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For single crystal diamond (SCD) to gain practical use in technical applications including solid state electronics, thin (< $1 ~\mu \text{m}$), doped epitaxial SCD layers with very low (<1 nm) surface roughness are required. Conventional SCD chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes are insufficient to meet the requirements of such applications because the material removal rate (MRR) is often characterized inappropriately, and the material removal uniformity is seldom considered. In this study, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of two lightly boron doped (p-) epilayers was performed on 3° misoriented (100) high pressure high temperature substrates of 4.5 x $4.5 mm^{2}$ area. A subsequent 8-hour oxidative CMP process utilizing potassium permanganate and a novel self-leveling holder design decreased the average surface roughness from 3.83 nm and 1.57 nm to 0.20 nm and 0.16 nm for the two samples, respectively. MRRs were determined by evaluating five circular wear monitor structures in each sample by atomic force microscopy before and after the CMP process. The average MRRs were found to be 38.6 nm/hr and 37.3 nm/hr for the two samples. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a CMP process suitable for polishing thin SCD epilayers to meet the needs of solid-state electronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 245th ECS Meeting is set to take place in San Francisco from May 26-30, 2024. This gathering will bring together scientists, engineers, and researchers from various sectors to exchange research and engage in discussions on electrochemical and solid state science and technology. The event will offer a wide range of activities, including technical programming, oral presentations, poster sessions, panel discussions, tutorial sessions, short courses, professional development workshops, and exhibits. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore the vibrant city of San Francisco, renowned for its iconic landmarks, cultural diversity, and distinct neighborhoods. The document further provides details on notable speakers, short courses, and special events that will be featured at the meeting. Additionally, it presents a comprehensive list of divisions and sessions that will cover specific topics within various fields, such as nanocarbons, corrosion, sensors, and energy conversion. [Extracted from the article]

Inherent symmetry of a quantum system may protect its otherwise fragile states. Leveraging such protection requires testing its robustness against uncontrolled environmental interactions. Using 47 superconducting qubits, we implement the one-dimensional kicked Ising model, which exhibits nonlocal Majorana edge modes (MEMs) with ℤ2 parity symmetry. We find that any multiqubit Pauli operator overlapping with the MEMs exhibits a uniform late-time decay rate comparable to single-qubit relaxation rates, irrespective of its size or composition. This characteristic allows us to accurately reconstruct the exponentially localized spatial profiles of the MEMs. Furthermore, the MEMs are found to be resilient against certain symmetry-breaking noise owing to a prethermalization mechanism. Our work elucidates the complex interplay between noise and symmetry-protected edge modes in a solid-state environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intriguing phenomenon of electrically active defect generation is observed in homoepitaxial β-Ga2O3 films exposed to reverse bias at elevated temperatures. In particular, heating samples up to 675 K in the course of deep level transient spectroscopy measurements, i.e., with the reverse bias and voltage pulsing applied, resulted in the generation of three new levels at ∼1, ∼1.5, and ∼2 eV below the conduction band edge (labeled as E3*, E5, and E6). The corresponding defects exhibit different thermal stabilities; E5 and E6 show stability, while E3* demonstrates a remarkable metastability—it can be generated, annealed out, and regenerated in the course of sequential temperature cycles. Combining a number of annealing tests and using different types of epitaxial materials, the levels were systematically investigated, and the most credible scenario behind the phenomenon is the evolution of already existing defect configurations provoked by the applied temperature and bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge transport in a naphthalene π-stack system can exhibit switching because of variation in its redox state. We study this phenomenon in a molecular π-stack with the aim of obtaining insight into the charge transport in DNA solid-state devices. The model molecular π-stack is based on the structure of naphthalene tetracarboxylic diimide (NTCDI), which is assembled by molecular layer epitaxy (MLE). MLE enables controllable growth of two-dimensional organic frameworks featuring ordered π-stacked arrays of aromatic molecules. These molecular stacks are grown in the in-plane direction with respect to the surface and are bonded covalently to the inorganic semiconducting substrate. In this system, the reduced NTCDI acceptors form redox polarons in which the charge is shared over several molecules within the π-stack. We study the experimental conditions that are required to sustain efficient transport in this redox-capable NTCDI molecular π-stack. The transport in this redox-active system follows the behavior of the polarons. Polaron transport occurs below the HOMO–LUMO gap in a molecular system, for which either ln I ∼ −E−2/3 or I ∼ E (linear regime). We also study the case of redox blockade for the NTCDI molecular π-stack. We demonstrate that the same model (i.e., ln I ∼ −E−2/3) is applicable for transport through DNA molecules positioned between nano-electrodes. Studying the transport in a molecular π-stack enables elucidation of the phenomenon of conductivity switching, which may be responsible for the discrepancies among different transport experiments with DNA solid-state devices. We propose a generalized-effective-medium approach to describe the redox polaron transport in a molecular stack, an approach that is based on a fully compensated semiconductor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-generalized gradient approximation (meta-GGA) level screened hybrid functional is developed for the solid-state electronic structure calculations. Assessment of the proposed functional for the solid-state lattice constants and bandgaps indicates that it is quite efficient in describing those properties. Specifically, the improvement in the bandgap performance of the presently proposed meta-GGA level screened hybrid functional is noticeable. From the construction point of view, the present screened hybrid functional is one step forward to the density functional screened hybrid functional rung by adding extra ingredients in its functional form. The most appealing feature of the present screened functional is that it is constructed upon an accurate semilocal functional by adopting a simple modification on the top of that functional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A device concept of an electrocaloric solid-state refrigeration is presented in this paper. The core component of the device is flexural mode composite actuators, each of which is comprised of an electrocaloric layer and an elastic substrate layer bonded together. The composite actuators have an electric field induced temperature change due to the electrocaloric effect and also have large electric field induced flexural deformation due to the converse piezoelectric effect, which enables the device to bend to contact with the heat source (or heat sink) for transferring heat. An analytical model is derived by considering multi-physical couplings for an edge-clamped circular composite device, which can accurately predict the temperature change of the device as compared with the indirect approach derived from the Maxwell relation. The model shows that the temperature change is a combinatorial result from the couplings of thermal, electric, and mechanical field in the device. Moreover, the model sheds light on exploring the optimization of the solid-state refrigeration device and indicates that different thickness ratios and radius ratios of the composite actuators have a large influence on the cooling performance of the refrigerator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A series of four trifluorinated complexes of Eu(III) were synthesized and characterized spectroscopically. • The emission spectra of complexes exhibit hyperintense peak at about 612 nm which is significant for their red emission. • Judd Ofelt parameters provide information about structural and chemical environment around central trivalent ion. • The band gap values show their semiconducting characteristics are responsible for their applications in photonic devices. This article presents the preparation and characterization of a series of four tris-β-diketonate Eu(III) complexes with formulation of [Eu(tfaa) 3 (L) n ], tfaa denotes the 1,1,1-trifluoroacetylacetone, L to monodentate or bidentate neutral ligand with nitrogen and oxygen as donor atom and n can be 1 and 2. The characterization of synthesized complexes was done using infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis and proton NMR spectroscopy. UV–vis absorption, photoluminescence as well as time-resolved luminescence spectroscopies were also employed to examine the spectroscopic features of ternary complexes. The proton NMR and IR spectral information has suggested the bonding of organic moieties to the Eu(III) ion. The chemical shift obtained for the protons of primary and secondary moieties are shifted in an opposite direction. The band gap values (optical and electronic) suggest the semiconducting nature of prepared europium complexes. The trivalent ion centered emission is shown by all the prepared complexes on excitation under UV-light. The hypersensitive peak situated at about 612 nm responsible for red emission is corresponding to 5D 0 →7F 2 transition and found to be sensitive to the chelating environment present at around emissive ion. Red emanating europium materials have acquired significant utilization in OLEDs, flat panel displays and solid state electronics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effects of the oxygen precursor flow supplied during metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of Al2O3 films on the forward bias behavior of Al2O3/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. The low oxygen flow (100 sccm) delivered during the in situ growth of Al2O3 on GaN resulted in films that exhibited a stable capacitance under forward stress, a lower density of stress-generated negative fixed charges, and a higher dielectric breakdown strength compared to Al2O3 films grown under high oxygen flow (480 sccm). The low oxygen grown Al2O3 dielectrics exhibited lower gate current transients in stress/recovery measurements, providing evidence of a reduced density of trap states near the GaN conduction band and an enhanced robustness under accumulated gate stress. This work reveals oxygen flow variance in MOCVD to be a strategy for controlling the dielectric properties and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermite multilayered films have the potential to be used as local high intensity heat sources for a variety of applications. Improving the ability of researchers to more rapidly develop Micro Electro Mechanical Systems devices based on thermite multilayer films requires predictive modeling in which an understanding of the relationship between the properties (ignition and flame propagation), the multilayer structure and composition (bilayer thicknesses, ratio of reactants, and nature of interfaces), and aspects related to integration (substrate conductivity and ignition apparatus) is achieved. Assembling all these aspects, this work proposes an original 2D diffusion-reaction modeling framework to predict the ignition threshold and reaction dynamics of Al/CuO multilayered thin films. This model takes into consideration that CuO first decomposes into Cu2O, and then, released oxygen diffuses across the Cu2O and Al2 O3 layers before reacting with pure Al to form Al2O3. This model is experimentally validated from ignition and flame velocity data acquired on Al/CuO multilayers deposited on a Kapton layer. This paper discusses, for the first time, the importance of determining the ceiling temperature above which the multilayers disintegrate, possibly before their complete combustion, thus severely impacting the reaction front velocity and energy release. This work provides a set of heating surface areas to obtain the best ignition conditions, i.e., with minimal ignition power, as a function of the substrate type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theory has been developed for the waveguiding characteristics of dual-tunable multiferroic magnonic crystals (MCs). The crystals are constructed as periodically width-modulated microwave transmission slot-lines placed in between thin ferrite and ferroelectric films. Dispersion characteristics of the spin-electromagnetic waves (SEWs) in the investigated periodic waveguiding structure were derived using the method of approximate boundary conditions and the coupled-mode approach. The transmission-loss characteristics (TLCs) were calculated by the transfer-matrix method. The results show that the TLCs of the structures consist of pass-bands and stop-bands. The stop-bands are due to Bragg reflections in the structure. The magnetic and electric fields control the stop-band frequencies. The ferroelectric film polarization produced with the application of control voltage to the slot-line electrodes reduces its dielectric permittivity and provides up-shift of the stop-band frequencies. The most effective electric tuning is achieved in the area of the maximum hybridization of SEWs. As a result, the investigated multiferroic MCs combine the advantages of thin-film planar topology and dual tunability of magnonic band-gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the conventional measuring standard for dc Hall measurements in van der Pauw configuration with particular focus on the challenges arising from a small Hall signal compared to sizable offset voltages, which is a typical scenario for many material systems, particularly low-mobility thin films. We show that the conventional approach of using a simple field-reversal technique is often unsuited to obtain reliable results, and present an improved correction scheme to extend the accessible measurement range to mobility values well below 1 cm2/(V s). We discuss procedures to limit the impact of temperature fluctuations and long stabilization times for highly resistive materials. We further address potential sources of error due to the presence of grain boundaries in polycrystalline specimen and due to multi-carrier conduction, both of which might yield low apparent Hall mobilities significantly underestimating the actual mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of pulse electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy at microwave frequencies above 100 GHz is rather challenging and expensive due to the low output power of modern high-frequency solid state electronics. However, there is a number of scientific problems that require spin relaxation measurements at THz frequencies. The rapid scan ESR is an alternative technique that does not require high microwave power and still provides information on the spin relaxation times. The method takes advantage of fast sweeps of the excitation microwave frequency over the ESR line. When the frequency sweep reaches a sufficiently high rate, distinct oscillations (also called wiggles) appear in the ESR spectrum. These oscillations bear information about T2 electron spin relaxation time, which can be extracted via fitting the rapid scan spectrum using the modified Bloch equations. In this Perspective Letter, we introduce the recent advances in this technique and discuss the future steps necessary to make the THz rapid scan ESR a convenient and easy to use tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient two dimensional T-A formulation based approach is proposed to calculate the electromagnetic characteristics of tape stacks and coils made of second generation high temperature superconductors. In the approach, a thin strip approximation of the superconductor is used in which the superconducting layer is modeled as a 1-dimensional domain. The formulation is mainly based on the calculation of the current vector potential T in the superconductor layer and the calculation of the magnetic vector potential A in the whole space, which are coupled together in the model. Compared with previous T-based models, the proposed model is innovative in terms of magnetic vector potential A solving, which is achieved by using the differential method, instead of the integral method. To validate the T-A formulation model, it is used to simulate racetrack coils made of second generation high temperature superconducting (2G HTS) tape, and the results are compared with the experimentally obtained data on the AC loss. The results show that the T-A formulation is accurate and efficient in calculating 2G HTS coils, including magnetic field distribution, current density distribution, and AC loss. Finally, the proposed model is used for simulating a 2000 turn coil to demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency in simulating large-scale 2G HTS coils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High coercivity CoFe2O4 (CFO) thin films with large-area are very desirable for applications. Here, we report La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) layer decoration effects on coercivity in CFO thin films by solution processing. With LSMO layer decoration, the coercivity increases initially and then decreases with increasing LSMO layer thickness. Strain induced by the mismatched thermal expansion coefficient and magnetostrictive coefficient as well as the interfacial magnetic exchange coupling between CFO and LSMO are investigated. The room temperature out-of-plane and in-plane coercivity reached 7.6 and 4.9 kOe, respectively, are obtained, which are the highest values in solution derived CFO thin films. The improved coercivity is beneficial for applications and provides a facile route to enhance coercivity of CFO thin films through surface modification by soft magnetic layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the role of microstructure on radiation-induced changes to the functional response of ferroelectric thin films. Chemical solution-deposited lead zirconate titanate thin films with columnar and equiaxed grain morphologies are exposed to a range of gamma radiation doses up to 10 Mrad and the resulting trends in functional response degradation are quantified using a previously developed phenomenological model. The observed trends of global degradation as well as local rates of defect saturation suggest strong coupling between ferroelectric thin film microstructure and material radiation hardness. Radiation-induced degradation of domain wall motion is thought to be the major contributor to the reduction in ferroelectric response. Lower rates of defect saturation are noted in samples with columnar grains, due to increased grain boundary density offering more sites to act as defect sinks, thus reducing the interaction of defects with functional material volume within the grain interior. Response trends for measurements at low electric field show substantial degradation of polarization and piezoelectric properties (up to 80% reduction in remanent piezoelectric response), while such effects are largely diminished at increased electric fields, indicating that the defects created/activated are primarily of low pinning energy. The correlation of film microstructure to radiation-induced changes to the functional response of ferroelectric thin films can be leveraged to tune and tailor the eventual properties of devices relying on these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current-voltage, capacitance-voltage-frequency characteristics, and impedance spectroscopy (IS) under conditions of reverse and forward bias are reported in Au/CdS/porous GaAs/GaAs devices. By comparing the C-V and C-f measurements, a possible existence of two depletion layers in our structure is discussed. In contrast to the typically expected parallel association of resistive and capacitive elements, an equivalent circuit is extracted from impedance plots, which employs the constant phase element and accounts for trap states and frequency dispersion. IS makes it possible not only to clarify the contribution of additional capacitive component due to the porous GaAs/GaAs interface by using an appropriate equivalent circuit model analysis but also to estimate a more reliable capacitance value of every junction in the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of a photostimulated solid state reaction was investigated in Mn doped SrTiO3 samples. Light irradiation was performed by either halogen or UV lamps in order to study the effect of the spectral composition, and the results were compared with samples prepared at the same temperatures in a conventional furnace. The obtained samples were studied by X-ray diffraction for structural characterization and by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, which provides microscopic information about the local environment as well as the valence state of Mn ions. It was found that light irradiation significantly enhances the solid state reaction rate compared to synthesis in the conventional furnace. Moreover, it was observed that UV lamp irradiation is much more effective compared to halogen lamps. This indicates that the absorption of light with energy larger than the materials band gap plays an important role and points towards the nonthermal mechanism of the photostimulated solid state reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meander-like magnetic sensing element based on the giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect was prepared by using optical lithography and sputtering deposition techniques. The structure of the sensing element consists of layers of Permalloy (Py=Ni81Fe19), titanium (Ti), and copper (Cu) with composition [Py(100nm)/Ti(6nm)]4/Cu(400nm)/[Py(100nm)/Ti(6nm)]4. The GMI was investigated at room temperature under applied magnetic fields (H) varying in the range of ±4.0 kOe in both longitudinal and transversal geometries. The amplitude Iac and frequency f of the ac electrical current were varied in the range of 0.35-6.50mA and 0.1-20MHz, respectively. The overall dc electrical resistance of the sensing element was found to be 45.6 Ω. The sensing element yielded a GMI of 53.5% for H≃ 5.0Oe and f⊧ 7.0MHz, and the corresponding maximum average sensitivity of about 5 Ω/Oe. The sensing element was used for measuring the local Earth magnetic field (Hlocal=0.26±0.03Hlocal=0.26±0.03 Oe) yielding a value close to the one measured by using a Hall sensor probe (=0.23±0.01=0.23±0.01Oe). GMI sensors are being used in applications such as accelerometers, magnetometers, biomagnetism, magnetic compasses, traffic control, non-destructive analysis, and virus and cancer cell detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic charge transport properties in organic semiconducting thin films of Boron Sub Phthalocyanine Chloride (Sub-Pc) have been studied by admittance spectroscopy applying a bias voltage parallel and perpendicular to the substrate. Sub-Pc long ordered structures confined in different directions induce anisotropic carrier mobility in films. The film with a thickness of 11nm exhibited carrier mobilities three orders higher along the substrate than perpendicular to it. Furthermore, AFM, Kelvin Probe, and UV-Vis spectroscopic studies corroborated the established mobilitystructure relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We constructed a new type of light-weight, nanocarbon based thin film material having good mechanical properties, thermal stability, and electromagnetic shielding efficiency. Our method, 3D printing combined with hot pressing, is a cheap and industrially upscalable process. First a sandwich structure was created by layer-to-layer deposition of alternating 100 lm thick nanocarbon containing plastic layers and 100 lm thick pristine plastic layers, repeated as building blocks. The 3D printed samples were hot pressed to obtain thin films of 10-30 lm thickness. We used a commercial nanocarbon 3D printing filament (Black Magic). TEM investigations revealed the nanocarbon filler to be a mixture of graphene sheets, short carbon nanotubes, fishbone nanotubes, graphitic nanoparticles, and carbon black. Small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray diffraction studies showed some amorphization of the nanocarbon filler as a consequence of the hot pressing. The nanoindentation hardness, nanoscratch hardness, and Young's modulus increase gradually by increasing the number of layers in the films, due to an increase of the amount of nanocarbon filler. Microwave absorption also increases continuously with the number of nanocarbon layers, reaching 40% for 3 nanocarbon layers. We demonstrate that unlike most conventional composites loaded with nanocarbons having pronounced dielectric properties, when the real part of permittivity Re(e) is much higher than its imaginary part Im(e) at high frequencies, a combination of 3D printing and hot pressing allows the fabrication of composites with Re e ≈ Im e in a very broad frequency range (0.2-0.6 THz). Our new 3D printed—hot pressed thin films may compete with the CVD graphene sandwiches in electromagnetic shielding applications because of their easier processability and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy relaxation from an excited phenyl group chemisorbed to the surface of a crystalline thin film of α-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (α-RDX) at 298 K and 1 atm is simulated using molecular dynamics. Two schemes are used to excite the phenyl group. In the first scheme, the excitation energy is added instantaneously as kinetic energy by rescaling momenta of the 11 atoms in the phenyl group. In the second scheme, the phenyl group is equilibrated at a higher temperature in the presence of static RDX geometries representative of the 298 K thin film. An analytical model based on ballistic phonon transport that requires only the harmonic part of the total Hamiltonian and includes no adjustable parameters is shown to predict, essentially quantitatively, the short-time dynamics of the kinetic energy relaxation (∼200 fs). The dynamics of the phenyl group for times longer than about 6 ps follows exponential decay and agrees qualitatively with the dynamics described by a master equation. Long-time heat propagation within the bulk of the crystal film is consistent with the heat equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial column from the journal Crystallography Reports. It introduces a thematic issue dedicated to the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg State University and highlights research conducted by the Department of Solid State Electronics at the university. The history and development of the department are discussed, including the contributions of academicians Petr Ivanovich Lukirskii and Aleksandr Alekseevich Lebedev. The department's research focuses on the electronic and atomic structure of various materials, and it has formed a highly qualified research team. The document emphasizes the department's role in training specialists and its contributions to the scientific community. [Extracted from the article]

Recent years have seen a steady convergence of Radar and Communications band Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver systems. Not only have Communications systems colonised large swathes of previously allocated Radar bands but there is also a convergence of technologies driven by the relatively low cost of software‐defined transceivers and solid‐sate RF sources. Thus, where conventional radar transmissions are characterised by short narrowband pulses with high peak power, new classes of 'pulse‐compression' radar are being developed to exploit this new technology. The resulting Low Probability of Intercept waveforms are designed to spread energy in both time and frequency, yielding a very low instantaneous power spectral density. Methods to detect, analyse and distinguish such sources require longer acquisition periods to collect more energy from the sources. Here, a novel solution is provided for detection and separation based on direction‐finding utilising polynomial matrix methods in conjunction with sparse array geometries. This approach provides enhanced detection, separation and direction finding while using relatively few antenna elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the modulation of anisotropy field, coercivity, and domain wall (DW) velocity in CoFeB/MgO thin films with perpendicular anisotropy by applying voltages across an ionic liquid gate. Domain wall velocities in the creep regime can be modulated by a factor of 4.2, and the anisotropy field of the device can be modulated by 40 mT when going from +0.8V to -0.8V. The applied E-fields are seen to significantly influence DWs' pinning, depinning, and nucleation processes. In addition, we report on the evolution of the magnetic properties of the liquid/solid device as a function of time going from the pristine CoFeB/MgO film through device fabrication and operation up to one month. These results show that the solid/liquid device structure based on CoFeB/MgO thin films can be an efficient way to control magnetic properties with voltages below 1V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of nc-Si solar cells having improved stability, the efficient growth of nc-Si i-layer of the top cell of an efficient all-Si solar cell in the superstrate configuration prefers nc-Si n-layer as its substrate. Accordingly, a wide band gap and high conducting nc-Si alloy material is a basic requirement at the n-layer. Present investigation deals with the development of phosphorous doped n-type nanocrystalline silicon quantum dots embedded in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (nc-Si–QD/a-SiC:H) hetero-structure films, wherein the optical band gap can be widened by the presence of Si–C bonds in the amorphous matrix and the embedded high density tiny nc-Si–QDs could provide high electrical conductivity, particularly in P-doped condition. The nc-Si–QDs simultaneously facilitate further widening of the optical band gap by virtue of the associated quantum confinement effect. A complete investigation has been made on the electrical transport phenomena involving charge transfer by tunneling and thermionic emission prevailing in n-type nc-Si–QD/a-SiC:H thin films. Their correlation with different phases of the specific heterostructure has been carried out for detailed understanding of the material, in order to improve its device applicability. The n-type nc-Si–QD/a-SiC:H films exhibit a thermally activated electrical transport above room temperature and multi-phonon hopping (MPH) below room temperature, involving defects in the amorphous phase and the grain-boundary region. The n-type nc-Si–QD/a-SiC:H films grown at ∼300 °C, demonstrating wide optical gap ∼1.86-1.96 eV and corresponding high electrical conductivity ∼4.5×10-1-1.4×10-2 S cm-1, deserve to be an effective foundation layer for the top nc-Si sub-cell of all-Si solar cells in n-i-p structure with superstrate configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi thin films, with a thickness of 100 nm, are deposited by electron-beam evaporation on a freshly cleaved (100) KCl substrate. The substrate temperature during film growth (Tdep) ranges from room temperature up to 170°C. Films deposited at room temperature exhibit a maze-like microstructure typical of the rhombohedral (110) texture, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction. For Tdep above 80°C, a different microstructure appears, characterized by concentric triangular shapes corresponding to the trigonal (111) texture. Temperature dependence of the resistivity shows a transition from a semiconductor-like behavior for films deposited at room temperature to a metallic-like behavior for Tdep above 80°C. From magnetoresistance measurements between room temperature and 1.6 K, we extract the electron and hole mobilities, concentrations, and mean free paths, which allow to draw a complete picture of the transport properties of both types of films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processional magnetization induced spin current at the interface between CoFeB and Ta has been studied experimentally using spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect for different thicknesses of CoFeB film down to 1.6 nm. It is found that upon decreasing the thickness of the CoFeB, the frequency of the peak position of the spin pumping signal reduces and dispersion relation of the ferromagnetic resonance changes from a quadratic to a linear behavior indicating the presence of an interfacial perpendicular anisotropy. Furthermore, a nonreciprocal behavior between the spin pumping signal amplitude at positive and negative fields is observed which could be as large as 100%. Our experimental results suggest reduction of the effective demagnetization field and possibly the spin waves nonreciprocal behavior mediated by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction at the Ta/CoFeB interface are responsible for the large nonreciprocity of the spin pumping signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth in efficiency of earth-abundant kesterite Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells has slowed, due in part to the intrinsic limitations imposed by the band tailing attributed primarily to I-II antisite exchange. In this study, density functional theory simulations show that when Ag is substituted for Cu to form kesterite Ag2ZnSnSe4 (AZTSe), the I-II isolated antisite formation energy becomes 3.7 times greater than in CZTSSe, resulting in at least an order of magnitude reduction in I-II antisite density. Experimental evidence of an optoelectronically improved material is also provided. Comparison of the low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) structure of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe), CZTSSe, and AZTSe shows that AZTSe has a shallow defect structure with emission significantly closer to the band edge than CZTSe. Existence of suppressed band tailing is found in the proximity of the room-temperature PL peak of AZTSe to its measured band gap. The results are consistent with AZTSe being a promising alternative to CZTSSe and CIGSe for thin film photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable ferroelectric capacitors, which exhibit a decrease of the dielectric permittivity (∈) under electric field, are widely used in electronics for RF tunable applications (e.g., antenna impedance matching). Current devices use barium strontium titanate as the tunable dielectric, and the need for performance enhancement of the tunable element is the key for device improvement. We report here on libraries of Ba0.97Ca0.03Ti1–xZrxO3 thin films (0≤x≤27%) with a thickness of about 130 nm deposited on IrO2/SiO2/Si substrates using combinatorial pulsed laser deposition allowing for gradients of composition on one sample. A total of 600 capacitors on a single sample were characterized in order to statistically investigate the dielectric properties. We show that the tunabilty is maximum at intermediate compositions, reaching values up to 60% for an electric field of about 400 kV cm–1. We attribute the high tunability in the intermediate compositions to the paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transition, which is brought down to room temperature by the addition of Zr. In addition, the piezoelectric coefficient is found to be decreasing with increasing Zr content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of All-Back-Schottky-Contact (ABSC) thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) devices is introduced and evaluated using 2D numerical simulation. Reach-through Schottky junctions due to two metals of different work functions in an alternating, side-by-side pattern along the non-illuminated side generate the requisite built-in field. It is shown that our simulation method quantitatively describes existing data for a recently demonstrated heterojunction thin-film cell with interdigitated back contacts (IBCs) of one metal type. That model is extended to investigate the performance of ABSC devices with bimetallic IBCs within a pertinent parameter space. Our calculations indicate that 20% efficiency is achievable with micron-scale features and sufficient surface passivation. Bimetallic, micron-scale IBCs are readily fabricated using photo-lithographic techniques and the ABSC design allows for optically transparent surface passivation layers that need not be electrically conductive. The key advantages of the ABSC-TFPV architecture are that window layers, buffer layers, heterojunctions, and module scribing are not required because both contacts are located on the back of the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional silica is of rising interests not only for its practical applications as insulating layers in nanoelectronics, but also as a model material to understand crystals and glasses. In this study, we examine structural and electronic properties of hexagonal and haeckelite phases of silica bilayers by performing first-principles calculations. We find that the corner-sharing SiO4 tetrahedrons in these two phases are locally similar. The robustness and resilience of these tetrahedrons under mechanical perturbation allow effective strain engineering of the electronic structures with band gaps covering a very wide range, from of that for insulators, to wide-, and even narrowgap semiconductors. These findings suggest that the flexible 2D silica holds great promises in developing nanoelectronic devices with strain-tunable performance, and lay the ground for the understanding of crystalline and vitreous phases in 2D, where bilayer silica provides an ideal test-bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress is inevitable during thin film growth. It is demonstrated here that the growth stress has a significant effect on the dielectric constant of high-k thin films. ZrO2 thin films were deposited on Ge by reactive direct current sputtering. Stress in these films was measured using in-situ curvature measurement tool. The growth stress was tuned from -2.8 to 0.1 GPa by controlling deposition rate. Dielectric permittivity of ZrO2 depends on temperature, phase, and stress. The correct combination of parameters—phase, texture, and stress—is shown to yield films with an equivalent oxide thickness of 8 Å. Growth stresses are shown to affect the dielectric constant both directly by affecting lattice parameter and indirectly through the effect on phase stability of ZrO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a semiclassical model for the anisotropic thermal transport in III-V semiconductor superlattices (SLs). An effective interface rms roughness is the only adjustable parameter. Thermal transport inside a layer is described by the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation and is affected by the relevant scattering mechanisms (three-phonon, mass-difference, and dopant and electron scattering of phonons), as well as by diffuse scattering from the interfaces captured via an effective interface scattering rate. The in-plane thermal conductivity is obtained from the layer conductivities connected in parallel. The cross-plane thermal conductivity is calculated from the layer thermal conductivities in series with one another and with thermal boundary resistances (TBRs) associated with each interface; the TBRs dominate cross-plane transport. The TBR of each interface is calculated from the transmission coefficient obtained by interpolating between the acoustic mismatch model (AMM) and the diffuse mismatch model (DMM), where the weight of the AMM transmission coefficient is the same wavelength-dependent specularity parameter related to the effective interface rms roughness that is commonly used to describe diffuse interface scattering. The model is applied to multiple III-arsenide superlattices, and the results are in very good agreement with experimental findings. The method is both simple and accurate, easy to implement, and applicable to complicated SL systems, such as the active regions of quantum cascade lasers. It is also valid for other SL material systems with high-quality interfaces and predominantly incoherent phonon transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GeTe and GaSb thin films obtained by pulsed laser deposition were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry at controlled temperatures. The GeTe films were fully amorphous, while the GaSb films were partially crystalized in the as-deposited state. The Tauc-Lorentz model was employed to fit the experimental data. From the temperature study of the optical constants, it was observed the crystallization in the 150–160 °C range of GeTe amorphous films and between 230 and 240 °C of GaSb amorphous phase. A second transition in the resonance energy and the broadening parameter of the Lorentz oscillator was observed due to the crystallization of Sb after 250 °C. The temperatures of 85 °C and 130 °C are noticed as the start of the relaxation of the amorphous GeTe phase and as-deposited GaSb. The peaks of the imaginary part of the dielectric function red shifted after the phase change, while the variation with temperature of the crystalline phase follows the Varshni law. The electron-phonon coupling constants are 2.88 and 1.64 for c-GeTe and c-GaSb, respectively. An optical contrast up to 60% was obtained for GeTe films and a maximum value of 7.5% is revealed in the case GaSb, which is altered by the partial crystallinity of the as-deposited films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strain-induced nanoscale phase mixture in epitaxial BiFeO3 (110) films is investigated. High resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction shows that a monoclinic M2 phase (orthorhombic-like, with a c/a?~?1.01) coexists as the intermediate phase between monoclinic M1 phase (tetragonal-like, with a c/a?~?1.26) and monoclinic M3 phase (rhombohedral-like, with a c/a?~?1.00), as the film thickness increases from 10 to 190?nm. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images reveal the evolution of domain patterns with coexistence of multiple phases. The different ferroelectric polarization directions of these phases, as shown by piezoelectric force microscopy, indicate a strong potential for high electromechanical response. The shear strain ϵ13 is found to be a significant driving factor to reduce strain energy as film thickness increases, according to our theoretical calculations based on the measured lattice parameters. The nanoscale mixed phases, large structure distortions, and polarization rotations among the multiple phases indicate that (110)-oriented epitaxial films provide a promising way to control multifunctionalities of BiFeO3 and an alternative direction to explore the rich physics of perovskite system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is based on the photovoltaic properties of multilayered structure of Bismuth ferrite (BFO) and Barium titanate (BTO) thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique on platinum coated silicon substrate. The multilayered structure possesses enhanced ferroelectric properties and shows a remarkable increase in photocurrent (from 1.56×10-7 A to 6.96×10-5 A) upon illumination with laser light of wavelength 405 nm at an intensity of 160 mW/cm2. The values of short circuit photocurrent and open circuit voltage were found to be 0.3184 mA/cm2 and -1.25 V, respectively, with a light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 0.067%. A relatively high efficiency calculated at 405 nm for the developed multilayered BFO/BTO structure highlights its practical application in ferroelectric photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Laser induced plasma micro-machining (LIPMM) has proved its superiority in micro-machining of hard and brittle materials due to less thermal defects, smaller heat affected zone and larger aspect ratio compared to conventional laser ablation. In order to improve characteristics and stability of induced plasma, this paper proposed magnetically controlled LIPMM (MC-LIPMM) to achieve a good performance of processing single-crystal silicon which is widely used in solid state electronics and infrared optical applications. A comprehensive study on surface integrity and geometrical shape was conducted based on the experimental method. Firstly, the mechanism of MC-LIPMM including laser-plasma, laser-materials interactions and transport effects was theoretically analyzed. Then a series of experiments was conducted to completely investigate the effect of magnetic field intensity, pulse repetition frequency, and bubble behavior on surface integrity and geometrical shape of micro channels. It revealed that magnetic field contributed to maximum reduction of 12.64% for heat affected zone and 62.57% for width while maximum increase of 26.23% for depth and 90.26% for aspect ratio. This research confirms that MC-LIPMM can improve the machining characteristics of silicon materials and cavitation bubbles shows an apparently negative impact on the surface morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence (PL) is commonly used for investigations of Cu2ZnSnS(e)4 [CZTS(e)] and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells. The influence of interference effects on these measurements is, however, largely overlooked in the community. Here, it is demonstrated that PL spectra of typical CZTS absorbers on Mo/glass substrates can be heavily distorted by interference effects. One reason for the pronounced interference in CZTS is the low reabsorption of the PL emission that typically occurs below the band gap. A similar situation occurs in band gap graded CIGS where the PL emission originates predominantly from the band gap minimum located at the notch region. Based on an optical model for interference effects of PL emitted from a thin film, several approaches to reduce the fringing are identified and tested experimentally. These approaches include the use of measured reflectance data, a calculated interference function, use of high angles of incidence during PL measurements as well as the measurement of polarized light near the Brewster angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of magnetic doping on magnetic and transport properties of Bi2Te3 thin films. CrxBi2-xTe3 thin films with x=0.03, 0.14, and 0.29 were grown epitaxially on mica substrate with low surface roughness (∼0.4 nm). It is found that Cr is an electron acceptor in Bi2Te3 and increases the magnetization of CrxBi2-xTe3. When x=0.14 and 0.29, ferromagnetism appears in CrxBi2-xTe3 thin films, where anomalous Hall effect and weak localization of magnetoconductance were observed. The Curie temperature, coercivity, and remnant Hall resistance of thin films increase with increasing Cr concentration. The Arrott-Noakes plot demonstrates that the critical mechanism of the ferromagnetism can be described better with 3D-Heisenberg model than with mean field model. Our work may benefit for the practical applications of magnetic topological insulators in spintronics and magnetoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key challenges in realizing superparamagnetism in magnetic thin films lies in finding a low-energy growth way to create sufficiently small grains and magnetic domains which allow the magnetization to randomly and rapidly reverse. In this work, well-defined superparamagnetic and ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 thin films are successfully prepared using atomic layer deposition technique by finely controlling the growth condition and post-annealing process. As-grown Fe3O4 thin films exhibit a conformal surface and poly-crystalline nature with an average grain size of 7 nm, resulting in a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of 210 K. After post-annealing in H2/Ar at 400 °C, the as-grown α-Fe2O3 sample is reduced tofe3O4 phase, exhibiting a ferrimagnetic ordering and distinct magnetic shape anisotropy. Atomic layer deposition of magnetite thin films with wellcontrolled morphology and magnetic properties provides great opportunities for integrating with other order parameters to realize magnetic nano-devices with potential applications in spintronics, electronics, and bio-applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A SiO2 cantilever covered by elliptical magnetic thin films was designed as an actuator. Under magnetic field, the elliptical magnetic film with sharp ends would exhibit single-domain structures and generate torque to push or pull the two arms of the cantilever. The cantilever could then stretch or compress and the displacement could be controlled by adjusting the magnitude and direction of the external magnetic field. The combination between micromagnetism of patterned films and actuator was successfully demonstrated. The magnetic actuator can be applied for future application in the biological field and would be valuable for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper ferrite, CuFe2O4, films can be stabilized in cubic or tetragonal phases depending on the deposition conditions and post-deposition heat treatment. The difference is explained by redistribution of cations over particular crystal sites and Jahn-Teller distortion of the spinel lattice. Comparative magneto-optical study of the copper ferrite thin films with cubic and tetragonal symmetry is presented. It is shown that the Faraday rotation and magnetic circular dichroism spectra represent a sensitive tool for examination of cation distribution of magnetic Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions in tetrahedral and octahedral crystal sites of the spinel lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional and frequency-agile devices are promising components that satisfy multiple standards of modern wireless communication system. This paper provides a unique method to develop tunable RF components based on engineered smart substrate where the smart substrate contain patterned Permalloy (Py) thin film on high-resistivity silicon. The permeability of Py can be adjusted by changing the DC current, thus allowing tunable RF circuits and components. Single or multilayer patterns can be developed. To demonstrate tunability of the smart substrate, a frequency reconfigurable patch antenna was fabricated on Liquid Crystal Polymer substrate and bonded to the proposed smart substrate. The patch antenna was tested, which revealed that the center frequency of operation could be tuned from 2.38 GHz to 2.43 GHz by changing the DC current from 0mA to 500 mA. Similarly, a transmission line based phase shifter was also fabricated on another smart substrate, which showed that the phase shifter could provide continuous 90° phase shift from 2.35 GHz to 2.15 GHz under different DC current bias conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to develop wide-band noise absorbers with an improved low-frequency performance, this study investigates hybrid absorbers that are composed of conductive Fe3O4 thin film and magnetic composite sheets. The Fe3O4 films prepared via reactive sputtering exhibit a typical value of electrical resistivity of ≃10-4 Ωm. Rubber composites with flaky Fe-Si-Al particles of a high permeability and high permittivity are used as the magnetic sheet functioning as an electromagnetic shield barrier. Microstrip lines with a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω are used to measure the noise absorbing properties. For the Fe3O4 film with a low surface resistance and covered by the magnetic sheet, approximately 80% power absorption can be obtained at 1 GHz, which is significantly higher than that of the original magnetic sheet or Fe3O4 film. The high power absorption of the hybrid absorber is attributed to the enhanced ohmic loss of the Fe3O4 film through increased electric field strength bounded by the upper magnetic composite sheet. The noise absorption is further enhanced through increasing the electrical conductivity of the film containing more conductive phase (Fe3O4 + Fe), which can be prepared in a reduced oxygen partial pressure during reactive sputtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetization reversal mechanism of a permanent magnet has long been a controversial issue, which is closely related to the so-called coercivity problem. It is well known that the energy barrier for magnetization reversal contains essential information on reversal process. In this study, we propose a method to analyze the energy barrier function for the magnetization reversal. Preferentially (001) oriented Nd-Fe-B films with and without a Nd overlayer are used as model magnets. By combining the magnetic viscosity and time dependent coercivity measurements, the barrier function has been successfully evaluated. As a result, although the Nd-Fe-B films with and without Nd overlayer exhibit different magnetic behaviors, the power indices for their energy barrier are almost the same, suggesting that the magnetization reversal proceeds in a similar mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new Preisach type hysteresis model for the high temperature superconductor. This model requires only the limiting hysteresis loop as the input data, and for this model, the limiting hysteresis loop is first separated into two limiting M-H loops based on the mechanisms, which can then be modeled by two separate modified Preisach algorithms. The area integrations of the Preisach distribution functions are determined only based on the limiting M-H loops. The validity and accuracy of this model is confirmed by comparing the simulation and experiment results of Bi-2223 and YBa2Cu3Ox superconducting tapes with external magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the damping of microwave magnetization dynamics, we investigate the effect of Nddoping (0-3.0 at. %) into CoZr thin films. The saturation magnetization decreases with Nd-doping. The coercivities generally decrease in the case of 1.5 at.% Nd-doping, while increase in the case of 3.0 at.% Nd-doping. The magnetization dynamics is characterized with the permeability spectra, which are determined by the ferromagnetic resonance behavior at the microwave range. The permeability spectra are analyzed through the fittings with Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. From the fittings, both the dynamic magnetic anisotropy field and the damping factor increase, due to the enhanced spin-orbital coupling by Nd-doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]