SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “Semiconductor”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Electronic structure of semiconductor nanoparticles from stochastic evaluation of imaginary-time path integral
Not Available
High Field Transport in (Ultra) Wide Bandgap Semiconductors: Diamond Versus Cubic GaN
We provide an analysis of nonlinear transport in diamond and cubic GaN (c-GaN) with emphasis on the different types of optical phonon scattering [i.e., optical deformation potential (ODP) scattering versus polar optic phonon (POP) scattering] limiting the carrier velocity. Both types of carrier mobilities and carrier saturation (peak) velocities in diamond and c-GaN as functions of different doping types and concentrations are obtained by directly solving the Boltzmann equation. Our model indicates that the nonrandomizing nature of POP scattering causes carrier temperature cooling, resulting in higher carrier drift velocity than with ODP scattering. This effect, in addition to the small carrier effective masses and large optical phonon energies, is responsible for the higher peak velocities in c-GaN, compared to carrier drift velocity in diamond.
Analysis of a New Implicit Solver for a Semiconductor Model
Here, we present and analyze a new iterative solver for implicit discretizations of a simplified Boltzmann--Poisson system. The algorithm builds on recent work that incorporated a sweeping algorithm for the Vlasov--Poisson equations as part of nested inner-outer iterative solvers for the Boltzmann--Poisson equations. The new method eliminates the need for nesting and requires only one transport sweep per iteration. It arises as a new fixed-point formulation of the discretized system which we prove to be contractive for a given electric potential. We also derive an accelerator to improve the convergence rate for systems in the drift-diffusion regime. We numerically compare the efficiency of the new solver, with and without acceleration, against a recently developed nested iterative solver.
Unveiling the mechanism of remote epitaxy of crystalline semiconductors on 2D materials-coated substrates
Abstract Remote epitaxy has opened novel opportunities for advanced manufacturing and heterogeneous integration of two-dimensional (2D) materials and conventional (3D) materials. The lattice transparency as the fundamental principle of remote epitaxy has been studied and challenged by recent observations defying the concept. Understanding remote epitaxy requires an integrated approach of theoretical modeling and experimental validation at multi-scales because the phenomenon includes remote interactions of atoms across an atomically thin material and a few van der Waals gaps. The roles of atomically thin 2D material for the nucleation and growth of a 3D material have not been integrated into a framework of remote epitaxy research. Here, we summarize studies of remote epitaxy mechanisms with a comparison to other epitaxy techniques. In the end, we suggest the crucial topics of remote epitaxy research for basic science and applications. Graphical Abstract
Impact of substrates and quantum effects on exciton line shapes of 2D semiconductors at room temperature
Exciton resonances in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) provide exceptionally strong light–matter interaction at room temperature. Their spectral line shape is critical in the design of a myriad of optoelectronic devices, ranging from solar cells to quantum information processing. However, disorder resulting from static inhomogeneities and dynamical fluctuations can significantly impact the line shape. Many recent works experimentally evaluate the optical properties of TMD monolayers placed on a substrate and the line shape is typically linked directly to the material’s quality. Here, we highlight that the interference of the substrate and TMD reflections can strongly influence the line shape. We further show how basic, room-temperature reflection measurements allow investigation of the quantum mechanical exciton dynamics by systematically controlling the substrate reflection with index-matching oils. By removing the substrate contribution with properly chosen oil, we can extract the excitonic decay rates including the quantum mechanical dephasing rate. The results provide valuable guidance for the engineering of exciton line shapes in layered nanophotonic systems.
Hybrid Plasmonic & Semiconductor Nanostructures for Quantum-Photon and Coherent Multi-Photon Generation and Control
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Quaternary Semiconductor Cd1−xZnxTe1−ySey for High-Resolution, Room-Temperature Gamma-Ray Detection
The application of Cd0.9Zn0.1Te (CZT) single crystals, the primary choice for high-resolution, room-temperature compact gamma-ray detectors in the field of medical imaging and homeland security for the past three decades, is limited by the high cost of production and maintenance due to low detector grade crystal growth yield. The recent advent of its quaternary successor, Cd0.9Zn0.1Te1−ySey (CZTS), has exhibited remarkable crystal growth yield above 90% compared to that of ~33% for CZT. The inclusion of Se in appropriate stoichiometry in the CZT matrix is responsible for reducing the concentration of sub-grain boundary (SGB) networks which greatly enhances the compositional homogeneity and growth yield. SGB networks also host defect centers responsible for charge trapping, hence their reduced concentration ensures minimized charge trapping. Indeed, CZTS single crystals have shown remarkable improvement in electron charge transport properties and energy resolution over CZT detectors. However, our studies have found that the overall charge transport in CZTS is still limited by the hole trapping. In this article, we systematically review the advances in the CZTS growth techniques, its performance as room-temperature radiation detector, and the role of defects and their passivation studies needed to improve the performance of CZTS detectors further.
High Efficiency Semiconductors for Nuclear Material Accounting
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A Semiconductor-Based High-Yield X-Ray Photocathode
Report of activities during FY 2019 for SDRD project.
High-Z Semiconductors for h-keV Direct X-Ray Imaging
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Improving Ion Control for Semiconductor Processing with Repetitive Pulsed Power - Phase II Final Technical Report
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Photovoltaics Based on Direct and Indirect Gap Semiconductors
Direct and thin, or indirect and thick absorbers can yield cells close to 30% but there are practical limits due to defects, cost, reliability. Tandems and new ideas are needed to minimize thermalization and entropy losses and to enable high absorptance in thin Si layers. Direct-gap absorbers have ~1000x higher recombination losses than Si, but being 100x thinner, the limiting 1-sun efficiencies are similar due to 100x higher G.
Tacky Elastomers to Enable Tear-Resistant and Autonomous Self-Healing Semiconductor Composites
Mechanical failure of π-conjugated polymer thin films is unavoidable under cyclic loading conditions, due to intrinsic defects and poor resistance to crack propagation. Here, the first tear-resistant and room-temperature self-healable semiconducting composite is presented, consisting of conjugated polymers and butyl rubber elastomers. This new composite displays both a record-low elastic modulus (<1 MPa) and ultrahigh deformability with fracture strain above 800%. More importantly, failure behavior is not sensitive to precut notches under deformation. Autonomous self-healing at room temperature, both mechanical and electronic, is demonstrated through the physical contact of two separate films. The composite film also shows device stability in the ambient environment over 5 months due to much-improved barrier property to both oxygen and water. Butyl rubber is broadly applicable to various p-type and n-type semiconducting polymers for fabricating self-healable electronics to provide new resilient electronics that mimic the tear resistance and healable property of human skin.
Enhancing Organic Semiconductor Molecular Packing Using Perovskite Interfaces to Improve Singlet Fission
Singlet fission, a process by which one singlet exciton is converted into two lower energy triplet excitons, is sensitive to the degree of electronic coupling within a molecular packing structure. Variations in molecular packing can be detrimental to triplet formation and triplet–triplet separation, ultimately affecting the harvesting of triplets for electricity in organic photovoltaic devices. Here, six phase-pure molecular packing structures of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) with varying optoelectronic properties are isolated using 2D lead halide perovskites as tunable, crystalline surfaces for crystallization. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that while triplet formation is fast (<100 fs) regardless of template structure, the increased ordering in perovskite-templated samples speeds up triplet–triplet separation and recombination, providing evidence that the benefits of phase-purity offset minor variations in molecular packing. Molecular dynamics modeling of the interface reveals that perovskite-templating allows for closer packing of TIPS-pentacene molecules for all perovskite templates. With an extensive number of organic molecule-perovskite pairings, this work provides a methodology to use ordered, periodic surfaces to elucidate structure–property relationships of small organic molecules in order to adjust structural or optoelectronic responses, such as molecular packing and singlet fission.
Nanoscale Optical Imaging of 2D Semiconductor Stacking Orders by Exciton-Enhanced Second Harmonic Generation
Not provided.
Improved Light Extraction in Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes via Semiconductor Dilution
Increasing the internal light extraction efficiency of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is key to improving their performance for solid‐state lighting applications; however, it is challenging to do this in a way that is compatible with high volume manufacturing. Here, it is shown that the outcoupling efficiency of OLEDs can be improved by diluting their hole transport layer (HTL) with the low refractive index material trifluoropropyl oligomeric silsesquioxane (F‐POSS). Specifically, co‐evaporating 40 vol.% F‐POSS in the HTL of single and multi‐stack phosphorescent OLEDs decreases its refractive index by Δ n ≈ 0.2, which in turn yields a ≈12% increase in their outcoupling efficiency with no impact on electrical performance or operational lifetime. This result is significant because F‐POSS is a small molecule that sublimes cleanly, does not aggregate, and is compatible with state‐of‐the‐art HTL materials, making it a realistic path to increase light extraction in commercial OLEDs manufactured on existing production lines.
The Importance of Avoided Crossings in Understanding High Valley Degeneracy in Half‐Heusler Thermoelectric Semiconductors
Abstract Half‐Heusler (hH) compounds are promising candidates for inexpensive, low‐toxicity thermoelectric materials. It is well known that engineering electronic bands with high valley degeneracy is an effective approach for enhancing the performance of thermoelectric materials, and there are several routes for achieving high valley degeneracy in hH systems. For instance, there are multiple locations in the first Brillouin zone where the valence band maximum can be found (at the Γ‐, L‐, or W‐point), and there are two competing low‐lying conduction bands at the X‐point, where the conduction band minimum is located. By converging the multiple valence band and conduction band extrema, the valley degeneracy, and hence, performance of these materials can be improved. Here, group theoretical and tight‐binding approaches, in addition to first‐principles density functional theory calculations, are used to study the chemical origins of various band extrema in both the n‐type and p‐type compounds, with particular focus on ZrNiSn and NbFeSb. Specifically, the importance of avoided crossings is explained. The results of this work can be used to better understand and develop design strategies for engineering better performing hH thermoelectrics.