Accelerating interest in silicon nitride thin film material system continues in both academic and industrial communities due to its highly desirable physical, chemical, and electrical properties and the potential to enable new device technologies. As considered here, the silicon nitride material system encompasses both non-hydrogenated (SiNx) and hydrogenated (SiNx:H) silicon nitride, as well as silicon nitride-rich films, defined as SiNx with C inclusion, in both non-hydrogenated (SiNx(C)) and hydrogenated (SiNx:H(C)) forms. Due to the extremely high level of interest in these materials, this article is intended as a follow-up to the authors' earlier publication [A. E. Kaloyeros, F. A. Jové, J. Goff, B. Arkles, Silicon nitride and silicon nitride-rich thin film technologies: trends in deposition techniques and related applications, ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol., 6, 691 (2017)] that summarized silicon nitride research and development (R&D) trends through the end of 2016. In this survey, emphasis is placed on cutting-edge achievements and innovations from 2017 through 2019 in Si and N source chemistries, vapor phase growth processes, film properties, and emerging applications, particularly in heterodevice areas including sensors, biointerfaces and photonics.
The Electrochemical Society (ECS) was founded in 1902 to advance the theory and practice at the forefront of electrochemical and solid state science and technology, and allied subjects.
ISSN: 2162-8777
JSS is a peer-reviewed journal covering fundamental and applied areas of solid-state science and technology, including experimental and theoretical aspects of the chemistry, and physics of materials and devices.
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Alain E. Kaloyeros et al 2020 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 9 063006
Roy Knechtel et al 2021 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 10 074008
Wafer bonding is an important process step in microsystem technologies for processing engineered substrates and for capping. Usually, the work and literature are focused on the bonding of the main wafer area. However, in recent years MEMS technologies have become more complex, with more process steps after wafer bonding. Accordingly, the wafer edge is becoming more and more important, and must be engineered. Methods for realizing this are discussed in this paper.
Sandeep Arya et al 2021 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 10 023002
ZnO has several potential applications into its credit. This review article focuses on the influence of processing parameters involved during the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles by sol-gel method. During the sol-gel synthesis technique, the processing parameters/experimental conditions can affect the properties of the synthesized material. Processing parameters are the operating conditions that are to be kept under consideration during the synthesis process of nanoparticles so that various properties exhibited by the resulting nanoparticles can be tailored according to the desired applications. Effect of parameters like pH of the sol, additives used (like capping agent, surfactant), the effect of annealing temperature and calcination on the morphology and the optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles prepared via sol-gel technique is analyzed in this study. In this study, we tried to brief the experimental investigations done by various researchers to analyze the influence of processing parameters on ZnO nanoparticles. This study will provide a platform to understand and establish a correlation between the experimental conditions and properties of ZnO nanoparticles prepared through sol-gel route which will be helpful in meeting the desired needs in various application areas.
Kartika A. Madurani et al 2020 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 9 093013
Graphene is a thin layer carbon material that has become a hot topic of research during this decade due to its excellent thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, current density, electron mobility and surface area. These extraordinary properties make graphene to be developed and applied in various fields. On this basis, researchers are interested to find out the methods to produce high quality graphene for industrial use. Various methods have been developed and reported to produce graphene. This paper was designed to summarize the development of graphene synthesis methods and the properties of graphene products that were obtained. The application of graphene in the various fields of environment, energy, biomedical, sensors, bio-sensors, and heat-sink was also summarized in this paper. In addition, the history, challenges, and prospects of graphene production for research and industrial purposes were also discussed.
Chunlin Zhou et al 2021 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 10 027005
In recent years, betavoltaic batteries have become an ideal power source for micro electromechanical systems. Betavoltaic battery is a device that converts the decay energy of beta emitting radioisotope sources into electrical energy using transducers. They have the advantages of high energy density, long service life, strong anti-interference ability, small size, light weight, easy miniaturization and integration, thus it has become a research hotspot in the field of micro energy. However, to date, the low energy conversion efficiencies as well as technological limitations of betavoltaic batteries impede their further application. In this review, the theory of betavoltaic energy conversion and recent understanding of the ideal material and structure design of the betavoltaic batteries for efficient exciton production, dissociation and charge transport is described, as well as recent attempts to realize optimum results. This review article concludes by identifying the remaining challenges for the improvement of battery performance and by providing perspectives toward real application of betavoltaic batteries.
Yu-Cheng Syu et al 2018 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 7 Q3196
Biosensor research has been addressed as an interested field recently. Within different kinds of developed biosensing technologies, field-effect transistor (FET) based biosensors stand out due to their attractive features, such as ultra-sensitivity detection, mass-production capability, and low-cost manufacturing. To promote understandings of the FET based biosensing technology, in this review, its sensing mechanism is introduced, as well as major FET-based biosensing devices: ion sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET), silicon nanowire, organic FET, graphene FET, and compound-semiconductor FET. In addition to FET-based biosensing devices, clinical applications, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, diabetes, HIV, and DNA sequence, are also reviewed. In the end, several critical challenges of FET-based biosensing technology are discussed to envision next steps in healthcare technologies.
Madhulika Bhagat et al 2021 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 10 063011
Copper nanomaterials due to their unique properties are rapidly finding place as an important component of next-generation material in various sectors such as electronics, machinery, construction, engineering, pharmaceutical, agriculture, energy, environment etc In fact in past decades, researchers have devoted several studies to Cu nanomaterials, and have achieved many innovative results from synthesis to applications, highlighting its immeasurable potential for extensive practical and theoretical applications holding great promises. This review emphasises on the recent progress made in synthesis of copper nanoparticles by various techniques such as physical, chemical and biological methods. The application section describes their utility in several sectors including agriculture, environment, construction, electronics etc Moreover, the emphasis was also laid to understand the uptake mechanism of the copper nanoparticles by plants, the toxicity caused at higher concentrations and the associated implications of exposure to both human and environmental health, including the challenges and difficulties to be addressed in the future.
J. Müller et al 2015 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 4 N30
Bound to complex perovskite systems, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) suffers from limited CMOS-compatibility and faces severe scaling issues in today's and future technology nodes. Nevertheless, compared to its current-driven non-volatile memory contenders, the field-driven FRAM excels in terms of low voltage operation and power consumption and therewith has managed to claim embedded as well as stand-alone niche markets. However, in order to overcome this restricted field of application, a material innovation is needed. With the ability to engineer ferroelectricity in HfO2, a high-k dielectric well established in memory and logic devices, a new material choice for improved manufacturability and scalability of future 1T and 1T-1C ferroelectric memories has emerged. This paper reviews the recent progress in this emerging field and critically assesses its current and future potential. Suitable memory concepts as well as new applications will be proposed accordingly. Moreover, an empirical description of the ferroelectric stabilization in HfO2 will be given, from which additional dopants as well as alternative stabilization mechanism for this phenomenon can be derived.
Sean W. King 2015 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 4 N3029
Over the past decade, the primary focus for improving the performance of nano-electronic metal interconnect structures has been to reduce the impact of resistance-capacitance (RC) delays via utilizing insulating dielectrics with ever lower values of dielectric permittivity. The integration and implementation of such low dielectric constant (i.e. low-k) materials has been fraught with numerous challenges. For intermetal and interlayer (ILD) low-k dielectrics, these challenges have been largely associated to integration with metal interconnect fabrication processes and well documented and reviewed in the literature. Although equally important, less attention has been given to other low-k dielectrics utilized in metal interconnect structures that are commonly referred to as low-k dielectric barriers (DB), etch stops (ES), and/or Cu capping layers (CCL). These materials present numerous challenges as well for integration into metal interconnect fabrication processes. However, they also have more stringent integrated functionality requirements relative to low-k ILD materials that serve only a basic purpose of electrically isolating adjacent metal lines. In this article, we review the integration challenges and associated integrated functionality requirements for low-k DB/ES/CCL materials with a focus on the current status and future direction needed for these materials to facilitate both Moore's law (i.e. More Moore) and More than Moore scaling.
Marko J. Tadjer et al 2019 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 8 Q3187
Gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) is an emerging semiconductor with relevant properties for power electronics, solar-blind photodetectors, and some sensor applications due to its ultra-wide bandgap and developing technology base for high quality, melt-based substrate growth and thick, low-doped homoepitaxial layers. Of critical importance for the commercialization of this potentially important material is understanding of doping mechanisms in the monoclinic lattice, where two types of Ga sites and three types of O sites have been identified. A critical literature review of doping and defects of the monoclinic β-phase of gallium oxide is provided in this work. Theoretical fundamentals of both donor and acceptor doping in Ga2O3 are reviewed. Advances in doping of epitaxial Ga2O3 with a focus on molecular beam epitaxy and ion implantation are critically examined. As doping is fundamentally related to defects, particularly in this material, a review of defect characterization by optical and electrical spectroscopic methods is provided as well. P-type doping, one of the fundamental challenges for Ga2O3, is discussed in terms of first-principles calculations and ion implantation of known acceptors such as Mg and N.
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K. Murali Chandra Babu and Ekta Goel 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 053011
This manuscript presents a pioneering study on enhancing analog and radio frequency performance through the implementation of negative capacitance source pocket double gate tunnel field-effect transistor. By integrating a ferroelectric material into the gate stack and introducing a fully depleted n-type pocket near the source/channel junction, we achieved significant enhancements in key metrics such as ON current (ION), switching ratio, subthreshold swing (SS), and various analog/RF parameters like transconductance (gm), cutoff frequency (fT) when compared to existing literature. Additionally, we extend our analysis to circuit-level applications such as inverter and 5-stage ring oscillator. Our findings reveal an impressive inverter delay of 1.09 ps with a gain of 104, as well as a ring oscillator operating at a frequency of 500 GHz. These results position the proposed device as an ideal candidate for high-speed, low-power applications.
Yi-Wen Lin et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 055004
This study reports a self-induced ferroelectric Ge-doped HfO2 (Ge:HfO2) thin film through interface reactions. In the first experiment, three treatments for forming interfacial layer (IL) were discussed through TiN/2-nm-thick Al2O3/2-nm-thick Ge:HfO2/GeO2/Ge metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor capacitors. The remnant polarization (Pr), leakage current, and interface trap density (Dit) were compared to select the most appropriate IL treatment. The results show that the in-situ ozone treatment under the standard atomic layer deposition process had the second highest 2Pr value as well as lower Dit values. Next, the thicknesses of Al2O3/Ge:HfO2 would be changed to 4 nm/2 nm and 3 nm/3 nm to investigate the ferroelectricity and leakage current. Although the 3-nm-thick Al2O3/3-nm-thick Ge:HfO2 shows a lower 2Pr value, the leakage current is much lower than 2-nm-thick Al2O3/2-nm-thick Ge:HfO2. The self-induced ferroelectric 3-nm-thick Ge:HfO2 thin film was then applied to fabricate Ge stacked nanowires gate-all-around field-effect transistor. The results show a steep subthreshold slope of 58 mV/dec for pFET and on-off current ratio > 105 and have high potential in low-power IC applications.
Y. Kim et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 054007
Ru deposition in advanced technology nodes can improve performance by providing low resistance in nanoscale features. In this study, we reported the electrochemical reactions of Ru3+ on an Ru surface using multi-cyclic voltammetry (CV) and behavior of additives during Ru electrodeposition using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and potentiostatic measurements. Disodium 3,3'-dithiobis(1-propanesulfonate) (SPS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and a bromide ion (Br−) were added for bottom-up filling. We investigated the suppression behavior of PVP. The current density and the onset potential of suppressor breakdown were affected by the suppressor concentration. PVP interacted synergistically with Br− and showed additional suppression. PVP formed a suppressing layer with Br− after formation of a bromide layer. SPS could reduce roughness during electrodeposition of Ru. Based on these results, nano-trenches were filled with Ru using the optimized additive condition.
Kihong Park et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 054006
As a trend of using colloidal and smaller ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) at the shallow trench isolation (STI) chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) in semiconductor manufacturing, post-CMP cleaning challenges in the removal of residual CNPs on the SiO2 film surface became much more challenging. We investigated the reduction/oxidation of ceria nanoparticles (CNPs) by hydrogen gas-dissolved water (H2 GDW), carbon dioxide gas-dissolved water (CO2 GDW), and oxygen gas-dissolved water (O2 GDW). The concentration of Ce3+ on the CNPs changed from 18.64% to 19.48%, 20.31% to 21.94%, and 21.27% to 19.22%, respectively, after immersion in H2 GDW, CO2 GDW, and O2 GDW for 3 to 12 h. Following the Ce3+ concentration of the CNP surface, adhesion energies between CNPs immersed in H2 GDW, CO2 GDW, and O2 GDW for 6 h with SiO2 surface were 6.06E-16 J, 6.18E-16 J, and 4.83E-16 J. Cleaning experiments under megasonic conditions revealed the efficacy of H2 GDW and O2 GDW in removing residual CNPs from SiO2 surfaces. The residual cerium (Ce) ion concentrations remaining on the SiO2 film surface after cleaning, were 0.06, 0.41, and 0.10 ppb for H2 GDW, CO2 GDW, and O2 GDW, respectively.
A. Ashery et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 053010
This manuscript presents a novel structure of PA-GO composite with MnO2/Fe3O4/n-Si. This assembly was arranged by simple technique. It was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy (RS). The novelty here is that the negative dielectric constant appeared for all considered voltages at the spot point frequencies 1000, 100 and 10 Hz, in spite of all literature proved that the dielectric constant has negative values only at higher frequencies (almost above 1 MHz). Also, the dielectric loss is negative at the higher frequencies at all considered voltages and temperatures. This structure has low dielectric loss tangent (tan δ ranging between 4 to 50) for all investigated voltages and temperatures and also has high rectification ratio reach to 1200 times, and high Rj. The electrical properties of this structure were examined by conventional/dlnI, Nord and Cheung method.
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Anita Gupta et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 047006
The main characteristics of a good pH detecting system are higher sensitivity, ease of manufacturing process, and a micro-system. Ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs), which are frequently employed as biosensors, offer significant advantages, and have gained prominence in various sectors. This review has highlighted the factors influencing sensitivity in pH sensing and explored various methods to enhance the sensor's sensitivity and overall performance. Miniature sensors play a crucial role, especially in industries, biomedical and environmental applications. For accurate pH measurements in both in-vivo and in-vitro systems, as well as for the device's miniaturization, the reference electrode (RE) must be positioned precisely in an ISFET device, considering both the device's physical dimensions and the distance between the sensing surface and the RE. Hence, this review provides valuable insights into the importance of sensitivity, miniaturization, and the role of the RE in ISFET devices, contributing to the advancement and application of pH sensing technology in diverse fields.
Himanshu Prasad Mamgain et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 043010
Corrosion is an undesirable electrochemical reaction that leads to material degradation and affects material properties like ductility, malleability, conductivity, etc. The consequences of corrosion are machine failure, bridge failures, buildings collapse, and significant economic losses to GDP (4-5%). Furthermore, corrosion can pose serious safety risks that result in casualties which makes minimizing the effect of corrosion a great challenge. Traditional solutions like inhibitors, design modification, and paints are available to prevent corrosion but have many limitations, such as cost, durability, stability issues, and general inefficiency. In this context, a nanostructured superhydrophobic coating (SH) is gaining attention for its corrosion prevention efficiency and other broad industrial applications. The nano air pockets present in SH coating exhibit a high contact angle due to their unique combination of high surface roughness, distinctive nanostructure, and reduced surface energy. This reduces the surface area of between the corrosive substance,water droplet and the metal surface, leading to improved efficiency in resisting corrosion. In this paper, the recent advancement in electrodeposition to develop corrosion-resistant SH coatings on copper substrate and compression with other metals with their physical, chemical, and thermal stabilities are discussed. In many papers, scientists observed different types of surface morphology, texture, and surface energy, which give different tendencies to prevent surfaces from corrosion are also disscused . The constraints in fabrication and the prospects of the coating are also highlighted.
Highlights
An overview of the applications of copper and the problem of corrosion, factors affecting corrosion, and its impact in different industries.
A broad overview of rudiments of the superhydrophobicity
Detailed analysis of fabrication of SHCs for metal protection from corrosion by electrodeposition on copper and comparisons with other metals.
Other industrial applications of corrosion-resistant superhydrophobic coating are included.
Stability, conclusion, and future perspectives in fabricating superhydrophobic coating to minimize corrosion.
Bakr Ahmed Taha et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 047004
Early diagnosis through noninvasive tools is a cornerstone in the realm of personalized and medical healthcare, averting direct/indirect infection transmission and directly influencing treatment outcomes and patient survival rates. In this context, optical biochip breathomic sensors integrated with nanomaterials, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence exhibit the potential to design next-generation intelligent diagnostics. This cutting-edge tool offers a variety of advantages, including being economical, compact, smart, point of care, highly sensitive, and noninvasive. This makes it an ideal avenue for screening, diagnosing, and prognosing various high-risk diseases/disorders by detecting the associated breath biomarkers. The underlying detection mechanism relies on the interaction of breath biomarkers with sensors, which causes modulations in fundamental optical attributes, such as surface plasmon resonance, fluorescence, reflectance, absorption, emission, phosphorescence, and refractive index. Despite these remarkable attributes, the commercial development of optical biochip breathomic sensors faces challenges, such as insufficient support from clinical trials, concerns about cross-sensitivity, challenges related to production scalability, validation issues, regulatory compliance, and contrasts with conventional diagnostics. This perspective article sheds light on the cutting-edge state of optical breathomic biochip sensors for disease diagnosis, addresses associated challenges, proposes alternative solutions, and explores future avenues to revolutionize personalized and medical healthcare diagnostics.
Madhu Bala and Sushil Bansal 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 047003
Plant leaf disease identification is a crucial aspect of modern agriculture to enable early disease detection and prevention. Deep learning approaches have demonstrated amazing results in automating this procedure. This paper presents a comparative analysis of various deep learning methods for plant leaf disease identification, with a focus on convolutional neural networks. The performance of these techniques in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, using diverse datasets containing images of diseased leaves from various plant species was examined. This study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of different deep learning approaches, shedding light on their suitability for different plant disease identification scenarios. Additionally, the impact of transfer learning, data augmentation, and sensor data integration in enhancing disease detection accuracy is discussed. The objective of this analysis is to provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to harness the potential of deep learning in the agricultural sector, ultimately contributing to more effective and sustainable crop management practices.
Avinash Sharma et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 047002
Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a significant global challenge requiring strategic solutions to address bacterial infections. Recent advancements in nanotechnology, particularly in the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using natural agents as stabilizers and reducing agents, have shown promising results in combating MDR. These nanoparticles possess strong antimicrobial properties against different strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative, making them suitable for various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, coatings, and medical devices. ZnO-NPs work by generating reactive oxygen species, releasing zinc ions (Zn2+), disrupting the bacterial cell membrane, interfering with metabolic processes and genetic material, and inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, more research is needed to refine synthesis techniques, control size and morphology, and increase antibacterial efficacy. To fully understand their potential, interactions with proteins, DNA, and bacterial cell walls must also be examined. Investigating the synergistic potential of biogenic ZnO NPs with conventional antibacterial treatments could enhance therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing the risk of resistance emergence. Here we provide insight into the advancements in biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles using bio extracts and their applications in antimicrobial resistance as well as various factors affecting the synthesis process and characterization techniques for ZnO NPs. Recent studies on the antimicrobial activity of biogenic ZnO NPs against different pathogens and their mechanisms of action are discussed. Furthermore, potential applications of biogenic ZnO NPs as antimicrobial agents are highlighted.
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Y. Kim et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 054007
Ru deposition in advanced technology nodes can improve performance by providing low resistance in nanoscale features. In this study, we reported the electrochemical reactions of Ru3+ on an Ru surface using multi-cyclic voltammetry (CV) and behavior of additives during Ru electrodeposition using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and potentiostatic measurements. Disodium 3,3'-dithiobis(1-propanesulfonate) (SPS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and a bromide ion (Br−) were added for bottom-up filling. We investigated the suppression behavior of PVP. The current density and the onset potential of suppressor breakdown were affected by the suppressor concentration. PVP interacted synergistically with Br− and showed additional suppression. PVP formed a suppressing layer with Br− after formation of a bromide layer. SPS could reduce roughness during electrodeposition of Ru. Based on these results, nano-trenches were filled with Ru using the optimized additive condition.
Bakr Ahmed Taha et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 047004
Early diagnosis through noninvasive tools is a cornerstone in the realm of personalized and medical healthcare, averting direct/indirect infection transmission and directly influencing treatment outcomes and patient survival rates. In this context, optical biochip breathomic sensors integrated with nanomaterials, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence exhibit the potential to design next-generation intelligent diagnostics. This cutting-edge tool offers a variety of advantages, including being economical, compact, smart, point of care, highly sensitive, and noninvasive. This makes it an ideal avenue for screening, diagnosing, and prognosing various high-risk diseases/disorders by detecting the associated breath biomarkers. The underlying detection mechanism relies on the interaction of breath biomarkers with sensors, which causes modulations in fundamental optical attributes, such as surface plasmon resonance, fluorescence, reflectance, absorption, emission, phosphorescence, and refractive index. Despite these remarkable attributes, the commercial development of optical biochip breathomic sensors faces challenges, such as insufficient support from clinical trials, concerns about cross-sensitivity, challenges related to production scalability, validation issues, regulatory compliance, and contrasts with conventional diagnostics. This perspective article sheds light on the cutting-edge state of optical breathomic biochip sensors for disease diagnosis, addresses associated challenges, proposes alternative solutions, and explores future avenues to revolutionize personalized and medical healthcare diagnostics.
Sangeeta Palekar et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 027004
The pursuit of rapid diagnosis has resulted in considerable advances in blood parameter sensing technologies. As advances in technology, there may be challenges in equitable access for all individuals due to economic constraints, advanced expertise, limited accessibility in particular places, or insufficient infrastructure. Hence, simple, cost efficient, benchtop biochemical blood-sensing platform was developed for detecting crucial blood parameters for multiple disease diagnosis. Colorimetric and image processing techniques is used to evaluate color intensity. CMOS image sensor is utilized to capture images to calculate optical density for sensing. The platform is assessed with blood serum samples, including Albumin, Gamma Glutamyl Transferase, Alpha Amylase, Alkaline Phosphatase, Bilirubin, and Total Protein within clinically relevant limits. The platform had excellent Limits of Detection (LOD) for these parameters, which are critical for diagnosing liver and kidney-related diseases (0.27 g dl−1, 0.86 IU l−1, 1.24 IU l−1, 0.97 IU l−1, 0.24 mg dl−1, 0.35 g dl−1, respectively). Machine learning (ML) algorithms were used to estimate targeted blood parameter concentrations from optical density readings, with 98.48% accuracy and reduced incubation time by nearly 80%. The proposed platform is compared to commercial analyzers, which demonstrate excellent accuracy and reproducibility with remarkable precision (0.03 to 0.71%CV). The platform's robust stability of 99.84% was shown via stability analysis, indicating its practical applicability.
V. I. Nikolaev et al 2023 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 12 115001
The properties of orthorhombic κ-Ga2O3 films grown by Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth (ELOG) were studied by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), X-ray diffraction, capacitance-voltage profiling, Microcathodoluminescence (MCL) spectroscopy and imaging. ELOG mask was formed by deposition of SiO2 stripes on TiO2 buffer prepared on basal plane sapphire, with the stripes going along the [110] direction of sapphire. κ-Ga2O3 ELOG growth was performed using Halide Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE), with ELOG wing of the structure formed by lateral overgrowth over the 20 μm-wide SiO2 stripes, while growth in between the stripes proceeded initially by vertical growth in the 5-μm-wide windows. TEM analysis showed that the material in the windows comprised 120o rotational nanodomains typical of κ-Ga2O3, while, in the wing regions, the material was single-domain monocrystalline. The films were conducting, with the net donor density close to 1013 cm−3. The data suggested the material in the windows have much higher resistance than in the wings. MCL spectra and imaging revealed much higher density of nonradiative recombination centers in the windows than in the wings.
Younghyun You et al 2023 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 12 075009
WS2 is an emerging semiconductor with potential applications in next-generation device architecture owing to its excellent electrical and physical properties. However, the presence of inevitable surface contaminants and oxide layers limits the performance of WS2-based field-effect transistors (FETs); therefore, novel methods are required to restore the pristine WS2 surface. In this study, the thickness of a WS2 layer was adjusted and its surface was restored to a pristine state by fabricating a recessed-channel structure through a combination of self-limiting remote plasma oxidation and KOH solution etching processes. The reaction between the KOH solution and WOX enabled layer-by-layer thickness control as the topmost oxide layer was selectively removed during the wet-etching process. The thickness of the WS2 layer decreased linearly with the number of recess cycles, and the vertical etch rate was estimated to be approximately 0.65 nm cycle−1. Micro-Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that the layer-by-layer etching process had a nominal effect on the crystallinity of the underlying WS2 channel. Finally, the pristine state was recovered by removing ambient molecules and oxide layers from the surface of the WS2 channel, which resulted in a high-performance FET with a current on/off ratio greater than 106. This method, which provides a facile approach to restoring the pristine surfaces of transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) semiconductors with precise thickness control, has potential applications in various fields such as TMDC-based (opto)electronic and sensor devices.
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Youssef et al
In this research, the casting solution manufacturing approach was used to mix polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and copper oxide (CuO) to create the composite (PVA/CuO). X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were applied to record the successful fabrications of the composites. Next, argon ion beams at fluencies of 2.5x1017, 5x1017, and 7.5x1017 ions.cm-2 were used to irradiate the composites. In frequencies of 50 Hz to 6 MHz, the dielectric characteristics of PVA/CuO were modified by the ion irradiation. The dielectric constant was enhanced from 39 for unmodified PVA/CuO to 356 for the irradiated composite by 7.5x1017 ions.cm-2, and the conductivity changed from 0.05x10-6 S/cm to 2.9x10-6 S/cm. However, the potential barrier decreased from 0.24 eV for PVA/CuO to 0.21, 0.16, and 0.15 eV, respectively, for 2.5x1017, 5x1017, and 7.5x1017 ions.cm-2, and the relaxation time decreased from 9.36x10-8 sec for PVA/CuO, to 6.58x10-8 sec for 7.5x1017 ions.cm-2. The results indicate that the irradiated PVA/CuO nanocomposite can be used in a number of devices such as capacitors and batteries.
Grégoire et al
For new analogic microelectronic circuits development based on non-linear devices such as Schottky diodes formed in Si active regions, new Co-silicide integrations are required to reduce junction leakages. To gather targeted device requirements, precise Co silicide/Si interface optimization and a limited silicide formation at the active edges is needed. The selective etching during the “Salicide” process plays a real role in the oxidation and/or passivation of the silicide layer. Here, we propose a systematic study including a very large spectrum of experiments around the main parameters of CoSi selective etching. The main conclusions are 1) diode leakages are directly linked to SiO2 layer thickness formed during the SC1 dispense or by air exposure over the CoSi layer, 2) significant effect of dispense flow on SiO2 formation is measured through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry characterizations; 3) optimized diode leakages together with contact resistances are then demonstrated for low SC1 delivery flow and long dispense time; and 4) major changes in final CoSi2 layer morphology and silicide/silicon interface are observed by transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray analyses for different selective etching processes, which are potentially explained by enrichment in Co atoms at CoSi/Si during SiO2 overlayer growth.
Chenna et al
The current study explores the influence of Zinc (Zn) doping on the crystallography, optical behavior, dielectric properties, and microwave absorption characteristics of hexagonal Barium Vanadate (Ba3(VO4)2). Samples were systematically synthesized with Zn doping concentrations of x=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 mol%, resulting in Ba3-xZnx(VO4)2. Employing various characterization techniques, the alterations in structural, optical, and electrical responses due to incremental Zn incorporation are reported. The UV–VIS DRS absorption spectra reveal a decrease in energy bandgap with increasing concentration of Zn. The lowest optical energy band gap observed was 3.65 eV for x=0.2 mol% Zn. Notably, at a thickness of 6.5 mm, the material achieved a high reflection loss of -82.37 dB at 12.47 GHz for x=0.05 mol% of Zn. Similarly, the same material configuration exhibited a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.01 GHz, spanning a frequency range from 12.24 to 17.25 GHz when the thickness was set to 5.5 mm. Furthermore, as the Zn concentration increased from x=0.05 to 0.2 mol%, a decreasing trend in reflection loss was observed, correlating well with the dielectric parameters of samples with different Zn concentrations. The work provides insightful correlations between Zn doping levels and the material’s performance in potential applications ranging from optoelectronics to electromagnetic wave absorption.
Queyam et al
Biomedical signal processing has advanced to the point that tools and methods are now available to doctors to diagnose and track medical conditions connected to pregnancy. However, it is extremely difficult for researchers to look into novel procedures and approaches to uncover underlying pathological abnormalities associated with high-risk pregnancies due to the scarcity of high-quality medical databases of pregnant women. In this study, a LabVIEW software environment is used to precisely design a bio-physiological signal generator (BPSG) for use in feto-maternal health assessment applications. McSharry's dynamical ECG model served as inspiration for the methods utilized to create the proposed time-domain mathematical model. The BPSG is capable of generating various realistic synthetic signals like respiration signal, pulse plethysmography (PPG) signal, phonocardiography (PCG) signal, maternal ECG (MECG) signal, fetal ECG (FECG) signal, abdominal ECG (AECG) signa,l and umbilical blood flow (UBF) velocimetry signals with corresponding Doppler indices. It is possible to create synthetic signals for both healthy and unhealthy conditions. Synthetic signal facilitates the testing and calibration of new diagnostic procedures, denoising algorithms, feature extraction processes, and instrumentation, all of which contribute to the prompt prediction of an overall health state of expectant mother.
Ding et al
Phosphate pollution leads to deterioration in water quality, posing a serious threat to human health. Therefore, it is important to develop a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for phosphate detection. Here, we report a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe, Fluorescein@NH2-UiO-66 (denoted as Flu@NH2-UiO-66), for the trace detection of phosphate in water. Specifically, during the in-situ solvothermal synthesis of Flu@NH2-UiO-66, fluorescein molecules were encapsulated into the cavities of the metal-organic framework. Furthermore, the encapsulation amount of fluorescein was controlled by adjusting the acidity of the system. The Flu@NH2-UiO-66 (60 H+) sample, prepared with a 60:1 molar ratio of acetic acid to the metal center exhibited distinct dual fluorescence signal peaks. The probe showed a highly selective fluorescence response to phosphate. Within a range of 0-20 μM phosphate concentration, the probe demonstrated excellent linear detection capability with a detection limit of 0.37 μM. Moreover, the mechanism of fluorescence enhancement can be attributed to the addition of phosphate, which greatly increases the UV absorbance of the probe. This study developed a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe capable of rapid, sensitive, and stable detection of trace phosphate, which is of great significance for environmental management.
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Yi-Wen Lin et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 055004
This study reports a self-induced ferroelectric Ge-doped HfO2 (Ge:HfO2) thin film through interface reactions. In the first experiment, three treatments for forming interfacial layer (IL) were discussed through TiN/2-nm-thick Al2O3/2-nm-thick Ge:HfO2/GeO2/Ge metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor capacitors. The remnant polarization (Pr), leakage current, and interface trap density (Dit) were compared to select the most appropriate IL treatment. The results show that the in-situ ozone treatment under the standard atomic layer deposition process had the second highest 2Pr value as well as lower Dit values. Next, the thicknesses of Al2O3/Ge:HfO2 would be changed to 4 nm/2 nm and 3 nm/3 nm to investigate the ferroelectricity and leakage current. Although the 3-nm-thick Al2O3/3-nm-thick Ge:HfO2 shows a lower 2Pr value, the leakage current is much lower than 2-nm-thick Al2O3/2-nm-thick Ge:HfO2. The self-induced ferroelectric 3-nm-thick Ge:HfO2 thin film was then applied to fabricate Ge stacked nanowires gate-all-around field-effect transistor. The results show a steep subthreshold slope of 58 mV/dec for pFET and on-off current ratio > 105 and have high potential in low-power IC applications.
Wei-Chia Chen et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 055003
This study investigated threshold voltage (VTH) instability in a Schottky p-GaN gate AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) by using the double pulse test (DPT) with a 1 μs pulse width in the ON-state and OFF-state. OFF-state drain biases (VDS,OFF) of 100–400 V and ON-state drain currents of ID,ON 1–16 A were applied in the DPT to observe the post-DPT VTH shift. The ON-state currents did not strongly influence the device's characteristics after the DPT. However, the OFF-state voltages, particularly VDS,OFF = 100 and 200 V, exerted notable effects. A TCAD simulation was conducted to investigate the mechanism underlying the VTH shift after the DPT at various VDS,OFF and ID,ON levels.
Iris Denmark et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.
Two approaches have been utilized to optimize the energy storage characteristics of doped carbon materials derived from Lignosol, a biomass product, to address the rising energy demand issues. Herein, phosphorus and nitrogen co-doped carbon (PNDC) materials with varying doping agent volumes were synthesized by utilizing microwave irradiation. Chemical activation and physical activation were employed to enhance these materials' characteristics. Chemical activation was performed in a one-pot, single-step process, rather than a traditional multi-step protocol, using small amounts of potassium hydroxide. Furthermore, the physical activation method required multiple steps: doped carbon was prepared via microwave, exposed to water, filtered, frozen and then dried. With this, the expansion properties of water at freezing temperatures were exploited to alter the materials' surface characteristics. All materials were characterized and compared for their physicochemical properties. All defect ratios supported the presence of doping. Additional results revealed that both chemical and physical activation approaches effectively modify the topographical features as well as the electrochemical activity (charge storage) of the doped carbon materials. The chemically activated doped carbon exhibited the highest resulting surface area of 1352 m2/g and a specific capacitance value of 347 F g-1 with excellent cycling stability as compared to other similarly synthesized materials.
Hui-Hsuan Li et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 053008
We have developed a method that uses a half-cycle Hf precursor adsorption to subtly dope GeO2 IL of the Hf-based gate stack through in situ plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. This technique can effectively reduce GeO vaporization and improve the thermal stability of the GeO2 layer. Our results indicated that the accumulation capacitance (Cacc) undergoing higher temperatures showed no noticeable increase in the capacitance-voltage (CV) curves once Hf was delicately introduced into the GeO2 layer. According to the Ge 3d spectra of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we found that the IL had a signal from extra Hf-O bonds; thus, we conclude GeO evaporation can be suppressed substantially by Hf incorporation. As a result, adding metal into GeOx IL to form HfGeOx achieved a remarkably low leakage current of 9 × 10−5 A cm−2 and the lowest interface trap density (Dit) of approximately 2 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 at 500 °C of PMA. In addition, applying this gate stack structure to device fabrication significantly reduced the leakage current of the off-state and improved the effective peak hole mobility.
Jose Lopez Ninantay et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 054004
The catalytic decomposition of poly(phthalaldehyde) with a photoacid generator can be used as dry-develop photoresist, where the exposed film depolymerizes into small molecules to allow the development of features via controlled vaporization. Higher temperatures enabled shorter dry-development times, but also promoted faster photoacid diffusion that compromised pattern fidelity. Trihexylamine was used as a base quencher to counteract acid diffusion in a phthalaldehyde-propanal co-polymer photoresist. The propanal co-monomer in the polymer improves the vaporization rate because it has a higher vapor pressure than phthalaldehyde. Addition of the base quencher was found to improve the contrast, pattern fidelity, and ease-of-handling of the dry-develop resist in a direct-write UV lithography tool. The dry-development of 4 μm features was achieved with no appreciable residue. For large area features, a spatially variable exposure method was used to direct the residue away from the exposed area. The gradient exposure method was used to produce 100 μm features. Plasma etching after dry-development was also used to achieve residue-free dry-developed patterns. These results show the benefits of incorporating base additives into a dry-develop depolymerizable resist system and highlight the need for addressing residue formation.
Hui-Hsuan Li et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 055001
We propose a continuous fabrication method for HfO2-based gate stacks on a Ge bulk p-type metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitor (pMOSCAP) with HfGeOx interfacial layer by H2 plasma treatment through in situ plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. The electrical characteristics showed that the proper hydrogen plasma treatment could obtain an aggressively scaled equivalent oxide thickness of approximately 0.55 nm and a relatively low gate leakage current of 8 × 10−4 A cm−2 under PMA 500 °C.
William Cheng-Yu Ma et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 045003
This work explores the characteristics of ferroelectric thin-film transistors (FeTFTs) utilizing an asymmetric dual-gate (DG) structure in both single-gate (SG) and DG operation modes. In the transfer characteristics, DG mode exhibits a memory window (MW) of 1.075 V, smaller than SG mode's MW of 1.402 V, attributed to the back-gate bias effect causing a reduction in the device's threshold voltage. However, DG mode demonstrates superior endurance characteristics with 106 cycles compared to SG mode's 105 cycles. Additionally, the increase in erase pulse voltage (VERS) exacerbates the polycrystalline-silicon channel lattice damage of FeTFT, resulting in subthreshold swing (SS) degradation. Nevertheless, the extent of SS degradation from DG mode operation is significantly lower than that of SG mode, contributing to the superior endurance of DG mode. The elevation of program pulse voltage (VPRG) induces imprint and charge-trapping effects in the top-gate ferroelectric dielectric, leading to reduced endurance. Due to the use of SiO2 as the back-gate dielectric in FeTFT, DG mode exhibits lower impacts of charge-trapping effects from the top-gate ferroelectric dielectric layer, resulting in better endurance compared to SG mode. The asymmetric DG structure provides greater tolerance in the selection of VPRG and VERS.
Yuga Osada and Takashi Yanagishita 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 043007
Fe substrates with a depression pattern were anodized to obtain Fe oxide films with a nanohoneycomb structure and orderly arranged cylindrical pores of uniform size. Crystalline Fe oxide films could be obtained by the heat treatment of amorphous samples obtained by the anodization of Fe substrates, but the atmosphere during heat treatment had a significant effect on the surface structure and crystallinity of the resulting samples. The heat treatment of the anodized samples in air produced a crystalline Fe oxide film consisting of Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, but the nanohoneycomb structure could not be maintained above 400 °C because the Fe substrate was oxidized during the heat treatment, and its surface structure changed significantly. On the other hand, the heat treatment of the anodized samples in N2 atmosphere yielded Fe3O4 nanohoneycombs, which retained their regular honeycomb structure after heat treatment. The evaluation of the capacitor properties of the heat-treated samples showed that the properties differed markedly owing to the effects of the surface structure and crystallinity, with the sample heat-treated at 400 °C in N2 atmosphere with the largest specific capacitance. The Fe3O4 nanohoneycombs obtained in this study are expected to be useful as electrodes for high-capacity capacitors.
Yoshihiro Irokawa et al 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 045002
Changes in the hydrogen-induced Schottky barrier height (ΦB) of Pt/GaN rectifiers fabricated on free-standing GaN substrates were investigated using current–voltage, capacitance–voltage, impedance spectroscopy, and current–time measurements. Ambient hydrogen lowered the ΦB and reduced the resistance of the semiconductor space–charge region while only weakly affecting the ideality factor, carrier concentration, and capacitance of the semiconductor space–charge region. The changes in the ΦB were reversible; specifically, the decrease in ΦB upon hydrogen exposure occurred quickly, but the recovery was slow. The results also showed that exposure to dry air and/or the application of a reverse bias to the Schottky electrodes accelerated the reversion compared with the case without the applied bias. The former case resulted in fast reversion because of the catalytic effect of Pt. The latter case, by contrast, suggested that hydrogen was incorporated into the Pt/GaN interface oxides as positive mobile charges. Moreover, both exposure to dry air and the application of a reverse bias increased the ΦB of an as-loaded sample from 0.91 to 1.07 eV, revealing that the ΦB of Pt/GaN rectifiers was kept lower as a result of hydrogen incorporation that likely occurred during device processing and/or storage.
Alain E. Kaloyeros and Barry Arkles 2024 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 13 043001
Silicon carbide (SiCx) thin films deposition processes fall primarily into three main categories: (1) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and its variants, including plasma enhanced CVD (PE-CVD); (2) physical vapor deposition (PVD), including various forms of sputtering; (3) alternative (non-CVD and non-PVD) methodologies. Part I of this two-part report ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol., 12, 103001 (2023) examined recent peer-reviewed publications available in the public domain pertaining to the various CVD processes for SiCx thin films and nanostructures, as well as CVD modeling and mechanistic studies. In Part II, we continue our detailed, systematic review of the latest progress in cutting-edge SiCx thin film innovations, focusing on PVD and other non-PVD and non-CVD SiCx coating technologies. Particular attention is given to pertinent experimental details from PVD and alternative (non-CVD and non-PVD) processing methodologies as well as their influence on resulting film properties and performance.