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At least 451 records · Page 25

Methods and devices for fabricating and assembling printable semiconductor elements

The invention provides methods and devices for fabricating printable semiconductor elements and assembling printable semiconductor elements onto substrate surfaces. Methods, devices and device components of the present invention are capable of generating a wide range of flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices and arrays of devices on substrates comprising polymeric materials. The present invention also provides stretchable semiconductor structures and stretchable electronic devices capable of good performance in stretched configurations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Methods and devices for fabricating and assembling printable semiconductor elements

The invention provides methods and devices for fabricating printable semiconductor elements and assembling printable semiconductor elements onto substrate surfaces. Methods, devices and device components of the present invention are capable of generating a wide range of flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices and arrays of devices on substrates comprising polymeric materials. The present invention also provides stretchable semiconductor structures and stretchable electronic devices capable of good performance in stretched configurations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Methods and devices for fabricating and assembling printable semiconductor elements

The invention provides methods and devices for fabricating printable semiconductor elements and assembling printable semiconductor elements onto substrate surfaces. Methods, devices and device components of the present invention are capable of generating a wide range of flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices and arrays of devices on substrates comprising polymeric materials. The present invention also provides stretchable semiconductor structures and stretchable electronic devices capable of good performance in stretched configurations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Methods and devices for fabricating and assembling printable semiconductor elements

The invention provides methods and devices for fabricating printable semiconductor elements and assembling printable semiconductor elements onto substrate surfaces. Methods, devices and device components of the present invention are capable of generating a wide range of flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices and arrays of devices on substrates comprising polymeric materials. The present invention also provides stretchable semiconductor structures and stretchable electronic devices capable of good performance in stretched configurations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Methods and devices for fabricating and assembling printable semiconductor elements

The invention provides methods and devices for fabricating printable semiconductor elements and assembling printable semiconductor elements onto substrate surfaces. Methods, devices and device components of the present invention are capable of generating a wide range of flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices and arrays of devices on substrates comprising polymeric materials. The present invention also provides stretchable semiconductor structures and stretchable electronic devices capable of good performance in stretched configurations.

Nuzzo, Ralph G.↗

Pit rim decomposition into multiple quantum dots on surfaces of epitaxial thin films grown on pit-patterned substrates

Here, we report results of dynamical simulations according to an experimentally validated surface morphological evolution model on the formation of regular arrays of quantum dot molecules (QDMs) consisting of 1D arrays of smaller interacting quantum dots (QDs). These QD arrays form along the sides of each pit rim on the surface of a coherently strained thin film epitaxially deposited on a semiconductor substrate, the surface of which consists of a periodic pattern of inverted prismatic pits with rectangular pit openings. We find that this complex QDM pattern results from the decomposition of the pit rim from a “quantum fortress” with four elongated QDs into four 1D arrays of multiple smaller QDs arranged along each side of the pit rim. Systematic parametric analysis indicates that varying the pit opening dimensions and the pit wall inclination directly impacts the number of QDs in the resulting QDM pattern, while varying the pit depth only affects the dimensions of the QDs in the nanostructure pattern. Therefore, the number, arrangement, and sizes of QDs in the resulting pattern of QDMs on the film surface can be engineered precisely by proper tuning of the pit design parameters. Our simulation results are supported by predictions of morphological stability analysis, which explains the pit rim decomposition into multiple QDs as the outcome of a tip-splitting instability and provides a fundamental characterization of the post-instability nanostructure pattern. Our theoretical findings can play a vital role in designing optimal semiconductor surface patterns toward enabling future nanofabrication technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dislocation half-loop control for optimal V-defect density in GaN-based light emitting diodes

V-defects are morphological defects that typically form on threading dislocations during epitaxial growth of $(0001)$-oriented GaN layers. A V-defect is a hexagonal pyramid-shaped depression with six {$10\bar{1}1$}-oriented sidewalls. These semipolar sidewalls have a lower polarization barrier than the polarization barriers present between the polar c-plane quantum wells and quantum barriers and can laterally inject carriers directly into quantum wells in GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs). This is especially important, as the high polarization field in c-plane GaN is a significant factor in the high forward voltage of GaN LEDs. The optimal V-defect density for efficient lateral carrier injection in a GaN LED (∼10 9 cm −2 ) is typically an order of magnitude higher than the threading dislocation density of GaN grown on patterned sapphire substrates (∼10 8 cm −2 ). Pure-edge dislocation loops have been known to exist in GaN, and their formation into large V-defects via low-temperature growth with high Si-doping has recently been studied. Here, in this work, we develop a method for pure-edge threading dislocation half-loop formation and density control via disilane flow, growth temperature, and thickness of the half-loop generation layer. We also develop a method of forming the threading dislocation half-loops into V-defects of comparable size to those originating from substrate threading dislocations.

Crystallographic defects↗

Slope Efficiency and Voltage Reduction at High Current Densities in AlInGaAs Diode Lasers

Here, the slope efficiency and drive voltage of broad area AlInGaAs laser diodes near 865 nm is observed to decrease significantly under quasi-CW pulsed operation at currents well above threshold, in a manner that cannot be explained by thermal effects or carrier leakage over heterojunction barriers. Simulations show that the slope efficiency reduction is explicable by increased free carrier absorption in the waveguide region. Empirical formulas are presented to represent these effects in a closed analytic form suitable for use in simulators for diode-pumped laser systems.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Decoupling Grain-Boundary, Grain-Interior, and Surface Recombination with Cathodoluminescence

In this work, we combine quantitative cathodoluminescence (CL) with time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and numerical simulations to determine grain-boundary, grain-interior, and surface recombination parameters in standard CdTe thin films. CL intensities from thousands of grains are analyzed to accumulate statistics and chart variations with grain size. Grain-boundary contrast results for small grains indicate that the grain-boundary recombination velocity, S GB , decreases significantly with CdCl 2 treatment, but S GB is increased by subsequent Cu-diffusion. Furthermore, within a given sample, data suggests that S GB is nearly independent of grain size. The back-surface recombination velocity, S, is extracted from TRPL measurements incident on the back surface, and CL profiles are simulated to determine the grain-interior lifetime, t GI . Finally, CL intensity vs. grain size relationships are simulated to check for self-consistency of the S GB , S, and t GI values.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Coincident site lattice-matched growth of semiconductors on substrates using compliant buffer layers

A method of producing semiconductor materials and devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials are provided. In particular, a method is provided of producing a semiconductor material, such as a III-V semiconductor, on a silicon substrate using a compliant buffer layer, and devices such as photovoltaic cells that incorporate the semiconductor materials. The compliant buffer material and semiconductor materials may be deposited using coincident site lattice-matching epitaxy, resulting in a close degree of lattice matching between the substrate material and deposited material for a wide variety of material compositions. The coincident site lattice matching epitaxial process, as well as the use of a ductile buffer material, reduce the internal stresses and associated crystal defects within the deposited semiconductor materials fabricated using the disclosed method. As a result, the semiconductor devices provided herein possess enhanced performance characteristics due to a relatively low density of crystal defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Comparing the State-of-the-Art SiC MOSFETs: Test results reveal characteristics of four major manufacturers? 900-V and 1.2-kV SiC devices

For decades, silicon (Si)-based semiconductors were the solution for power electronics applications due to their mature technology and low manufacturing costs. However, such semiconductors seem to be approaching their limits of operation in terms of blocking voltage, working temperature, and switching speed. The voltage rating of commercial Si insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) is limited to 6.5 kV, and at higher voltages, the maximum switching frequency featured by these semiconductors is no more than several hundred hertz. Here, the development of optimal switching schemes, such as selective harmonics elimination and selective harmonics mitigation, was mainly due to the limitation in switching performance of Si-based semiconductors for high-power converters. Moreover, no Si-based semiconductor is reported to be capable of operating beyond 200?C.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Ordered and Patterned Assembly of Organic Micro/Nanocrystals for Flexible Electronic and Optoelectronic Devices

Organic semiconductor micro/nanocrystals (OSMCs) have attracted intensive research over the past few decades. Their unique electrical and mechanical properties afford them applications in a vast network of active flexible electronic and optoelectronic fields, such as organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs), photodetectors (PDs), and organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) etc. However, the growth orientation and location of OSMCs are usually stochastic in nature, which hinders the further use of OSMCs in large‐area plastic electronic devices. On the other hand, traditional microelectronic processing techniques like photolithography may damage the plastic substrates, polymer insulators, and organic materials. Thus the alignment and patterning of OSMCs and development of new device construction technologies are prerequisite for their flexible device applications in practice. In this progress report,the important advancement for fabricating the aligned and patterned OSMCs, with a focus on their applications in next‐generation flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices, is highlighted. Also, the challenges and outlooks of the ordered and patterned OSMCs in the flexible device applications are presented.

Deng, Wei↗

Performance comparison between photovoltaic and thermoradiative devices

Photovoltaic (PV) and thermoradiative (TR) devices are power generators that use the radiative energy transfer between a hot and a cold reservoir. For PV devices, the semiconductor at the cold side (PV cell) generates electric power; for TR devices, the semiconductor at the hot side (TR cell) generates electric power. In this work, we compare the performance of the photovoltaic and thermoradiative devices, with and without the non-radiative processes. Without non-radiative processes, PV devices generally produce larger output powers than TR devices. However, when non-radiative processes become important, the TR can outperform the PV devices. This conclusion applies to both far-field and near-field based devices. A key difference in efficiency between PV and TR devices is pointed out.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields on the Spin Current in Organic Spintronic Devices

Organic semiconductors are suitable for spin transport because of the extremely long spin-diffusion length, which stems from the weak spin-orbit coupling. In this article, the drift-diffusion transport model to evaluate the spin current in a ferromagnetic/organic semiconductor structure is studied. Effects of the spin-dependent interfacial conductance, temperature and the polarization of the FM bulk on the spin current are discussed in the existence of the electric and magnetic fields. It is obtained that the electric and magnetic fields increase the spin current significantly.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

2D materials-assisted heterogeneous integration of semiconductor membranes toward functional devices

Heterogeneous integration techniques allow the coupling of highly lattice-mismatched solid-state membranes, including semiconductors, oxides, and two-dimensional materials, to synergistically fuse the functionalities. The formation of heterostructures generally requires two processes: the combination of crystalline growth and a non-destructive lift-off/transfer process enables the formation of high-quality heterostructures. Although direct atomic interaction between the substrate and the target membrane ensures high-quality growth, the strong atomic bonds at the substrate/epitaxial film interface hinder the non-destructive separation of the target membrane from the substrate. Alternatively, a 2D material-coated compound semiconductor substrate can transfer the weakened (but still effective) surface potential field of the surface through the 2D material, allowing both high-quality epitaxial growth and non-destructive lift-off of the grown film. This Perspective reviews 2D/3D heterogeneous integration techniques, along with applications of III–V compound semiconductors and oxides. Here, the advanced heterogeneous integration methods offer an effective method to produce various freestanding membranes for stackable heterostructures with unique functionalities that can be applied to novel electrical, optoelectronic, neuromorphic, and bioelectronic systems.

2D materials↗

Quantitative Dedoping of Conductive Polymers

Although doping is a cornerstone of the inorganic semiconductor industry, most devices using organic semiconductors (OSCs) make use of intrinsic (undoped) materials. Recent work on OSC doping has focused on the use of dopants to modify a material’s physical properties, such as solubility, in addition to electronic and optical properties. However, if these effects are to be exploited in device manufacturing, a method for dedoping organic semiconductors is required. In this work, we outline two chemical strategies for dedoping OSC films. In the first strategy, we use an electron donor (a tertiary amine) to act as competitive donor. This process is based on a thermodynamic equilibrium between ionization of the donor and OSC and results in only partial dedoping. In the second strategy, we use an electron donor that subsequently reacts with the p-type dopant to create a nondoping product molecule. Primary and secondary amines undergo a rapid addition reaction with the dopant molecule 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8,-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), with primary amines undergoing a further reaction eliminating HCN. Under optimized conditions, films of semiconducting polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) dedoped with 1-propylamine (PA) reach as-cast fluorescence intensities within 5 s of exposure to the amine, eventually reaching 140% of the as-cast values. Field-effect mobilities similarly recover after dedoping. Quantitative fluorescence recovery is possible even in highly fluorescent polymers such as PFB, which are expected to be much more sensitive to residual dopants. Interestingly, treatment of undoped films with PA also yields increased fluorescence intensity and a reduction in conductivity of at least 2 orders of magnitude. These results indicate that the process quantitatively removes not only F4TCNQ but also intrinsic p-type impurities present in as-cast films. The dedoping strategies outlined in this article are generally applicable to other p- and n-type molecular dopants in OSC films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗