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© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH The dependence of charge carrier mobility on semiconductor channel thickness in field-effect transistors is a universal phenomenon that has been studied extensively for various families of materials. Surprisingly, analogous studies involving metal oxide semiconductors are relatively scarce. Here, spray-deposited In_{2}O_{3} layers are employed as the model semiconductor system to study the impact of layer thickness on quantum confinement and electron transport along the transistor channel. The results reveal an exponential increase of the in-plane electron mobility (µe) with increasing In2O3 thickness up to ≈10 nm, beyond which it plateaus at a maximum value of ≈35 cm^{2} V^{−1} s^{−1}. Optical spectroscopy measurements performed on In_{2}O_{3} layers reveal the emergence of quantum confinement for thickness

We investigate the role of lithographically-induced strain relaxation in a micron-scaled device fabricated from epitaxial thin films of the magnetostrictive alloy Fe81Ga19. The strain relaxation due to lithographic patterning induces a magnetic anisotropy that competes with the magnetocrystalline and shape induced anisotropies to play a crucial role in stabilising a flux-closing domain pattern. We use magnetic imaging, micromagnetic calculations and linear elastic modelling to investigate a region close to the edges of an etched structure. This highly-strained edge region has a significant influence on the magnetic domain configuration due to an induced magnetic anisotropy resulting from the inverse magnetostriction effect. We investigate the competition between the strain-induced and shape-induced anisotropy energies, and the resultant stable domain configurations, as the width of the bar is reduced to the nanoscale range. Understanding this behaviour will be important when designing hybrid magneto-electric spintronic devices based on highly magnetostrictive materials.

TAE Technologies' research is devoted to producing high temperature, stable, long-lived field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas by neutral-beam injection (NBI) and edge biasing/control. The newly constructed C-2W experimental device (also called "Norman") is the world's largest compact-toroid (CT) device, which has several key upgrades from the preceding C-2U device such as higher input power and longer pulse duration of the NBI system as well as installation of inner divertors with upgraded electrode biasing systems. Initial C-2W experiments have successfully demonstrated a robust FRC formation and its translation into the confinement vessel through the newly installed inner divertor with adequate guide magnetic field. They also produced dramatically improved initial FRC states with higher plasma temperatures (Te ~250+ eV; total electron and ion temperature g1.5 keV, based on pressure balance) and more trapped flux (up to ~15 mWb, based on rigid-rotor model) inside the FRC immediately after the merger of collided two CTs in the confinement section. As for effective edge control on FRC stabilization, a number of edge biasing schemes have been tried via open field-lines, in which concentric electrodes located in both inner and outer divertors as well as end-on plasma guns are electrically biased independently. As a result of effective outer-divertor electrode biasing alone, FRC plasma diamagnetism duration has reached up to ~9 ms which is equivalent to C-2U plasma duration. Magnetic field flaring/expansion in both inner and outer divertors plays an important role in creating a thermal insulation on open field-lines to reduce a loss rate of electrons, which leads to improvement of the edge and core FRC confinement properties. Experimental campaign with inner-divertor magnetic-field flaring has just commenced and early result indicates that electron temperature of the merged FRC stays relatively high and increases for a short period of time, presumably by NBI and ExB heating.

We have studied oxygen-plasma assisted molecular-beam epitaxy growth of ZnMgO nanostructures catalysed by gold. The growth was carried out at temperatures ranging from 350 to 900 °C. Au droplets were prepared by annealing a thermally evaporated Au thin film, or by deposition of Au colloidal particles, or by electron-beam lithography with a subsequent Au lift-off deposition process. The resulting nanowires grow at temperatures in the range 700–850 °C with diameter 40–100 nm and with length up to 4 μm. In order to increase nanowire density and reduce tapering, two-step growth with a ZnO low-temperature buffer-layer was successfully implemented. To study Mg incorporation into ZnO nanowires, Zn1–xMgxO nanowires were grown with normalized Mg flux up to 11%. High resolution microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction reveal that Mg-doped nanowires grow in single phase with Mg content up to 7.5%. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Local energy levels produced by dislocations at the interface between bonded n- and p-Si wafers are studied by deep level transient spectroscopy and by a new technique for the detection of impurity luminescence, induced by the occupation of electron states upon the application of electric pulses (the pulsed trap-refilling-enhanced luminescence technique). It is established that only the shallow levels of the dislocation network, with activation energies of about 0.1 eV, are responsible for the D1 dislocation-related luminescence band in both n- and p-type samples. The occupation of deep levels has no effect on the D1-band intensity. A model of coupled neutral trapping centers for charge carriers is proposed. In this model, the difference between the energy position of the D1 band (0.8 eV) and the corresponding interlevel energy spacing (0.97 eV) is attributed to the Coulomb interaction between charge carriers trapped at the levels.

The dislocation-related luminescence (DRL) in the vicinity of D1 band (0.8 eV) in hydrophilically bonded n- and p-type silicon wafers is investigated by means of recently developed pulsed trap refilling enhanced luminescence technique (Pulsed-TREL). The shallow and deep dislocation related electronic states in both upper and lower part of the band gap are determined and characterized by means of DLTS. Among those traps we have established ones which directly participate in D1 DRL. We have shown that D1 luminescence goes via shallow dislocation related states (SDRS) located close to the conduction and valence bands with thermal activation energy of about 0.1 eV whereas deep levels do not participate in D1 DRL. The model explaining the fact how the 0.8 eV luminescence may go through levels which interlevel energy is at least 0.97 eV in terms of Coulomb interaction between ionized SDRS is suggested.

A detailed investigation and comparison of low-temperature cathodoluminescent (CL) and electrical properties of DN is presented. The correlations between the CL, electron beam induced current (EBIC), and CV measurements using the DC electric bias as a parameter are established and analyzed in the scope of the calculated theoretical model. A new CL measurement technique that is complimentary to conventional space charge region spectroscopy (SCRS) methods such as DLTS and MCTS is proposed and the first experimental results using this new approach are described. Shallow dislocation-related level Ev+Et=0.1 eV is shown to be responsible for D1 dislocation-related luminescence line. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The quality of the gate dielectric/semiconductor interface in thin-film transistors (TFTs) is known to determine the optimum operating characteristics attainable. As a result in recent years the development of methodologies that aim to improve the channel interface quality has become a priority. Herein, we study the impact of the surface morphology of three solution-processed high-k metal oxide dielectrics, namely AlOx, HfOx, and ZrOx, on the operating characteristics of In2O3 TFTs. Six different dielectric configurations were produced via single or double-step spin-casting of the various precursor formulations. All layers exhibited high areal capacitance in the range of 200 to 575 nF/cm2, hence proving suitable, for application in low-voltage n-channel In2O3 TFTs. Study of the surface topography of the various layers indicates that double spin-cast dielectrics exhibit consistently smoother layer surfaces and yield TFTs with improved operating characteristics manifested, primarily, as an increase in the electron mobility (μ). To this end, μ is found to increase from 1 to 2 cm2/Vs for AlOx, 1.8 to 6.4 cm2/Vs for HfOx, and 2.8 to 18.7 cm2/Vs for ZrOx-based In2O3 TFTs utilizing single and double-layer dielectric, respectively. The proposed method is simple and potentially applicable to other metal oxide dielectrics and semiconductors.

Experiments on the transverse injection of intense (5–20 A/cm2), wide cross-section (10-cm), neutralized, ∼100-eV H+ plasma and 100-keV H+ ion beams into a preformed B-field reversed configuration (FRC) are described. The FRC background plasma temperature was ∼5 eV with densities of ∼1013 cm−3. In contrast to earlier experiments, the background plasma was generated by separate plasma gun arrays. For the startup of the FRC, a betatron-type “slow” coaxial source was used. Injection of the plasma beam into the preformed FRC resulted in a 30–40% increase of the FRC lifetime and the amplitude of the reversed magnetic field. As for the ion beam injection experiment into the preformed FRC, there was evidence of beam capture within the configuration.

This paper describes experiments on the formation and transport, in vacuum and plasma, of a low-energy (70-120 keV), high-intensity (10-30 A/cm/sup 2/), long-pulse (0.5-1/spl mu/s) H/sup +/ ion beam. The beam was generated in a magnetically insulated diode with an applied radial B-field and active hydrogen-puff plasma source at the anode. The combination of a ballistic focusing large area anode (250 cm/sup 2/) with a post-cathode toroidal magnetic lens and straight transport solenoid section provided beam transport to a distance of >1 m with an overall efficiency of /spl ges/ 50%. Two-dimensional single-particle computer simulations of the ion's trajectory in the lens/solenoid system supported optimization of the lens and solenoid parameters.

The paper describes experiments on the generation and transport of a low energy (70–120 keV), high intensity (10–30 A/cm2) microsecond duration H+ ion beam (IB) in vacuum and plasma. The IB was generated in a magnetically insulated diode (MID) with an applied radial B field and an active hydrogen-puff ion source. The annular IB, with an initial density of ji∼10–20 A/cm2 at the anode surface, was ballistically focused to a current density in the focal plane of 50–80 A/cm2. The postcathode collimation and transport of the converging IB were provided by the combination of a “concave” toroidal magnetic lens followed by a straight transport solenoid section. With optimized MID parameters and magnetic fields in the lens/solenoid system, the overall efficiency of IB transport at the exit of the solenoid 1 m from the anode was ∼ 50% with an IB current density of 20 A/cm2. Two-dimensional computer simulations of post-MID IB transport supported the optimization of system parameters.

One of the main limiting factors in the carrier mobility in semiconductor nanowires is the presence of deep trap levels. While deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) has proved to be a powerful tool in analysing traps in bulk semiconductors, this technique is ineffective for the characterisation of nanowires due to their very small capacitance. Here we introduce a new technique for measuring the spectrum of deep traps in nanowires. In current-mode DLTS (I-DLTS) the temperature-dependence of the transient current through a nanowire field-effect transistor in response to an applied gate voltage pulse is measured. We demonstrate the applicability of I-DLTS to determine the activation energy and capture cross-sections of several deep defect states in zinc oxide nanowires. In addition to characterising deep defect states, we show that I-DLTS can be used to measure the surface barrier height in semiconductor nanowires., Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures

The growth mechanism of indium oxide (In2O3) layers processed via spray pyrolysis of an aqueous precursor solution in the temperature range of 100–300 °C and the impact on their electron transporting properties are studied. Analysis of the droplet impingement sites on the substrate's surface as a function of its temperature reveals that Leidenfrost effect dominated boiling plays a crucial role in the growth of smooth, continuous, and highly crystalline In2O3 layers via a vapor phase-like process. By careful optimization of the precursor formulation, deposition conditions, and choice of substrate, this effect is exploited and ultrathin and exceptionally smooth layers of In2O3 are grown over large area substrates at temperatures as low as 252 °C. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated using these optimized In2O3 layers exhibit superior electron transport characteristics with the electron mobility reaching up to 40 cm2 V−1 s−1, a value amongst the highest reported to date for solution-processed In2O3 TFTs. The present work contributes enormously to the basic understanding of spray pyrolysis and highlights its tremendous potential for large-volume manufacturing of high-performance metal oxide thin-film transistor electronics.

We report the observation of phase coherent transport in catalyst-free InAs and InAs1–xSbx nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy on silicon (111) substrates. We investigate three different methods to gain information on the phase coherence length of the nanowires: first through the study of universal conductance fluctuations as a function of both magnetic field and gate voltage and then through localisation effects. The analysis of these different quantum effects gave consistent results and a phase-coherence length in the hundred nanometre range was extracted for all nanowires below 10 K. This demonstrates the potential of catalyst-free nanowires as building blocks for future quantum electronics devices directly integrated with silicon circuits.

We report the growth of InAs$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$ nanowires ($0\leq x \leq 0.15$) grown by catalyst-free molecular beam epitaxy on silicon (111) substrates. We observed a sharp decrease of stacking fault density in the InAs$_{1-x}$Sb$_{x}$ nanowire crystal structure with increasing antimony content. This decrease leads to a significant increase in the field-effect mobility, this being more than three times greater at room temperature for InAs$_{0.85}$Sb$_{0.15}$ nanowires than InAs nanowires.

We report the development of hybrid complementary inverters based on p-channel organic and n-channel metal oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) both processed from solution at 30 V/V) and wide noise margins (70%). The moderate processing temperatures employed and the achieved level of device performance highlight the tremendous potential of the technology for application in the emerging sector of large-area microelectronics.

We report on the self-catalysed growth of vertical InAs(1-x)P(x) nanowires on Si(111) substrates by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed the mixed wurtzite and zincblende structure of the nanowires. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements were used to study the phosphorus content x in the InAs(1-x)P(x) nanowires, which was shown to be in the range 0-10 %. The dependence of phosphorus incorporation in the nanowires on the phosphorus flux in the growth chamber was investigated. The incorporation rate coefficients of As and P in InAs(1x)P(x) nanowires were found to be in the ratio 10 ± 5 to 1.

We investigate different processes for optimizing the formation of Ohmic contacts to InAs nanowires. The nanowires are grown via molecular beam epitaxy without the use of metal catalysts. Metallic contacts are attached to the nanowires by using an electron beam lithography process. Before deposition of the contacts, the InAs nanowires are treated either by wet etching in an ammonium polysulfide (NH(4))(2)S(x) solution or by an argon milling process in order to remove a surface oxide layer. Two-point electrical measurements show that the resistance of the ammonium polysulfide-treated nanowires is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the untreated nanowires. The nanowires that are treated by the argon milling process show a resistance which is more than an order of magnitude lower than that of those treated with ammonium polysulfide. Four-point measurements allow us to extract an upper bound of 1.4 × 10(-7) Ω cm(2) for the contact resistivity of metallic contacts on nanowires treated by the argon milling process.

Voltage controlled modification of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy in a hybrid piezoelectric/ferromagnet device has been studied using Photoemission Electron Microscopy with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism as the contrast mechanism. The experimental results demonstrate that the large magnetostriction of the epitaxial Fe81Ga19 layer enables significant modification of the domain pattern in laterally confined disc structures. In addition, micromagnetic simulations demonstrate that the strain induced modification of the magnetic anisotropy allows for voltage tuneability of the natural resonance of both the confined spin wave modes and the vortex motion. These results demonstrate the possibility for using voltage induced strain in low-power voltage tuneable magnetic microwave oscillators.

We present a study of the dislocation network that occurs in the space charge region of a Schottky diode, by means of DLTS and our recently developed cathodoluminescent (CL) technique called Pulsed-CL. The details of the Pulsed-CL technique are provided. We establish a correspondence between the CL spectra of dislocation-related luminescence in silicon in the vicinity of the so-called D1 band and levels determined from DLTS measurements. The centres responsible for the 815 meV CL component are related to dislocations cores while the centres responsible for the 795 meV CL component are related to some defects outside of the dislocation cores.

The results of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and minority carrier transient spectroscopy (MCTS) investigations on directly bonded n- and p-type silicon wafers with small twist misorientation angles ranging from 1 to 5 degrees are presented and discussed. Both shallow and deep levels in the upper half of a band gap are found and a good correspondence between the DLTS and MCTS data on n- and p-type samples was established. The dependence of DLTS-peak magnitude on twist and tilt misorientation angles (density of dislocations) was investigated and the origin of different levels is suggested.

We report the development of indium oxide (In2O3) transistors via a single step laser-induced photochemical conversion process of a sol–gel metal oxide precursor. Through careful optimization of the laser annealing conditions we demonstrated successful conversion of the precursor to In2O3 and its subsequent implementation in n-channel transistors with electron mobility up to 13 cm2 V−1 s−1. Importantly, the process does not require thermal annealing making it compatible with temperature sensitive materials such as plastic. On the other hand, the spatial conversion/densification of the sol–gel layer eliminates additional process steps associated with semiconductor patterning and hence significantly reduces fabrication complexity and cost. Our work demonstrates unambiguously that laser-induced photochemical conversion of sol–gel metal oxide precursors can be rapid and suitable for the manufacturing of large-area electronics.