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Reducing the leakage current through the gate oxide is becoming increasingly important for power consumption reduction as well as reliability in integrated circuits as the semiconducting devices continue to scale down. Here, this work reports on the high‐k dielectric SrHfO3 (SHO) based devices with ultralow leakage current density via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The ultralow current density is achieved by optimizing the growth conditions and the associated structural properties. In the optimized conditions, the dielectric properties of the 50‐nm‐thick SHO capacitors are measured: high dielectric constant (κ = 32), low leakage current density (<10−8 A cm−2 at 2 MV cm−1), and large breakdown field (EBD > 4 MV cm−1). The surprisingly low leakage current density of SHO is ascribed to the large bandgap (≈6 eV), the large conduction band offset (CB offset > 3 eV) with respect to the semiconductor, and the low density of defect states inside the bandgap. The optimized SHO dielectric with high dielectric constant and ultralow leakage current density is proposed for future low‐power consumption devices based on Si as well as perovskite oxide semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of substituting the B cation in A3BO7 ceramics on their thermal physical properties were investigated by applying a large mass difference. Y3(Nb1‐xTax)O7 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) ceramics were synthesized, and their structural characteristics were determined. All the fabricated Y3(Nb1‐xTax)O7 ceramics showed defective fluorite structures and glass‐like low thermal conductivity (1.18−2.04 W/m∙K at 25°C) because of the highly distorted crystal structure and significant mass difference. Substitution with Ta5+ enhanced the sintering resistance, leading to superior thermal‐insulating performance via grain boundary scattering. Furthermore, the ceramics exhibited excellent coefficients of thermal expansion, implying the promising applicability of Y3(Nb1‐xTax)O7 as new thermal barrier materials. The effect of mass difference on the thermomechanical properties of the ceramics was examined, suggesting a simple strategy for engineering the chemical composition of new thermal barrier materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal-insulating performance of fluorite ceramic as a new TBC material. • Synthesis of YYNT ceramics via a solid-state reaction. • Glass-like low thermal conductivity and excellent thermophysical properties compatible with YSZ. The effects of substituting A and B cations in A 3 BO 7 compounds on their thermophysical properties were studied by imposing a significant mass difference on the substituents. Specifically, (Yb 1−x Y x) 3 (Nb 1−y Ta y)O 7 (YYNT) ceramics were synthesized, and their structural characteristics were investigated. All the YYNT ceramics had defective fluorite structures and exhibited glass-like low thermal conductivity (1.19 W/m K at 25 °C), which was derived from the highly distorted crystal structure and cation substitution. In addition, their excellent thermophysical properties, such as compatible thermal expansion, high elastic modulus, and hardness, make them promising candidates for new thermal barrier materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack-growth behavior in yttria-stabilized zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is investigated through a cyclic thermal fatigue (CTF) test to understand TBCs' failure mechanisms. Initial cracks were introduced on the coatings' top surface and cross section using the micro-indentation technique. The results show that crack length in the surface-cracked TBCs grew parabolically with the number of cycles in the CTF test. Failure in the surface-cracked TBC was dependent on the initial crack length formed with different loading levels, suggesting the existence of a threshold surface crack length. For the cross section, the horizontal crack length increased in a similar manner as observed in the surface. By contrast, in the vertical direction, the crack did not grow very much with CTF testing. An analytical model is proposed to explain the experimentally-observed crack-growth behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel thermal barrier coating (TBC) system is proposed that embeds silicon particles in coating as a crack-healing agent. The healing agent is encapsulated to avoid unintended reactions and premature oxidation. Thermal durability of the developed TBCs is evaluated through cyclic thermal fatigue and jet engine thermal shock tests. Moreover, artificial cracks are introduced into the buffer layer's cross section using a microhardness indentation method. Then, the indented TBC specimens are subject to heat treatment to investigate their crack-resisting behavior in detail. The TBC specimens with the embedded healing agents exhibit a relatively better thermal fatigue resistance than the conventional TBCs. The encapsulated healing agent protects rapid large crack openings under thermal shock conditions. Different crack-resisting behaviors and mechanisms are proposed depending on the embedding healing agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sintering behavior and phase transformations in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) control their applications in gas turbines operated at high working temperatures required for improved fuel efficiency. In this work, to control the sintering behavior and reduce phase transformations in YSZ-based TBCs, lanthanum zirconate (LZ) powder was blended with the YSZ feedstock powder, and YSZ-LZ composite coatings were fabricated using the air plasma spraying method. The influence of mixture weight ratio of YSZ to LZ (75:25, 50:50, and 25:75) on the sintering behavior and phase stability of the composite coatings was investigated through the isothermal exposure test at 1100, 1300, and 1400 °C. The as-coated composites showed the pyrochlore and tetragonal phases, indicating that the phases are LZ and YSZ, respectively. As the exposure temperature was increased, the phase transformation of YSZ from the tetragonal phase to the monoclinic phase was accelerated. The content of monoclinic phase was changed with the increasing LZ content after thermal exposure at 1300 and 1400 °C. In addition, the composites showed different sintering and bridging behaviors at the adjacent splats with the LZ content. The composites prepared with the blended feedstock powders of LZ and YSZ produced an obvious effect on the phase stability and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]