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Single impurities in insulators are now often used for quantum sensors and single photon sources, while nanoscale semiconductor doping features are being constructed for electrical contacts in quantum technology devices, implying that new methods for sensitive, non‐destructive imaging of single‐ or few‐atom structures are needed. X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) can provide nanoscale imaging with chemical specificity, and features comprising as few as 100 000 atoms have been detected without any need for specialized or destructive sample preparation. Presently, the ultimate limits of sensitivity of XRF are unknown – here, gallium dopants in silicon are investigated using a high brilliance, synchrotron source collimated to a small spot. It is demonstrated that with a single‐pixel integration time of 1 s, the sensitivity is sufficient to identify a single isolated feature of only 3000 Ga impurities (a mass of just 350 zg). With increased integration (25 s), 650 impurities can be detected. The results are quantified using a calibration sample consisting of precisely controlled numbers of implanted atoms in nanometer‐sized structures. The results show that such features can now be mapped quantitatively when calibration samples are used, and suggest that, in the near future, planned upgrades to XRF facilities might achieve single‐atom sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although semiconducting metal oxide sensors present reasonable sensitivity, an improved lower detection limit and/or selectivity would allow broadening real-time monitoring applications. This work reports the growth mechanism and gas sensing performance of zinc tin oxide-based structures synthesised via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal route. The synthesised materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning and scanning transmission electron microscopy (SEM and STEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments. Gas sensor measurements showed that ZnSnO 3 presents an outstanding lower detection limit to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), in which a 10-fold increase in electrical resistance is expected in the presence of 1 ppb NO 2 at an operating temperature of 150 ˚C. Moreover, the Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 heterostructure exhibited superior selectivity to NO 2 relative to hydrogen (H 2) and carbon monoxide (CO), exhibiting a sensor response ∼1500 times higher for the oxidising gas. Hence, it is demonstrated that nanostructures' growth engineering can realise lower detection limits and ultra-selective high-performance gas sensor devices through a greater surface area and enhanced contact potential barriers. [Display omitted] • Crystals with unique morphology were grown. • ZnSnO 3 nanostructures should present sub-ppb NO 2 detection. • Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 had a ∼3000 resistance surge under 100 ppm NO 2 at 150 °C. • Zn 2 SnO 4 /SnO 2 has a ∼1500 selectivity for NO 2. • Crystals growth and gas sensing mechanisms were detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curved X‐ray detectors have the potential to revolutionize diverse sectors due to benefits such as reduced image distortion and vignetting compared to their planar counterparts. While the use of inorganic semiconductors for curved detectors are restricted by their brittle nature, organic–inorganic hybrid semiconductors which incorporated bismuth oxide nanoparticles in an organic bulk heterojunction consisting of poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) are considered to be more promising in this regard. However, the influence of the P3HT molecular weight on the mechanical stability of curved, thick X‐ray detectors remains less well understood. Herein, high P3HT molecular weights (>40 kDa) are identified to allow increased intermolecular bonding and chain entanglements, resulting in X‐ray detectors that can be curved to a radius as low as 1.3 mm with low deviation in X‐ray response under 100 repeated bending cycles while maintaining an industry‐standard dark current of <1 pA mm−2 and a sensitivity of ≈ 0.17 μC Gy−1 cm−2. This study identifies a crucial missing link in the development of curved detectors, namely the importance of the molecular weight of the polymer semiconductors used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used in many different applications. Field emission (FE) measurements were used together with Raman spectroscopy to show a correlation between the microstructure and field emission parameters. However, field emission characterization does not suffer from fluorescence noise present in Raman spectroscopy. In this study, Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize vertically aligned CNT forest samples based on their D/G band intensity ratio (ID/IG), and FE properties such as the threshold electric field, enhancement coefficient, and anode to CNT tip separation (ATS) at the outset of emission have been obtained. A relationship between ATS at first emission and the enhancement factor, and, subsequently, a relationship between ATS and the ID/IG are shown. Based on the findings, it is shown that a higher enhancement factor (∼3070) results when a lower ID/IG is present (0.45), with initial emissions at larger distances (∼47 μm). For the samples studied, the morphology of the CNT tips did not play an important role; therefore, the field enhancement factor (β) could be directly related to the carbon nanotube structural properties such as breaks in the lattice or amorphous carbon content. Thus, this work presents FE as a complementary tool to evaluate the quality of CNT samples, with the advantages of a larger probe size and an averaging over the whole nanotube length. Correspondingly, one can find the best field emitter CNT according to its ID/IG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Scalable method to fabricate high-performance flexible LIG-based microsupercapacitor. • NiCo2S4 improves pseudocapacitive behaviour and wettability. • LIG/NiCo 2 S 4 MSC is suitable for use in flexible and miniaturized portable devices. • Remarkable cycling stability of 122 % after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. The next generation of energy storage technologies requires enhanced fabrication techniques such as the use of CO 2 infrared lasers to pattern micro-supercapacitor (MSC) electrodoes. This study reports direct-writen laser-induced graphene (LIG) micro-supercapacitors with electrodepositated NiCo 2 S 4 - nanoparticles on commercial polyimide sheets. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed NiCo 2 S 4 nanoparticles decorating the graphene, within a highly porous carbon-based electrode. The LIG/NiCo 2 S 4 exhibited outstanding properties with a specific capacitance of 30.4 mF cm−2 at 0.75 mA cm−2 and an energy density of 16.9 µWh cm−2 at a power density of 367.5 µW cm−2. High capacitance retention of 1.22-fold was measured after 5000 cycles of charge/discharge, and of ∼90% when bent to 120˚ angle. Here, it is demonstrated that surface decoration is an effective route in improving LIG MSC storage properties, and that the LIG/NiCo 2 S 4 MSC is suitable for use in next generation of flexible and miniaturized portable devices. Flexible micro-supercapacitors based on LIG/NiCo 2 S 4 to be applied in the field of microelectronics and micro energy storage devices. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO 2 -based varistors have been considered promising technological devices. However their practical application is usually stated as limited to high voltage circuits based on the high breakdown electric field exhibited by these ceramics. Recently, authors have shown that the insertion of one-dimensional (1D) SnO 2 belts allows overcoming this limitation. In this work, we present a detailed study of the growth mechanism of the belts inside varistors using electron microscopy techniques. We were able to show that mass transport has an intrinsic dependence on the sintering time and requires similar crystalline structure between the belts and the matrix. Dual beam and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques permitted determining that 3D growth of belts occurs by coalescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a thorough study conducted on the action mechanism of one-dimensional single-crystalline SnO 2 nanobelts in decreasing the breakdown electric field (E b ) in SnO 2 -based varistors. The proposed method has general validity in that our investigation was focused on the traditional varistor composition SnO 2 -CoO-Cr 2 O 3 -Nb 2 O 5 . To accomplish our study objective, two methods of decreasing E b value were compared; one involving the increase in average grain size of the varistor through the sintering time and the other one related to the addition of nanobelts. The morphological results show that the method involving the increase in average grain size is limited by the formation of intragranular pores. Furthermore, despite contributing successfully towards decreasing the E b value (which underwent a decline from 3990 V cm −1 to 1133 V cm −1 with an increase in sintering time from 1 h to 2 h), the reduction obtained by this method is found to be much lower compared to that obtained via the nanobelts insertion method (E b = 270 V cm −1 ). Impedance spectroscopy results showed that the insertion of nanobelts caused a decline in the grain boundary resistance while surface potential measurements proved that this decline in resistance is attributed to the absence of potential barriers along the belts which leads to the formation of a lower resistance percolation path in the varistor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconducting metal oxides have many practical applications, including varistors. Varistors based on SnO 2 exhibit both high nonlinear coefficients and high breakdown electric fields. In this work we present a facile means for controlling the breakdown electric field in the SnO 2 -CoO-Cr 2 O 3 -Nb 2 O 5 varistor system by the introduction of 1D SnO 2 nanobelts. The materials were prepared by a solid state reaction method with Nb 2 O 5 doping levels at 0.10 and 0.20, mole percent. The materials were studied in detail by dual beam microscopy, direct current and impedance measurements. Exaggerated three-dimensional growth of the tin dioxide belts was observed, which was attributed to Ostwald ripening. The breakdown electric field was observed to decrease from 2510 V/cm to 2280 V/cm and from 1700 V/cm to 804 V/cm after nanobelt insertion, into the systems with 0.10 and 0.20, mole percent Nb 2 O 5 respectively. A model for the observed results was proposed based on the percolation of electrons through the belts, decreasing the number of effective potential barriers at the grain boundaries. The simulations of the impedance data showed one order of magnitude decrease in the grain boundary resistance due to the nanobelt insertion for both studied systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The material and electrical properties of silicon dioxide derived insulators formed with a focused electron beam in the presence of a TEOS or TMCTS precursor are presented. Raman and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to analyse the chemical structure and composition of the deposited dielectric. It was found that the TEOS precursor induced a purer dielectric with a reduced carbon percentage (∼ 3 %) which was independent of the electron beam energy. An investigation with TMCTS showed the importance of using an additional water vapour supply as an in-situ oxidising co-reactant, suppressing the deposited carbon content by up to a factor of six. Leakage current and voltage breakdown measurements were used to calculate the effective resistance and the dielectric strength of the insulator. The two precursors formed insulators with similar electrical properties with effective resistances on the order of G Ω for < 100 nm thick depositions and dielectric strengths of 7 MV cm−1, equivalent to those found in sputtered silicon dioxides, but allowing high-resolution maskless lithography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ab-initio Sn 3 O 4 exfoliation energy lies in the van der Waals layered materials range. • A modern Scotch-tape exfoliation of a Sn 3 O 4 nanobelt carried out using a Dual Beam Microscope. • As predicted theoretically, a few layers from Sn 3 O 4 nanobelt could be exfoliated. • Using the same nanomanipulation, layers could not be removed from the SnO and SnO 2. Van der Waals (vdW) layered materials have been receiving a great deal of attention, especially after the scotch-tape experiment using graphite and the unique properties of graphene. Sn 3 O 4 , which also presents a layered structure, has been widely employed in a variety of technologies, but without further understanding of its bulk properties. For the first time, a modern Scotch-tape nanomanipulation experiment carried on a Dual Beam Microscope is combined with Density Functional Theory to investigate the Sn 3 O 4 bulk properties. Theoretically, we have shown that the interaction energy between Sn 3 O 4 layers are in the same order of graphene layers (21 meV Å−2), indicating its vdW interaction nature, whereas for SnO is slightly stronger (26 meV Å−2). Then, the Dual Beam Microscope nanomanipulation of the Sn 3 O 4 nanobelts revealed the weak layer-layer interactions along their stacking direction (plane (0 1 0)). Comparatively, when probing SnO and SnO 2 nanobelts, no exfoliation could be seen. The study of Sn 3 O 4 electronic structure properties also presents the important role of the interfacial region to the valence and conduction band and, consequently, to the material band-gap. The outcome of this study will help improving some applications, e.g., knowing the total and local density of states can help understanding surface band bending following gases adsorption. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show, combining experimental and theoretical techniques, Sn 3 O 4 as a promising 2D material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppression of threading dislocations (TDs) in thin germanium (Ge) layers grown on silicon (Si) substrates has been critical for realizing high-performance Si-based optoelectronic and electronic devices. An advanced growth strategy is desired to minimize the TD density within a thin Ge buffer layer in Ge-on-Si systems. In this work, we investigate the impact of P dopants in 500-nm thin Ge layers, with doping concentrations from 1 to 50 × 1018 cm−3. The introduction of P dopants has efficiently promoted TD reduction, whose potential mechanism has been explored by comparing it to the well-established Sb-doped Ge-on-Si system. P and Sb dopants reveal different defect-suppression mechanisms in Ge-on-Si samples, inspiring a novel co-doping technique by exploiting the advantages of both dopants. The surface TDD of the Ge buffer has been further reduced by the co-doping technique to the order of 107 cm−2 with a thin Ge layer (of only 500 nm), which could provide a high-quality platform for high-performance Si-based semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, individual nanofabricated SnO micro-disks, previously shown to exhibit exceptional sensitivity to NOx, are investigated to further our understanding of gas sensing mechanisms. The SnO disks presenting different areas and thickness were isolated and electrically connected to metallic electrodes aided by a Dual Beam Microscope (SEM/FIB). While single micro-disk devices were found to exhibit short response and recovery times and low power consumption, large interconnected arrays of micro-disks exhibit much higher sensitivity and selectivity. The source of these differences is discussed based on the gas/solid interaction and transport mechanisms, which showed that thickness plays a major role during the gas sensing of single-devices. The calculated Debye length of the SnO disk in presence of NO2 is reported for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductors are a promising material candidate for X‐ray detection. However, the low atomic number (Z) of organic semiconductors leads to poor X‐ray absorption thus restricting their performance. Herein, the authors propose a new strategy for achieving high‐sensitivity performance for X‐ray detectors based on organic semiconductors modified with high –Z heteroatoms. X‐ray detectors are fabricated with p‐type organic semiconductors containing selenium heteroatoms (poly(3‐hexyl)selenophene (P3HSe)) in blends with an n‐type fullerene derivative ([6,6]‐Phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM). When characterized under 70, 100, 150, and 220 kVp X‐ray radiation, these heteroatom‐containing detectors displayed a superior performance in terms of sensitivity up to 600 ± 11 nC Gy−1 cm−2 with respect to the bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nanoparticle (NP) sensitized organic detectors. Despite the lower Z of selenium compared to the NPs typically used, the authors identify a more efficient generation of electron‐hole pairs, better charge transfer, and charge transport characteristics in heteroatom‐incorporated detectors that result in this breakthrough detector performance. The authors also demonstrate flexible X‐ray detectors that can be curved to a radius as low as 2 mm with low deviation in X‐ray response under 100 repeated bending cycles while maintaining an industry‐standard ultra‐low dark current of 0.03 ± 0.01 pA mm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic‐inorganic hybrid semiconductors are an emerging class of materials for direct conversion X‐ray detection due to attractive characteristics such as high sensitivity and the potential to form conformal detectors. However, existing hybrid semiconductor X‐ray detectors display dark currents that are 1000–10 000× higher than industrially relevant values of 1–10 pA mm−2. Herein, ultra‐low dark currents of <10 pA mm−2, under electric fields as high as ≈4 V µm−1, for hybrid X‐ray detectors consisting of bismuth oxide nanoparticles (for enhanced X‐ray attenuation) incorporated into an organic bulk heterojunction consisting of p‐type Poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT) and n‐type [6,6]‐Phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) are reported. Such ultra‐low dark currents are realized through the enrichment of the hole selective p‐type organic semiconductor near the anode contact. The resulting detectors demonstrate broadband X‐ray response including an exceptionally high sensitivity of ≈1.5 mC Gy−1 cm−2 and <6% variation in angular dependence response under 6 MV hard X‐rays. The above characteristics in combination with excellent dose linearity, dose rate linearity, and reproducibility over a broad energy range enable these detectors to be developed for medical and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CNTs can have the ability to act as compliant small-scale springs or as shock resistance micro-contactors. This work investigates the performance of vertically-aligned CNTs (VA-CNTs) as micro-contactors in electromechanical testing applications for testing at wafer-level chip-scale-packaging (WLCSP) and wafer-level-packaging (WLP). Fabricated on ohmic substrates, 500-μm-tall CNT-metal composite contact structures are electromechanically characterized. The probe design and architecture are scalable, allowing for the assembly of thousands of probes in short manufacturing times, with easy pitch control. We discuss the effects of the metallization morphology and thickness on the compliance and electromechanical response of the metal-CNT composite contacts. Pd-metallized CNT contactors show up to 25 μm of compliance, with contact resistance as low as 460 mΩ (3.6 kΩ/μm) and network resistivity of 1.8 × 10−5 Ω cm, after 2500 touchdowns, with 50 μm of over-travel; they form reproducible and repeatable contacts, with less than 5% contact resistance degradation. Failure mechanisms are studied in-situ and after cyclic testing and show that, for top-cap-and-side metallized contacts, the CNT-metal shell provides stiffness to the probe structure in the elastic region, whilst reducing the contact resistance. The stable low resistance achieved, the high repeatability and endurance of the manufactured probes make CNT micro-contacts a viable candidate for WLP and WLCSP testing. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]