measurements of the graphene electrodes, and photoluminescence spectroscopy to assess the optical emission from the buckled NMs.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Fabrication of Hybrid Optical Electrical Platforms for Potential Applications in Neuromodulation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Cavallo, Francesca","Krishna, Sanjay","Shreve, Andrew","N/A"],"dc:creator":["Kondapi, Aneesha"],"dc:date.available":["2018-07-30T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["State-of-the art neuromodulators are bulky, and they are mostly fabricated on rigid substrates. Furthermore, they are not provided with a feedback control loop re- sulting in undesired off-target effects. This thesis paves the way for fabrication of lightweight neural interfaces with the capability to implement closed-loop controlled neuromodulation down to a single-cell resolution. In this work, an approach based on hybrid optical-electrical devices to implement neuromodulation is presented. The rationale of this choice, design illustration, fabrication and characterization is discussed. In addition, a proof-of-concept neural interface is illustrated. Specif- ically, hybrid optical-electrical devices are developed based on inorganic thin films, i.e., nanomembranes (NMs) formed in ordered arrays of buckled channels on com- pliant substrates. The buckled NMs include light-emitting structures in the visible range (namely Si nano-crystals) and graphene electrodes to control and record neu- ral activity, respectively. The compliant substrates of choice is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Buckled NMs are obtained by guided self-assembly of the supported thin films under compressive strain. The cross-sectional size of buckled NM channels is scaled to match the dimensions of single neurons. This work primarily focuses on the fabrication and integration of an optically active NM, with a conductive film, thus obtaining a hybrid optical-electrical platform for potential neuronal in-vitro studies. A process is established based on multiple layer releases and transfers which enables graphene electrodes to be fabricated on the inner side of the buckle-delaminated channels.In addition, structural characterization of the fabricated devices is performed, along with current/voltage measurements of the graphene electrodes, and photoluminescence spectroscopy to assess the optical emission from the buckled NMs.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ece_etds/141"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Semiconductor fabrication","Nanomembranes","Neuromodulation","3D nanostructures","Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"dc:title":["Fabrication of Hybrid Optical Electrical Platforms for Potential Applications in Neuromodulation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical and Computer Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis","Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Electrical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:27:19Z"}