Staff Profile

Background

I was born and raised in Mexico City. My background is in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, having done my first degree at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). I specialised in microsystems engineering and signal processing, and graguated with a thesis on noise reduction for infra-red astronomical images following a one year research placement at the Astronomy Institute. Shortly after graduating in 2003, i moved to Newcastle to study an MSc in Microelectronics and continued with a PhD in Semiconductor Technology,  graduating in 2008.

My current interests are related with neuroelectronic interfaces technologies, more specifically neural micro probes technologies with recording and stimulation capabilities.

My previous experience include epitaxial graphene and strained silicon/silicon-germanium technologies for electronic device applications. Other areas of expertise are semiconductor micro and nano characterisation techniques using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman-AFM integration, XPS, electrical analysis and micro-fabrication work in clean room environment. I am at home with all three phases of electronic device production: design, fabrication and characterisation, as well as data analysis and presentation.

Currently i work in a joint project between the Institute of Neuroscience and the School of Engineering which aims control epilepsy using optogenetics.

Qualifications

2004 - 2008: PhD Semiconductor Technology. Newcastle University. Thesis: Material characterisation of strained Si/SiGe MOSFETs
2003 - 2004: MSc Microelectronics. Newcastle University. Thesis: Impact of virtual substrate Ge composition on the series resistance of strained Si/SiGe MOSFETs
1996 - 2001: BSc Electrical & Electronic Engineering. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Thesis: Image noise reduction for an infra-red camera/spectro 

Areas of expertise

Neuroelectronic interfaces
Neural probes design and microfabrication
Semiconductor technology

Languages

Spanish, English, German, French (basic), Russian (basic).

Informal interests

Swing dance instructor

Google scholar profile

Research Interests

Design, fabrication and characterisation of electronic materials and devices, development of nanoscale physical analysis techniques. Extensive experience using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photo-spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical I-V, C-V and Hall measurements. Characterisation of semiconductor properties using micro-electromechanical systems based structures. Work in clean room environment: photolithography, film deposition by e-beam evaporation and sputtering, chemical etching and thermal process.

2010 - 2011: EEE8103/EEE8019 Semiconductor Device Fabrication

• Servin E, Escobedo-Cousin E. Micro Macro Photo Litho Prints. Newcastle and Mexico City: Newcastle University UK and T.A.C.O. Mexico City, 2017.
• Hopf T, Vassilevski K, Escobedo-Cousin E, King P, Wright NG, O'Neill AG, Horsfall AB, Goss J, Wells G, Hunt M. Electrical Characterization of Epitaxial Graphene Field-Effect Transistors with High-k Al₂O₃ Gate Dielectric Fabricated on SiC Substrates. Materials Science Forum 2015, 821-823, 937-940.
• Wells GH, Hunt MRC, Hopf T, Vassilevski K, Escobedo-Cousin E, Horsfall AB, Goss JP, O'Neill A. Facile technique for the removal of metal contamination from graphene. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 2015, 33(5), 051802.
• Hopf T, Vassilevski KV, Escobedo-Cousin E, King PJ, Wright NG, O'Neill AG, Horsfall AB, Goss JP, Wells GH, Hunt MRC. Dirac point and transconductance of top-gated graphene field-effect transistors operating at elevated temperature. Journal of Applied Physics 2014, 116(15), 154504.
• Hopf T, Vassilevski K, Escobedo-Cousin E, Wright N, O'Neill A, Horsfall A, Goss J, Barlow A, Wells G, Hunt M. Optimizing the vacuum growth of epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC. In: 15th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM 2013). 2014, Miyazaki, Japan: Scientific.Net / Trans Tech Publications Inc.
• Urena F, Olsen SH, Escobedo-Cousin E, Minamisawa RA, Raskin JP. Roughness analysis in strained silicon-on-insulator wires and films. Journal of Applied Physics 2014, 116(12), 124503.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Vassilevski K, Hopf T, Wright N, O'Neill A, Horsfall A, Goss J. Solid phase growth of graphene on silicon carbide by nickel silicidation: graphene formation mechanisms. In: International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials 2013. 2014, Miyazaki, Japan: Scientific.Net.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Vassilevski K, Hopf T, Wright N, O'Neill AG, Horsfall AB, Goss JP. Solid Phase Growth of Graphene on Silicon Carbide by Nickel Silicidation: Graphene Formation Mechanisms. Materials Science Forum 2014, 778-780, 1162-1165.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Vassilevski K, Hopf T, Wright N, O'Neill A, Horsfall A, Goss J, Cumpson PJ. Local solid phase growth of few-layer graphene on silicon carbide from nickel silicide supersaturated with carbon. Journal of Applied Physics 2013, 113(11), 114309.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Vassilevski K, Hopf T, Wright N, O'Neill A, Horsfall A, Goss J, Cumpson P. Optimising the Growth of Few-Layer Graphene on Silicone Carbide by Nickel Silicidation. Materials Science Forum 2013, 740-742, 121-124.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Vassilevski K, Nikitina I, Wright N, O'Neill A, Horsfall A, Goss J. Local Solid Phase Epitaxy of Few-Layer Graphene on Silicon Carbide. In: 14th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM). 2012, Cleveland, Ohio, USA: Trans Tech Publications Ltd.
• Bhaskar U, Passi V, Houri S, Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, Pardoen T, Raskin JP. On-chip tensile testing of nanoscale silicon free-standing beams. Journal of Materials Research 2012, 27(3), 571-579.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, Pardoen T, Bhaskar U, Raskin JP. Experimental observations of surface roughness in uniaxially loaded strained Si microelectromechanical systems-based structures. Applied Physics Letters 2011, 99(24), 241906.
• Fjer M, Persson S, Escobedo-Cousin E, O'Neill AG. Low Frequency Noise in Strained Si Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 2011, 58(12), 4196-4203.
• Kapoor R, Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, Bull SJ. Nanoscale Characterization of Gate Leakage in Strained High-Mobility Devices. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 2011, 58(11), 4016-4023.
• Persson S, Fjer M, Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, Malm G, Wang YB, Hellstrom PE, Ostling M, O'Neill AG. Strained-Silicon Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 2010, 57(6), 1243-1252.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, O'Neill AG, Coulson H. Defect identification in strained Si/SiGe heterolayers for device applications. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 2009, 42(17), 175306.
• Olsen SH, Yan L, Agaiby R, Escobedo-Cousin E, O'Neill AG, Hellström PE, Ostling M, Lyutovich K, Kasper E, Claeys C, Parker EHC. Strained Si/SiGe MOS technology: Improving gate dielectric integrity. Microelectronic Engineering 2009, 86(3), 218-223.
• Persson S, Fjer M, Escobedo-Cousin E, Malm G, Wang YB, Hellstrom PE, Ostling M, Parker EHC, Nash LJ, Majhi P, Olsen SH, O'Neill AG. Fabrication and characterisation of strained Si heterojunction bipolar transistors on virtual substrates. In: IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM). 2008, San Francisco, CA: IEEE.
• Yan L, Olsen SH, Escobedo-Cousin E, O'Neill AG. Improved gate oxide integrity of strained Si n-channel metal oxide silicon field effect transistors using thin virtual substrates. Journal of Applied Physics 2008, 103(9), 094508.
• Tsang YL, Chattopadhyay S, Uppal S, Escobedo-Cousin E, Ramakrishnan HK, Olsen SH, O'Neill AG. Modeling of the threshold voltage in strained Si/Si1-x Gex/S1-yGey(x ≥ y) CMOS architectures. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 2007, 54(11), 3040-3048.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, O'Neill AG, Alatise OM, Agaiby RMB, Dobrosz P, Braithwaite G, Cuthbertson A, Grasby T, Parker EHC. Strained Si/strained SiGe/relaxed SiGe structures: identifying roughness due to compressed SiGe and its impact on high mobility MOSFETs. In: Materials REsearch Society Conference (MRS). 2007, San Francisco, USA.
• Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, Dobrosz P, Bull SJ, O'Neill AG, Coulson H, Claeys C, Loo R, Delhougne R, Caymax M. Thermal stability of supercritical thickness-strained Si layers on thin strain-relaxed buffers. Journal of Applied Physics 2007, 102(12), -.
• Olsen SH, Escobedo-Cousin E, Varzgar JB, Agaiby R, Seger J, Dobrosz P, Chattopadhyay S, Bull SJ, O'Neill AG, Hellstrom P-E, Edholm J, Ostling M, Lyutovich KL, Oehme M, Kasper E. Control of self-heating in thin virtual substrate strained Si MOSFETs. IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 2006, 53(9), 2296-2305.
• Varzgar JB, Kanoun M, Uppal S, Chattopadhyay S, Tsang YL, Escobedo-Cousin E, Olsen SH, O'Neill AG, Hellstrom PE, Edholm J, Ostling M, Lyutovich K, Oehme M, Kasper E. Reliability study of ultra-thin gate oxides on strained-Si/SiGe MOS structures. Material Science and Engineering B 2006, 135(3), 203-206.