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A novel GaN current-aperture vertical electron transistor (CAVET) with an energy band pinning (EBP) structure (EBP-CAVET) is proposed and investigated by simulations. The EBP-CAVET is featured with hybrid contacts on the p-GaN layer, locally having Ohmic contact combined with Schottky gate metals in the longitudinal direction. The Ohmic contact is shorted to the source electrode and the Schottky gate metals are shorted to the gate electrode. The conduction band (E c) in the gate region is modulated by the alternately arranged contacts. In the Ohmic contact region, E c remains a fixed value, which acts as an energy band pinning and suppresses the variation of the E c in the gate region. In the on-state (V GS > 0 V) and blocking-state with high V DS , the EBP structure inhibits the E c shifting downwards in the gate region to achieve a high threshold voltage (V th), a low leakage current density (J dss), and a high breakdown voltage (BV). In the reverse conduction state (V DS < 0 V & V GS ≤ 0 V), the EBP structure suppresses the E c shifting upwards to achieve a low and independent of gate bias reverse turn-on voltage (V RT). The proposed EBP-CAVET achieves a high V th of 2.10 V, a V RT of 0.69 V, a low J dss of 3.1 × 10−11 A/cm2 at V DS = 1000 V, a high BV of 1660 V. Compared with an integrated Schottky barrier diode or fin diode in a field effect transistor (FET), the EBP structure occupies a much smaller chip area. Thus, the EBP-CAVET achieves a low specific ON-resistance (R on,sp) of 1.19 mΩ cm2 and an extremely high power-figure-of-merit (PFOM) up to 2.32 GW/cm2. Consequently, the proposed structure presents a new design concept and enhances the application potential for GaN CAVET with high V th and low reverse conduction loss. • A novel GaN CAVET with an energy band pinning structure (EBP-CAVET) is proposed to improve the forward characteristic and reverse conduction characteristic. • In the reverse conduction (V SD > 0V, V GS ≤ 0V),the EBP-CAVET realizes a low V RT and the V RT is independent of V GS. • The proposed EBP-CAVET achieves a high V th of 2.10 V, a lower J dss of 3.1 × 10−11 A/cm2, and a higher BV of 1660 V. • Since the EBP structure occupies a minimal chip area, the EBP-CAVET achieves a low R on,sp of 1.19 mΩ cm2 and an extremely high PFOM up to 2.32 GW/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1- x)Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 - x PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) single crystals, especially with compositions near its morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), have been employed for a broad range of applications such as ultrasound transducers, sensors, and actuators. To further enhance the properties of PMN-PT, electrode patterning, as a method of domain engineering, was proved to be an effective approach. In our previous report, a 200 nm grating pattern electrode (Ti/Au–MnO x) (nano-electrode) was prepared on one surface of PMN-PT crystal, exhibiting 30% d 33 enhancement. In this work, the multi-layered domain morphology and the domain engineering from nano-electrode were characterized using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). A hypothetical domain engineering model for nano-electrodes is established to explain the experimental results as well as the property enhancement from the nano-electrode. The electrode patterning proves that the nano-scale modification can tune the macro-scale piezoelectric properties of the bulk material. Image, graphical abstract Nano-patterned composite electrode (Nano-electrode) , as a method of domain engineering, exhibits 30% d 33 enhancement on (1- x)Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 - x PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) single crystal. In this work, the mechanism of the property enhancement is studied through the multi-layered domain morphology by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). A hypothetical domain engineering model for nano-electrodes is established in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract X-ray diffraction (XRD) reciprocal space mapping (RSM) was used to investigate how nanograted electrodes affect the nanodomain distribution and average crystal structure in near-surface regions of poled Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 -30%PbTiO 3 (PMN-30PT) single crystals. The RSM scans revealed a transverse broadening along the (H00) direction, which was quite different from that of either the rhombohedral (R) or monoclinic A (M A) phase. This broadening provides evidence of a non-uniform distribution of tilt angles between neighboring nanodomains, induced by a gradient in the applied electric field (E). Investigations of the front and back surfaces of the crystals revealed significant differences in the RSM scans. Gradients in the domain distribution and apparent symmetry may extend throughout the crystal thickness. The data evidence changes in the nanodomain distribution that results in adaptations of the average symmetry. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sliver-mode 0.73Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 -0.27PbTiO 3 single crystals were poled by the alternating current electric field (ACP) along the [001] direction for low-frequency transducer applications. Under ACP with optimized conditions (2.89 kV rms , 0.1 Hz, 10 cycles), the free dielectric constant (ε T 33 / ε 0) was enhanced from 5300 to 7220 and piezoelectric coefficient (d 33) was improved from 1410 to 1920 pC/N, both are about 36% higher than those under traditional direct current poling. The piezoresponse force microscopy observation and phase-field simulation show the similar domain morphologies evolution. During the ACP process, the domain morphology first changes from '4R' to '2R' configuration, and then the length of the 109° domain wall keeps increasing, which leads to a longer range of ordering and a stable lamellar domain structure in the end. The correlation between the domain morphology and the coercive field is also found in both the experiment and simulation. These findings on the effect and mechanism of ACP will help develop advanced low-frequency single crystal transducer arrays. Evolution of domain structures of rhombohedral PMN-PT during ACP process was studied through the domain morphology tracking, which developed from '4R' to '2R' configuration. The results also show a good correlation between coercive field and domain structure, attributing to a new domain engineering model. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]