Unveiled Ferroelectricity in Well-Known Non-Ferroelectric Materials and Their Semiconductor Applications

Ferroelectric materials are considered ideal for emerging memory devices owing to their characteristic remanent polarization, which can be switched by applying a sufficient electric field. However, even several decades after the initial conceptualization of ferroelectric memory, its applications are limited to a niche market. The slow advancement of ferroelectric memories can be attributed to several extant issues, such as the absence of ferroelectric materials with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility and scalability. Since the 2010s, ferroelectric memories have attracted increasing interest because of newly discovered ferroelectricity in well-established CMOS-compatible materials, which are previously known to be non-ferroelectric, such as fluorite-structured (Hf,Zr)O₂ and wurtzite-structured (Al,Sc)N. With advancing material fabrication technologies, for example, accurate chemical doping and atomic-level thickness control, a metastable polar phase, and switchable polarization with a reasonable electric field can be induced in (Hf,Zr)O₂ and (Al,Sc)N. Nonetheless, various issues still exist that urgently require solutions to facilitate the use of the ferroelectric (Hf,Zr)O₂ and (Al,Sc)N in emerging memory devices. Thus, ferroelectric (Hf,Zr)O₂ and (Al,Sc)N are comprehensively reviewed herein, including their fundamental science and practical applications.     

脉冲激光沉积制备c轴取向AlN薄膜

ｃ轴取的ＡｌＮ具有优异的压电性和声表面波传输特性,已受到人们日益广泛的重视。文章报道了采用ＫｒＦ脉冲准分子激光沉积工艺,在Ｓｉ（１００）衬底上成功地制备了ｃ轴取向的ＡｌＮ晶态薄膜。Ｘ射拇衍射与傅里叶变换红外光谱的结果表明,在３００℃－８００℃衬底温度下,薄膜均只有（００２）－一个衍射峰,但随着温度的升高,薄膜的结晶质量变好;     

Physical–chemical characterization of titanium dioxide layers sensitized with the natural dyes carmine and morin

The titanium dioxide (TiO₂)-based layers sensitized with carmine and morin dyes were prepared using commercial P25 TiO₂ powder as starting material. The influence of natural colorants as natural photosensitizers on TiO₂ photoactivity was discussed from the point of view of UV–VIS and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, fluorescence analysis, microscopy, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms determination. A shift to visible region of the sensitized TiO₂ layers is observed. The decrease of sensitized TiO₂ band gap improves its photoactivity in the visible domain. The fluorescence quenching of TiO₂ sensitized with carmine is correlated with better adsorption of the dye molecules to the TiO₂ surface and with electron injection process, also. The FTIR absorption spectra of samples proved the presence of dye molecules on TiO₂ nanoparticles surface. Thus, the investigated sensitized TiO₂-based layers could have potential in photoelectrochemical applications.     

Inserting a Mn-doped TiO2 layer for improving performance of pentacene organic thin-film transistors

Device performance of pentacene organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) was significantly improved via inserting a Mn-doped TiO₂ layer between pentacene semiconductor and the source–drain electrodes. In comparison with the OTFTs with only-Au electrodes, the introduction of a thin Mn-doped TiO₂ layer leads to saturation current increasing from 31.9 μA to 0.22 mA, effective field-effect mobility improving from 0.24 to 1.13 cm²/V s, and threshold voltage downshifting from −11 to −2 V. These performance enhancements are ascribed to the significant reduction of contact resistance and smoothed surface of pentacene layer. This work may provide an effective approach to improve the performance of the pentacene based OTFTs by inserting a Mn-doped TiO₂ layer.     

用纳米棒ZnO作模板生长无支撑的AlN纳米晶

用金属有机物气相外延在纳米棒ZnO模板上沉积AlN薄膜.SEM测试表明该薄膜形成了一种倾倒纳米棒的表面.而GIXRD测试进一步证实它是纤锌矿结构的AlN,晶粒尺度约为12nm,接近于ZnO纳米棒的直径(30nm).这意味着纳米棒结构的ZnO能限制AlN的横向生长.此外,高温下用H2刻蚀ZnO直接在生长中实现了外延层的剥离.最终得到了无支撑的AlN纳米晶,完整无破损的区域约为1cm×1cm.定义这个生长机制为"生长-刻蚀-合并"过程.     

Fabrication of extremely thermal-stable GaN template on Mo substrate using double bonding and step annealing process

A new layer transfer technique which comprised double bonding and a step annealing process was utilized to transfer the GaN epilayer from a sapphire substrate to a Mo substrate. Combined with the application of the thermal-stable bonding medium, the resulting two-inch-diameter GaN template showed extremely good stability under high temperature and low stress state. Moreover, no cracks and winkles were observed. The transferred GaN template was suitable for homogeneous epitaxial, thus could be used for the direct fabrication of vertical LED chips as well as power electron devices. It has been confirmed that the double bonding and step annealing technique together with the thermal-stable bonding layer could significantly improve the bonding strength and stress relief, finally enhancing the thermal stability of the transferred GaN template.     

用于各向同性湿法刻蚀中的氮化硅掩膜

在硅的各向同性湿法刻蚀过程中,一般选用HNA溶液(即氢氟酸、硝酸和乙酸的混合溶液)作为刻蚀液,而氮化硅以其很好的耐刻蚀性而优先被选为顶层掩膜材料.在硅片上刻蚀不同的结构,通常需要选择不同的刻蚀液配比.而不同配比对于氮化硅掩膜的刻蚀速率也不一样.分别用PECVD和LPCVD两种方法在<111>型硅片上沉积了厚度为560和210 nm的氮化硅薄膜,研究和对比了它们在8种典型配比刻蚀液下的刻蚀速率,为合理制作所需要厚度的氮化硅掩膜提供有益参考.     

Incorporating Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g‐C3N4) Quantum Dots into Bulk‐Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells Leads to Efficiency Enhancement

Graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C₃N₄) has been commonly used as photocatalyst with promising applications in visible‐light photocatalytic water‐splitting. Rare studies are reported in applying g‐C₃N₄ in polymer solar cells. Here g‐C₃N₄ is applied in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs) for the first time by doping solution‐processable g‐C₃N₄ quantum dots (C₃N₄ QDs) in the active layer, leading to a dramatic efficiency enhancement. Upon C₃N₄ QDs doping, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the inverted BHJ‐PSC devices based on different active layers including poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl):[6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC₆₁BM), poly(4,8‐bis‐alkyloxybenzo(l,2‐b:4,5‐b′)dithiophene‐2,6‐diylalt‐(alkyl thieno(3,4‐b)thiophene‐2‐carboxylate)‐2,6‐diyl):[6,6]‐phenyl C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PBDTTT‐C:PC₇₁BM), and poly[4,8‐bis(5‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene‐co‐3‐fluorothieno [3,4‐b]thiophene‐2‐carboxylate] (PTB7‐Th):PC₇₁BM reach 4.23%, 6.36%, and 9.18%, which are enhanced by ≈17.5%, 11.6%, and 11.8%, respectively, compared to that of the reference (undoped) devices. The PCE enhancement of the C₃N₄ QDs doped BHJ‐PSC device is found to be primarily attributed to the increase of short‐circuit current (J_sc), and this is confirmed by external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements. The effects of C₃N₄ QDs on the surface morphology, optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) properties of the active layer film as well as the charge transport property of the device are investigated, revealing that the efficiency enhancement of the BHJ‐PSC devices upon C₃N₄ QDs doping is due to the conjunct effects including the improved interfacial contact between the active layer and the hole transport layer due to the increase of the roughness of the active layer film, the facilitated photoinduced electron transfer from the conducting polymer donor to fullerene acceptor, the improved conductivity of the active layer, and the improved charge (hole and electron) transport.     

Facile Fabrication and Superparamagnetism of Silica‐Shielded Magnetite Nanoparticles on Carbon Nitride Nanotubes

Using conventional methods to synthesize magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) with uniform size is a challenging task. Moreover, the degradation of magnetic NPs is an obstacle to practical applications. The fabrication of silica‐shielded magnetite NPs on carbon nitride nanotubes (CNNTs) provides a possible route to overcome these problems. While the nitrogen atoms of CNNTs provide selective nucleation sites for NPs of a particular size, the silica layer protects the NPs from oxidation. The morphology and crystal structure of NP–CNNT hybrid material is investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction. In addition, the atomic nature of the N atoms in the NP–CNNT system is studied by near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (nitrogen K‐edge) and calculations of the partial density of states based on first principles. The structure of the silica‐shielded NP–CNNT system is analyzed by TEM and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy mapping, and their magnetism is measured by vibrating sample and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers. The silica shielding helps maintain the superparamagnetism of the NPs; without the silica layer, the magnetic properties of NP–CNNT materials significantly degrade over time.     

微型溅射离子泵在X射线管制造中的应用

介绍微型溅射离子泵的结构、工作原理及其在X射线管制造中的应用。