Thomas K. Plant

Associate Professor Emeritus
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Education: 

B.S., Physics, Kansas State University, 1968
M.S., Solid State Physics, Iowa State University, 1969
Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), 1975

Biography: 

Thomas K. Plant received a B.S. in Physics from Kansas State University, his M.S. in Solid State Physics from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana). His research interests are in fiber optic sensors, micromachining in technology and applications, electroluminescent display devices, optoelectronics (including photodetectors and diode lasers), and the optical properties of materials.

From 1975-1978, he worked at Hughes Research Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff. In 1978, he became an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. And in 1982, he became an Associate Professor in the department. Plant has also served as a visiting professor/researcher at a number of universities including, Sheffield University, United Kingdom; Ulm University, Germany; Helsinki Technical University, Finland; and Stuttgart University, Germany. He currently works at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Oregon State University.

An IEEE Senior Member, Plant is also a member of the American Society of Engineering Education and the Optical Society of America, advising the Oregon State University student chapter of OSA. A member of Sigma Xi, he is a former Intel Fellow and previous winner of the Oregon State College of Engineering Loyd Carter teaching Award.

Research group: 
Materials and Devices
Research Interests: 

Research Areas
Fiber optic sensors; micromachining technology and applications; electroluminescent display devices; optoelectronic devices (photodetectors, diode lasers); optical properties of materials

Research Description
My research interest areas are optoelectronic materials and devices and microscale fabrication and devices. I try to always collaborate with researchers from industry or other departments to make my research relevant to problems of immediate interest and to make it interdisciplinary in nature.

My optoelectronics research is currently aimed at making novel fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and applying them to sensitive sensor systems for strain, humidity, etc. We have developed a process for making high-temperature FBGs that work up to 600C making them useful for monitoring the curing of composite materials for lightweight spacecraft and airplanes. We are also working with Horticulture to develop a new portable optical probe for accurately measuring the chlorophyll, nitrogen, and water content of trees and plants.

In the microfabrication area, we are collaborating with several interdisciplinary teams of the OSU Center for MECS (Microscale Technology for Energy, Chemical, and Biological Systems) in research on novel cytosensors (living-cell-based) for chemical and biological agents and also on devices for miniature fuel cells and highly efficient portable coolers. We use deposition and etching equipment normally used in semiconductor research and apply it to unconventional materials such as thin metal foils or plastic sheets. We also have to develop expertise in fabricating transparent ITO heaters and electroplated contacts. This research is truly interdisciplinary in nature bringing together faculty from ECE, ME, IME, ChE, BioE, Chemistry, and Physics.

Applications of Research
My research is applicable to many different areas such as horticulture (optical chlorophyll, nitrogen, and water sensor), civil engineering and aviation/space (fiber strain sensors), environmental assessment and cleanup (microscale sensors and chemical processors), energy (fuel cells and portable coolers), etc. There are so many challenging problems out there to be worked on, and optical electronics and microfabrication apply to nearly all of them.

2011
Konnoff, D. C., T. K. Plant, and E. Shiner, "SSPM Based Radiation Sensing: Preliminary Laboratory and Clinical Results", Radiation Measurements, vol. 46, issue 1, pp. 76 - 87, 01/2011. Abstract
2008
Dandeneau, C. S., R. Ravichandran, A. Zakutayev, T. K. Plant, D. Cann, and B. J. Gibbons, "The Fabrication of Highly C-Axis Oriented Sol-Gel Derived Zno Films Using an Optimized Process Based on Dimethylformamide", Journal of Materials Science, 2008.
2002
Cleary, B. A., P. D. Keir, J. C. Hitt, T. K. Plant, J. F. Wager, B. Aitchison, R. T. Tuenge, and S. S. Sun, "Subthreshold voltage-induced transferred charge measurements of evaporated ZnS:Mn alternating-current thin-film electroluminescent devices", Journal of the Society for Information Display, vol. 10, issue 3, pp. 271, 09/2002. Abstract
2000
Cleary, B. A., J. C. Hitt, P. D. Keir, T. K. Plant, J. F. Wager, and S. S. Sun, "Photo-Induced Charge and Luminescence Measurements of Evaporated ZnS:Mn Alternating-Current Thin-Film Electroluminescent Devices", J. SID Suppl., vol. 1, issue 51, 2000. Abstract
Stump, K., T. K. Plant, and Y. Sun, "Variable Wavelength Fibre Bragg Gratings Written with Diffractive Optical Element", Electronics Letters, vol. 36, issue 6, pp. 567, 03/2000. Abstract
1996
Lite, K., R. L. Thuemler, T. K. Plant, J. F. Wager, D. C. Morton, S. S. Sun, and R. H. Mauch, "Vacuum ultraviolet reflectivity measurements of thin-film electroluminescent phosphors", Applied Physics Letters, vol. 69, issue 23, pp. 3525, 1996. Abstract
1995
Streicher, K., T. K. Plant, and J. F. Wager, "Hot-electron impact excitation of ZnS:Tb alternating-current thin-film electroluminescent devices", Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 78, issue 3, pp. 2101, 1995. Abstract
Subramanian, S., D. Schulte, L. Ungier, P. Zhao, T. K. Plant, and J. R. Arthur, "A High-Gain, Modulation-Doped Photodetector Using Low-Temperature MBE-Grown GaAs", IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 16, issue 1, pp. 20 - 22, 01/1995. Abstract
1994
Lim, S., J. H. Ryu, J. F. Wager, and T. K. Plant, "Rugate Filters Grown By Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition", Thin Solid Films, vol. 245, issue 1-2, pp. 141 - 145, 06/1994. Abstract
1987
Schumm, G., and T. K. Plant, "Undoped and Chromium-Doped Semi-Insulating GaAs Photoconductive Detectors", Solid-State Electronics, vol. 30, issue 1, pp. 109 - 112, 01/1987. Abstract
1986
Schuitemaker, P., P. A. Claxton, J. S. Roberts, T. K. Plant, and P. A. Houston, "InP/InGaAs Double Heterostructure Bipolar Transistors Grown by MBE", Electronics Letters, vol. 22, issue 15, pp. 781-783, 1986. Abstract
1979
Pinnow, D. A., R. L. Abrams, J. F. Lotspeich, D. M. Henderson, T. K. Plant, R. R. Stephens, and C. M. Walker, "An Electro-Optic Tunable Filter", Applied Physics Letters, vol. 34, issue 6, pp. 391, 1979. Abstract
1973
DeTemple, T. A., T. K. Plant, and P. D. Coleman, "Intense Superradiant Emission at 496 μm from Optically Pumped Methyl Fluoride", Applied Physics Letters, vol. 22, issue 12, pp. 644, 1973. Abstract
Plant, T. K., P. D. Coleman, and T. A. DeTemple, "New Optically Pumped Far-Infrared Lasers", IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. 9, issue 9, pp. 962 - 963, 09/1973. Abstract