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The advent of two-dimensional materials has opened a plethora of opportunities in accessing ultrascaled device dimensions for future logic and memory applications. In this work, we demonstrate that a single layer of large-area chemical vapor deposition-grown molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) sandwiched between two metal electrodes can be tuned to show multilevel nonvolatile resistive memory states with resistance values separated by 5 orders of magnitude. The switching process is unipolar and thermochemically driven requiring significant Joule heating in the reset process. Temperature-dependent electrical measurements coupled with semiclassical charge transport models suggest that the transport in these devices varies significantly in the initial (pristine) state, high resistance state, and low resistance state. In the initial state, the transport is a one-step direct tunneling (at low voltage biases) and Fowler Nordeim tunneling (at higher bias) with an effective barrier height of 0.33 eV, which closely matches the Schottky barrier at the MoS2/Au interface. In the high resistive state, trap-assisted tunneling provides a reasonable fit to experimental data for a trap height of 0.82 eV. Density functional theory calculations suggest the possibility of single- and double-sulfur vacancies as the microscopic origins of these trap sites. The temperature-dependent behavior of the set and reset process are explained by invoking the probability of defect (sulfur vacancy) creation and mobility of sulfur ions. Finally, conductive atomic force microscopy measurements confirm that the multifilamentary resistive memory effects are inherent to a single-crystalline MoS2 triangle and not necessarily dependent on grain boundaries. The insights suggested in this work are envisioned to open up possibilities for ultrascaled, multistate, resistive memories for next-generation digital memory and neuromorphic applications.

In thermodynamic equilibrium, current in metallic systems is carried by electronic states near the Fermi energy whereas the filled bands underneath contribute little to conduction. Here we describe a very different regime in which carrier distribution in graphene and its superlattices is shifted so far from equilibrium that the filled bands start playing an essential role, leading to a critical-current behavior. The criticalities develop upon the velocity of electron flow reaching the Fermi velocity. Key signatures of the out-of-equilibrium state are current-voltage characteristics resembling those of superconductors, sharp peaks in differential resistance, sign reversal of the Hall effect, and a marked anomaly caused by the Schwinger-like production of hot electron-hole plasma. The observed behavior is expected to be common for all graphene-based superlattices., Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures

International audience; Layered semiconductor gallium selenide (GaSe) is considered a potential candidate for optoelectronic applications because of its direct band gap. Monocrystalline material is, however, a prerequisite to fully exploit these properties in devices, where one-dimensional nano-objects could be considered as a model system. As a consequence of their large surface-to-volume ratio, nano-objects such as nanoribbons are interesting for photodetection applications. Here, we report the vapor–liquid–solid growth of GaSe nanoribbons by MOCVD on 300 mm silicon substrates. A growth model is proposed on the basis of a comprehensive study of the impact of the growth parameters on the nanoribbon morphology. The nanoribbon microstructure is investigated by HR-STEM and Raman spectroscopy characterizations. HR-STEM and TEM cross-sectional observations coupled with EDX analyses reveal a monocrystalline nanoribbon core covered with a native gallium-oxide shell. Test devices are made by contacting individual nanoribbon. The current versus voltage (I–V) characteristic obtained over a range of temperature (−50 to 100 °C) in the dark and under white light illumination is fitted on the basis of a back-to-back Schottky diode model. A stable and repeatable dynamic photoresponse is measured from the GaSe nanoribbons, with an ION/IOFF ratio of 17 at room temperature.

We demonstrate a rendition of an `ideal' low power transistor, by combining the advantages of a tunnel FET (steep subthreshold slope (SS

Direct growth of transition metal dichalcogenides over large areas within the back-end-of-line (BEOL) thermal budget limit of silicon integrated circuits is a significant challenge for 3D heterogeneous integration. In this work, we report on the growth of MoS2 films (~1–10 nm) on SiO2, amorphous-Al2O3, c-plane sapphire, and glass substrates achieved at low temperatures (350–550 °C) by chemical vapor deposition in a manufacturing-compatible 300 mm atomic layer deposition reactor. We investigate the MoS2 films as a potential material solution for BEOL logic, memory and sensing applications. Hall-effect/4-point measurements indicate that the ~10 nm MoS2 films exhibit very low carrier concentrations (1014–1015 cm-3), high resistivity, and Hall mobility values of ~0.5–17 cm2 V-1 s-1, affirmed by transistor and resistor test device results. MoS2 grain boundaries and stoichiometric defects resulting from the low thermal budget growth, while detrimental to lateral transport, can be leveraged for the integration of memory and sensing functions. Vertical transport memristor structures (Au/MoS2/Au) incorporating ~3 nm thick MoS2 films grown at 550 °C (~0.75 hours) show memristive switching and a stable memory window of 105 with a retention time > 104 seconds, between the high-low resistive states. The switching set and reset voltages in these memristors demonstrate a significant reduction compared to memristors fabricated from pristine, single-crystalline MoS2 at higher temperatures, thereby reducing the energy needed for operation. Furthermore, interdigitated electrode-based gas sensors fabricated on ~5 nm thick 550 °C-grown (~1.25 hours) MoS2 films show excellent selectivity and sub-ppm sensitivity to NO2 gas, with a notable self-recovery at room temperature. The demonstration of large-area MoS2 direct growth at and below the BEOL thermal budget, alongside memristive and gas sensing functionality, advances a key enabling technology objective in emerging materials and devices for heterogeneous integration.

Brain-inspired, neuromorphic computing aims to address the growing computational complexity and power consumption in modern von-Neumann architectures. Progress in this area has been hindered due to the lack of hardware elements that can mimic neuronal/synaptic behavior which form the fundamental building blocks for spiking neural networks (SNNs). In this work, we leverage the short/long term memory effects due to the electron trapping events in an atomically thin channel transistor that mimic the exchange of neurotransmitters and emulate a synaptic response. Re-doped (n-type) and Nb-doped (p-type) molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS2) field-effect transistors are examined using pulsed-gate measurements, which identify the time scales of electron trapping/de-trapping. The devices demonstrate promising trends for short/long term plasticity in the order of ms/minutes, respectively. Interestingly, pulse paired facilitation (PPF), which quantifies the short-term plasticity, reveal time constants (τ1 = 27.4 ms, τ2 = 725 ms) that closely match those from a biological synapse. Potentiation and depression measurements describe the ability of the synaptic device to traverse several analog states, where at least 50 conductance values are accessed using consecutive pulses of equal height and width. Finally, we demonstrate devices, which can emulate a well-known learning rule, spike time-dependent plasticity (STDP) which codifies the temporal sequence of pre- and post-synaptic neuronal firing into corresponding synaptic weights. These synaptic devices present significant advantages over iontronic counterparts and are envisioned to create new directions in the development of hardware for neuromorphic computing.

The advent of two-dimensional materials has opened a plethora of opportunities in accessing ultrascaled device dimensions for future logic and memory applications. In this work, we demonstrate that a single layer of large-area chemical vapor deposition-grown molybdenum disulfide (MoS

Open in a separate window Forming gas annealing is a common process step used to improve the performance of devices based on transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Here, the impact of forming gas anneal is investigated for PtSe2-based devices. A range of annealing temperatures (150, 250, and 350 °C) were used both in inert (0/100% H2/N2) and forming gas (5/95% H2/N2) environments to separate the contribution of temperature and ambient. The samples are electrically characterized by circular transfer length method structures, from which contact resistance and sheet resistance are analyzed. Ti and Ni are used as metal contacts. Ti does not react with PtSe2 at any given annealing step. In contrast to this, Ni reacts with PtSe2, resulting in a contact alloy formation. The results are supported by a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The work sheds light on the impact of forming gas annealing on TMD–metal interfaces, and on the TMD film itself, which could be of great interest to improve the contact resistance of TMD-based devices.

The lack of techniques for counter doping in two dimensional (2D) semiconductors has hindered the development of p/n junctions, which are the basic building blocks of electronic devices. In this work, low-energy argon ions are used to create sulfur vacancies and are subsequently ``filled'' with oxygen to create p-doped MoS2-xOx. The incorporation of oxygen into the MoS2 lattice and hence band-structure modification reveal the nature of the p-type doping. These changes are validated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements combined with density functional theory calculations. Electrical measurements reveal a complete flip in carrier polarity from n-type to p-type, which is further examined using temperature-dependent transport measurements. The enhancement of p-field-effect transistor characteristics is facilitated by employing top-gated transistors and area-selective vacancy engineering only in the contact regions. Finally, on the same flake, an in-plane MoS2 (n)/MoS2-xOx (p) type-I (straddling) heterojunction with rectifying behavior and excellent broadband photoresponse is demonstrated and explained using band diagrams. The spatial/metallurgical abruptness (

Innovation in the field of semiconductor materials and devices have to a large extent underpinned the dramatic developments which have unfolded in the area of information and communication technologies over the past 50 years. The ability to form logic devices, memory elements, light emitting diodes, and lasers directly into semiconducting materials has had a transformative effect on modern society. Looking beyond the era of conventional scaling, the drive towards the internet of things, will require the integration of sensors and optical devices with conventional logic and memory elements. The aim of this article is to give a brief overview of the large-area growth of some 2D transition metal dichalcogenide layered materials by MBE and CVD methods, followed by examples of how these 2D materials can be employed in electron devices and optoelectronic structures and devices.

A new method for the separation of contact resistance ( $R_{\mathrm {contact}})$ into Schottky barrier resistance ( $R_{\mathrm {SB}})$ and interlayer resistance ( $R_{\mathrm {IL}})$ is proposed for multilayered MoS2 FETs. While $R_{\mathrm {SB}}$ varies exponentially with Schottky barrier height ( $\Phi _{\mathrm {bn}})$ , $R_{\mathrm {IL}}$ essentially remains unchanged. An empirical model utilizing this dependence of $R_{\mathrm {contact}}$ versus $\Phi _{\mathrm {bn}}$ is proposed and fits to the experimental data. The results, on comparison with the existing reports of lowest $R_{\mathrm {contact}}$ , suggest that the extracted $R_{\mathrm {IL}}$ (1.53 $\text{k}\Omega ~\cdot ~\mu \text{m}$ ) for an unaltered channel would determine the lower limit of intrinsic $R_{\mathrm {contact}}$ even for barrierless contacts for multilayered exfoliated MoS2 FETs.

The wide range of electronic and optical properties exhibited by two dimensional semiconductors, and their variation physical thickness, opens up new possibilities to create ultra-short length transistors [1], steep-slope switches [2, 3], light detecting/emitting devices [4, 5] and chemical/physical sensors. Recently, it was demonstrated that monolayer 2D semiconductors can also display resistive switching [6]. In this work we demonstrate that a single layer of large area CVD-grown moly disulphide (MoS2) sandwiched between two metal electrodes can be tuned to exhibit multi-level non-volatile resistive memory, with resistance values separated by 5 orders of magnitude. The switching process is unipolar and thermochemically driven (TCM memory) requiring significant Joule heating in the RESET process. Temperature dependent electrical measurements will be presented which demonstrate the charge transport mechanism varies between the initial state (IS), the high resistive state (HRS) and low resistive state (LRS). The temperature dependent behavior of the SET, RESET process is consistent with the creation and passivation of sulfur vacancies in the MoS2 monolayer. Conductive AFM measurements confirm that the multi-filamentary resistive memory effects are inherent to a single crystalline MoS2 triangle and not necessarily dependent of grain boundaries. This work demonstrates that potential for 2 terminal, multi-state, resistive memories for next generation digital memory and neuromorphic applications. [1] S. B. Desai et al., "MoS2 transistors with 1-nanometer gate lengths," Science, vol. 354, no. 6308, pp. 99-102, 2016. [2] S. Bhattacharjee, K. L. Ganapathi, S. Mohan, and N. Bhat, "A sub-thermionic MoS2 FET with tunable transport," Applied Physics Letters, vol. 111, no. 16, p. 163501, 2017. [3] D. Sarkar et al., "A subthermionic tunnel field-effect transistor with an atomically thin channel," Nature, vol. 526, no. 7571, p. 91, 2015. [4] K. Roy et al., "Graphene–MoS 2 hybrid structures for multifunctional photoresponsive memory devices," Nature nanotechnology, vol. 8, no. 11, p. 826, 2013. [5] X. Zhou et al., "2D Layered Material‐Based van der Waals Heterostructures for Optoelectronics," Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 28, no. 14, p. 1706587, 2018. [6] R. Ge et al., "Atomristor: Nonvolatile Resistance Switching in Atomic Sheets of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides," Nano letters, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 434-441, 2017.

High photon absorption and photoconductive gain observed in 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides make them exciting candidates for high performance photodetectors and photovoltaics [1]. However, slow response times and low $\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{oc}}$ (open circuit voltage) have hindered the development of reliable optoelectronic devices [1]. Most attempts to mitigate these disadvantages involve fabrication of complex heterostructures [2]–[4], which may render them unfit for large area production. Besides, almost all reports on MeSi-bascd opto-electronics exploit its lateral transport while studies on vertical transport towards detectors and photovoltaics are at an embryonic stage. In this work, we demonstrate that a facile vertical metal/multilaycr-Mo'Sc/rnctal device can be engineered to enable both excellent photodetectors (with high responsivity $> 3\mathrm{A}/\mathrm{W}$ & good speed ~ 1 ms) OR high $\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{oc}}(\sim 0.5\mathrm{V})$ photovoltaics. We adopt a conscious design strategy of employing vertical instead of lateral transport through multilayer Mos2 as this provides both larger area for photon absorption, as well as short charge transfer length (enabling effective separation) [Fig l(a)].

The inability to scale $\mathrm{V}_{\mathrm{dd}}$ owing to the Boltzmann limit (Sub-threshold Slope $(SS)=60\mathrm{mV}/\mathrm{dec}$ @ 300 K) has been the primary bottleneck in obtaining power efficient scaled transistors [1]. Two-dimensional semiconductors owing to their naturally ultra-thin body offer excellent opportunities for highly scaled nano-transistors [4]. However, explorations of sub-thermionic devices on these materials have been heavily stymied owing to inefficient doping, contacts and dielectric integration. In this work, we attempt to combine the excellent SS of the TFET with the high $\mathrm{I}_{\mathrm{on}}$ of the thermionic MOSFET employing effective device design and materials processing. We adopt a conscious design strategy to use Schottky contacts as switching elements, which, unlike BTBT junctions allow for both thermionic (high $\mathrm{I}_{\mathrm{on}}$ ) AND tunneling (very steep SS) dominated operational modes. A plausible conduction mechanism is elucidated which agrees well with experimental results.

Myxoid leiomyosarcoma of uterus is a very rare malignancy with only 36 cases documented worldwide and no cases reported in the Indian subcontinent. The present case is of uterine myxoid leiomyosarcoma with associated pancytopenia that has not been described previously in the south-east asia and only one such case reported in world literature. A 32 year old woman who is a known case of uterine fibromyoma discovered in her previous pregnancy , presented to the opd with heavy bleeding per vagina. On examination, she had a large abdominal mass. Her hemoglobin was 6.3 g/dl and platelet count was 80,000/cu.mm and also developed leucopenia(4500/cu.mm).She had received five units of blood transfusion, but her haemoglobin and platelet counts remained low. Her bone marrow biopsy report came out to be inconclusive. She underwent laparotomy followed by total hysterectomy with bilateral salphingoophorectomy, omentectomy and appendicectomy. Histopathology reports showed uterine myxoid leiomyosarcoma ( FIGO stage IIIA). Her haematological profile improved considerably following the surgery and recurred with the recurrence of the disease. Hence, this is considered to be a case of pancytopenia due to paraneoplastic syndrome as a result of the myxoid leiomyosarcoma of the uterus.

Air-stable and area-selective doping strategies have eluded 2D materials and thus been a major bottleneck in realizing the plethora of semiconductor devices which require an built in electric field accessible from a p/n junction. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of p-doping through Vacancy Engineering, which unlike previous reports of molecular/substitutional doping is both area/dopant controllable and air-stable. Through Ar+ ions of appropriate energy and fluence bombarded on exfoliated MoS 2 , we demonstrate creation of sulfur vacancies that vary the S:Mo stoichiometry from 1.94 to 0.97 and hence controllably introduce p-type doping as verified using in-situ XPS and ex-situ Raman/PL measurements. FETs fabricated on Ar+ bombarded flakes show complete flip in polarity of carrier type from n-type to p-type when compared to Reference samples with the same metal contacts. Furthermore, selective Ar+ Bombardment only on contacts region shows effective hole injection with I on /I off >103. Finally p/n junctions with Ar+ bombardment performed on one half of the flake demonstrate high rectification ratio (>104), forward currents (∼0.6 mA/cm2) and excellent photoresponse (I light /I dark ∼103) and responsivity (100–400 μA/W).

The ultrathin channel in 2D semiconductors, although playing host to several interesting properties, also renders strong interactions (scattering) of charge carriers with the surrounding medium. The over-arching dominance of surface (interfacial) optical phonons in 2D charge transport and engineering ideal nitride-based dielectric environments for large performance gains is reported. Charge transport in MoS2 field effect transistors (FETs) fabricated on three conventional substrates, SiO2, Al2O3, and HfO2, is contrasted with a newly introduced, CMOS-compatible nitride-based dielectric: aluminum nitride (AlN) by employing semi-classical models which account for charged impurity, surface optical phonon, and intrinsic phonon scattering. Unlike previous reports focused on charge impurity scattering, this work presents a new paradigm of utilizing high optical phonon energies intrinsic to ``stiff `` nitride bonds. This results in substantially lower surface optical phonon scattering in 2D FETs which directly influences peak field effect (FE) mobility, high field mobility degradation, and temperature-dependent mobility. Leveraging on these insights, high-performance sulfur-passivated MoS2 FETs with an optimum all-nitride environment (hexagonal boron nitride/MoS2/AlN) are demonstrated with FE mobility up to 72.8 cm(2) V-1 s(-1). This work is envisioned to address important issues in design of dielectric environments for a host of applications based on 2D materials.

Variability and lack of control in the nature of contacts between metal/MoS2 interface is a major bottleneck in the realisation of high-performance devices based on layered materials for several applications. In this letter, we report on the reduction in Schottky barrier height at metal/MoS2 interface by engineering the surface states through sulphur treatment. Electrical characteristics for back-gated MoS2 field effect transistor structures were investigated for two high work-function metal contacts Ni and Pd. Contacts on MoS2 treated with sulphur exhibited significant improvements in Ohmic nature with concomitant reduction in variability compared to those on untreated MoS2 films leading to a 2x increase in extracted mobility. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, Raman Spectroscopy and comparison of threshold voltages indicated absence of additional doping or structural changes due to sulphur treatment. The Schottky barrier heights were extracted from temperature-dependent transfer characteristics based on the thermionic current model. A reduction in barrier height of 80 and 135 meV extracted for Ni/MoS2 and Pd/MoS2 contacts respectively is hence attributed to the increase in surface states (or stronger Fermi level pinning) due to sulphur treatment. The corresponding charge neutrality levels at metal/MoS2 interface, were extracted to be 0.16 eV (0.17 eV) below the conduction band before (after) Sulphur treatment. This first report of surface states engineering in MoS2 leading to superior contacts is expected to significantly benefit the entire class of devices based on layered 2D materials., 13 pages, 5 figures

An optical phonon limited velocity model has been employed to investigate high-field transport in a selection of layered 2D materials for both, low-power logic switches with scaled supply voltages, and high-power, high-frequency transistors. Drain currents, effective electron velocities and intrinsic cut-off frequencies as a function of carrier density have been predicted thus providing a benchmark for the optical phonon limited high-field performance limits of these materials. The optical phonon limited carrier velocities of a selection of transition metal dichalcogenides and black phosphorus are found to be modest as compared to their n-channel silicon counterparts, questioning the utility of these devices in the source-injection dominated regime. h-BN, at the other end of the spectrum, is shown to be a very promising material for high-frequency high-power devices, subject to experimental realization of high carrier densities, primarily due to its large optical phonon energy. Experimentally extracted saturation velocities from few-layer MoS2 devices show reasonable qualitative and quantitative agreement with predicted values. Temperature dependence of measured vsat is discussed and found to fit a velocity saturation model with a single material dependent fit parameter., Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures

The inability to scale supply voltage and hence reduce power consumption remains a serious challenge in modern nanotransistors. This arises primarily because the Sub-threshold Swing (SS) of the thermionic MOSFET, a measure of its switching efficiency, is restricted by the Boltzmann limit (k(B)T/q = 60 mV/dec at 300 K). Tunneling FETs, the most promising candidates to circumvent this limit, employ band-to-band tunneling, yielding very low OFF currents and steep SS but at the expense of severely degraded ON currents. In a completely different approach, by introducing concurrent tuning of thermionic and tunneling components through metal/semiconductor Schottky junctions, we achieve an amalgamation of steep SS and high ON currents in the same device. We demonstrate sub-thermionic transport sustained up to 4 decades with SSmin similar to 8.3 mV/dec and SSavg similar to 37.5(25) mV/dec for 4(3) dec in few layer MoS2 dual gated FETs (planar and CMOS compatible) using tunnel injected Schottky contacts for a highly scaled drain voltage of 10 mV, the lowest for any sub-thermionic devices. Furthermore, the same devices can be tuned to operate in the thermionic regime with a field effect mobility of similar to 84.3 cm(2) V-1 s(-1). A detailed mechanism involving the independent control of the Schottky barrier height and width through efficient device architecture and material processing elucidates the functioning of these devices. The Gate Tunable Thermionic Tunnel FET can function at a supply voltage of as low as 0.5 V, reducing power consumption dramatically. Published by AIP Publishing.

The 2D materials, in particular Transition Metals Di-chalcogenides (TMD), are potential candidates to scale CMOS technology beyond Silicon. The ability to deposit ultrathin TMD films, down to a mono-layer, offers excellent electrostatic control of the channel by the gate electrode. This enables aggressive scaling of the channel length of transistor, due to superior short channel performance. In particular, few layer Molybdinum Disulphide (MoS2), with a bandgap comparable to Silicon, has emerged as a promising candidate to to enable continued transistors scaling. However, high performance and reliable gate dielectric and contact formation continues to be an open problem. Since the impurity doping strategies for MoS2 are still not clear, the ohmic contact formation is limited by the nature of metal-semiconductor schottky contact. Despite the Fermi level pinning close to conduction band of MoS2, a low source/drain contact resistance value for NMOS transistor is limited by the surface state effects. The problem is exasperated due to large variations in contact resistance values within the wafer, possibly due to surface defects and stoichiometric variations. We demonstrate that appropriate surface preparation can drastically enhance the performance of ohmic contacts on MoS2. In particular, we present a surface-state engineering technique using sulfur treatment of MoS2 before the contact formation. The transistors (L=W= ~1μm) are formed on exfoliated few layer MoS2 flakes (5-7 nm thick). The flakes are treated with ammonium sulphide solution (NH4)2S (Sigma Aldrich, 40% solution in H2O) for 5 min at a temperature of 50 °C, followed by De-ionized water rinse and N2 blow-dry. Nickel (Ni) and Palladium (Pd) contacts are formed using lift-off process. Through extensive material and electrical characterization, we demonstrate that the sulfur treatment reduces to schottky barrier height by 81 meV (Ni) and 135 meV (Pd) due to stronger pinning of Fermi level. This in turn lowers the contact resistance by as much as 10 times with concomitant increase in mobility by a factor of 2. We demonstrate record drain current of 170μA/μm, with complete mitigation of contact resistance and hence drain current variability. Due to the inert basal plane of 2D materials, it is difficult nucleate the growth of dielectrics using CVD and/or ALD techniques, which are routinely used for high-k dielectric integration on Silicon. Although some techniques have been proposed to nucleate the dielectric growth on MoS2, the device performance is inferior due to interface defects. To circumvent this issue, we develop a very high performance HfO2 thin film using electron beam evaporation. The O2 flow rate is optimized during e-beam evaporation to achieve 30nm HfO2 films with k=19 and EOT=6.1 nm. The interface trap density is estimated to be 8.7x1011 /cm2, resulting in a very high field effect mobility value of 63 cm2/V-s. The HfO2 gate oxide results in a very low leakage current of 7x10-7 A/cm2. The top gated transistors fabricated with this dielectric yield one of the highest reported drain current value of 180 μA/μm, with near ideal subthreshold behaviour (60 to 75 mV/decade). We also utilize 30nm HfO2 dielectric as a substrate to deposit MOS2 flakes, instead of conventional 300nm SiO2 substrate. Finally we demonstrate an NMOS inverter circuit using HfO2 top-gated devices using a depletion mode NMOS transistor as a resistive load. The Inverter exhibits an output to input gain of about 9. Figure 1

A new substrate ( $\sim 30$ -nm HfO2/Si) is developed for high-performance back-gated molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) transistors. Record drain current $I_{\mathrm{ ds}} \sim $ 180 $\mu \text{A}/\mu \text{m}$ and transconductance value $g_{m} \sim 75~\mu \text{S}/\mu \text{m}$ at $V_{\mathrm{ ds}} = 1$ V have been achieved for 1- $\mu \text{m}$ channel length multilayer MoS2 transistors on HfO2/Si substrate. The transistors on HfO2 substrate show $> 2.5\times $ enhancement in field effect mobility ( $\mu _{\mathrm{ FE}}\sim 65$ cm2/V $\cdot $ s) compared with the transistors on SiO2 ( $\mu _{\mathrm{ FE}} \sim 25$ cm2/V $\cdot $ s) substrate. The intrinsic mobility extracted from $Y$ function technique ( $\mu _{\mathrm{ FE}} \sim 154$ cm2/V $\cdot $ s) is $3\times $ more than SiO2 substrate. The drastic improvement in transistor performance is attributed to a combination of three factors: 1) efficient gate coupling with an EOT of 6.2 nm; 2) charge impurity screening due to high- $k$ dielectric; and 3) very low contact resistance through sulfur treatment.

Estrogen induced proliferation of mutant cells is widely understood to be the one of major risk determining factor in the development of breast cancer. Hence determination of the Estrogen Receptor[ER] status is of paramount importance if cancer pathogenesis is to be detected and rectified at an early stage. Near Infrared Fluorescence [NIRf] Molecular Optical Imaging is emerging as a powerful tool to monitor bio-molecular changes in living subjects. We discuss pre-clinical results in our efforts to develop an optical imaging diagnostic modality for the early detection of breast cancer. We have successfully carried out the synthesis and characterization of a novel target-specific NIRf dye conjugate aimed at measuring Estrogen Receptor[ER] status. The conjugate was synthesized by ester formation between 17-β estradiol and a hydrophilic derivative of Indocyanine Green (ICG) cyanine dye, bis-1,1-(4-sulfobutyl) indotricarbocyanine-5-carboxylic acid, sodium salt. In-vitro studies regarding specific binding and endocytocis of the dye performed on ER+ve [MCF-7] and control [MDA-MB-231] adenocarcinoma breast cancer cell lines clearly indicated nuclear localization of the dye for MCF-7 as compared to plasma level staining for MDA-MB-231. Furthermore, MCF-7 cells showed ~4.5-fold increase in fluorescence signal intensity compared to MDA-MB-231. A 3-D mesh model mimicking the human breast placed in a parallel-plate DOT Scanner is created to examine the in-vivo efficacy of the dye before proceeding with clinical trials. Photon migration and florescence flux intensity is modeled using the finite-element method with the coefficients (quantum yield, molar extinction co-efficient etc.) pertaining to the dye as obtained from photo-physical and in-vitro studies. We conclude by stating that this lipophilic dye can be potentially used as a target specific exogenous contrast agent in molecular optical imaging for early detection of breast cancer.

Estrogen induced proliferation of existing mutant cells is widely understood to be the major risk determining factor in the development of breast cancer. Hence determination of the Estrogen Receptor[ER] status is of paramount importance. We have carried out the synthesis and characterization of a novel NIR fluorescent dye conjugate aimed at measuring ER+ve status in-vivo. The conjugate was synthesized by ester formation between 17-beta estradiol and a cyanine dye namely: bis-1, 1-(4-sulfobutyl) indotricarbocyanine-5-carboxylic acid, sodium salt. The replacement of the sodium ion in the ester by a larger glucosammonium ion was found to enhance the hydrophilicity and reduce the toxic effect on cell lines. The excitation and emission peaks for the dye were recorded as 750 and 788 nm respectively; ideal for non-invasive optical imaging owing to minimal tissue attenuation and auto-fluorescence at these wavelengths. The dye (NIRDC1) has a significant drop in plasma-protein binding therefore leading to marked improvement in pharmacokinetic profile such as dye evacuation in comparison to ICG. In addition the dye showed enhanced fluorescence quantum yield, molar extinction coefficient and linearity in fluorescence relative to ICG. This dye can be potentially used as a target specific exogenous contrast agent in molecular optical imaging for early detection of breast cancer.

Brain-inspired, neuromorphic computing aims to address the growing computational complexity and power consumption in modern von-Neumann architectures. Progress in this area has been hindered due to the lack of hardware elements that can mimic neuronal/synaptic behavior which form the fundamental building blocks for spiking neural networks (SNNs). In this work, we leverage the short/long term memory effects due to the electron trapping events in an atomically thin channel transistor that mimic the exchange of neurotransmitters and emulate a synaptic response. Re-doped (n-type) and Nb-doped (p-type) molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS2) field-effect transistors are examined using pulsed-gate measurements, which identify the time scales of electron trapping/de-trapping. The devices demonstrate promising trends for short/long term plasticity in the order of ms/minutes, respectively. Interestingly, pulse paired facilitation (PPF), which quantifies the short-term plasticity, reveal time constants (τ1 = 27.4 ms, τ2 = 725 ms) that closely match those from a biological synapse. Potentiation and depression measurements describe the ability of the synaptic device to traverse several analog states, where at least 50 conductance values are accessed using consecutive pulses of equal height and width. Finally, we demonstrate devices, which can emulate a well-known learning rule, spike time-dependent plasticity (STDP) which codifies the temporal sequence of pre- and post-synaptic neuronal firing into corresponding synaptic weights. These synaptic devices present significant advantages over iontronic counterparts and are envisioned to create new directions in the development of hardware for neuromorphic computing.