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2D semiconducting materials have immense potential for future electronics due to their atomically thin nature, which enables better scalability. While the channel scalability of 2D materials has been extensively studied, the current understanding of contact scaling in 2D devices is inconsistent and oversimplified. Here physically scaled contacts and asymmetrical contact measurements (ACMs) are combined to investigate the contact scaling behavior in 2D field-effect transistors. The ACMs directly compare electron injection at different contact lengths while using the exact same MoS2 channel, eliminating channel-to-channel variations. The results show that scaled source contacts can limit the drain current, whereas scaled drain contacts do not. Compared to devices with long contact lengths, devices with short contact lengths (scaled contacts) exhibit larger variations, 15% lower drain currents at high drain-source voltages, and a higher chance of early saturation and negative differential resistance. Quantum transport simulations reveal that the transfer length of Ni-MoS2 contacts can be as short as 5 nm. Furthermore, it is clearly identified that the actual transfer length depends on the quality of the metal-2D interface. The ACMs demonstrated here will enable further understanding of contact scaling behavior at various interfaces. ISSN:0935-9648 ISSN:1521-4095

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials are subject to mechanical deformation and thus forming bubbles and wrinkles during exfoliation and transfer. A lack of interfacial "flatness" has implications for interface properties, such as those formed by metal contacts or insulating layers. Therefore, an understanding of the detailed properties of 2D interfaces, especially their flatness under different conditions, is of high importance. Here we use cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to investigate various 2D interfaces (2D-2D and 3D-2D) under the effects of stacking, atomic layer deposition (ALD), and metallization. We characterize and compare the flatness of the hBN-2D and metal-2D interfaces down to angstrom resolution. It is observed that the dry transfer of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) can dramatically alter the interface structure. When characterizing 3D metal-2D interfaces, we find that Ni-MoS

Electric field control of the exchange bias effect across ferromagnet/antiferromagnet (FM/AF) interfaces has offered exciting potentials for low-energy-dissipation spintronics. In particular, the solid state magneto-ionic means is highly appealing as it may allow reconfigurable electronics by transforming the all-important FM/AF interfaces through ionic migration. In this work, we demonstrate an approach that combines the chemically induced magneto-ionic effect with the electric field driving of nitrogen in the Ta/Co$_{0.7}$Fe$_{0.3}$/MnN/Ta structure to electrically manipulate exchange bias. Upon field-cooling the heterostructure, ionic diffusion of nitrogen from MnN into the Ta layers occurs. A significant exchange bias of 618 Oe at 300 K and 1484 Oe at 10 K is observed, which can be further enhanced after a voltage conditioning by 5% and 19%, respectively. This enhancement can be reversed by voltage conditioning with an opposite polarity. Nitrogen migration within the MnN layer and into the Ta capping layer cause the enhancement in exchange bias, which is observed in polarized neutron reflectometry studies. These results demonstrate an effective nitrogen-ion based magneto-ionic manipulation of exchange bias in solid-state devices., 28 pages, 4 figures; supporting information: 17 pages, 11 figures

Wide bandgap semiconductors such as gallium oxide (Ga2O3) have attracted much attention for their use in next-generation high-power electronics. Although single-crystal Ga2O3 substrates can be routinely grown from melt along...

Quantum anomalous Hall phases arising from the inverted band topology in magnetically-doped topological insulators have emerged as an important subject of research for quantization at zero magnetic fields. Though necessary for practical implementation, sophisticated electrical control of molecular beam epitaxy grown quantum anomalous Hall matter have been stymied by growth and fabrication challenges. Here we demonstrate a novel procedure, employing a combination of thin film deposition and two-dimensional material stacking techniques, to create dualgated devices of the molecular beam epitaxy grown quantum anomalous Hall insulator, Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)

Terahertz (THz) technologies have been of interest for many years due to the variety of applications including gas sensing, nonionizing imaging of biological systems, security and defense, and so forth. To date, scientists have used different classes of materials to perform different THz functions. However, to assemble an on-chip THz integrated system, we must understand how to integrate these different materials. Here, we explore the growth of Bi

Steels with sub-micrometre grain sizes usually possess high toughness and strength, which makes them promising for lightweighting technologies and energy-saving strategies. So far, the industrial fabrication of ultrafine-grained (UFG) alloys, which generally relies on the manipulation of diffusional phase transformation, has been limited to steels with austenite-to-ferrite transformation1–3. Moreover, the limited work hardening and uniform elongation of these UFG steels1,4,5 hinder their widespread application. Here we report the facile mass production of UFG structures in a typical Fe–22Mn–0.6C twinning-induced plasticity steel by minor Cu alloying and manipulation of the recrystallization process through the intragranular nanoprecipitation (within 30 seconds) of a coherent disordered Cu-rich phase. The rapid and copious nanoprecipitation not only prevents the growth of the freshly recrystallized sub-micrometre grains but also enhances the thermal stability of the obtained UFG structure through the Zener pinning mechanism6. Moreover, owing to their full coherency and disordered nature, the precipitates exhibit weak interactions with dislocations under loading. This approach enables the preparation of a fully recrystallized UFG structure with a grain size of 800 ± 400 nanometres without the introduction of detrimental lattice defects such as brittle particles and segregated boundaries. Compared with the steel to which no Cu was added, the yield strength of the UFG structure was doubled to around 710 megapascals, with a uniform ductility of 45 per cent and a tensile strength of around 2,000 megapascals. This grain-refinement concept should be extendable to other alloy systems, and the manufacturing processes can be readily applied to existing industrial production lines. Bulk ultrafine-grained steel is prepared by an approach that involves the rapid production of coherent, disordered nanoprecipitates, which restrict grain growth but do not interfere with twinning or dislocation motion, resulting in high strength and ductility.

Nanostructured all-inorganic metal halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention due to their outstanding photonic and optoelectronic properties. Particularly, they can exhibit room-temperature exciton-polaritons (EPs) capable of confining electromagnetic fields down to the subwavelength scale, enabling efficient light harvesting and guiding. However, a real-space nanoimaging study of the EPs in perovskite crystals is still absent. Additionally, few studies focused on the ambient-pressure and reliable fabrication of large-area CsPbBr3 microsheets. Here, CsPbBr3 orthorhombic microsheet single crystals were successfully synthesized under ambient pressure. Their EPs were examined using a real-space nanoimaging technique, which reveal EP waveguide modes spanning the visible to near-infrared spectral region. The EPs exhibit a sufficient long propagation length of over 16 μm and a very low propagation loss of less than 0.072 dB·μm-1. These results demonstrate the potential applications of CsPbBr3 microsheets as subwavelength waveguides in integrated optics.

Active learning—the field of machine learning (ML) dedicated to optimal experiment design—has played a part in science as far back as the 18th century when Laplace used it to guide his discovery of celestial mechanics. In this work, we focus a closed-loop, active learning-driven autonomous system on another major challenge, the discovery of advanced materials against the exceedingly complex synthesis-processes-structure-property landscape. We demonstrate an autonomous materials discovery methodology for functional inorganic compounds which allow scientists to fail smarter, learn faster, and spend less resources in their studies, while simultaneously improving trust in scientific results and machine learning tools. This robot science enables science-over-the-network, reducing the economic impact of scientists being physically separated from their labs. The real-time closed-loop, autonomous system for materials exploration and optimization (CAMEO) is implemented at the synchrotron beamline to accelerate the interconnected tasks of phase mapping and property optimization, with each cycle taking seconds to minutes. We also demonstrate an embodiment of human-machine interaction, where human-in-the-loop is called to play a contributing role within each cycle. This work has resulted in the discovery of a novel epitaxial nanocomposite phase-change memory material., Machine learning driven research holds big promise towards accelerating materials’ discovery. Here the authors demonstrate CAMEO, which integrates active learning Bayesian optimization with practical experiments execution, for the discovery of new phase- change materials using X-ray diffraction experiments.

We report the polarization-dependent Raman spectra of exfoliated MoI3, a van der Waals material with a “true one-dimensional” crystal structure that can be exfoliated to individual atomic chains. The temperature evolution of several Raman features reveals an anomalous behavior suggesting a phase transition of magnetic origin. Theoretical considerations indicate that MoI3 is an easy-plane antiferromagnet with alternating spins along the dimerized chains and with inter-chain helical spin ordering. The calculated frequencies of phonons and magnons are consistent with the interpretation of the experimental Raman data. The obtained results shed light on the specifics of the phononic and magnonic states in MoI3 and provide a strong motivation for further study of this unique material with potential for future spintronic applications.

Thermal annealing of Ti contacts is commonly implemented in the fabrication of MoS2 devices; however, its effects on interface chemistry have not been previously reported in the literature. In this...

Nanostructured all-inorganic metal halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention due to their outstanding photonic and optoelectronic properties. Particularly, they can exhibit room-temperature exciton-polaritons (EPs) capable of confining electromagnetic fields down to the subwavelength scale, enabling efficient light harvesting and guiding. However, a real-space nanoimaging study of the EPs in perovskite crystals is still absent. Additionally, few studies focused on the ambient-pressure and reliable fabrication of large-area CsPbBr

In transport, the topological Hall effect (THE) presents itself as nonmonotonic features (or humps and dips) in the Hall signal and is widely interpreted as a sign of chiral spin textures, like magnetic skyrmions. However, when the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is also present, the coexistence of two AHEs could give rise to similar artifacts, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine THE with AHE and two-component AHE. Here, we confirm genuine THE with AHE by means of transport and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) microscopy, in which magnetic skyrmions are directly observed, and find that genuine THE occurs in the transition region of the AHE. In sharp contrast, the artifact "THE" or two-component AHE occurs well beyond the saturation of the "AHE component" (under the false assumption of THE + AHE). Furthermore, we distinguish artifact "THE" from genuine THE by three methods: (1) minor loops, (2) temperature dependence, and (3) gate dependence. Minor loops of genuine THE with AHE are always within the full loop, while minor loops of the artifact "THE" may reveal a single loop that cannot fit into the "AHE component". In addition, the temperature or gate dependence of the artifact "THE" may also be accompanied by a polarity change of the "AHE component", as the nonmonotonic features vanish, while the temperature dependence of genuine THE with AHE reveals no such change. Our work may help future researchers to exercise caution and use these methods for careful examination in order to ascertain the genuine THE.

Photodetectors converting light signals into detectable photocurrents are ubiquitously in use today. To improve the compactness and performance of next-generation devices and systems, low dimensional materials provide rich physics to engineering the light–matter interaction. Photodetectors based on two-dimensional (2D) material van der Waals heterostructures have shown high responsivity and compact integration capability, mainly in the visible range due to their intrinsic bandgap. The spectral region of near-infrared (NIR) is technologically important, featuring many data communication and sensing applications. While some initial NIR 2D material-based detectors have emerged, demonstrations of doping-junction-based 2D material photodetectors with the capability to harness the charge-separation photovoltaic effect are yet outstanding. Here, we demonstrate a 2D p-n van der Waals heterojunction photodetector constructed by vertically stacking p-type and n-type indium selenide (InSe) flakes. This heterojunction charge-separation-based photodetector shows a threefold enhancement in responsivity in the NIR spectral region (980 nm) as compared to photoconductor detectors based on p- or n-only doped InSe. We show that this junction device exhibits self-powered photodetection operation, exhibits few pA-low dark currents, and is about 3–4 orders of magnitude more efficient than the state-of-the-art foundry-based devices. Such capability opens doors for low noise and low photon flux photodetectors that do not rely on external gain. We further demonstrate millisecond response rates in this sensitive zero-bias voltage regime. Such sensitive photodetection capability in the technologically relevant NIR wavelength region at low form factors holds promise for several applications including wearable biosensors, three-dimensional (3D) sensing, and remote gas sensing.

Transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted attention as potential building blocks for various electronic applications due to their atomically thin nature and polymorphism. Here, we report an electric-field-induced structural transition from a 2H semiconducting to a distorted transient structure (2Hd) and orthorhombic Td conducting phase in vertical 2H-MoTe2- and Mo1−xWxTe2-based resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices. RRAM programming voltages are tunable by the transition metal dichalcogenide thickness and show a distinctive trend of requiring lower electric fields for Mo1−xWxTe2 alloys versus MoTe2 compounds. Devices showed reproducible resistive switching within 10 ns between a high resistive state and a low resistive state. Moreover, using an Al2O3/MoTe2 stack, On/off current ratios of 106 with programming currents lower than 1 μA were achieved in a selectorless RRAM architecture. The sum of these findings demonstrates that controlled electrical state switching in two-dimensional materials is achievable and highlights the potential of transition metal dichalcogenides for memory applications. A vertical electric field is shown to induce reversible transitions between a semiconducting 2H phase, a distorted transient structure and a conducting Td phase in MoTe2 and Mo1–xWxTe2 multilayers, and used to realize vertical resistive random access memories.

Highly active and durable electrocatalysts are vital for commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells. In this work, a three-dimensional nanocomposite consisting of platinum nanoparticles, W18O49 nanocables, and reduced graphene oxide composite (Pt/W18O49 NCs–rGO) has been prepared as an electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The catalyst is prepared through a two-step method. The W18O49 nanocables and the reduced graphene oxide composite are prepared by a solvothermal process. Then, Pt nanoparticles are loaded on the W18O49 nanocables and the reduced graphene oxide composite by a hydrogen reduction at ambient condition. The obtained catalyst has a special three-dimensional architecture consisting of two-dimensional nanosheets, assembled one-dimensional nanocables, and the loaded nanoparticles on their surface. The Pt/W18O49 NCs–rGO catalyst shows 1.56 time mass activities than the Pt/C, with the current density of the forward anodic peak reaching 1624 mA/mgPt at 0.854 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode potential in 0.1 M HClO4 and 0.5 M CH3OH mixed electrolyte. It also shows a strong antipoisoning property toward CO. For the durability testing, the current density of Pt/W18O49 NCs–rGO shows a 37% decay, whereas the current of Pt/C catalyst shows a 41% degradation from 600 to 3600 s at 0.7 V. The high activity toward MOR, good antipoisoning for intermediate products, and excellent stability are ascribed to strong metal–support interaction effects between the Pt nanoparticles and the W18O49 NCs.

A dielectric bulk glass-ceramic of the La 2 O 3 –TiO 2 –SiO 2 –B 2 O 3 system is developed which is able to fulfill the requirements for dielectric loading-based mobile communication technologies. It is shown that the given dielectric requirements can be fulfilled by glass-ceramic materials without being dependent on ceramic processing techniques. The material exhibited permittivity values of 20 ɛ r Qf τ f τ f material with a Qf value of 9500 GHz and ɛ r = 21.4 could be achieved at a ceramming temperature T cer = 870 °C. The material is aimed to provide an alternative to existing, commercially used sintered ceramic materials. Further focus is laid on the investigation of the dominant dielectric loss mechanisms in the GHz frequency range and how they are correlated with the microstructure.

Electric-field (E-field) control of magnetism enabled by multiferroic materials has the potential to revolutionize the landscape of present memory devices plagued with high energy dissipation. To date, this E-field controlled multiferroic scheme has only been demonstrated at room temperature using BiFeO3 films grown on DyScO3, a unique and expensive substrate, which gives rise to a particular ferroelectric domain pattern in BiFeO3. Here, we demonstrate reversible electric-field-induced switching of the magnetic state of the Co layer in Co/BiFeO3 (BFO) (001) thin film heterostructures fabricated on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. The angular dependence of the coercivity and the remanent magnetization of the Co layer indicates that its easy axis reversibly switches back and forth 45° between the (100) and the (110) crystallographic directions of STO as a result of alternating application of positive and negative voltage pulses between the patterned top Co electrode layer and the (001) SrRuO3 (SRO) layer on which the ferroelectric BFO is epitaxially grown. The coercivity (HC) of the Co layer exhibits a hysteretic behavior between two states as a function of voltage. A mechanism based on the intrinsic magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic BFO involving projection of antiferromagnetic G-type domains is used to explain the observation. We have also measured the exact canting angle of the G-type domain in strained BFO films for the first time using neutron diffraction. These results suggest a pathway to integrating BFO-based devices on Si wafers for implementing low power consumption and nonvolatile magnetoelectronic devices.

Thermal annealing of Ti contacts is commonly implemented in the fabrication of MoS(2) devices; however, its effects on interface chemistry have not been previously reported in the literature. In this work, the thermal stability of titanium contacts deposited on geological bulk single crystals of MoS(2) in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). In the as-deposited condition, the reaction of Ti with MoS(2) is observed resulting in a diffuse interface between the two materials that comprises metallic molybdenum and titanium sulfide compounds. Annealing Ti/MoS(2) sequentially at 100, 300, and 600 °C for 30 min in UHV results in a gradual increase in the reaction products as measured by XPS. Accordingly, STEM reveals the formation of a new ordered phase and a Mo-rich layer at the interface following heating. Due to the high degree of reactivity, the Ti/MoS(2) interface is not thermally stable even at a transistor operating temperature of 100 °C, while post-deposition annealing further enhances the interfacial reactions. These findings have important consequences for electrical transport properties, highlighting the importance of interface chemistry in the metal contact design and fabrication.

Demonstration of metamaterials with ultrahigh thermal resistance by phonon-level engineering of heterogeneous 2D monolayers., Heterogeneous integration of nanomaterials has enabled advanced electronics and photonics applications. However, similar progress has been challenging for thermal applications, in part due to shorter wavelengths of heat carriers (phonons) compared to electrons and photons. Here, we demonstrate unusually high thermal isolation across ultrathin heterostructures, achieved by layering atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials. We realize artificial stacks of monolayer graphene, MoS2, and WSe2 with thermal resistance greater than 100 times thicker SiO2 and effective thermal conductivity lower than air at room temperature. Using Raman thermometry, we simultaneously identify the thermal resistance between any 2D monolayers in the stack. Ultrahigh thermal isolation is achieved through the mismatch in mass density and phonon density of states between the 2D layers. These thermal metamaterials are an example in the emerging field of phononics and could find applications where ultrathin thermal insulation is desired, in thermal energy harvesting, or for routing heat in ultracompact geometries.

The coexistence of metallic and semiconducting polymorphs in transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) can be utilized to solve the large contact resistance issue in TMDC-based field effect transistors (FETs). A semiconducting hexagonal (2H) molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe

Precise control of electronic and/or ionic conductivity in electroceramics is crucial to achieve the desired functional properties as well as to improve manufacturing practices. We recently reported the conventional piezoelectric material Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 (NBT) can be tuned into a novel oxide-ion conductor with an oxide-ion transport number (tion) > 0.9 by creating bismuth and oxygen vacancies. A small Bi-excess in the nominal starting composition (Na0.50Bi0.50+xTiO3+3x/2, x = 0.01) or Nb-donor doping (Na0.50Bi0.50Ti1−yNbyO3+y/2, 0.005 ≤ y ≤ 0.030) can reduce significantly the electrical conductivity to create dielectric behaviour by filling oxygen vacancies and suppressing oxide ion conduction (tion ≤ 0.10). Here we show a further increase in the starting Bi-excess content (0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) reintroduces significant levels of oxide-ion conductivity and increases tion ∼ 0.4–0.6 to create mixed ionic/electronic behaviour. The switch from insulating to mixed conducting behaviour for x > 0.01 is linked to the presence of Bi-rich secondary phases and we discuss possible explanations for this effect. Mixed conducting behaviour with tion ∼ 0.5–0.6 can also be achieved with lower levels of Nb-doping (y ∼ 0.003) due to incomplete filling of oxygen vacancies without the presence of secondary phases. NBT can now be compositionally tailored to exhibit three types of electrical behaviour; Type I (oxide-ion conductor); Type II (mixed ionic-electronic conductor); Type III (insulator) and these results reveal an approach to fine-tune tion in NBT from near unity to zero. In addition to developing new oxide-ion and now mixed ionic/electronic NBT-based conductors, this flexibility in control of oxygen vacancies allows fine-tuning of both the dielectric/piezoelectric properties and design manufacturing practices for NBT-based multilayer piezoelectric devices.

We report multi-level MoTe 2 based resistive random-access memory (RRAM) devices with switching speeds of less than 5 ns due to an electric-field induced 2H to 2H d phase transition. Different from conventional RRAM devices based on ionic migration, the MoTe 2 -based RRAMs offer intrinsically better reliability and control. In comparison to phase change memory (PCM)-based devices that operate based on a change between an amorphous and a crystalline structure, our MoTe 2 -based RRAM devices allow faster switching due to a transition between two crystalline states. Moreover, utilization of atomically thin 2D materials allows for aggressive scaling and high-performance flexible electronics applications. Multi-level stable states and synaptic devices were realized in this work, and operation of the devices in their low-resistive, high-resistive and intrinsic states was quantitatively described by a novel model.

Domain wall movement at and near engineered 10°, 15°, and 24° tilt and 10° and 30° twist grain boundaries was measured by band excitation piezoresponse force microscopy for Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films with Zr/Ti ratio of 45/55 and 52/48. A minimum in nonlinear response was observed at the grain boundary for the highest angle twist and tilt grain boundaries, while a maximum in nonlinear response was observed at the 10° tilt grain boundaries. The observed nonlinear response was correlated with the domain configurations imaged in cross section by transmission electron microscopy.

Recently, there has been considerable interest in the perovskite phase Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) as a promising lead-free piezoelectric material. Here we report low levels of Na nonstoichiometry (±2 atom % on the A-site) in the nominal starting composition of NBT ceramics can lead to dramatic changes in the magnitude of the bulk (grain) conductivity (σb) and the conduction mechanism(s). Nominal starting compositions with Na excess exhibit high levels of oxide-ion conduction with σb ∼ 2.2 mS cm–1 at 600 °C and an activation energy (Ea) < 1 eV whereas those with Na deficiency are dielectrics based on intrinsic electronic conduction across the band gap with σb ∼ 1.6 μS cm–1 at 600 °C and Ea ∼ 1.7 eV. Drying of reagents, especially Na2CO3, changes the starting stoichiometry slightly due to a small amount of adsorbed moisture in the raw materials but influences significantly the electrical properties. This demonstrates the bulk electrical properties of NBT to be highly sensitive to low levels of A-site nonstoichiom...

Transition metal dichalcogenides have attracted attention as potential building blocks for various electronic applications due to their atomically thin nature and polymorphism. Here, we report an electric-field-induced structural transition from a 2H semiconducting to a distorted transient structure (2H

Electric-field (E-field) control of magnetism enabled by multiferroic materials has the potential to revolutionize the landscape of present memory devices plagued with high energy dissipation. To date, this E-field controlled multiferroic scheme has only been demonstrated at room temperature using BiFeO

Based on careful design of composition, a two-glassy-phase Cu47.2Zr46.5Al5.5Nb0.8 bulk metallic glass with a large plasticity (∼16%) was successfully prepared. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy confirm that the bright matrix phase is rich in Zr/Nb while the dark particle phase is rich in Cu/Al. Theoretical calculations suggest that a small difference in shear modulus between phases may be necessary before pronounced plastic deformation can occur.

Magnesium oxide (MgO) has been of interest for several decades as a promising tunable broadband laser due to its vacancy defects (color centers). In this work we introduced color centers into MgO nanocube by electron irradiation in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Square nano-holes were formed from the electron-exit face using 100 and 300 keV electrons, and a broad O-vacancy (color-center) absorption peak around 4.1–6.6 eV was observed by valence-electron energy-loss spectroscopy (VEELS). We investigated the mechanism of MgO damage by high-energy electron beams. The hole formation is believed to involve a mixed removal of diatomic MgO molecules as well as Mg and O species in stoichiometric proportion. Observations using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and VEELS suggest that bulk O-vacancies are generated near the electron-exit face, due to the forward momentum transferred from fast-electron collisions and the Coulomb attraction of negative O-ions by the positively charged MgO surface.

Oxide ion conductors find important technical applications in electrochemical devices such as solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), oxygen separation membranes and sensors1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) is a well-known lead-free piezoelectric material; however, it is often reported to possess high leakage conductivity that is problematic for its piezo- and ferroelectric applications10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Here we report this high leakage to be oxide ion conduction due to Bi-deficiency and oxygen vacancies induced during materials processing. Mg-doping on the Ti-site increases the ionic conductivity to ~0.01 S cm−1 at 600 °C, improves the electrolyte stability in reducing atmospheres and lowers the sintering temperature. This study not only demonstrates how to adjust the nominal NBT composition for dielectric-based applications, but also, more importantly, gives NBT-based materials an unexpected role as a completely new family of oxide ion conductors with potential applications in intermediate-temperature SOFCs and opens up a new direction to design oxide ion conductors in perovskite oxides.

Epitaxial tetragonal 425 and 611 nm thick Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3 (PZT) films are deposited by pulsed laser deposition on SrRuO3-coated (100) SrTiO3 24° tilt angle bicrystal substrates to create a single PZT grain boundary with a well-defined orientation. On either side of the bicrystal boundary, the films show square hysteresis loops and have dielectric permittivities of 456 and 576, with loss tangents of 0.010 and 0.015, respectively. Using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), a decrease in the nonlinear piezoelectric response is observed in the vicinity (720–820 nm) of the grain boundary. This region represents the width over which the extrinsic contributions to the piezoelectric response (e.g., those associated with the domain density/configuration and/or the domain wall mobility) are influenced by the presence of the grain boundary. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images collected near and far from the grain boundary indicate a strong preference for (101)/(01) type domain walls at the grain boundary, whereas (011)/(01) and (101)/(01) are observed away from this region. It is proposed that the elastic strain field at the grain boundary interacts with the ferro-electric/elastic domain structure, stabilizing (101)/(01) rather than (011)/(01) type domain walls, which inhibits domain wall motion under applied field and decreases non-linearity.

Scattering contrast measurements were performed on thin films of amorphous carbon and polycrystalline Au, as well as single-crystal MgO nanocubes. Based on the exponential absorption law, mass-thickness can be obtained within 10% accuracy by measuring the incident and transmitted intensities in the same image. For mass-thickness measurement of a thin amorphous specimen, a small collection semiangle improves the measurement sensitivity, whereas for the measurement of polycrystalline or single-crystal specimens, a large collection semiangle should be used to reduce diffraction-contrast effects. EELS thickness measurements on MgO nanocubes suggest that the Kramers–Kronig sum-rule method (with correction for plural and surface scattering) gives 10% accuracy at medium collection semiangles but overestimates the thickness at small collection semiangles, due to underestimation of the surface-mode scattering. The log-ratio method, with a formula for inelastic mean free path proposed by Malis et al. (1988), provides 10% accuracy at small collection semiangle, while that proposed by Iakoubovskii et al. (2008a) is preferable for medium and large collection semiangles. As a result of this work, we provide recommendations of preferred methods and conditions for local-thickness measurement in the TEM., Applications of EELS in Materials and Physics Research, 20–24 September 2011, Brazil

The microstructural properties of melt-spun ribbon of the ferromagnetic shape-memory Heusler alloy Ni2FeGa have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Two kinds of micromodulated structures, Fe-rich and Ga-rich, have been established. The Fe-rich micromodulated structure is formed by Fe atoms partially replacing Ga atoms on {3 5 0} planes in the L2(1) structure. The Ga-rich micromodulated structure concerns Ga atoms partially replacing Fe atoms on {3 + n, 5 + n, 0}(n >= 0) planes. The Fe-rich and Ga-rich micromodulated structures originate from spinodal decomposition of the Fe and Ga compositions, which is closely related to the difference of atomic sizes of Ni, Fe and Ga. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved.

Microstructure and mechanical property of CO2 laser beam welded IN 718 superalloy were studied by electron microscopy and hardness testing. The use of a welding filler wire produced a sound fusion zone with no cracking but grain boundary microfissuring occurred in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and was observed to be significantly influenced by pre-weld heat treatment and laser welding speed. Crack-free weld was produced by a pre-weld heat treatment that minimised non-equilibirum grain boundary boron segregation and inhibited grain growth. While post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) reduced the difference between the hardness values of the base alloy, HAZ and the fusion zone, it resulted in increased HAZ cracking, which was likely aided by pre-existing cracks. The PWHT cracking was, however, avoided by subjecting pre-weld material to the heat treatment condition that produces crack-free weld during welding process.

Among all-solid-state batteries, rechargeable Al-ion batteries have attracted most attention because they involve three-electron-redox reactions with high theoretic specific capacity. However, the solid Al-ion conductor electrolytes are less studied. Here, the microscopic path of Al3+-ion conduction of NASICON-type (Al0.2Zr0.8)20/19Nb(PO4)3 oxide is identified by temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy experiments. (Al0.2Zr0.8)20/19Nb(PO4)3 shows a rhombohedral structure consisting of a framework of (Zr,Nb)O6 octahedra sharing corners with (PO4) tetrahedra; the Al occupy trigonal antiprisms exhibiting extremely large displacement factors. This suggests a strong displacement of Al ions along the c axis of the unit cell as they diffuse across the structure by a vacancy mechanism. Negative thermal expansion behavior is also identified along a and b axes, due to folding of the framework as temperature increases.

In pursuit of superconductivity in p-type silicon (Si), we are using a single atomic layer of aluminum (Al) sandwiched between a Si substrate and a thin Si epi-layer. The delta layer was fabricated starting from an ultra high vacuum (UHV) flash anneal of Si(100) surface, followed by physical vapor deposition of Al monolayer. To activate the Al dopants, the sample was then annealed in-situ at 550 °C for 1 min. The Si capping layer was electron-beam evaporated in-situ at room temperature, followed by an ex-situ anneal at 550 °C for 10 min to recrystallize the Si capping layer. Low temperature magnetotransport measurements yield a maximum hole mobility of 20 cm2/V/s at a carrier density 1.39 × 1014 holes/cm2, which corresponds to ≈ (0.93 ± 0.1) holes per dopant atom. No superconductivity was observed in these devices even at T < 300 mK. Atom probe tomography and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses suggest that the Al dopants become distributed over ≈ (17 to 25) nm thickness. Redistribution of Al dopants reduces Al atomic concentration in Si matrix below the critical density to observe superconductivity.