Date of Award

5-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

Chemistry

First Advisor

Anne Wilson

Second Advisor

Shelley Etnier

Abstract

Comprehensive data analysis on crystal growth in microgravity is a requisite to inform understanding of prior work. Our research constructed and analyzed a database containing data gathered from research focusing on semiconductors grown in microgravity. Data curation spanned multiple decades, countries, and semiconductor materials. All relevant reported information was recorded in the database, notably data regarding the metrics used to determine the impact space had on crystal growth: size, structure, uniformity, and performance. After data cleaning and data processing, the database was organized and readied for analysis. Data analysis was performed using RStudio and SciKit-learn. RStudio was employed for data visualization to determine patterns and outcomes. SciKit-Learn was used for correlation and binomial tests to ascertain any significant correlations between success and metrics. Several models were trained to determine if any data recorded can accurately predict whether a compound’s crystal formation will improve if grown in microgravity conditions. The key finding was that microgravity has a significant impact on crystal growth, showing improvements in all metrics listed above. Data analysis in this field is imperative to improve mass production, ability, and quality of semiconductors. The semiconductor industry is quickly growing in reach and demand, and the impact of this industry on aerospace, defense, technical applications, and AI requires data-driven information to drive investment in microgravity semiconductor crystal growth.

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