Search

(Al,Ga,In)N semiconductor materials are widely used in high-frequency, high-power electronics due to their wide bandgaps. Both metal- and N-polar AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) demonstrated excellent performances as high-frequency signal amplifiers. While the majority of today’s III-N transistors are based on metal-polar heterostructures, N-polar materials have gained attention following the breakthrough in the deposition of high quality films. Compared to their metal-polar counterparts, N-polar HEMT structures improve the scalability of devices, increase the electron confinement and reduce contact resistance, exhibiting great potentials in high-frequency device fabrications.In order to suppress alloy scattering in the HEMT structures, a thin AlN interlayer is usually introduced between the AlGaN barrier and the GaN channel. However, a significant amount of unintentional Ga incorporation was observed in AlN films grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), one of the major techniques to produce the HEMT epi structures. In the first part of my thesis, the impact of impure AlN interlayers on HEMTs was examined, explaining the significant improvement in electron mobility despite of the high Ga concentration of ~ 50%. Moreover, both metal-polar and N-polar AlN films grown by MOCVD under various conditions were investigated, the results of which indicated that the major source of unintentional Ga was the former Ga deposition on the susceptor in the same run. It was also observed that N-polar AlN films contained less Ga compared to metal-polar ones when they were grown under same conditions. Methods to suppress the Ga were also discussed. In addition, the morphological and electrical properties of the GaN/AlN/GaN heterostructures with AlN films grown under different conditions were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and room temperature Van der Pauw hall measurement. Following the study of AlN interlayers in the HEMT structures, the development of N-polar HEMT epitaxial structures with highly-scaled channel thicknesses was discussed in detail. Small channel thickness is critical to prevent short channel effects when scaling down the lateral size of N-polar HEMT devices. By modifying the Si doping level in the back-barrier and the Al composition of the AlGaN cap, the channel thickness of the conventional N-polar HEMT structure with pure GaN channel was successfully scaled down to 8 nm. To further reduce the channel thickness, a thin InGaN layer was introduced between the channel and the AlGaN cap, leading to a decrease of the electric field in the channel and an increase of the distance between the centroid of the 2DEG and the AlN/GaN interface, which suppressed the scattering at the interface and significantly improved the electron mobility. The sheet charge density also increased due to the net positive polarization charge at the GaN/InGaN interface. The design was demonstrated by MOCVD. An increase of 73% in electron mobility from 606 to 1141 cm2/(V·s) was observed when the 6 nm thick pure GaN channel was replaced by a 4 nm GaN / 2 nm In0.1Ga0.9N composite channel. The smallest applicable channel thickness was decreased to 4 nm with the composite channel design.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a two-dimensional material, which is attracting increasing attention due to its special properties. It can be obtained by laser or ion beam irradiations of pristine ...

With the development of microelectronic devices having miniaturized and integrated electronic components, an efficient thermal management system with lightweight materials, which have outstanding thermal conductivity and processability, is becoming increasingly important. Recently, the use of polymer-based thermal management systems has attracted much interest due to the intrinsic excellent properties of the polymer, such as the high flexibility, low cost, electrical insulation, and excellent processability. However, most polymers possess low thermal conductivity, which limits the thermal management applications of them. To address the low thermal conduction of the polymer materials, many kinds of thermally conductive fillers have been studied, and the carbon-based polymer composite is regarded as one of the most promising materials for the thermal management of the electric and electronic devices. In addition, the next generation electronic devices require composite materials with various additional functions such as flexibility, low density, electrical insulation, and oriented heat conduction, as well as ultrahigh thermal conductivity. In this review, we introduce the latest papers on thermally conductive polymer composites based on carbon fillers with sophisticated structures to meet the above requirements. The topic of this review paper consists of the following four contents. First, we introduce the design of a continuous three-dimensional network structure of carbon fillers to reduce the thermal resistance between the filler–matrix interface and individual filler particles. Second, we discuss various methods of suppressing the electrical conductivity of carbon fillers in order to manufacture the polymer composites that meet both the electrical insulation and thermal conductivity. Third, we describe a strategy for the vertical alignment of carbon fillers to improve the through-plane thermal conductivity of the polymer composite. Finally, we briefly mention the durability of the thermal conductivity performance of the carbon-based composites. This review presents key technologies for a thermal management system of next-generation electronic devices.

The study reported in this paper aimed to investigate the response of a GAFChromic? HD-V2 film dosimeter in the dose range between 10 and 300 Gy, normally used to perform irradiation tests on electronic devices with a 60Co gamma-ray irradiator. The well-defined linearity of response in terms of absorbance as a function of absorbed dose, easiness of handling and data analysis of irradiated dosimeters, reproducibility, stability, and insensitivity to visible light and most of the environmental parameters, make HD-V2 film a flexible, inexpensive and reliable dose measurement device. The study has shown a fogging effect of the dosimeter response since its value changes over time. Strategies and adequate precautions to take into account changes on HD-V2 film physical properties for calibration and routine use in industrial applications, with a specific reference to radiation testing of electronic devices, have been discussed.

The article considers the method of thermal stabilization for precision power supply output voltage by means of anisotropy of the construction thermal field. Interdependency between schematic and design-topological aspects of precision power supply temperature assurance is shown. In theoretical part of the paper, the concept of electronic component local group arranged on isothermal line of the supporting structure plane is introduced. The local group characteristics and conditions for ensuring topological thermocompensation are formulated. The authors propose the solution for two basic applied problems that provides temperature stabilization of electronic devices output parameters by topological temperature compensation using regression analysis. The experimental part of the paper provides the analysis of the output voltage temperature stability for two design versions which differ by availability of topological thermocompensation. The reason of foreign element base use for the purposes of the experimental part of the study is explained. It is shown that the global mathematical model for providing topological thermocompensation for a design option with improved temperature stability is the temperature error equation. A comparative analysis of the two construction options shows 8 % improvement of output voltage temperature stability due to topological thermocompensation. The obtained result may prove to be satisfactory under technical assignment for the use of a different element base and / or other methods of thermal stabilization.

Strain engineering has become one of the effective methods to tune the electronic structures of materials, which can be introduced into the molecular junction to induce some unique physical effects. The various γ-graphyne nanoribbons (γ-GYNRs) embedded between gold (Au) electrodes with strain controlling have been designed, involving the calculation of the spin-dependent transport properties by employing the density functional theory. Our calculated results exhibit that the presence of strain has a great effect on transport properties of molecular junctions, which can obviously enhance the coupling between the γ-GYNR and Au electrodes. We find that the current flowing through the strained nanojunction is larger than that of the unstrained one. What is more, the length and strained shape of the γ-GYNR serves as the important factors which affect the transport properties of molecular junctions. Simultaneously, the phenomenon of spin-splitting occurs after introducing strain into nanojunction, implying that strain engineering may be a new means to regulate the electron spin. Our work can provide theoretical basis for designing of high performance graphyne-based devices in the future.

Možnosti ekologické syntézy přilákaly enormní zájem o výzkum jako alternativu nebezpečných chemikálií. Pozoruhodné vlastnosti ekologicky syntetizovaných materiálů zahrnují šetrnost k životnímu prostředí, vysokou hojnost, antimikrobiální, antioxidační a biologickou odbouratelnost. Integrace ekologicky syntetizovaných materiálů do elektronických zařízení nejen zvyšuje ekonomický přínos přírodních odpadních zdrojů, ale také šetří naše životní prostředí. Tento článek se zabývá současným výzkumným úsilím v oblasti trendů v oblasti ekologicky syntetizovaných materiálů, výzev a jejich potenciálních aplikací v senzorech, akčních členech, skladování energie a výrobě energie. Green synthesis methods have attracted enormous research interest as replacements for dangerous chemicals due to their abundance and eco-friendliness. The remarkable properties of green synthesized materials include environmental friendliness, high abundance, antimicrobial, antioxidant and biodegradability. The integration of green synthesized materials in electronic devices not only enhances the economic benefit of natural waste resources but also conserves our environment. This review article is dealing with the current research efforts in green synthesized materials trends, challenges and their potential applications in sensors, actuators, energy storage and energy generation.

PCB fuses are used widely in small power and small size electronic devices such as switch mode power supplies, chargers etc. They offer small size and low cost but their dependency of the track’s geometry make them imprecise. The aim of this research is to show an approach for improving the design procedure, leading to improved parameters and operation of the fuse. The suggested design is based on modeling with finite element method and numerical simulation. Experimental results validating this work are presented.

Nickel silicide is one of the electrical contact materials widely used on very large scale integration (VLSI) of Si devices in microelectronic industry. This is because the silicide/silicon interface can be formed in a highly controlled manner to ensure reproducibility of optimal structural and electrical properties of the metal-Si contacts. These advantages can be inherited to Si nanowire (NW) field-effect transistors (FET) device. Due to the technological importance of nickel silicides, fundamental materials science of nickel silicides formation (Ni-Si reaction), especially in nanoscale, has raised wide interest and stimulate new insights and understandings. In this dissertation, in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with FET device characterization will be demonstrated as useful tools in nano-device fabrication as well as in gaining insights into the process of nickel silicide formation. The shortest transistor channel length (17 nm) fabricated on a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) grown silicon nanowire (NW) has been demonstrated by controlled reaction with Ni leads on an in-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) heating stage at a moderate temperature of 400 ºC. NiSi2 is the leading phase, and the silicide-silicon interface is an atomically sharp type-A interface. At such channel lengths, high maximum on-currents of 890 (μA/μm) and a maximum transconductance of 430 (μS/μm) were obtained, which pushes forward the performance of bottom-up Si NW Schottky barrier field-effect transistors (SB-FETs). Through accurate control over the silicidation reaction, we provide a systematic study of channel length dependent carrier transport in a large number of SB-FETs with channel lengths in the range of (17 nm - 3.6 μm). Our device results corroborate with our transport simulations and reveal a characteristic type of short channel effects in SB-FETs, both in on- and off-state, which is different from that in conventional MOSFETs, and that limits transport parameter extraction from SB-FETs using the conventional field-effect transconductance measurements. In addition to application of silicide in Si NW devices, the fundamental materials science of Ni-Si reaction is also of interest, and in-situ TEM has been shown to be a useful tool in obtaining dynamical phase transformation information and therefore providing insights into the new phase formation process. By using in-situ TEM techniques, a new gold catalyzed solid-liquid-solid (SLS) silicide phase growth mechanism in Si NWs is observed for the first time, which shows the liquid mediating growth can be also used in synthesis of metallic silicide nanowires. SLS is analogous to the VLS in both being liquid-mediated, but is fundamentally different in terms of nucleation and mass transport. In our SLS growth at 700 ºC, the Ni atoms are supplied from remote Ni particles by interstitial diffusion through Si NW into the pre-existing Au particle at the tip. Upon supersaturation of both Ni and Si in Au, octahedral shape of Ni disilicide phase nucleates in the middle of the Au liquid alloy, which thereafter sweeps through the Si NW and transform Si into NiSi2. Dissolution of Si by Au(Si,Ni) liquid mediating layer and growth of NiSi2 are shown to proceed in different manners.Using in-situ TEM technique, we also have the chance to present direct evidence that Si (111) twin boundaries and Si grain boundaries on Si NW surface can be efficient heterogeneous nucleation site for the silicide growth. By analyzing the nucleation site favorability, unlike other typical FCC materials like Cu or Si, we infer (111) twin defects in NiSi2 may have high interfacial energy. These results may provide valuable insights into the MOSFET source/drain (S/D) contact silicide formation process when defects are either unintentionally formed during the process or intentionally introduced to engineering the strain along the channel.

Increasing attention has been paid to the next generation of ‘green’ electronic devices based on renewable nanocellulose, owing to its low roughness, good thermal stability and excellent optical properties. Various proof-of-concept transparent nanopaper-based electronic devices have been fabricated; these devices exhibit excellent flexibility, bendability and even foldability. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of transparent nanopaper that uses different types of nanocellulose, including pure nanocellulose paper and composite nanocellulose paper. The latest development of transparent and flexible nanopaper electronic devices are illustrated, such as electrochromic devices, touch sensors, solar cells and transistors. Finally, we discuss the advantages of transparent nanopaper compared to conventional flexible plastic substrate and the existing challenges to be tackled in order to realize this promising potential. NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore) Published version

Thermal Fatigue of flip chip component solder joints is widely existing in thermal energy systems, which imposes a great challenge to operational safety. In order to investigate the influential factors, this paper develops a model to analyze thermal fatigue, based on the Darveaux energy method. Under cyclic thermal loading, a theoretical heat transfer and thermal stress model is developed for the flip chip components and the thermal fatigue lives of flip chip component solder joints are analyzed. The model based simulation results show the effects of environmental and power parameters on thermal fatigue life. It is indicated that under cyclic thermal loading, the solder joint with the shortest life in a package of flip chip components is located at the outer corner point of the array. Increment in either power density or ambient temperature or the decrease in either power conversion time or ambient pressure will result in short thermal fatigue lives of the key solder joints in the flip chip components. In addition, thermal fatigue life is more sensitive to power density and ambient temperature than to power conversion time and ambient air pressure.

Hybrid thermionic-photovoltaic (TIPV) converters are efficient and clean solutions for the direct conversion of thermal energy to electricity, taking advantage of both the photovoltaic and thermionic phenomena. An important hurdle for their efficient operation is the overheating of the PV cell integrated within the TIPV anode, due to partial conversion of the emitted electron and photon fluxes to thermal heat. This obstacle needs to be overcome with an efficient, yet practical, cooler. In this work, a copper plate heat spreader is experimentally tested for TIPV cathode temperatures up to 1450 degrees C, whilst its performance is also assessed using a validated CFD model for temperatures up to similar to 2000 degrees C. A multi-parametric analysis is conducted testing two coolants: i) a water/ethylene glycol mixture at various temperatures (-5-40 degrees C) and mass flow rates (0.05-0.4 kg.s(-1)), and, ii) cryogenic liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees C and mass flow rate of 0.074 kg.s(-1). Numerical results reveal that with water/ethylene mixture the PV can withstand heat fluxes up to 360 W.cm(-2), without its temperature exceeding 100 degrees C. For higher thermal fluxes (360-600 W.cm(-2)), cryogenic liquid nitrogen is found to prevent the PV overheating and, therefore, is an attractive coolant; however, it poses safety concerns due to its possible boiling. Finally, two additional cooling system designs are proposed, a heat sink with straight fins and another with copper pipes, which offer higher heat transfer areas, but are more difficult to manufacture, than the copper plate heat spreader.

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate the possibility of using Bacterial Cellulose (BC), a bio-derived polymer, for the realization of fractional order electronic devices. BC, unlike plant-derived cellulose, is produced by some genera of bacteria, if a suitable culture is maintained. Compared to plant-derived cellulose, BC can be obtained with a green and low-energy production process, which does not produce pollutants nor carbon composites. BC is used as the bulk in a capacitor-like structure. The device impedance has been investigated and experimental evidence of its fractional nature is given. A model is proposed and a possible explanation of the involved phenomena is provided.

The B&larr, N is isoelectronic to the C&ndash, C, with the former having stronger dipole moment and higher electron affinity. Replacing the C&ndash, C bonds in conjugated polymers with B&larr, N bonds is an effective pathway toward novel polymers with strong electron affinity and adjustable optoelectronic properties. In this work, we synthesize a conjugated copolymer, namely, BNIDT-DPP, based on a B&larr, N embedded unit, BNIDT, and a typical electron-deficient unit, diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP). For comparison, the C&ndash, C counterpart, i.e., IDT-DPP, is also synthesized. In contrast to IDT-DPP, the B&larr, N embedded polymer BNIDT-DPP shows an extended absorption edge (836 versus 978 nm), narrowed optical bandgap (1.48 versus 1.27 eV), and higher electron affinity (3.54 versus 3.74 eV). The Gaussian simulations reveal that the B&larr, N embedded polymer BNIDT-DPP is more electron-deficient in contrast to IDT-DPP, supporting the decreased bandgap and energy levels of BNIDT-DPP. Organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) tests indicate a well-defined p-type characteristic for both IDT-DPP and BNIDT-DPP. The hole mobilities of IDT-DPP and BNIDT-DPP tested by OTFTs are 0.059 and 0.035 cm2/V&middot, s, respectively. The preliminary fabrication of all-polymer solar cells based on BNIDT-DPP and PBDB-T affords a PCE of 0.12%. This work develops a novel B&larr, N embedded polymer with strong electron affinity and extended absorption, which is potentially useful for electronic device application.

The reference electronic skin is a sensor array based on PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride) piezoelectric polymers, coupled to a rigid substrate and covered by an elastomer layer. It is first evaluated how a distributed normal force (Hertzian distribution) is transmitted to an extended PVDF sensor through the elastomer layer. A simplified approach based on Boussinesq’s half-space assumption is used to get a qualitative picture and extensive FEM simulations allow determination of the quantitative response for the actual finite elastomer layer. The ultimate use of the present model is to estimate the electrical sensor output from a measure of a basic mechanical action at the skin surface. However this requires that the PVDF piezoelectric coefficient be known a-priori. This was not the case in the present investigation. However, the numerical model has been used to fit experimental data from a real skin prototype and to estimate the sensor piezoelectric coefficient. It turned out that this value depends on the preload and decreases as a result of PVDF aging and fatigue. This framework contains all the fundamental ingredients of a fully predictive model, suggesting a number of future developments potentially useful for skin design and validation of the fabrication technology.

Bu çalışma, 14-19 Ekim 2015 tarihlerinde Kemer[Türkiye]’düzenlenen 2. International Conference on Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering (ICCESEN) Kongresi‘nde bildiri olarak sunulmuştur. Poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-co-1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole/carbon nanotube, single-walled)/n-GaAs ([P(EGDMA-VTAZ)-CNSW]/n-GaAs) diode was fabricated by using surface polymerization method. Electrical properties were carried out at several temperatures. Dark current mechanisms were investigated by using current-voltage (I-V) measurements. It was shown that the fabricated structure exhibited rectification behaviour that makes it a good candidate for electronic device applications.

Organic semiconductor materials have been the center of attention because they are scalable, low-cost for device fabrication, and they have good optical properties and mechanical flexibility, which encourages their research. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have potential applications, specifically in flexible and low-cost electronics such as portable and wearable technologies. In this work we report the fabrication of an InClPc base flexible bottom-gate/top-contact OFET sandwich, configured by the high-evaporation vacuum technique. The gate substrate consisted of a bilayer poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and indium&ndash, tin oxide (ITO) with nylon 11/Al2O3. The device was characterized by different techniques to determine chemical stability, absorbance, transmittance, bandgap, optical properties, and electrical characteristics in order to determine its structure and operational properties. IR spectroscopy verified that the thin films that integrated the device did not suffer degradation during the deposition process, and there were no impurities that affected the charge mobility in the OFET. Also, the InClPc semiconductor IR fingerprint was present on the deposited device. Surface analysis showed evidence of a nonhomogeneous film and also a cluster deposition process of the InClPc. Using the Tauc model, the device calculated indirect bandgap transitions of approximately 1.67 eV. The device&rsquo, s field effect mobility had a value of 36.2 cm2 V&minus, 1 s&minus, 1, which was superior to mobility values obtained for commonly manufactured OFETs and increased its potential to be used in flexible organic electronics. Also, a subthreshold swing of 80.64 mV/dec was achieved and was adequate for this kind of organic-based semiconductor device. Therefore, semiconductor functionality is maintained at different gate voltages and is transferred accurately to the film, which makes these flexible OFETs a good candidate for electronic applications.

Automated control systems employ electronic components that are connected with a printed circuit board (PCB) by soldered joints. At elevated temperatures and with high vibration levels, soldering defects may occur that are characterized by the deterioration or complete loss of contact with the PCB, which can lead to the failure of the system. In this work, an approach is proposed to considerably improve the reliability of soldered joints. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Today, data storage applications rely mainly on two types of materials: chalcogenides for optical storage (e.g. Blu-Ray) and silicon for electronic storage (e.g. Flash memory). While these materials have proven to be the most efficient for widespread applications, both have limitations. Recently, with the rise of graphene, carbon allotropes have been studied both for their intrinsic properties and for applications; graphene and other carbon allotropes have very interesting electronic, thermal and mechanical properties that can make these materials more efficient than either chalcogenides or silicon for certain applications. In this thesis, we study the feasibility and potential of the usage of carbon as a data storage material.Firstly, we focus on developing optical data storage. It is found that both continuous-wave and pulsed lasers can be used to induce reversible phase changes in carbon thin films, thus opening the way toward carbon-based data storage. Along the way, several phenomena are discovered, shown and explained by using advanced characterization techniques and thermal modelling.Secondly, we focus on electronic data storage by developing graphene-based memories that are found to switch reliably between two well-separated resistance states for a large number of cycles. To assess the potential of this new technology, we characterize the switching mechanism and develop an electro-mechanical model enabling to predict the best performances attainable: these memories would potentially be much faster than Flash memories while playing the same role (non-volatile storage).; Aujourd’hui, les applications de stockage de données utilisent principalement deux types de matériaux : les chalcogénures pour le stockage optique (e.g. Blu-Ray) et le silicium pour le stockage électronique (e.g. mémoires Flash). Malgré le fait qu’ils se soient avérés les plus efficaces pour des applications répandues, ces matériaux ont des limitations. Récemment, avec la montée en puissance du graphene, les allotropes du carbone ont été étudiés à la fois pour leurs propriétés intrinsèques et pour des applications ; ils ont des propriétés électroniques, thermiques et mécaniques très intéressantes qui peuvent rendre ces matériaux plus efficaces que les chalcogénures ou le silicium pour certaines applications. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions la faisabilité et le potentiel du carbone comme matériau pour le stockage de données.Nous nous concentrons d’abord sur le développement de stockage optique. Nous découvrons que les lasers continus et pulsés peuvent être utilisés pour induire des changements de phase réversibles dans des couches minces de carbone, confirmant la possibilité d’utiliser le carbone comme un matériau pour le stockage optique. De plus, nous découvrons plusieurs nouveaux phénomènes, que nous expliquons en utilisant des techniques de caractérisation avancées et de la modélisation par ordinateur de la propagation thermique dans le carbone.Ensuite, nous nous concentrons sur le stockage de données électronique en développant des mémoires à base de graphene qui peuvent être dans deux états de résistance bien séparés pour un grand nombre de cycles. Pour évaluer le potentiel de cette technologie, on caractérise le mécanisme de changement de résistance et on développe un modèle électromécanique qui permet de prédire les meilleures performances atteignables : ces mémoires ont le potentiel de commuter bien plus rapidement que les mémoires Flash tout en étant non-volatiles.

International audience; Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) due to their unique electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties are being investigated as promising candidate material for on-chip and off-chip interconnects. The attractive mechanical properties of CNTs, including high Youngs modulus, resiliency, and low thermal expansion coefficient, offer great advantage for reliable and strong interconnects, and even more so for local and global on-chip interconnects. With aggressive scaling, on-chip interconnects contribute to power consumption and heat build-up due to their increasing parasitics with scaling which detriment overall energy efficiency of circuits. Due to their unique properties, CNTs present an opportunity to address these challenges and provide solutions for reliable signal and power/ground interconnects. In this chapter, we perform detailed electro-thermal analyses of horizontally aligned CNTs and report on their performance and voltage drop.

International audience; In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of research on electrical and charge transport properties of spin crossover complexes. This includes both the effect of spin-state switching on the dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of the material and vice versa the influence of an applied electrical field (or current) on the spin-state of the system. The survey covers different size scales from bulk materials and thin films to nanoparticles and single molecules and embraces the presentation of several device prototypes and hybrid materials as well.

Memory is a prerequisite for many electronic devices. Organic non-volatile memory devices based on ferroelectricity are a promising approach towards the development of a low-cost memory technology based on a simple cross-bar array. In this review article we discuss the latest developments in this area with a focus on the most promising opto-electronic device concept, i.e., bistable rectifying diodes. The integration of these diodes into larger memory arrays is discussed. Through a clever design of the electrodes we demonstrate light emitting diodes with integrated built-in switches that can be applied in signage applications. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

A metal oxygen molecular cluster compound has been utilized for the preparation of organic-inorganic nanocomposite film by a sol-gel method. The entrapment of these cluster compounds in a composite film has been characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. The entrapped metal oxygen cluster stabilizes its energy levels, which is evidenced from the change in redox potential and band gap. The rectification phenomenon of composite films is attributed to the embedded cluster compounds. The rectification behaviour of the composite film, which is due to the charge transfer from molecular cluster and the electrode, has been studied. � 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license to their work., While graphene-based technology shows great promise for a variety of electronic applications, including radio-frequency devices, the resistance of the metal-graphene contact is a technological bottleneck for the realization of viable graphene electronics. One of the most important factors in determining the resistance of a metal-graphene junction is the contact resistivity. Despite the large number of experimental works that exist in the literature measuring the contact resistivity, a simple model of it is still lacking. In this paper, we present a comprehensive physical model for the contact resistivity of these junctions, based on the Bardeen Transfer Hamiltonian method. This model unveils the role played by different electrical and physical parameters in determining the specific contact resistivity, such as the chemical potential of interaction, the work metal-graphene function difference, and the insulator thickness between the metal and graphene. In addition, our model reveals that the contact resistivity is strongly dependent on the bias voltage across the metal-graphene junction. This model is applicable to a wide variety of graphene-based electronic devices and thus is useful for understanding how to optimize the contact resistance in these systems., We acknowledge support from SAMSUNG within the Global Innovation Program. The research leading to these results has received funding from Ministerio of Economía y Competitividad of Spain under the Project Nos. TEC2012-31330 and MAT2012-33911, and from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No. 604391 Graphene Flagship.

Under severe service conditions of electronic instruments (at elevated temperatures and vibrations in electronic systems), failures in their operation frequently occur. Severe intrinsic thermal conditions of operating instruments may cause such failures. However, malfunctions in electronic devices may often be due to defects in soldered joints that were made at lowered temperatures. An approach is proposed that makes it possible to considerably improve the reliability of soldered joints. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Silicon membranes are widely used for sensor applications because of their mechanical and electrical properties. Because of the high heat conductance of silicon, they are often required for thermal insulation of sensor devices like gas-sensing elements and electronic circuits. In the present paper a method to improve the thermal insulation of single-crystal silicon membranes is presented. SIMOX technology is employed for the fabrication of silicon membranes with a thickness of 5 μm, where the buried oxide layer is used as a stop for backside etching. This technique allows batch processing and is compatible to a standard CMOS process, so that electronic devices can be placed directly on the membrane. Improvement of the lateral thermal insulation is achieved by etching trenches into the outer region of the silicon membrane and filling them with a thermally grown oxide. For a typical 600 μm×600 μm silicon membrane, the measured thermal resistance amounts to about 200 K/W. By the use of 18 trenches the thermal resistance can be increased to 1700 K/W (960 nm oxide). For comparison, a pure oxide membrane shows a thermal resistance of about 3500 K/W. These experimental data are in good agreement with simulations done by the ANSYS finite-element program.

We present a fast radio frequency-capacitance-voltage (RF-CV) method to measure the CV relation of an electronic device. The approach is more accurate, much faster, and more cost effective compared to the existing off-the-shelf solutions. Capacitances are determined using a single-frequency 1-port S-parameter setup constructed from discrete components. We introduce a new way to correct for nonlinearities of the used components, which greatly increases the accuracy with which the phase and magnitude of the reflected signal is measured. The measurement technique is validated on an RF microelectromechanical systems capacitive switch and a barium-strontium-titanate tunable capacitor. Complete CV curves are measured in less than a millisecond, with a measurement accuracy well below 1%.

Ion electron emission microscopy (IEEM) can provide an alternative approach to microbeams for micrometric characterization of the sensitivity map to single event effects (SEE) of an electronic device. In IEEM technique, a broad (not focused) ion beam is sent onto the device under test (DUT). Secondary electrons emitted by the target surface during each ion impact are collected and focused by a system of electrostatic lenses and finally imaged by a high-rate and high-resolution position detector. We will report on the IEEM working at the SIRAD irradiation facility located at the 15 MV Tandem of INFN Legnaro National Laboratories. To estimate the IEEM resolution, a SDRAM is a good candidate to be used as a reference target, thanks to the micrometric feature size of the array of memory cells and the precise knowledge of their physical locations. Since an electronic device is not a good secondary electrons emitter, to ensure a copious and uniform emission of secondary electrons from the DUT, a very thin (100 nm) self-standing silicon nitride (Si3N4) membrane with a Au deposition (40 nm) is mounted on the top of the SDRAM. The Au/Si3N4 membrane and the underlying SDRAM are irradiated with a heavy ion beam. The physical map of ion impacts detected by the SDRAM is then compared with the one reconstructed by the IEEM in the same 500 ms time interval.

Scanning-probe microscopes (SPM), i.e. the scanning-tunneling and force microscopes, can be used to locally oxidize hydrogen-terminated silicon and hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Because of its reliability and potential for pattern transfer, this lithography process has found great attention and has become a prototype process for SPM nanolithography. The local oxidization can be performed in ambient or ultra-high vacuum (UHV), and it is initiated by strong electric fields, electron impact, or by short-wavelength light. In this article, the progress of this subfield of nanolithography is reviewed. Emphasis will be on the process conducted in humid environments were a fairly solid understanding is emerging. For completeness, important experiments performed in UHV will be discussed briefly. Finally, recent applications of this process technique to the fabrication of electronic devices will be presented.

Many observations in scanning electron microscopy need a very stable beam current. With a field emission gun, the beam current cannot be stabilized by modifying the electrodes bias without defocusing, as it can be done with thermoionic guns. An electronic device has been adapted which permits to remove almost all influence of beam fluctuations on the video signal.