交流测试信号振幅对SrTiO_3薄膜介电性能的影响

研究了交流测试信号振幅对SrTiO3薄膜介电性质的影响,并比较研究了不同氧空位浓度的SrTiO3薄膜介电性质随测试信号振幅的变化规律。经研究发现,测试信号振幅对高氧空位浓度钛酸锶薄膜的相对介电常数有明显影响,而对低氧空位浓度钛酸锶薄膜的相对介电常数影响较小。运用薄膜极化响应机理对这一实验现象进行了解释。     

Structural Transformations during Formation of Quasi‐Amorphous BaTiO3

A model of structural transformations of amorphous into quasi‐amorphous BaTiO₃ is suggested. The model is based on previously published data and on X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy data presented in the current report. Both amorphous and quasi‐amorphous phases of BaTiO₃ are made up of a network of slightly distorted TiO₆ octahedra connected in three different ways: by apices (akin to perovskite), edges, and faces. Ba ions in these phases are located in the voids between the octahedra, which is a nonperovskite environment. These data also suggest that Ba ions compensate electrical‐charge imbalance incurred by randomly connected octahedra and, thereby, stabilize the TiO₆ network. Upon heating, the edge‐to‐edge and face‐to‐face connections between TiO₆ octahedra are severed and then reconnected via apices. Severing the connections between TiO₆ octahedra requires a volume increase, suppression of which keeps some of the edge‐to‐edge and face‐to‐face connections intact. Transformation of the amorphous thin films into the quasi‐amorphous phase occurs during pulling through a steep temperature gradient. During this process, the volume increase is inhomogeneous and causes both highly anisotropic strain and a strain gradient. The strain gradient favors breaking those connections, which aligns the distorted TiO₆ octahedra along the direction of the gradient. As a result, the structure becomes not only anisotropic and non‐centrosymmetric, but also acquires macroscopic polarization. Other compounds may also form a quasi‐amorphous phase, providing that they satisfy the set of conditions derived from the suggested model.     

Nanoscale Resistive Switching in Amorphous Perovskite Oxide (a‐SrTiO3) Memristors

Memristive devices are the precursors to high density nanoscale memories and the building blocks for neuromorphic computing. In this work, a unique room temperature synthesized perovskite oxide (amorphous SrTiO₃: a‐STO) thin film platform with engineered oxygen deficiencies is shown to realize high performance and scalable metal‐oxide‐metal (MIM) memristive arrays demonstrating excellent uniformity of the key resistive switching parameters. a‐STO memristors exhibit nonvolatile bipolar resistive switching with significantly high (10³–10⁴) switching ratios, good endurance (>10⁶I–V sweep cycles), and retention with less than 1% change in resistance over repeated 10⁵ s long READ cycles. Nano‐contact studies utilizing in situ electrical nanoindentation technique reveal nanoionics driven switching processes that rely on isolatedly controllable nano‐switches uniformly distributed over the device area. Furthermore, in situ electrical nanoindentation studies on ultrathin a‐STO/metal stacks highlight the impact of mechanical stress on the modulation of non‐linear ionic transport mechanisms in perovskite oxides while confirming the ultimate scalability of these devices. These results highlight the promise of amorphous perovskite memristors for high performance CMOS/CMOL compatible memristive systems.     

基片对SrTiO3薄膜结构与介电性能的影响

对比研究了MgO和LaAlO3(LAO)单晶基片上采用脉冲激光法生长的SrTiO3(STO)薄膜的微观结构和介电性能。通过XRD,AFM和制备叉指电容测量的方法研究发现,在MgO基片上生长高质量(00L)织构STO薄膜需要较高的生长温度;LAO基片上的STO薄膜更加平整;而MgO上的STO薄膜具有更高的零偏压介电常数和更强的非线性介电性质。     

High-Throughput Screening Thickness-Dependent Resistive Switching in SrTiO3 Thin Films for Robust Electronic Synapse

The functionalities and applications of oxide thin films are highly dependent on their thickness. Most thickness-dependent studies on oxide thin films require the preparation of independent samples, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming and inevitably introduces experimental errors. To address this challenge, a general strategy based on high-throughput pulsed laser deposition technology is proposed to precisely control the thin-film thickness in local regions under similar growth conditions. The as-proposed synthesis strategy is demonstrated using typical complex oxide materials of SrTiO₃ (STO). Consequently, high-throughput STO thin films with nine gradient thicknesses ranging from 10.1 to 30.5 nm are fabricated. Notably, a transition from the unipolar to the bipolar resistive switching mode is observed with increasing STO thickness. Moreover, a physical mechanism based on the heterostructure-mediated redistribution of oxygen vacancies is employed to interpret the transition between the two memristive patterns. The screening of STO thin films with different resistive switching behaviors revealed that the STO thin film with a thickness of 20.3 nm exhibit excellent conductance modulation properties under the application of electrical pulses as well as significant reliability for the emulation of various synaptic functions, rendering it a promising material for artificial neuromorphic computing applications.     

Fabrication and Electrochemical Properties of Epitaxial Samarium‐Doped Ceria Films on SrTiO3‐Buffered MgO Substrates

Thin films of samarium‐oxide‐doped (20 mol%) ceria (SDC) are grown by pulsed‐laser deposition (PLD) on (001) MgO single‐crystal substrates. SrTiO₃ (STO) prepared by PLD is used as a buffer layer on the MgO substrates to enable epitaxial growth of the fluorite‐structured SDC film; the STO layer provides a proper crystalline match between SDC and MgO, resulting in highly crystalline, epitaxial SDC films grown in the (001) orientation. Film conductivity is evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, which are performed at various temperatures (400–775 °C) in a wide range of oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) values (10^?25?1 atm) in order to separate ionic and electronic conductivity contributions. At 700 °C, SDC/STO films on (100) MgO exhibit a dominant ionic conductivity of about 7 × 10^?2 S cm^?1, down to pO₂ values of about 10^?15 atm. The absence of grain boundaries make the SDC/STO/MgO heterostructures stable to oxidation‐reduction cycles at high temperatures, in contrast to that observed for the more disordered SDC/STO films, which degraded after hydrogen exposure.     

Influence of Electric Field on Microstructures of Pentacene Thin‐Films in Field‐Effect Transistors

We report on electric‐field‐induced irreversible structural modifications in pentacene thin films after long‐term operation of organic field‐effect transistor (OFET) devices. Micro‐Raman spectroscopy allows for the analysis of the microstructural modifications of pentacene in the small active channel of OFET during device operation. The results suggest that the herringbone packing of pentacene molecules in a solid film is affected by an external electric field, particularly the source‐to‐drain field that parallels the a–b lattice plane. The analysis of vibrational frequency and Davydov splitting in the Raman spectra reveals a singular behavior suggesting a reduced separation distance between pentacene molecules after long‐term operations and, thus, large intermolecular interactions. These results provide evidence for improved OFET performance after long‐term operation, related to the microstructures of organic semiconductors. It is known that the application of large electric fields alters the semiconductor properties of the material owing to the generation of defects and the trapping of charges. However, we first suggest that large electric fields may alter the molecular geometry and further induce structural phase transitions in the pentacene films. These results provide a basis for understanding the improved electronic properties in test devices after long‐term operations, including enhanced field‐effect mobility, improved on/off current ratio, sharp sub‐threshold swing, and a slower decay rate in the output drain current. In addition, the effects of source‐to‐drain electric field, gate electric field, current and charge carriers, and thermal annealing on the pentacene films during OFET operations are discussed.     

Structural Evolution of Self‐Assembling Nanohybrid Thin Films from Functionalized Urea Precursors

Hybrid organic‐inorganic thin films exhibiting patterned structuring on the nanometer scale have been prepared through the controlled hydrolysis‐condensation of enantiomerically pure chiral urea‐based silyl compounds. The thin films are obtained by spin‐coating of sols obtained via acid‐ or base‐catalyzed hydrolytic condensation of these molecular precursors. A self‐templating process is demonstrated via atomic force and transmission electron microscopy, showing the formation of nanometer size aggregates consisting of interconnected spherulates under acidic condition and of assembled fibers under basic conditions.     

Probing the Anisotropic Field‐Effect Mobility of Solution‐Deposited Dicyclohexyl‐α‐quaterthiophene Single Crystals

Measuring the anisotropy of the field‐effect mobility provides insight into the correlation between molecular packing and charge transport in organic semiconductor materials. Single‐crystal field‐effect transistors are ideal tools to study intrinsic charge transport because of their high crystalline order and chemical purity. The anisotropy of the field effect mobility in organic single crystals has previously been studied by lamination of macroscopically large single crystals onto device substrates. Here, a technique is presented that allows probing of the mobility anisotropy even though only small crystals are available. Crystals of a soluble oligothiophene derivative are grown in bromobenzene and drop‐cast onto substrates containing arrays of bottom‐contact gold electrodes. Mobility anisotropy curves are recorded by measuring numerous single crystal transistor devices. Surprisingly, two mobility maxima occur at azimuths corresponding to both axes of the rectangular cyclohexyl‐substituted quaterthiophene (CH4T) in‐plane unit cell, in contrast to the expected tensorial behavior of the field effect mobility.     

Sb掺杂SrTiO3电子结构的第一性原理计算

计算了Sb掺杂SrTi1-xSbxO3(x=0,0.125,0.25,0.33)体系电子结构,分析了掺杂对SrTiO3晶体的结构、能带、态密度、分波态密度的影响.所有计算都是基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法.计算结果表明:体系的导电性与掺杂浓度有关,Sb掺杂在母体化合物SrTiO3中引入了大量的传导电子,费米能级进入导带.当Sb掺杂浓度x=0.125时,体系显示金属型导电性.同时,光学带隙展宽,且向低能方向漂移,可作为优良的透明导电薄膜材料.     

Sb掺杂SrTiO3电子结构的第一性原理计算

计算了Sb掺杂SrTi1-xSbxO3(x=0,0.125,0.25,0.33)体系电子结构,分析了掺杂对SrTiO3晶体的结构、能带、态密度、分波态密度的影响.所有计算都是基于密度泛函理论框架下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法.计算结果表明:体系的导电性与掺杂浓度有关,Sb掺杂在母体化合物SrTiO3中引入了大量的传导电子,费米能级进入导带.当Sb掺杂浓度x=0.125时,体系显示金属型导电性.同时,光学带隙展宽,且向低能方向漂移,可作为优良的透明导电薄膜材料.     

n‐Type Doping of Organic Thin Films Using Cationic Dyes

We present an approach to stable n‐type doping of organic matrices using organic dopants. In order to circumvent stability limitations inherent to strong organic donors, we produce the donor from a stable precursor compound in situ. As an example, the cationic dye pyronin B chloride is studied as a dopant in a 1,4,5,8‐naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA) matrix. Conductivities of up to 1.9 × 10^–4 S cm^–1 are obtained for doped NTCDA, two orders of magnitude higher than the conductivity of NTCDA doped with bis(ethylenedithio)‐tetrathiafulvalene as investigated previously, and four orders of magnitude higher than nominally undoped NTCDA films. Field‐effect measurements are used to prove n‐type conduction and to study the doping effect further. The findings are interpreted using a model of transport in disordered solids using a recently published model. Combined FTIR, UV‐vis, and mass spectroscopy investigations suggest the formation of leuco pyronin B during sublimation of pyronin B chloride.     

Nanostructure‐Dependent Vertical Charge Transport in MEH‐PPV Films

The correlation between morphology and charge‐carrier mobility in the vertical direction in thin films of poly(2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene) (MEH‐PPV) is investigated by a combination of X‐ray reflectivity (XRR), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence optical microscopy (FOM), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (PLE), as well as time‐of‐flight (TOF) and transient electroluminescence (TrEL) techniques. The mobility is about two orders of magnitude greater for drop‐cast films than for their spin‐cast counterparts. Drop‐casting in the presence of a vertical static electric field (E‐casting) results in films with an additional increase in mobility of about one order of magnitude. While PL and PLE spectra vary with the method of film preparation, there is no correlation between emission spectra and charge‐carrier mobility. Our XRR measurements on spin‐cast films indicate layering along the film depth while no such structure is found in drop‐cast or E‐cast films, whereas FESEM examination indicates that nanodomains within drop‐cast films are eliminated in the E‐cast case. These observations indicate that carrier transport is influenced by structure on two different length scales. The low mobility observed in spin‐cast films is a direct result of a global layered structure with characteristic thickness of ca. 4 nm: in the absence of this layered structure, drop‐cast films with inherent nanoscale heterogeneities (ca. 20 nm in size) exhibit much better hole mobility. Elimination of nanodomains via electric‐field alignment results in further improved charge mobility.     

Orientation Control of Linear‐Shaped Molecules in Vacuum‐Deposited Organic Amorphous Films and Its Effect on Carrier Mobilities

The molecular orientation of linear‐shaped molecules in organic amorphous films is demonstrated to be controllable by the substrate temperature. It is also shown that the molecular orientation affects the charge‐transport characteristics of the films. Although linear‐shaped 4,4′‐bis[(N‐carbazole)styryl]biphenyl molecules deposited on substrates at room temperature are horizontally oriented in amorphous films, their orientation when deposited on heated substrates with smooth surfaces becomes more random as the substrate temperature increases, even at temperatures under the glass transition temperature. Another factor dominating the orientation of the molecules deposited on heated substrates is the surface roughness of the substrate. Lower carrier mobilities are observed in films composed of randomly oriented molecules, demonstrating the significant effect of a horizontal molecular orientation on the charge‐transport characteristics of organic amorphous films.     

Self‐Assembly and Characterization of Mesostructured Silica Films with a 3D Arrangement of Isolated Spherical Mesopores

We report the self‐assembly and characterization of mesoporous silica thin films with a 3D ordered arrangement of isolated spherical pores. The preparation method was based on solvent‐evaporation induced self‐assembly (EISA), with MTES (CH₃–Si(OCH₂CH₃)₃) as the silica precursor and a polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PS‐b‐PEO) diblock copolymer as the structure‐directing agent. The synthetic approach was designed to suppress the siloxane condensation rate of the siloxane network, allowing co‐self‐assembly of the silica and the amphiphile, followed by retraction of the PEO chains from the silica matrix and matrix consolidation, to occur unimpeded. The calcined films retained the methyl ligands and exhibited no measurable microporosity, thereby indicating that the 3D‐ordered spherical mesopores are not interconnected. A solvent‐mediated formation mechanism is proposed for the absence of microporosity. Due to their closed porosity and hydrophobicity, the MTES‐based films and MTES‐TEOS (Si(OCH₂CH₃)₄)‐based hybrid films we describe should be promising for applications such as low‐k dielectrics.     

Engineering of Self‐Assembled Domain Architectures with Ultra‐high Piezoelectric Response in Epitaxial Ferroelectric Films

Substrate clamping and inter‐domain pinning limit movement of non‐180° domain walls in ferroelectric epitaxial films thereby reducing the resulting piezoelectric response of ferroelectric layers. Our theoretical calculations and experimental studies of the epitaxial PbZr_xTi_1–xO₃ films grown on single crystal SrTiO₃ demonstrate that for film compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary it is possible to obtain mobile two‐domain architectures by selecting the appropriate substrate orientation. Transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and piezoelectric force microscopy revealed that the PbZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ films grown on (101) SrTiO₃ substrates feature self‐assembled two‐domain structures, consisting of two tetragonal domain variants. For these films, the low‐field piezoelectric coefficient measured in the direction normal to the film surface (d₃₃) is 200 pm V^–1, which agrees well with the theoretical predictions. Under external AC electric fields of about 30 kV cm^–1, the (101) films exhibit reversible longitudinal strains as high as 0.35 %, which correspond to the effective piezoelectric coefficients in the order of 1000 pm V^–1 and can be explained by elastic softening of the PbZr_xTi_1–xO₃ ferroelectrics near the morphotropic phase boundary.     

Confocal Raman Spectroscopy of α‐Sexithiophene: From Bulk Crystals to Field‐Effect Transistors

We report confocal micro‐Raman spectra of the organic semiconductor α‐sexithiophene (T6) on bulk crystals and on thin films grown on technologically relevant substrates and devices. We show that the two polymorphs, which are clearly identified by their lattice phonon spectra, may coexist as physical impurities of one inside the other in the same crystallite. Spatial distribution of the two phases is monitored by Raman phonon mapping of crystals grown upon different conditions. Raman microscopy has then been extended to T6 thin films grown on silicon oxide wafers. We identify the crystal phase in thin films whose thickness is just 18 nm. The most intense total‐symmetric Raman vibration is still detectable for a two‐monolayer thick film. Comparative analysis between micro‐Raman and AFM of T6 thin films grown on field effect transistors shows that electrode‐channel steps favour the nucleation and growth of T6 molecules on the substrate, at least below 50 nm.     

High‐Temperature Photochromism of Fe‐Doped SrTiO3 Caused by UV‐Induced Bulk Stoichiometry Changes

The impact of UV irradiation on Fe‐doped SrTiO₃ (Fe:STO) single crystals is investigated at elevated temperatures. Illumination leads to incorporation of oxygen into the single crystals and thus to a decreasing oxygen vacancy concentration and oxidation of Fe³⁺ to Fe⁴⁺. The Fe⁴⁺ ions cause a color change from transparent/brownish to black. This photochromic blackening due to stoichiometry changes at elevated temperatures is irreversible at room temperature, but annealing at high temperatures, for example at 700 °C, can restore the original stoichiometry and color. Absorbance changes due to UV irradiation are monitored by ex situ and in situ UV–vis spectroscopy experiments and changes in electrical properties are measured by van der Pauw measurements and in‐plane electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. After 1140 min of illumination at 440 °C, for example, electrical measurements reveal a conductivity increase by more than a factor of 5 due to the enhanced hole concentration in blackened Fe:STO. In addition, UV illumination increases the oxygen chemical potential up to a calculated p(O₂) of more than 10⁹ Pa in Fe:STO. Hence, UV light can be used to tune the color, but also electrical properties of Fe:STO by directly impacting the bulk defect concentrations.     

Morphology and Field‐Effect‐Transistor Mobility in Tetracene Thin Films

The growth of vacuum‐sublimed tetracene thin films on silicon dioxide has been investigated from the early stages of the process. The effects of deposition flux and substrate silanization on film morphology and electrical properties have been explored. Tetracene shows an island growth, resulting in films with a granular structure. Both an increase in the deposition flux and the substrate silanization determine a decrease of the grain size and an improvement of the connectivity of the film in direct contact with the substrate. The hole mobility in field‐effect transistors based on tetracene thin films, which also generate electroluminescence, increases with the deposition flux and values as high as 0.15 cm² V^–1 s^–1 are obtained.