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At least 793 records · Page 44

Optical systems fabricated by printing-based assembly

Provided are optical devices and systems fabricated, at least in part, via printing-based assembly and integration of device components. In specific embodiments the present invention provides light emitting systems, light collecting systems, light sensing systems and photovoltaic systems comprising printable semiconductor elements, including large area, high performance macroelectronic devices. Optical systems of the present invention comprise semiconductor elements assembled, organized and/or integrated with other device components via printing techniques that exhibit performance characteristics and functionality comparable to single crystalline semiconductor based devices fabricated using conventional high temperature processing methods. Optical systems of the present invention have device geometries and configurations, such as form factors, component densities, and component positions, accessed by printing that provide a range of useful device functionalities. Optical systems of the present invention include devices and device arrays exhibiting a range of useful physical and mechanical properties including flexibility, shapeability, conformability and stretchablity.

Rogers, John↗

Nonaggregating Doped Polymers Based on Poly(3,4-Propylenedioxythiophene)

Electrical doping of organic semiconductors is critical for their use in electrical devices. However, many high-performance semiconductors exhibit drastically reduced solubilities when doped in solution, making it difficult to deconvolute the roles of doping and morphological changes on their electrical properties. We report the synthesis of a semiconducting polymer based on poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (ProDOT) substituted with oligo(ethylene glycol) (EG) side chains that is designed to solvate dopant molecules. When doped with F 4 TCNQ in solution, the polymer P(ProDOT-EG) undergoes efficient charge transfer while remaining soluble with no indication of aggregation. The electrical conductivity of thin films cast from heavily doped solutions is ~1 S/cm; optical spectroscopy reveals that the doping efficiency is reduced upon formation of the solid film. Diffusion of F 4 TCNQ from the vapor phase into films of neutral P(ProDOT-EG) yields comparable conductivities to films cast from doped solutions. Absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction of doped films reveal that the doping efficiency and nature of charge carriers (polaron or bipolaron) are strongly affected by the processing route. The lack of the localized polaron signature for films doped by infiltration of the dopant from the vapor phase indicates that morphology has a large role in determining the nature of the charge carriers in semiconducting polymers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Performance enhancement of GaN metal–semiconductor–metal ultraviolet photodetectors by insertion of ultrathin interfacial HfO{sub 2} layer

The authors demonstrate improved device performance of GaN metal–semiconductor–metal ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) by ultrathin HfO{sub 2} (UT-HfO{sub 2}) layer on GaN. The UT-HfO{sub 2} interfacial layer is grown by atomic layer deposition. The dark current of the PDs with UT-HfO{sub 2} is significantly reduced by more than two orders of magnitude compared to those without HfO{sub 2} insertion. The photoresponsivity at 360 nm is as high as 1.42 A/W biased at 5 V. An excellent improvement in the performance of the devices is ascribed to allowed electron injection through UT-HfO{sub 2} on GaN interface under UV illumination, resulting in the photocurrent gain with fast response time.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Material degradation of liquid organic semiconductors analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Liquid organic light-emitting diodes (liquid OLEDs) are unique devices consisting only of liquid organic semiconductors in the active layer, and the device performances have been investigated recently. However, the device degradation, especially, the origin has been unknown. In this study, we show that material degradation occurs in liquid OLEDs, whose active layer is composed of carbazole with an ethylene glycol chain. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments clearly exhibit that the dimerization reaction of carbazole moiety occurs in the liquid OLEDs during driving the devices. In contrast, cleavages of the ethylene glycol chain are not detected within experimental error. The dimerization reaction is considered to be related to the device degradation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-performance near-field electroluminescent refrigeration device consisting of a GaAs light emitting diode and a Si photovoltaic cell

We consider a near-field electroluminescent refrigeration device. The device uses a GaAs light emitting diode as the cold side, and a Si photovoltaic cell as the hot side. The two sides are brought in close proximity to each other across a vacuum gap. The cooling is achieved by applying a positive bias on the GaAs light emitting diode. We show that the choice of GaAs and Si here can suppress the non-idealities for electroluminescent cooling purposes: GaAs has a wide bandgap with low Auger recombination, and Si is a non-polar semiconductor which leads to significantly reduced sub-bandgap heat transfer. We show that by using this configuration in the near-field regime, the cooling power density can reach 10 5 W/m 2 even in the presence of realistic Auger recombination and Shockley-Read-Hall recombination. In addition, with photovoltaic power recovery from the Si cell, the efficiency of the device can be further improved. Our work points to the significant potential of combining near-field heat transfer with active semiconductor devices for the control of heat flow.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Study on mechanically alloyed tin telluride screen-printed films for optoelectronic device applications

Narrow band gap semiconductor tin telluride (SnTe) was synthesized by mechanical alloying and its film was deposited on glass substrates by the economically and commercially feasible screen-printing technique. Deposition of the film was followed by sintering. Different analytical techniques were utilized to study the structure, surface morphology, elemental, optical and electrical characteristics of the film. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that the film is polycrystalline in nature and exhibits rock salt type structure with preferred orientation of grains along (200) direction. EDAX spectrum confirms the presence of Sn and Te elements in the film. SEM image shows that the film exhibits uniform surface. The energy band gap of the film was determined by reflection spectra. The film is found to have a direct band gap of 0.37 eV. The dark electrical conductivity and activation energy of the film were measured in temperature range 300–380 K. Hall Effect measurement indicates that the film has p-type electrical conductivity.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Wind Supply Chain Security: Hardware Enumeration and Analysis

This project, undertaken by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), focused on the enumeration and analysis of six key devices important to wind technologies. The devices analyzed included Beckhoff Bus Terminal Controllers (BK1120 and BC9000), a Beckhoff Economy Built-in Panel PC (CP6231), an N-Tron Managed Industrial Ethernet Switch (711FX3), a Bachmann M1 Gateway, and a Bachmann Smart Power Plant Controller. Device selection was driven by availability and budget constraints, with several components sourced from existing wind farms and others procured through a co-agreement with another WETO-funded project. The project's primary objective was to create a hardware bill of materials (HBOM) for each device, identifying and documenting all components to assess potential security and supply chain risks. A detailed analysis revealed over 750 unique components across the six devices, with 80% successfully identified and accompanied by datasheets. Notably, Texas Instruments emerged as the leading supplier, providing over 16% of the components, followed by ON Semiconductor at 11.3%, Analog Devices at 5.3%, and Renesas Electronics Corp at 4.1%. Other notable vendors included Toshiba Corporation, iC-Haus Corporation, Atmel, Vishay, and STMicroelectronics. The enumeration process involved thorough documentation of each component, including its designation, quantity, identifiers, pin package, description, vendor, model, and country of origin. This process provided valuable insights into the complexity and diversity of the electronic systems within these wind devices. It also highlighted the distinct separation of components between vendors, suggesting a trend of vendor-specific component usage. Key findings from the project emphasized the importance of broadening the scope of vendor analysis in future research to gain a comprehensive understanding of component distribution and commonality. The identification of vendor-specific component usage patterns offers new avenues for research and underscores the significance of continued investigation in this field. Overall, this project provides critical insights into the component composition of wind devices, aiding in the development of improved supply chain management and component sourcing strategies. The results contribute valuable knowledge to the wind technology sector, laying the groundwork for enhanced security and resilience in wind energy systems.

17 - WIND ENERGY↗

Nanosized perpendicular organic spin-valves

A fabrication process for perpendicular organic spin-valve devices based on the organic semiconductor Alq3 has been developed which offers the possibility to achieve active device areas of less than 500 × 500 nm{sup 2} and is flexible in terms of material choice for the active layers. Characterization of the resulting devices shows a large magnetoresistance of sometimes more than 100%, however with equally large variation from device to device. Comparison with large area spin-valves indicates that the magnetoresistance of both large and small devices most likely originates from tunneling through pinholes and tunneling magnetoresistance.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Review Article: Crystal alignment for high performance organic electronics devices

Organic electronics devices based on high-performance small-molecule organic semiconductors have gained substantial attention because of their unique advantages such as excellent charge transport, solution processability, and environmental stability. However, the intrinsic crystallization of small-molecule organic semiconductors is anisotropic, resulting in significant device performance variations of organic electronics devices. In this article, the authors review the various approaches and techniques developed to control and align the crystallization of some benchmark solution-processable, high-performance, small-molecule organic semiconductors, such as 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene, N,N'-1H,1H-perfluorobutyl dicyanoperylenecarboxydiimide, and 5,11-bis(triethylgermylethynyl)anthradithiophene. These alignment approaches are studied in the context of capillary force-based techniques, patterning-based techniques, solution-shearing-based techniques, and other miscellaneous techniques, including zone-casting, vertical flowing, air flow navigation, temperature gradient alignment, etc. The organic semiconductors and crystal alignment techniques reviewed in this article shed light on important relationship among crystallization, charge transport, and device performance and can be applied to various high-performance organic electronics devices, such as organic thin film transistors and solar cells.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Hall Effect Characterization of α ‐Irradiated p‐Type 4H‐SiC

Most electrical characterization of radiation damage to semiconductors is conducted on full devices or on low‐doped material. However, evaluating the radiation hardness is challenging in less mature semiconductor systems where low‐doped material is unavailable and full devices are difficult to realize. Herein, temperature‐dependent Hall effect measurements are used to demonstrate α particle‐induced radiation effects in p‐type 4H‐SiC with a room temperature hole concentration of . The 4H‐SiC is irradiated by α particles from a 210 Po source over a fluence of –. Modeling the hole concentration as a function of temperature shows that α radiation causes hole compensation through the introduction of hole traps. The radiation also induces a reduction in hole mobility due to an increase in defect‐related scattering centers. At low temperatures and increasingly higher fluences, the conduction mechanism changes from band conduction to another mechanism.

Frye, Clint D.↗

Monolayer borophene electrode for effective elimination of both the Schottky barrier and strong electric field effect

The formation of Schottky barriers between 2D semiconductors and traditional metallic electrodes has greatly limited the application of 2D semiconductors in nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices. In this study, metallic borophene was used as a substitute for the traditional noble metal electrode to contact with the 2D semiconductor. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that no Schottky barrier exists in the borophene/2D semiconductor heterostructure. The contact remains ohmic even with a strong electric field applied. This finding provides a way to construct 2D electronic devices and sensors with greatly enhanced performance.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Charge transport mechanisms of graphene/semiconductor Schottky barriers: A theoretical and experimental study

Graphene has been proposed as a material for semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic devices. Understanding the charge transport mechanisms of graphene/semiconductor Schottky barriers will be crucial for future applications. Here, we report a theoretical model to describe the transport mechanisms at the interface of graphene and semiconductors based on conventional semiconductor Schottky theory and a floating Fermi level of graphene. The contact barrier heights can be estimated through this model and be close to the values obtained from the experiments, which are lower than those of the metal/semiconductor contacts. A detailed analysis reveals that the barrier heights are as the function of the interface separations and dielectric constants, and are influenced by the interfacial states of semiconductors. Our calculations show how this behavior of lowering barrier heights arises from the Fermi level shift of graphene induced by the charge transfer owing to the unique linear electronic structure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Negative Differential Conductance & Hot-Carrier Avalanching in Monolayer WS2 FETs

The high field phenomena of inter-valley transfer and avalanching breakdown have long been exploited in devices based on conventional semiconductors. In this Article, we demonstrate the manifestation of these effects in atomically-thin WS 2 field-effect transistors. The negative differential conductance exhibits all of the features familiar from discussions of this phenomenon in bulk semiconductors, including hysteresis in the transistor characteristics and increased noise that is indicative of travelling high-field domains. It is also found to be sensitive to thermal annealing, a result that we attribute to the influence of strain on the energy separation of the different valleys involved in hot-electron transfer. This idea is supported by the results of ensemble Monte Carlo simulations, which highlight the sensitivity of the negative differential conductance to the equilibrium populations of the different valleys. At high drain currents (>10 μA/μm) avalanching breakdown is also observed, and is attributed to trap-assisted inverse Auger scattering. This mechanism is not normally relevant in conventional semiconductors, but is possible in WS 2 due to the narrow width of its energy bands. The various results presented here suggest that WS 2 exhibits strong potential for use in hot-electron devices, including compact high-frequency sources and photonic detectors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tunable Spin Characteristic Properties in Spin Valve Devices Based on Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Perovskites

The hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) form a new class of semiconductors which show promising optoelectronic device applications. Remarkably, the optoelectronic properties of HOIP are tunable by changing the chemical components of their building blocks. Recently, the HOIP spintronic properties and their applications in spintronic devices have attracted substantial interest. Here the impact of the chemical component diversity in HOIPs on their spintronic properties is studied. Additionally, spin valve devices based on HOIPs with different organic cations and halogen atoms are fabricated. The spin diffusion length is obtained in the various HOIPs by measuring the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) response in spin valve devices with different perovskite interlayer thicknesses. In addition spin lifetime is also measured from the Hanle response. It is found that the spintronic properties of HOIPs are mainly determined by the halogen atoms, rather than the organic cations. The study provides a clear avenue for engineering spintronic devices based on HOIPs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Epitaxial Dirac Semimetal Vertical Heterostructures for Advanced Device Architectures

Exploiting the extraordinary transport and optical properties of 3D topological semimetals for device applications requires epitaxial integration with semiconductors to carefully control carrier transport, yet no studies have established heteroepitaxy on top of any topological semimetals to date. Here, a novel approach toward fabricating heterostructures is demonstrated by epitaxially incorporating the Dirac semimetal Cd 3 As 2 between Zn x Cd 1-x Te and CdTe layers via molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates. The approach utilizes the higher energy (001) surface of Cd 3 As 2 to stabilize 2D epitaxy of zinc blende semiconductors. To demonstrate the impact heterostructure formation offers to device performance, an all-epitaxial, barrier-type vertical photodetector is fabricated that accesses a different carrier separation mechanism than previously reported non-epitaxial junctions and consequently exhibits significantly reduced dark currents. Finally, the results highlight the important role that epitaxial integration can play in accessing advanced architectures for topological semimetal-based devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Passivation of Germanium by Graphene for Stable Graphene/Germanium Heterostructure Devices

The scalable integration of graphene onto semiconductor platforms is an important step towards utilizing the exceptional structural, electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties of graphene in state-of-the-art technologies. Specifically, graphene films grown on Ge are an exciting materials system for high-performance electronics; however, the device performance depends sensitively on the structural, electronic, and chemical nature of the graphene/Ge interface. We have recently discovered that graphene grown directly on Ge via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can passivate the Ge surface, preventing its oxidation for months—longer than alternate passivation methods reported in the literature. Yet, the factors that govern passivation are not understood. Here, we elucidate how the CVD growth conditions and Ge surface orientation affect Ge oxidation below graphene. We find that growing graphene with a high H2:CH4 flux ratio minimizes formation of defects in graphene, enhancing Ge passivation. While minimizing defects is important, surprisingly, we find that passivation depends much stronger on the Ge surface orientation. These results provide a route for the integration of graphene films with a pristine graphene/substrate interface on Ge, an important step towards stabilizing the Ge surface and realizing graphene-based or hybrid graphene/Ge heterostructure devices integrated directly on conventional semiconductor wafers.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗