Improvement in negative bias illumination stress stability of In-Ga-Zn-O thin film transistors using HfO2 gate insulators by controlling atomic-layer-deposition conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Na, So-Yeong; Kim, Yeo-Myeong; Yoon, Da-Jeong; Yoon, Sung-Min

2017-12-01

The effects of atomic layer deposition (ALD) conditions for the HfO2 gate insulators (GI) on the device characteristics of the InGaZnO (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) were investigated when the ALD temperature and Hf precursor purge time were varied to 200, 225, and 250 °C, and 15 and 30 s, respectively. The HfO2 thin films showed low leakage current density of 10-8 A cm-2, high dielectric constant of over 20, and smooth surface roughness at all ALD conditions. The IGZO TFTs using the HfO2 GIs showed good device characteristics such as a saturation mobility as high as 11 cm2 V-1 s-1, a subthreshold swing as low as 0.10 V/dec, and all the devices could be operated at a gate voltage as low as  ±3 V. While there were no marked differences in transfer characteristics and PBS stabilities among the fabricated devices, the NBIS instabilities could be improved by increasing the ALD temperature for the formation of HfO2 GIs by reducing the oxygen vacancies within the IGZO channel.

Study of strained-Si p-channel MOSFETs with HfO2 gate dielectric

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, Diana; Das, Sanghamitra; Dash, Tara Prasanna

2016-10-01

In this work, the transconductance of strained-Si p-MOSFETs with high-K dielectric (HfO2) as gate oxide, has been presented through simulation using the TCAD tool Silvaco-ATLAS. The results have been compared with a SiO2/strained-Si p-MOSFET device. Peak transconductance enhancement factors of 2.97 and 2.73 has been obtained for strained-Si p-MOSFETs in comparison to bulk Si channel p-MOSFETs with SiO2 and high-K dielectric respectively. This behavior is in good agreement with the reported experimental results. The transconductance of the strained-Si device at low temperatures has also been simulated. As expected, the mobility and hence the transconductance increases at lower temperatures due to reduced phonon scattering. However, the enhancements with high-K gate dielectric is less as compared to that with SiO2.

Investigation of various properties of HfO2-TiO2 thin film composites deposited by multi-magnetron sputtering system

Science.gov (United States)

Mazur, M.; Poniedziałek, A.; Kaczmarek, D.; Wojcieszak, D.; Domaradzki, J.; Gibson, D.

2017-11-01

In this work the properties of hafnium dioxide (HfO2), titanium dioxide (TiO2) and mixed HfO2-TiO2 thin films with various amount of titanium addition, deposited by magnetron sputtering were described. Structural, surface, optical and mechanical properties of deposited coatings were analyzed. Based on X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering measuremets it was observed that there was a significant influence of titanium concentration in mixed TiO2-HfO2 thin films on their microstructure. Increase of Ti content in prepared mixed oxides coatings caused, e.g. a decrease of average crystallite size and amorphisation of the coatings. As-deposited hafnia and titania thin films exhibited nanocrystalline structure of monoclinic phase and mixed anatase-rutile phase for HfO2 and TiO2 thin films, respectively. Atomic force microscopy investigations showed that the surface of deposited thin films was densely packed, crack-free and composed of visible grains. Surface roughness and the value of water contact angle decreased with the increase of Ti content in mixed oxides. Results of optical studies showed that all deposited thin films were well transparent in a visible light range. The effect of the change of material composition on the cut-off wavelength, refractive index and packing density was also investigated. Performed measurements of mechanical properties revealed that hardness and Young's elastic modulus of thin films were dependent on material composition. Hardness of thin films increased with an increase of Ti content in thin films, from 4.90 GPa to 13.7 GPa for HfO2 and TiO2, respectively. The results of the scratch resistance showed that thin films with proper material composition can be used as protective coatings in optical devices.

Nanopore fabricated in pyramidal HfO2 film by dielectric breakdown method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yifan; Chen, Qi; Deng, Tao; Liu, Zewen

2017-10-01

The dielectric breakdown method provides an innovative solution to fabricate solid-state nanopores on insulating films. A nanopore generation event via this method is considered to be caused by random charged traps (i.e., structural defects) and high electric fields in the membrane. Thus, the position and number of nanopores on planar films prepared by the dielectric breakdown method is hard to control. In this paper, we propose to fabricate nanopores on pyramidal HfO2 films (10-nm and 15-nm-thick) to improve the ability to control the location and number during the fabrication process. Since the electric field intensity gets enhanced at the corners of the pyramid-shaped film, the probability of nanopore occurrence at vertex and edge areas increases. This priority of appearance provides us chance to control the location and number of nanopores by monitoring a sudden irreversible discrete increase in current. The experimental results showed that the probability of nanopore occurrence decreases in an order from the vertex area, the edge area to the side face area. The sizes of nanopores ranging from 30 nm to 10 nm were obtained. Nanopores fabricated on the pyramid-shaped HfO2 film also showed an obvious ion current rectification characteristic, which might improve the nanopore performance as a biomolecule sequencing platform.

GaN MOSHEMT employing HfO2 as a gate dielectric with partially etched barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Kefeng; Zhu, Lin

2017-09-01

In order to suppress the gate leakage current of a GaN high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT), a GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MOSHEMT) is proposed, in which a metal-oxide-semiconductor gate with high-dielectric-constant HfO2 as an insulating dielectric is employed to replace the traditional GaN HEMT Schottky gate. A 0.5 μm gate length GaN MOSHEMT was fabricated based on the proposed structure, the {{{Al}}}0.28{{{Ga}}}0.72{{N}} barrier layer is partially etched to produce a higher transconductance without deteriorating the transport characteristics of the two-dimensional electron gas in the channel, the gate dielectric is HfO2 deposited by atomic layer deposition. Current-voltage characteristics and radio frequency characteristics are obtained after device preparation, the maximum current density of the device is 900 mA mm-1, the source-drain breakdown voltage is 75 V, gate current is significantly suppressed and the forward gate voltage swing range is about ten times higher than traditional GaN HEMTs, the GaN MOSHEMT also demonstrates radio frequency characteristics comparable to traditional GaN HEMTs with the same gate length.

Study of bulk Hafnium oxide (HfO2) under compression

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Santanu; Mandal, Guruprasad; Das, Parnika

2018-04-01

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) is a technologically important material. This material has K-value of 25 and band gap 5.8 eV. A k value of 25-30 is preferred for a gate dielectric [1]. As it shows good insulating and capacitive properties, HfO2 is being considered as a replacement to SiO2 in microelectronic devices as gate dielectrics. On the other hand because of toughening mechanism due to phase transformation induced by stress field observed in these oxides, HFO2 has been a material of investigations in various configurations for a very long time. However the controversies about phase transition of HfO2 under pressure still exists. High quality synchrotron radiation has been used to study the structural phase transition of HfO2 under pressure.

Growth Related Carrier Mobility Enhancement of Pentacene Thin-Film Transistors with High-k Oxide Gate Dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ai-Fang, Yu; Qiong, Qi; Peng, Jiang; Chao, Jiang

2009-01-01

Carrier mobility enhancement from 0.09 to 0.59 cm 2 /Vs is achieved for pentacene-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) by modifying the HfO 2 gate dielectric with a polystyrene (PS) thin film. The improvement of the transistor's performance is found to be strongly related to the initial film morphologies of pentacene on the dielectrics. In contrast to the three-dimensional island-like growth mode on the HfO 2 surface, the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode on the smooth and nonpolar PS/HfO 2 surface is believed to be the origin of the excellent carrier mobility of the TFTs. A large well-connected first monolayer with fewer boundaries is formed via the Stranski–Krastanov growth mode, which facilitates a charge transport parallel to the substrate and promotes higher carrier mobility. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Impact of Gate Dielectric in Carrier Mobility in Low Temperature Chalcogenide Thin Film Transistors for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Salas-Villasenor, A. L.; Mejia, I.; Hovarth, J.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Cha, D. K.; Ramirez-Bon, R.; Gnade, B. E.; Quevedo-Lopez, M. A.

2010-01-01

Cadmium sulfide thin film transistors were demonstrated as the n-type device for use in flexible electronics. CdS thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition (70° C) on either 100 nm HfO2 or SiO2 as the gate dielectrics. Common gate transistors with channel lengths of 40-100 μm were fabricated with source and drain aluminum top contacts defined using a shadow mask process. No thermal annealing was performed throughout the device process. X-ray diffraction results clearly show the hexagonal crystalline phase of CdS. The electrical performance of HfO 2 /CdS -based thin film transistors shows a field effect mobility and threshold voltage of 25 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2 V, respectively. Improvement in carrier mobility is associated with better nucleation and growth of CdS films deposited on HfO2. © 2010 The Electrochemical Society.

Impact of Gate Dielectric in Carrier Mobility in Low Temperature Chalcogenide Thin Film Transistors for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Salas-Villasenor, A. L.

2010-06-29

Cadmium sulfide thin film transistors were demonstrated as the n-type device for use in flexible electronics. CdS thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition (70° C) on either 100 nm HfO2 or SiO2 as the gate dielectrics. Common gate transistors with channel lengths of 40-100 μm were fabricated with source and drain aluminum top contacts defined using a shadow mask process. No thermal annealing was performed throughout the device process. X-ray diffraction results clearly show the hexagonal crystalline phase of CdS. The electrical performance of HfO 2 /CdS -based thin film transistors shows a field effect mobility and threshold voltage of 25 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2 V, respectively. Improvement in carrier mobility is associated with better nucleation and growth of CdS films deposited on HfO2. © 2010 The Electrochemical Society.

Energy-band alignment of (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x gate dielectrics deposited by atomic layer deposition on β-Ga2O3 (-201)

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Lei; Zhang, Hongpeng; Jia, Renxu; Guo, Lixin; Zhang, Yimen; Zhang, Yuming

2018-03-01

Energy band alignments between series band of Al-rich high-k materials (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x and β-Ga2O3 are investigated using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The results exhibit sufficient conduction band offsets (1.42-1.53 eV) in (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x/β-Ga2O3. In addition, it is also obtained that the value of Eg, △Ec, and △Ev for (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x/β-Ga2O3 change linearly with x, which can be expressed by 6.98-1.27x, 1.65-0.56x, and 0.48-0.70x, respectively. The higher dielectric constant and higher effective breakdown electric field of (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x compared with Al2O3, coupled with sufficient barrier height and lower gate leakage makes it a potential dielectric for high voltage β-Ga2O3 power MOSFET, and also provokes interest in further investigation of HfAlO/β-Ga2O3 interface properties.

New theory of effective work functions at metal/high-k dielectric interfaces : application to metal/high-k HfO2 and la2O 3 dielectric interfaces

OpenAIRE

Shiraishi, Kenji; Nakayama, Takashi; Akasaka, Yasushi; Miyazaki, Seiichi; Nakaoka, Takashi; Ohmori, Kenji; Ahmet, Parhat; Torii, Kazuyoshi; Watanabe, Heiji; Chikyow, Toyohiro; Nara, Yasuo; Iwai, Hiroshi; Yamada, Keisaku

2006-01-01

We have constructed a universal theory of the work functions at metal/high-k HfO2 and La2O3 dielectric interfaces by introducing a new concept of generalized charge neutrality levels. Our theory systematically reproduces the experimentally observed work functions of various gate metals on Hf-based high-k dielectrics, including the hitherto unpredictable behaviors of the work functions of p-metals. Our new concept provides effective guiding principles to achieving near-bandedge work functions ...

Silicon surface passivation using thin HfO2 films by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gope, Jhuma; Vandana; Batra, Neha; Panigrahi, Jagannath; Singh, Rajbir; Maurya, K.K.; Srivastava, Ritu; Singh, P.K.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • HfO 2 films using thermal ALD are studied for silicon surface passivation. • As-deposited thin film (∼8 nm) shows better passivation with surface recombination velocity (SRV) <100 cm/s. • Annealing improves passivation quality with SRV ∼20 cm/s for ∼8 nm film. - Abstract: Hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) is a potential material for equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) scaling in microelectronics; however, its surface passivation properties particularly on silicon are not well explored. This paper reports investigation on passivation properties of thermally deposited thin HfO 2 films by atomic layer deposition system (ALD) on silicon surface. As-deposited pristine film (∼8 nm) shows better passivation with <100 cm/s surface recombination velocity (SRV) vis-à-vis thicker films. Further improvement in passivation quality is achieved with annealing at 400 °C for 10 min where the SRV reduces to ∼20 cm/s. Conductance measurements show that the interface defect density (D it ) increases with film thickness whereas its value decreases after annealing. XRR data corroborate with the observations made by FTIR and SRV data.

HfO2 as gate dielectric on Ge: Interfaces and deposition techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caymax, M.; Van Elshocht, S.; Houssa, M.; Delabie, A.; Conard, T.; Meuris, M.; Heyns, M.M.; Dimoulas, A.; Spiga, S.; Fanciulli, M.; Seo, J.W.; Goncharova, L.V.

2006-01-01

To fabricate MOS gate stacks on Ge, one can choose from a multitude of metal oxides as dielectric material which can be deposited by many chemical or physical vapor deposition techniques. As a few typical examples, we will discuss here the results from atomic layer deposition (ALD), metal organic CVD (MOCVD) and molecular beam deposition (MBD) using HfO 2 /Ge as materials model system. It appears that a completely interface layer free HfO 2 /Ge combination can be made in MBD, but this results in very bad capacitors. The same bad result we find if HfGe y (Hf germanides) are formed like in the case of MOCVD on HF-dipped Ge. A GeO x interfacial layer appears to be indispensable (if no other passivating materials are applied), but the composition of this interfacial layer (as determined by XPS, TOFSIMS and MEIS) is determining for the C/V quality. On the other hand, the presence of Ge in the HfO 2 layer is not the most important factor that can be responsible for poor C/V, although it can still induce bumps in C/V curves, especially in the form of germanates (Hf-O-Ge). We find that most of these interfacial GeO x layers are in fact sub-oxides, and that this could be (part of) the explanation for the high interfacial state densities. In conclusion, we find that the Ge surface preparation is determining for the gate stack quality, but it needs to be adapted to the specific deposition technique

Crystal structure and band gap determination of HfO2 thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cheynet, M.C.; Pokrant, S.; Tichelaar, F.D.; Rouvière, J.L.

2007-01-01

Valence electron energy loss spectroscopy (VEELS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) are performed on three different HfO2 thin films grown on Si (001) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD). For each sample the band gap (Eg) is determined by

Study of Direct-Contact HfO2/Si Interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noriyuki Miyata

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Controlling monolayer Si oxide at the HfO2/Si interface is a challenging issue in scaling the equivalent oxide thickness of HfO2/Si gate stack structures. A concept that the author proposes to control the Si oxide interface by using ultra-high vacuum electron-beam HfO2 deposition is described in this review paper, which enables the so-called direct-contact HfO2/Si structures to be prepared. The electrical characteristics of the HfO2/Si metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors are reviewed, which suggest a sufficiently low interface state density for the operation of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs but reveal the formation of an unexpected strong interface dipole. Kelvin probe measurements of the HfO2/Si structures provide obvious evidence for the formation of dipoles at the HfO2/Si interfaces. The author proposes that one-monolayer Si-O bonds at the HfO2/Si interface naturally lead to a large potential difference, mainly due to the large dielectric constant of the HfO2. Dipole scattering is demonstrated to not be a major concern in the channel mobility of MOSFETs.

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of CoFeB\\Ta bilayers on ALD HfO2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bart F. Vermeulen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA is an essential condition for CoFe thin films used in magnetic random access memories. Until recently, interfacial PMA was mainly known to occur in materials stacks with MgO\\CoFe(B interfaces or using an adjacent crystalline heavy metal film. Here, PMA is reported in a CoFeB\\Ta bilayer deposited on amorphous high-κ dielectric (relative permittivity κ=20 HfO2, grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD. PMA with interfacial anisotropy energy Ki up to 0.49 mJ/m2 appears after annealing the stacks between 200°C and 350°C, as shown with vibrating sample magnetometry. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the decrease of PMA starting from 350°C coincides with the onset of interdiffusion in the materials. High-κ dielectrics are potential enablers for giant voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA. The absence of VCMA in these experiments is ascribed to a 0.6 nm thick magnetic dead layer between HfO2 and CoFeB. The results show PMA can be easily obtained on ALD high-κ dielectrics.

TaN interface properties and electric field cycling effects on ferroelectric Si-doped HfO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomenzo, Patrick D.; Nishida, Toshikazu; Takmeel, Qanit; Zhou, Chuanzhen; Fancher, Chris M.; Jones, Jacob L.; Lambers, Eric; Rudawski, Nicholas G.; Moghaddam, Saeed

2015-01-01

Ferroelectric HfO 2 -based thin films, which can exhibit ferroelectric properties down to sub-10 nm thicknesses, are a promising candidate for emerging high density memory technologies. As the ferroelectric thickness continues to shrink, the electrode-ferroelectric interface properties play an increasingly important role. We investigate the TaN interface properties on 10 nm thick Si-doped HfO 2 thin films fabricated in a TaN metal-ferroelectric-metal stack which exhibit highly asymmetric ferroelectric characteristics. To understand the asymmetric behavior of the ferroelectric characteristics of the Si-doped HfO 2 thin films, the chemical interface properties of sputtered TaN bottom and top electrodes are probed with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ta-O bonds at the bottom electrode interface and a significant presence of Hf-N bonds at both electrode interfaces are identified. It is shown that the chemical heterogeneity of the bottom and top electrode interfaces gives rise to an internal electric field, which causes the as-grown ferroelectric domains to preferentially polarize to screen positively charged oxygen vacancies aggregated at the oxidized bottom electrode interface. Electric field cycling is shown to reduce the internal electric field with a concomitant increase in remanent polarization and decrease in relative permittivity. Through an analysis of pulsed transient switching currents, back-switching is observed in Si-doped HfO 2 thin films with pinched hysteresis loops and is shown to be influenced by the internal electric field

Suppression of interfacial reaction for HfO2 on silicon by pre-CF4 plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, C.S.; Wu, W.C.; Chao, T.S.; Chen, J.H.; Wang, J.C.; Tay, L.-L.; Rowell, Nelson

2006-01-01

In this letter, the effects of pre-CF 4 plasma treatment on Si for sputtered HfO 2 gate dielectrics are investigated. The significant fluorine was incorporated at the HfO 2 /Si substrate interface for a sample with the CF 4 plasma pretreatment. The Hf silicide was suppressed and Hf-F bonding was observed for the CF 4 plasma pretreated sample. Compared with the as-deposited sample, the effective oxide thickness was much reduced for the pre-CF 4 plasma treated sample due to the elimination of the interfacial layer between HfO 2 and Si substrate. These improved characteristics of the HfO 2 gate dielectrics can be explained in terms of the fluorine atoms blocking oxygen diffusion through the HfO 2 film into the Si substrate

Mechanical properties of ultra-thin HfO2 films studied by nano scratches tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Wei-En; Chang, Yong-Qing; Chang, Chia-Wei; Yao, Chih-Kai; Liao, Jiunn-Der

2013-01-01

10-nm-thick atomic layer deposited HfO 2 films were characterized in terms of wear resistance and indentation hardness to investigate the thermal annealing induced impacts on mechanical properties. The wear resistance of ultra-thin films at low loads was characterized using nano-scratch tests with an atomic force microscope. The depth of the nano-scratches decreases with increasing annealing temperature, indicating that the hardness of the annealed films increases with the annealing temperatures. Surface nanoindentation was also performed to confirm the nanoscratch test results. The hardness variation of the annealed films is due to the generation of HfSi x O y induced by the thermal annealing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements proved that the hardness of formed HfSi x O y with increasing annealing temperatures. The existence of HfSi x O y broadens the interface, and causes the increase of the interfacial layer thickness. As a result, the surface hardness increases with the increasing HfSi x O y induced by the thermal annealing. - Highlights: ► Mechanical properties of HfO 2 films were assessed by nano-scratch and indentation. ► Scratch depth of HfO 2 films decreased with the increase of annealing temperatures. ► Nano-hardness of HfO 2 films increased with the increase of annealing temperatures

Mechanisms and selectivity for etching of HfO2 and Si in BCl3 plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chunyu; Donnelly, Vincent M.

2008-01-01

The authors have investigated plasma etching of HfO 2 , a high dielectric constant material, and poly-Si in BCl 3 plasmas. Etching rates were measured as a function of substrate temperature (T s ) at several source powers. Activation energies range from 0.2 to 1.0 kcal/mol for HfO 2 and from 0.8 to 1.8 kcal/mol for Si, with little or no dependence on source power (20-200 W). These low activation energies suggest that product removal is limited by chemical sputtering of the chemisorbed Hf or Si-containing layer, with a higher T s only modestly increasing the chemical sputtering rate. The slightly lower activation energy for HfO 2 results in a small improvement in selectivity over Si at low temperature. The surface layers formed on HfO 2 and Si after etching in BCl 3 plasmas were also investigated by vacuum-transfer x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A thin boron-containing layer was observed on partially etched HfO 2 and on poly-Si after etching through HfO 2 films. For HfO 2 , a single B(1s) feature at 194 eV was ascribed to a heavily oxidized species with bonding similar to B 2 O 3 . B(1s) features were observed for poly-Si surfaces at 187.6 eV (B bound to Si), 189.8 eV, and 193 eV (both ascribed to BO x Cl y ). In the presence of a deliberately added 0.5% air, the B-containing layer on HfO 2 is largely unaffected, while that on Si converts to a thick layer with a single B(1s) peak at 194 eV and an approximate stoichiometry of B 3 O 4 Cl

Influence of O2 flow rate on HfO2 gate dielectrics for back-gated graphene transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganapathi, Kolla Lakshmi; Bhat, Navakanta; Mohan, Sangeneni

2014-01-01

HfO 2  thin films deposited on Si substrate using electron beam evaporation, are evaluated for back-gated graphene transistors. The amount of O 2  flow rate, during evaporation is optimized for 35 nm thick HfO 2  films, to achieve the best optical, chemical and electrical properties. It has been observed that with increasing oxygen flow rate, thickness of the films increased and refractive index decreased due to increase in porosity resulting from the scattering of the evaporant. The films deposited at low O 2  flow rates (1 and 3 SCCM) show better optical and compositional properties. The effects of post-deposition annealing and post-metallization annealing in forming gas ambience (FGA) on the optical and electrical properties of the films have been analyzed. The film deposited at 3 SCCM O 2  flow rate shows the best properties as measured on MOS capacitors. To evaluate the performance of device properties, back-gated bilayer graphene transistors on HfO 2  films deposited at two O 2  flow rates of 3 and 20 SCCM have been fabricated and characterized. The transistor with HfO 2  film deposited at 3 SCCM O 2  flow rate shows better electrical properties consistent with the observations on MOS capacitor structures. This suggests that an optimum oxygen pressure is necessary to get good quality films for high performance devices. (paper)

Comparison of precursors for pulsed metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of HfO2 high-K dielectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teren, Andrew R.; Thomas, Reji; He, Jiaqing; Ehrhart, Peter

2005-01-01

Hafnium oxide films were deposited on Si(100) substrates using pulsed metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and evaluated for high-K dielectric applications. Three types of precursors were tested: two oxygenated ones, Hf butoxide-dmae and Hf butoxide-mmp, and an oxygen-free one, Hf diethyl-amide. Depositions were carried out in the temperature range of 350-650 deg. C, yielding different microstructures ranging from amorphous to crystalline, monoclinic, films. The films were compared on the basis of growth rate, phase development, density, interface characteristics, and electrical properties. Some specific features of the pulsed injection technique are considered. For low deposition temperatures the growth rate for the amide precursor was significantly higher than for the mixed butoxide precursors. A thickness-dependent amorphous to crystalline phase transition temperature was found for all precursors. There is an increase of the film density along with the deposition temperature from values as low as 5 g/cm 3 at 350 deg. C to values close to the bulk value of 9.7 g/cm 3 at 550 deg. C. Crystallization is observed in the same temperature range for films of typically 10-20 nm thickness. However, annealing studies show that this density increase is not simply related to the crystallization of the films. Similar electrical properties could be observed for all precursors and the dielectric constant of the films reaches values similar to the best values reported for bulk crystalline HfO 2

Influence of standing-wave electric field pattern on the laser damage resistance of HfO sub 2 thin films

CERN Document Server

Protopapa, M L; De Tomasi, F; Di Giulio, M; Perrone, M R; Scaglione, S

2002-01-01

The standing-wave electric field pattern that forms inside an optical coating as a consequence of laser irradiation is one of the factors influencing the coating laser-induced damage threshold. The influence of the standing-wave electric field profile on the damage resistance to ultraviolet radiation of hafnium dioxide (HfO sub 2) thin films was investigated in this work. To this end, HfO sub 2 thin films of different thicknesses deposited by the electron beam evaporation technique at the same deposition conditions were analyzed. Laser damage thresholds of the samples were measured at 308 nm (XeCl laser) by the photoacoustic beam deflection technique and microscopic inspections. The dependence of the laser damage threshold on the standing-wave electric field pattern was analyzed.

Structural, morphological, optical and photoluminescence properties of HfO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, C.Y.; Wang, W.J.; Wang, J.; Miao, C.Y.; Li, S.L.; Zhang, Q.Y.

2013-01-01

Nanocrystalline monoclinic HfO 2 films with an average crystal size of 4.2–14.8 nm were sputter deposited under controlled temperatures and their structural characteristics and optical and photoluminescence properties have been evaluated. Structural investigations indicate that monoclinic HfO 2 films grown at higher temperatures above 400 °C are highly oriented along the (− 111) direction. The lattice expansion increases with diminishing HfO 2 crystalline size below 6.8 nm while maximum lattice expansion occurs with highly oriented monoclinic HfO 2 of crystalline size about 14.8 nm. The analysis of atomic force microscopy shows that the film growth at 600 °C can be attributed to the surface-diffusion-dominated growth. The intensity of the shoulderlike band that initiates at ∼ 5.7 eV and saturates at 5.94 eV shows continued increase with increasing crystalline size, which is intrinsic to nanocrystalline monoclinic HfO 2 films. Optical band gap varies in the range 5.40 ± 0.03–5.60 ± 0.03 eV and is slightly decreased with the increase in crystalline size. The luminescence band at 4.0 eV of HfO 2 films grown at room temperature can be ascribed to the vibronic transition of excited OH · radical while the emission at 3.2–3.3 eV for the films grown at all temperatures was attributed to the radiative recombination at impurity and/or defect centers. - Highlights: • Nanocrystalline monoclinic HfO 2 films were sputter deposited. • Structural, optical and photoluminescence properties were studied. • To analyze the scaling behavior using the power spectral density • Optical and photoluminescence properties strongly depend on film growth temperature

Chemical reaction at the interface between pentacene and HfO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, S.J.; Yi, Y.; Kim, K.H.; Yoo, C.Y.; Moewes, A.; Cho, M.H.; Denlinger, J.D.; Whang, C.N.; Chang, G.S.

2005-01-01

The electronic structure and the interface formation at the interface region between pentacene and HfO2 are investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES). The measured C 1s XPS spectra of pentacene indicate that chemical bonding occurs at the interface between pentacene and HfO2. The carbon of pentacene reacts with oxygen belonging to HfO2 and band bending occurs at the interface due to a redistribution of charge. The determined interface dipole and band bending between pentacene and HfO2 are 0.04 and 0.1 eV, respectively. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level is observed at 0.68 eV below the Fermi level. This chemical reaction allows us to grow a pentacene film with large grains onto HfO2. We conclude that high performance pentacene thin film transistors can be obtained by inserting an ultrathin HfO2 layer between pentacene and a gate insulator

Capacitor Property and Leakage Current Mechanism of ZrO2 Thin Dielectric Films Prepared by Anodic Oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Kamijyo, Masahiro; Onozuka, Tomotake; Shinkai, Satoko; Sasaki, Katsutaka; Yamane, Misao; Abe, Yoshio

2003-07-01

Polycrystalline ZrO2 thin film capacitors were prepared by anodizing sputter-deposited Zr films. Electrical measurements are performed for the parallel-plate anodized capacitors with an Al-ZrO2-Zr (metal-insulator-metal) structure, and a high capacitance density (0.6 μF/cm2) and a low dielectric loss of nearly 1% are obtained for a very thin-oxide capacitor anodized at 10 V. In addition, the leakage current density of this capacitor is about 1.8 × 10-8 A/cm2 at an applied voltage of 5 V. However, the leakage current is somewhat larger than that of a low-loss HfO2 capacitor. The leakage current density (J) of ZrO2 capacitors as a function of applied electric field (E) was investigated for several capacitors with different oxide thicknesses, by plotting \\ln(J) vs E1/2 curves. As a result, it is revealed that the conduction mechanism is due to the Poole-Frenkel effect, irrespective of the oxide thickness.

Chemical states and electronic structure of a HfO(-2)/Ge(001) interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Kang-ill; McIntyre, Paul C.; Stanford U., Materials Sci. Dept.; Sun, Shiyu; Lee, Dong-Ick; Pianetta, Piero; SLAC, SSRL; Saraswat, Krishna C.; Stanford U., Elect. Eng. Dept.

2005-01-01

We report the chemical bonding structure and valence band alignment at the HfO 2 /Ge (001) interface by systematically probing various core level spectra as well as valence band spectra using soft x-rays at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. We investigated the chemical bonding changes as a function of depth through the dielectric stack by taking a series of synchrotron photoemission spectra as we etched through the HfO 2 film using a dilute HF-solution. We found that a very non-stoichiometric GeO x layer exists at the HfO 2 /Ge interface. The valence band spectra near the Fermi level in each different film structure were carefully analyzed, and as a result, the valence band offset between Ge and GeO x was determined to be ΔE v (Ge-GeO x ) = 2.2 ± 0.15 eV, and that between Ge and HfO 2 , ΔE v (Ge-HfO 2 ) = 2.7 ± 0.15 eV

Insights into thermal diffusion of germanium and oxygen atoms in HfO2/GeO2/Ge gate stacks and their suppressed reaction with atomically thin AlOx interlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Shingo; Asahara, Ryohei; Minoura, Yuya; Hosoi, Takuji; Shimura, Takayoshi; Watanabe, Heiji; Sako, Hideki; Kawasaki, Naohiko; Yamada, Ichiko; Miyamoto, Takashi

2015-01-01

The thermal diffusion of germanium and oxygen atoms in HfO 2 /GeO 2 /Ge gate stacks was comprehensively evaluated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry combined with an isotopic labeling technique. It was found that 18 O-tracers composing the GeO 2 underlayers diffuse within the HfO 2 overlayers based on Fick's law with the low activation energy of about 0.5 eV. Although out-diffusion of the germanium atoms through HfO 2 also proceeded at the low temperatures of around 200 °C, the diffusing germanium atoms preferentially segregated on the HfO 2 surfaces, and the reaction was further enhanced at high temperatures with the assistance of GeO desorption. A technique to insert atomically thin AlO x interlayers between the HfO 2 and GeO 2 layers was proven to effectively suppress both of these independent germanium and oxygen intermixing reactions in the gate stacks

Low-temperature fabrication of an HfO2 passivation layer for amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin film transistors using a solution process.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Seonghwan; Park, Sung Pyo; Kim, Yeong-Gyu; Kang, Byung Ha; Na, Jae Won; Kim, Hyun Jae

2017-11-24

We report low-temperature solution processing of hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) passivation layers for amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). At 150 °C, the hafnium chloride (HfCl 4 ) precursor readily hydrolyzed in deionized (DI) water and transformed into an HfO 2 film. The fabricated HfO 2 passivation layer prevented any interaction between the back surface of an a-IGZO TFT and ambient gas. Moreover, diffused Hf 4+ in the back-channel layer of the a-IGZO TFT reduced the oxygen vacancy, which is the origin of the electrical instability in a-IGZO TFTs. Consequently, the a-IGZO TFT with the HfO 2 passivation layer exhibited improved stability, showing a decrease in the threshold voltage shift from 4.83 to 1.68 V under a positive bias stress test conducted over 10,000 s.

Memory Effect of Metal-Oxide-Silicon Capacitors with Self-Assembly Double-Layer Au Nanocrystals Embedded in Atomic-Layer-Deposited HfO2 Dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yue, Huang; Hong-Yan, Gou; Qing-Qing, Sun; Shi-Jin, Ding; Wei, Zhang; Shi-Li, Zhang

2009-01-01

We report the chemical self-assembly growth of Au nanocrystals on atomic-layer-deposited HfO 2 films aminosilanized by (3-Aminopropyl)-trimethoxysilane aforehand for memory applications. The resulting Au nanocrystals show a density of about 4 × 10 11 cm −2 and a diameter range of 5–8nm. The metal-oxide-silicon capacitor with double-layer Au nanocrystals embedded in HfO 2 dielectric exhibits a large C – V hysteresis window of 11.9V for ±11 V gate voltage sweeps at 1 MHz, a flat-band voltage shift of 1.5 V after the electrical stress under 7 V for 1 ms, a leakage current density of 2.9 × 10 −8 A/cm −2 at 9 V and room temperature. Compared to single-layer Au nanocrystals, the double-layer Au nanocrystals increase the hysteresis window significantly, and the underlying mechanism is thus discussed

A comparative study on top-gated and bottom-gated multilayer MoS2 transistors with gate stacked dielectric of Al2O3/HfO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Xiao; Xu, Jingping; Huang, Hao; Zhu, Ziqang; Wang, Hongjiu; Li, Borui; Liao, Lei; Fang, Guojia

2018-06-15

Top-gated and bottom-gated transistors with multilayer MoS 2 channel fully encapsulated by stacked Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 (9 nm/6 nm) were fabricated and comparatively studied. Excellent electrical properties are demonstrated for the TG transistors with high on-off current ratio of 10 8 , high field-effect mobility of 10 2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , and low subthreshold swing of 93 mV dec -1 . Also, enhanced reliability has been achieved for the TG transistors with threshold voltage shift of 10 -3 -10 -2 V MV -1 cm -1 after 6 MV cm -1 gate-biased stressing. All improvement for the TG device can be ascribed to the formed device structure and dielectric environment. Degradation of the performance for the BG transistors should be attributed to reduced gate capacitance density and deteriorated interface properties related to vdW gap with a thickness about 0.4 nm. So, the TG transistor with MoS 2 channel fully encapsulated by stacked Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 is a promising way to fabricate high-performance ML MoS 2 field-effect transistors for practical electron device applications.

Comparative studies of AlGaN/GaN MOS-HEMTs with stacked gate dielectrics by the mixed thin film growth method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Bo-Yi; Hsu, Wei-Chou; Liu, Han-Yin; Ho, Chiu-Sheng; Lee, Ching-Sung

2013-01-01

This paper reports Al 0.27 Ga 0.73 N/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs) with stacked Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 gate dielectrics by using hydrogen peroxideoxidation/sputtering techniques. The Al 2 O 3 employed as a gate dielectric and surface passivation layer effectively suppresses the gate leakage current, improves RF drain current collapse and exhibits good thermal stability. Moreover, by stacking the good insulating high-k HfO 2 dielectric further suppresses the gate leakage, enhances the dielectric breakdown field and power-added efficiency, and decreases the equivalent oxide thickness. The present MOS-HEMT design has demonstrated superior improvements of 10.1% (16.4%) in the maximum drain–source current (I DS,max ), 11.4% (22.5%) in the gate voltage swing and 12.5%/14.4% (21.9%/22.3%) in the two-terminal gate–drain breakdown/turn-on voltages (BV GD /V ON ), and the present design also demonstrates the lowest gate leakage current and best thermal stability characteristics as compared to two reference MOS-HEMTs with a single Al 2 O 3 /(HfO 2 ) dielectric layer of the same physical thickness. (invited paper)

PAC study in the HfO2-SiO2 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chain, C.Y.; Damonte, L.C.; Ferrari, S.; Munoz, E.; Torres, C. Rodriguez; Pasquevich, A.F.

2010-01-01

A high-k HfO 2 /SiO 2 gate stack is taking the place of SiO 2 as a gate dielectric in field effect transistors. This fact makes the study of the solid-state reaction between these oxides very important. Nanostructure characterization of a high-energy ball milled and post-annealed equimolar HfO 2 and amorphous SiO 2 powder mixture has been carried out by perturbed angular correlations (PAC) technique. The study was complemented with X-ray diffraction and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The experimental results revealed that the ball milling of equimolar mixtures increases the defects concentration in hafnium oxide. No solid-state reaction occurred even after 8 h of milling. The formation of HfSiO 4 (hafnon) was observed in the milled blends annealed at high temperatures.The PAC results of the milled samples are compared with those obtained for pure m-ZrO 2 subjected to high-energy ball milling and with reported microstructure data for the system ZrO 2 -SiO 2 .

Effect of Dielectric Interface on the Performance of MoS2 Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xuefei; Xiong, Xiong; Li, Tiaoyang; Li, Sichao; Zhang, Zhenfeng; Wu, Yanqing

2017-12-27

Because of their wide bandgap and ultrathin body properties, two-dimensional materials are currently being pursued for next-generation electronic and optoelectronic applications. Although there have been increasing numbers of studies on improving the performance of MoS 2 field-effect transistors (FETs) using various methods, the dielectric interface, which plays a decisive role in determining the mobility, interface traps, and thermal transport of MoS 2 FETs, has not been well explored and understood. In this article, we present a comprehensive experimental study on the effect of high-k dielectrics on the performance of few-layer MoS 2 FETs from 300 to 4.3 K. Results show that Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 could boost the mobility and drain current. Meanwhile, MoS 2 transistors with Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 demonstrate a 2× reduction in oxide trap density compared to that of the devices with the conventional SiO 2 substrate. Also, we observe a negative differential resistance effect on the device with 1 μm-channel length when using conventional SiO 2 as the gate dielectric due to self-heating, and this is effectively eliminated by using the Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 gate dielectric. This dielectric engineering provides a highly viable route to realizing high-performance transition metal dichalcogenide-based FETs.

Investigation of SiO2 thin films dielectric constant using ellipsometry technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Sangpour

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we studied the optical behavior of SiO2 thin films prepared via sol-gel route using spin coating deposition from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS as precursor. Thin films were annealed at different temperatures (400-600oC. Absorption edge and band gap of thin layers were measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometery. Optical refractive index and dielectric constant were measured by ellipsometry technique. Based on our atomic force microscopic (AFM and ellipsometry results, thin layers prepared through this method showed high surface area, and high porosity ranging between 4.9 and 16.9, low density 2 g/cm, and low dielectric constant. The dielectric constant and porosity of layers increased by increasing the temperature due to the changes in surface roughness and particle size.

Difference in Thermal Degradation Behavior of ZrO2 and HfO2 Anodized Capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Kamijyo, Masahiro; Onozuka, Tomotake; Yoshida, Naoto; Shinkai, Satoko; Sasaki, Katsutaka; Yamane, Misao; Abe, Yoshio

2004-09-01

Microcrystalline ZrO2 and HfO2 thin film capacitors were prepared by anodizing sputter-deposited Zr and Hf films. The thermal degradation behavior of both anodized capacitors was clarified by the measurement of their capacitance properties and Auger depth profiles before and after heat treatment in air. As a result, it is confirmed that the heat-resistance property of the HfO2 anodized capacitor is superior to that of the ZrO2 capacitor. In addition, it is revealed that the thermal degradation of the ZrO2 anodized capacitor is caused by the diffusion of Zr atoms from the underlying layer into the ZrO2 anodized layer, while that of the HfO2 anodized capacitor is caused by the diffusion of oxygen atoms from the anodized layer into the underlying Hf layer.

The electrical performance and gate bias stability of an amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistor with HfO2 high-k dielectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ruo Zheng; Wu, Sheng Li; Li, Xin Yu; Zhang, Jin Tao

2017-07-01

In this study, we set out to fabricate an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with SiNx/HfO2/SiNx (SHS) sandwiched dielectrics. The J-V and C-V of this SHS film were extracted by the Au/p-Si/SHS/Ti structure. At room temperature the a-IGZO with SHS dielectrics showed the following electrical properties: a threshold voltage of 2.9 V, a subthreshold slope of 0.35 V/decade, an on/off current ratio of 3.5 × 107, and a mobility of 12.8 cm2 V-1 s-1. Finally, we tested the influence of gate bias stress on the TFT, and the result showed that the threshold voltage shifted to a positive voltage when applying a positive gate voltage to the TFT.

Ge interactions on HfO2 surfaces and kinetically driven patterning of Ge nanocrystals on HfO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanley, Scott K.; Joshi, Sachin V.; Banerjee, Sanjay K.; Ekerdt, John G.

2006-01-01

Germanium interactions are studied on HfO 2 surfaces, which are prepared through physical vapor deposition (PVD) and by atomic layer deposition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature-programed desorption are used to follow the reactions of germanium on HfO 2 . Germanium chemical vapor deposition at 870 K on HfO 2 produces a GeO x adhesion layer, followed by growth of semiconducting Ge 0 . PVD of 0.7 ML Ge (accomplished by thermally cracking GeH 4 over a hot filament) also produces an initial GeO x layer, which is stable up to 800 K. PVD above 2.0 ML deposits semiconducting Ge 0 . Temperature programed desorption experiments of ∼1.0 ML Ge from HfO 2 at 400-1100 K show GeH 4 desorption below 600 K and GeO desorption above 850 K. These results are compared to Ge on SiO 2 where GeO desorption is seen at 550 K. Exploiting the different reactivity of Ge on HfO 2 and SiO 2 allows a kinetically driven patterning scheme for high-density Ge nanoparticle growth on HfO 2 surfaces that is demonstrated

Effect of oxide charge trapping on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of HfO2/SiO2/Si structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Yasuhiro; Miyata, Noriyuki; Suzuki, Haruhiko; Kitamura, Koji; Igarashi, Satoru; Nohira, Hiroshi; Ikenaga, Eiji

2009-01-01

We examined the effects of interfacial SiO 2 layers and a surface metal layer on the photoelectron spectra of HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si structures by hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation as well as conventional X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Hf 4f and Hf 3d photoelectron peaks broadened and shifted toward a higher binding energy with increasing thickness of the interfacial SiO 2 layer, even though photoelectrons may have been emitted from the HfO 2 layer with the same chemical composition. Thinning the interfacial Si oxide layer to approximately one monolayer and depositing a metal layer on the HfO 2 surface suppressed these phenomena. The O 1s photoelectron spectra revealed marked differences between the metal- and nonmetal-deposited HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si structures; HfO 2 and SiO 2 components in the O 1s photoelectron spectra for the metal-deposited structures were observed at reasonably separated binding energies, but those for the nonmetal-deposited structures were not separated clearly. From this behavior concerning the effects of interfacial SiO 2 and surface metal layers, we concluded that the Hf 4f, Hf 3d, and O 1s spectra measured from the HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si structures did not reflect actual chemical bonding states. We consider that potential variations in the HfO 2 film owing to charge trapping strongly affect the measured photoelectron spectra. On the basis of angle-resolved XPS measurements, we propose that positive charges are trapped at the HfO 2 surface and negative charges are trapped inside the HfO 2 layer. (author)

Conduction Mechanism and Improved Endurance in HfO2-Based RRAM with Nitridation Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fang-Yuan; Deng, Ning; Shih, Chih-Cheng; Tseng, Yi-Ting; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Wang, Ming-Hui; Chen, Wen-Chung; Zheng, Hao-Xuan; Wu, Huaqiang; Qian, He; Sze, Simon M.

2017-10-01

A nitridation treatment technology with a urea/ammonia complex nitrogen source improved resistive switching property in HfO2-based resistive random access memory (RRAM). The nitridation treatment produced a high performance and reliable device which results in superior endurance (more than 109 cycles) and a self-compliance effect. Thus, the current conduction mechanism changed due to defect passivation by nitrogen atoms in the HfO2 thin film. At a high resistance state (HRS), it transferred to Schottky emission from Poole-Frenkel in HfO2-based RRAM. At low resistance state (LRS), the current conduction mechanism was space charge limited current (SCLC) after the nitridation treatment, which suggests that the nitrogen atoms form Hf-N-Ox vacancy clusters (Vo +) which limit electron movement through the switching layer.

UV protection filters by dielectric multilayer thin films on Glass BK-7 and Infrasil 301

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Aziz, M.M.; Azim, Osama A.; Abdel-Wahab, L.A.; Seddik, Mohamed M.

2006-01-01

The increasing use of Ultraviolet (UV) light in medicine, industrial environments, for cosmetic use, and even in consumer products necessitates that greater attention be paid to the potential hazards of this type of electromagnetic radiation. To avoid any adverse effects of exposure to this type of radiation, four suitable protection filters were produced to block three UV bands (UVA, UVB, and UVC). The design structure of the required dielectric multilayer filters was done by optical thin film technology using the absorbing property of UV radiation for the substrates and dielectric materials. The computer analyses of the multilayer filter formulas were prepared using Macleod Software for the production processes. The deposition technique was achieved on optical substrates (Glass BK-7 and Infrasil 301) by dielectric material combinations including Titanium dioxide (Ti 2 O 3 ), Hafnium dioxide (HfO 2 ), and Lima (mixture of oxides SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ); deposition being achieved using an electron beam gun. The output results of the theoretical and experimental transmittance values for spectral band from 200 nm to 800 nm were discussed in four processes. To analyze the suitability for use in 'real world' applications, the test pieces were subjected to the durability tests (adhesion, abrasion resistance, and humidity) according to Military Standard MIL-C-675C and MIL-C-48497A

UV protection filters by dielectric multilayer thin films on Glass BK-7 and Infrasil 301

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Aziz, M. M.; Azim, Osama A.; Abdel-Wahab, L. A.; Seddik, Mohamed M.

2006-10-01

The increasing use of Ultraviolet (UV) light in medicine, industrial environments, for cosmetic use, and even in consumer products necessitates that greater attention be paid to the potential hazards of this type of electromagnetic radiation. To avoid any adverse effects of exposure to this type of radiation, four suitable protection filters were produced to block three UV bands (UVA, UVB, and UVC). The design structure of the required dielectric multilayer filters was done by optical thin film technology using the absorbing property of UV radiation for the substrates and dielectric materials. The computer analyses of the multilayer filter formulas were prepared using Macleod Software for the production processes. The deposition technique was achieved on optical substrates (Glass BK-7 and Infrasil 301) by dielectric material combinations including Titanium dioxide (Ti 2O 3), Hafnium dioxide (HfO 2), and Lima (mixture of oxides SiO 2/Al 2O 3); deposition being achieved using an electron beam gun. The output results of the theoretical and experimental transmittance values for spectral band from 200 nm to 800 nm were discussed in four processes. To analyze the suitability for use in 'real world' applications, the test pieces were subjected to the durability tests (adhesion, abrasion resistance, and humidity) according to Military Standard MIL-C-675C and MIL-C-48497A.

Atomic layer deposition grown composite dielectric oxides and ZnO for transparent electronic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gieraltowska, S.; Wachnicki, L.; Witkowski, B.S.; Godlewski, M.; Guziewicz, E.

2012-01-01

In this paper, we report on transparent transistor obtained using laminar structure of two high-k dielectric oxides (hafnium dioxide, HfO 2 and aluminum oxide, Al 2 O 3 ) and zinc oxide (ZnO) layer grown at low temperature (60 °C–100 °C) using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology. Our research was focused on the optimization of technological parameters for composite layers Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 /Al 2 O 3 for thin film transistor structures with ZnO as a channel and a gate layer. We elaborate on the ALD growth of these oxides, finding that the 100 nm thick layers of HfO 2 and Al 2 O 3 exhibit fine surface flatness and required amorphous microstructure. Growth parameters are optimized for the monolayer growth mode and maximum smoothness required for gating.

First-principles simulations of the leakage current in metal-oxide-semiconductor structures caused by oxygen vacancies in HfO2 high-K gate dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, L.F.; Wang, Z.O.

2008-01-01

HfO 2 high-K gate dielectric has been used as a new gate dielectric in metal-oxide-semiconductor structures. First-principles simulations are used to study the effects of oxygen vacancies on the tunneling current through the oxide. A level which is nearly 1.25 eV from the bottom of the conduction band is introduced into the bandgap due to the oxygen vacancies. The tunneling current calculations show that the tunneling currents through the gate oxide with different defect density possess the typical characteristic of stress-induced leakage current. Further analysis shows that the location of oxygen vacancies will have a marked effect on the tunneling current. The largest increase in the tunneling current caused by oxygen vacancies comes about at the middle oxide field when defects are located at the middle of the oxide. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Effects of nitrogen incorporation in HfO(2) grown on InP by atomic layer deposition: an evolution in structural, chemical, and electrical characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Yu-Seon; Kim, Dae-Kyoung; Kang, Hang-Kyu; Jeong, Kwang-Sik; Cho, Mann-Ho; Ko, Dae-Hong; Kim, Hyoungsub; Seo, Jung-Hye; Kim, Dong-Chan

2014-03-26

We investigated the effects of postnitridation on the structural characteristics and interfacial reactions of HfO2 thin films grown on InP by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a function of film thickness. By postdeposition annealing under NH3 vapor (PDN) at 600 °C, an InN layer formed at the HfO2/InP interface, and ionized NHx was incorporated in the HfO2 film. We demonstrate that structural changes resulting from nitridation of HfO2/InP depend on the film thickness (i.e., a single-crystal interfacial layer of h-InN formed at thin (2 nm) HfO2/InP interfaces, whereas an amorphous InN layer formed at thick (>6 nm) HfO2/InP interfaces). Consequently, the tetragonal structure of HfO2 transformed into a mixture structure of tetragonal and monoclinic because the interfacial InN layer relieved interfacial strain between HfO2 and InP. During postdeposition annealing (PDA) in HfO2/InP at 600 °C, large numbers of oxidation states were generated as a result of interfacial reactions between interdiffused oxygen impurities and out-diffused InP substrate elements. However, in the case of the PDN of HfO2/InP structures at 600 °C, nitrogen incorporation in the HfO2 film effectively blocked the out-diffusion of atomic In and P, thus suppressing the formation of oxidation states. Accordingly, the number of interfacial defect states (Dit) within the band gap of InP was significantly reduced, which was also supported by DFT calculations. Interfacial InN in HfO2/InP increased the electron-barrier height to ∼0.6 eV, which led to low-leakage-current density in the gate voltage region over 2 V.

Stable tetragonal phase and magnetic properties of Fe-doped HfO2 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Sales, T. S. N.; Cavalcante, F. H. M.; Bosch-Santos, B.; Pereira, L. F. D.; Cabrera-Pasca, G. A.; Freitas, R. S.; Saxena, R. N.; Carbonari, A. W.

2017-05-01

In this paper, the effect in structural and magnetic properties of iron doping with concentration of 20% in hafnium dioxide (HfO2) nanoparticles is investigated. HfO2 is a wide band gap oxide with great potential to be used as high-permittivity gate dielectrics, which can be improved by doping. Nanoparticle samples were prepared by sol-gel chemical method and had their structure, morphology, and magnetic properties, respectively, investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD), and magnetization measurements. TEM and SEM results show size distribution of particles in the range from 30 nm to 40 nm with small dispersion. Magnetization measurements show the blocking temperature at around 90 K with a strong paramagnetic contribution. XRD results show a major tetragonal phase (94%).

Stable tetragonal phase and magnetic properties of Fe-doped HfO2 nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. S. N. Sales

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the effect in structural and magnetic properties of iron doping with concentration of 20% in hafnium dioxide (HfO2 nanoparticles is investigated. HfO2 is a wide band gap oxide with great potential to be used as high-permittivity gate dielectrics, which can be improved by doping. Nanoparticle samples were prepared by sol-gel chemical method and had their structure, morphology, and magnetic properties, respectively, investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM with electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD, and magnetization measurements. TEM and SEM results show size distribution of particles in the range from 30 nm to 40 nm with small dispersion. Magnetization measurements show the blocking temperature at around 90 K with a strong paramagnetic contribution. XRD results show a major tetragonal phase (94%.

Atomic layer deposition of HfO2 on graphene through controlled ion beam treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ki Seok; Oh, Il-Kwon; Jung, Hanearl; Kim, Hyungjun; Yeom, Geun Young; Kim, Kyong Nam

2016-01-01

The polymer residue generated during the graphene transfer process to the substrate tends to cause problems (e.g., a decrease in electron mobility, unwanted doping, and non-uniform deposition of the dielectric material). In this study, by using a controllable low-energy Ar + ion beam, we cleaned the polymer residue without damaging the graphene network. HfO 2 grown by atomic layer deposition on graphene cleaned using an Ar + ion beam showed a dense uniform structure, whereas that grown on the transferred graphene (before Ar + ion cleaning) showed a non-uniform structure. A graphene–HfO 2 –metal capacitor fabricated by growing 20-nm thick HfO 2 on graphene exhibited a very low leakage current (<10 −11 A/cm 2 ) for Ar + ion-cleaned graphene, whereas a similar capacitor grown using the transferred graphene showed high leakage current.

Enhancement of Endurance in HfO2-Based CBRAM Device by Introduction of a TaN Diffusion Blocking Layer

KAUST Repository

Chand, Umesh

2017-08-05

We propose a new method to improve resistive switching properties in HfO2 based CBRAM crossbar structure device by introducing a TaN thin diffusion blocking layer between the Cu top electrode and HfO2 switching layer. The Cu/TaN/HfO2/TiN device structure exhibits high resistance ratio of OFF/ON states without any degradation in switching during endurance test. The improvement in the endurance properties of the Cu/TaN/HfO2/TiN CBRAM device is thus attributed to the relatively low amount of Cu migration into HfO2 switching layer.

Effects of annealing temperature on the characteristics of ALD-deposited HfO2 in MIM capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, S.-W.; Lee, H.J.; Kim, K.S.; You, M.T.; Roh, Y.; Noguchi, T.; Xianyu, W.; Jung, J.

2006-01-01

We have investigated the annealing effects of HfO 2 films deposited by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method on the electrical and physical properties in the Si/SiO 2 /Pt/ALD-HfO 2 /Pd metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. If the annealing temperature for HfO 2 films was restricted below 500 deg. C, an annealing step using a rapid thermal processor (RTP) improves the electrical properties such as the dissipation factor and the dielectric constant. On the other hand, annealing at 700 deg. C degrades the electrical characteristics in general; the dissipation factor increases over the frequency range of 1∼4 MHz, and the leakage current increases up to 2 orders at the low electric field regions. We found that the degradation of electrical properties is due to the grain growth in the HfO 2 film (i.e., poly-crystallization of the film) by the high temperature annealing processing. We suggested that the annealing temperature must be restricted below 500 deg. C to obtain the high quality high-k film for the MIM capacitors

Influence of Optimization of Process Parameters on Threshold Voltage for Development of HfO2/TiSi2 18 nm PMOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atan N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Manufacturing a 18-nm transistor requires a variety of parameters, materials, temperatures, and methods. In this research, HfO2 was used as the gate dielectric ad TiO2 was used as the gate material. The transistor HfO2/TiSi2 18-nm PMOS was invented using SILVACO TCAD. Ion implantation was adopted in the fabrication process for the method’s practicality and ability to be used to suppress short channel effects. The study involved ion implantation methods: compensation implantation, halo implantation energy, halo tilt, and source–drain implantation. Taguchi method is the best optimization process for a threshold voltage of HfO2/TiSi2 18-nm PMOS. In this case, the method adopted was Taguchi orthogonal array L9. The process parameters (ion implantations and noise factors were evaluated by examining the Taguchi’s signal-to-noise ratio (SNR and nominal-the-best for the threshold voltage (VTH. After optimization, the result showed that the VTH value of the 18-nm PMOS device was -0.291339.

Structural, dielectric and AC conductivity study of Sb2O3 thin film ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

52

However, to date, no reports have appeared on impedance spectroscopy, modulus behavior, electrical conductivity, dielectric relaxation and dielectric properties of crystalline Sb2O3 thin films. This paper deals for the first time with the frequency and temperature dependence of AC conductivity and complex electric modulus ...

Al-, Y-, and La-doping effects favoring intrinsic and field induced ferroelectricity in HfO2: A first principles study

Science.gov (United States)

Materlik, Robin; Künneth, Christopher; Falkowski, Max; Mikolajick, Thomas; Kersch, Alfred

2018-04-01

III-valent dopants have shown to be most effective in stabilizing the ferroelectric, crystalline phase in atomic layer deposited, polycrystalline HfO2 thin films. On the other hand, such dopants are commonly used for tetragonal and cubic phase stabilization in ceramic HfO2. This difference in the impact has not been elucidated so far. The prospect is a suitable doping to produce ferroelectric HfO2 ceramics with a technological impact. In this paper, we investigate the impact of Al, Y, and La doping, which have experimentally proven to stabilize the ferroelectric Pca21 phase in HfO2, in a comprehensive first-principles study. Density functional theory calculations reveal the structure, formation energy, and total energy of various defects in HfO2. Most relevant are substitutional electronically compensated defects without oxygen vacancy, substitutional mixed compensated defects paired with a vacancy, and ionically compensated defect complexes containing two substitutional dopants paired with a vacancy. The ferroelectric phase is strongly favored with La and Y in the substitutional defect. The mixed compensated defect favors the ferroelectric phase as well, but the strongly favored cubic phase limits the concentration range for ferroelectricity. We conclude that a reduction of oxygen vacancies should significantly enhance this range in Y doped HfO2 thin films. With Al, the substitutional defect hardly favors the ferroelectric phase before the tetragonal phase becomes strongly favored with the increasing concentration. This could explain the observed field induced ferroelectricity in Al-doped HfO2. Further Al defects are investigated, but do not favor the f-phase such that the current explanation remains incomplete for Al doping. According to the simulation, doping alone shows clear trends, but is insufficient to replace the monoclinic phase as the ground state. To explain this fact, some other mechanism is needed.

Surface modelling on heavy atom crystalline compounds: HfO2 and UO2 fluorite structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evarestov, Robert; Bandura, Andrei; Blokhin, Eugeny

2009-01-01

The study of the bulk and surface properties of cubic (fluorite structure) HfO 2 and UO 2 was performed using the hybrid Hartree-Fock density functional theory linear combination of atomic orbitals simulations via the CRYSTAL06 computer code. The Stuttgart small-core pseudopotentials and corresponding basis sets were used for the core-valence interactions. The influence of relativistic effects on the structure and properties of the systems was studied. It was found that surface properties of Mott-Hubbard dielectric UO 2 differ from those found for other metal oxides with the closed-shell configuration of d-electrons

Interfacial, Electrical, and Band Alignment Characteristics of HfO2/Ge Stacks with In Situ-Formed SiO2 Interlayer by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yan-Qiang; Wu, Bing; Wu, Di; Li, Ai-Dong

2017-05-01

In situ-formed SiO2 was introduced into HfO2 gate dielectrics on Ge substrate as interlayer by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The interfacial, electrical, and band alignment characteristics of the HfO2/SiO2 high-k gate dielectric stacks on Ge have been well investigated. It has been demonstrated that Si-O-Ge interlayer is formed on Ge surface during the in situ PEALD SiO2 deposition process. This interlayer shows fantastic thermal stability during annealing without obvious Hf-silicates formation. In addition, it can also suppress the GeO2 degradation. The electrical measurements show that capacitance equivalent thickness of 1.53 nm and a leakage current density of 2.1 × 10-3 A/cm2 at gate bias of Vfb + 1 V was obtained for the annealed sample. The conduction (valence) band offsets at the HfO2/SiO2/Ge interface with and without PDA are found to be 2.24 (2.69) and 2.48 (2.45) eV, respectively. These results indicate that in situ PEALD SiO2 may be a promising interfacial control layer for the realization of high-quality Ge-based transistor devices. Moreover, it can be demonstrated that PEALD is a much more powerful technology for ultrathin interfacial control layer deposition than MOCVD.

Optimization of pH sensing using silicon nanowire field effect transistors with HfO2 as the sensing surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafar, Sufi; D'Emic, Christopher; Afzali, Ali; Fletcher, Benjamin; Zhu, Y; Ning, Tak

2011-01-01

Silicon nanowire field effect transistor sensors with SiO 2 /HfO 2 as the gate dielectric sensing surface are fabricated using a top down approach. These sensors are optimized for pH sensing with two key characteristics. First, the pH sensitivity is shown to be independent of buffer concentration. Second, the observed pH sensitivity is enhanced and is equal to the Nernst maximum sensitivity limit of 59 mV/pH with a corresponding subthreshold drain current change of ∼ 650%/pH. These two enhanced pH sensing characteristics are attributed to the use of HfO 2 as the sensing surface and an optimized fabrication process compatible with silicon processing technology.

Optimization of pH sensing using silicon nanowire field effect transistors with HfO2 as the sensing surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Zafar, Sufi; D'Emic, Christopher; Afzali, Ali; Fletcher, Benjamin; Zhu, Y; Ning, Tak

2011-10-07

Silicon nanowire field effect transistor sensors with SiO(2)/HfO(2) as the gate dielectric sensing surface are fabricated using a top down approach. These sensors are optimized for pH sensing with two key characteristics. First, the pH sensitivity is shown to be independent of buffer concentration. Second, the observed pH sensitivity is enhanced and is equal to the Nernst maximum sensitivity limit of 59 mV/pH with a corresponding subthreshold drain current change of ∼ 650%/pH. These two enhanced pH sensing characteristics are attributed to the use of HfO(2) as the sensing surface and an optimized fabrication process compatible with silicon processing technology.

Advanced passivation techniques for Si solar cells with high-κ dielectric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng, Huijuan; Lin, Tingjui; Letha, Ayra Jagadhamma; Hwang, Huey-Liang; Kyznetsov, Fedor A.; Smirnova, Tamara P.; Saraev, Andrey A.; Kaichev, Vasily V.

2014-01-01

Electronic recombination losses at the wafer surface significantly reduce the efficiency of Si solar cells. Surface passivation using a suitable thin dielectric layer can minimize the recombination losses. Herein, advanced passivation using simple materials (Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 ) and their compounds H (Hf) A (Al) O deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was investigated. The chemical composition of Hf and Al oxide films were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS depth profiles exhibit continuous uniform dense layers. The ALD-Al 2 O 3 film has been found to provide negative fixed charge (−6.4 × 10 11  cm −2 ), whereas HfO 2 film provides positive fixed charge (3.2 × 10 12  cm −2 ). The effective lifetimes can be improved after oxygen gas annealing for 1 min. I-V characteristics of Si solar cells with high-κ dielectric materials as passivation layers indicate that the performance is significantly improved, and ALD-HfO 2 film would provide better passivation properties than that of the ALD-Al 2 O 3 film in this research work.

The effect of a HfO2 insulator on the improvement of breakdown voltage in field-plated GaN-based HEMT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Wei; Hao Yue; Ma Xiao-Hua; Wang Chong; Zhang Jin-Cheng; Liu Hong-Xia; Bi Zhi-Wei; Xu Sheng-Rui; Yang Lin-An; Yang Ling; Zhang Kai; Zhang Nai-Qian; Pei Yi; Yang Cui

2011-01-01

A GaN/Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 N/AlN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor utilizing a field plate (with a 0.3 μm overhang towards the drain and a 0.2 μm overhang towards the source) over a 165-nm sputtered HfO 2 insulator (HfO 2 -FP-HEMT) is fabricated on a sapphire substrate. Compared with the conventional field-plated HEMT, which has the same geometric structure but uses a 60-nm SiN insulator beneath the field plate (SiN-FP-HEMT), the HfO 2 -FP-HEMT exhibits a significant improvement of the breakdown voltage (up to 181 V) as well as a record field-plate efficiency (up to 276 V/μm). This is because the HfO 2 insulator can further improve the modulation of the field plate on the electric field distribution in the device channel, which is proved by the numerical simulation results. Based on the simulation results, a novel approach named the proportional design is proposed to predict the optimal dielectric thickness beneath the field plate. It can simplify the field-plated HEMT design significantly. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

MeV-Si ion irradiation effects on the electrical properties of HfO2 thin films on Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xiangkun; Shao Lin; Chen, Q.Y.; Trombetta, L.; Wang Chunyu; Dharmaiahgari, Bhanu; Wang Xuemei; Chen Hui; Ma, K.B.; Liu Jiarui; Chu, W.-K.

2006-01-01

We studied the irradiation effect of 2-MeV Si ions on HfO 2 films deposited on Si substrates. HfO 2 films ∼11 nm thick were deposited onto Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The samples were then irradiated by 2-MeV Si ions at a fluence of 1 x 10 14 cm -2 at room temperature, followed by rapid thermal annealing at 1000 deg. C for 10 s. After annealing, a layer of aluminum was deposited on the samples as the gate electrode to form metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structures. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and electrical measurement of both capacitance and current as a function of voltage were used to characterize the samples before and after annealing. Non-insulating properties of the HfO 2 films deteriorated immediately after the ion irradiation, but rapid thermal annealing effectively repaired the irradiation damages, as reflected in improved capacitance versus voltage characteristics and significant reduction of leakage current in the MOS capacitors

Effect of ion implantation energy for the synthesis of Ge nanocrystals in SiN films with HfO2/SiO2 stack tunnel dielectrics for memory application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gloux Florence

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Ge nanocrystals (Ge-NCs embedded in SiN dielectrics with HfO2/SiO2 stack tunnel dielectrics were synthesized by utilizing low-energy (≤5 keV ion implantation method followed by conventional thermal annealing at 800°C, the key variable being Ge+ ion implantation energy. Two different energies (3 and 5 keV have been chosen for the evolution of Ge-NCs, which have been found to possess significant changes in structural and chemical properties of the Ge+-implanted dielectric films, and well reflected in the charge storage properties of the Al/SiN/Ge-NC + SiN/HfO2/SiO2/Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS memory structures. No Ge-NC was detected with a lower implantation energy of 3 keV at a dose of 1.5 × 1016 cm-2, whereas a well-defined 2D-array of nearly spherical and well-separated Ge-NCs within the SiN matrix was observed for the higher-energy-implanted (5 keV sample for the same implanted dose. The MIS memory structures implanted with 5 keV exhibits better charge storage and retention characteristics compared to the low-energy-implanted sample, indicating that the charge storage is predominantly in Ge-NCs in the memory capacitor. A significant memory window of 3.95 V has been observed under the low operating voltage of ± 6 V with good retention properties, indicating the feasibility of these stack structures for low operating voltage, non-volatile memory devices.

On the Evaluation of Gate Dielectrics for 4H-SiC Based Power MOSFETs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Nawaz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work deals with the assessment of gate dielectric for 4H-SiC MOSFETs using technology based two-dimensional numerical computer simulations. Results are studied for variety of gate dielectric candidates with varying thicknesses using well-known Fowler-Nordheim tunneling model. Compared to conventional SiO2 as a gate dielectric for 4H-SiC MOSFETs, high-k gate dielectric such as HfO2 reduces significantly the amount of electric field in the gate dielectric with equal gate dielectric thickness and hence the overall gate current density. High-k gate dielectric further reduces the shift in the threshold voltage with varying dielectric thicknesses, thus leading to better process margin and stable device operating behavior. For fixed dielectric thickness, a total shift in the threshold voltage of about 2.5 V has been observed with increasing dielectric constant from SiO2 (k=3.9 to HfO2 (k=25. This further results in higher transconductance of the device with the increase of the dielectric constant from SiO2 to HfO2. Furthermore, 4H-SiC MOSFETs are found to be more sensitive to the shift in the threshold voltage with conventional SiO2 as gate dielectric than high-k dielectric with the presence of interface state charge density that is typically observed at the interface of dielectric and 4H-SiC MOS surface.

Effect of heat treatment on properties of HfO2 film deposited by ion-beam sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Huasong; Jiang, Yugang; Wang, Lishuan; Li, Shida; Yang, Xiao; Jiang, Chenghui; Liu, Dandan; Ji, Yiqin; Zhang, Feng; Chen, Deying

2017-11-01

The effects of atmosphere heat treatment on optical, stress, and microstructure properties of an HfO2 film deposited by ion-beam sputtering were systematically researched. The relationships among annealing temperature and refractive index, extinction coefficient, physical thickness, forbidden-band width, tape trailer width, Urbach energy, crystal phase structure, and stress were assessed. The results showed that 400 °C is the transformation point, and the microstructure of the HfO2 film changed from an amorphous into mixed-phase structure. Multistage phonons appeared on the HfO2 film, and the trends of the refractive index, extinction coefficient, forbidden-band width change, and Urbach energy shifted from decrease to increase. With the elevation of the annealing temperature, the film thickness increased monotonously, the compressive stress gradually turned to tensile stress, and the transformation temperature point for the stress was between 200 °C and 300 °C. Therefore, the change in the stress is the primary cause for the shifts in thin-film thickness.

Dielectric properties investigation of Cu2O/ZnO heterojunction thin films by electrodeposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Qiang; Xu, Mengmeng; Fan, Huiqing; Wang, Hairong; Peng, Biaolin; Long, Changbai; Zhai, Yuchun

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Bottom-up self-assembly Cu 2 O/ZnO heterojunction was fabricated by electrochemical deposition on indium tin oxide (ITO) flexible substrate (polyethylene terephthalate-PET). ► The dielectric response of Cu 2 O/ZnO heterojunction thin films had been investigated. ► The universal dielectric response was used to investigate the hopping behavior in Cu 2 O/ZnO heterojunction. -- Abstract: Structures and morphologies of the Cu 2 O/ZnO heterojunction electrodeposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) flexible substrate (polyethylene terephthalate-PET) were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), respectively. The dielectric response of bottom-up self-assembly Cu 2 O/ZnO heterojunction was investigated. The low frequency dielectric dispersion (LFDD) was observed. The universal dielectric response (UDR) was used to investigate the frequency dependence of dielectric response for Cu 2 O/ZnO heterojunction, which was attributed to the long range and the short range hopping charge carriers at the low frequency and the high frequency region, respectively

Nature of Dielectric Properties, Electric Modulus and AC Electrical Conductivity of Nanocrystalline ZnIn2Se4 Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

El-Nahass, M. M.; Attia, A. A.; Ali, H. A. M.; Salem, G. F.; Ismail, M. I.

2018-02-01

The structural characteristics of thermally deposited ZnIn2Se4 thin films were indexed utilizing x-ray diffraction as well as scanning electron microscopy techniques. Dielectric properties, electric modulus and AC electrical conductivity of ZnIn2Se4 thin films were examined in the frequency range from 42 Hz to 106 Hz. The capacitance, conductance and impedance were measured at different temperatures. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease with an increase in frequency. The maximum barrier height was determined from the analysis of the dielectric loss depending on the Giuntini model. The real part of the electric modulus revealed a constant maximum value at higher frequencies and the imaginary part of the electric modulus was characterized by the appearance of dielectric relaxation peaks. The AC electrical conductivity obeyed the Jonscher universal power law. Correlated barrier hopping model was the appropriate mechanism for AC conduction in ZnIn2Se4 thin films. Estimation of the density of states at the Fermi level and activation energy, for AC conduction, was carried out based on the temperature dependence of AC electrical conductivity.

Enhanced dielectric properties of ZrO2 thin films prepared in nitrogen ambient by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, J; Li, T L; Pan, B; Zhou, L; Liu, Z G

2003-01-01

ZrO 2 thin films were fabricated in O 2 ambient and in N 2 ambient by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. X-ray diffraction revealed that films prepared at 400 deg. C remained amorphous. The dielectric properties of amorphous ZrO 2 films were investigated by measuring the capacitance-frequency characteristics of Pt/ZrO 2 /Pt capacitor structures. The dielectric constant of the films deposited in N 2 ambient was larger than that of the films deposited in O 2 ambient. The dielectric loss was lower for films prepared in N 2 ambient. Atom force microscopy investigation indicated that films deposited in N 2 ambient had smoother surface than films deposited in O 2 ambient. Capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics were studied. The equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of films with 6.6 nm physical thickness deposited in N 2 ambient is lower than that of films deposited in O 2 ambient. An EOT of 1.38 nm for the film deposited in N 2 ambient was obtained, while the leakage current density was 94.6 mA cm -2 . Therefore, ZrO 2 thins deposited in N 2 ambient have enhanced dielectric properties due to the incorporation of nitrogen which leads to the formation of Zr-doped nitride interfacial layer, and is suggested to be a potential material for alternative high-k (high dielectric constant) gate dielectric applications

Investigation of 6T SRAM memory circuit using high-k dielectrics based nano scale junctionless transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Charles Pravin, J.; Nirmal, D.; Prajoon, P.; Mohan Kumar, N.; Ajayan, J.

2017-04-01

In this paper the Dual Metal Surround Gate Junctionless Transistor (DMSGJLT) has been implemented with various high-k dielectric. The leakage current in the device is analysed in detail by obtaining the band structure for different high-k dielectric material. It is noticed that with increasing dielectric constant the device provides more resistance for the direct tunnelling of electron in off state. The gate oxide capacitance also shows 0.1 μF improvement with Hafnium Oxide (HfO2) than Silicon Oxide (SiO2). This paved the way for a better memory application when high-k dielectric is used. The Six Transistor (6T) Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) circuit implemented shows 41.4% improvement in read noise margin for HfO2 than SiO2. It also shows 37.49% improvement in write noise margin and 30.16% improvement in hold noise margin for HfO2 than SiO2.

Surface, interface and thin film characterization of nano-materials using synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Shigeru; Kobayashi, Keisuke

2005-01-01

From the results of studies in the nanotechnology support project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, several investigations on the surface, interface and thin film characterization of nano-materials are described; (1) the MgB 2 thin film by X-ray diffraction, (2) the magnetism of the Pt thin film on a Co film by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurement, (3) the structure and physical properties of oxygen molecules absorbed in a micro hole of the cheleted polymer crystal by the direct observation in X-ray powder diffraction, and (4) the thin film gate insulator with a large dielectric constant, thermally treated HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si, by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. (M.H.)

Suspended HfO2 photonic crystal slab on III-nitride/Si platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yongjin; Feng, Jiao; Cao, Ziping; Zhu, Hongbo

2014-01-01

We present here the fabrication of suspended hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) photonic crystal slab on a III-nitride/Si platform. The calculations are performed to model the suspended HfO 2 photonic crystal slab. Aluminum nitride (AlN) film is employed as the sacrificial layer to form air gap. Photonic crystal patterns are defined by electron beam lithography and transferred into HfO 2 film, and suspended HfO 2 photonic crystal slab is achieved on a III-nitride/Si platform through wet-etching of AlN layer in the alkaline solution. The method is promising for the fabrication of suspended HfO 2 nanostructures incorporating into a III-nitride/Si platform, or acting as the template for epitaxial growth of III-nitride materials. (orig.)

Dielectric and acoustical high frequency characterisation of PZT thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conde, Janine; Muralt, Paul

2010-01-01

Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 (PZT) is an interesting material for bulk acoustic wave resonator applications due to its high electromechanical coupling constant, which would enable fabrication of large bandwidth frequency filters. The major challenge of the PZT solid solution system is to overcome mechanical losses generally observed in PZT ceramics. To increase the understanding of these losses in textured thin films, thin film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBAR's) based on PZT thin films with compositions either in the tetragonal region or at the morphotropic phase boundary and (111) or {100} textures were fabricated and studied up to 2 GHz. The dielectric and elastic materials coefficients were extracted from impedance measurements at the resonance frequency. The dispersion of the dielectric constant was obtained from impedance measurements up to 2 GHz. The films with varying compositions, textures and deposition methods (sol-gel or sputtering) were compared in terms of dielectric and acoustical properties.

Dielectric and acoustical high frequency characterisation of PZT thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Conde, Janine; Muralt, Paul

2010-02-01

Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) is an interesting material for bulk acoustic wave resonator applications due to its high electromechanical coupling constant, which would enable fabrication of large bandwidth frequency filters. The major challenge of the PZT solid solution system is to overcome mechanical losses generally observed in PZT ceramics. To increase the understanding of these losses in textured thin films, thin film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBAR's) based on PZT thin films with compositions either in the tetragonal region or at the morphotropic phase boundary and (111) or {100} textures were fabricated and studied up to 2 GHz. The dielectric and elastic materials coefficients were extracted from impedance measurements at the resonance frequency. The dispersion of the dielectric constant was obtained from impedance measurements up to 2 GHz. The films with varying compositions, textures and deposition methods (sol-gel or sputtering) were compared in terms of dielectric and acoustical properties.

Dielectric and acoustical high frequency characterisation of PZT thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conde, Janine; Muralt, Paul, E-mail: janine.conde@epfl.ch [Department of Materials Science, EPFL (Switzerland)

2010-02-15

Pb(Zr, Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT) is an interesting material for bulk acoustic wave resonator applications due to its high electromechanical coupling constant, which would enable fabrication of large bandwidth frequency filters. The major challenge of the PZT solid solution system is to overcome mechanical losses generally observed in PZT ceramics. To increase the understanding of these losses in textured thin films, thin film bulk acoustic resonators (TFBAR's) based on PZT thin films with compositions either in the tetragonal region or at the morphotropic phase boundary and (111) or {l_brace}100{r_brace} textures were fabricated and studied up to 2 GHz. The dielectric and elastic materials coefficients were extracted from impedance measurements at the resonance frequency. The dispersion of the dielectric constant was obtained from impedance measurements up to 2 GHz. The films with varying compositions, textures and deposition methods (sol-gel or sputtering) were compared in terms of dielectric and acoustical properties.

Resistive switching characteristics of HfO2-based memory devices on flexible plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yong; Cho, Kyoungah; Park, Sukhyung; Kim, Sangsig

2014-11-01

In this study, we examine the characteristics of HfO2-based resistive switching random access memory (ReRAM) devices on flexible plastics. The Pt/HfO2/Au ReRAM devices exhibit the unipolar resistive switching behaviors caused by the conducting filaments. From the Auger depth profiles of the HfO2 thin film, it is confirmed that the relatively lower oxygen content in the interface of the bottom electrode is responsible for the resistive switching by oxygen vacancies. And the unipolar resistive switching behaviors are analyzed from the C-V characteristics in which negative and positive capacitances are measured in the low-resistance state and the high-resistance state, respectively. The devices have a high on/off ratio of 10(4) and the excellent retention properties even after a continuous bending test of two thousand cycles. The correlation between the device size and the memory characteristics is investigated as well. A relatively smaller-sized device having a higher on/off ratio operates at a higher voltage than a relatively larger-sized device.

Chemical vapour deposition of thin-film dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilev, Vladislav Yu; Repinsky, Sergei M

2005-01-01

Data on the chemical vapour deposition of thin-film dielectrics based on silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride and silicon dioxide and on phosphorus- and boron-containing silicate glasses are generalised. The equipment and layer deposition procedures are described. Attention is focussed on the analysis and discussion of the deposition kinetics and on the kinetic models for film growth. The film growth processes are characterised and data on the key physicochemical properties of thin-film covalent dielectric materials are given.

Formation of Al2O3-HfO2 Eutectic EBC Film on Silicon Carbide Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyosuke Seya

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The formation mechanism of Al2O3-HfO2 eutectic structure, the preparation method, and the formation mechanism of the eutectic EBC layer on the silicon carbide substrate are summarized. Al2O3-HfO2 eutectic EBC film is prepared by optical zone melting method on the silicon carbide substrate. At high temperature, a small amount of silicon carbide decomposed into silicon and carbon. The components of Al2O3 and HfO2 in molten phase also react with the free carbon. The Al2O3 phase reacts with free carbon and vapor species of AlO phase is formed. The composition of the molten phase becomes HfO2 rich from the eutectic composition. HfO2 phase also reacts with the free carbon and HfC phase is formed on the silicon carbide substrate; then a high density intermediate layer is formed. The adhesion between the intermediate layer and the substrate is excellent by an anchor effect. When the solidification process finished before all of HfO2 phase is reduced to HfC phase, HfC-HfO2 functionally graded layer is formed on the silicon carbide substrate and the Al2O3-HfO2 eutectic structure grows from the top of the intermediate layer.

Dielectric properties of DC reactive magnetron sputtered Al2O3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasanna, S.; Mohan Rao, G.; Jayakumar, S.; Kannan, M.D.; Ganesan, V.

2012-01-01

Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) thin films were sputter deposited over well-cleaned glass and Si substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering under various oxygen gas pressures and sputtering powers. The composition of the films was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and an optimal O/Al atomic ratio of 1.59 was obtained at a reactive gas pressure of 0.03 Pa and sputtering power of 70 W. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the films were amorphous until 550 °C. The surface morphology of the films was studied using scanning electron microscopy and the as-deposited films were found to be smooth. The topography of the as-deposited and annealed films was analyzed by atomic force microscopy and a progressive increase in the rms roughness of the films from 3.2 nm to 4.53 nm was also observed with increase in the annealing temperature. Al-Al 2 O 3 -Al thin film capacitors were then fabricated on glass substrates to study the effect of temperature and frequency on the dielectric property of the films. Temperature coefficient of capacitance, AC conductivity and activation energy were determined and the results are discussed. - Highlights: ► Al 2 O 3 thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. ► The films were found to be amorphous up to annealing temperature of 550 C. ► An increase in rms roughness of the films was observed with annealing. ► Al-Al 2 O 3 -Al thin film capacitors were fabricated and dielectric constant was 7.5. ► The activation energy decreased with increase in frequency.

Fabrication of air-stable n-type carbon nanotube thin-film transistors on flexible substrates using bilayer dielectrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guanhong; Li, Qunqing; Jin, Yuanhao; Zhao, Yudan; Xiao, Xiaoyang; Jiang, Kaili; Wang, Jiaping; Fan, Shoushan

2015-11-14

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) thin-film transistors hold great potential for flexible electronics. However, fabrication of air-stable n-type devices by methods compatible with standard photolithography on flexible substrates is challenging. Here, we demonstrated that by using a bilayer dielectric structure of MgO and atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 or HfO2, air-stable n-type devices can be obtained. The mechanism for conduction type conversion was elucidated and attributed to the hole depletion in SWNT, the decrease of the trap state density by MgO assimilating adsorbed water molecules in the vicinity of SWNT, and the energy band bending because of the positive fixed charges in the ALD layer. The key advantage of the method is the relatively low temperature (120 or 90 °C) required here for the ALD process because we need not employ this step to totally remove the absorbates on the SWNTs. This advantage facilitates the integration of both p-type and n-type transistors through a simple lift off process and compact CMOS inverters were demonstrated. We also demonstrated that the doping of SWNTs in the channel plays a more important role than the Schottky barriers at the metal contacts in carbon nanotube thin-film transistors, unlike the situation in individual SWNT-based transistors.

Effect of interfacial SiO2- y layer and defect in HfO2- x film on flat-band voltage of HfO2- x /SiO2- y stacks for backside-illuminated CMOS image sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Na, Heedo; Lee, Jimin; Jeong, Juyoung; Kim, Taeho; Sohn, Hyunchul

2018-03-01

In this study, the effect of oxygen gas fraction during deposition of a hafnium oxide (HfO2- x ) film and the influence of the quality of the SiO2- y interlayer on the nature of flat-band voltage ( V fb) in TiN/HfO/SiO2- y /p-Si structures were investigated. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy analysis showed that the non-lattice oxygen peak, indicating an existing oxygen vacancy, increased as the oxygen gas fraction decreased during sputtering. From C- V and J- E analyses, the V fb behavior was significantly affected by the characteristics of the SiO2- y interlayer and the non-lattice oxygen fraction in the HfO2- x films. The HfO2- x /native SiO2- y stack presented a V fb of - 1.01 V for HfO2- x films with an oxygen gas fraction of 5% during sputtering. Additionally, the V fb of the HfO2- x /native SiO2- y stack could be controlled from - 1.01 to - 0.56 V by changing the deposition conditions of the HfO2- x film with the native SiO2- y interlayer. The findings of this study can be useful to fabricate charge-accumulating layers for backside-illuminated image sensor devices.

Characterization, integration and reliability of HfO2 and LaLuO3 high-κ/metal gate stacks for CMOS applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichau, Alexander

2013-01-01

The continued downscaling of MOSFET dimensions requires an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of the gate stack below 1 nm. An EOT below 1.4 nm is hereby enabled by the use of high-κ/metal gate stacks. LaLuO 3 and HfO 2 are investigated as two different high-κ oxides on silicon in conjunction with TiN as the metal electrode. LaLuO 3 and its temperature-dependent silicate formation are characterized by hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES). The effective attenuation length of LaLuO 3 is determined between 7 and 13 keV to enable future interface and diffusion studies. In a first investigation of LaLuO 3 on germanium, germanate formation is shown. LaLuO 3 is further integrated in a high-temperature MOSFET process flow with varying thermal treatment. The devices feature drive currents up to 70μA/μm at 1μm gate length. Several optimization steps are presented. The effective device mobility is related to silicate formation and thermal budget. At high temperature the silicate formation leads to mobility degradation due to La-rich silicate formation. The integration of LaLuO 3 in high-T processes delicately connects with the optimization of the TiN metal electrode. Hereby, stoichiometric TiN yields the best results in terms of thermal stability with respect to Si-capping and high-κ oxide. Different approaches are presented for a further EOT reduction with LaLuO 3 and HfO 2 . Thereby the thermodynamic and kinetic predictions are employed to estimate the behavior on the nanoscale. Based on thermodynamics, excess oxygen in the gate stack, especially in oxidized metal electrodes, is identified to prevent EOT scaling below 1.2 nm. The equivalent oxide thickness of HfO 2 gate stacks is scalable below 1 nm by the use of thinned interfacial SiO 2 . The prevention of oxygen incorporation into the metal electrode by Si-capping maintains the EOT after high temperature annealing. Redox systems are employed within the gate electrode to decrease the EOT of HfO 2 gate stacks

SIMS study of oxygen diffusion in monoclinic HfO2

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Michael P.; De Souza, Roger A.

2018-01-01

The diffusion of oxygen in dense ceramics of monoclinic HfO2 was studied by means of (18O/16O) isotope exchange annealing and subsequent determination of isotope depth profiles by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. Anneals were performed in the temperature range of 573 ≤T /K ≤ 973 at an oxygen partial pressure of p O2=200 mbar . All measured isotope profiles exhibited two features: the first feature, closer to the surface, was attributed mainly to slow oxygen diffusion in an impurity silicate phase; the second feature, deeper in the sample, was attributed to oxygen diffusion in bulk monoclinic HfO2 . The activation enthalpy of oxygen tracer diffusion in bulk HfO2 was found to be ΔHD∗≈0.5 eV .

Material parameters from frequency dispersion simulation of floating gate memory with Ge nanocrystals in HfO2

Science.gov (United States)

Palade, C.; Lepadatu, A. M.; Slav, A.; Lazanu, S.; Teodorescu, V. S.; Stoica, T.; Ciurea, M. L.

2018-01-01

Trilayer memory capacitors with Ge nanocrystals (NCs) floating gate in HfO2 were obtained by magnetron sputtering deposition on p-type Si substrate followed by rapid thermal annealing at relatively low temperature of 600 °C. The frequency dispersion of capacitance and resistance was measured in accumulation regime of Al/HfO2 gate oxide/Ge NCs in HfO2 floating gate/HfO2 tunnel oxide/SiOx/p-Si/Al memory capacitors. For simulation of the frequency dispersion a complex circuit model was used considering an equivalent parallel RC circuit for each layer of the trilayer structure. A series resistance due to metallic contacts and Si substrate was necessary to be included in the model. A very good fit to the experimental data was obtained and the parameters of each layer in the memory capacitor, i.e. capacitances and resistances were determined and in turn the intrinsic material parameters, i.e. dielectric constants and resistivities of layers were evaluated. The results are very important for the study and optimization of the hysteresis behaviour of floating gate memories based on NCs embedded in oxide.

Depth Profiling of La2O3 ∕ HfO2 Stacked Dielectrics for Nanoelectronic Device Applications

KAUST Repository

Alshareef, Husam N.

2011-01-03

Nanoscale La2O3 /HfO2 dielectric stacks have been studied using high resolution Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The measured distance of the tail-end of the La signal from the dielectric/Si interface suggests that the origin of the threshold voltage shifts and the carrier mobility degradation may not be the same. Up to 20% drop in mobility and 500 mV shift in threshold voltage was observed as the La signal reached the Si substrate. Possible reasons for these changes are proposed, aided by depth profiling and bonding analysis. © 2011 The Electrochemical Society.

Biotransformation of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuster, Paul; Bertermann, Ruediger; Snow, Timothy A.; Han Xing; Rusch, George M.; Jepson, Gary W.; Dekant, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf) is a non-ozone-depleting fluorocarbon replacement with a low global warming potential which has been developed as refrigerant. The biotransformation of HFO-1234yf was investigated after inhalation exposure. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to air containing 2000, 10,000, or 50,000 ppm HFO-1234yf for 6 h and male B6C3F1 mice were exposed to 50,000 ppm HFO-1234yf for 3.5 h in a dynamic exposure chamber (n = 5/concentration). After the end of the exposure, animals were individually housed in metabolic cages and urines were collected at 6 or 12-hour intervals for 48 h. For metabolite identification, urine samples were analyzed by 1 H-coupled and decoupled 19 F-NMR and by LC/MS-MS or GC/MS. Metabolites were identified by 19 F-NMR chemical shifts, signal multiplicity, 1 H- 19 F coupling constants and by comparison with synthetic reference compounds. In all urine samples, the predominant metabolites were two diastereomers of N-acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-propyl)-L-cysteine. In 19 F-NMR, the signal intensity of these metabolites represented more than 85% (50,000 ppm) of total 19 F related signals in the urine samples. Trifluoroacetic acid, 3,3,3-trifluorolactic acid, 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-hydroxyacetone, 3,3,3-trifluoroacetone and 3,3,3-trifluoro-1,2-dihydroxypropane were present as minor metabolites. Quantification of N-acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-propyl)-L-cysteine by LC/MS-MS showed that most of this metabolite (90%) was excreted within 18 h after the end of exposure (t 1/2 app. 6 h). In rats, the recovery of N-acetyl-S-(3,3,3-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-propyl)-L-cysteine excreted within 48 h in urine was determined as 0.30 ± 0.03, 0.63 ± 0.16, and 2.43 ± 0.86 μmol at 2000, 10,000 and 50,000 ppm, respectively suggesting only a low extent (<< 1% of dose received) of biotransformation of HFO-1234yf. In mice, the recovery of this metabolite was 1.774 ± 0.4 μmol. Metabolites identified after in vitro incubations of HFO

Mechanistic Insight into the Stability of HfO2-Coated MoS2 Nanosheet Anodes for Sodium Ion Batteries

KAUST Repository

Ahmed, Bilal; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2015-01-01

It is demonstrated for the first time that surface passivation of 2D nanosheets of MoS2 by an ultrathin and uniform layer of HfO2 can significantly improve the cyclic performance of sodium ion batteries. After 50 charge/discharge cycles, bare MoS2 and HfO2 coated MoS2 electrodes deliver the specific capacity of 435 and 636 mAh g-1, respectively, at current density of 100 mA g-1. These results imply that batteries using HfO2 coated MoS2 anodes retain 91% of the initial capacity; in contrast, bare MoS2 anodes retain only 63%. Also, HfO2 coated MoS2 anodes show one of the highest reported capacity values for MoS2. Cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results suggest that HfO2 does not take part in electrochemical reaction. The mechanism of capacity retention with HfO2 coating is explained by ex situ transmission electron microscope imaging and electrical impedance spectroscopy. It is illustrated that HfO2 acts as a passivation layer at the anode/electrolyte interface and prevents structural degradation during charge/discharge process. Moreover, the amorphous nature of HfO2 allows facile diffusion of Na ions. These results clearly show the potential of HfO2 coated MoS2 anodes, which performance is significantly higher than previous reports where bulk MoS2 or composites of MoS2 with carbonaceous materials are used. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mechanistic Insight into the Stability of HfO2-Coated MoS2 Nanosheet Anodes for Sodium Ion Batteries

KAUST Repository

Ahmed, Bilal

2015-06-01

It is demonstrated for the first time that surface passivation of 2D nanosheets of MoS2 by an ultrathin and uniform layer of HfO2 can significantly improve the cyclic performance of sodium ion batteries. After 50 charge/discharge cycles, bare MoS2 and HfO2 coated MoS2 electrodes deliver the specific capacity of 435 and 636 mAh g-1, respectively, at current density of 100 mA g-1. These results imply that batteries using HfO2 coated MoS2 anodes retain 91% of the initial capacity; in contrast, bare MoS2 anodes retain only 63%. Also, HfO2 coated MoS2 anodes show one of the highest reported capacity values for MoS2. Cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results suggest that HfO2 does not take part in electrochemical reaction. The mechanism of capacity retention with HfO2 coating is explained by ex situ transmission electron microscope imaging and electrical impedance spectroscopy. It is illustrated that HfO2 acts as a passivation layer at the anode/electrolyte interface and prevents structural degradation during charge/discharge process. Moreover, the amorphous nature of HfO2 allows facile diffusion of Na ions. These results clearly show the potential of HfO2 coated MoS2 anodes, which performance is significantly higher than previous reports where bulk MoS2 or composites of MoS2 with carbonaceous materials are used. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preparation and characterization of Ce-doped HfO2 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gálvez-Barboza, S.; González, L.A.; Puente-Urbina, B.A.; Saucedo-Salazar, E.M.; García-Cerda, L.A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ce-doped HfO 2 nanoparticles were prepared by a modified solgel method. • Ce-doped HfO 2 nanoparticles have a semispherical shape with sizes between 6 and 11.5 nm. • The samples doped with 10% in weight of Ce directly crystallized in a cubic structure. • A quick, straightforward and effective route for the preparation of Ce-doped nanoparticles. - Abstract: A modified solgel method to synthesize Ce-doped HfO 2 nanoparticles was carried out using a precursor material prepared with cerium nitrate, hafnium chloride, citric acid and ethylene glycol. The obtained precursor material was calcined at 500 and 700 °C for 2 h in air. The influence of the concentration of Ce and the calcination temperature was studied to observe the structural and morphological changes of the obtained materials. For the characterization, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman scattering (RS) were employed. The XRD patterns shown that the Ce-doped HfO 2 undergoes a structural transformation from monoclinic to cubic phase, which is significantly dependent on the Ce content and calcination temperature. TEM images have also confirmed the existence of semispherical nanoparticles with sizes between 6 and 11.5 nm

SnO2 anode surface passivation by atomic layer deposited HfO2 improves li-ion battery performance

KAUST Repository

Yesibolati, Nulati

2014-03-14

For the first time, it is demonstrated that nanoscale HfO2 surface passivation layers formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) significantly improve the performance of Li ion batteries with SnO2-based anodes. Specifically, the measured battery capacity at a current density of 150 mAg -1 after 100 cycles is 548 and 853 mAhg-1 for the uncoated and HfO2-coated anodes, respectively. Material analysis reveals that the HfO2 layers are amorphous in nature and conformably coat the SnO2-based anodes. In addition, the analysis reveals that ALD HfO2 not only protects the SnO2-based anodes from irreversible reactions with the electrolyte and buffers its volume change, but also chemically interacts with the SnO2 anodes to increase battery capacity, despite the fact that HfO2 is itself electrochemically inactive. The amorphous nature of HfO2 is an important factor in explaining its behavior, as it still allows sufficient Li diffusion for an efficient anode lithiation/delithiation process to occur, leading to higher battery capacity. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mechanical characterization of zeolite low dielectric constant thin films by nanoindentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, Mark; Li Zijian; Wang Junlan; Ya, Yushan

2007-01-01

With semiconductor technologies continuously pushing the miniaturization limits, there is a growing interest in developing novel low dielectric constant materials to replace the traditional dense SiO 2 insulators. In order to survive the multi-level integration process and provide reliable material and structure for the desired integrated circuits (IC) functions, the new low-k materials have to be mechanically strong and stable. Therefore the material selection and mechanical characterization are vital for the successful development of next generation low-k dielectrics. A new class of low-k materials, nanoporous pure-silica zeolite, is prepared in thin films using IC compatible spin coating process and characterized using depth sensing nanoindentation technique. The elastic modulus of the zeolite thin films is found to be significantly higher than that of other low-k materials with similar porosity and dielectric constants. Correlations between the mechanical, microstructural and electrical properties of the thin films are discussed in detail

Pentacene based thin film transistors with high-k dielectric Nd2O3 as a gate insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarma, R.; Saikia, D.

2010-01-01

We have investigated the pentacene based Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs) with high-k dielectric Nd 2 O 3 . Use of high dielectric constant (high-k) gate insulator Nd 2 O 3 reduces the threshold voltage and sub threshold swing of the OTFTs. The calculated threshold voltage -2.2V and sub-threshold swing 1V/decade, current ON-OFF ratio is 1.7 X 10 4 and mobility is 0.13cm 2 /V.s. Pentacene film is deposited on Nd 2 O 3 surface using two step deposition method. Deposited pentacene film is found poly crystalline in nature. (author)

Integration of atomic layer deposited high-k dielectrics on GaSb via hydrogen plasma exposure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura B. Ruppalt

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this letter we report the efficacy of a hydrogen plasma pretreatment for integrating atomic layer deposited (ALD high-k dielectric stacks with device-quality p-type GaSb(001 epitaxial layers. Molecular beam eptiaxy-grown GaSb surfaces were subjected to a 30 minute H2/Ar plasma treatment and subsequently removed to air. High-k HfO2 and Al2O3/HfO2 bilayer insulating films were then deposited via ALD and samples were processed into standard metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS capacitors. The quality of the semiconductor/dielectric interface was probed by current-voltage and variable-frequency admittance measurements. Measurement results indicate that the H2-plamsa pretreatment leads to a low density of interface states nearly independent of the deposited dielectric material, suggesting that pre-deposition H2-plasma exposure, coupled with ALD of high-k dielectrics, may provide an effective means for achieving high-quality GaSb MOS structures for advanced Sb-based digital and analog electronics.

Cellulose triacetate, thin film dielectric capacitor

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Shiao-Ping S. (Inventor); Jow, T. Richard (Inventor)

1995-01-01

Very thin films of cellulose triacetate are cast from a solution containing a small amount of high boiling temperature, non-solvent which evaporates last and lifts the film from the casting surface. Stretched, oriented, crystallized films have high electrical breakdown properties. Metallized films less than about 2 microns in thickness form self-healing electrodes for high energy density, pulsed power capacitors. Thicker films can be utilized as a dielectric for a capacitor.

Self-aligned top-gate InGaZnO thin film transistors using SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} stack gate dielectric

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Rongsheng; Zhou, Wei; Zhang, Meng; Wong, Man; Kwok, Hoi Sing

2013-12-02

Self-aligned top-gate amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) utilizing SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} stack thin films as gate dielectric are developed in this paper. Due to high quality of the high-k Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and good interface between active layer and gate dielectric, the resulting a-IGZO TFT exhibits good electrical performance including field-effect mobility of 9 cm{sup 2}/Vs, threshold voltage of 2.2 V, subthreshold swing of 0.2 V/decade, and on/off current ratio of 1 × 10{sup 7}. With scaling down of the channel length, good characteristics are also obtained with a small shift of the threshold voltage and no degradation of subthreshold swing. - Highlights: • Self-aligned top-gate indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin-film transistor is proposed. • SiO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} stack gate dielectric is proposed. • The source/drain areas are hydrogen-doped by CHF{sub 3} plasma. • The devices show good electrical performance and scaling down behavior.

Bi-axially crumpled silver thin-film electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Low, Sze-Hsien; Lau, Gih-Keong

2014-01-01

Metal thin films, which have high conductivity, are much stiffer and may fracture at a much lower strain than dielectric elastomers. In order to fabricate compliant electrodes for use in dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), metal thin films have been formed into either zigzag patterns or corrugations, which favour bending and only allow uniaxial DEA deformations. However, biaxially compliant electrodes are desired in order to maximize generated forces of DEA. In this paper, we present crumpled metal thin-film electrodes that are biaxially compliant and have full area coverage over the dielectric elastomer. These crumpled metal thin-film electrodes are more stretchable than flat metal thin films; they remain conductive beyond 110% radial strain. Also, crumpling reduced the stiffening effect of metal thin films on the soft elastomer. As such, DEAs using crumpled metal thin-film electrodes managed to attain relatively high actuated area strains of up to 128% at 1.8 kV (102 Vμm −1 ). (paper)

Stable dielectric response of low-loss aromatic polythiourea thin films on Pt/SiO2 substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Eršte

2016-03-01

Full Text Available We have investigated dielectric properties of aromatic polythiourea (ArPTU, a polar polymer containing high dipolar moments with very low defect levels thin films that were developed on Pt/SiO2 substrate. The detected response is compared to the response of commercially available polymers, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE and polypropylene (PP, which are at present used in foil capacitors. Stable values of the dielectric constant ε′≈5 (being twice higher than in HDPE and PP over broad temperature and frequency ranges and dielectric losses as low as in commercial systems suggest ArPTU as a promising candidate for future use in a variety of applications.

Self-diffusion of Er and Hf inpure and HfO2-doped polycrystalline Er2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheidecker, R.W.

1979-01-01

Using a tracer technique, self-diffusion of Er and Hf was measured over the approximate temperature interval of 1600 to 1970 0 C in pure and HfO 2 -doped polycryatalline Er 2 O 3 . Up to about 10 m/o HfO 2 dopant level, the Er self-diffusion coefficients followed a relationship based on cation vacancies. Above 10 m/o HfO 2 , deviation from this relationship occurred, apparently due to clustering of cation vacancies and oxygen interstitials around the dopant hafnia ion. The activation energy for the self-diffusion of Er in pure Er 2 O 3 was 82.2 Kcal/mole and increased with the HfO 2 dopant level present. Self-diffusion of Hf was measured in pure Er 2 O 3 having two impurity levels, and a separation of the grain boundary. The volume diffusion of Hf showed both extrinsic and intrinsic behavior with the transition temperature increasing with the impurity level present in Er 2 O 3 . The activation energy for Hf volume diffusion in the intrinsic region was high, i.e. 235 -+ 9.5 Kcal/mole. The grain boundary diffusion was apparently extrinsic over the entire temperature interval Very low Hf self diffusion rates were found in both pure and HfO 2 doped Er 2 O 3 compositions. Despite a clustering effect, the HfO 2 dopant increased the Hf volume diffusion coefficients

Processing of Dielectric Optical Coatings by Nanosecond and Femtosecond UV Laser Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ihlemann, J.; Bekesi, J.; Klein-Wiele, J.H.; Simon, P.

2008-01-01

Micro processing of dielectric optical coatings by UV laser ablation is demonstrated. Excimer laser ablation at deep UV wavelengths (248 nm, 193 nm) is used for the patterning of thin oxide films or layer stacks. The layer removal over extended areas as well as sub-μm-structuring is possible. The ablation of SiO2, Al2O3, HfO2, and Ta2O5 layers and layer systems has been investigated. Due to their optical, chemical, and thermal stability, these inorganic film materials are well suited for optical applications, even if UV-transparency is required. Transparent patterned films of SiO2 are produced by patterning a UV-absorbing precursor SiOx suboxide layer and oxidizing it afterwards to SiO2. In contrast to laser ablation of bulk material, in the case of thin films, the layer-layer or layer-substrate boundaries act as predetermined end points, so that precise depth control and a very smooth surface can be achieved. For large area ablation, nanosecond lasers are well suited; for patterning with submicron resolution, femtosecond excimer lasers are applied. Thus the fabrication of optical elements like dielectric masks, pixelated diffractive elements, and gratings can be accomplished.

Optical properties of the Al2O3/SiO2 and Al2O3/HfO2/SiO2 antireflective coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Marszałek, Konstanty; Winkowski, Paweł; Jaglarz, Janusz

2014-01-01

Investigations of bilayer and trilayer Al2O3/SiO2 and Al2O3/HfO2/SiO2 antireflective coatings are presented in this paper. The oxide films were deposited on a heated quartz glass by e-gun evaporation in a vacuum of 5 × 10-3 [Pa] in the presence of oxygen. Depositions were performed at three different temperatures of the substrates: 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C. The coatings were deposited onto optical quartz glass (Corning HPFS). The thickness and deposition rate were controlled with Inficon XTC/2 thickness measuring system. Deposition rate was equal to 0.6 nm/s for Al2O3, 0.6 nm - 0.8 nm/s for HfO2 and 0.6 nm/s for SiO2. Simulations leading to optimization of the thin film thickness and the experimental results of optical measurements, which were carried out during and after the deposition process, have been presented. The optical thickness values, obtained from the measurements performed during the deposition process were as follows: 78 nm/78 nm for Al2O3/SiO2 and 78 nm/156 nm/78 nm for Al2O3/HfO2/SiO2. The results were then checked by ellipsometric technique. Reflectance of the films depended on the substrate temperature during the deposition process. Starting from 240 nm to the beginning of visible region, the average reflectance of the trilayer system was below 1 % and for the bilayer, minima of the reflectance were equal to 1.6 %, 1.15 % and 0.8 % for deposition temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C, respectively.

Evolutionary search for new high-k dielectric materials: methodology and applications to hafnia-based oxides.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Qingfeng; Oganov, Artem R; Lyakhov, Andriy O; Xie, Congwei; Zhang, Xiaodong; Zhang, Jin; Zhu, Qiang; Wei, Bingqing; Grigorenko, Ilya; Zhang, Litong; Cheng, Laifei

2014-02-01

High-k dielectric materials are important as gate oxides in microelectronics and as potential dielectrics for capacitors. In order to enable computational discovery of novel high-k dielectric materials, we propose a fitness model (energy storage density) that includes the dielectric constant, bandgap, and intrinsic breakdown field. This model, used as a fitness function in conjunction with first-principles calculations and the global optimization evolutionary algorithm USPEX, efficiently leads to practically important results. We found a number of high-fitness structures of SiO2 and HfO2, some of which correspond to known phases and some of which are new. The results allow us to propose characteristics (genes) common to high-fitness structures--these are the coordination polyhedra and their degree of distortion. Our variable-composition searches in the HfO2-SiO2 system uncovered several high-fitness states. This hybrid algorithm opens up a new avenue for discovering novel high-k dielectrics with both fixed and variable compositions, and will speed up the process of materials discovery.

Enhanced dielectric and electrical properties of annealed PVDF thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Arshad, A. N.; Rozana, M. D.; Wahid, M. H. M.; Mahmood, M. K. A.; Sarip, M. N.; Habibah, Z.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Poly (vinylideneflouride) (PVDF) thin films were annealed at various annealing temperatures ranging from 70°C to 170°C. This study demonstrates that PVDF thin films annealed at temperature of 70°C (AN70) showed significant enhancement in their dielectric constant (14) at frequency of 1 kHz in comparison to un-annealed PVDF (UN-PVDF), dielectric constant (10) at the same measured frequency. As the annealing temperature was increased from 90°C (AN90) to 150°C (AN150), the dielectric constant value of PVDF thin films was observed to decrease gradually to 11. AN70 also revealed low tangent loss (tan δ) value at similar frequency. With respect to its resistivity properties, the values were found to increase from 1.98×104 Ω.cm to 3.24×104 Ω.cm for AN70 and UN-PVDF films respectively. The improved in dielectric constant, with low tangent loss and high resistivity value suggests that 70°C is the favorable annealing temperature for PVDF thin films. Hence, AN70 is a promising film to be utilized for application in electronic devices such as low frequency capacitor.

Optical properties of a HfO2/Si stack with a trace amount of nitrogen incorporation

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Li; Tingting, Jiang; Qingqing, Sun; Pengfei, Wang; Shijin, Ding; Wei, Zhang

2012-03-01

HfO2 films were deposited by atomic layer deposition through alternating pulsing of Hf[N(C2H5)(CH3)]4 and H2O2. A trace amount of nitrogen was incorporated into the HfO2 through ammonia annealing. The composition, the interface stability of the HfO2/Si stack and the optical properties of the annealed films were analyzed to investigate the property evolution of HfO2 during thermal treatment. With a nitrogen concentration increase from 1.41 to 7.45%, the bandgap of the films decreased from 5.82 to 4.94 eV.

Effect of crystal structure on strontium titanate thin films and their dielectric properties

Science.gov (United States)

Kampangkeaw, Satreerat

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3 or STO) has application in radio and microwave-frequency tunable capacitor devices particularly at low temperatures due to its high dielectric constant, low loss and the electric field tunability of its dielectric constant. The main goal of improving the performance in these devices is to increase the tunability and decrease the dielectric loss at the same time, especially at microwave frequencies. Thin films of STO however, show dramatic differences compared to the bulk. The dielectric constant of bulk STO increases nonlinearly from 300 at room temperature to 30000 at 4 K and the loss range is 10-3--10 -4. On the other hand. STO thin films, while showing a dielectric constant close to 300 at room temperature, typically reach a maximum between 1000 and 10000 in the 30 K to 100 K range before decreasing, and the high-loss range is 10-2--10-3. We have grown strontium titanate thin films using a pulsed laser deposition technique on substrates selected to have a small lattice mismatch between the film and substrate. Neodymium gallate (NdGaO3 or NGO) and lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3 or LAO) substrates were good candidates due to only 1--2% mismatching. Film capacitor devices were fabricated with 25 micron gap separation. 1.5 mm total gap length and an overall 1 x 2 mm dimension using standard lithography and gold metal evaporative techniques. Their nonlinear dielectric constant and loss tangent were measured at low frequencies and also at 2 GHz, and from room temperature down to 4 K. The resulting films show significant variations of dielectric properties with position on the substrates with respect to the deposition plume axis. In the presence of DC electric fields up to +/-4 V/mum, STO films show improved dielectric tunability and low loss in regions far from the plume axis. We found that the films grown on NCO have lower dielectric loss than those on LAO due to a closer match of the NCO lattice to that of STO. We investigated the possible

Functional Design of Dielectric-Metal-Dielectric-Based Thin-Film Encapsulation with Heat Transfer and Flexibility for Flexible Displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jeong Hyun; Choi, Seungyeop; Jeon, Yongmin; Kim, Hyuncheol; Chang, Ki Soo; Choi, Kyung Cheol

2017-08-16

In this study, a new and efficient dielectric-metal-dielectric-based thin-film encapsulation (DMD-TFE) with an inserted Ag thin film is proposed to guarantee the reliability of flexible displays by improving the barrier properties, mechanical flexibility, and heat dissipation, which are considered to be essential requirements for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) encapsulation. The DMD-TFE, which is composed of Al 2 O 3 , Ag, and a silica nanoparticle-embedded sol-gel hybrid nanocomposite, shows a water vapor transmission rate of 8.70 × 10 -6 g/m 2 /day and good mechanical reliability at a bending radius of 30 mm, corresponding to 0.41% strain for 1000 bending cycles. The electrical performance of a thin-film encapsulated phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (PHOLED) was identical to that of a glass-lid encapsulated PHOLED. The operational lifetimes of the thin-film encapsulated and glass-lid encapsulated PHOLEDs are 832 and 754 h, respectively. After 80 days, the thin-film encapsulated PHOLED did not show performance degradation or dark spots on the cell image in a shelf-lifetime test. Finally, the difference in lifetime of the OLED devices in relation to the presence and thickness of a Ag film was analyzed by applying various TFE structures to fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes (FOLEDs) that could generate high amounts of heat. To demonstrate the difference in heat dissipation effect among the TFE structures, the saturated temperatures of the encapsulated FOLEDs were measured from the back side surface of the glass substrate, and were found to be 67.78, 65.12, 60.44, and 39.67 °C after all encapsulated FOLEDs were operated at an initial luminance of 10 000 cd/m 2 for sufficient heat generation. Furthermore, the operational lifetime tests of the encapsulated FOLED devices showed results that were consistent with the measurements of real-time temperature profiles taken with an infrared camera. A multifunctional hybrid thin-film encapsulation

Al2O3 Passivation Effect in HfO2·Al2O3 Laminate Structures Grown on InP Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hang-Kyu; Kang, Yu-Seon; Kim, Dae-Kyoung; Baik, Min; Song, Jin-Dong; An, Youngseo; Kim, Hyoungsub; Cho, Mann-Ho

2017-05-24

The passivation effect of an Al 2 O 3 layer on the electrical properties was investigated in HfO 2 -Al 2 O 3 laminate structures grown on indium phosphide (InP) substrate by atomic-layer deposition. The chemical state obtained using high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that interfacial reactions were dependent on the presence of the Al 2 O 3 passivation layer and its sequence in the HfO 2 -Al 2 O 3 laminate structures. Because of the interfacial reaction, the Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 /Al 2 O 3 structure showed the best electrical characteristics. The top Al 2 O 3 layer suppressed the interdiffusion of oxidizing species into the HfO 2 films, whereas the bottom Al 2 O 3 layer blocked the outdiffusion of In and P atoms. As a result, the formation of In-O bonds was more effectively suppressed in the Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 /Al 2 O 3 /InP structure than that in the HfO 2 -on-InP system. Moreover, conductance data revealed that the Al 2 O 3 layer on InP reduces the midgap traps to 2.6 × 10 12 eV -1 cm -2 (compared to that of HfO 2 /InP, that is, 5.4 × 10 12 eV -1 cm -2 ). The suppression of gap states caused by the outdiffusion of In atoms significantly controls the degradation of capacitors caused by leakage current through the stacked oxide layers.

Dielectric properties of DC reactive magnetron sputtered Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prasanna, S. [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641 004 (India); Mohan Rao, G. [Department of Instrumentation, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, 560 012 (India); Jayakumar, S., E-mail: s_jayakumar_99@yahoo.com [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641 004 (India); Kannan, M.D. [Thin Film Center, Department of Physics, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, 641 004 (India); Ganesan, V. [Low Temperature Lab, UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research (CSR), Indore, 452 017 (India)

2012-01-31

Alumina (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) thin films were sputter deposited over well-cleaned glass and Si < 100 > substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering under various oxygen gas pressures and sputtering powers. The composition of the films was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and an optimal O/Al atomic ratio of 1.59 was obtained at a reactive gas pressure of 0.03 Pa and sputtering power of 70 W. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the films were amorphous until 550 Degree-Sign C. The surface morphology of the films was studied using scanning electron microscopy and the as-deposited films were found to be smooth. The topography of the as-deposited and annealed films was analyzed by atomic force microscopy and a progressive increase in the rms roughness of the films from 3.2 nm to 4.53 nm was also observed with increase in the annealing temperature. Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Al thin film capacitors were then fabricated on glass substrates to study the effect of temperature and frequency on the dielectric property of the films. Temperature coefficient of capacitance, AC conductivity and activation energy were determined and the results are discussed. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The films were found to be amorphous up to annealing temperature of 550 C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An increase in rms roughness of the films was observed with annealing. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Al-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Al thin film capacitors were fabricated and dielectric constant was 7.5. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The activation energy decreased with increase in frequency.

Nonlinear dielectric thin films for high-power electric storage with energy density comparable with electrochemical supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Kui; Chen, Shuting; Rahimabady, Mojtaba; Mirshekarloo, Meysam Sharifzadeh; Yu, Shuhui; Tay, Francis Eng Hock; Sritharan, Thirumany; Lu, Li

2011-09-01

Although batteries possess high energy storage density, their output power is limited by the slow movement of charge carriers, and thus capacitors are often required to deliver high power output. Dielectric capacitors have high power density with fast discharge rate, but their energy density is typically much lower than electrochemical supercapacitors. Increasing the energy density of dielectric materials is highly desired to extend their applications in many emerging power system applications. In this paper, we review the mechanisms and major characteristics of electric energy storage with electrochemical supercapacitors and dielectric capacitors. Three types of in-house-produced ferroic nonlinear dielectric thin film materials with high energy density are described, including (Pb(0.97)La(0.02))(Zr(0.90)Sn(0.05)Ti(0.05))O(3) (PLZST) antiferroelectric ceramic thin films, Pb(Zn(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3-)Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3-)PbTiO(3) (PZN-PMN-PT) relaxor ferroelectric ceramic thin films, and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based polymer blend thin films. The results showed that these thin film materials are promising for electric storage with outstandingly high power density and fairly high energy density, comparable with electrochemical supercapacitors.

Thermally-driven H interaction with HfO2 films deposited on Ge(100) and Si(100)

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, G. V.; Feijó, T. O.; Baumvol, I. J. R.; Aguzzoli, C.; Krug, C.; Radtke, C.

2014-01-01

In the present work, we investigated the thermally-driven H incorporation in HfO2 films deposited on Si and Ge substrates. Two regimes for deuterium (D) uptake were identified, attributed to D bonded near the HfO2/substrate interface region (at 300 °C) and through the whole HfO2 layer (400-600 °C). Films deposited on Si presented higher D amounts for all investigated temperatures, as well as, a higher resistance for D desorption. Moreover, HfO2 films underwent structural changes during annealings, influencing D incorporation. The semiconductor substrate plays a key role in this process.

The Electrical Breakdown of Thin Dielectric Elastomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zakaria, Shamsul Bin; Morshuis, Peter H. F.; Yahia, Benslimane Mohamed

2014-01-01

Dielectric elastomers are being developed for use in actuators, sensors and generators to be used in various applications, such as artificial eye lids, pressure sensors and human motion energy generators. In order to obtain maximum efficiency, the devices are operated at high electrical fields....... This increases the likelihood for electrical breakdown significantly. Hence, for many applications the performance of the dielectric elastomers is limited by this risk of failure, which is triggered by several factors. Amongst others thermal effects may strongly influence the electrical breakdown strength....... In this study, we model the electrothermal breakdown in thin PDMS based dielectric elastomers in order to evaluate the thermal mechanisms behind the electrical failures. The objective is to predict the operation range of PDMS based dielectric elastomers with respect to the temperature at given electric field...

Pressure-induced phase transformation of HfO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arashi, H.

1992-01-01

This paper reports on the pressure dependence of the Raman spectra of HfO 2 that was measured by a micro-Raman technique using a single-crystal specimen in the pressure range from 0 to 10 GPa at room temperature. The symmetry assignment of Raman bands of the monoclinic phase was experimentally accomplished from the polarization measurements for the single crystal. With increased pressure, a phase transformation for the monoclinic phase took place at 4.3 ± 0.3 GPa. Nineteen Raman bands were observed for the high-pressure phase. The spectral structure of the Raman bands for the high-pressure phase was similar with those reported previously for ZrO 2 . The space group for the high pressure phase of HfO 2 was determined as Pbcm, which was the same as that of the high-pressure phase for ZrO 2 on the basis of the number and the spectral structure of the Raman bands

Influence of phosphorous precursors on spectroscopic properties of Er3+-activated SiO2-HfO2-P2O5 planar waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilchenko, I; Carpentiero, A; Chiappini, A; Chiasera, A; Ferrari, M; Vaccari, A; Lukowiak, A; Righini, G C; Vereshagin, V

2014-01-01

(70-x)SiO 2 -30HfO 2 -xP 2 O 5 (x= 5, 10 mol %) glass planar waveguides activated by 0.5 mol% Er 3 + ions were prepared by sol-gel route. Several phosphorous precursors have been investigated for the synthesis of a dielectric stable sol useful for the realization of planar waveguides. The waveguides were investigated by different diagnostic techniques. The optical properties such as refractive index, thickness, number of propagating modes and attenuation coefficient were measured at 632.8 and 543.5 nm by prism coupling technique. Transmission measurements were carried out in order to assess the transparency of the deposited films. Photoluminescence measurements and lifetime decay curves of the Er 3 + transition (4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 ) were performed in order to investigate the role of P 2 O 5

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of lead-free (Bi,Na)TiO3-based thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Abazari, M.; Safari, A.; Bharadwaja, S. S. N.; Trolier-McKinstry, S.

2010-02-01

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of morphotropic phase boundary (Bi,Na)TiO3-(Bi,K)TiO3-BaTiO3 epitaxial thin films deposited on SrRuO3 coated SrTiO3 substrates were reported. Thin films of 350 nm thickness exhibited small signal dielectric permittivity and loss tangent values of 750 and 0.15, respectively, at 1 kHz. Ferroelectric hysteresis measurements indicated a remanent polarization value of 30 μC/cm2 with a coercive field of 85-100 kV/cm. The thin film transverse piezoelectric coefficient (e31,f) of these films after poling at 600 kV/cm was found to be -2.2 C/m2. The results indicate that these BNT-based thin films are a potential candidate for lead-free piezoelectric devices.

High-temperature x-ray diffraction study of HfTiO4-HfO2 solid solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpenter, D.A.

1975-01-01

High-temperature x-ray diffraction techniques were used to determine the axial thermal expansion curves of HfTiO 4 -HfO 2 solid solutions as a function of composition. Data show increasing anisotropy with increasing HfO 2 content. An orthorhombic-to-monoclinic phase transformation was detected near room temperature for compositions near the high HfO 2 end of the orthorhombic phase field and for compositions within the two-phase region (HfTiO 4 solid solution plus HfO 2 solid solution). An orthorhombic-to-cubic phase transformation is indicated by data from oxygen-deficient materials at greater than 1873 0 K. (U.S.)

Thermal Conductivity and Water Vapor Stability of Ceramic HfO2-Based Coating Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Dong-Ming; Fox, Dennis S.; Bansal, Narottam P.; Miller, Robert A.

2004-01-01

HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 are candidate thermal/environmental barrier coating materials for gas turbine ceramic matrix composite (CMC) combustor liner applications because of their relatively low thermal conductivity and high temperature capability. In this paper, thermal conductivity and high temperature phase stability of plasma-sprayed coatings and/or hot-pressed HfO2-5mol%Y2O3, HfO2-15mol%Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 were evaluated at temperatures up to 1700 C using a steady-state laser heat-flux technique. Sintering behavior of the plasma-sprayed coatings was determined by monitoring the thermal conductivity increases during a 20-hour test period at various temperatures. Durability and failure mechanisms of the HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 coatings on mullite/SiC Hexoloy or CMC substrates were investigated at 1650 C under thermal gradient cyclic conditions. Coating design and testing issues for the 1650 C thermal/environmental barrier coating applications will also be discussed.

Dielectric relaxation of barium strontium titanate and application to thin films for DRAM capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Baniecki, John David

expression, and BSTO thin film electrical characteristics, the charge loss due to dielectric relaxation is estimated to be 6--12% of the initial charge stored on the capacitor plates for MOCVD BSTO thin films with Pt electrodes after a post top electrode anneal in oxygen. In contrast, it is shown that the charge loss due to steady state leakage is only 0.0125--0.125% of the initial charge stored on the capacitor plates. Charge retention is shown to depend strongly on the annealing conditions. Annealing MOCVD BSTO thin films with Pt electrodes in forming gas (95% Ar 5% H2) increases charge loss due to dielectric relaxation to as much as 60%. Ion implantation is used to dope BSTO thin films with Mn. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows ion implantation significantly damages the film leaving only short-range order, but post-implant annealing heals the damage. Capacitance recovery after post-implant annealing is as high as 94% for 15 nm BSTO films. At low implant doses, the Mn doped films have substantially lower leakage (up to a factor of ten lower) and only slightly higher relaxation currents and dielectric loss indicating that ion implantation may be a potentially viable way of introducing dopants into high dielectric constant thin films for future DRAM applications.

Improved speed and data retention characteristics in flash memory using a stacked HfO2/Ta2O5 charge-trapping layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Zhiwei; Huo, Zongliang; Zhang, Manhong; Zhu, Chenxin; Liu, Jing; Liu, Ming

2011-01-01

This paper reports the simultaneous improvements in erase speed and data retention characteristics in flash memory using a stacked HfO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 charge-trapping layer. In comparison to a memory capacitor with a single HfO 2 trapping layer, the erase speed of a memory capacitor with a stacked HfO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 charge-trapping layer is 100 times faster and its memory window is enlarged from 2.7 to 4.8 V for the same ±16 V sweeping voltage range. With the same initial window of ΔV FB = 4 V, the device with a stacked HfO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 charge-trapping layer has a 3.5 V extrapolated 10-year retention window, while the control device with a single HfO 2 trapping layer has only 2.5 V for the extrapolated 10-year window. The present results demonstrate that the device with the stacked HfO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 charge-trapping layer has a strong potential for future high-performance nonvolatile memory application

Plasmonic versus dielectric enhancement in thin-film solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dühring, Maria Bayard; Mortensen, N. Asger; Sigmund, Ole

2012-01-01

to its metallic counterpart. We show that the enhanced normalized short-circuit current for a cell with silicon strips can be increased 4 times compared to the best performance for strips of silver, gold, or aluminium. For this particular case, the simple dielectric grating may outperform its plasmonic......Several studies have indicated that broadband absorption of thin-film solar cells can be enhanced by use of surface-plasmon induced resonances of metallic parts like strips or particles. The metallic parts may create localized modes or scatter incoming light to increase absorption in thin......-film semiconducting material. For a particular case, we show that coupling to the same type of localized slab-waveguide modes can be obtained by a surface modulation consisting of purely dielectric strips. The purely dielectric device turns out to have a significantly higher broadband enhancement factor compared...

Perovskite oxynitride LaTiOxNy thin films: Dielectric characterization in low and high frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Y.; Ziani, A.; Le Paven-Thivet, C.; Benzerga, R.; Le Gendre, L.; Fasquelle, D.; Kassem, H.

2011-01-01

Lanthanum titanium oxynitride (LaTiO x N y ) thin films are studied with respect to their dielectric properties in low and high frequencies. Thin films are deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on different substrates. Effects of nitrogen content and crystalline quality on dielectric properties are investigated. In low-frequency range, textured LaTiO x N y thin films deposited on conductive single crystal Nb–STO show a dielectric constant ε′ ≈ 140 with low losses tanδ = 0.012 at 100 kHz. For the LaTiO x N y polycrystalline films deposited on conductive silicon substrates with platinum (Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si), the tunability reached up to 57% for a weak electric field of 50 kV/cm. In high-frequency range, epitaxial LaTiO x N y films deposited on MgO substrate present a high dielectric constant with low losses (ε′ ≈ 170, tanδ = 0.011, 12 GHz).

Pentacene thin-film transistors and inverters with plasma-enhanced atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 gate dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, Jae Bon; Lim, Jung Wook; Kim, Seong Hyun; Yun, Sun Jin; Ku, Chan Hoe; Lim, Sang Chul; Lee, Jung Hun

2007-01-01

The performances of pentacene thin-film transistor with plasma-enhanced atomic-layer-deposited (PEALD) 150 nm thick Al 2 O 3 dielectric are reported. Saturation mobility of 0.38 cm 2 /V s, threshold voltage of 1 V, subthreshold swing of 0.6 V/decade, and on/off current ratio of about 10 8 have been obtained. Both depletion and enhancement mode inverter have been realized with the change of treatment method of hexamethyldisilazane on PEALD Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric. Full swing depletion mode inverter has been demonstrated at input voltages ranging from 5 V to - 5 V at supply voltage of - 5 V

Dielectric loss of strontium titanate thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Dalberth, Mark Joseph

1999-12-01

Interest in strontium titanate (STO) thin films for microwave device applications continues to grow, fueled by the telecommunications industry's interest in phase shifters and tunable filters. The optimization of these devices depends upon increasing the phase or frequency tuning and decreasing the losses in the films. Currently, the dielectric response of thin film STO is poorly understood through lack of data and a theory to describe it. We have studied the growth of STO using pulsed laser deposition and single crystal substrates like lanthanum aluminate and neodymium gallate. We have researched ways to use ring resonators to accurately measure the dielectric response as a function of temperature, electric field, and frequency from low radio frequencies to a few gigahertz. Our films grown on lanthanum aluminate show marked frequency dispersion in the real part of the dielectric constant and hints of thermally activated loss behavior. We also found that films grown with conditions that optimized the dielectric constant showed increased losses. In an attempt to simplify the system, we developed a technique called epitaxial lift off, which has allowed us to study films removed from their growth substrates. These free standing films have low losses and show obvious thermally activated behavior. The "amount of tuning," as measured by a figure of merit, KE, is greater in these films than in the films still attached to their growth substrates. We have developed a theory that describes the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant. The theory models the real part using a mean field description of the ionic motion in the crystal and includes the loss by incorporating the motion of charged defects in the films.

Deep electron traps in HfO_2-based metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salomone, L. Sambuco; Lipovetzky, J.; Carbonetto, S.H.; García Inza, M.A.; Redin, E.G.; Campabadal, F.

2016-01-01

Hafnium oxide (HfO_2) is currently considered to be a good candidate to take part as a component in charge-trapping nonvolatile memories. In this work, the electric field and time dependences of the electron trapping/detrapping processes are studied through a constant capacitance voltage transient technique on metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with atomic layer deposited HfO_2 as insulating layer. A tunneling-based model is proposed to reproduce the experimental results, obtaining fair agreement between experiments and simulations. From the fitting procedure, a band of defects is identified, located in the first 1.7 nm from the Si/HfO_2 interface at an energy level E_t = 1.59 eV below the HfO_2 conduction band edge with density N_t = 1.36 × 10"1"9 cm"−"3. A simplified analytical version of the model is proposed in order to ease the fitting procedure for the low applied voltage case considered in this work. - Highlights: • We characterized deep electron trapping/detrapping in HfO_2 structures. • We modeled the experimental results through a tunneling-based model. • We obtained an electron trap energy level of 1.59 eV below conduction band edge. • We obtained a spatial trap distribution extending 1.7 nm within the insulator. • A simplified tunneling front model is able to reproduce the experimental results.

Issues concerning the determination of solubility products of sparingly soluble crystalline solids. Solubility of HfO2(cr)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rai, Dhanpat; Kitamura, Akira; Rosso, Kevin M.; Sasaki, Takayuki; Kobayashi, Taishi

2016-01-01

Solubility studies were conducted with HfO 2 (cr) solid as a function HCl and ionic strength ranging from 2.0 to 0.004 mol kg -1 . These studies involved (1) using two different amounts of the solid phase, (2) acid washing the bulk solid phase, (3) preheating the solid phase to 1400 C, and (4) heating amorphous HfO 2 (am) suspensions to 90 C to ascertain whether the HfO 2 (am) converts to HfO 2 (cr) and to determine the solubility from the oversaturation direction. Based on the results of these treatments it is concluded that the HfO 2 (cr) contains a small fraction of less crystalline, but not amorphous, material [HfO 2 (lcr)] and this, rather than the HfO 2 (cr), is the solubility-controlling phase in the range of experimental variables investigated in this study. The solubility data are interpreted using both the Pitzer and SIT models and they provide log 10 K 0 values of -(59.75±0.35) and -(59.48±0.41), respectively, for the solubility product of HfO 2 (lcr)[HfO 2 (lcr) + 2H 2 O ↔ Hf 4+ + 4OH - ]. The log 10 of the solubility product of HfO 2 (cr) is estimated to be < -63. The observation of a small fraction of less crystalline higher solubility material is consistent with the general picture that mineral surfaces are often structurally and/or compositionally imperfect leading to a higher solubility than the bulk crystalline solid. This study stresses the urgent need, during interpretation of solubility data, of taking precautions to make certain that the observed solubility behavior for sparingly-soluble solids is assigned to the proper solid phase.

Band Offsets and Interfacial Properties of HfAlO Gate Dielectric Grown on InP by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lifeng; Wang, Tao; Zou, Ying; Lu, Hong-Liang

2017-12-01

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy have been used to determine interfacial properties of HfO 2 and HfAlO gate dielectrics grown on InP by atomic layer deposition. An undesirable interfacial InP x O y layer is easily formed at the HfO 2 /InP interface, which can severely degrade the electrical performance. However, an abrupt interface can be achieved when the growth of the HfAlO dielectric on InP starts with an ultrathin Al 2 O 3 layer. The valence and conduction band offsets for HfAlO/InP heterojunctions have been determined to be 1.87 ± 0.1 and 2.83 ± 0.1 eV, respectively. These advantages make HfAlO a potential dielectric for InP MOSFETs.

Application of Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Thin Film Devices in Mobile Communication and Medical Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klee, M.; Beelen, D.; Keurl, W.; Kiewitt, R.; Kumar, B.; Mauczok, R.; Reimann, K.; Renders, Ch.; Roest, A.; Roozeboom, F.; Steeneken, P.G.; Tiggelman, M.P.J.; Vanhelmont, F.; Wunnicke, O.; Lok, P.; Neumann, K.; Fraser, J.; Schmitz, G.

2007-01-01

Dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films are getting more and more attention for next generation mobile communication and medical systems. Thin film technologies based on dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films enable System-in-Package (SiP) devices, resulting in optimal

Characterization of thin films with synchrotron radiation in SPring-8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komiya, Satoshi

2005-01-01

Many studies about thin films by using synchrotron radiation in SPring-8 were reviewed. Structural analyses and assessment of thin films used for electronics, and also assessment of insulating films for the gate used in LSI were carried out. Film thickness, unevenness, and density of SiO 2 films in order of nanomer thickness were determined by interference fringes of x-ray reflection curves. The interface structure of (SiO 2 /Si) films was studied by x-ray crystal truncation rod scattering, and the correlation between leakage character depending on nitrogen concentration and interface structure was clarified on SiON film. The oxygen concentration in HfO films in nanometer thickness was determined by x-ray fluorescence analysis, and the interface reaction for HfO 2 /SiO 2 was clearly observed by electron spectroscopy. The structure of amorphous thin films with large dielectric constant was analyzed by x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectrum. Devices fabricated from multi-layer films showing giant magnetic resistance were developed for hard disk with a large memory. The character of giant magnetic resistance was governed by multi-layer thin film structure piled up by magnetic and nonmagnetic polycrystalline thin metals. For the multi-layer structure, the concentration distribution of constituent elements was determined to the direction of film thickness by x-ray reflection analysis and grazing incident x-ray fluorescence analysis. In the semiconductor laser source, Ga 1-x In x N, used for DVD, the local structure around In ions was studied by XAFS since constituent instability, especially overpopulation of In element, caused the deterioration of lifetime and light emission of the laser. The lattice constant of the light emission layer in InGaAs was measured by x-ray micro-beams. (author)

Influence of the oxygen/argon ratio on the properties of sputtered hafnium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, L.; Barquinha, P.; Fortunato, E.; Martins, R.

2005-01-01

In this work we have focused our attention on the role of the gas mixture (O 2 /Ar) used during HfO 2 thin film processing by r.f. magnetron sputtering, to produce dielectrics with suitable characteristics to be used as gate dielectric. Increasing the O 2 /Ar ratio from 0 to 0.2, the films properties (optical gap, permittivity, resistivity and compactness) are improved. At these conditions, films with a band gap around 5 eV were produced, indicating a good stoichiometry. Also the flat band voltage has a reduction of almost three times indicating also a reduction of the same order on the fixed charge density at the semiconductor-insulator interface. The dielectric constant is around 16 which is very good, since the surface of the silicon where the HfO 2 films were deposited contains a SiO 2 layer of about 3 nm that gives an effective dielectric constant above 20, close to the HfO 2 stoichiometric value (∼25). Further increase on the O 2 /Ar ratio does not produce significant improvements

Structure and properties of a model conductive filament/host oxide interface in HfO2-based ReRAM

Science.gov (United States)

Padilha, A. C. M.; McKenna, K. P.

2018-04-01

Resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) is a promising class of nonvolatile memory capable of storing information via its resistance state. In the case of hafnium oxide-based devices, experimental evidence shows that a conductive oxygen-deficient filament is formed and broken inside of the device by oxygen migration, leading to switching of its resistance state. However, little is known about the nature of this conductive phase, its interface with the host oxide, or the associated interdiffusion of oxygen, presenting a challenge to understanding the switching mechanism and device properties. To address these problems, we present atomic-scale first-principles simulations of a prototypical conductive phase (HfO), the electronic properties of its interface with HfO2, as well as stability with respect to oxygen diffusion across the interface. We show that the conduction-band offset between HfO and HfO2 is 1.3 eV, smaller than typical electrode-HfO2 band offsets, suggesting that positive charging and band bending should occur at the conductive filament-HfO2 interface. We also show that transfer of oxygen across the interface, from HfO2 into HfO, costs around 1.2 eV per atom and leads to a gradual opening of the HfO band gap, and hence disruption of the electrical conductivity. These results provide invaluable insights into understanding the switching mechanism for HfO2-based ReRAM.

Impedance Characterization of the Capacitive field-Effect pH-Sensor Based on a thin-Layer Hafnium Oxide Formed by Atomic Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael LEE

2014-05-01

Full Text Available As a sensing element, silicon dioxide (SiO2 has been applied within ion-sensitive field effect transistors (ISFET. However, a requirement of increasing pH-sensitivity and stability has observed an increased number of insulating materials that obtain high-k gate being applied as FETs. The increased high-k gate reduces the required metal oxide layer and, thus, the fabrication of thin hafnium oxide (HfO2 layers by atomic layer deposition (ALD has grown with interest in recent years. This metal oxide presents advantageous characteristics that can be beneficial for the advancements within miniaturization of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS technology. In this article, we describe a process for fabrication of HfO2 based on ALD by applying water (H2O as the oxygen precursor. As a first, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS measurements were performed with varying pH (2-10 to demonstrate the sensitivity of HfO2 as a potential pH sensing material. The Nyquist plot demonstrates a high clear shift of the polarization resistance (Rp between pH 6-10 (R2 = 0.9986, Y = 3,054X + 12,100. At acidic conditions (between pH 2-10, the Rp change was small due to the unmodified oxide gate (R2 = 0.9655, Y = 2,104X + 4,250. These preliminary results demonstrate the HfO2 substrate functioned within basic to neutral conditions and establishes a great potential for applying HfO2 as a dielectric material for future pH measuring FET sensors.

Ferroelectric transistors with monolayer molybdenum disulfide and ultra-thin aluminum-doped hafnium oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Yap, Wui Chung; Jiang, Hao; Liu, Jialun; Xia, Qiangfei; Zhu, Wenjuan

2017-07-01

In this letter, we demonstrate ferroelectric memory devices with monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as the channel material and aluminum (Al)-doped hafnium oxide (HfO2) as the ferroelectric gate dielectric. Metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors with 16 nm thick Al-doped HfO2 are fabricated, and a remnant polarization of 3 μC/cm2 under a program/erase voltage of 5 V is observed. The capability of potential 10 years data retention was estimated using extrapolation of the experimental data. Ferroelectric transistors based on embedded ferroelectric HfO2 and MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition are fabricated. Clockwise hysteresis is observed at low program/erase voltages due to slow bulk traps located near the 2D/dielectric interface, while counterclockwise hysteresis is observed at high program/erase voltages due to ferroelectric polarization. In addition, the endurances of the devices are tested, and the effects associated with ferroelectric materials, such as the wake-up effect and polarization fatigue, are observed. Reliable writing/reading in MoS2/Al-doped HfO2 ferroelectric transistors over 2 × 104 cycles is achieved. This research can potentially lead to advances of two-dimensional (2D) materials in low-power logic and memory applications.

High performance In2O3 thin film transistors using chemically derived aluminum oxide dielectric

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.

2013-07-18

We report high performance solution-deposited indium oxide thin film transistors with field-effect mobility of 127 cm2/Vs and an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. This excellent performance is achieved by controlling the hydroxyl group content in chemically derived aluminum oxide (AlOx) thin-film dielectrics. The AlOx films annealed in the temperature range of 250–350 °C showed higher amount of Al-OH groups compared to the films annealed at 500 °C, and correspondingly higher mobility. It is proposed that the presence of Al-OH groups at the AlOx surface facilitates unintentional Al-doping and efficient oxidation of the indium oxide channel layer, leading to improved device performance.

High performance In2O3 thin film transistors using chemically derived aluminum oxide dielectric

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Cha, Dong Kyu; Alshareef, Husam N.

2013-01-01

We report high performance solution-deposited indium oxide thin film transistors with field-effect mobility of 127 cm2/Vs and an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. This excellent performance is achieved by controlling the hydroxyl group content in chemically derived aluminum oxide (AlOx) thin-film dielectrics. The AlOx films annealed in the temperature range of 250–350 °C showed higher amount of Al-OH groups compared to the films annealed at 500 °C, and correspondingly higher mobility. It is proposed that the presence of Al-OH groups at the AlOx surface facilitates unintentional Al-doping and efficient oxidation of the indium oxide channel layer, leading to improved device performance.

Effect of interfacial layers on dielectric properties in very thin SrBi2Ta2O9 capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Bum-Ki; Isobe, Chiharu; Hironaka, Katsuyuki; Hishikawa, Shinichi

2001-01-01

The effect of interfacial layers on the dielectric properties in very thin SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 (SBT) capacitors has been investigated using static measurements. Total permittivity (ε t ) decreased as the film thickness was reduced in both Pt/SBT/Pt and Ir/SBT/Pt capacitors. The contribution of the interfacial capacitance (C int ) and bulk capacitance to the total capacitance indicates that C int of the Ir/SBT/Pt structure was lower than that of the Pt/SBT/Pt structure, while the bulk permittivity (ε b ) was essentially the same. The dispersion of all capacitors followed the power law, while the Ir/SBT/Pt capacitor showed a larger dispersion of C int . These results suggest that the Pt/SBT/Pt capacitor is preferred for obtaining the high performance with less effect of the interfacial layers on the dielectric properties. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

Thermoluminescence in films of HfO2:Dy+3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceron, P.; Rivera, T.; Guzman, J.; Montes, E.; Pelaez, A.; Rojas, B.; Guzman, D.; Azorin, J.; Paredes, L.

2014-08-01

In this work the thermoluminescence (TL) response of films of hafnium oxide polluted with dysprosium (HfO 2 :Dy +3 ) that were irradiated in the near UV (200 nm - 400 nm). The films were deposited by means of the ultrasonics spray pyrolysis technique on a glass substrate, using different deposit temperatures (300 grades C - 600 grades C). The best TL emission corresponded to the prepared film to 450 grades C that was exposed to a spectral irradiation of 80 μJ/(cm 2 -s) with a wave longitude of 240 nm. The TL response in function of the spectral irradiation was lineal in the studied interval (24 to 288 mJ/cm 2 ), several kinetic parameters were also calculated of the shine curve as depth of the trap (E), frequency factor (s) and order to the kinetics (b). The obtained results show that the films of HfO 2 :Dy +3 could be used as radiation monitor in the region of the near UV. (Author)

Structural and electrical characteristics of high-κ Er2O3 and Er2TiO5 gate dielectrics for a-IGZO thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fa-Hsyang; Her, Jim-Long; Shao, Yu-Hsuan; Matsuda, Yasuhiro H; Pan, Tung-Ming

2013-01-08

In this letter, we investigated the structural and electrical characteristics of high-κ Er2O3 and Er2TiO5 gate dielectrics on the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) devices. Compared with the Er2O3 dielectric, the a-IGZO TFT device incorporating an Er2TiO5 gate dielectric exhibited a low threshold voltage of 0.39 V, a high field-effect mobility of 8.8 cm2/Vs, a small subthreshold swing of 143 mV/decade, and a high Ion/Ioff current ratio of 4.23 × 107, presumably because of the reduction in the oxygen vacancies and the formation of the smooth surface roughness as a result of the incorporation of Ti into the Er2TiO5 film. Furthermore, the reliability of voltage stress can be improved using an Er2TiO5 gate dielectric.

Dielectric Scattering Patterns for Efficient Light Trapping in Thin-Film Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

van Lare, Claire; Lenzmann, Frank; Verschuuren, Marc A; Polman, Albert

2015-08-12

We demonstrate an effective light trapping geometry for thin-film solar cells that is composed of dielectric light scattering nanocavities at the interface between the metal back contact and the semiconductor absorber layer. The geometry is based on resonant Mie scattering. It avoids the Ohmic losses found in metallic (plasmonic) nanopatterns, and the dielectric scatterers are well compatible with nearly all types of thin-film solar cells, including cells produced using high temperature processes. The external quantum efficiency of thin-film a-Si:H solar cells grown on top of a nanopatterned Al-doped ZnO, made using soft imprint lithography, is strongly enhanced in the 550-800 nm spectral band by the dielectric nanoscatterers. Numerical simulations are in good agreement with experimental data and show that resonant light scattering from both the AZO nanostructures and the embedded Si nanostructures are important. The results are generic and can be applied on nearly all thin-film solar cells.

4f-5d hybridization in a high k dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losovyj, Ya.B.; Tang, Jinke; Wang, Wendong; Hong Yuanjia; Palshin, Vadim; Tittsworth, Roland

2006-01-01

While intra-atomic f-d hybridization is expected, experimental confirmation of f-d hybridization in the photoemission final state leading to 4f band structure has been limited to 5f systems and compound systems with very shallow 4f levels. We demonstrate that core 4f states can contribute to the valence band structure in a wide band gap dielectric, in this case HfO 2 in the photoemission final state. In spite of the complications of sample charging, we find evidence of symmetry in the shallow 4f levels and wave vector dependent band dispersion, the latter consistent with the crystal structure of HfO 2

Low operating voltage InGaZnO thin-film transistors based on Al2O3 high-k dielectrics fabricated using pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng, G. Z.; Liu, G. X.; Zhang, Q.; Shan, F. K.; Lee, W. J.; Shin, B. C.; Cho, C. R.

2014-01-01

Low-voltage-driven amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an Al 2 O 3 dielectric were fabricated on a Si substrate by using pulsed laser deposition. Both Al 2 O 3 and IGZO thin films are amorphous, and the thin films have very smooth surfaces. The Al 2 O 3 gate dielectric exhibits a very low leakage current density of 1.3 x 10 -8 A/cm 2 at 5 V and a high capacitance density of 60.9 nF/cm 2 . The IGZO TFT with a structure of Ni/IGZO/Al 2 O 3 /Si exhibits high performance with a low threshold voltage of 1.18 V, a high field effect mobility of 20.25 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , an ultra small subthreshold swing of 87 mV/decade, and a high on/off current ratio of 3 x 10 7 .

Adjustable threshold-voltage in all-inkjet-printed organic thin film transistor using double-layer dielectric structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Wen-Jong; Lee, Chang-Hung; Hsu, Chun-Hao; Yang, Shih-Hsien; Lin, Chih-Ting

2013-01-01

An all-inkjet-printed organic thin film transistor (OTFT) with a double-layer dielectric structure is proposed and implemented in this study. By using the double-layer structure with different dielectric materials (i.e., polyvinylphenol with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)), the threshold-voltage of OTFT can be adjusted. The threshold-voltage shift can be controlled by changing the composition of dielectric layers. That is, an enhancement-mode OTFT can be converted to a depletion-mode OTFT by selectively printing additional dielectric layers to form a high-k/low-k double-layer structure. The printed OTFT has a carrier mobility of 5.0 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V-s. The threshold-voltages of the OTFTs ranged between − 13 V and 10 V. This study demonstrates an additional design parameter for organic electronics manufactured using inkjet printing technology. - Highlights: • A double-layer dielectric organic thin film transistor, OTFT, is implemented. • The threshold voltage of OTFT can be configured by the double dielectric structure. • The composition of the dielectric determines the threshold voltage shift. • The characteristics of OTFTs can be adjusted by double dielectric structures

Customized binary and multi-level HfO2-x-based memristors tuned by oxidation conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Weifan; Sun, Huajun; Zhou, Yaxiong; Lu, Ke; Xue, Kanhao; Miao, Xiangshui

2017-08-30

The memristor is a promising candidate for the next generation non-volatile memory, especially based on HfO 2-x , given its compatibility with advanced CMOS technologies. Although various resistive transitions were reported independently, customized binary and multi-level memristors in unified HfO 2-x material have not been studied. Here we report Pt/HfO 2-x /Ti memristors with double memristive modes, forming-free and low operation voltage, which were tuned by oxidation conditions of HfO 2-x films. As O/Hf ratios of HfO 2-x films increase, the forming voltages, SET voltages, and R off /R on windows increase regularly while their resistive transitions undergo from gradually to sharply in I/V sweep. Two memristors with typical resistive transitions were studied to customize binary and multi-level memristive modes, respectively. For binary mode, high-speed switching with 10 3 pulses (10 ns) and retention test at 85 °C (>10 4 s) were achieved. For multi-level mode, the 12-levels stable resistance states were confirmed by ongoing multi-window switching (ranging from 10 ns to 1 μs and completing 10 cycles of each pulse). Our customized binary and multi-level HfO 2-x -based memristors show high-speed switching, multi-level storage and excellent stability, which can be separately applied to logic computing and neuromorphic computing, further suitable for in-memory computing chip when deposition atmosphere may be fine-tuned.

FDTD simulations and analysis of thin sample dielectric properties measurements using coaxial probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bringhurst, S.; Iskander, M.F.; White, M.J. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Electrical Engineering Dept.

1996-12-31

A metallized ceramic probe has been designed for high temperature broadband dielectric properties measurements. The probe was fabricated out of an alumina tube and rod as the outer and inner conductors respectively. The alumina was metallized with a 3 mil layer of moly-manganese and then covered with a 0.5 mil protective layer of nickel plating. The probe has been used to make complex dielectric properties measurements over the complete frequency band from 500 MHz to 3 GHz, and for temperatures as high as 1,000 C. A 3D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) code was used to help investigate the feasibility of this probe to measure the complex permittivity of thin samples. It is shown that by backing the material under test with a standard material of known dielectric constant, the complex permittivity of thin samples can be measured accurately using the developed FDTD algorithm. This FDTD procedure for making thin sample dielectric properties measurements will be described.

Solid-State Densification of Spun-Cast Self-Assembled Monolayers for Use in Ultra-Thin Hybrid Dielectrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchins, Daniel O; Acton, Orb; Weidner, Tobias; Cernetic, Nathan; Baio, Joe E; Castner, David G; Ma, Hong; Jen, Alex K-Y

2012-11-15

Ultra-thin self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-oxide hybrid dielectrics have gained significant interest for their application in low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). A [8-(11-phenoxy-undecyloxy)-octyl]phosphonic acid (PhO-19-PA) SAM on ultrathin AlO x (2.5 nm) has been developed to significantly enhance the dielectric performance of inorganic oxides through reduction of leakage current while maintaining similar capacitance to the underlying oxide structure. Rapid processing of this SAM in ambient conditions is achieved by spin coating, however, as-cast monolayer density is not sufficient for dielectric applications. Thermal annealing of a bulk spun-cast PhO-19-PA molecular film is explored as a mechanism for SAM densification. SAM density, or surface coverage, and order are examined as a function of annealing temperature. These SAM characteristics are probed through atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). It is found that at temperatures sufficient to melt the as-cast bulk molecular film, SAM densification is achieved; leading to a rapid processing technique for high performance SAM-oxide hybrid dielectric systems utilizing a single wet processing step. To demonstrate low-voltage devices based on this hybrid dielectric (with leakage current density of 7.7×10 -8 A cm -2 and capacitance density of 0.62 µF cm -2 at 3 V), pentacene thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are fabricated and yield sub 2 V operation and charge carrier mobilites of up to 1.1 cm 2 V -1 s -1 .

Layered Cu-based electrode for high-dielectric constant oxide thin film-based devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, W.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-01-01

Ti-Al/Cu/Ta multilayered electrodes were fabricated on SiO 2 /Si substrates by ion beam sputtering deposition, to overcome the problems of Cu diffusion and oxidation encountered during the high dielectric constant (κ) materials integration. The Cu and Ta layers remained intact through the annealing in oxygen environment up to 600 deg. C. The thin oxide layer, formed on the Ti-Al surface, effectively prevented the oxygen penetration toward underneath layers. Complex oxide (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the layered Ti-Al/Cu/Ta electrodes using rf magnetron sputtering. The deposited BST films exhibited relatively high permittivity (150), low dielectric loss (0.007) at zero bias, and low leakage current -8 A/cm 2 at 100 kV/cm

Highly stable thin film transistors using multilayer channel structure

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.

2015-03-09

We report highly stable gate-bias stress performance of thin film transistors (TFTs) using zinc oxide (ZnO)/hafnium oxide (HfO2) multilayer structure as the channel layer. Positive and negative gate-bias stress stability of the TFTs was measured at room temperature and at 60°C. A tremendous improvement in gate-bias stress stability was obtained in case of the TFT with multiple layers of ZnO embedded between HfO2 layers compared to the TFT with a single layer of ZnO as the semiconductor. The ultra-thin HfO2 layers act as passivation layers, which prevent the adsorption of oxygen and water molecules in the ZnO layer and hence significantly improve the gate-bias stress stability of ZnO TFTs.

Low-Temperature Solution-Processed Gate Dielectrics for High-Performance Organic Thin Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaekyun Kim

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A low-temperature solution-processed high-k gate dielectric layer for use in a high-performance solution-processed semiconducting polymer organic thin-film transistor (OTFT was demonstrated. Photochemical activation of sol-gel-derived AlOx films under 150 °C permitted the formation of a dense film with low leakage and relatively high dielectric-permittivity characteristics, which are almost comparable to the results yielded by the conventionally used vacuum deposition and high temperature annealing method. Octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA self-assembled monolayer (SAM treatment of the AlOx was employed in order to realize high-performance (>0.4 cm2/Vs saturation mobility and low-operation-voltage (<5 V diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-based OTFTs on an ultra-thin polyimide film (3-μm thick. Thus, low-temperature photochemically-annealed solution-processed AlOx film with SAM layer is an attractive candidate as a dielectric-layer for use in high-performance organic TFTs operated at low voltages.

Thermal response of Ru electrodes in contact with SiO2 and Hf-based high-k gate dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, H.-C.; Lysaght, P.; Alshareef, H.N.; Huffman, C.; Harris, H.R.; Choi, K.; Senzaki, Y.; Luan, H.; Majhi, P.; Lee, B.H.; Campin, M. J.; Foran, B.; Lian, G.D.; Kwong, D.-L.

2005-01-01

A systematic experimental evaluation of the thermal stability of Ru metal gate electrodes in direct contact with SiO 2 and Hf-based dielectric layers was performed and correlated with electrical device measurements. The distinctly different interfacial reactions in the Ru/SiO 2 , Ru/HfO 2 , and Ru/HfSiO x film systems were observed through cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron-energy-loss spectra, and energy dispersive x-ray spectra analysis. Ru interacted with SiO 2 , but remained stable on HfO 2 at 1000 deg. C. The onset of Ru/SiO 2 interfacial interactions is identified via silicon substrate pitting possibly from Ru diffusion into the dielectric in samples exposed to a 900 deg. C/10-s anneal. The dependence of capacitor device degradation with decreasing SiO 2 thickness suggests Ru diffuses through SiO 2 , followed by an abrupt, rapid, nonuniform interaction of ruthenium silicide as Ru contacts the Si substrate. Local interdiffusion detected on Ru/HfSiO x samples may be due to phase separation of HfSiO x into HfO 2 grains within a SiO 2 matrix, suggesting that SiO 2 provides a diffusion pathway for Ru. Detailed evidence consistent with a dual reaction mechanism for the Ru/SiO 2 system at 1000 deg. C is presented

Investigation of high- k yttrium copper titanate thin films as alternative gate dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteduro, Anna Grazia; Ameer, Zoobia; Rizzato, Silvia; Martino, Maurizio; Caricato, Anna Paola; Maruccio, Giuseppe; Tasco, Vittorianna; Lekshmi, Indira Chaitanya; Hazarika, Abhijit; Choudhury, Debraj; Sarma, D D

2016-01-01

Nearly amorphous high- k yttrium copper titanate thin films deposited by laser ablation were investigated in both metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) and metal–insulator–metal (MIM) junctions in order to assess the potentialities of this material as a gate oxide. The trend of dielectric parameters with film deposition shows a wide tunability for the dielectric constant and AC conductivity, with a remarkably high dielectric constant value of up to 95 for the thick films and conductivity as low as 6  ×  10 −10 S cm −1 for the thin films deposited at high oxygen pressure. The AC conductivity analysis points out a decrease in the conductivity, indicating the formation of a blocking interface layer, probably due to partial oxidation of the thin films during cool-down in an oxygen atmosphere. Topography and surface potential characterizations highlight differences in the thin film microstructure as a function of the deposition conditions; these differences seem to affect their electrical properties. (paper)

Defect states and charge trapping characteristics of HfO2 films for high performance nonvolatile memory applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Shao, Y. Y.; Lu, X. B.; Zeng, M.; Zhang, Z.; Gao, X. S.; Zhang, X. J.; Liu, J.-M.; Dai, J. Y.

2014-01-01

In this work, we present significant charge trapping memory effects of the metal-hafnium oxide-SiO 2 -Si (MHOS) structure. The devices based on 800 °C annealed HfO 2 film exhibit a large memory window of ∼5.1 V under ±10 V sweeping voltages and excellent charge retention properties with only small charge loss of ∼2.6% after more than 10 4  s retention. The outstanding memory characteristics are attributed to the high density of deep defect states in HfO 2 films. We investigated the defect states in the HfO 2 films by photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation measurements and found that the defect states distributed in deep energy levels ranging from 1.1 eV to 2.9 eV below the conduction band. Our work provides further insights for the charge trapping mechanisms of the HfO 2 based MHOS devices.

Thermal expansion studies on HfO2-Gd2O3 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panneerselvam, G.; Antony, M.P.; Nagarajan, K.

2014-01-01

A series of solid solutions containing GdO 1.5 in HfO 2 , (Hf 1-y Gd y ) O 2 (y = 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.41 and 0.505) were prepared by solid state method. Structural characterization and computation of lattice parameter was carried out using room temperature X-ray diffraction measurements

Field-enhanced route to generating anti-Frenkel pairs in HfO2

Science.gov (United States)

Schie, Marcel; Menzel, Stephan; Robertson, John; Waser, Rainer; De Souza, Roger A.

2018-03-01

The generation of anti-Frenkel pairs (oxygen vacancies and oxygen interstitials) in monoclinic and cubic HfO2 under an applied electric field is examined. A thermodynamic model is used to derive an expression for the critical field strength required to generate an anti-Frenkel pair. The critical field strength of EaFcr˜101GVm-1 obtained for HfO2 exceeds substantially the field strengths routinely employed in the forming and switching operations of resistive switching HfO2 devices, suggesting that field-enhanced defect generation is negligible. Atomistic simulations with molecular static (MS) and molecular dynamic (MD) approaches support this finding. The MS calculations indicated a high formation energy of Δ EaF≈8 eV for the infinitely separated anti-Frenkel pair, and only a decrease to Δ EaF≈6 eV for the adjacent anti-Frenkel pair. The MD simulations showed no defect generation in either phase for E <3 GVm-1 , and only sporadic defect generation in the monoclinic phase (at E =3 GVm-1 ) with fast (trec<4 ps ) recombination. At even higher E but below EaFcr both monoclinic and cubic structures became unstable as a result of field-induced deformation of the ionic potential wells. Further MD investigations starting with preexisting anti-Frenkel pairs revealed recombination of all pairs within trec<1 ps , even for the case of neutral vacancies and charged interstitials, for which formally there is no electrostatic attraction between the defects. In conclusion, we find no physically reasonable route to generating point-defects in HfO2 by an applied field.

Phosphorus recovery from biogas slurry by ultrasound/H2O2 digestion coupled with HFO/biochar adsorption process.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xuemeng; Zhang, Tao; Ren, Hongqiang; Li, Guoxue; Ding, Lili; Pawlowski, Lucjan

2017-02-01

Phosphorus (P) recovery from biogas slurry has recently attracted considerable interest. In this work, ultrasound/H 2 O 2 digestion coupled with ferric oxide hydrate/biochar (HFO/biochar) adsorption process was performed to promote P dissolution, release, and recovery from biogas slurry. The results showed that the optimal total phosphorus release efficiency was achieved at an inorganic phosphorus/total phosphorus ratio of 95.0% at pH 4, 1mL of added H 2 O 2 , and ultrasonication for 30min. The P adsorption by the HFO/biochar followed pseudo second-order kinetics and was mainly controlled by chemical processes. The Langmuir-Freundlich model matched the experimental data best for P adsorption by HFO/biochar at 298 and 308K, whereas the Freundlich model matched best at 318K. The maximum amount of P adsorbed was 220mg/g. The process was endothermic, spontaneous, and showed an increase in disorder at the solid-liquid interface. The saturated adsorbed HFO/biochar continually releases P and is most suitable for use in an alkaline environment. The amount of P released reached 29.1mg/g after five extractions. P mass balance calculation revealed that 11.3% of the total P can be made available. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Towards the accurate electronic structure descriptions of typical high-constant dielectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Ting-Ting; Sun, Qing-Qing; Li, Ye; Guo, Jiao-Jiao; Zhou, Peng; Ding, Shi-Jin; Zhang, David Wei

2011-05-01

High-constant dielectrics have gained considerable attention due to their wide applications in advanced devices, such as gate oxides in metal-oxide-semiconductor devices and insulators in high-density metal-insulator-metal capacitors. However, the theoretical investigations of these materials cannot fulfil the requirement of experimental development, especially the requirement for the accurate description of band structures. We performed first-principles calculations based on the hybrid density functionals theory to investigate several typical high-k dielectrics such as Al2O3, HfO2, ZrSiO4, HfSiO4, La2O3 and ZrO2. The band structures of these materials are well described within the framework of hybrid density functionals theory. The band gaps of Al2O3, HfO2, ZrSiO4, HfSiO4, La2O3 and ZrO2are calculated to be 8.0 eV, 5.6 eV, 6.2 eV, 7.1 eV, 5.3 eV and 5.0 eV, respectively, which are very close to the experimental values and far more accurate than those obtained by the traditional generalized gradient approximation method.

Wet thermal annealing effect on TaN/HfO2/Ge metal—oxide—semiconductor capacitors with and without a GeO2 passivation layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Guan-Zhou; Li Cheng; Lu Chang-Bao; Tang Rui-Fan; Tang Meng-Rao; Wu Zheng; Yang Xu; Huang Wei; Lai Hong-Kai; Chen Song-Yan

2012-01-01

Wet thermal annealing effects on the properties of TaN/HfO 2 /Ge metal—oxide—semiconductor (MOS) structures with and without a GeO 2 passivation layer are investigated. The physical and the electrical properties are characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, capacitance—voltage (C—V) and current—voltage characteristics. It is demonstrated that wet thermal annealing at relatively higher temperature such as 550 °C can lead to Ge incorporation in HfO 2 and the partial crystallization of HfO 2 , which should be responsible for the serious degradation of the electrical characteristics of the TaN/HfO 2 /Ge MOS capacitors. However, wet thermal annealing at 400 °C can decrease the GeO x interlayer thickness at the HfO 2 /Ge interface, resulting in a significant reduction of the interface states and a smaller effective oxide thickness, along with the introduction of a positive charge in the dielectrics due to the hydrolyzable property of GeO x in the wet ambient. The pre-growth of a thin GeO 2 passivation layer can effectively suppress the interface states and improve the C—V characteristics for the as-prepared HfO 2 gated Ge MOS capacitors, but it also dissembles the benefits of wet thermal annealing to a certain extent

Low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) using crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) bilayer gate dielectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Khound, Sagarika; Sarma, Ranjit

2018-01-01

We have reported here on the design, processing and dielectric properties of pentacene-based organic thin film transitors (OTFTs) with a bilayer gate dilectrics of crosslinked PVA/Nd2O3 which enables low-voltage organic thin film operations. The dielectric characteristics of PVA/Nd2O3 bilayer films are studied by capacitance-voltage ( C- V) and current-voltage ( I- V) curves in the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure. We have analysed the output electrical responses and transfer characteristics of the OTFT devices to determine their performance of OTFT parameters. The mobility of 0.94 cm2/Vs, the threshold voltage of - 2.8 V, the current on-off ratio of 6.2 × 105, the subthreshold slope of 0.61 V/decade are evaluated. Low leakage current of the device is observed from current density-electric field ( J- E) curve. The structure and the morphology of the device are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. The study demonstrates an effective way to realize low-voltage, high-performance OTFTs at low cost.

Novel organic semiconductors and dielectric materials for high performance and low-voltage organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Myung-Han

Two novel classes of organic semiconductors based on perfluoroarene/arene-modified oligothiophenes and perfluoroacyl/acyl-derivatized quaterthiophens are developed. The frontier molecular orbital energies of these compounds are studied by optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry while solid-state/film properties are investigated by thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) performance parameters are discussed in terms of the interplay between semiconductor molecular energetics and film morphologies/microstructures. For perfluoroarene-thiophene oligomer systems, majority charge carrier type and mobility exhibit a strong correlation with the regiochemistry of perfluoroarene incorporation. In quaterthiophene-based semiconductors, carbonyl-functionalization allows tuning of the majority carrier type from p-type to ambipolar and to n-type. In situ conversion of a p-type semiconducting film to n-type film is also demonstrated. Very thin self-assembled or spin-on organic dielectric films have been integrated into OTFTs to achieve 1 - 2 V operating voltages. These new dielectrics are deposited either by layer-by-layer solution phase deposition of molecular precursors or by spin-coating a mixture of polymer and crosslinker, resulting in smooth and virtually pinhole-free thin films having exceptionally large capacitances (300--700 nF/cm2) and low leakage currents (10 -9 - 10-7 A/cm2). These organic dielectrics are compatible with various vapor- or solution-deposited p- and n-channel organic semiconductors. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that spin-on crosslinked-polymer-blend dielectrics can be employed for large-area/patterned electronics, and complementary inverters. A general approach for probing semiconductor-dielectric interface effects on OTFT performance parameters using bilayer gate dielectrics is presented. Organic semiconductors having p-, n-type, or ambipolar majority charge carriers are grown on

Temperature-dependent field-effect carrier mobility in organic thin-film transistors with a gate SiO2 dielectric modified by H2O2 treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yow-Jon; Hung, Cheng-Chun

2018-02-01

The effect of the modification of a gate SiO2 dielectric using an H2O2 solution on the temperature-dependent behavior of carrier transport for pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) is studied. H2O2 treatment leads to the formation of Si(-OH) x (i.e., the formation of a hydroxylated layer) on the SiO2 surface that serves to reduce the SiO2 capacitance and weaken the pentacene-SiO2 interaction, thus increasing the field-effect carrier mobility ( µ) in OTFTs. The temperature-dependent behavior of carrier transport is dominated by the multiple trapping model. Note that H2O2 treatment leads to a reduction in the activation energy. The increased value of µ is also attributed to the weakening of the interactions of the charge carriers with the SiO2 dielectric that serves to reduce the activation energy.

Hf layer thickness dependence of resistive switching characteristics of Ti/Hf/HfO2/Au resistive random access memory device

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Ryo; Azuma, Atsushi; Yoshida, Hayato; Shimizu, Tomohiro; Ito, Takeshi; Shingubara, Shoso

2018-06-01

Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) devices with a HfO2 dielectric layer have been studied extensively owing to the good reproducibility of their SET/RESET switching properties. Furthermore, it was reported that a thin Hf layer next to a HfO2 layer stabilized switching properties because of the oxygen scavenging effect. In this work, we studied the Hf thickness dependence of the resistance switching characteristics of a Ti/Hf/HfO2/Au ReRAM device. It is found that the optimum Hf thickness is approximately 10 nm to obtain good reproducibility of SET/RESET voltages with a small RESET current. However, when the Hf thickness was very small (∼2 nm), the device failed after the first RESET process owing to the very large RESET current. In the case of a very thick Hf layer (∼20 nm), RESET did not occur owing to the formation of a leaky dielectric layer. We observed the occurrence of multiple resistance states in the RESET process of the device with a Hf thickness of 10 nm by increasing the RESET voltage stepwise.

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-López, Manuel Angel Quevedo

2011-06-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Wondmagegn, Wudyalew T.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Ramí rez-Bon, Rafael; Gnade, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Self-standing chitosan films as dielectrics in organic thin-film transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Morgado

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Organic thin film transistors, using self-standing 50 µm thick chitosan films as dielectric, are fabricated using sublimed pentacene or two conjugated polymers deposited by spin coating as semiconductors. Field-effect mobilities are found to be similar to values obtained with other dielectrics and, in the case of pentacene, a value (0.13 cm2/(V•s comparable to high performing transistors was determined. In spite of the low On/Off ratios (a maximum value of 600 was obtained for the pentacene-based transistors, these are promising results for the area of sustainable organic electronics in general and for biocompatible electronics in particular.

Low operating voltage InGaZnO thin-film transistors based on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} high-k dielectrics fabricated using pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geng, G. Z.; Liu, G. X.; Zhang, Q.; Shan, F. K. [Qingdao University, Qingdao (China); DongEui University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, W. J.; Shin, B. C. [DongEui University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Cho, C. R. [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

Low-voltage-driven amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dielectric were fabricated on a Si substrate by using pulsed laser deposition. Both Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and IGZO thin films are amorphous, and the thin films have very smooth surfaces. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} gate dielectric exhibits a very low leakage current density of 1.3 x 10{sup -8} A/cm{sup 2} at 5 V and a high capacitance density of 60.9 nF/cm{sup 2}. The IGZO TFT with a structure of Ni/IGZO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Si exhibits high performance with a low threshold voltage of 1.18 V, a high field effect mobility of 20.25 cm{sup 2}V{sup -1}s{sup -1}, an ultra small subthreshold swing of 87 mV/decade, and a high on/off current ratio of 3 x 10{sup 7}.

Laser conditioning effect on HfO2/SiO2 film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Yaowei; Zhang Zhe; Liu Hao; Ouyang Sheng; Zheng Yi; Tang Gengyu; Chen Songlin; Ma Ping

2013-01-01

Laser conditioning is one of the important methods to improve the laser damage threshold of film optics. Firstly, a large aperture laser was used to irradiate the HfO 2 /SiO 2 reflectors, which were evaporated from hafnia and silica by e-beam. Secondly, a laser calorimeter was used to test the film absorption before and after laser irradiation. Focused ion beam (FIB) was few reported using on laser film, it was used to study the damage morphology and explore the cause of damage. The shooting of the partial ejection on nodule was obtained for the first time, which provided the basis for study the damage process. The results show that film absorption was decreased obviously after the laser irradiation, laser conditioning can raise the laser damage threshold by the 'cleaning mechanism'. For the HfO 2 /SiO 2 reflectors, laser conditioning was effective to eject the nodules on substrate. It resulted from the nodule residue not to affect the subsequent laser. In addition, laser conditioning was not effective to the nodule in the film, which might be from the material spatter in coating process. In this case, other method could be used to get rid of the nodules. (authors)

Thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism in Fe-doped epitaxial HfO2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenlong; Liu, Ming; Zhang, Ruyi; Ma, Rong; Wang, Hong

2017-10-01

Epitaxial tetragonal Fe-doped Hf0.95Fe0.05O2 (FHO) thin films with various thicknesses were deposited on (001)-oriented NdCaAlO4 (NCAO) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. The crystal structure and epitaxial nature of the FHO thin films were confirmed by typical x-ray diffraction (XRD) θ-2θ scan and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). The results indicate that two sets of lattice sites exist with two different crystal orientations [(001) and (100)] in the thicker FHO thin films. Further, the intensity of the (100) direction increases with the increase in thicknesses, which should have a significant effect on the anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films. Meanwhile, all the FHO thin films possess a tetragonal phase structure. An anisotropy behavior in magnetization has been observed in the FHO thin films. The anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films is slowly weakened as the thickness increases. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization (Ms) of both in-plane and out-of-plane decreases with the increase in the thickness. The change in the anisotropic magnetization and Ms is attributed to the crystal lattice and the variation in the valence of Fe ions. These results indicate that the thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism of the tetragonal FHO epitaxial thin films is of potential use for the integration of metal-oxide semiconductors with spintronics.

Characterization of electron beam deposited thin films of HfO2 and binary thin films of (HfO2:SiO2) by XRD and EXAFS measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, N.C.; Sahoo, N.K.; Bhattacharyya, D.; Thakur, S.; Kamble, N.M.; Nanda, D.; Hazra, S.; Bal, J.K.; Lee, J.F.; Tai, Y.L.; Hsieh, C.A.

2009-10-01

In this report, we have discussed the microstructure and the local structure of composite thin films having varying hafnia and silica compositions and prepared by reactive electron beam evaporation. XRD and EXAFS studies have confirmed that the pure hafnium oxide thin film has crystalline microstructure whereas the films with finite hafnia and silica composition are amorphous. The result of EXAFS analysis has shown that the bond lengths as well as coordination numbers around hafnium atom change with the variation of hafnia and silica compositions in the thin film. Finally, change of bond lengths has been correlated with change of refractive index and band gap of the composite thin films. (author)

Solid-state densification of spun-cast self-assembled monolayers for use in ultra-thin hybrid dielectrics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hutchins, Daniel O.; Acton, Orb [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Weidner, Tobias [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Cernetic, Nathan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Baio, Joe E. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Castner, David G. [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Ma, Hong, E-mail: hma@uw.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Jen, Alex K.-Y., E-mail: ajen@uw.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

2012-11-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Rapid processing of SAM in ambient conditions is achieved by spin coating. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermal annealing of a bulk spun-cast molecular film is explored as a mechanism for SAM densification. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-performance SAM-oxide hybrid dielectric is obtained utilizing a single wet processing step. - Abstract: Ultra-thin self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-oxide hybrid dielectrics have gained significant interest for their application in low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). A [8-(11-phenoxy-undecyloxy)-octyl]phosphonic acid (PhO-19-PA) SAM on ultrathin AlO{sub x} (2.5 nm) has been developed to significantly enhance the dielectric performance of inorganic oxides through reduction of leakage current while maintaining similar capacitance to the underlying oxide structure. Rapid processing of this SAM in ambient conditions is achieved by spin coating, however, as-cast monolayer density is not sufficient for dielectric applications. Thermal annealing of a bulk spun-cast PhO-19-PA molecular film is explored as a mechanism for SAM densification. SAM density, or surface coverage, and order are examined as a function of annealing temperature. These SAM characteristics are probed through atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). It is found that at temperatures sufficient to melt the as-cast bulk molecular film, SAM densification is achieved; leading to a rapid processing technique for high performance SAM-oxide hybrid dielectric systems utilizing a single wet processing step. To demonstrate low-voltage devices based on this hybrid dielectric (with leakage current density of 7.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -8} A cm{sup -2} and capacitance density of 0.62 {mu}F cm{sup -2} at 3 V), pentacene thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are fabricated and yield sub 2 V operation and charge carrier mobilites of up to

Thickness measurement of a thin hetero-oxide film with an interfacial oxide layer by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung Joong; Lee, Seung Mi; Jang, Jong Shik; Moret, Mona

2012-02-01

The general equation Tove = L cos θ ln(Rexp/R0 + 1) for the thickness measurement of thin oxide films by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was applied to a HfO2/SiO2/Si(1 0 0) as a thin hetero-oxide film system with an interfacial oxide layer. The contribution of the thick interfacial SiO2 layer to the thickness of the HfO2 overlayer was counterbalanced by multiplying the ratio between the intensity of Si4+ from a thick SiO2 film and that of Si0 from a Si(1 0 0) substrate to the intensity of Si4+ from the HfO2/SiO2/Si(1 0 0) film. With this approximation, the thickness levels of the HfO2 overlayers showed a small standard deviation of 0.03 nm in a series of HfO2 (2 nm)/SiO2 (2-6 nm)/Si(1 0 0) films. Mutual calibration with XPS and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to verify the thickness of HfO2 overlayers in a series of HfO2 (1-4 nm)/SiO2 (3 nm)/Si(1 0 0) films. From the linear relation between the thickness values derived from XPS and TEM, the effective attenuation length of the photoelectrons and the thickness of the HfO2 overlayer could be determined.

Mechanistic interaction study of thin oxide dielectric with conducting organic electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Himani; Sethi, Kanika; Raj, P. Markondeya; Gerhardt, R.A.; Tummala, Rao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Thin film-oxide dielectric-organic electrode interface studies for investigating the leakage mechanism. ► XPS to elucidate chemical-structural changes on dielectric oxide surface. ► Correlates structural characterization data with capacitor leakage current and impedance spectroscopy characteristics. - Abstract: This paper aims at understanding the interaction of intrinsic conducting polymer, PEDT, with ALD-deposited Al 2 O 3 and thermally oxidized Ta 2 O 5 dielectrics, and the underlying mechanisms for increase in leakage currents in PEDT-based capacitors. Conducting polymers offer several advantages as electrodes for high surface area capacitors because of their lower resistance, self-healing and enhanced conformality. However, capacitors with in situ polymerized PEDT show poor electrical properties that are attributed to the interfacial interaction between the organic electrode and the oxide dielectric. This study focuses on characterizing these interactions. A combination of compositional, structural and electrical characterization techniques was applied to polymer-solid-state-capacitor to understand the interfacial chemical behavior and dielectric property deterioration of alumina and tantalum-oxide films. XPS and impedance studies were employed to understand the stiochiometric and compositional changes that occur in the dielectric film on interaction with in situ deposited PEDT. Based on the observations from several complimentary techniques, it is concluded that tantalum-pentoxide has more resistance towards chemical interaction with in situ polymerized PEDT. The thermally oxidized Ta 2 O 5 -PEDT system showed leakage current of 280 nA μF −1 at 3 V with a breakdown voltage of 30 V. On the other hand, Al 2 O 3 -PEDT capacitor showed leakage current of 50 μA μF −1 and a breakdown voltage of 40 V. The study reports direct evidence for the mechanism of resistivity drop in alumina dielectric with in situ polymerized PEDT electrode.

Bias Stability Enhancement in Thin-Film Transistor with a Solution-Processed ZrO2 Dielectric as Gate Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shangxiong Zhou

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a high-k metal-oxide film (ZrO2 was successfully prepared by a solution-phase method, and whose physical properties were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray reflectivity (XRR and atomic force microscopy (AFM. Furthermore, indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin-film transistors (IGZO-TFTs with high-k ZrO2 dielectric layers were demonstrated, and the electrical performance and bias stability were investigated in detail. By spin-coating 0.3 M precursor six times, a dense ZrO2 film, with smoother surface and fewer defects, was fabricated. The TFT devices with optimal ZrO2 dielectric exhibit a saturation mobility up to 12.7 cm2 V−1 s−1, and an on/off ratio as high as 7.6 × 105. The offset of the threshold voltage was less than 0.6 V under positive and negative bias stress for 3600 s.

Dielectric property study of poly(4-vinylphenol)-graphene oxide nanocomposite thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Dhrubojyoti

2018-05-01

Thin film capacitor device having a sandwich structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass/polymer or polymer nanocomposite /silver has been fabricated and their dielectric and leakage current properties has been studied. The dielectric properties of the capacitors were characterized for frequencies ranging from 1 KHz to 1 MHz. 5 wt% Poly(4-vinylphenol)(PVPh)-Graphene (GO) nanocomposite exhibited an increase in dielectric constant to 5.6 and small rise in dielectric loss to around˜0.05 at 10 KHz w.r.t polymer. The DC conductivity measurements reveal rise of leakage current in nanocomposite.

A thorough investigation of the progressive reset dynamics in HfO2-based resistive switching structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenzi, P.; Rao, R.; Irrera, F.; Suñé, J.; Miranda, E.

2015-01-01

According to previous reports, filamentary electron transport in resistive switching HfO 2 -based metal-insulator-metal structures can be modeled using a diode-like conduction mechanism with a series resistance. Taking the appropriate limits, the model allows simulating the high (HRS) and low (LRS) resistance states of the devices in terms of exponential and linear current-voltage relationships, respectively. In this letter, we show that this simple equivalent circuit approach can be extended to represent the progressive reset transition between the LRS and HRS if a generalized logistic growth model for the pre-exponential diode current factor is considered. In this regard, it is demonstrated here that a Verhulst logistic model does not provide accurate results. The reset dynamics is interpreted as the sequential deactivation of multiple conduction channels spanning the dielectric film. Fitting results for the current-voltage characteristics indicate that the voltage sweep rate only affects the deactivation rate of the filaments without altering the main features of the switching dynamics

The Impact of Dielectric Material and Temperature on Dielectric Charging in RF MEMS Capacitive Switches

Science.gov (United States)

Papaioannou, George

The present work attempts to provide a better insight on the dielectric charging in RF-MEMS capacitive switches that constitutes a key issue limiting parameter of their commercialization. The dependence of the charging process on the nature of dielectric materials widely used in these devices, such as SiO2, Si3N4, AlN, Al2O3, Ta2O5, HfO2, which consist of covalent or ionic bonds and may exhibit piezoelectric properties is discussed taking into account the effect of deposition conditions and resulting material stoichiometry. Another key issue parameter that accelerates the charging and discharging processes by providing enough energy to trapped charges to be released and to dipoles to overcome potential barriers and randomize their orientation is the temperature will be investigated too. Finally, the effect of device structure will be also taken into account.

Thin-film composite materials as a dielectric layer for flexible metal-insulator-metal capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Jitendra N; Meena, Jagan Singh; Wu, Chung-Shu; Tiwari, Rajanish N; Chu, Min-Ching; Chang, Feng-Chih; Ko, Fu-Hsiang

2010-09-24

A new organic-organic nanoscale composite thin-film (NCTF) dielectric has been synthesized by solution deposition of 1-bromoadamantane and triblock copolymer (Pluronic P123, BASF, EO20-PO70-EO20), in which the precursor solution has been achieved with organic additives. We have used a sol-gel process to make a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (MIM) comprising a nanoscale (10 nm-thick) thin-film on a flexible polyimide (PI) substrate at room temperature. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope revealed that the deposited NCTFs were crack-free, uniform, highly resistant to moisture absorption, and well adhered on the Au-Cr/PI. The electrical properties of 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF were characterized by dielectric constant, capacitance, and leakage current measurements. The 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF on the PI substrate showed a low leakage current density of 5.5 x 10(-11) A cm(-2) and good capacitance of 2.4 fF at 1 MHz. In addition, the calculated dielectric constant of 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF was 1.9, making them suitable candidates for use in future flexible electronic devices as a stable intermetal dielectric. The electrical insulating properties of 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF have been improved due to the optimized dipole moments of the van der Waals interactions.

Characterization of luminescent samarium doped HfO2 coatings synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chacon-Roa, C; Guzman-Mendoza, J; Aguilar-Frutis, M; Garcia-Hipolito, M; Alvarez-Fragoso, O; Falcony, C

2008-01-01

Trivalent samarium (Sm 3+ ) doped hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) films were deposited using the spray pyrolysis deposition technique. The films were deposited on Corning glass substrates at temperatures ranging from 300 to 550 deg. C using chlorides as raw materials. Films, mostly amorphous, were obtained when deposition temperatures were below 350 deg. C. However, for temperatures higher than 400 deg. C, the films became polycrystalline, presenting the HfO 2 monoclinic phase. Scanning electron microscopy of the films revealed a rough surface morphology with spherical particles. Also, electron energy dispersive analysis was performed on these films. The photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence characteristics of the HfO 2 : SmCl 3 films, measured at room temperature, exhibited four main bands centred at 570, 610, 652 and 716 nm, which are due to the well-known intra-4f transitions of the Sm 3+ ion. It was found that the overall emission intensity rose as the deposition temperature was increased. Furthermore, a concentration quenching of the luminescence intensity was also observed

Analytical Modeling of Triple-Metal Hetero-Dielectric DG SON TFET

Science.gov (United States)

Mahajan, Aman; Dash, Dinesh Kumar; Banerjee, Pritha; Sarkar, Subir Kumar

2018-02-01

In this paper, a 2-D analytical model of triple-metal hetero-dielectric DG TFET is presented by combining the concepts of triple material gate engineering and hetero-dielectric engineering. Three metals with different work functions are used as both front- and back gate electrodes to modulate the barrier at source/channel and channel/drain interface. In addition to this, front gate dielectric consists of high-K HfO2 at source end and low-K SiO2 at drain side, whereas back gate dielectric is replaced by air to further improve the ON current of the device. Surface potential and electric field of the proposed device are formulated solving 2-D Poisson's equation and Young's approximation. Based on this electric field expression, tunneling current is obtained by using Kane's model. Several device parameters are varied to examine the behavior of the proposed device. The analytical model is validated with TCAD simulation results for proving the accuracy of our proposed model.

Electrical Properties of Ultrathin Hf-Ti-O Higher k Gate Dielectric Films and Their Application in ETSOI MOSFET.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Yuhua; Chen, Xiaoqiang; Wei, Feng; Du, Jun; Zhao, Hongbin; Tang, Zhaoyun; Tang, Bo; Wang, Wenwu; Yan, Jiang

2016-12-01

Ultrathin Hf-Ti-O higher k gate dielectric films (~2.55 nm) have been prepared by atomic layer deposition. Their electrical properties and application in ETSOI (fully depleted extremely thin SOI) PMOSFETs were studied. It is found that at the Ti concentration of Ti/(Ti + Hf) ~9.4%, low equivalent gate oxide thickness (EOT) of ~0.69 nm and acceptable gate leakage current density of 0.61 A/cm 2 @ (V fb  - 1)V could be obtained. The conduction mechanism through the gate dielectric is dominated by the F-N tunneling in the gate voltage range of -0.5 to -2 V. Under the same physical thickness and process flow, lower EOT and higher I on /I off ratio could be obtained while using Hf-Ti-O as gate dielectric compared with HfO 2 . With Hf-Ti-O as gate dielectric, two ETSOI PMOSFETs with gate width/gate length (W/L) of 0.5 μm/25 nm and 3 μm/40 nm show good performances such as high I on , I on /I off ratio in the magnitude of 10 5 , and peak transconductance, as well as suitable threshold voltage (-0.3~-0.2 V). Particularly, ETSOI PMOSFETs show superior short-channel control capacity with DIBL <82 mV/V and subthreshold swing <70 mV/decade.

Stimulated Raman gain scattering in thin planar dielectric waveguides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kanger, Johannes S.; Otto, Cornelis; Greve, Jan

1995-01-01

The stimulated Raman gain effect in planar dielectric waveguides is analyzed for the study of thin layers. Calculations show high gain factors and predict the possibility of detecting monolayers. Compared with those for methods based on ref lection, the gain can be 4 orders of magnitude higher for a

Dielectric spectroscopy of [P(NID2OD-T2)]n thin films: Effects of UV radiation on charge transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sepulveda, Pablo I.; Rosado, Alexander O.; Pinto, Nicholas J.

2014-01-01

Poly[N,N′-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide) -2,6-diyll-alt-5,5′-(2,2′-bithiophene)]-[P(ND12OD-T2)] n is a n-doped polymer that is stable in air. Low frequency (40 Hz–30 kHz) dielectric spectroscopy shows that the polymer impedance strength is reduced under ultra-violet (UV) radiation as a result of charge increase in the bulk polymer. Photo-excitation and the creation of electron-hole pairs and subsequent hole recombination with electron trapping species adsorbed by the polymer are suggested as possible doping mechanisms. The relaxation times were also faster in the presence of UV indicating multiple pathways for oscillating dipoles to relax. These results imply increased polymer conductance with corresponding enhancement of charge mobility due to reduced scattering in the presence of UV radiation. A thin film field effect transistor was fabricated using this polymer as the active material and characterized in the presence of UV radiation. As expected, the device exhibited n-type behavior with a charge mobility of 3.0 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V-s. Exposure to UV radiation increased the channel current, shifted the threshold voltage to more negative values and doubled the value of the mobility. These results are consistent with dielectric measurements and suggest an easy method of increasing device currents and charge mobility in this polymer via UV irradiation. - Highlights: • Ultra-violet (UV) radiation dopes the polymer. • The doping is n-type. • UV radiation enhances charge mobility without post polymer processing. • Dielectric spectroscopy and field effect transistor results are self-consistent

Structural, dielectric and ferroelectric characterization of PZT thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Araújo E.B.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available In this work ferroelectric thin films of PZT were prepared by the oxide precursor method, deposited on Pt/Si substrate. Films of 0.5 mm average thickness were obtained. Electrical and ferroelectric characterization were carried out in these films. The measured value of the dielectric constant for films was 455. Ferroelectricity was confirmed by Capacitance-Voltage (C-V characteristics and P-E hysteresis loops. Remanent polarization for films presented value around 5.0 µC/cm2 and a coercive field of 88.8 kV/cm.

Dielectric response of fully and partially depleted ferroelectric thin films and inversion of the thickness effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misirlioglu, I B; Yildiz, M

2013-01-01

We study the effect of full and partial depletion on the dielectric response characteristics of ferroelectric thin films with impurities via a computational approach. Using a thermodynamic approach along with the fundamental equations for semiconductors, we show that films with partial depletion display unique features and an enhanced dielectric response compared with those fully depleted. We find that the capacitance peak at switching can be significantly suppressed in the case of high impurity densities (>10 25 m −3 ) with relatively low ionization energy, of the order of 0.5 eV. For conserved number of species in films, electromigration of ionized impurities at room temperature is negligible and has nearly no effect on the dielectric response. In films with high impurity density, the dielectric response at zero bias is enhanced with respect to charge-free films or those with relatively low impurity density ( 24 m −3 ). We demonstrate that partially depleted films should be expected to exhibit peculiar capacitance–voltage characteristics at low and high bias and that the thickness effect probed in experiments in ferroelectric thin films could be entirely inverted in thin films with depletion charges where a higher dielectric response can be measured in thicker films. Therefore, depletion charge densities in ferroelectric thin films should be estimated before size-effect-related studies. Finally, we noted that these findings are in good qualitative agreement with dielectric measurements carried out on PbZr x Ti 1−x O 3 . (paper)

Perovskite oxynitride LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films: Dielectric characterization in low and high frequencies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Y.; Ziani, A. [Institut d' Electronique et de Telecommunications de Rennes (IETR) UMR-CNRS 6164, groupe ' Antennes et Hyperfrequences' , University of Rennes 1, UEB, IUT Saint Brieuc, 18 rue Henri Wallon, 22004 Saint Brieuc cedex (France); Le Paven-Thivet, C., E-mail: claire.lepaven@univ-rennes1.fr [Institut d' Electronique et de Telecommunications de Rennes (IETR) UMR-CNRS 6164, groupe ' Antennes et Hyperfrequences' , University of Rennes 1, UEB, IUT Saint Brieuc, 18 rue Henri Wallon, 22004 Saint Brieuc cedex (France); Benzerga, R.; Le Gendre, L. [Institut d' Electronique et de Telecommunications de Rennes (IETR) UMR-CNRS 6164, groupe ' Antennes et Hyperfrequences' , University of Rennes 1, UEB, IUT Saint Brieuc, 18 rue Henri Wallon, 22004 Saint Brieuc cedex (France); Fasquelle, D. [Laboratoire d' Etude des Materiaux et des Composants pour l' Electronique (LEMCEL) UPRES-EA 2601, University of Littoral-Cote d' Opale, 50 rue Ferdinand Buisson, F-62228 Calais cedex (France); Kassem, H. [Laboratoire de l' Integration du Materiau au Systeme(IMS) UMR-CNRS 5218, groupe Materiaux, University of Bordeaux 1, 16 avenue Pey-Berland, 33607 Pessac (France); and others

2011-11-01

Lanthanum titanium oxynitride (LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y}) thin films are studied with respect to their dielectric properties in low and high frequencies. Thin films are deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on different substrates. Effects of nitrogen content and crystalline quality on dielectric properties are investigated. In low-frequency range, textured LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films deposited on conductive single crystal Nb-STO show a dielectric constant {epsilon} Prime Almost-Equal-To 140 with low losses tan{delta} = 0.012 at 100 kHz. For the LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} polycrystalline films deposited on conductive silicon substrates with platinum (Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si), the tunability reached up to 57% for a weak electric field of 50 kV/cm. In high-frequency range, epitaxial LaTiO{sub x}N{sub y} films deposited on MgO substrate present a high dielectric constant with low losses ({epsilon} Prime Almost-Equal-To 170, tan{delta} = 0.011, 12 GHz).

Influence of Doping Concentration on Dielectric, Optical, and Morphological Properties of PMMA Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lyly Nyl Ismail

2012-01-01

Full Text Available PMMA thin films were deposited by sol gel spin coating method on ITO substrates. Toluene was used as the solvent to dissolve the PMMA powder. The PMMA concentration was varied from 30 ~ 120 mg. The dielectric properties were measured at frequency of 0 ~ 100 kHz. The dielectric permittivity was in the range of 7.3 to 7.5 which decreased as the PMMA concentration increased. The dielectric loss is in the range of 0.01 ~ –0.01. All samples show dielectric characteristics which have dielectric loss is less than 0.05. The optical properties for thin films were measured at room temperature across 200 ~ 1000 nm wavelength region. All samples are highly transparent. The energy band gaps are in the range of 3.6 eV to 3.9 eV when the PMMA concentration increased. The morphologies of the samples show that all samples are uniform and the surface roughness increased as the concentration increased. From this study, it is known that, the dielectric, optical, and morphology properties were influenced by the amount of PMMA concentration in the solution.

The influence of thermal treatment on the phase development in HfO2-Al2O3 and ZrO2-Al2O3 systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanic, G.; Music, S.; Trojko, R.

2005-01-01

Amorphous precursors of HfO 2 -AlO 1.5 and ZrO 2 -AlO 1.5 systems covering the whole concentration range were co-precipitated from aqueous solutions of the corresponding salts. The thermal behaviour of the amorphous precursors was examined by differential thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), laser Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The crystallization temperature of both systems increased with increase in the AlO 1.5 content, from 530 to 940 deg. C in the HfO 2 -AlO 1.5 system, and from 405 to 915 deg. C in the ZrO 2 -AlO 1.5 system. The results of phase analysis indicate an extended capability for the incorporation of Al 3+ ions in the metastable HfO 2 - and ZrO 2 -type solid solutions obtained after crystallization of amorphous co-gels. Precise determination of lattice parameters, performed using whole-powder-pattern decomposition method, showed that the axial ratio c f /a f in the ZrO 2 - and HfO 2 -type solid solutions with 10 mol% or more of Al 3+ approach 1. The tetragonal symmetry of these samples, as determined by laser Raman spectroscopy, was attributed to the displacement of the oxygen sublattice from the ideal fluorite positions. It was found that the lattice parameters of the ZrO 2 -type solid solutions decreased with increasing Al 3+ content up to ∼10 mol%, whereas above 10 mol%, further increase of the Al 3+ content has very small influence on the unit-cell volume of both HfO 2 - and ZrO 2 -type solid solutions. The reason for such behaviour was discussed. The solubility of Hf 4+ and Zr 4+ ions in the aluminium oxides lattice appeared to be negligible

Ultra-thin Metal and Dielectric Layers for Nanophotonic Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shkondin, Evgeniy; Leandro, Lorenzo; Malureanu, Radu

2015-01-01

In our talk we first give an overview of the various thin films used in the field of nanophotonics. Then we describe our own activity in fabrication and characterization of ultra-thin films of high quality. We particularly focus on uniform gold layers having thicknesses down to 6 nm fabricated by......-beam deposition on dielectric substrates and Al-oxides/Ti-oxides multilayers prepared by atomic layer deposition in high aspect ratio trenches. In the latter case we show more than 1:20 aspect ratio structures can be achieved....

InAs/GaAs quantum-dot intermixing: comparison of various dielectric encapsulants

KAUST Repository

Alhashim, Hala H.

2015-10-16

We report on the impurity-free vacancy-disordering effect in InAs/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) laser structure based on seven dielectric capping layers. Compared to the typical SiO2 and Si3N4 films, HfO2 and SrTiO3 dielectric layers showed superior enhancement and suppression of intermixing up to 725°C, respectively. A QD peak ground-state differential blue shift of >175  nm (>148  meV) is obtained for HfO2 capped sample. Likewise, investigation of TiO2, Al2O3, and ZnO capping films showed unusual characteristics, such as intermixing-control caps at low annealing temperature (650°C) and interdiffusion-promoting caps at high temperatures (≥675°C). We qualitatively compared the degree of intermixing induced by these films by extracting the rate of intermixing and the temperature for ground-state and excited-state convergences. Based on our systematic characterization, we established reference intermixing processes based on seven different dielectric encapsulation materials. The tailored wavelength emission of ∼1060−1200  nm at room temperature and improved optical quality exhibited from intermixed QDs would serve as key materials for eventual realization of low-cost, compact, and agile lasers. Applications include solid-state laser pumping, optical communications, gas sensing, biomedical imaging, green–yellow–orange coherent light generation, as well as addressing photonic integration via area-selective, and postgrowth bandgap engineering.

Effect of La doping on crystalline orientation, microstructure and dielectric properties of PZT thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Wencai; Li, Qi; Wang, Xing [Dalian Univ. of Technology, Dalian (China). School of Mechanical Engineering; Yin, Zhifu [Jilin Univ., Changchun (China). Faculty of the School of Mechanical Science and Engineering; Zou, Helin [Dalian Univ. of Technology, Dalian (China). Key Lab. for Micro/Nano Systems and Technology

2017-11-01

Lanthanum (La)-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) thin films with doping concentration from 0 to 5 at.-% have been fabricated by sol-gel methods to investigate the effects of La doping on crystalline orientation, microstructure and dielectric properties of the modified films. The characterization of PLZT thin films were performed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and precision impedance analysis. XRD analysis showed that PLZT films with La doping concentration below 4 at.-% exhibited (100) preferred orientation. SEM results indicated that PLZT films presented dense and columnar microstructures when La doping concentration was less than 3 at.-%, while the others showed columnar microstructures only at the bottom of the cross section. The maximum dielectric constant (1502.59 at 100 Hz) was obtained in a 2 at.-% La-doped film, which increased by 53.9 % compared with undoped film. Without introducing a seed layer, (100) oriented PLZT thin films were prepared by using conventional heat treatment process and adjusting La doping concentration.

Sol–gel deposited ceria thin films as gate dielectric for CMOS ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sol–gel deposited ceria thin films as gate dielectric for CMOS technology. ANIL G KHAIRNAR ... The semiconductor roadmap following Moore's law is responsible for ..... The financial support from University Grants Commi- ssion (UGC), New ...

Lanthanum titanium perovskite compound: Thin film deposition and high frequency dielectric characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Paven, C.; Lu, Y.; Nguyen, H.V.; Benzerga, R.; Le Gendre, L.; Rioual, S.; Benzegoutta, D.; Tessier, F.; Cheviré, F.

2014-01-01

Perovskite lanthanum titanium oxide thin films were deposited on (001) MgO, (001) LaAlO 3 and Pt(111)/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /(001)Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering, using a La 2 Ti 2 O 7 homemade target sputtered under oxygen reactive plasma. The films deposited at 800 °C display a crystalline growth different than those reported on monoclinic ferroelectric La 2 Ti 2 O 7 films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows the presence of titanium as Ti 4+ ions, with no trace of Ti 3+ , and provides a La/Ti ratio of 1.02. The depositions being performed from a La 2 Ti 2 O 7 target under oxygen rich plasma, the same composition (La 2 Ti 2 O 7 ) is proposed for the deposited films, with an unusual orthorhombic cell and Cmc2 1 space group. The films have a textured growth on MgO and Pt/Si substrates, and are epitaxially grown on LaAlO 3 substrate. The dielectric characterization displays stable values of the dielectric constant and of the losses in the frequency range [0.1–20] GHz. No variation of the dielectric constant has been observed when a DC electric field up to 250 kV/cm was applied, which does not match a classical ferroelectric behavior at high frequencies and room temperature for the proposed La 2 Ti 2 O 7 orthorhombic phase. At 10 GHz and room temperature, the dielectric constant of the obtained La 2 Ti 2 O 7 films is ε ∼ 60 and the losses are low (tanδ < 0.02). - Highlights: • Lanthanum titanium oxide films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. • A La 2 Ti 2 O 7 chemical composition is proposed, with an unusual orthorhombic cell. • At 10 GHz, the dielectric losses are lower than 0.02. • No variation of the dielectric constant is observed under DC electric biasing

HfO2 and SiO2 as barriers in magnetic tunneling junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Gokaran; Archer, Thomas; Sanvito, Stefano

2017-05-01

SiO2 and HfO2 are both high-k, wide-gap semiconductors, currently used in the microelectronic industry as gate barriers. Here we investigate whether the same materials can be employed to make magnetic tunnel junctions, which in principle can be amenable for integration in conventional Si technology. By using a combination of density functional theory and the nonequilibrium Green's functions method for quantum transport we have studied the transport properties of Co [0001 ] /SiO2[001 ] /Co [0001 ] and Fe [001 ] /HfO2[001 ] /Fe [001 ] junctions. In both cases we found a quite large magnetoresistance, which is explained through the analysis of the real band structure of the magnets and the complex one of the insulator. We find that there is no symmetry spin filtering for the Co-based junction since the high transmission Δ2' band crosses the Fermi level, EF, for both spin directions. However, the fact that Co is a strong ferromagnet makes the orbital contribution to the two Δ2' spin subbands different, yielding magnetoresistance. In contrast for the Fe-based junction symmetry filtering is active for an energy window spanning between the Fermi level and 1 eV below EF, with Δ1 symmetry contributing to the transmission.

Fabrication of Metal Nanoparticle Arrays in the ZrO2(Y, HfO2(Y, and GeOx Films by Magnetron Sputtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Gorshkov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The single sheet arrays of Au nanoparticles (NPs embedded into the ZrO2(Y, HfO2(Y, and GeOx (x≈2 films have been fabricated by the alternating deposition of the nanometer-thick dielectric and metal films using Magnetron Sputtering followed by annealing. The structure and optical properties of the NP arrays have been studied, subject to the fabrication technology parameters. The possibility of fabricating dense single sheet Au NP arrays in the matrices listed above with controlled NP sizes (within 1 to 3 nm and surface density has been demonstrated. A red shift of the plasmonic optical absorption peak in the optical transmission spectra of the nanocomposite films (in the wavelength band of 500 to 650 nm has been observed. The effect was attributed to the excitation of the collective surface plasmon-polaritons in the dense Au NP arrays. The nanocomposite films fabricated in the present study can find various applications in nanoelectronics (e.g., single electronics, nonvolatile memory devices, integrated optics, and plasmonics.

Properties of phases in HfO2-TiO2 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Red'ko, V.P.; Terekhovskij, P.B.; Majster, I.M.; Shevchenko, A.V.; Lopato, L.M.; Dvernyakova, A.A.

1990-01-01

A study was made on axial and linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of HfO 2 -TiO 2 system samples in concentration range of 25-50 mol% TiO 2 . Samples, containing 35 and 37 mol% TiO 2 , are characterized by the lowest values of linear CTE. Dispersion of the basic substances doesn't affect CTE value. Correlation with axial and linear CTE of samples in ZrO 2 -TiO 2 system was conducted. Presence of anisotropy of change of lattice parameters was supported for samples, containing 37.5 and 40 mol% TiO 2 . Polymorphous transformations for hafnium titanate were not revealed

Theoretical prediction of ion conductivity in solid state HfO2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Chen, Wen-Zhou; Sun, Jiu-Yu; Jiang, Zhen-Yi

2013-01-01

A theoretical prediction of ion conductivity for solid state HfO2 is carried out in analogy to ZrO2 based on the density functional calculation. Geometric and electronic structures of pure bulks exhibit similarity for the two materials. Negative formation enthalpy and negative vacancy formation energy are found for YSH (yttria-stabilized hafnia) and YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia), suggesting the stability of both materials. Low activation energies (below 0.7 eV) of diffusion are found in both materials, and YSH's is a little higher than that of YSZ. In addition, for both HfO2 and ZrO2, the supercells with native oxygen vacancies are also studied. The so-called defect states are observed in the supercells with neutral and +1 charge native vacancy but not in the +2 charge one. It can give an explanation to the relatively lower activation energies of yttria-doped oxides and +2 charge vacancy supercells. A brief discussion is presented to explain the different YSH ion conductivities in the experiment and obtained by us, and we attribute this to the different ion vibrations at different temperatures.

Quantum-dot size and thin-film dielectric constant: precision measurement and disparity with simple models.

Science.gov (United States)

Grinolds, Darcy D W; Brown, Patrick R; Harris, Daniel K; Bulovic, Vladimir; Bawendi, Moungi G

2015-01-14

We study the dielectric constant of lead sulfide quantum dot (QD) films as a function of the volume fraction of QDs by varying the QD size and keeping the ligand constant. We create a reliable QD sizing curve using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), thin-film SAXS to extract a pair-distribution function for QD spacing, and a stacked-capacitor geometry to measure the capacitance of the thin film. Our data support a reduced dielectric constant in nanoparticles.

Stable organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xiaojia; Fuentes-Hernandez, Canek; Wang, Cheng-Yin; Park, Youngrak; Kippelen, Bernard

2018-01-01

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) can be fabricated at moderate temperatures and through cost-effective solution-based processes on a wide range of low-cost flexible and deformable substrates. Although the charge mobility of state-of-the-art OTFTs is superior to that of amorphous silicon and approaches that of amorphous oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs), their operational stability generally remains inferior and a point of concern for their commercial deployment. We report on an exhaustive characterization of OTFTs with an ultrathin bilayer gate dielectric comprising the amorphous fluoropolymer CYTOP and an Al2O3:HfO2 nanolaminate. Threshold voltage shifts measured at room temperature over time periods up to 5.9 × 105 s do not vary monotonically and remain below 0.2 V in microcrystalline OTFTs (μc-OTFTs) with field-effect carrier mobility values up to 1.6 cm2 V−1 s−1. Modeling of these shifts as a function of time with a double stretched-exponential (DSE) function suggests that two compensating aging mechanisms are at play and responsible for this high stability. The measured threshold voltage shifts at temperatures up to 75°C represent at least a one-order-of-magnitude improvement in the operational stability over previous reports, bringing OTFT technologies to a performance level comparable to that reported in the scientific literature for other commercial TFTs technologies. PMID:29340301

Optical constants, dispersion energy parameters and dielectric properties of ultra-smooth nanocrystalline BiVO4 thin films prepared by rf-magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, S.; Das, N. S.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.

2014-07-01

BiVO4 thin films have been prepared through radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering of a pre-fabricated BiVO4 target on ITO coated glass (ITO-glass) substrate and bare glass substrates. BiVO4 target material was prepared through solid-state reaction method by heating Bi2O3 and V2O5 mixture at 800 °C for 8 h. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, LCR meter, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. BiVO4 thin films deposited on the ITO-glass substrate are much smoother compared to the thin films prepared on bare glass substrate. The rms surface roughness calculated from the AFM images comes out to be 0.74 nm and 4.2 nm for the films deposited on the ITO-glass substrate and bare glass substrate for the deposition time 150 min respectively. Optical constants and energy dispersion parameters of these extra-smooth BiVO4 thin films have been investigated in detail. Dielectric properties of the BiVO4 thin films on ITO-glass substrate were also investigated. The frequency dependence of dielectric constant of the BiVO4 thin films has been measured in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 2 MHz. It was found that the dielectric constant increased from 145 to 343 at 20 Hz as the film thickness increased from 90 nm to 145 nm (deposition time increased from 60 min to 150 min). It shows higher dielectric constant compared to the literature value of BiVO4.

Effect of Advanced Plasma Source bias voltage on properties of HfO2 films prepared by plasma ion assisted electron evaporation from metal hafnium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Meiping; Yi, Kui; Arhilger, Detlef; Qi, Hongji; Shao, Jianda

2013-01-01

HfO 2 films, using metal hafnium as starting material, are deposited by plasma-ion assisted electron evaporation with different Advanced Plasma Source (APS) bias voltages. The refractive index and extinction coefficient are calculated, the chemical state and composition, as well as the stress and aging behavior is investigated. Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) and damage mechanism are also evaluated and discussed. Optical, structural, mechanical and laser induced damage properties of HfO 2 films are found to be sensitive to APS bias voltage. The film stress can be tuned by varying the APS bias voltage. Damage morphologies indicate the LIDT of the HfO 2 films at 1064 nm and 532 nm are dominated by the nodular-defect density in coatings, while the 355 nm LIDT is dominated by the film absorption. HfO 2 films with higher 1064 nm LIDT than samples evaporated from hafnia are achieved with bias voltage of 100 V. - Highlights: • HfO 2 films are evaporated with different Advanced Plasma Source (APS) bias voltages. • Properties of HfO 2 films are sensitive to APS bias voltage. • With a bias voltage of 100 V, HfO 2 coatings without any stress can be achieved. • Higher 1064 nm laser induced damage threshold is achieved at a bias voltage of 100 V

Improved integration of ultra-thin high-k dielectrics in few-layer MoS2 FET by remote forming gas plasma pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao; Zhang, Tian-Bao; Yang, Wen; Zhu, Hao; Chen, Lin; Sun, Qing-Qing; Zhang, David Wei

2017-01-01

The effective and high-quality integration of high-k dielectrics on two-dimensional (2D) crystals is essential to the device structure engineering and performance improvement of field-effect transistor (FET) based on the 2D semiconductors. We report a 2D MoS2 transistor with ultra-thin Al2O3 top-gate dielectric (6.1 nm) and extremely low leakage current. Remote forming gas plasma pretreatment was carried out prior to the atomic layer deposition, providing nucleation sites with the physically adsorbed ions on the MoS2 surface. The top gate MoS2 FET exhibited excellent electrical performance, including high on/off current ratio over 109, subthreshold swing of 85 mV/decade and field-effect mobility of 45.03 cm2/V s. Top gate leakage current less than 0.08 pA/μm2 at 4 MV/cm has been obtained, which is the smallest compared with the reported top-gated MoS2 transistors. Such an optimized integration of high-k dielectric in 2D semiconductor FET with enhanced performance is very attractive, and it paves the way towards the realization of more advanced 2D nanoelectronic devices and integrated circuits.

Oxygen vacancy effects in HfO2-based resistive switching memory: First principle study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuehua Dai

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The work investigated the shape and orientation of oxygen vacancy clusters in HfO2-base resistive random access memory (ReRAM by using the first-principle method based on the density functional theory. Firstly, the formation energy of different local Vo clusters was calculated in four established orientation systems. Then, the optimized orientation and charger conductor shape were identified by comparing the isosurface plots of partial charge density, formation energy, and the highest isosurface value of oxygen vacancy. The calculated results revealed that the [010] orientation was the optimal migration path of Vo, and the shape of system D4 was the best charge conductor in HfO2, which effectively influenced the SET voltage, formation voltage and the ON/OFF ratio of the device. Afterwards, the PDOS of Hf near Vo and total density of states of the system D4_010 were obtained, revealing the composition of charge conductor was oxygen vacancy instead of metal Hf. Furthermore, the migration barriers of the Vo hopping between neighboring unit cells were calculated along four different orientations. The motion was proved along [010] orientation. The optimal circulation path for Vo migration in the HfO2 super-cell was obtained.

Study of structure and antireflective properties of LaF3/HfO2/SiO2 and LaF3/HfO2/MgF2 trilayers for UV applications

Science.gov (United States)

Marszalek, K.; Jaglarz, J.; Sahraoui, B.; Winkowski, P.; Kanak, J.

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to study antireflective properties of the tree-layer systems LaF3/HfO2/SiO2 and LaF3/HfO2/MgF2 deposited on heated optical glass substrates. The films were evaporated by the use two deposition techniques. In first method oxide films were prepared by means of e-gun evaporation in vacuum of 5 × 10-5 mbar in the presence of oxygen. The second was used for the deposition of fluoride films. They were obtained by means of thermal source evaporation. Simulation of reflectance was performed for 1M2H1L (Quarter Wavelength Optical Thickness) film stack on an optical quartz glass with the refractive index n = 1.46. The layer thickness was optimized to achieve the lowest light scattering from glass surface covered with dioxide and fluoride films. The values of the interface roughness were determined through atomic force microscopy measurements. The essence of performed calculation was to find minimum reflectance of light in wide ultraviolet region. The spectral dispersion of the refractive index needed for calculations was determined from ellipsometric measurements using the spectroscopic ellipsometer M2000. Additionally, the total reflectance measurements in integrating sphere coupled with Perkin Elmer 900 spectrophotometer were performed. These investigations allowed to determine the influence of such film features like surface and interface roughness on light scattering.

Structure dependent resistivity and dielectric characteristics of tantalum oxynitride thin films produced by magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cristea, D., E-mail: daniel.cristea@unitbv.ro [Department of Materials Science, Transilvania University, 500036 Brasov (Romania); Crisan, A. [Department of Materials Science, Transilvania University, 500036 Brasov (Romania); Cretu, N. [Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics Department, Transilvania University, 500036 Brasov (Romania); Borges, J. [Centro de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710 - 057 Braga (Portugal); Instituto Pedro Nunes, Laboratório de Ensaios, Desgaste e Materiais, Rua Pedro Nunes, 3030-199 Coimbra (Portugal); SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal); Lopes, C.; Cunha, L. [Centro de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710 - 057 Braga (Portugal); Ion, V.; Dinescu, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Lasers Department, “Photonic Processing of Advanced Materials” Group, PO Box MG-16, RO 77125 Magurele-Bucharest (Romania); Barradas, N.P. [Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, E.N. 10 ao km 139,7, 2695-066 Bobadela LRS (Portugal); Alves, E. [Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, E.N. 10 ao km 139,7, 2695-066 Bobadela LRS (Portugal); Apreutesei, M. [MATEIS Laboratory-INSA de Lyon, 21 Avenue Jean Capelle, 69621 Villeurbanne cedex (France); Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon INL-UMR5270, CNRS, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Ecully F-69134 (France); Munteanu, D. [Department of Materials Science, Transilvania University, 500036 Brasov (Romania)

2015-11-01

Highlights: • Tantalum oxynitride thin films have been deposited by magnetron sputtering, in various configurations. • The rising of the reactive gases mixture flow has the consequence of a gradual increase in the non-metallic content in the films, which results in a 10 orders of magnitude resistivity domain. • The higher resistivity films exhibit dielectric constants up to 41 and quality factors up to 70. - Abstract: The main purpose of this work is to present and to interpret the change of electrical properties of Ta{sub x}N{sub y}O{sub z} thin films, produced by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. Some parameters were varied during deposition: the flow of the reactive gases mixture (N{sub 2} and O{sub 2}, with a constant concentration ratio of 17:3); the substrate voltage bias (grounded, −50 V or −100 V) and the substrate (glass, (1 0 0) Si or high speed steel). The obtained films exhibit significant differences. The variation of the deposition parameters induces variations of the composition, microstructure and morphology. These differences cause variation of the electrical resistivity essentially correlated with the composition and structural changes. The gradual decrease of the Ta concentration in the films induces amorphization and causes a raise of the resistivity. The dielectric characteristics of some of the high resistance Ta{sub x}N{sub y}O{sub z} films were obtained in the samples with a capacitor-like design (deposited onto high speed steel, with gold pads deposited on the dielectric Ta{sub x}N{sub y}O{sub z} films). Some of these films exhibited dielectric constant values higher than those reported for other tantalum based dielectric films.

Fabrication and electrical characterization of a MOS memory device containing self-assembled metallic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Sargentis, Ch.; Giannakopoulos, K.; Travlos, A.; Tsamakis, D.

2007-04-01

Floating gate devices with nanoparticles embedded in dielectrics have recently attracted much attention due to the fact that these devices operate as non-volatile memories with high speed, high density and low power consumption. In this paper, memory devices containing gold (Au) nanoparticles have been fabricated using e-gun evaporation. The Au nanoparticles are deposited on a very thin SiO 2 layer and are then fully covered by a HfO 2 layer. The HfO 2 is a high- k dielectric and gives good scalability to the fabricated devices. We studied the effect of the deposition parameters to the size and the shape of the Au nanoparticles using capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage measurements, we demonstrated that the fabricated device can indeed operate as a low-voltage memory device.

Structural and dielectric properties of (001) and (111)-oriented BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 epitaxial thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventura, J.; Fina, I.; Ferrater, C.; Langenberg, E.; Coy, L.E.; Polo, M.C.; Garcia-Cuenca, M.V.; Fabrega, L.; Varela, M.

2010-01-01

We have grown and characterized BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 (BZT) epitaxial thin films deposited on (001) and (111)-oriented SrRuO 3 -buffered SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structural and morphological characterizations were performed using X-ray diffractometry and atomic force microscopy, respectively. A cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship was ascertained from the θ-2θ and φ diffractograms in both (001) and (111)-oriented films. The (001)-oriented films showed a smooth granular morphology, whereas the faceted pyramid-like crystallites of the (111)-oriented films led to a rough surface. The dielectric response of BZT at room temperature was measured along the growth direction. The films were found to be ferroelectric, although a well-saturated hysteresis loop was obtained only for the (001)-oriented films. High leakage currents were observed for the (111) orientation, likely associated to charge transport along the boundaries of its crystallites. The remanent polarization, coercive field, dielectric constant, and relative change of dielectric permittivity (tunability) of (111)-oriented BZT were higher than those of (001)-oriented BZT.

Yttrium scandate thin film as alternative high-permittivity dielectric for germanium gate stack formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Cimang, E-mail: cimang@adam.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Lee, Choong Hyun; Nishimura, Tomonori; Toriumi, Akira [Department of Materials Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); JST, CREST, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2015-08-17

We investigated yttrium scandate (YScO{sub 3}) as an alternative high-permittivity (k) dielectric thin film for Ge gate stack formation. Significant enhancement of k-value is reported in YScO{sub 3} comparing to both of its binary compounds, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}, without any cost of interface properties. It suggests a feasible approach to a design of promising high-k dielectrics for Ge gate stack, namely, the formation of high-k ternary oxide out of two medium-k binary oxides. Aggressive scaling of equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) with promising interface properties is presented by using YScO{sub 3} as high-k dielectric and yttrium-doped GeO{sub 2} (Y-GeO{sub 2}) as interfacial layer, for a demonstration of high-k gate stack on Ge. In addition, we demonstrate Ge n-MOSFET performance showing the peak electron mobility over 1000 cm{sup 2}/V s in sub-nm EOT region by YScO{sub 3}/Y-GeO{sub 2}/Ge gate stack.

Leakage current conduction mechanisms and electrical properties of atomic-layer-deposited HfO2/Ga2O3 MOS capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongpeng; Jia, Renxu; Lei, Yuan; Tang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Yimen; Zhang, Yuming

2018-02-01

In this paper, current conduction mechanisms in HfO2/β-Ga2O3 metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors under positive and negative biases are investigated using the current-voltage (I-V) measurements conducted at temperatures from 298 K to 378 K. The Schottky emission is dominant under positively biased electric fields of 0.37-2.19 MV cm-1, and the extracted Schottky barrier height ranged from 0.88 eV to 0.91 eV at various temperatures. The Poole-Frenkel emission dominates under negatively biased fields of 1.92-4.83 MV cm-1, and the trap energy levels are from 0.71 eV to 0.77 eV at various temperatures. The conduction band offset (ΔE c) of HfO2/β-Ga2O3 is extracted to be 1.31  ±  0.05 eV via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, while a large negative sheet charge density of 1.04  ×  1013 cm-2 is induced at the oxide layer and/or HfO2/β-Ga2O3 interface. A low C-V hysteresis of 0.76 V, low interface state density (D it) close to 1  ×  1012 eV-1 cm-2, and low leakage current density of 2.38  ×  10-5 A cm-2 at a gate voltage of 7 V has been obtained, suggesting the great electrical properties of HfO2/β-Ga2O3 MOSCAP. According to the above analysis, ALD-HfO2 is an attractive candidate for high voltage β-Ga2O3 power devices.

Improved linearity and reliability in GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors using nanolaminate La2O3/SiO2 gate dielectric

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Ching-Hsiang; Shih, Wang-Cheng; Lin, Yueh-Chin; Hsu, Heng-Tung; Hsu, Hisang-Hua; Huang, Yu-Xiang; Lin, Tai-Wei; Wu, Chia-Hsun; Wu, Wen-Hao; Maa, Jer-Shen; Iwai, Hiroshi; Kakushima, Kuniyuki; Chang, Edward Yi

2016-04-01

Improved device performance to enable high-linearity power applications has been discussed in this study. We have compared the La2O3/SiO2 AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs) with other La2O3-based (La2O3/HfO2, La2O3/CeO2 and single La2O3) MOS-HEMTs. It was found that forming lanthanum silicate films can not only improve the dielectric quality but also can improve the device characteristics. The improved gate insulation, reliability, and linearity of the 8 nm La2O3/SiO2 MOS-HEMT were demonstrated.

Enhanced PEC performance of nanoporous Si photoelectrodes by covering HfO2 and TiO2 passivation layers

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Zhuo; Ren, Feng; Wu, Hengyi; Wu, Liang; Wang, Xuening; Wang, Jingli; Wan, Da; Zhang, Guozhen; Jiang, Changzhong

2017-03-01

Nanostructured Si as the high efficiency photoelectrode material is hard to keep stable in aqueous for water splitting. Capping a passivation layer on the surface of Si is an effective way of protecting from oxidation. However, it is still not clear in the different mechanisms and effects between insulating oxide materials and oxide semiconductor materials as passivation layers. Here, we compare the passivation effects, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties, and the corresponding mechanisms between the HfO2/nanoporous-Si and the TiO2/nanoporous-Si by I-V curves, Motte-schottky (MS) curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Although the saturated photocurrent densities of the TiO2/nanoporous Si are lower than that of the HfO2/nanoporous Si, the former is more stable than the later.

Enhanced PEC performance of nanoporous Si photoelectrodes by covering HfO2 and TiO2 passivation layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Zhuo; Ren, Feng; Wu, Hengyi; Wu, Liang; Wang, Xuening; Wang, Jingli; Wan, Da; Zhang, Guozhen; Jiang, Changzhong

2017-03-02

Nanostructured Si as the high efficiency photoelectrode material is hard to keep stable in aqueous for water splitting. Capping a passivation layer on the surface of Si is an effective way of protecting from oxidation. However, it is still not clear in the different mechanisms and effects between insulating oxide materials and oxide semiconductor materials as passivation layers. Here, we compare the passivation effects, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties, and the corresponding mechanisms between the HfO 2 /nanoporous-Si and the TiO 2 /nanoporous-Si by I-V curves, Motte-schottky (MS) curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Although the saturated photocurrent densities of the TiO 2 /nanoporous Si are lower than that of the HfO 2 /nanoporous Si, the former is more stable than the later.

Lanthanum titanium perovskite compound: Thin film deposition and high frequency dielectric characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Paven, C., E-mail: claire.lepaven@univ-rennes1.fr [Institut d' Electronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes (IETR, UMR-CNRS 6164), Equipe Matériaux Fonctionnels, IUT Saint Brieuc, Université de Rennes 1, 22000 Saint Brieuc (France); Lu, Y. [Institut d' Electronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes (IETR, UMR-CNRS 6164), Equipe Matériaux Fonctionnels, IUT Saint Brieuc, Université de Rennes 1, 22000 Saint Brieuc (France); Nguyen, H.V. [Institut d' Electronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes (IETR, UMR-CNRS 6164), Equipe Matériaux Fonctionnels, IUT Saint Brieuc, Université de Rennes 1, 22000 Saint Brieuc (France); CEA LETI, Minatec Campus, 38054 Grenoble (France); Benzerga, R.; Le Gendre, L. [Institut d' Electronique et de Télécommunications de Rennes (IETR, UMR-CNRS 6164), Equipe Matériaux Fonctionnels, IUT Saint Brieuc, Université de Rennes 1, 22000 Saint Brieuc (France); Rioual, S. [Laboratoire de Magnétisme de Brest (EA CNRS 4522), Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 29000 Brest (France); Benzegoutta, D. [Institut des Nanosciences de Paris (INSP, UMR CNRS 7588), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Tessier, F.; Cheviré, F. [Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (ISCR, UMR-CNRS 6226), Equipe Verres et Céramiques, Université de Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes (France); and others

2014-02-28

Perovskite lanthanum titanium oxide thin films were deposited on (001) MgO, (001) LaAlO{sub 3} and Pt(111)/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/(001)Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering, using a La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} homemade target sputtered under oxygen reactive plasma. The films deposited at 800 °C display a crystalline growth different than those reported on monoclinic ferroelectric La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows the presence of titanium as Ti{sup 4+} ions, with no trace of Ti{sup 3+}, and provides a La/Ti ratio of 1.02. The depositions being performed from a La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} target under oxygen rich plasma, the same composition (La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}) is proposed for the deposited films, with an unusual orthorhombic cell and Cmc2{sub 1} space group. The films have a textured growth on MgO and Pt/Si substrates, and are epitaxially grown on LaAlO{sub 3} substrate. The dielectric characterization displays stable values of the dielectric constant and of the losses in the frequency range [0.1–20] GHz. No variation of the dielectric constant has been observed when a DC electric field up to 250 kV/cm was applied, which does not match a classical ferroelectric behavior at high frequencies and room temperature for the proposed La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} orthorhombic phase. At 10 GHz and room temperature, the dielectric constant of the obtained La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} films is ε ∼ 60 and the losses are low (tanδ < 0.02). - Highlights: • Lanthanum titanium oxide films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. • A La{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7} chemical composition is proposed, with an unusual orthorhombic cell. • At 10 GHz, the dielectric losses are lower than 0.02. • No variation of the dielectric constant is observed under DC electric biasing.

Structural characterization and dielectric properties of BaTiO3 thin films obtained by spin coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Branimir Bajac

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Barium titanate thin films were prepared by spin coating deposition technique of an acetic precursor sol and sintered at 750, 900 and 1050 °C. Phase composition of the obtained thin films was characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Their morphology was analysed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Dielectric properties of thin films sintered at 750 and 900 °C were characterized by LCD device, where the influence of sintering temperature on dielectric permittivity and loss tangent was inspected. It was concluded that higher sintering temperature increases grain size and amount of tetragonal phase, hence higher relative permittivity was recorded. The almost constant relative permittivity in the measured frequency (800 Hz–0.5 MHz and temperature (25–200 °C ranges as well as low dielectric loss are very important for the application of BaTiO3 films in microelectronic devices.

High temperature X-ray diffraction studies on HfO2-Gd2O3 system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panneerselvam, G.; Antony, M.P.; Ananthasivan, K.; Joseph, M.

2016-01-01

High temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) technique is an important experimental tool for measuring thermal expansion of materials of interest. A series of solid solutions containing GdO 1.5 in HfO 2 ,Hf 1-y Gd y )O 2 (y = 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.41 and 0.505) were prepared by solid state method. Structural characterization and computation of lattice parameter was carried out by using room temperature X-ray diffraction measurements. The room temperature lattice parameter estimated for (Hf 1-y Gd y )O 2 (y=0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.41 and 0.505) are 0.51714 nm, 0.51929 nm, 0.52359nm, 0.52789nm and 0.53241 nm, respectively. Thermal expansion coefficients and percentage linear thermal expansion of the HfO 2 -Gd 2 O 3 solid solutions containing 20 and 41 mol% GdO 1.5 were determined using HTXRD in the temperature range 298 to 1673K. The mean linear thermal expansion coefficients of the solid solutions containing 20 and 41 mol. %Gd are 11.65 x 10 -6 K -1 and 12.07 x 10 -6 K -1 , respectively. (author)

Modeling and Implementation of HfO2-based Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Pringle, Spencer Allen

HfO2-based ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) represent a unique opportunity as both a next-generation digital non-volatile memory and as synapse devices in braininspired logic systems, owing to their higher reliability compared to filamentary resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) and higher speed and lower power consumption compared to competing devices, including phase-change memory (PCM) and state-of-the-art FTJ. Ferroelectrics are often easier to deposit and have simpler material structure than films for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Ferroelectric HfO2 also enables complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, since lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and BaTiO3-based FTJs often are not. No other groups have yet demonstrated a HfO2-based FTJ (to best of the author's knowledge) or applied it to a suitable system. For such devices to be useful, system designers require models based on both theoretical physical analysis and experimental results of fabricated devices in order to confidently design control systems. Both the CMOS circuitry and FTJs must then be designed in layout and fabricated on the same die. This work includes modeling of proposed device structures using a custom python script, which calculates theoretical potential barrier heights as a function of material properties and corresponding current densities (ranging from 8x103 to 3x10-2 A/cm 2 with RHRS/RLRS ranging from 5x105 to 6, depending on ferroelectric thickness). These equations were then combined with polynomial fits of experimental timing data and implemented in a Verilog-A behavioral analog model in Cadence Virtuoso. The author proposes tristate CMOS control systems, and circuits, for implementation of FTJ devices as digital memory and presents simulated performance. Finally, a process flow for fabrication of FTJ devices with CMOS is presented. This work has therefore enabled the fabrication of FTJ devices at RIT and the continued investigation of them as applied to any

Intermixing between HfO2 and GeO2 films deposited on Ge(001) and Si(001): Role of the substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, G. V.; Krug, C.; Miotti, L.; Bastos, K. P.; Lucovsky, G.; Baumvol, I. J. R.; Radtke, C.

2011-01-01

Thermally driven atomic transport in HfO 2 /GeO 2 /substrate structures on Ge(001) and Si(001) was investigated in N 2 ambient as function of annealing temperature and time. As-deposited stacks showed no detectable intermixing and no instabilities were observed on Si. On Ge, loss of O and Ge was detected in all annealed samples, presumably due to evolution of GeO from the GeO 2 /Ge interface. In addition, hafnium germanate is formed at 600 deg. C. Our data indicate that at 500 deg. C and above HfO 2 /GeO 2 stacks are stable only if isolated from the Ge substrate.

Chemical vapor deposited monolayer MoS2 top-gate MOSFET with atomic-layer-deposited ZrO2 as gate dielectric

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yaoqiao; Jiang, Huaxing; Lau, Kei May; Li, Qiang

2018-04-01

For the first time, ZrO2 dielectric deposition on pristine monolayer MoS2 by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is demonstrated and ZrO2/MoS2 top-gate MOSFETs have been fabricated. ALD ZrO2 overcoat, like other high-k oxides such as HfO2 and Al2O3, was shown to enhance the MoS2 channel mobility. As a result, an on/off current ratio of over 107, a subthreshold slope of 276 mV dec-1, and a field-effect electron mobility of 12.1 cm2 V-1 s-1 have been achieved. The maximum drain current of the MOSFET with a top-gate length of 4 μm and a source/drain spacing of 9 μm is measured to be 1.4 μA μm-1 at V DS = 5 V. The gate leakage current is below 10-2 A cm-2 under a gate bias of 10 V. A high dielectric breakdown field of 4.9 MV cm-1 is obtained. Gate hysteresis and frequency-dependent capacitance-voltage measurements were also performed to characterize the ZrO2/MoS2 interface quality, which yielded an interface state density of ˜3 × 1012 cm-2 eV-1.

Preparation and dielectric properties of compositionally graded lead barium zirconate thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Xihong, E-mail: xhhao@imust.edu.c [Functional Materials Research Laboratory, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); School of Materials and Metallurgy, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Zhang, Zhiqing [School of Materials and Metallurgy, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Zhou, Jing [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); An, Shengli [School of Materials and Metallurgy, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Zhai, Jiwei [Functional Materials Research Laboratory, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China)

2010-07-09

Both up and down compositionally graded (Pb{sub 1-x}Ba{sub x})ZrO{sub 3} (PBZ) thin films with increasing x from 0.4 to 0.6 were deposited on Pt(1 1 1)-buffer layered silicon substrates through a sol-gel method. The microstructure and dielectric properties of graded PBZ thin films were investigated systemically. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed that both PBZ films had crystallized into a pure perovskite phase after annealed 700 {sup o}C. Electrical measurement results showed that although up graded films had a slightly larger tunability, dielectric loss of down graded films was much lower than that of up graded films. Therefore, the figure of merit of down graded PBZ films was greatly enhanced, as compared with up graded films. Moreover, down graded PBZ thin films also displayed excellent temperature stability with a smaller temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) of -0.59 x 10{sup -3} {sup o}C{sup -1} from 20 {sup o}C to 80 {sup o}C.

Semi-transparent a-IGZO thin-film transistors with polymeric gate dielectric.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyung, Gun Woo; Wang, Jian-Xun; Li, Zhao-Hui; Koo, Ja-Ryong; Kwon, Sang Jik; Cho, Eou-Sik; Kim, Young Kwan

2013-06-01

We report the fabrication of semi-transparent a-IGZO-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) with crosslinked poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) gate dielectric layers on PET substrate and thermally-evaporated Al/Ag/Al source and drain (S&D) electrodes, which showed a transmittance of 64% at a 500-nm wavelength and sheet resistance of 16.8 omega/square. The semi-transparent a-IGZO TFTs with a PVP layer exhibited decent saturation mobilities (maximum approximately 5.8 cm2Ns) and on/off current ratios of approximately 10(6).

Effect of La and W dopants on dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films prepared by sol-gel process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Mi; Zhang, Zebin; Zhang, Weikang; Zhang, Ping

2018-01-01

La or W-doped lead zirconate titanate thin films (PLZT or PZTW) were prepared on platinized silicon substrates by sol-gel process. The effects of La or W dopant on the phase development, microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of films were studied. For PLZT films, the optimum doping concentration was found to be 2 mol%. While for PZTW films, the dielectric and ferroelectric properties were found to be improved as the doping concentration increased. The fatigue properties of PLZT and PZTW thin films were also investigated, the results showed that A- or B-site donor doping could improve the fatigue properties of PZT thin films. The theory of oxygen vacancy was used to explain the performance improvement caused by donor doping. (orig.)

Effect of La and W dopants on dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films prepared by sol-gel process

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Mi; Zhang, Zebin; Zhang, Weikang; Zhang, Ping

2018-01-01

La or W-doped lead zirconate titanate thin films (PLZT or PZTW) were prepared on platinized silicon substrates by sol-gel process. The effects of La or W dopant on the phase development, microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of films were studied. For PLZT films, the optimum doping concentration was found to be 2 mol%. While for PZTW films, the dielectric and ferroelectric properties were found to be improved as the doping concentration increased. The fatigue properties of PLZT and PZTW thin films were also investigated, the results showed that A- or B-site donor doping could improve the fatigue properties of PZT thin films. The theory of oxygen vacancy was used to explain the performance improvement caused by donor doping.

SnO2 anode surface passivation by atomic layer deposited HfO2 improves li-ion battery performance

KAUST Repository

Yesibolati, Nulati; Shahid, Muhammad; Chen, Wei; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Reuter, Mark C.; Ross, Frances M.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2014-01-01

For the first time, it is demonstrated that nanoscale HfO2 surface passivation layers formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) significantly improve the performance of Li ion batteries with SnO2-based anodes. Specifically, the measured battery

Electrical dependence on the chemical composition of the gate dielectric in indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tari, Alireza, E-mail: atari@uwaterloo.ca; Lee, Czang-Ho; Wong, William S. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2015-07-13

Bottom-gate thin-film transistors were fabricated by depositing a 50 nm InGaZnO (IGZO) channel layer at 150 °C on three separate gate dielectric films: (1) thermal SiO{sub 2}, (2) plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD) SiN{sub x}, and (3) a PECVD SiO{sub x}/SiN{sub x} dual-dielectric. X-ray photoelectron and photoluminescence spectroscopy showed the V{sub o} concentration was dependent on the hydrogen concentration of the underlying dielectric film. IGZO films on SiN{sub x} (high V{sub o}) and SiO{sub 2} (low V{sub o}) had the highest and lowest conductivity, respectively. A PECVD SiO{sub x}/SiN{sub x} dual-dielectric layer was effective in suppressing hydrogen diffusion from the nitride layer into the IGZO and resulted in higher resistivity films.

Tunneling current in HfO2 and Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based ferroelectric tunnel junction

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Zhipeng; Cao, Xi; Wu, Tong; Guo, Jing

2018-03-01

Ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) have been intensively explored for future low power data storage and information processing applications. Among various ferroelectric (FE) materials studied, HfO2 and H0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) have the advantage of CMOS process compatibility. The validity of the simple effective mass approximation, for describing the tunneling process in these materials, is examined by computing the complex band structure from ab initio simulations. The results show that the simple effective mass approximation is insufficient to describe the tunneling current in HfO2 and HZO materials, and quantitative accurate descriptions of the complex band structures are indispensable for calculation of the tunneling current. A compact k . p Hamiltonian is parameterized to and validated by ab initio complex band structures, which provides a method for efficiently and accurately computing the tunneling current in HfO2 and HZO. The device characteristics of a metal/FE/metal structure and a metal/FE/semiconductor (M-F-S) structure are investigated by using the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism with the parameterized effective Hamiltonian. The result shows that the M-F-S structure offers a larger resistance window due to an extra barrier in the semiconductor region at off-state. A FTJ utilizing M-F-S structure is beneficial for memory design.

Low-voltage bendable pentacene thin-film transistor with stainless steel substrate and polystyrene-coated hafnium silicate dielectric.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Dong-Jin; Lee, Seunghyup; Yong, Kijung; Rhee, Shi-Woo

2012-04-01

The hafnium silicate and aluminum oxide high-k dielectrics were deposited on stainless steel substrate using atomic layer deposition process and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) and polystyrene (PS) were treated improve crystallinity of pentacene grown on them. Besides, the effects of the pentacene deposition condition on the morphologies, crystallinities and electrical properties of pentacene were characterized. Therefore, the surface treatment condition on dielectric and pentacene deposition conditions were optimized. The pentacene grown on polystyrene coated high-k dielectric at low deposition rate and temperature (0.2-0.3 Å/s and R.T.) showed the largest grain size (0.8-1.0 μm) and highest crystallinity among pentacenes deposited various deposition conditions, and the pentacene TFT with polystyrene coated high-k dielectric showed excellent device-performance. To decrease threshold voltage of pentacene TFT, the polystyrene-thickness on high-k dielectric was controlled using different concentration of polystyrene solution. As the polystyrene-thickness on hafnium silicate decreases, the dielectric constant of polystyrene/hafnium silicate increases, while the crystallinity of pentacene grown on polystyrene/hafnium silicate did not change. Using low-thickness polystyrene coated hafnium silicate dielectric, the high-performance and low voltage operating (pentacene thin film transistor (μ: ~2 cm(2)/(V s), on/off ratio, >1 × 10(4)) and complementary inverter (DC gains, ~20) could be fabricated.

Electrical characteristics of GdTiO{sub 3} gate dielectric for amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Her, Jim-Long [Division of Natural Science, Center for General Education, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Pan, Tung-Ming, E-mail: tmpan@mail.cgu.edu.tw [Department of Electronics Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Liu, Jiang-Hung; Wang, Hong-Jun; Chen, Ching-Hung [Department of Electronics Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan (China); Koyama, Keiichi [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065 (Japan)

2014-10-31

In this article, we studied the structural properties and electrical characteristics of GdTiO{sub 3} gate dielectric for amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) applications. The a-IGZO TFT device featuring the GdTiO{sub 3} gate dielectric exhibited better electrical characteristics, including a small threshold voltage of 0.14 V, a large field-effect mobility of 32.3 cm{sup 2}/V-s, a high I{sub on}/I{sub off} current ratio of 4.2 × 10{sup 8}, and a low subthreshold swing of 213 mV/decade. Furthermore, the electrical instability of GdTiO{sub 3} a-IGZO TFTs was investigated under both positive gate-bias stress (PGBS) and negative gate-bias stress (NGBS) conditions. The electron charge trapping in the gate dielectric dominates the PGBS degradation, while the oxygen vacancies control the NGBS degradation. - Highlights: • Indium–gallium–zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) • Structural and electrical properties of the GdTiO{sub 3} film were studied. • a-IGZO TFT featuring GdTi{sub x}O{sub y} dielectric exhibited better electrical characteristics. • TFT instability investigated under positive and negative gate-bias stress conditions.

Physical property improvement of IZTO thin films using a hafnia buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jong-Chan; Kang, Seong-Jun; Choi, Byeong-Gyun; Yoon, Yung-Sup

2018-01-01

Hafnia (HfO2) has excellent mechanical and chemical stability, good transmittance, high dielectric constant, and radiation resistance property; thus, it can prevent impurities from permeating into the depositing films. So, we deposited hafnia films with various thicknesses in the range of 0-60 nm on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates before depositing indium-zinc-tin oxide (IZTO) thin films on them using RF magnetron sputtering, and their structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties were evaluated. All IZTO thin films were successfully deposited without cracks or pinholes and had amorphous structures. As the thickness of the hafnia film increased to 30 nm, the overall properties improved; a surface roughness of 2.216 nm, transmittance of 82.59% at 550 nm, resistivity of 5.66 × 10-4 Ω cm, sheet resistance of 23.60 Ω/sq, and figure of merit of 6.26 × 10-3 Ω-1 were realized. These results indicate that the structure and materials studied in this research are suitable for application in flexible transparent electronic devices such as organic light emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, touch panels, and solar cells.

Investigation of optical pump on dielectric tunability in PZT/PT thin film by THz spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Jie; Luo, Chunya; Rao, Yunkun; Ling, Furi; Yao, Jianquan

2016-07-11

The dielectric spectra of single-layer PbTiO3 (PT), single-layer PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT) and multilayer PZT/PT thin films under an external optical field were investigated at room temperature by time-domain terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. Results showed that the real part of permittivity increased upon application of an external optical field, which could be interpreted as hardening of the soft mode and increasing of the damping coefficient and oscillator strength. Furthermore, the central mode was observed in the three films. Among the dielectric property of the three thin films studied, the tunability of the PZT/PT superlattice was the largest.

ANTIREFLECTION MULTILAYER COATINGS WITH THIN METAL LAYERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Gubanova

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The design of anti-reflective coatings for metal surfaces of Al, Ti, N,i Cr is proposed. The coatings have the form of alternating layers of dielectric/metal/dielectric with the number of cells up to15. The method of calculation of such coatings is proposed. We have calculated the coatings of the type [HfO2/Cr/HfO2]15, [ZrO2/Ti/Al2O3]15, [ZrO2/Cr/ZrO2]15. It is shown that the proposed interference coatings provide reduction of the residual reflectance of the metal several times (from 3.5 to 6.0 in a wide spectral range (300-1000 nm. The proposed coatings can be recommended as anti-reflective coatings for energy saving solar systems and batteries, and photovoltaic cells.

Thermally tunable VO2-SiO2 nanocomposite thin-film capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yifei; Narayanachari, K. V. L. V.; Wan, Chenghao; Sun, Xing; Wang, Haiyan; Cooley, Kayla A.; Mohney, Suzanne E.; White, Doug; Duwel, Amy; Kats, Mikhail A.; Ramanathan, Shriram

2018-03-01

We present a study of co-sputtered VO2-SiO2 nanocomposite dielectric thin-film media possessing continuous temperature tunability of the dielectric constant. The smooth thermal tunability is a result of the insulator-metal transition in the VO2 inclusions dispersed within an insulating matrix. We present a detailed comparison of the dielectric characteristics of this nanocomposite with those of a VO2 control layer and of VO2/SiO2 laminate multilayers of comparable overall thickness. We demonstrated a nanocomposite capacitor that has a thermal capacitance tunability of ˜60% between 25 °C and 100 °C at 1 MHz, with low leakage current. Such thermally tunable capacitors could find potential use in applications such as sensing, thermal cloaks, and phase-change energy storage devices.

Constant-current corona triode adapted and optimized for the characterization of thin dielectric films

Science.gov (United States)

Giacometti, José A.

2018-05-01

This work describes an enhanced corona triode with constant current adapted to characterize the electrical properties of thin dielectric films used in organic electronic devices. A metallic grid with a high ionic transparency is employed to charge thin films (100 s of nm thick) with a large enough charging current. The determination of the surface potential is based on the grid voltage measurement, but using a more sophisticated procedure than the previous corona triode. Controlling the charging current to zero, which is the open-circuit condition, the potential decay can be measured without using a vibrating grid. In addition, the electric capacitance and the characteristic curves of current versus the stationary surface potential can also be determined. To demonstrate the use of the constant current corona triode, we have characterized poly(methyl methacrylate) thin films with films with thicknesses in the range from 300 to 500 nm, frequently used as gate dielectric in organic field-effect transistors.

High-Performance Flexible Single-Crystalline Silicon Nanomembrane Thin-Film Transistors with High- k Nb2O5-Bi2O3-MgO Ceramics as Gate Dielectric on a Plastic Substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Guoxuan; Zhang, Yibo; Lan, Kuibo; Li, Lingxia; Ma, Jianguo; Yu, Shihui

2018-04-18

A novel method of fabricating flexible thin-film transistor based on single-crystalline Si nanomembrane (SiNM) with high- k Nb 2 O 5 -Bi 2 O 3 -MgO (BMN) ceramic gate dielectric on a plastic substrate is demonstrated in this paper. SiNMs are successfully transferred to a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate, which has been plated with indium-tin-oxide (ITO) conductive layer and high- k BMN ceramic gate dielectric layer by room-temperature magnetron sputtering. The BMN ceramic gate dielectric layer demonstrates as high as ∼109 dielectric constant, with only dozens of pA current leakage. The Si-BMN-ITO heterostructure has only ∼nA leakage current at the applied voltage of 3 V. The transistor is shown to work at a high current on/off ratio of above 10 4 , and the threshold voltage is ∼1.3 V, with over 200 cm 2 /(V s) effective channel electron mobility. Bending tests have been conducted and show that the flexible transistors have good tolerance on mechanical bending strains. These characteristics indicate that the flexible single-crystalline SiNM transistors with BMN ceramics as gate dielectric have great potential for applications in high-performance integrated flexible circuit.

Investigation of structural and electrical properties on substrate material for high frequency metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, M.; Yang, Sung-Hyun; Janardhan Reddy, K.; JagadeeshChandra, S. V.

2017-04-01

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films were grown on cleaned P-type Ge and Si substrates by using atomic layer deposition technique (ALD) with thickness of 8 nm. The composition analysis of as-deposited and annealed HfO2 films was characterized by XPS, further electrical measurements; we fabricated the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices with Pt electrode. Post deposition annealing in O2 ambient at 500 °C for 30 min was carried out on both Ge and Si devices. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) and conductance-voltage (G-V) curves measured at 1 MHz. The Ge MOS devices showed improved interfacial and electrical properties, high dielectric constant (~19), smaller EOT value (0.7 nm), and smaller D it value as Si MOS devices. The C-V curves shown significantly high accumulation capacitance values from Ge devices, relatively when compare with the Si MOS devices before and after annealing. It could be due to the presence of very thin interfacial layer at HfO2/Ge stacks than HfO2/Si stacks conformed by the HRTEM images. Besides, from current-voltage (I-V) curves of the Ge devices exhibited similar leakage current as Si devices. Therefore, Ge might be a reliable substrate material for structural, electrical and high frequency applications.

Formation and disruption of conductive filaments in a HfO2/TiN structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brivio, S; Tallarida, G; Cianci, E; Spiga, S

2014-01-01

The process of the formation and disruption of nanometric conductive filaments in a HfO 2 /TiN structure is investigated by conductive atomic force microscopy. The preforming state evidences nonhomogeneous conduction at high fields through conductive paths, which are associated with pre-existing defects and develop into conductive filaments with a forming procedure. The disruption of the same filaments is demonstrated as well, according to a bipolar operation. In addition, the conductive tip of the microscopy is exploited to perform electrical operations on single conductive spots, which evidences that neighboring conductive filaments are not electrically independent. We propose a picture that describes the evolution of the shape of the conductive filaments in the processes of their formation and disruption, which involves the development of conductive branches from a common root; this root resides in the pre-existing defects that lay at the HfO 2 /TiN interface. (paper)

Low temperature formation of higher-k cubic phase HfO2 by atomic layer deposition on GeOx/Ge structures fabricated by in-situ thermal oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, R.; Huang, P.-C.; Taoka, N.; Yokoyama, M.; Takenaka, M.; Takagi, S.

2016-01-01

We have demonstrated a low temperature formation (300 °C) of higher-k HfO 2 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on an in-situ thermal oxidation GeO x interfacial layer. It is found that the cubic phase is dominant in the HfO 2 film with an epitaxial-like growth behavior. The maximum permittivity of 42 is obtained for an ALD HfO 2 film on a 1-nm-thick GeO x form by the in-situ thermal oxidation. It is suggested from physical analyses that the crystallization of cubic phase HfO 2 can be induced by the formation of six-fold crystalline GeO x structures in the underlying GeO x interfacial layer

Sodium beta-alumina thin films as gate dielectrics for AlGaN/GaN metal—insulator—semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Ben-Lang; Chen Chao; Li Yan-Rong; Zhang Wan-Li; Liu Xing-Zhao

2012-01-01

Sodium beta-alumina (SBA) is deposited on AlGaN/GaN by using a co-deposition process with sodium and Al 2 O 3 as the precursors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum reveals that the deposited thin film is amorphous. The binding energy and composition of the deposited thin film, obtained from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement, are consistent with those of SBA. The dielectric constant of the SBA thin film is about 50. Each of the capacitance—voltage characteristics obtained at five different frequencies shows a high-quality interface between SBA and AlGaN. The interface trap density of metal—insulator—semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistor (MISHEMT) is measured to be (3.5∼9.5)×10 10 cm −2 ·eV −1 by the conductance method. The fixed charge density of SBA dielectric is on the order of 2.7×10 12 cm −2 . Compared with the AlGaN/GaN metal—semiconductor heterostructure high-electron-mobility transistor (MESHEMT), the AlGaN/GaN MISHEMT usually has a threshold voltage that shifts negatively. However, the threshold voltage of the AlGaN/GaN MISHEMT using SBA as the gate dielectric shifts positively from −5.5 V to −3.5 V. From XPS results, the surface valence-band maximum (VBM-EF) of AlGaN is found to decrease from 2.56 eV to 2.25 eV after the SBA thin film deposition. The possible reasons why the threshold voltage of AlGaN/GaN MISHEMT with the SBA gate dielectric shifts positively are the influence of SBA on surface valence-band maximum (VBM-EF), the reduction of interface traps and the effects of sodium ions, and/or the fixed charges in SBA on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Highly stable thin film transistors using multilayer channel structure

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Wang, Zhenwei; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2015-01-01

We report highly stable gate-bias stress performance of thin film transistors (TFTs) using zinc oxide (ZnO)/hafnium oxide (HfO2) multilayer structure as the channel layer. Positive and negative gate-bias stress stability of the TFTs was measured

The Rayleigh law in silicon doped hafnium oxide ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guan, Yan; Liu, Xiaohua; Zhou, Dayu; Xu, Jin; Cao, Fei; Dong, Xianlin; Mueller, Johannes; Schenk, Tony; Schroeder, Uwe

2015-01-01

A wealth of studies have confirmed that the low-field hysteresis behaviour of ferroelectric bulk ceramics and thin films can be described using Rayleigh relations, and irreversible domain wall motion across the array of pining defects has been commonly accepted as the underlying micro-mechanism. Recently, HfO 2 thin films incorporated with various dopants were reported to show pronounced ferroelectricity, however, their microscopic domain structure remains unclear till now. In this work, the effects of the applied electric field amplitude, frequency and temperature on the sub-coercive polarization reversal properties were investigated for 10 nm thick Si-doped HfO 2 thin films. The applicability of the Rayleigh law to ultra-thin ferroelectric films was first confirmed, indicating the existence of a multi-domain structure. Since the grain size is about 20-30 nm, a direct observation of domain walls within the grains is rather challenging and this indirect method is a feasible approach to resolve the domain structure. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Laser-induced damage to thin film dielectric coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, T.W.

1980-01-01

The laser-induced damage thresholds of dielectric thin film coatings have been found to be more than an order of magnitude lower than the bulk material damage thresholds. Prior damage studies have been inconclusive in determining the damage mechanism which is operative in thin films. A program was conducted in which thin film damage thresholds were measured as a function of laser wavelength (1.06 μm, 0.53 μm, 0.35 μm and 0.26 μm), laser pulse length (5 and 15 nanoseconds), film materials and film thickness. The large matrix of data was compared to predictions given by avalanche ionization, multiphoton ionization and impurity theories of laser damage. When Mie absorption cross-sections and the exact thermal equations were included into the impurity theory excellent agreement with the data was found. The avalanche and multiphoton damage theories could not account for most parametric variations in the data. For example, the damage thresholds for most films increased as the film thickness decreased and only the impurity theory could account for this behavior. Other observed changes in damage threshold with changes in laser wavelength, pulse length and film material could only be adequately explained by the impurity theory. The conclusion which results from this study is that laser damage in thin film coatings results from absorbing impurities included during the deposition process

Dielectric properties of electron irradiated PbZrO 3 thin films

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The present paper deals with the study of the effects of electron (8 MeV) irradiation on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PbZrO3 thin films grown by sol–gel technique. The films were (0.62 m thick) subjected to electron irradiation using Microtron accelerator (delivered dose 80, 100, 120 kGy). The films were well ...

Uncorrelated multiple conductive filament nucleation and rupture in ultra-thin high-κ dielectric based resistive random access memory

KAUST Repository

Wu, Xing

2011-08-29

Resistive switching in transition metal oxides could form the basis for next-generation non-volatile memory (NVM). It has been reported that the current in the high-conductivity state of several technologically relevant oxide materials flows through localized filaments, but these filaments have been characterized only individually, limiting our understanding of the possibility of multiple conductive filaments nucleation and rupture and the correlation kinetics of their evolution. In this study, direct visualization of uncorrelated multiple conductive filaments in ultra-thin HfO2-based high-κ dielectricresistive random access memory (RRAM) device has been achieved by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), along with electron energy loss spectroscopy(EELS), for nanoscale chemical analysis. The locations of these multiple filaments are found to be spatially uncorrelated. The evolution of these microstructural changes and chemical properties of these filaments will provide a fundamental understanding of the switching mechanism for RRAM in thin oxide films and pave way for the investigation into improving the stability and scalability of switching memory devices.

Structural and dielectric studies of Co doped MgTiO3 thin films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Santhosh Kumar

2014-06-01

Full Text Available We report the structural, dielectric and leakage current properties of Co doped MgTiO3 thin films deposited on platinized silicon (Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The role of oxygen mixing percentage (OMP on the growth, morphology, electrical and dielectric properties of the thin films has been investigated. A preferred orientation of grains along (110 direction has been observed with increasing the OMP. Such evolution of the textured growth is explained on the basis of the orientation factor analysis followed the Lotgering model. (Mg1-xCoxTiO3 (x = 0.05 thin films exhibits a maximum relative dielectric permittivity of ɛr = 12.20 and low loss (tan δ ∼ 1.2 × 10−3 over a wide range of frequencies for 75% OMP. The role of electric field frequency (f and OMP on the ac-conductivity of (Mg0.95Co0.05TiO3 have been studied. A progressive increase in the activation energy (Ea and relative permittivity ɛr values have been noticed up to 75% of OMP, beyond which the properties starts deteriorate. The I-V characteristics reveals that the leakage current density decreases from 9.93 × 10−9 to 1.14 × 10−9 A/cm2 for OMP 0% to 75%, respectively for an electric field strength of 250 kV/cm. Our experimental results reveal up to that OMP ≥ 50% the leakage current mechanism is driven by the ohmic conduction, below which it is dominated by the schottky emission.

Radiation and Internal Charging Environments for Thin Dielectrics in Interplanetary Space

Science.gov (United States)

Minow, Joseph I.; Parker, Linda Neergaard; Altstatt, Richard L.

2004-01-01

Spacecraft designs using solar sails for propulsion or thin membranes to shade instruments from the sun to achieve cryogenic operating temperatures are being considered for a number of missions in the next decades. A common feature of these designs are thin dielectric materials that will be exposed to the solar wind, solar energetic particle events, and the distant magnetotail plasma environments encountered by spacecraft in orbit about the Earth-Sun L2 point. This paper will discuss the relevant radiation and internal charging environments developed to support spacecraft design for both total dose radiation effects as well as dose rate dependent phenomenon, such as internal charging in the solar wind and distant magnetotail environments. We will describe the development of radiation and internal charging environment models based on nearly a complete solar cycle of Ulysses solar wind plasma measurements over a complete range of heliocentric latitudes and the early years of the Geotail mission where distant magnetotail plasma environments were sampled beyond X(sub GSE) = -100 Re to nearly L2 (X(sub GSE) -236 Re). Example applications of the environment models are shown to demonstrate the radiation and internal charging environments of thin materials exposed to the interplanetary space plasma environments.

Design and Fabrication of Interdigital Nanocapacitors Coated with HfO2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel González

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this article nickel interdigital capacitors were fabricated on top of silicon substrates. The capacitance of the interdigital capacitor was optimized by coating the electrodes with a 60 nm layer of HfO2. An analytical solution of the capacitance was compared to electromagnetic simulations using COMSOL and with experimental measurements. Results show that modeling interdigital capacitors using Finite Element Method software such as COMSOL is effective in the design and electrical characterization of these transducers.

Effect of titanium oxide-polystyrene nanocomposite dielectrics on morphology and thin film transistor performance for organic and polymeric semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Della Pelle, Andrea M. [LGS Innovations, 15 Vreeland Rd., Florham Park, NJ 07932 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Maliakal, Ashok, E-mail: maliakal@lgsinnovations.com [LGS Innovations, 15 Vreeland Rd., Florham Park, NJ 07932 (United States); Sidorenko, Alexander [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd St., Philadelphia, PA 191034 (United States); Thayumanavan, S. [Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2012-07-31

Previous studies have shown that organic thin film transistors with pentacene deposited on gate dielectrics composed of a blend of high K titanium oxide-polystyrene core-shell nanocomposite (TiO{sub 2}-PS) with polystyrene (PS) perform with an order of magnitude increase in saturation mobility for TiO{sub 2}-PS (K = 8) as compared to PS devices (K = 2.5). The current study finds that this performance enhancement can be translated to alternative small single crystal organics such as {alpha}-sexithiophene ({alpha}-6T) (enhancement factor for field effect mobility ranging from 30-100 Multiplication-Sign higher on TiO{sub 2}-PS/PS blended dielectrics as compared to homogenous PS dielectrics). Interestingly however, in the case of semicrystalline polymers such as (poly-3-hexylthiophene) P3HT, this dramatic enhancement is not observed, possibly due to the difference in processing conditions used to fabricate these devices (film transfer as opposed to thermal evaporation). The morphology for {alpha}-sexithiophene ({alpha}-6T) grown by thermal evaporation on TiO{sub 2}-PS/PS blended dielectrics parallels that observed in pentacene devices. Smaller grain size is observed for films grown on dielectrics with higher TiO{sub 2}-PS content. In the case of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) devices, constructed via film transfer, morphological differences exist for the P3HT on different substrates, as discerned by atomic force microscopy studies. However, these devices only exhibit a modest (2 Multiplication-Sign ) increase in mobility with increasing TiO{sub 2}-PS content in the films. After annealing of the transferred P3HT thin film transistor (TFT) devices, no appreciable enhancement in mobility is observed across the different blended dielectrics. Overall the results support the hypothesis that nucleation rate is responsible for changes in film morphology and device performance in thermally evaporated small molecule crystalline organic semiconductor TFTs. The increased nucleation

Effect of titanium oxide–polystyrene nanocomposite dielectrics on morphology and thin film transistor performance for organic and polymeric semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Della Pelle, Andrea M.; Maliakal, Ashok; Sidorenko, Alexander; Thayumanavan, S.

2012-01-01

Previous studies have shown that organic thin film transistors with pentacene deposited on gate dielectrics composed of a blend of high K titanium oxide–polystyrene core–shell nanocomposite (TiO 2 –PS) with polystyrene (PS) perform with an order of magnitude increase in saturation mobility for TiO 2 –PS (K = 8) as compared to PS devices (K = 2.5). The current study finds that this performance enhancement can be translated to alternative small single crystal organics such as α-sexithiophene (α-6T) (enhancement factor for field effect mobility ranging from 30-100× higher on TiO 2 –PS/PS blended dielectrics as compared to homogenous PS dielectrics). Interestingly however, in the case of semicrystalline polymers such as (poly-3-hexylthiophene) P3HT, this dramatic enhancement is not observed, possibly due to the difference in processing conditions used to fabricate these devices (film transfer as opposed to thermal evaporation). The morphology for α-sexithiophene (α-6T) grown by thermal evaporation on TiO 2 –PS/PS blended dielectrics parallels that observed in pentacene devices. Smaller grain size is observed for films grown on dielectrics with higher TiO 2 –PS content. In the case of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) devices, constructed via film transfer, morphological differences exist for the P3HT on different substrates, as discerned by atomic force microscopy studies. However, these devices only exhibit a modest (2×) increase in mobility with increasing TiO 2 –PS content in the films. After annealing of the transferred P3HT thin film transistor (TFT) devices, no appreciable enhancement in mobility is observed across the different blended dielectrics. Overall the results support the hypothesis that nucleation rate is responsible for changes in film morphology and device performance in thermally evaporated small molecule crystalline organic semiconductor TFTs. The increased nucleation rate produces organic polycrystalline films with small grain

Impedance spectroscopic and dielectric analysis of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouahi, A.; Kahouli, A.; Sylvestre, A.; Defaÿ, E.; Yangui, B.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The material exhibits the contribution of both grain and grain boundaries in the electric response of Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 TiO 3 . ► The plot of normalized complex dielectric modulus and impedance as a function of frequency exhibits both short and long-range conduction in the film. ► The frequency dependence of ac conductivity exhibits a polaron hopping mechanism with activation energy of 0.38 eV. ► The complex dielectric modulus analysis confirmed the presence of a non-Debye type of conductivity relaxation deduced from the KWW function. - Abstract: Polycrystalline Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 TiO 3 thin film with Pt/BST/Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 structure was prepared by ion beam sputtering. The film was post annealed at 700 °C. The dielectric and electric modulus properties were studied by impedance spectroscopy over a wide frequency range [0.1–10 5 Hz] at different temperatures [175–350 °C]. The Nyquist plots (Z″ vs . Z′) show the contribution of both grain and grain boundaries at higher temperature on the electric response of BST thin films. Moreover, the resistance of grains decreases with the rise in temperature and the material exhibits a negative temperature coefficient of resistance. The electric modulus plot indicates the non-Debye type of dielectric relaxation. The values of the activation energy computed from both plots of Z″ and M″ are 0.86 eV and 0.81 eV respectively, which reveals that the species responsible for conduction are the same. The scaling behavior of M ″ /M ″ max shows the temperature independent nature of relaxation time. The plot of normalized complex dielectric modulus and impedance as a function of frequency exhibits both short and long-range conduction in the film.

Ferroelectricity, Piezoelectricity, and Dielectricity of 0.06PMnN-0.94PZT(45/55 Thin Film on Silicon Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The high piezoelectricity and high quality factor ferroelectric thin films are important for electromechanical applications especially the micro electromechanical system (MEMS. The ternary compound ferroelectric thin films 0.06Pb(Mn1/3, Nb2/3O3 + 0.94Pb(Zr0.45, Ti0.55O3 (0.06PMnN-0.94PZT(45/55 were deposited on silicon(100 substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method considering that Mn and Nb doping will improve PZT properties in this research. For comparison, nondoped PZT(45/55 films were also deposited. The results show that both of thin films show polycrystal structures with the main (111 and (101 orientations. The transverse piezoelectric coefficients are e31,eff=−4.03 C/m2 and e31,eff=-3.5 C/m2, respectively. These thin films exhibit classical ferroelectricity, in which the coercive electric field intensities are 2Ec=147.31 kV/cm and 2Ec=135.44 kV/cm, and the saturation polarization Ps=30.86 μC/cm2 and Ps=17.74 μC/cm2, and the remnant polarization Pr=20.44 μC/cm2 and Pr=9.87 μC/cm2, respectively. Moreover, the dielectric constants and loss are εr=681 and D=5% and εr=537 and D=4.3%, respectively. In conclusion, 0.06PMnN-0.94PZT(45/55 thin films act better than nondoped films, even though their dielectric constants are higher. Their excellent ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and high power and energy storage property, especially the easy fabrication, integration realizable, and potentially high quality factor, make this kind of thin films available for the realistic applications.

Optical and microwave dielectric properties of pulsed laser deposited Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joseph, Andrews; Goud, J. Pundareekam; Raju, K. C. James [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana 500046 (India); Emani, Sivanagi Reddy [Advanced Center of Research in High Energy Materials (ACRHEM), School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Telangana 500046 (India)

2016-05-23

Optical properties of pulsed laser deposited (PLD) sodium bismuth titanate thin films (NBT), are investigated at wavelengths of 190-2500 nm. Microwave dielectric properties were investigated using the Split Post Dielectric Resonator (SPDR) technique. At 10 GHz, the NBT films have a dielectric constant of 205 and loss tangent of 0.0373 at room temperature. The optical spectra analysis reveals that NBT thin films have an optical band gap E{sub g}=3.55 eV and it has a dielectric constant of 3.37 at 1000 nm with dielectric loss of 0.299. Hence, NBT is a promising candidate for photonic device applications.

Visualization of dielectric constant-electric field-temperature phase maps for imprinted relaxor ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frederick, J. C.; Kim, T. H.; Maeng, W.; Brewer, A. A.; Podkaminer, J. P.; Saenrang, W.; Vaithyanathan, V.; Schlom, D. G.; Li, F.; Chen, L.-Q.; Trolier-McKinstry, S.; Rzchowski, M. S.; Eom, C. B.

2016-01-01

The dielectric phase transition behavior of imprinted lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate relaxor ferroelectric thin films was mapped as a function of temperature and dc bias. To compensate for the presence of internal fields, an external electric bias was applied while measuring dielectric responses. The constructed three-dimensional dielectric maps provide insight into the dielectric behaviors of relaxor ferroelectric films as well as the temperature stability of the imprint. The transition temperature and diffuseness of the dielectric response correlate with crystallographic disorder resulting from strain and defects in the films grown on strontium titanate and silicon substrates; the latter was shown to induce a greater degree of disorder in the film as well as a dielectric response lower in magnitude and more diffuse in nature over the same temperature region. Strong and stable imprint was exhibited in both films and can be utilized to enhance the operational stability of piezoelectric devices through domain self-poling.

Effect of yttrium doping on the dielectric properties of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} thin film produced by chemical solution deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saji, Viswanathan S., E-mail: vssaji@chosun.ac.k [Chosun University, College of Dentistry and 2nd Stage of Brain Korea 21 for College of Dentistry, Gwangju-501-759 (Korea, Republic of); Choe, Han Cheol [Chosun University, College of Dentistry and 2nd Stage of Brain Korea 21 for College of Dentistry, Gwangju-501-759 (Korea, Republic of)

2009-05-29

Pure and yttrium substituted CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4-x}Y{sub x}O{sub 12-x/} {sub 2} (x = 0, 0.02, 0.1) thin films were prepared on boron doped silica substrate employing chemical solution deposition, spin coating and rapid thermal annealing. The phase and microstructure of the sintered films were examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Dielectric properties of the films were measured at room temperature using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Highly ordered polycrystalline CCTO thin film with bimodal grain size distribution was achieved at a sintering temperature of 800 {sup o}C. Yttrium doping was found to have beneficial effects on the dielectric properties of CCTO thin film. Dielectric parameters obtained for a CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4-x}Y{sub x}O{sub 12-x} {sub /2} (x = 0.02) film at 1 KHz were k {approx} 2700 and tan {delta} {approx} 0.07.

Structure and performance of dielectric films based on self-assembled nanocrystals with a high dielectric constant.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Limin; Liu, Shuangyi; Van Tassell, Barry J; Liu, Xiaohua; Byro, Andrew; Zhang, Henan; Leland, Eli S; Akins, Daniel L; Steingart, Daniel A; Li, Jackie; O'Brien, Stephen

2013-10-18

Self-assembled films built from nanoparticles with a high dielectric constant are attractive as a foundation for new dielectric media with increased efficiency and range of operation, due to the ability to exploit nanofabrication techniques and emergent electrical properties originating from the nanoscale. However, because the building block is a discrete one-dimensional unit, it becomes a challenge to capture potential enhancements in dielectric performance in two or three dimensions, frequently due to surface effects or the presence of discontinuities. This is a recurring theme in nanoparticle film technology when applied to the realm of thin film semiconductor and device electronics. We present the use of chemically synthesized (Ba,Sr)TiO3 nanocrystals, and a novel deposition-polymerization technique, as a means to fabricate the dielectric layer. The effective dielectric constant of the film is tunable according to nanoparticle size, and effective film dielectric constants of up to 34 are enabled. Wide area and multilayer dielectrics of up to 8 cm(2) and 190 nF are reported, for which the building block is an 8 nm nanocrystal. We describe models for assessing dielectric performance, and distinct methods for improving the dielectric constant of a nanocrystal thin film. The approach relies on evaporatively driven assembly of perovskite nanocrystals with uniform size distributions in a tunable 7-30 nm size range, coupled with the use of low molecular weight monomer/polymer precursor chemistry that can infiltrate the porous nanocrystal thin film network post assembly. The intercrystal void space (low k dielectric volume fraction) is minimized, while simultaneously promoting intercrystal connectivity and maximizing volume fraction of the high k dielectric component. Furfuryl alcohol, which has good affinity to the surface of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 nanocrystals and miscibility with a range of solvents, is demonstrated to be ideal for the production of nanocomposites. The

Dielectric properties of thin C r2O3 films grown on elemental and oxide metallic substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, Ather; Street, Michael; Echtenkamp, Will; Kwan, Chun Pui; Bird, Jonathan P.; Binek, Christian

2018-04-01

In an attempt to optimize leakage characteristics of α-C r2O3 thin films, its dielectric properties were investigated at local and macroscopic scale. The films were grown on Pd(111), Pt(111), and V2O3 (0001), supported on A l2O3 substrate. The local conductivity was measured by conductive atomic force microscopy mapping of C r2O3 surfaces, which revealed the nature of defects that formed conducting paths with the bottom Pd or Pt layer. A strong correlation was found between these electrical defects and the grain boundaries revealed in the corresponding topographic scans. In comparison, the C r2O3 film on V2O3 exhibited no leakage paths at similar tip bias value. Electrical resistance measurements through e-beam patterned top electrodes confirmed the resistivity mismatch between the films grown on different electrodes. The x-ray analysis attributes this difference to the twin free C r2O3 growth on V2O3 seeding.

High reflectivity YDH/SiO2 distributed Bragg reflector for UV-C wavelength regime

KAUST Repository

Alias, Mohd Sharizal

2018-02-15

A distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) composed of Y2O3-doped HfO2 (YDH)/SiO2 layers with high reflectivity spectrum centered at a wavelength of ~240 nm is deposited using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Before the DBR deposition, optical properties for a single layer of YDH, SiO2, and HfO2 thin films were studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and spectrophotometry. To investigate the performance of YDH as a material for the high refractive index layer in the DBR, a comparison of its optical properties was made with HfO2 thin films. Due to larger optical bandgap, the YDH thin films demonstrated higher transparency, lower extinction coefficient, and lower absorption coefficient in the UV-C regime (especially for wavelengths below 250 nm) compared to the HfO2 thin films. The deposited YDH/SiO2 DBR consisting of 15 periods achieved a reflectivity higher than 99.9% at the wavelength of ~240 nm with a stopband of ~50 nm. The high reflectivity and broad stopband of YDH/SiO2 DBRs will enable further advancement of various photonic devices such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes, and resonant-cavity photodetectors operating in the UV-C wavelength regime.

Dielectrophoretic deformation of thin liquid films induced by surface charge patterns on dielectric substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berendsen, C.W.J.; Kuijpers, C.J.; Zeegers, J.C.H.; Darhuber, A.A.

2013-01-01

We studied the deformation of thin liquid films induced by surface charge patterns at the solid–liquid interface quantitatively by experiments and numerical simulations. We deposited a surface charge distribution on dielectric substrates by applying potential differences between a conductive liquid

Internal filament modulation in low-dielectric gap design for built-in selector-less resistive switching memory application

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Chen; Lin, Chih-Yang; Huang, Hui-Chun; Kim, Sungjun; Fowler, Burt; Chang, Yao-Feng; Wu, Xiaohan; Xu, Gaobo; Chang, Ting-Chang; Lee, Jack C.

2018-02-01

Sneak path current is a severe hindrance for the application of high-density resistive random-access memory (RRAM) array designs. In this work, we demonstrate nonlinear (NL) resistive switching characteristics of a HfO x /SiO x -based stacking structure as a realization for selector-less RRAM devices. The NL characteristic was obtained and designed by optimizing the internal filament location with a low effective dielectric constant in the HfO x /SiO x structure. The stacking HfO x /SiO x -based RRAM device as the one-resistor-only memory cell is applicable without needing an additional selector device to solve the sneak path issue with a switching voltage of ~1 V, which is desirable for low-power operating in built-in nonlinearity crossbar array configurations.

Interface Study on Amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin Film Transistors Using High-k Gate Dielectric Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Hsien Lin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO thin film transistors (TFTs using different high-k gate dielectric materials such as silicon nitride (Si3N4 and aluminum oxide (Al2O3 at low temperature process (<300°C and compared them with low temperature silicon dioxide (SiO2. The IGZO device with high-k gate dielectric material will expect to get high gate capacitance density to induce large amount of channel carrier and generate the higher drive current. In addition, for the integrating process of integrating IGZO device, postannealing treatment is an essential process for completing the process. The chemical reaction of the high-k/IGZO interface due to heat formation in high-k/IGZO materials results in reliability issue. We also used the voltage stress for testing the reliability for the device with different high-k gate dielectric materials and explained the interface effect by charge band diagram.

Interface Study on Amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin Film Transistors Using High-k Gate Dielectric Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Y. H.; Chou, J. C.

2015-01-01

We investigated amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFT_s) using different high-Κ gate dielectric materials such as silicon nitride (Si_3N_4) and aluminum oxide (Al_2O_3) at low temperature process (<300 degree) and compared them with low temperature silicon dioxide (SiO_2). The IGZO device with high-Κ gate dielectric material will expect to get high gate capacitance density to induce large amount of channel carrier and generate the higher drive current. In addition, for the integrating process of integrating IGZO device, post annealing treatment is an essential process for completing the process. The chemical reaction of the high-κ/IGZO interface due to heat formation in high-Κ/IGZO materials results in reliability issue. We also used the voltage stress for testing the reliability for the device with different high-Κ gate dielectric materials and explained the interface effect by charge band diagram.

Inkjet-printed thin film radio-frequency capacitors based on sol-gel derived alumina dielectric ink

KAUST Repository

McKerricher, Garret

2017-05-03

There has been significant interest in printing radio frequency passives, however the dissipation factor of printed dielectric materials has limited the quality factor achievable. Al2O3 is one of the best and widely implemented dielectrics for RF passive electronics. The ability to spatially pattern high quality Al2O3 thin films using, for example, inkjet printing would tremendously simplify the incumbent fabrication processes – significantly reducing cost and allowing for the development of large area electronics. To-date, particle based Al2O3 inks have been explored as dielectrics, although several drawbacks including nozzle clogging and grain boundary formation in the films hinder progress. In this work, a particle free Al2O3 ink is developed and demonstrated in RF capacitors. Fluid and jetting properties are explored, along with control of ink spreading and coffee ring suppression. The liquid ink is heated to 400 °C decomposing to smooth Al2O3 films ~120 nm thick, with roughness of <2 nm. Metal-insulator-metal capacitors, show high capacitance density >450 pF/mm2, and quality factors of ~200. The devices have high break down voltages, >25 V, with extremely low leakage currents, <2×10−9 A/cm2 at 1 MV/cm. The capacitors compare well with similar Al2O3 devices fabricated by atomic layer deposition.

Influence of stress on the structural and dielectric properties of rf magnetron sputtered zinc oxide thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Rashmi; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

2008-05-01

Highly c axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been prepared on 1737 Corning glass substrate by planar rf magnetron sputtering under varying pressure (10-50mTorr) and different oxygen percentage (40%-100%) in reactive gas mixtures. The as-grown ZnO thin films were found to have stress over a wide range from -6×1010to-9×107dynes/cm2. The presence of stress depends strongly on processing conditions, and films become almost stress free under a unique combination of sputtering pressure and reactive gas composition. The studies show a correlation of stress with structural and electrical properties of the ZnO thin film. The stressed films possess high electrical conductivity and exhibits strong dielectric dispersion over a wide frequency (1kHz-1MHz). The dielectric constant ɛ'(ω) of stress free ZnO film was almost frequency independent and was close to the bulk value. The measured value of dc conductivity, σdc(ω) and ac conductivity σac(ω) of stress free ZnO film was 1.3×10-9 and 6.8×10-5Ω-1cm-1, respectively. The observed variation in the structural and electrical properties of ZnO thin film with stress has been analyzed in the light of growth kinetics.

Low temperature dielectric relaxation and charged defects in ferroelectric thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Artemenko

2013-04-01

Full Text Available We report a dielectric relaxation in BaTiO3-based ferroelectric thin films of different composition and with several growth modes: sputtering (with and without magnetron and sol-gel. The relaxation was observed at cryogenic temperatures (T < 100 K for frequencies from 100 Hz up to 10 MHz. This relaxation activation energy is always lower than 200 meV and is very similar to the relaxation that we reported in the parent bulk perovskites. Based on our Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR investigation, we ascribe this dielectric relaxation to the hopping of electrons among Ti3+-V(O charged defects. Being dependent on the growth process and on the amount of oxygen vacancies, this relaxation can be a useful probe of defects in actual integrated capacitors with no need for specific shaping.

Studies on Optical and Electrical Properties of Hafnium Oxide Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Jayaraman, Venkatachalam; Sagadevan, Suresh; Sudhakar, Rajesh

2017-07-01

In this paper, the synthesis and physico-chemical properties of hafnium oxide nanoparticles (HfO2 NPs) are analyzed and reported. The synthesis was carried out by the precipitation route by using hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4) as precursor material with potassium hydroxide (KOH) dissolved in Millipore water. In the precipitation technique, the chemical reaction is comparatively simple, low-cost and non-toxic compared to other synthetic methods. The synthesized HfO2 NPs were characterized by using powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Raman analysis, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The monoclinic structure of the HfO2 NPs was resolved utilizing x-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical properties were studied from the UV-Vis absorption spectrum. The optical band gap of the HfO2NPs was observed to be 5.1 eV. The Raman spectrum shows the presence of HfO2 NPs. The HRTEM image showed that the HfO2 NPs were of spherical shape with an average particle size of around 28 nm. The energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum obviously demonstrated the presence of HfO2 NPs. Analysis and studies on the dielectric properties of the HfO2 NPs such as the dielectric constant, the dielectric loss, and alternating current (AC) conductivity were carried out at varying frequencies and temperatures.

Low voltage operation of IGZO thin film transistors enabled by ultrathin Al2O3 gate dielectric

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Pengfei; Du, Lulu; Wang, Yiming; Jiang, Ran; Xin, Qian; Li, Yuxiang; Song, Aimin

2018-01-01

An ultrathin, 5 nm, Al2O3 film grown by atomic-layer deposition was used as a gate dielectric for amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The Al2O3 layer showed a low surface roughness of 0.15 nm, a low leakage current, and a high breakdown voltage of 6 V. In particular, a very high gate capacitance of 720 nF/cm2 was achieved, making it possible for the a-IGZO TFTs to not only operate at a low voltage of 1 V but also exhibit desirable properties including a low threshold voltage of 0.3 V, a small subthreshold swing of 100 mV/decade, and a high on/off current ratio of 1.2 × 107. Furthermore, even under an ultralow operation voltage of 0.6 V, well-behaved transistor characteristics were still observed with an on/off ratio as high as 3 × 106. The electron transport through the Al2O3 layer has also been analyzed, indicating the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism.

Structural and electrical properties of Ta2O5 thin films prepared by ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The dielectric constant and leakage current density of the Ta2O5 thin films increase with increasing powers of the UV- lamps. Effects of UV- lamp powers on the structural and electrical properties were discussed. Keywords. Chemical vapour deposition processes; oxides; dielectric material; MOS capacitor. 1. Introduction.

Correlation between the dielectric constant and X-ray diffraction pattern of Si-O-C thin films with hydrogen bonds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Teresa; Oh, Kyoung Suk; Lee, Kwang-Man; Choi, Chi Kyu

2004-01-01

The amorphous structure of organic-inorganic hybrid type Si-O-C thin films was studied using the first principles molecular-dynamics method with density functional techniques. The correlation between the dielectric constant and the degree of amorphous structure in organic-inorganic hybrid type Si-O-C thin films was studied. Si-O-C thin films were deposited by high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition using bis-trimethylsilylmethane and oxygen precursors. As-deposited films and films annealed at 500 deg. C were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). For quantitative analysis, the X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples were transformed to the radial distribution function (RDF) using Fourier analysis. Hybrid type Si-O-C thin films can be divided into three types using their amorphous structure and the dielectric constant: those with organic, hybrid, and inorganic properties

Transparent nanoscale floating gate memory using self-assembled bismuth nanocrystals in Bi(2) Mg(2/3) Nb(4/3) O(7) (BMN) pyrochlore thin films grown at room temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Hyun-June; Yoon, Soon-Gil; Hong, Soon-Ku; Lee, Jeong-Yong

2012-07-03

Bismuth nanocrystals for a nanoscale floating gate memory device are self-assembled in Bi(2) Mg(2/3) Nb(4/3) O(7) (BMN) dielectric films grown at room temperature by radio-frequency sputtering. The TEM cross-sectional image shows the "real" structure grown on a Si (001) substrate. The image magnified from the dotted box (red color) in the the cross-sectional image clearly shows bismuth nanoparticles at the interface between the Al(2) O(3) and HfO(2) layer (right image). Nanoparticles approximately 3 nm in size are regularly distributed at the interface. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural and dielectric characterization of sputtered Tantalum Titanium Oxide thin films for high temperature capacitor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rouahi, A., E-mail: rouahi_ahlem@yahoo.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, G2Elab, F-38000 (France); Laboratoire Matériaux Organisation et Propriétés (LMOP), Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Challali, F. [Laboratoire des Sciences des Procédés et des Matériaux (LSPM)-CNRS-UPR3407, Université Paris13, 99 Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, 93430, Villetaneuse (France); Dakhlaoui, I. [Laboratoire Matériaux Organisation et Propriétés (LMOP), Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Vallée, C. [CNRS, LTM, CEA-LETI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Salimy, S. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN) UMR CNRS 6502, Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, B.P. 32229, 44322, Nantes, Cedex 3 (France); Jomni, F.; Yangui, B. [Laboratoire Matériaux Organisation et Propriétés (LMOP), Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Besland, M.P.; Goullet, A. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN) UMR CNRS 6502, Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, B.P. 32229, 44322, Nantes, Cedex 3 (France); Sylvestre, A. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, G2Elab, F-38000 (France)

2016-05-01

In this study, the dielectric properties of metal-oxide-metal capacitors based on Tantalum Titanium Oxide (TiTaO) thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on aluminum bottom electrode are investigated. The structure of the films was characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of TiTaO thin films were studied by complex impedance spectroscopy over a wide frequency range (10{sup -2} - to 10{sup 5} Hz) and temperatures in -50 °C to 325 °C range. The contributions of different phases, phases’ boundaries and conductivity effect were highlighted by Cole – Cole diagram (ε” versus ε’). Two relaxation processes have been identified in the electric modulus plot. A first relaxation process appears at low temperature with activation energy of 0.37 eV and it is related to the motion of Ti{sup 4+} (Skanavi’s model). A second relaxation process at high temperature is related to Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars relaxation with activation energy of 0.41 eV. - Highlights: • Titanium Tantalum Oxide thin films are grown on Aluminum substrate. • The existence of phases was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. • Conductivity effect appears in Cole-Cole plot. • At low temperatures, a relaxation phenomenon obeys to Skanavi’s model. • Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars polarization is processed at high temperatures.

Dielectric Properties of Cd1-xZnxSe Thin Film Semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahab, L.A.; Farrag, A.A.; Zayed, H.A.

2012-01-01

Cd 1-x Zn x Se (x=0, 0.5 and 1) thin films of thickness 300 nm have been deposited on highly cleaned glass substrates (Soda-lime glass) by thermal evaporation technique under pressure 10-5 Torr. The crystal structure, lattice parameters and grain size were determined from X-ray diffraction patterns of these films. The dielectric response and ac conductivity of the films are investigated in the frequency range from 80 Hz to 5 MHz and temperature range from 300 K to 420 K. AC conductivity increases linearly with the frequency according to the power relation σ a c (ψ)=A (ψ) s . The dielectric constant and loss show low values at high frequencies. The relaxation time t, resistance R and capacitance C were calculated from Nyquist diagram. The behavior can be modeled by an equivalent parallel RC circuit.

Size effects on structural and dielectric properties of PZT thin films at compositions around the morpho tropic phase boundary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, Elton Carvalho; Araujo, Eudes Borges; Souza Filho, Antonio Gomes de; Bdikin, Igor

2011-01-01

Full text: The demand for portability in consumer electronics has motivated the understanding of size effects on ferroelectric thin films. The actual comprehension of these effects in ferroelectrics is unsatisfactory, since the polarization interacts more strongly than other order parameters such as strain and charge. As a result, extrinsic effects are produced if these variables are uncontrolled and problems such as ferroelectric paraelectric phase transition at nanometers scale remains an unsolved issue. In the present work, the effects of thickness and compositional fractions on the structural and dielectric properties of PbZr 1-x Ti x O 3 (PZT) thin films were studied at a composition around the morphotropic phase boundary (x = 0.50). For this purpose, thin films with different thicknesses and different PbO excess were deposited on Si(100) and Pt=T iO 2 =SiO 2 =Si substrates by a chemical method and crystallized in electric furnace at 700 deg C for 1 hour. The effects of substrate, pyrolysis temperature and excess lead addition in the films are reported. For films with 10 mol% PbO in excess, the pyrolysis in the regime of 300 deg C for 30 minutes was observed to yield PZT pyrochlore free thin films deposited on Pt=T iO 2 =SiO 2 =Si substrate. Out this condition, the transformation from amorphous to the pyrochlore metastable phase is kinetically more favorable that a transformation to the perovskite phase, which is thermodynamically stable. Rietveld refinements based on X-ray diffraction results showed that films present a purely tetragonal phase and that this phase does not change when the film thickness decreases. The dielectric permittivity measurements showed a monoclinic → tetragonal phase transition at 198K. Results showed that the dielectric permittivity (ε) increases continuously from 257 to 463, while the thickness of the PZT films increases from 200 to 710 nm. These results suggests that interface pinning centers can be the responsible mechanism by

Coexistence of different charge states in Ta-doped monoclinic HfO2: Theoretical and experimental approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taylor, M.A.; Alonso, R.E.; Errico, L.A.

2010-01-01

A combination of experiments and ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations has been applied to examine hyperfine interactions in Ta-doped hafnium dioxide. Although the properties of monoclinic HfO2 have been the subject of several earlier studies, some aspects remain open. In particular, time dif...

Study of surface-modified PVP gate dielectric in organic thin film transistors with the nano-particle silver ink source/drain electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Ho-Jin; Ham, Yong-Hyun; Shin, Hong-Sik; Jeong, Kwang-Seok; Park, Jeong-Gyu; Choi, Deuk-Sung; Lee, Ga-Won

2011-07-01

We have fabricated the flexible pentacene based organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with formulated poly[4-vinylphenol] (PVP) gate dielectrics treated by CF4/O2 plasma on poly[ethersulfones] (PES) substrate. The solution of gate dielectrics is made by adding methylated poly[melamine-co-formaldehyde] (MMF) to PVP. The PVP gate dielectric layer was cross linked at 90 degrees under UV ozone exposure. Source/drain electrodes are formed by micro contact printing (MCP) method using nano particle silver ink for the purposes of low cost and high throughput. The optimized OTFT shows the device performance with field effect mobility of the 0.88 cm2/V s, subthreshold slope of 2.2 V/decade, and on/off current ratios of 1.8 x 10(-6) at -40 V gate bias. We found that hydrophobic PVP gate dielectric surface can influence on the initial film morphologies of pentacene making dense, which is more important for high performance OTFTs than large grain size. Moreover, hydrophobic gate dielelctric surface reduces voids and -OH groups that interrupt the carrier transport in OTFTs.

Enhanced ZnO Thin-Film Transistor Performance Using Bilayer Gate Dielectrics

KAUST Repository

Alshammari, Fwzah Hamud; Nayak, Pradipta K.; Wang, Zhenwei; Alshareef, Husam N.

2016-01-01

We report ZnO TFTs using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer gate dielectrics grown by atomic layer deposition. The saturation mobility of single layer Ta2O5 dielectric TFT was 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1, but increased to 13.3 cm2 V-1 s-1 using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer dielectric with significantly lower leakage current and hysteresis. We show that point defects present in ZnO film, particularly VZn, are the main reason for the poor TFT performance with single layer dielectric, although interfacial roughness scattering effects cannot be ruled out. Our approach combines the high dielectric constant of Ta2O5 and the excellent Al2O3/ZnO interface quality, resulting in improved device performance. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

Enhanced ZnO Thin-Film Transistor Performance Using Bilayer Gate Dielectrics

KAUST Repository

Alshammari, Fwzah Hamud

2016-08-24

We report ZnO TFTs using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer gate dielectrics grown by atomic layer deposition. The saturation mobility of single layer Ta2O5 dielectric TFT was 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1, but increased to 13.3 cm2 V-1 s-1 using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer dielectric with significantly lower leakage current and hysteresis. We show that point defects present in ZnO film, particularly VZn, are the main reason for the poor TFT performance with single layer dielectric, although interfacial roughness scattering effects cannot be ruled out. Our approach combines the high dielectric constant of Ta2O5 and the excellent Al2O3/ZnO interface quality, resulting in improved device performance. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

Photocatalytic activity of galvanically synthesized nanostructure SnO{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jana, Sumanta, E-mail: sumantajana85@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103, WB (India); Mitra, Bibhas Chandra [Department of Physics, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103, WB (India); Bera, Pulakesh [Department of Chemistry, Panskura Banamali College, Purba Medinipur, Panskura 721152, WB (India); Sikdar, Moushumi [Department of Chemistry, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103, WB (India); Mondal, Anup, E-mail: anupmondal2000@yahoo.co.in [Department of Chemistry, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Botanic Garden, Howrah 711103, WB (India)

2014-07-25

Graphical abstract: Nanostructured porous tin dioxide (SnO{sub 2}) thin films have been synthesized by simple and cost effective galvanic technique. The synthesized porous SnO{sub 2} thin films show excellent photocatalytic activity for degrading methyl orange (MO) dye under light irradiation. The porous morphological grain growth due to annealing is likely to play an active role for this degradation. - Highlights: • SnO{sub 2} thin films have been successfully synthesized by galvanic technique. • A drastic morphological change occurs after annealing as deposited SnO{sub 2} thin films. • Morphological advantage results enhanced photodegradation of dye. - Abstract: The study demonstrates an approach to synthesize nanostructure SnO{sub 2} thin films on TCO (transparent conducting oxide) coated glass substrates by galvanic technique. Aqueous solution of hydrated stannic chloride (SnCl{sub 4}⋅5H{sub 2}O) in potassium nitrate (KNO{sub 3}) solution was used as the working solution. The process involves no sophisticated reactor or toxic chemicals, and proceeds continuously under ambient condition; it provides an economic way of synthesizing nanostructure SnO{sub 2} semiconductor thin films. The influence of sintering temperature on crystalline structure, morphology, electrical and dielectric properties has been studied. A detail analysis of I−V, C−V and dielectrics for annealed SnO{sub 2} thin films have been carried out. The morphological advantage i.e. nanoporous flake like structure allows more efficient transport of reactant molecules to the active interfaces and results a strong photocatalytic activity for degrading methyl orange (MO) dye.

Thickness-dependent piezoelectric behaviour and dielectric properties of lanthanum modified BiFeO3 thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenda Biasotto

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Bi0.85La0.15FeO3 (BLFO thin films were deposited on Pt(111/Ti/SiO2 /Si substrates by the soft chemical method. Films with thicknesses ranging from 140 to 280 nm were grown on platinum coated silicon substrates at 500°C for 2 hours. The X-ray diffraction analysis of BLFO films evidenced a hexagonal structure over the entire thickness range investigated. The grain size of the film changes as the number of the layers increases, indicating thickness dependence. It is found that the piezoelectric response is strongly influenced by the film thickness. It is shown that the properties of BiFeO3 thin films, such as lattice parameter, dielectric permittivity, piezoeletric coefficient etc., are functions of misfit strains.

Preparation and Characterization of PbO-SrO-Na2O-Nb2O5-SiO2 Glass Ceramics Thin Film for High-Energy Storage Application

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Feihu; Zhang, Qingmeng; Zhao, Hongbin; Wei, Feng; Du, Jun

2018-03-01

PbO-SrO-Na2O-Nb2O5-SiO2 (PSNNS) glass ceramic thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition technology on heavily doped silicon substrates. The influence of annealing temperatures on microstructures, dielectric properties and energy storage performances of the as-prepared films were investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that Pb2Nb2O7 crystallizes at 800°C and disappears at 900°C, while NaNbO3 and PbNb2O6 are formed at the higher temperature of 900°C. The dielectric properties of the glass ceramics thin films have a strong dependence on the phase assemblages that are developed during heat treatment. The maximum dielectric constant value of 171 was obtained for the film annealed at 800°C, owing to the high electric breakdown field strength, The energy storage densities of the PSNNS films annealed at 800°C were as large as 36.9 J/cm3, These results suggest that PSNNS thin films are promising for energy storage applications.

Analytical drain current formulation for gate dielectric engineered dual material gate-gate all around-tunneling field effect transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Madan, Jaya; Gupta, R. S.; Chaujar, Rishu

2015-09-01

In this work, an analytical drain current model for gate dielectric engineered (hetero dielectric)-dual material gate-gate all around tunnel field effect transistor (HD-DMG-GAA-TFET) has been developed. Parabolic approximation has been used to solve the two-dimensional (2D) Poisson equation with appropriate boundary conditions and continuity equations to evaluate analytical expressions for surface potential, electric field, tunneling barrier width and drain current. Further, the analog performance of the device is studied for three high-k dielectrics (Si3N4, HfO2, and ZrO2), and it has been investigated that the problem of lower ION, can be overcome by using the hetero-gate architecture. Moreover, the impact of scaling the gate oxide thickness and bias variations has also been studied. The HD-DMG-GAA-TFET shows an enhanced ION of the order of 10-4 A. The effectiveness of the proposed model is validated by comparing it with ATLAS device simulations.

Dielectric properties of Ca(Zr0.05Ti0.95)O3 thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalcante, L.S.; Simoes, A.Z.; Santos, L.P.S.; Santos, M.R.M.C.; Longo, E.; Varela, J.A.

2006-01-01

Ca(Zr 0.05 Ti 0.95 )O 3 (CZT) thin films were grown on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO 2 /Si(100) substrates by the soft chemical method. The films were deposited from spin-coating technique and annealed at 928K for 4h under oxygen atmosphere. CZT films present orthorhombic structure with a crack free and granular microstructure. Atomic force microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy showed that CZT present grains with about 47nm and thickness about 450nm. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the films was approximately 210 at 100kHz and 0.032 at 1MHz. The Au/CZT/Pt capacitor shows a hysteresis loop with remnant polarization of 2.5μC/cm 2 , and coercive field of 18kV/cm, at an applied voltage of 6V. The leakage current density was about 4.6x10 -8 A/cm 2 at 3V. Dielectric constant-voltage curve is located at zero bias field suggesting the absence of internal electric fields

Properties of SrBi2Nb2O9 thin films on Pt-coated Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avila, R.E.; Navarro, P.O.; Martin, V. del C.; Fernandez, L.M.; Sylvester, G.; Retuert, P.J.; Gramsch, E.

2002-01-01

SrBi 2 Nb 2 O 9 powders and thin films, on Pt-coated Si, were synthesised by the sol-gel method. Three-layer thin films appear homogeneous down to the 100 nm scale, polycrystalline in the tetragonal Aurivillius phase, at a average thickness of 40 nm per layer. The index of refraction at the center of the visible range increases with the sintering temperature from roughly 2.1 (at 400 Centigrade) to 2.5 (at 700 Centigrade). The expression n 2 -1 increases linearly with the relative density of the thin films, in similar fashion as previous studies in PbTiO 3 thin films. The dielectric constant in quasistatic and high frequency (1 MHz) modes, is between 160 and 230. (Author)

Materials science, integration, and performance characterization of high-dielectric constant thin film based devices

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Wei

To overcome the oxidation and diffusion problems encountered during Copper integration with oxide thin film-based devices, TiAl/Cu/Ta heterostructure has been first developed in this study. Investigation on the oxidation and diffusion resistance of the laminate structure showed high electrical conductance and excellent thermal stability in oxygen environment. Two amorphous oxide layers that were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier after heating in oxygen have been revealed as the structure that effectively prevents oxygen penetration and protects the integrity of underlying Cu layer. Polycrystalline (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were subsequently deposited on the Cu-based bottom electrode by RF magnetron sputtering to investigate the interaction between the oxide and Cu layers. The thickness of the interfacial layer and interface roughness play critical roles in the optimization of the electrical performance of the BST capacitors using Cu-based electrode. It was determined that BST deposition at moderate temperature followed by rapid thermal annealing in pure oxygen yields BST/Cu capacitors with good electrical properties for application to high frequency devices. The knowledge obtained on the study of barrier properties of TiAl inspired a continuous research on the materials science issues related to the application of the hybrid TiAlOx, as high-k gate dielectric in MOSFET devices. Novel fabrication process such as deposition of ultra-thin TiAl alloy layer followed by oxidation with atomic oxygen has been established in this study. Stoichiometric amorphous TiAlOx layers, exhibiting only Ti4+ and Al3+ states, were produced with a large variation of oxidation temperature (700°C to room temperature). The interfacial SiOx formation between TiAlOx and Si was substantially inhibited by the use of the low temperature oxidation process. Electrical characterization revealed a large permittivity of 30 and an improved band structure for the produced TiAlOx layers

Relaxorlike dielectric behavior in Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zednik, Ricardo J.; McIntyre, Paul C.; Baniecki, John D.; Ishii, Masatoshi; Shioga, Takeshi; Kurihara, Kazuaki

2007-03-01

We present the results of a systematic dielectric study for sputter deposited barium strontium titanate thin film planar capacitors measured over a wide temperature range of 20-575K for frequencies between 1kHz and 1MHz. Our observations of dielectric loss peaks in the temperature and frequency domains cannot be understood in the typical framework of intrinsic phonon losses. We find that the accepted phenomenological Curie-von Schweidler dielectric behavior (universal relaxation law) in our barium strontium titanate films is only applicable over a narrow temperature range. An excellent fit to the Vogel-Fulcher expression suggests relaxorlike behavior in these films. The activation energy of the observed phenomenon suggests that oxygen ion motion play a role in the apparent relaxor behavior, although further experimental work is required to test this hypothesis.

MOHOS-type memory performance using HfO2 nanoparticles as charge trapping layer and low temperature annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molina, Joel; Ortega, Rafael; Calleja, Wilfrido; Rosales, Pedro; Zuniga, Carlos; Torres, Alfonso

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► HfO 2 nanoparticles used as charge trapping layer in MOHOS memory devices. ► Increasing HfO 2 nanoparticles concentration enhances charge injection and trapping. ► Enhancement of memory performance with low temperature annealing. ► Charge injection is done without using any hot-carrier injection mechanism. ► Using injected charge density is better for comparison of scaled memory devices. - Abstract: In this work, HfO 2 nanoparticles (np-HfO 2 ) are embedded within a spin-on glass (SOG)-based oxide matrix and used as a charge trapping layer in metal–oxide–high-k–oxide–silicon (MOHOS)-type memory applications. This charge trapping layer is obtained by a simple sol–gel spin coating method after using different concentrations of np-HfO 2 and low temperature annealing (down to 425 °C) in order to obtain charge–retention characteristics with a lower thermal budget. The memory's charge trapping characteristics are quantized by measuring both the flat-band voltage shift of MOHOS capacitors (writing/erasing operations) and their programming retention times after charge injection while correlating all these data to np-HfO 2 concentration and annealing temperature. Since a large memory window has been obtained for our MOHOS memory, the relatively easy injection/annihilation (writing/erasing) of charge injected through the substrate opens the possibility to use this material as an effective charge trapping layer. It is shown that by using lower annealing temperatures for the charge trapping layer, higher densities of injected charge are obtained along with enhanced retention times. In conclusion, by using np-HfO 2 as charge trapping layer in memory devices, moderate programming and retention characteristics have been obtained by this simple and yet low-cost spin-coating method.

Atomic scale engineering of HfO{sub 2}-based dielectrics for future DRAM applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dudek, Piotr

2011-02-14

Modern dielectrics in combination with appropriate metal electrodes have a great potential to solve many difficulties associated with continuing miniaturization process in the microelectronic industry. One significant branch of microelectronics incorporates dynamic random access memory (DRAM) market. The DRAM devices scaled for over 35 years starting from 4 kb density to several Gb nowadays. The scaling process led to the dielectric material thickness reduction, resulting in higher leakage current density, and as a consequence higher power consumption. As a possible solution for this problem, alternative dielectric materials with improved electrical and material science parameters were intensively studied by many research groups. The higher dielectric constant allows the use of physically thicker layers with high capacitance but strongly reduced leakage current density. This work focused on deposition and characterization of thin insulating layers. The material engineering process was based on Si cleanroom compatible HfO{sub 2} thin films deposited on TiN metal electrodes. A combined materials science and dielectric characterization study showed that Ba-added HfO{sub 2} (BaHfO{sub 3}) films and Ti-added BaHfO{sub 3} (BaHf{sub 0.5}Ti{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}) layers are promising candidates for future generation of state-of-the-art DRAMs. In especial a strong increase of the dielectric permittivity k was achieved for thin films of cubic BaHfO{sub 3} (k{proportional_to}38) and BaHf{sub 0.5}Ti{sub 0.5}O{sub 3} (k{proportional_to}90) with respect to monoclinic HfO{sub 2} (k{proportional_to}19). Meanwhile the CET values scaled down to 1 nm for BaHfO{sub 3} and {proportional_to}0.8 nm for BaHf{sub 0.5}Ti{sub 0.5}O{sub 3} with respect to HfO{sub 2} (CET=1.5 nm). The Hf{sup 4+} ions substitution in BaHfO{sub 3} by Ti{sup 4+} ions led to a significant decrease of thermal budget from 900 C for BaHfO{sub 3} to 700 C for BaHf{sub 0.5}Ti{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}. Future studies need to focus

Studies on dielectric properties, opto-electrical parameters and electronic polarizability of thermally evaporated amorphous Cd{sub 50}S{sub 50−x}Se{sub x} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hassanien, Ahmed Saeed, E-mail: a.s.hassanien@gmail.com [Engineering Mathematics and Physics Department, Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), Benha University (Egypt); Physics Department, Faculty of Science and Humanities in Ad-Dawadmi, Shaqra University, 11911 (Saudi Arabia)

2016-06-25

The objective of this work is to study the influence of the addition of more Se on dielectric properties, opto-electrical parameters and electronic polarizability of amorphous chalcogenide Cd{sub 50}S{sub 50−x}Se{sub x} thin films (30 ≤ x ≤ 50 at%). Thin films of thickness 200 nm were synthesized by vacuum deposition at ≈8.2 × 10{sup −4} Pa. Both refractive index and extinction coefficient were used to obtain all the studied parameters. The high frequency dielectric constant, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant were discussed. Drude theory was applied to investigate opto-electrical parameters, like optical carrier concentration, optical mobility and optical resistivity. Moreover, other parameters were investigated and studied, e.g. Drude parameters, volume and surface energy loss functions, dielectric loss factor, dielectric relaxation time, complex optical conductivity and electronic polarizability as well as optical electronegativity and third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility. Values of electronic polarizability and nonlinear optical susceptibility were found to be decreased while optical electronegativity increased as Se-content was increased. Increment of Se-content in amorphous Cd{sub 50}S{sub 50−x}Se{sub x} thin films has also led to minimize the energy losses when electromagnetic waves propagate through films as well as optical conductivity and the speed of light increased. The other studied properties and parameters of Cd{sub 50}S{sub 50−x}Se{sub x} films were found to be strongly dependent upon Se-content. - Highlights: • Thermally evaporated amorphous Cd{sub 50}S{sub 50−x}Se{sub x} (30 ≤ x ≤ 50) thin films were deposited. • Refractive index and absorption index were used to determine almost all properties. • Dielectric properties, Drude parameters and electronic polarizability were studied. • Addition of more Se to CdSSe matrix led to improve the opto-electrical properties. • New data were obtained and

Epitaxial growth and dielectric properties of Bi sub 2 VO sub 5 sub . sub 5 thin films on TiN/Si substrates with SrTiO sub 3 buffer layers

CERN Document Server

Lee, H Y; Choi, B C; Jeong, J H; Joseph, M; Tabata, H; Kawai, T

2000-01-01

Bi sub 2 VO sub 5 sub . sub 5 (BVO) thin films were epitaxially grown on SrTiO sub 3 /TiN/Si substrates by using pulsed laser ablation. A TiN thin film was prepared at 700 .deg. C as a bottom electrode. The TiN film exhibited a high alpha axis orientation and a very smooth morphology. Before the preparation of the BVO thin film, a crystallized SrTiO sub 3 thin film was deposited as a buffer layer on TiN/Si. The BVO thin film grown at a substrate temperature at 700 .deg. C and an oxygen pressure of 50 mTorr was found to be epitaxial along the c-axis. Also, BVO films were observed to have flat surfaces and the step-flow modes. The dielectric constant of the BVO film on STO/TiN/Si was constant at about 8 approx 4 in the applied frequency range between 10 sup 2 and 10 sup 6 Hz.

Black metal thin films by deposition on dielectric antireflective moth-eye nanostructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Alexander Bruun; Caringal, Gideon Peter; Clausen, Jeppe Sandvik

2015-01-01

Although metals are commonly shiny and highly reflective, we here show that thin metal films appear black when deposited on a dielectric with antireflective moth-eye nanostructures. The nanostructures were tapered and close-packed, with heights in the range 300-600 nm, and a lateral, spatial...... frequency in the range 5-7 mu m(-1). A reflectance in the visible spectrum as low as 6%, and an absorbance of 90% was observed for an Al film of 100 nm thickness. Corresponding experiments on a planar film yielded 80% reflectance and 20% absorbance. The observed absorbance enhancement is attributed...... to a gradient effect causing the metal film to be antireflective, analogous to the mechanism in dielectrics and semiconductors. We find that the investigated nanostructures have too large spatial frequency to facilitate efficient coupling to the otherwise non-radiating surface plasmons. Applications...

Fabrication of periodic arrays of metallic nanoparticles by block copolymer templates on HfO_2 substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frascaroli, Jacopo; Seguini, Gabriele; Spiga, Sabina; Perego, Michele; Boarino, Luca

2015-01-01

Block copolymer-based templates can be exploited for the fabrication of ordered arrays of metal nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter down to a few nanometers. In order to develop this technique on metal oxide substrates, we studied the self-assembly of polymeric templates directly on the HfO_2 surface. Using a random copolymer neutralization layer, we obtained an effective HfO_2 surface neutralization, while the effects of surface cleaning and annealing temperature were carefully examined. Varying the block copolymer molecular weight, we produced regular nanoporous templates with feature size variable between 10 and 30 nm and a density up to 1.5 × 10"1"1 cm"−"2. With the adoption of a pattern transfer process, we produced ordered arrays of Pt and Pt/Ti NPs with diameters of 12, 21 and 29 nm and a constant size dispersion (σ) of 2.5 nm. For the smallest template adopted, the NP diameter is significantly lower than the original template dimension. In this specific configuration, the granularity of the deposited film probably influences the pattern transfer process and very small NPs of 12 nm were achieved without a significant broadening of the size distribution. (paper)

Effect of dual-dielectric hydrogen-diffusion barrier layers on the performance of low-temperature processed transparent InGaZnO thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Tari, Alireza; Wong, William S.

2018-02-01

Dual-dielectric SiOx/SiNx thin-film layers were used as back-channel and gate-dielectric barrier layers for bottom-gate InGaZnO (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The concentration profiles of hydrogen, indium, gallium, and zinc oxide were analyzed using secondary-ion mass spectroscopy characterization. By implementing an effective H-diffusion barrier, the hydrogen concentration and the creation of H-induced oxygen deficiency (H-Vo complex) defects during the processing of passivated flexible IGZO TFTs were minimized. A bilayer back-channel passivation layer, consisting of electron-beam deposited SiOx on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor-deposition (PECVD) SiNx films, effectively protected the TFT active region from plasma damage and minimized changes in the chemical composition of the semiconductor layer. A dual-dielectric PECVD SiOx/PECVD SiNx gate-dielectric, using SiOx as a barrier layer, also effectively prevented out-diffusion of hydrogen atoms from the PECVD SiNx-gate dielectric to the IGZO channel layer during the device fabrication.

All-optically tunable EIT-like dielectric metasurfaces hybridized with thin phase change material layers

Science.gov (United States)

Petronijevic, Emilija; Sibilia, Concita

2017-05-01

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), a pump-induced narrow transparency window within the absorption region of a probe, had offered new perspectives in slow-light control in atomic physics. For applications in nanophotonics, the implementation on chip-scaled devices has later been obtained by mimicking this effect by metallic metamaterials. High losses in visible and near infrared range of metal-based metamaterialls have recently opened a new field of all-dielectric metamaterials; a proper configuration of high refractive index dielectric nanoresonators can mimick this effect without losses to get high Q, slow-light response. The next step would be the ability to tune their optical response, and in this work we investigate thin layers of phase change materials (PCM) for all-optical control of EIT-like all-dielectric metamaterials. PCM can be nonvolatively and reversibly switched between two stable phases that differ in optical properties by applying a visible laser pulse. The device is based on Si nanoresonators covered by a thin layer of PCM GeTe; optical and transient thermal simulations have been done to find and optimize the fabrication parameters and switching parameters such as the intensity and duration of the pulse. We have found that the EIT-like response can be switched on and off by applying the 532nm laser pulse to change the phase of the upper GeTe layer. We strongly believe that such approach could open new perspectives in all-optically controlled slow-light metamaterials.

Structural, electrical, and dielectric properties of Cr doped ZnO thin films: Role of Cr concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gürbüz, Osman, E-mail: osgurbuz@yildiz.edu.tr; Okutan, Mustafa

2016-11-30

O host material increased. Furthermore, by increasing the Cr concentration, the improved electrical performance was observed. The electrical resistivity of samples decreased from 3.98 × 10{sup −2} Ω cm to 4.03 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm with the increase in Cr content. For these reasons, Cr doped ZnO (Cr:ZnO) thin films may be used in microwave devices as the electrical conductivity increases while dielectric constant decreases with the Cr content.

Logic circuits composed of flexible carbon nanotube thin-film transistor and ultra-thin polymer gate dielectric

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dongil; Yoon, Jinsu; Lee, Juhee; Lee, Byung-Hyun; Seol, Myeong-Lok; Bae, Hagyoul; Jeon, Seung-Bae; Seong, Hyejeong; Im, Sung Gap; Choi, Sung-Jin; Choi, Yang-Kyu

2016-05-01

Printing electronics has become increasingly prominent in the field of electronic engineering because this method is highly efficient at producing flexible, low-cost and large-scale thin-film transistors. However, TFTs are typically constructed with rigid insulating layers consisting of oxides and nitrides that are brittle and require high processing temperatures, which can cause a number of problems when used in printed flexible TFTs. In this study, we address these issues and demonstrate a method of producing inkjet-printed TFTs that include an ultra-thin polymeric dielectric layer produced by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) at room temperature and highly purified 99.9% semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Our integrated approach enables the production of flexible logic circuits consisting of CNT-TFTs on a polyethersulfone (PES) substrate that have a high mobility (up to 9.76 cm2 V-1 sec-1), a low operating voltage (less than 4 V), a high current on/off ratio (3 × 104), and a total device yield of 90%. Thus, it should be emphasized that this study delineates a guideline for the feasibility of producing flexible CNT-TFT logic circuits with high performance based on a low-cost and simple fabrication process.

Study on the dielectric properties of Al2O3/TiO2 sub-nanometric laminates: effect of the bottom electrode and the total thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Elbahri, M.; Kahouli, A.; Mercey, B.; Lebedev, O.; Donner, W.; Lüders, U.

2018-02-01

Dielectrics based on amorphous sub-nanometric laminates of TiO2 and Al2O3 are subject to elevated dielectric losses and leakage currents, in large parts due to the extremely thin individual layer thickness chosen for the creation of the Maxwell-Wagner relaxation and therefore the high apparent dielectric constants. The optimization of performances of the laminate itself being strongly limited by this contradiction concerning its internal structure, we will show in this study that modifications of the dielectric stack of capacitors based on these sub-nanometric laminates can positively influence the dielectric losses and the leakage, as for example the nature of the electrodes, the introduction of thick insulating layers at the laminate/electrode interfaces and the modification of the total laminate thickness. The optimization of the dielectric stack leads to the demonstration of a capacitor with an apparent dielectric constant of 90, combined with low dielectric loss (tan δ) of 7 · 10-2 and with leakage currents smaller than 1  ×  10-6 A cm-2 at 10 MV m-1.

Electrostatically assisted fabrication of silver-dielectric core/shell nanoparticles thin film capacitor with uniform metal nanoparticle distribution and controlled spacing.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xue; Niitsoo, Olivia; Couzis, Alexander

2016-03-01

An electrostatically-assisted strategy for fabrication of thin film composite capacitors with controllable dielectric constant (k) has been developed. The capacitor is composed of metal-dielectric core/shell nanoparticle (silver/silica, Ag@SiO2) multilayer films, and a backfilling polymer. Compared with the simple metal particle-polymer mixtures where the metal nanoparticles (NP) are randomly dispersed in the polymer matrix, the metal volume fraction in our capacitor was significantly increased, owing to the densely packed NP multilayers formed by the electrostatically assisted assembly process. Moreover, the insulating layer of silica shell provides a potential barrier that reduces the tunneling current between neighboring Ag cores, endowing the core/shell nanocomposites with a stable and relatively high dielectric constant (k) and low dielectric loss (D). Our work also shows that the thickness of the SiO2 shell plays a dominant role in controlling the dielectric properties of the nanocomposites. Control over metal NP separation distance was realized not only by variation the shell thickness of the core/shell NPs but also by introducing a high k nanoparticle, barium strontium titanate (BST) of relatively smaller size (∼8nm) compared to 80-160nm of the core/shell Ag@SiO2 NPs. The BST assemble between the Ag@SiO2 and fill the void space between the closely packed core/shell NPs leading to significant enhancement of the dielectric constant. This electrostatically assisted assembly method is promising for generating multilayer films of a large variety of NPs over large areas at low cost. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrical characterisation of ferroelectric field effect transistors based on ferroelectric HfO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yurchuk, Ekaterina

2015-01-01

Ferroelectric field effect transistor (FeFET) memories based on a new type of ferroelectric material (silicon doped hafnium oxide) were studied within the scope of the present work. Utilisation of silicon doped hafnium oxide (Si:HfO 2 ) thin films instead of conventional perovskite ferroelectrics as a functional layer in FeFETs provides compatibility to the CMOS process as well as improved device scalability. The influence of different process parameters on the properties of Si:HfO 2 thin films was analysed in order to gain better insight into the occurrence of ferroelectricity in this system. A subsequent examination of the potential of this material as well as its possible limitations with the respect to the application in non-volatile memories followed. The Si:HfO 2 -based ferroelectric transistors that were fully integrated into the state-of-the-art high-k metal gate CMOS technology were studied in this work for the first time. The memory performance of these devices scaled down to 28 nm gate length was investigated. Special attention was paid to the charge trapping phenomenon shown to significantly affect the device behaviour.

A Study of the Dielectric Breakdown of SiO2 Films on Si by the Self- Quenching Technique

Science.gov (United States)

1974-10-01

Cambell . Much of the early work on the breakdown of oxide films in 2 1 Q MOS structures was done by N. Klein and his coworkers...Electron Physics, 26, Academic Press. New York (1969). P. J. Harrop and D. S. Cambell , "Dielectric Properties of Thin Films," Handbook of Thin Film

Probing the thermal decomposition behaviors of ultrathin HfO2 films by an in situ high temperature scanning tunneling microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Kun; Wang, Lei; An, Jin; Xu, Jianbin

2011-05-13

The thermal decomposition of ultrathin HfO(2) films (∼0.6-1.2 nm) on Si by ultrahigh vacuum annealing (25-800 °C) is investigated in situ in real time by scanning tunneling microscopy. Two distinct thickness-dependent decomposition behaviors are observed. When the HfO(2) thickness is ∼ 0.6 nm, no discernible morphological changes are found below ∼ 700 °C. Then an abrupt reaction occurs at 750 °C with crystalline hafnium silicide nanostructures formed instantaneously. However, when the thickness is about 1.2 nm, the decomposition proceeds gradually with the creation and growth of two-dimensional voids at 800 °C. The observed thickness-dependent behavior is closely related to the SiO desorption, which is believed to be the rate-limiting step of the decomposition process.

Pulsed EM Field Response of a Thin, High-Contrast, Finely Layered Structure With Dielectric and Conductive Properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Hoop, A.T.; Jiang, L.

2009-01-01

The response of a thin, high-contrast, finely layered structure with dielectric and conductive properties to an incident, pulsed, electromagnetic field is investigated theoretically. The fine layering causes the standard spatial discretization techniques to solve Maxwell's equations numerically to

Nonlinear dielectric response in ferroelectric thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lente, M. H.

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Electrical permittivity dependence on electric external bias field was investigated in PZT thin films. The results revealed the existence of two mechanisms contributing to the electrical permittivity. The first one was related to the domain reorientation, which was responsible for a strong no linear dielectric behavior, acting only during the poling process. The second mechanism was associated with the domain wall vibrations, which presented a reasonable linear electrical behavior with the applied bias field, contributing always to the permittivity independently of the poling state of the sample. The results also indicated that the gradual reduction of the permittivity with the increase of the bias field strength may be related to the gradual bending of the domain walls. It is believed that the domain wall bending induces a hardening and/or a thinning of the walls, thus reducing the electrical permittivity. A reinterpretation of the model proposed in the literature to explain the dielectric characteristics of ferroelectric materials at high electric field regime is proposed.

Se ha estudiado la dependencia de la permitividad eléctrica con un campo bias externo en láminas delgadas de PZT. Los resultados revelaron la existencia de dos mecanismos que contribuyen a la permitividad eléctrica. El primero está relacionado con la reorientación de dominios, actúa sólo durante el proceso de polarización y es responsable de un comportamiento dieléctrico fuertemente no lineal. El segundo mecanismo se asocia a las vibraciones de las paredes de dominio, presentando un comportamiento eléctrico razonablemente lineal con el campo bias aplicado, contribuyendo siempre a la permitividad independientemente del estado de polarización de la muestra. Los resultados indicaron también que la reducción gradual de la permitividad con el aumento de la fuerza del campo bias podría estar relacionada con el “bending” gradual de las paredes de dominio

Thin-dielectric-layer engineering for 3D nanostructure integration using an innovative planarization approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerfi, Y; Doucet, J B; Larrieu, G

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures are emerging as promising building blocks for a large spectrum of applications. One critical issue in integration regards mastering the thin, flat, and chemically stable insulating layer that must be implemented on the nanostructure network in order to build striking nano-architectures. In this letter, we report an innovative method for nanoscale planarization on 3D nanostructures by using hydrogen silesquioxane as a spin-on-glass (SOG) dielectric material. To decouple the thickness of the final layer from the height of the nanostructure, we propose to embed the nanowire network in the insulator layer by exploiting the planarizing properties of the SOG approach. To achieve the desired dielectric thickness, the structure is chemically etched back with a highly diluted solution to control the etch rate precisely. The roughness of the top surface was less than 2 nm. There were no surface defects and the planarity was excellent, even in the vicinity of the nanowires. This newly developed process was used to realize a multilevel stack architecture with sub-deca-nanometer-range layer thickness. (paper)

Tunable dielectric properties of Barium Magnesium Niobate (BMN) doped Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) thin films by magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Alema, Fikadu; Reinholz, Aaron; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

2013-03-01

We report on the tunable dielectric properties of Mg and Nb co-doped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin film prepared by the magnetron sputtering using BST target (pure and doped with BaMg0.33Nb0.67O3 (BMN)) on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Al2O3 4'' wafers at 700 °C under oxygen atmosphere. The electrical measurements are conducted on 2432 metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors using Pt as the top and bottom electrode. The crystalline structure, microstructure, and surface morphology of the films are analyzed and correlated to the films dielectric properties. The BMN doped and undoped BST films have shown tunabilities of 48% and 52%; and leakage current densities of 2.2x10-6 A/cm2 and 3.7x10-5 A/cm2, respectively at 0.5 MV/cm bias field. The results indicate that the BMN doped film exhibits a lower leakage current with no significant decrease in tunability. Due to similar electronegativity and ionic radii, it was suggested that both Mg2+ (accepter-type) and Nb5+ (donor-type) dopants substitutTi4+ ion in BST. The improvement in the film dielectric losses and leakage current with insignificant loss of tunability is attributed to the adversary effects of Mg2+ and Nb5+ in BST.

High mobility and low operating voltage ZnGaO and ZnGaLiO transistors with spin-coated Al2O3 as gate dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, D X; Xu, J B

2010-01-01

Spin-coated alumina serving as a gate dielectric in thin film transistors shows interesting dielectric properties for low-voltage applications, despite a moderate capacitance. With Ga singly doped and Ga, Li co-doped ZnO as the active channel layers, typical mobilities of 4.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and 2.1 cm 2 V -1 s -1 are achieved, respectively. At a given gate bias, the operation current is much smaller than the previously reported values in low-voltage thin film transistors, primarily relying on the giant-capacitive dielectric. The reported devices combine advantages of high mobility, low power consumption, low cost and ease of fabrication. In addition to the transparent nature of both the dielectric and semiconducting active channels, the superior electrical properties of the devices may provide a new avenue for future transparent electronics. (fast track communication)

The Performance Improvement of N2 Plasma Treatment on ZrO2 Gate Dielectric Thin-Film Transistors with Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition IGZO Channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chien-Hung; Huang, Bo-Wen; Chang, Kow-Ming; Wang, Shui-Jinn; Lin, Jian-Hong; Hsu, Jui-Mei

2016-06-01

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the N2 plasma treatment for high-κ ZrO2 gate dielectric stack (30 nm) with indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). Experimental results reveal that a suitable incorporation of nitrogen atoms could enhance the device performance by eliminating the oxygen vacancies and provide an amorphous surface with better surface roughness. With N2 plasma treated ZrO2 gate, IGZO channel is fabricated by atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) technique. The best performance of the AP-PECVD IGZO TFTs are obtained with 20 W-90 sec N2 plasma treatment with field-effect mobility (μ(FET)) of 22.5 cm2/V-s, subthreshold swing (SS) of 155 mV/dec, and on/off current ratio (I(on)/I(off)) of 1.49 x 10(7).

Fabrication of Nonvolatile Memory Effects in High-k Dielectric Thin Films Using Electron Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chanrock; Cho, Daehee; Kim, Jeongeun; Hwang, Jinha

2010-01-01

Electron Irradiation can be applied towards nano-floating gate memories which are recognized as one of the next-generation nonvolatile memory semiconductors. NFGMs can overcome the preexisting limitations encountered in Dynamic Random Access Memories and Flash memories with the excellent advantages, i. e. high-density information storage, high response speed, high compactness, etc. The traditional nano-floating gate memories are fabricated through multi-layered nano structures of the dissimilar materials where the charge-trapping portions are sandwiched into the high-k dielectrics. However, this work reports the unique nonvolatile responses in single-layered high-k dielectric thin films if irradiated with highly accelerated electron beams. The implications of the electron irradiation will be discussed towards high-performance nano-floating gate memories

Impedance spectroscopic and dielectric analysis of Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rouahi, A. [Grenoble Electrical Engineering Laboratory (G2E Lab), CNRS, University of Grenoble (UJF), 25 Rue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Laboratory of Materials, Organization and Properties (LMOP), Campus Universities, El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Kahouli, A., E-mail: kahouli.kader@yahoo.fr [Grenoble Electrical Engineering Laboratory (G2E Lab), CNRS, University of Grenoble (UJF), 25 Rue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Laboratory of Materials, Organization and Properties (LMOP), Campus Universities, El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Sylvestre, A., E-mail: alain.sylvestre@grenoble.cnrs.fr [Grenoble Electrical Engineering Laboratory (G2E Lab), CNRS, University of Grenoble (UJF), 25 Rue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Defaye, E. [CEA-LETI, MINATEC Campus, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Yangui, B. [Laboratory of Materials, Organization and Properties (LMOP), Campus Universities, El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia)

2012-07-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The material exhibits the contribution of both grain and grain boundaries in the electric response of Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The plot of normalized complex dielectric modulus and impedance as a function of frequency exhibits both short and long-range conduction in the film. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The frequency dependence of ac conductivity exhibits a polaron hopping mechanism with activation energy of 0.38 eV. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The complex dielectric modulus analysis confirmed the presence of a non-Debye type of conductivity relaxation deduced from the KWW function. - Abstract: Polycrystalline Ba{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} thin film with Pt/BST/Pt/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} structure was prepared by ion beam sputtering. The film was post annealed at 700 Degree-Sign C. The dielectric and electric modulus properties were studied by impedance spectroscopy over a wide frequency range [0.1-10{sup 5} Hz] at different temperatures [175-350 Degree-Sign C]. The Nyquist plots (Z Double-Prime vs . Z Prime ) show the contribution of both grain and grain boundaries at higher temperature on the electric response of BST thin films. Moreover, the resistance of grains decreases with the rise in temperature and the material exhibits a negative temperature coefficient of resistance. The electric modulus plot indicates the non-Debye type of dielectric relaxation. The values of the activation energy computed from both plots of Z Double-Prime and M Double-Prime are 0.86 eV and 0.81 eV respectively, which reveals that the species responsible for conduction are the same. The scaling behavior of M{sup Double-Prime }/M{sup Double-Prime }{sub max} shows the temperature independent nature of relaxation time. The plot of normalized complex dielectric modulus and impedance as a function of frequency exhibits both short and long-range conduction in the film.

Studies of the hyperfine interaction in semiconducting or isolating oxides on the examples HfO2, Ga2O3, and Al2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steffens, Michael

2014-01-01

On the example of the three oxide compounds of the hafnium, gallium, and aluminium among others the method of the perturbed γ-γ angular correlation (PAC) was applied in dependence on the sample temperature. Applied were thereby the PAC probe nuclei 111 Cd and 181 Ga, which were inserted in the samples by ion implantation or proced by neutron activation in the samples. In HfO 2 thereby especially the hyperfine interaction of thin layers with thicknesses from 2.7 to 17 nm and 100 nm were studied. Strongly disagreeing field gradients and a great influence of the sample surface on the measurement are shown. It could be shown that ν qO x should scale with the layer thickness of the oxide and that the temperature-dependent behaviour, which is influenced by the thermal expansion of the lattice, underlies also this scaling. Conditioned by the neighbourhood to the surface at high temperature oxygen can escape from the samples and so degrade the oxide. The studied Ga 2 O 3 layers were produced by oxidation of GaN at 1223 K in air. The structure of the oxide layer was thereby stepwise pursued with the PAC and could be modelled with an exponential time dependence. The oxidation was repeated with several samples at equal absolute oxidation time but different partition in intermediate steps. Altogether the result were shown as reproducable, the occuring differences of the hyperfine interactions are probably given by external quantities fluctuating in the oxidation. The measurement of the Al 2 O 3 sample in the PAC furnace and cryostat represents mainly a reproduction of the preceding experiments of Penner et al. In this materials the attempt held the spotlight to manipulate the temperature-dependent behaviour of the hyperfine interaction by additional doping. Over the experiments of the single materials was set the more precise consideration of dynamic hyperfine interactions on the probe nucleus 111 Cd. In the spin-correlation functions R(t) these were manifested by an

Electrical Characterization of Defects Created by γ-Radiation in HfO2-Based MIS Structures for RRAM Applications

Science.gov (United States)

García, H.; González, M. B.; Mallol, M. M.; Castán, H.; Dueñas, S.; Campabadal, F.; Acero, M. C.; Sambuco Salomone, L.; Faigón, A.

2018-04-01

The γ-radiation effects on the electrical characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors based on HfO2, and on the resistive switching characteristics of the structures have been studied. The HfO2 was grown directly on silicon substrates by atomic layer deposition. Some of the capacitors were submitted to a γ ray irradiation using three different doses (16 kGy, 96 kGy and 386 kGy). We studied the electrical characteristics in the pristine state of the capacitors. The radiation increased the interfacial state densities at the insulator/semiconductor interface, and the slow traps inside the insulator near the interface. However, the leakage current is not increased by the irradiation, and the conduction mechanism is Poole-Frenkel for all the samples. The switching characteristics were also studied, and no significant differences were obtained in the performance of the devices after having been irradiated, indicating that the fabricated capacitors present good radiation hardness for its use as a RS element.

Dielectric properties of BaMg1/3Nb2/3O3 doped Ba0.45Sr0.55Tio3 thin films for tunable microwave applications

Science.gov (United States)

Alema, Fikadu; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

2015-11-01

Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BMN) doped and undoped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin films were deposited via radio frequency magnetron sputtering on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Al2O3 substrates. The surface morphology and chemical state analyses of the films have shown that the BMN doped BST film has a smoother surface with reduced oxygen vacancy, resulting in an improved insulating properties of the BST film. Dielectric tunability, loss, and leakage current (LC) of the undoped and BMN doped BST thin films were studied. The BMN dopant has remarkably reduced the dielectric loss (˜38%) with no significant effect on the tunability of the BST film, leading to an increase in figure of merit (FOM). This is attributed to the opposing behavior of large Mg2+ whose detrimental effect on tunability is partially compensated by small Nb5+ as the two substitute Ti4+ in the BST. The coupling between MgTi″ and VO•• charged defects suppresses the dielectric loss in the film by cutting electrons from hopping between Ti ions. The LC of the films was investigated in the temperature range of 300-450K. A reduced LC measured for the BMN doped BST film was correlated to the formation of defect dipoles from MgTi″, VO•• and NbTi• charged defects. The carrier transport properties of the films were analyzed in light of Schottky thermionic emission (SE) and Poole-Frenkel (PF) emission mechanisms. The result indicated that while the carrier transport mechanism in the undoped film is interface limited (SE), the conduction in the BMN doped film was dominated by bulk processes (PF). The change of the conduction mechanism from SE to PF as a result of BMN doping is attributed to the presence of uncoupled NbTi• sitting as a positive trap center at the shallow donor level of the BST.

Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometric characterization of HfO2 thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, M.; Kumari, N.; Karar, V.; Sharma, A. L.

2018-02-01

Hafnium Oxide film was deposited on BK7 glass substrate using reactive oxygenated E-Beam deposition technique. The film was deposited using in-situ quartz crystal thickness monitoring to control the film thickness and rate of evaporation. The thin film was grown with a rate of deposition of 0.3 nm/s. The coated substrate was optically characterized using spectrophotometer to determine its transmission spectra. The optical constants as well as film thickness of the hafnia film were extracted by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry with Cauchy fitting at incidence angles of 65˚, 70˚ and 75˚.

Phase sensitive molecular dynamics of self-assembly glycolipid thin films: A dielectric spectroscopy investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Velayutham, T. S.; Ng, B. K.; Gan, W. C.; Majid, W. H. Abd.; Hashim, R.; Zahid, N. I.; Chaiprapa, Jitrin

2014-08-01

Glycolipid, found commonly in membranes, is also a liquid crystal material which can self-assemble without the presence of a solvent. Here, the dielectric and conductivity properties of three synthetic glycolipid thin films in different thermotropic liquid crystal phases were investigated over a frequency and temperature range of (10-2-106 Hz) and (303-463 K), respectively. The observed relaxation processes distinguish between the different phases (smectic A, columnar/hexagonal, and bicontinuous cubic Q) and the glycolipid molecular structures. Large dielectric responses were observed in the columnar and bicontinuous cubic phases of the longer branched alkyl chain glycolipids. Glycolipids with the shortest branched alkyl chain experience the most restricted self-assembly dynamic process over the broad temperature range studied compared to the longer ones. A high frequency dielectric absorption (Process I) was observed in all samples. This is related to the dynamics of the hydrogen bond network from the sugar group. An additional low-frequency mechanism (Process II) with a large dielectric strength was observed due to the internal dynamics of the self-assembly organization. Phase sensitive domain heterogeneity in the bicontinuous cubic phase was related to the diffusion of charge carriers. The microscopic features of charge hopping were modelled using the random walk scheme, and two charge carrier hopping lengths were estimated for two glycolipid systems. For Process I, the hopping length is comparable to the hydrogen bond and is related to the dynamics of the hydrogen bond network. Additionally, that for Process II is comparable to the bilayer spacing, hence confirming that this low-frequency mechanism is associated with the internal dynamics within the phase.

Thermal strain-induced dielectric anisotropy in Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films grown on silicon-based substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, X. H.; Defaye, E.; Aied, M.; Guigues, B.; Dubarry, C.

2009-01-01

Dielectric properties of Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 TiO 3 (BST) thin films, which were prepared on silicon-based substrates by ion beam sputtering and postdeposition annealing method, were systematically investigated in different electrode configurations of metal-insulator-metal and coplanar interdigital capacitors. It was found that a large dielectric anisotropy exists in the films with better in-plane dielectric properties (higher dielectric permittivity and tunability) than those along the out-of-plane direction. The observed anisotropic dielectric responses are explained qualitatively in terms of a thermal strain effect that is related to dissimilar film strains along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. Another reason for the dielectric anisotropy is due to different influences of the interfacial low-dielectric layer between the BST film and the substrate (metal electrode).

Thermal strain-induced dielectric anisotropy in Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films grown on silicon-based substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, X. H.; Guigues, B.; Defaÿ, E.; Dubarry, C.; Aïd, M.

2009-07-01

Dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thin films, which were prepared on silicon-based substrates by ion beam sputtering and postdeposition annealing method, were systematically investigated in different electrode configurations of metal-insulator-metal and coplanar interdigital capacitors. It was found that a large dielectric anisotropy exists in the films with better in-plane dielectric properties (higher dielectric permittivity and tunability) than those along the out-of-plane direction. The observed anisotropic dielectric responses are explained qualitatively in terms of a thermal strain effect that is related to dissimilar film strains along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. Another reason for the dielectric anisotropy is due to different influences of the interfacial low-dielectric layer between the BST film and the substrate (metal electrode).

Magnetically tunable dielectric, impedance and magnetoelectric response in MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/(Pb{sub 1−x}Sr{sub x})TiO{sub 3} composites thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bala, Kanchan, E-mail: bala.kanchan1987@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla 171005 (India); Kotnala, R.K. [CSIR, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Negi, N.S., E-mail: nsn_phy_hpu@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla 171005 (India)

2017-02-15

We have synthesized piezomagnetic–piezoelectric composites thin films MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/(Pb{sub 1−x}Sr{sub x})TiO{sub 3}, where x=0.1, 0.2, and 0.3, using the metalorganic deposition (MOD) reaction method. The structural and microstructural analysis using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), AFM, and SEM reveals the presence of homogenous growth of both pervoskite and spinel phases in the composite films. Our results show that all the composites films exhibit good multiferroic as well as considerable magnetoelectric coupling. The impedance (Z′ and Z″) and electrical modulus (M′ and M″) Nyquist plots show distinct electrical responses with the magnetic field. Our analyses suggest that this electrical response arises due to the coexistence of the high resistive phase and the comparatively conductive phase in the MFO/PST composite films. The maximum magnetoelectric coefficient (α) is found to be 4.29 V Oe{sup −1} cm{sup −1} and 2.82 V Oe{sup −1} cm{sup −1} for compositions x=0.1 and 0.2. These values are substantially larger than those reported for bilayer composites thin films in literature and make them interesting for room temperature device applications. - Highlights: • Influence of Sr doping on multiferroic and magnetoelectric properties composites thin films of MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and (Pb, Sr)TiO{sub 3}. • Dielectric constant and dielectric loss with application of magnetic field. • Magnetically tunable AC electrical properties. • Magnetoelectric coupling in MnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/(Pb, Sr)TiO{sub 3} composite films by passive method.

Growth and characteristics of PbS/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites for flexible high dielectric thin film applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hmar, J.J.L.; Majumder, T.; Mondal, S.P.

2016-01-01

PbS/polyvinyl alcohol (PbS/PVA) nanocomposites have been grown by a chemical bath deposition process at various growth temperatures (60–100 °C). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study revealed the formation of PbS nanoparticles of diameter 6–20 nm encapsulated in PVA matrix. Optical band gap of the nanocomposite films have been found to decrease (1.45 eV–0.67 eV) with increase in growth temperature from 60 °C to 100 °C. The impedance measurements have been carried out by depositing the PbS/PVA films on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The room temperature dielectric permittivity and ac conductivity measurements have been carried out for ITO/PbS/PVA/Al devices deposited at various growth temperatures. The nanocomposite films demonstrate superior dielectric permittivity compare to pure PVA polymer. The flexibility studies of ITO/PbS/PVA/Al devices have been performed at different bending angles. - Highlights: • PbS nanoparticles of diameter 6–20 nm were grown in polyvinyl (PVA) matrix. • Optical band gap of nanocomposite films was varied from 1.45–0.67 eV. • The nanocomposite thin films demonstrated superior dielectric permittivity. • Flexibility study of thin film devices was performed at various bending angles.

Low-Frequency Noise in Layered ReS2 Field Effect Transistors on HfO2 and Its Application for pH Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Wugang; Wei, Wei; Tong, Yu; Chim, Wai Kin; Zhu, Chunxiang

2018-02-28

Layered rhenium disulfide (ReS 2 ) field effect transistors (FETs), with thickness ranging from few to dozens of layers, are demonstrated on 20 nm thick HfO 2 /Si substrates. A small threshold voltage of -0.25 V, high on/off current ratio of up to ∼10 7 , small subthreshold swing of 116 mV/dec, and electron carrier mobility of 6.02 cm 2 /V·s are obtained for the two-layer ReS 2 FETs. Low-frequency noise characteristics in ReS 2 FETs are analyzed for the first time, and it is found that the carrier number fluctuation mechanism well describes the flicker (1/f) noise of ReS 2 FETs with different thicknesses. pH sensing using a two-layer ReS 2 FET with HfO 2 as a sensing oxide is then demonstrated with a voltage sensitivity of 54.8 mV/pH and a current sensitivity of 126. The noise characteristics of the ReS 2 FET-based pH sensors are also examined, and a corresponding detection limit of 0.0132 pH is obtained. Our studies suggest the high potential of ReS 2 for future low-power nanoelectronics and biosensor applications.

Changes of optical, dielectric, and structural properties of Si15Sb85 phase change memory thin films under different initializing laser power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Huan; Zhang Lei; Wang Yang; Han Xiaodong; Wu Yiqun; Zhang Ze; Gan Fuxi

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We study the optical, dielectric, and structural characteristics of Si 15 Sb 85 phase change memory thin films under a moving continuous-wave laser initialization. → The optical and dielectric constants, absorption coefficient of Si 15 Sb 85 change regularly with the increasing laser power. → The optical band gaps of Si 15 Sb 85 irradiated upon different power lasers were calculated. → HRTEM images of the samples were observed and the changes of optical and dielectric constants are determined by crystalline structures changes of the films. - Abstract: The optical, dielectric, and structural characteristics of Si 15 Sb 85 phase change memory thin films under a moving continuous-wave laser initialization are studied by using spectroscopic ellipsometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The dependence of complex refractive index, dielectric functions, absorption coefficient, and optical band gap of the films on its crystallization extents formed by the different initialization laser power are analyzed in detail. The structural change from as-deposited amorphous phase to distorted rhombohedra-Sb-like crystalline structure with the increase of initialization laser power is clearly observed with sub-nanometer resolution. The optical and dielectric constants, the relationship between them, and the local atomic arrangements of this new phase change material can help explain the phase change mechanism and design the practical phase change memory devices.

Effect of current compliance and voltage sweep rate on the resistive switching of HfO2/ITO/Invar structure as measured by conductive atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, You-Lin; Liao, Chun-Wei; Ling, Jing-Jenn

2014-01-01

The electrical characterization of HfO 2 /ITO/Invar resistive switching memory structure was studied using conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a semiconductor parameter analyzer, Agilent 4156C. The metal alloy Invar was used as the metal substrate to ensure good ohmic contact with the substrate holder of the AFM. A conductive Pt/Ir AFM tip was placed in direct contact with the HfO 2 surface, such that it acted as the top electrode. Nanoscale current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the HfO 2 /ITO/Invar structure were measured by applying a ramp voltage through the conductive AFM tip at various current compliances and ramp voltage sweep rates. It was found that the resistance of the low resistance state (RLRS) decreased with increasing current compliance value, but resistance of high resistance state (RHRS) barely changed. However, both the RHRS and RLRS decreased as the voltage sweep rate increased. The reasons for this dependency on current compliance and voltage sweep rate are discussed.

Preparation of dielectrics HR mirrors from colloidal oxide suspensions containing organic polymer binders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, I.M.

1994-01-01

Colloidal suspensions of oxides have been used to prepare dielectric HR (high reflective) mirrors, specifically for high power fusion case applications, on substrates up to 38 cm square using a meniscus coater. These coatings consist of porous quarterwave layers of alternating high and low refractive index oxides. Silica was used as the low index oxide and AlOOH, ZrO 2 , or HfO 2 as the high index material. Coatings were weak because of low particle-to-particle adhesion. Use of organic polymer binders in the high index component was found to increase strength, thereby improving the laser damage threshold and also reducing the number of layers required for 99% reflection due to increased refractive index

Enhanced dielectric properties of thin Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} films grown on 65 nm SiO{sub 2}/Si

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolkovsky, Vl.; Kurth, E.; Kunath, C. [IPMS Fraunhofer, Dresden, Maria-Reiche Str. 2, 01109 Dresden (Germany)

2016-12-15

The structural and electrical properties of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}/65 nm SiO{sub 2} structures with different thicknesses of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} varying in the range of 0-260 nm are investigated. We find that the stack structures grown by the magnetron sputtering technique and annealed at 1220 K in O and Ar atmosphere show one of the highest dielectric constant of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}(about 64) among those previously reported in the literature. The structure of the annealed polycrystalline Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} films is orthorhombic, as obtained from X-ray diffraction measurements and we do not observe any preferential orientation of the annealed films. The Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} films contain positively charged defects which become mobile at around 400 K and they are tentatively correlated with the oxygen vacancies. The leakage current in the stack structures is a factor of 20 higher compared to that in thin layers with 65 nm SiO{sub 2}. The conduction mechanism in the stack structures can be described by the Fowler-Nordheim model with a barrier height that decreases slightly (<10%) as a function of the thickness of the films. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Structural-optical study of high-dielectric-constant oxide films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Losurdo, M. [Institute of Inorganic Methodologies and Plasmas, IMIP-CNR, Department of Chemistry and INSTM Universita di bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari (Italy)]. E-mail: maria.losurdo@ba.imip.cnr.it; Giangregorio, M.M. [Institute of Inorganic Methodologies and Plasmas, IMIP-CNR, Department of Chemistry and INSTM Universita di bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari (Italy); Luchena, M. [Institute of Inorganic Methodologies and Plasmas, IMIP-CNR, Department of Chemistry and INSTM Universita di bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari (Italy); Capezzuto, P. [Institute of Inorganic Methodologies and Plasmas, IMIP-CNR, Department of Chemistry and INSTM Universita di bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari (Italy); Bruno, G. [Institute of Inorganic Methodologies and Plasmas, IMIP-CNR, Department of Chemistry and INSTM Universita di bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari (Italy); Toro, R.G. [Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita di Catania, and INSTM-UdR Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, I-95125 Catania (Italy); Malandrino, G. [Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita di Catania, and INSTM-UdR Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, I-95125 Catania (Italy); Fragala, I.L. [Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Universita di Catania, and INSTM-UdR Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, I-95125 Catania (Italy); Nigro, R. Lo [Istituto di Microelettronica e Microsistemi, IMM-CNR, Stradale Primosole 50, I-95121 Catania (Italy)

2006-10-31

High-k polycrystalline Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and amorphous LaAlO{sub 3} oxide thin films deposited on Si(0 0 1) are studied. The microstructure is investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Optical properties are determined in the 0.75-6.5 eV photon energy range using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The polycrystalline Pr{sub 2}O{sub 3} films have an optical gap of 3.86 eV and a dielectric constant of 16-26, which increases with film thickness. Similarly, very thin amorphous LaAlO{sub 3} films have the optical gap of 5.8 eV, and a dielectric constant below 14 which also increases with film thickness. The lower dielectric constant compared to crystalline material is an intrinsic characteristic of amorphous films.

Critical Parameters and Critical-Region (p,ρ ,T) Data of trans-1,1,1,3-Tetrafluorobut-2-ene [HFO-1354mzy(E)

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Takeru; Kayukawa, Yohei; Miyamoto, Hiroyuki; Saito, Kiyoshi

2017-08-01

This study presents the experimental measurement of the pρ T properties and critical parameters of a low GWP type refrigerant, trans-1,1,1,3-Tetrafluorobut-2-ene (HFO-1354mzy(E)). The sample purity of the substance was 99 area %. p ρ T property measurements and visual observations of the meniscus of HFO-1354mzy(E) were carried out using a metal-bellows volumometer with an optical cell. The critical temperature was determined by observation of the critical opalescence. The critical pressure and critical density were determined as the inflection point of the isothermal p ρ T property data at the critical temperature. For more precise clarification of the thermodynamic surface in the vicinity of the critical point, additional p ρ T property measurements were carried out on three isotherms in the supercritical region. The expanded uncertainties (k = 2) in the temperature, pressure, and density measurements were estimated to be less than 3 mK, 1.2 kPa, and 0.32 \\hbox {kg} \\cdot \\hbox {m}^{-3}, respectively. The expanded uncertainties of the critical parameters were estimated to be less than 13 mK, 1.4 kPa, and 2.3 \\hbox {kg} \\cdot \\hbox {m}^{-3}, respectively. These values are the first reported for HFO-1354mzy(E) and are necessary for the development of its equation of state in the near future.

Periodicity effects on compound waves guided by a thin metal slab sandwiched between two periodically nonhomogeneous dielectric materials

Science.gov (United States)

Chiadini, Francesco; Fiumara, Vincenzo; Scaglione, Antonio; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

2017-10-01

Surface-plasmon-polariton waves can be compounded when a sufficiently thin metal layer is sandwiched between two half spaces filled with dissimilar periodically nonhomogeneous dielectric materials. We solved the boundary-value problem for compound waves guided by a layer of a homogeneous and isotropic metal sandwiched between a structurally chiral material (SCM) and a periodically multilayered isotropic dielectric (PMLID) material. We found that the periodicities of the PMLID material and the SCM are crucial to excite a multiplicity of compound guided waves arising from strong coupling between the two interfaces.

Enhanced polarization and dielectric properties of Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, N.; Kumar, Ashok; Katiyar, R. S.

2008-10-01

We report the fabrication of PbZr0.57Ti0.43O3 (PZT) thin films with preferential growth along (111) and random crystalline orientation on the platinized silicon substrates using pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray diffraction patterns and surface morphology indicate increase in grain size and nucleation, which support better perovskite matrix with increase in annealing temperature. We observed large dielectric constant (˜4000) and enhanced remanent polarization 70 μC/cm2 at room temperature attributed to grain growth and intermetallic Pt-Pb transient phase. Frequency dependent polarization showed minor reduction in polarization above 10 kHz frequencies. Normalized fatigue characteristic of PZT thin films showed minimal 25% degradation in remanent polarization after 109 cycles, which may be useful for memory devices. ac conductivity spectra illustrated that anomaly near the phase transition temperature with activation energy (Ea˜0.60-0.75 eV) supports the intrinsic nature of ferroelectric phase transition.

Improvement of dielectric properties of BLT thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besland, M P; Barroy, P R J; Richard-Plouet, M; Tessier, P Y; Brohan, L; Djouadi, M A; Borderon, C; Tacon, S Le; Averty, D; Gundel, H W

2008-01-01

Well crystallized BLT thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering using a target of Aurivillius phase Bi 3.25 La 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT 0,75 ), elaborated in our institute. RF sputtering experiments were performed at room temperature with an argon/oxygen mixture, in a pressure range of 20-50 mTorr. Optimisation of the plasma parameters, namely deposition pressure, RF power and oxygen content in the gas phase, allows obtaining BLT films with a chemical composition close to Bi 3.25 La 0.75 Ti 3 O 12 . After ex-situ annealing under oxygen atmosphere at 650 deg. C, BLT films deposited on Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 /Si (multilayer) substrates exhibit well defined rod-like grains morphology. A two step deposition process appeared to be necessary in order to reach satisfying dielectric properties. The effect of the plasma parameters on the chemical composition and electrical properties are presented and discussed

Experimental Investigation of an X-Band Tunable Dielectric Accelerating Structure

CERN Document Server

Kanareykin, Alex; Karmanenko, Sergei F; Nenasheva, Elisaveta; Power, John G; Schoessow, Paul; Semenov, Alexei

2005-01-01

Experimental study of a new scheme to tune the resonant frequency for dielectric based accelerating structure (driven either by the wakefield of a beam or an external rf source) is underway. The structure consists of a single layer of conventional dielectric surrounded by a very thin layer of ferroelectric material situated on the outside. Carefully designed electrodes are attached to a thin layer of ferroelectric material. A DC bias can be applied to the electrodes to change the permittivity of the ferroelectric layer and therefore, the dielectric overall resonant frequency can be tuned. In this paper, we present the test results for an 11.424 GHz rectangular DLA prototype structure that the ferroelectric material's dielectric constant of 500 and show that a frequency tuning range of 2% can be achieved. If successful, this scheme would compensate for structure errors caused by ceramic waveguide machining tolerances and dielectric constant heterogeneity.

Tungsten trioxide as high-{kappa} gate dielectric for highly transparent and temperature-stable zinc-oxide-based thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenz, Michael; Wenckstern, Holger von; Grundmann, Marius [Universitaet Leipzig, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Geowissenschaften, Institut fuer Experimentelle Physik II, Linnestr. 5, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2012-07-01

We demonstrate metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors with high-{kappa}, room-temperature deposited, highly transparent tungsten trioxide (WO{sub 3}) as gate dielectric. The channel material consists of a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film. The transmittance and resistivity of WO{sub 3} films was tuned in order to obtain a highly transparent and insulating WO{sub 3} dielectric. The devices were processed by standard photolithography using lift-off technique. On top of the WO{sub 3} dielectric a highly transparent and conductive oxide consisting of ZnO: Al 3% wt. was deposited. The gate structure of the devices exhibits an average transmittance in the visible spectral range of 86%. The on/off-current ratio is larger than 10{sup 8} with off- and gate leakage-currents below 3 x 10{sup -8} A/cm{sup 2}. Due to the high relative permittivity of {epsilon}{sub r} {approx} 70, a gate voltage sweep of only 2 V is necessary to turn the transistor on and off with a minimum subthreshold swing of 80 mV/decade. The channel mobility of the transistors equals the Hall-effect mobility with a value of 5 cm{sup 2}/Vs. It is furthermore shown, that the devices are stable up to operating temperatures of at least 150 C.

Structural and magneto-dielectric property of (1-x)SBT-xLSMO nanocomposite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maity, Sarmistha; Bhattacharya, D.; Dhar, A.; Ray, S.K.

2009-01-01

Full text: In recent years, interest in multiferroic materials has been increasing due to their potential applications. As single-phase multiferroic materials have very low room temperature magnetoelectric coefficient, recent studies have been concentrated on the possibility of attaining a coupling between the two order parameters by designing composites with magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases via stress mediation. Composite thin films with homogenous matrix, composition spread with terminal layers being ferromagnetic and ferroelectric, layer-by-layer growth, superlattices, as well as epitaxial growth of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric layers on suitable substrates are been currently considered. In the present work, a nanostructured composite thin film of strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) (ferroelectric layer) and lanthanum strontium manganese oxide (LSMO) (ferromagnetic layer) were fabricated using pulsed laser deposition. Phase separated multiferroic thin films with thickness varying from 50nm to 150nm were deposited from composite target (1-x)SBT-xLSMO with x=0.2, 0.5, 0.8. Grazing angle X-ray diffraction study combined with photo electron spectroscopy with depth profiling was carried out to study the phase separation. Interface quality of the thin film on silicon substrate was studied by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Influence of film thickness and composition (x) on the electrical property of film was examined using impedance spectroscopy. The composite films exhibited ferroelectric as well as ferromagnetic characteristics at room temperature. A small kink in the dielectric spectra near the Neel temperature of LSMO confirmed the magneto-electric effect in the nanocomposite films

Properties of SrBi sub 2 Nb sub 2 O sub 9 thin films on Pt-coated Si

CERN Document Server

Avila, R E; Martin, V D C; Fernandez, L M; Sylvester, G S; Retuert, P J; Gramsch, E

2002-01-01

SrBi sub 2 Nb sub 2 O sub 9 powders and thin films, on Pt-coated Si, were synthesised by the sol-gel method. Three-layer thin films appear homogeneous down to the 100 nm scale, polycrystalline in the tetragonal Aurivillius phase, at a average thickness of 40 nm per layer. The index of refraction at the center of the visible range increases with the sintering temperature from roughly 2.1 (at 400 Centigrade) to 2.5 (at 700 Centigrade). The expression n sup 2 -1 increases linearly with the relative density of the thin films, in similar fashion as previous studies in PbTiO sub 3 thin films. The dielectric constant in quasistatic and high frequency (1 MHz) modes, is between 160 and 230. (Author)

A Numerical Study of Spray Characteristics in Medium Speed Engine Fueled by Different HFO/n-Butanol Blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hashem Nowruzi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, nonreacting and nonevaporating spray characteristics of heavy fuel oil (HFO/n-butanol blends are numerically investigated under two different high pressure injections in medium speed engines. An Eulerian-Lagrangian multiphase scheme is used to simulate blend of C14H30 as HFO and 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by volume of n-butanol. OpenFOAM CFD toolbox is modified and implemented to study the effect of different blends of HFO/n-butanol on the spray characteristics at 600 and 1000 bar. To validate the presented simulations, current numerical results are compared against existing experimental data and good compliance is achieved. Based on the numerical findings, addition of n-butanol to HFO increases the particles volume in parcels at 600 bar. It was also found that blend fuels increase the number of spray particles and the average velocity of spray compared to pure HFO. Moreover, under injection pressure of 1000 bar, HFO/n-butanol blends compared to pure HFO fuel decrease particles volume in parcels of spray. Another influence of HFO/n-butanol blends is the decrease in average of particles diameter in parcels. Meanwhile, the effect of HFO/n-butanol on spray length is proved to be negligible. Finally, it can be concluded that higher injection pressure improves the spray efficiency.

Redefinition of the self-bias voltage in a dielectrically shielded thin sheath RF discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Teck Seng; Charles, Christine; Boswell, Rod

2018-05-01

In a geometrically asymmetric capacitively coupled discharge where the powered electrode is shielded from the plasma by a layer of dielectric material, the self-bias manifests as a nonuniform negative charging in the dielectric rather than on the blocking capacitor. In the thin sheath regime where the ion transit time across the powered sheath is on the order of or less than the Radiofrequency (RF) period, the plasma potential is observed to respond asymmetrically to extraneous impedances in the RF circuit. Consequently, the RF waveform on the plasma-facing surface of the dielectric is unknown, and the behaviour of the powered sheath is not easily predictable. Sheath circuit models become inadequate for describing this class of discharges, and a comprehensive fluid, electrical, and plasma numerical model is employed to accurately quantify this behaviour. The traditional definition of the self-bias voltage as the mean of the RF waveform is shown to be erroneous in this regime. Instead, using the maxima of the RF waveform provides a more rigorous definition given its correlation with the ion dynamics in the powered sheath. This is supported by a RF circuit model derived from the computational fluid dynamics and plasma simulations.

Analysis of mobile ionic impurities in polyvinylalcohol thin films by thermal discharge current and dielectric impedance spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Egginger

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Polyvinylalcohol (PVA is a water soluble polymer frequently applied in the field of organic electronics for insulating thin film layers. By-products of PVA synthesis are sodium acetate ions which contaminate the polymer material and can impinge on the electronic performance when applied as interlayer dielectrics in thin film transistors. Uncontrollable voltage instabilities and unwanted hysteresis effects are regularly reported with PVA devices. An understanding of these effects require knowledge about the electronic dynamics of the ionic impurities and their influence on the dielectric properties of PVA. Respective data, which are largely unknown, are being presented in this work. Experimental investigations were performed from room temperature to 125°C on drop-cast PVA films of three different quality grades. Data from thermal discharge current (TDC measurements, polarization experiments, and dielectric impedance spectroscopy concurrently show evidence of mobile ionic carriers. Results from TDC measurements indicate the existence of an intrinsic, build-in electric field of pristine PVA films. The field is caused by asymmetric ionic double layer formation at the two different film-interfaces (substrate/PVA and PVA/air. The mobile ions cause strong electrode polarization effects which dominate dielectric impedance spectra. From a quantitative electrode polarization analysis of isothermal impedance spectra temperature dependent values for the concentration, the mobility and conductivity together with characteristic relaxation times of the mobile carriers are given. Also shown are temperature dependent results for the dc-permittivity and the electronic resistivity. The obtained results demonstrate the feasibility to partly remove contaminants from a PVA solution by dialysis cleaning. Such a cleaning procedure reduces the values of ion concentration, conductivity and relaxation frequency.

High Dielectric Performance of Solution-Processed Aluminum Oxide-Boron Nitride Composite Films

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Byoung-Soo; Ha, Tae-Jun

2018-04-01

The material compositions of oxide films have been extensively investigated in an effort to improve the electrical characteristics of dielectrics which have been utilized in various electronic devices such as field-effect transistors, and storage capacitors. Significantly, solution-based compositions have attracted considerable attention as a highly effective and practical technique to replace vacuum-based process in large-area. Here, we demonstrate solution-processed composite films consisting of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and boron nitride (BN), which exhibit remarkable dielectric properties through the optimization process. The leakage current of the optimized Al2O3-BN thin films was decreased by a factor of 100 at 3V, compared to pristine Al2O3 thin film without a loss of the dielectric constant or degradation of the morphological roughness. The characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed that the incorporation of BN with an optimized concentration into the Al2O3 dielectric film reduced the density of oxygen vacancies which act as defect states, thereby improving the dielectric characteristics.

HFO operation with CR injection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poensgen, Christian [MAN-Diesel und Turbo SE, Augsburg (Germany)

2011-07-01

In 1996 MAN Diesel and Turbo SE started the development of a CR-system for medium speed engines for HFO operation up to fuel viscosity of 700 cSt. 2004 the first field test engine, a 7L 32/40 GenSet was put into service as a retrofit and collected up to now more than 20.000 running hours operated on HFO on a large container vessel. Meanwhile several L32/40 CR GenSets, L32/44 CR, V48/60 CR and L21/31 CR engines collected more than 100000 running hours in HFO operation before MAN Diesel started up the serial production of the new 32/44 CR and 48/60 CR engines. All of these engines are still in service. The paper will give an overview about the field experience and countermeasures which were necessary to develop a reliable product which fulfills the customers' demands concerning low fuel oil consumption, invisible smoke over the whole load range, low emission levels and maintenance costs. The experience was made in a wide range of applications such as GenSet, Cruise Vessel main propulsion and ferry main propulsion running 24h/day. The field test engines reached an availability of more than 90% per year. The paper also will point out the win/win situation for the the manufacturer and customer to participate in the development of the CR technology. For customers satisfaction MAN Diesel provides help for easy handling like online access per satellite connection, easy leakage detection and operator training at site or at the new built academies. The flexibility of the CR-system is the base frame for the future development of engines which fulfills IMO TIER II and IMO TIER III with high efficiency. The necessary reliability, a must, has been proven in the field under real conditions. (orig.)

Preferential growth and enhanced dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Xiaohong; Ren Yinjuan; Zhang Caiyun; Zhu Jiliang; Zhu Jianguo; Xiao Dingquan; Defaÿ, Emmanuel; Aïd, Marc

2013-01-01

Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 TiO 3 (BST) thin films, about 100 nm in thickness, were prepared on unannealed and 700 °C-preannealed Pt bottom electrodes by the ion beam sputtering and post-deposition annealing method. It was found that the preannealed Pt layer has a more compact structure, making it not only a bottom electrode but also a good template for high-quality BST thin film growth. The BST films deposited on preannealed Pt bottom electrodes showed (0 0 l)-preferred orientation, dense and uniform microstructure with no intermediate phase formed at the film/electrode interface, and thus enhanced dielectric properties. As a result, the typical relative dielectric constant and tunability (under a dc electric field of 1 MV cm −1 ) reach 180 and 50.1%, respectively, for the BST thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrodes, which are significantly higher than those (166 and 41.3%, respectively) for the BST thin films deposited on unannealed Pt bottom electrodes. (paper)

Preferential growth and enhanced dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaohong; Defaÿ, Emmanuel; Aïd, Marc; Ren, Yinjuan; Zhang, Caiyun; Zhu, Jiliang; Zhu, Jianguo; Xiao, Dingquan

2013-03-01

Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thin films, about 100 nm in thickness, were prepared on unannealed and 700 °C-preannealed Pt bottom electrodes by the ion beam sputtering and post-deposition annealing method. It was found that the preannealed Pt layer has a more compact structure, making it not only a bottom electrode but also a good template for high-quality BST thin film growth. The BST films deposited on preannealed Pt bottom electrodes showed (0 0 l)-preferred orientation, dense and uniform microstructure with no intermediate phase formed at the film/electrode interface, and thus enhanced dielectric properties. As a result, the typical relative dielectric constant and tunability (under a dc electric field of 1 MV cm-1) reach 180 and 50.1%, respectively, for the BST thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrodes, which are significantly higher than those (166 and 41.3%, respectively) for the BST thin films deposited on unannealed Pt bottom electrodes.

Effect of an Interfacial Layer on Electron Tunneling through Atomically Thin Al2O3 Tunnel Barriers.