A flexible Li-ion battery with design towards electrodes electrical insulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, E. M. F.; Ribeiro, J. F.; Sousa, R.; Correia, J. H.; Goncalves, L. M.

2016-08-01

The application of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology in several consumer electronics leads to the development of micro/nano power sources with high power and MEMS integration possibility. This work presents the fabrication of a flexible solid-state Li-ion battery (LIB) (~2.1 μm thick) with a design towards electrodes electrical insulation, using conventional, low cost and compatible MEMS fabrication processes. Kapton® substrate provides flexibility to the battery. E-beam deposited 300 nm thick Ge anode was coupled with LiCoO2/LiPON (cathode/solid-state electrolyte) in a battery system. LiCoO2 and LiPON films were deposited by RF-sputtering with a power source of 120 W and 100 W, respectively. LiCoO2 film was annealed at 400 °C after deposition. The new design includes Si3N4 and LiPO thin-films, providing electrode electrical insulation and a battery chemical stability safeguard, respectively. Microstructure and battery performance were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, electric resistivity and electrochemical measurements (open circuit potential, charge/discharge cycles and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). A rechargeable thin-film and lightweight flexible LIB using MEMS processing compatible materials and techniques is reported.

Study on Ferroelectric Thick Film Insulator Sleeve On Plasma Focus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sylvester, Gustavo; Silva, Patricio; Moreno, Jose

The effect of ferroelectric lead germanate Pb5Ge3O11 (PGO) thick film in the alumina insulator sleeve of the 400 Joule Mather-type plasma focus device, PF-400J is studied. The breakdown phase along the insulator is fundamental for the formation of a homogeneous and symmetric current sheath, that is essential for a good plasma pinching, high neutron yield and X-ray emissions. For over several hundreds of electrical discharges, the films show good mechanical and electric performance. From the beginning the operating system is highly reproducible, shot to shot, with a clear definition of the plasma pinch on the axis of discharge. The grademore » of influence of the electron emission from the ferroelectric is experimentally studied.« less

Engineering Topological Surface State of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 under external electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jian-Min; Lian, Ruqian; Yang, Yanmin; Xu, Guigui; Zhong, Kehua; Huang, Zhigao

2017-03-01

External electric field control of topological surface states (SSs) is significant for the next generation of condensed matter research and topological quantum devices. Here, we present a first-principles study of the SSs in the magnetic topological insulator (MTI) Cr-doped Bi2Se3 under external electric field. The charge transfer, electric potential, band structure and magnetism of the pure and Cr doped Bi2Se3 film have been investigated. It is found that the competition between charge transfer and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) will lead to an electrically tunable band gap in Bi2Se3 film under external electric field. As Cr atom doped, the charge transfer of Bi2Se3 film under external electric field obviously decreases. Remarkably, the band gap of Cr doped Bi2Se3 film can be greatly engineered by the external electric field due to its special band structure. Furthermore, magnetic coupling of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 could be even mediated via the control of electric field. It is demonstrated that external electric field plays an important role on the electronic and magnetic properties of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 film. Our results may promote the development of electronic and spintronic applications of magnetic topological insulator.

Transport in ultrathin gold films decorated with magnetic Gd atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alemani, Micol; Helgren, Erik; Hugel, Addison; Hellman, Frances

2008-03-01

We have performed four-probe transport measurements of ultrathin Au films decorated with Gd ad-atoms. The samples were prepared by quench condensation, i.e., sequential evaporation on a cryogenically cooled substrate under UHV conditions while monitoring the film thickness and resistance. Electrically continuous Au films at thickness of about 2 mono-layers of material are grown on an amorphous Ge wetting layer. The quench condensation method provides a sensitive control on the sample growth process, allowing us to tune the morphological and electrical configuration of the system. The ultrathin gold films develop from an insulating to a metallic state as a function of film thickness. The temperature dependence of the Au conductivity for different thickness is studied. It evolves from hopping transport for the insulating films, to a ln T dependence for thicker films. For gold films in the insulating regime we found a decreasing resistance by adding Gd. This is in agreement with a decreasing tunneling barrier height between metallic atoms. The Gd magnetic moments are randomly oriented for isolated atoms. This magnetic disorder leads to scattering of the charge carriers and a reduced conductivity compared to nonmagnetic materials.

Electric-field driven insulator-metal transition and tunable magnetoresistance in ZnO thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Le; Chen, Shanshan; Chen, Xiangyang; Ye, Zhizhen; Zhu, Liping

2018-04-01

Electrical control of the multistate phase in semiconductors offers the promise of nonvolatile functionality in the future semiconductor spintronics. Here, by applying an external electric field, we have observed a gate-induced insulator-metal transition (MIT) with the temperature dependence of resistivity in ZnO thin films. Due to a high-density carrier accumulation, we have shown the ability to inverse change magnetoresistance in ZnO by ionic liquid gating from 10% to -2.5%. The evolution of photoluminescence under gate voltage was also consistent with the MIT, which is due to the reduction of dislocation. Our in-situ gate-controlled photoluminescence, insulator-metal transition, and the conversion of magnetoresistance open up opportunities in searching for quantum materials and ZnO based photoelectric devices.

UV light induced insulator-metal transition in ultra-thin ZnO/TiOx stacked layer grown by atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, D.; Misra, P.; Joshi, M. P.; Kukreja, L. M.

2016-08-01

In the present study, atomic layer deposition has been used to grow a series of Ti incorporated ZnO thin films by vertically stacking different numbers (n = 1-7) of ZnO/TiOx layers on (0001) sapphire substrates. The effects of defect states mediated chemisorption of O2 and/OH groups on the electrical properties of these films have been investigated by illuminating the samples under UV light inside a high vacuum optical cryostat. The ultra-thin film having one stacked layer (n = 1) did not show any change in its electrical resistance upon UV light exposure. On the contrary, marginal drop in the electrical resistivity was measured for the samples with n ≥ 3. Most surprisingly, the sample with n = 2 (thickness ˜ 12 nm) showed an insulator to metal transition upon UV light exposure. The temperature dependent electrical resistivity measurement on the as grown film (n = 2) showed insulating behaviour, i.e., diverging resistivity on extrapolation to T→ 0 K. However, upon UV light exposure, it transformed to a metallic state, i.e., finite resistivity at T → 0 K. Such an insulator-metal transition plausibly arises due to the de-trapping of conduction electrons from the surface defect sites which resulted in an upward shift of the Fermi level above the mobility edge. The low-temperature electron transport properties on the insulating film (n = 2) were investigated by a combined study of zero field electrical resistivity ρ(T) and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. The observed negative MR was found to be in good agreement with the magnetic field induced suppression of quantum interference between forward-going paths of tunnelling electrons. Both ρ(T) and MR measurements provided strong evidence for the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction in the low-temperature (≤40 K) regime. Such studies on electron transport in ultra-thin n-type doped ZnO films are crucial to achieve optimum functionality with long term reliability of ZnO based transparent conducting oxides.

Formation of Fe2SiO4 thin films on Si substrates and influence of substrate to its thermoelectric transport properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jeongyong; Nguyen, Van Quang; Duong, Van Thiet; Shin, Yooleemi; Duong, Anh Tuan; Cho, Sunglae

2018-03-01

Fe2SiO4 thin films have been grown on n-type, p-type and semi-insulating Si(100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. When Fe-O thin films were deposited on Si(100) substrate at 300 °C, the film reacted with Si, resulting in a Fe2SiO4 film because of the high reactivity between Fe and Si. The electrical resistance and Seebeck coefficient of Fe2SiO4 thin films grown were different in different doping states. On n-type and p-type Si(100), the electrical resistance decreased suddenly and increased again at 350 and 250 K, respectively, while on semi-insulating Si(100), it exhibited typical semiconducting resistance behavior. We observed similar crossovers at 350 and 250 K in temperature dependent Seebeck coefficients on n-type and p-type Si(100), respectively. These results suggest that the measured electrical and thermoelectric properties originate from Si substrate.

Insulator coating for high temperature alloys method for producing insulator coating for high temperature alloys

DOEpatents

Park, J.H.

1998-06-23

A method for fabricating an electrically insulating coating on a surface is disclosed comprising coating the surface with a metal, and reacting the metal coated surface with a nonmetal so as to create a film on the metal-coated surface. Alternatively, the invention provides for a method for producing a noncorrosive, electrically insulating coating on a surface saturated with a nonmetal comprising supplying a molten fluid, dissolving a metal in the molten fluid to create a mixture, and contacting the mixture with the saturated surface. Lastly, the invention provides an electrically insulative coating comprising an underlying structural substrate coated with an oxide or nitride compound. 2 figs.

The mechanical stability of polyimide films at high pH

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croall, Catharine I.; St.clair, Terry L.

1990-01-01

Polyimide insulated electrical wire has been widely used in the aerospace industry in commercial, military, and to a lesser degree, general aviation aircraft since the early 1970s. Wiring failures linked to insulation damage have drawn much attention in the media and concerns have developed regarding the long term stability and safety of polyimide insulated electrical wire. The mechanical durability and chemical stability of polyimide insulated wire are affected by hydrolysis, notch propagation, wet and dry arc tracking, topcoat flaking, and degradation due to high pH fluids. Several polyimides were selected for evaluation for resistance to degradation by various aqueous alkaline solutions. The polyimides under evaluation include commercially available films such as KAPTON (tradename), APICAL (tradename), LARC-TPI, and UPILEX (tradename) R and S, as well as a number of experimental films prepared at NASA-Langley. Material properties investigated include viscosity, solubility, moisture absorption, glass transition temperature, dielectric constant, and mechanical properties before and after exposure to various conditions.

Conformally encapsulated multi-electrode arrays with seamless insulation

DOEpatents

Tabada, Phillipe J.; Shah, Kedar G.; Tolosa, Vanessa; Pannu, Satinderall S.; Tooker, Angela; Delima, Terri; Sheth, Heeral; Felix, Sarah

2016-11-22

Thin-film multi-electrode arrays (MEA) having one or more electrically conductive beams conformally encapsulated in a seamless block of electrically insulating material, and methods of fabricating such MEAs using reproducible, microfabrication processes. One or more electrically conductive traces are formed on scaffold material that is subsequently removed to suspend the traces over a substrate by support portions of the trace beam in contact with the substrate. By encapsulating the suspended traces, either individually or together, with a single continuous layer of an electrically insulating material, a seamless block of electrically insulating material is formed that conforms to the shape of the trace beam structure, including any trace backings which provide suspension support. Electrical contacts, electrodes, or leads of the traces are exposed from the encapsulated trace beam structure by removing the substrate.

Electrical characteristics and step coverage of ZrO2 films deposited by atomic layer deposition for through-silicon via and metal-insulator-metal applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Kyeong-Keun; Park, Chan-Gyung; Kim, Deok-kee

2016-01-01

The electrical characteristics and step coverage of ZrO2 films deposited by atomic layer deposition were investigated for through-silicon via (TSV) and metal-insulator-metal applications at temperatures below 300 °C. ZrO2 films were able to be conformally deposited on the scallops of 50-µm-diameter, 100-µm-deep TSV holes. The mean breakdown field of 30-nm-thick ZrO2 films on 30-nm-thick Ta(N) increased about 41% (from 2.7 to 3.8 MV/cm) upon H2 plasma treatment. With the plasma treatment, the breakdown field of the film increased and the temperature coefficient of capacitance decreased significantly, probably as a result of the decreased carbon concentration in the film.

Flexible Thin Metal Film Thermal Sensing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomsen, Donald Laurence (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A flexible thin metal film thermal sensing system is provided. A thermally-conductive film made from a thermally-insulating material is doped with thermally-conductive material. At least one layer of electrically-conductive metal is deposited directly onto a surface of the thermally-conductive film. One or more devices are coupled to the layer(s) to measure an electrical characteristic associated therewith as an indication of temperature.

Thin film hydrogen sensor

DOEpatents

Lauf, Robert J.; Hoffheins, Barbara S.; Fleming, Pamela H.

1994-01-01

A hydrogen sensor element comprises an essentially inert, electrically-insulating substrate having a thin-film metallization deposited thereon which forms at least two resistors on the substrate. The metallization comprises a layer of Pd or a Pd alloy for sensing hydrogen and an underlying intermediate metal layer for providing enhanced adhesion of the metallization to the substrate. An essentially inert, electrically insulating, hydrogen impermeable passivation layer covers at least one of the resistors, and at least one of the resistors is left uncovered. The difference in electrical resistances of the covered resistor and the uncovered resistor is related to hydrogen concentration in a gas to which the sensor element is exposed.

Thin film hydrogen sensor

DOEpatents

Lauf, R.J.; Hoffheins, B.S.; Fleming, P.H.

1994-11-22

A hydrogen sensor element comprises an essentially inert, electrically-insulating substrate having a thin-film metallization deposited thereon which forms at least two resistors on the substrate. The metallization comprises a layer of Pd or a Pd alloy for sensing hydrogen and an underlying intermediate metal layer for providing enhanced adhesion of the metallization to the substrate. An essentially inert, electrically insulating, hydrogen impermeable passivation layer covers at least one of the resistors, and at least one of the resistors is left uncovered. The difference in electrical resistances of the covered resistor and the uncovered resistor is related to hydrogen concentration in a gas to which the sensor element is exposed. 6 figs.

Nanotechnology Support for Memristor Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

hafnium oxide; 2) investigation of a conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) approach for measuring nanoparticle electrical properties , which was...films; and 4) successful measurement of memristive properties of nanoparticle -loaded insulating films. These results lay the groundwork for follow-on...a cAFM strategy for measuring nanoparticle electrical properties . Our initial approach to measuring nanoparticles was to attempt electrical

A metal-insulator transition study of VO 2 thin films grown on sapphire substrates

DOE PAGES

Yu, Shifeng; Wang, Shuyu; Lu, Ming; ...

2017-12-15

In this paper, vanadium thin films were deposited on sapphire substrates by DC magnetron sputtering and then oxidized in a tube furnace filled with oxygen under different temperatures and oxygen flow rates. The significant influence of the oxygen flow rate and oxidation temperature on the electrical and structural properties of the vanadium oxide thin films were investigated systematically. It shows the pure vanadium dioxide (VO 2) state can only be obtained in a very narrow temperature and oxygen flow rate range. The resistivity change during the metal-insulator transition varies from 0.2 to 4 orders of magnitude depending on the oxidationmore » condition. Large thermal hysteresis during the metal-insulator phase transition was observed during the transition compared to the results in literature. Proper oxidation conditions can significantly reduce the thermal hysteresis. Finally, the fabricated VO 2 thin films showed the potential to be applied in the development of electrical sensors and other smart devices.« less

Coating of plasma polymerized film

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morita, S.; Ishibashi, S.

1980-01-01

Plasma polymerized thin film coating and the use of other coatings is suggested for passivation film, thin film used for conducting light, and solid body lubrication film of dielectrics of ultra insulators for electrical conduction, electron accessories, etc. The special features of flow discharge development and the polymerized film growth mechanism are discussed.

Low-Temperature Fabrication of Robust, Transparent, and Flexible Thin-Film Transistors with a Nanolaminated Insulator.

PubMed

Kwon, Jeong Hyun; Park, Junhong; Lee, Myung Keun; Park, Jeong Woo; Jeon, Yongmin; Shin, Jeong Bin; Nam, Minwoo; Kim, Choong-Ki; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Choi, Kyung Cheol

2018-05-09

The lack of reliable, transparent, and flexible electrodes and insulators for applications in thin-film transistors (TFTs) makes it difficult to commercialize transparent, flexible TFTs (TF-TFTs). More specifically, conventional high process temperatures and the brittleness of these elements have been hurdles in developing flexible substrates vulnerable to heat. Here, we propose electrode and insulator fabrication techniques considering process temperature, transmittance, flexibility, and environmental stability. A transparent and flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)/Ag/ITO (IAI) electrode and an Al 2 O 3 /MgO (AM)-laminated insulator were optimized at the low temperature of 70 °C for the fabrication of TF-TFTs on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The optimized IAI electrode with a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq exhibited the luminous transmittance of 85.17% and maintained its electrical conductivity after exposure to damp heat conditions because of an environmentally stable ITO capping layer. In addition, the electrical conductivity of IAI was maintained after 10 000 bending cycles with a tensile strain of 3% because of the ductile Ag film. In the metal/insulator/metal structure, the insulating and mechanical properties of the optimized AM-laminated film deposited at 70 °C were significantly improved because of the highly dense nanolaminate system, compared to those of the Al 2 O 3 film deposited at 70 °C. In addition, the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) was used as the active channel for TF-TFTs because of its excellent chemical stability. In the environmental stability test, the ITO, a-IGZO, and AM-laminated films showed the excellent environmental stability. Therefore, our IGZO-based TFT with IAI electrodes and the 70 °C AM-laminated insulator was fabricated to evaluate robustness, transparency, flexibility, and process temperature, resulting in transfer characteristics comparable to those of an IGZO-based TFT with a 150 °C Al 2 O 3 insulator.

Characterizing the structure of topological insulator thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richardella, Anthony; Kandala, Abhinav; Lee, Joon Sue

2015-08-01

We describe the characterization of structural defects that occur during molecular beam epitaxy of topological insulator thin films on commonly used substrates. Twinned domains are ubiquitous but can be reduced by growth on smooth InP (111)A substrates, depending on details of the oxide desorption. Even with a low density of twins, the lattice mismatch between (Bi, Sb){sub 2}Te{sub 3} and InP can cause tilts in the film with respect to the substrate. We also briefly discuss transport in simultaneously top and back electrically gated devices using SrTiO{sub 3} and the use of capping layers to protect topological insulator films frommore » oxidation and exposure.« less

Metal-insulator transition in tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films: Quantum correction to the electrical conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushik, Deepak Kumar; Kumar, K. Uday; Subrahmanyam, A.

2017-01-01

Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films are being used extensively as transparent conductors in several applications. In the present communication, we report the electrical transport in DC magnetron sputtered ITO thin films (prepared at 300 K and subsequently annealed at 673 K in vacuum for 60 minutes) in low temperatures (25-300 K). The low temperature Hall effect and resistivity measurements reveal that the ITO thin films are moderately dis-ordered (kFl˜1; kF is the Fermi wave vector and l is the electron mean free path) and degenerate semiconductors. The transport of charge carriers (electrons) in these disordered ITO thin films takes place via the de-localized states. The disorder effects lead to the well-known `metal-insulator transition' (MIT) which is observed at 110 K in these ITO thin films. The MIT in ITO thin films is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity (QCC); this approach is based on the inclusion of quantum-mechanical interference effects in Boltzmann's expression of the conductivity of the disordered systems. The insulating behaviour observed in ITO thin films below the MIT temperature is attributed to the combined effect of the weak localization and the electron-electron interactions.

Printable Top-Gate-Type Polymer Light-Emitting Transistors with Surfaces of Amorphous Fluoropolymer Insulators Modified by Vacuum Ultraviolet Light Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajii, Hirotake; Terashima, Daiki; Kusumoto, Yusuke; Ikezoe, Ikuya; Ohmori, Yutaka

2013-04-01

We investigated the fabrication and electrical and optical properties of top-gate-type polymer light-emitting transistors with the surfaces of amorphous fluoropolymer insulators, CYTOP (Asahi Glass) modified by vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV) treatment. The surface energy of CYTOP, which has a good solution barrier property was increased by VUV irradiation, and the gate electrode was fabricated by solution processing on the CYTOP film using the Ag nano-ink. The influence of VUV irradiation on the optical properties of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) films with various gate insulators was investigated to clarify the passivation effect of gate insulators. It was found that the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film prevented the degradation of the F8BT layer under VUV irradiation because the PMMA film can absorb VUV. The solution-processed F8BT device with multilayer PMMA/CYTOP insulators utilizing a gate electrode fabricated using the Ag nano-ink exhibited both the ambipolar characteristics and yellow-green emission.

Direct Fabrication of Inkjet-Printed Dielectric Film for Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Cheng-Lin; Kao, Hsuan-ling; Wu, Yung-Hsien; Chang, Li-Chun; Cheng, Chun-Hu

2018-01-01

In this study, an inkjet-printed dielectric film that used a polymer-based SU-8 ink was fabricated for use in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor. Thermal treatment of the inkjet-printed SU-8 polymer film affected its surface morphology, chemical structure, and surface wettability. A 20-min soft-bake at 60°C was applied to eliminate inkjet-printed bubbles and ripples. The ultraviolet-exposed SU-8 polymer film was crosslinked at temperatures between 120°C and 220°C and became disordered at 270°C, demonstrated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. A maximum SU-8 polymer film hard-bake temperature of 120°C was identified, and a printing process was subsequently employed because the appropriate water contact angle of the printed film was 79°. Under the appropriate inkjet printing conditions, the two-transmission-line method was used to extract the dielectric and electrical properties of the SU-8 polymer film, and the electrical behavior of the fabricated MIM capacitor was also characterized.

Electric-field induced spin accumulation in the Landau level states of topological insulator thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siu, Zhuo Bin; Chowdhury, Debashree; Basu, Banasri; Jalil, Mansoor B. A.

2017-08-01

A topological insulator (TI) thin film differs from the more typically studied thick TI system in that the former has both a top and a bottom surface where the states localized at both surfaces can couple to one other across the finite thickness. An out-of-plane magnetic field leads to the formation of discrete Landau level states in the system, whereas an in-plane magnetization breaks the angular momentum symmetry of the system. In this work, we study the spin accumulation induced by the application of an in-plane electric field to the TI thin film system where the Landau level states and inter-surface coupling are simultaneously present. We show, via Kubo formula calculations, that the in-plane spin accumulation perpendicular to the magnetization due to the electric field vanishes for a TI thin film with symmetric top and bottom surfaces. A finite in-plane spin accumulation perpendicular to both the electric field and magnetization emerges upon applying either a differential magnetization coupling or a potential difference between the two film surfaces. This spin accumulation results from the breaking of the antisymmetry of the spin accumulation around the k-space equal-energy contours.

Highlights of 10th plasma chemistry meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kitamura, K.; Hashimoto, H.; Hozumi, K.

1981-01-01

The chemical structure is given of a film formed by plasma polymerization from pyridine monomers. The film has a hydrophilic chemical structure, its molecular weight is 900, and the molecular system is C55H50N10O3. The electrical characteristics of a plasma polymerized film are described. The film has good insulating properties and was successfully applied as video disc coating. Etching resistance properties make it possible to use the film as a resist in etching. The characteristics of plasma polymer formed from monomers containing tetramethyltin are discussed. The polymer is in film form, displays good adhesiveness, is similar to UV film UV 35 in light absorption and is highly insulating.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saha, D., E-mail: sahaphys@gmail.com, E-mail: pmisra@rrcat.gov.in; Misra, P., E-mail: sahaphys@gmail.com, E-mail: pmisra@rrcat.gov.in; Joshi, M. P.

In the present study, atomic layer deposition has been used to grow a series of Ti incorporated ZnO thin films by vertically stacking different numbers (n = 1–7) of ZnO/TiO{sub x} layers on (0001) sapphire substrates. The effects of defect states mediated chemisorption of O{sub 2} and/OH groups on the electrical properties of these films have been investigated by illuminating the samples under UV light inside a high vacuum optical cryostat. The ultra-thin film having one stacked layer (n = 1) did not show any change in its electrical resistance upon UV light exposure. On the contrary, marginal drop in the electrical resistivity wasmore » measured for the samples with n ≥ 3. Most surprisingly, the sample with n = 2 (thickness ∼ 12 nm) showed an insulator to metal transition upon UV light exposure. The temperature dependent electrical resistivity measurement on the as grown film (n = 2) showed insulating behaviour, i.e., diverging resistivity on extrapolation to T→ 0 K. However, upon UV light exposure, it transformed to a metallic state, i.e., finite resistivity at T → 0 K. Such an insulator-metal transition plausibly arises due to the de-trapping of conduction electrons from the surface defect sites which resulted in an upward shift of the Fermi level above the mobility edge. The low-temperature electron transport properties on the insulating film (n = 2) were investigated by a combined study of zero field electrical resistivity ρ(T) and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. The observed negative MR was found to be in good agreement with the magnetic field induced suppression of quantum interference between forward-going paths of tunnelling electrons. Both ρ(T) and MR measurements provided strong evidence for the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction in the low-temperature (≤40 K) regime. Such studies on electron transport in ultra-thin n-type doped ZnO films are crucial to achieve optimum functionality with long term reliability of ZnO based transparent conducting oxides.« less

Coaxial Electric Heaters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strekalov, Dmitry; Matsko, Andrey; Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Maleki, Lute

2008-01-01

Coaxial electric heaters have been conceived for use in highly sensitive instruments in which there are requirements for compact heaters but stray magnetic fields associated with heater electric currents would adversely affect operation. Such instruments include atomic clocks and magnetometers that utilize heated atomic-sample cells, wherein stray magnetic fields at picotesla levels could introduce systematic errors into instrument readings. A coaxial electric heater is essentially an axisymmetric coaxial cable, the outer conductor of which is deliberately made highly electrically resistive so that it can serve as a heating element. As in the cases of other axisymmetric coaxial cables, the equal magnitude electric currents flowing in opposite directions along the inner and outer conductors give rise to zero net magnetic field outside the outer conductor. Hence, a coaxial electric heater can be placed near an atomic-sample cell or other sensitive device. A coaxial electric heater can be fabricated from an insulated copper wire, the copper core of which serves as the inner conductor. For example, in one approach, the insulated wire is dipped in a colloidal graphite emulsion, then the emulsion-coated wire is dried to form a thin, uniform, highly electrically resistive film that serves as the outer conductor. Then the film is coated with a protective layer of high-temperature epoxy except at the end to be electrically connected to the power supply. Next, the insulation is stripped from the wire at that end. Finally, electrical leads from the heater power supply are attached to the exposed portions of the wire and the resistive film. The resistance of the graphite film can be tailored via its thickness. Alternatively, the film can be made from an electrically conductive paint, other than a colloidal graphite emulsion, chosen to impart the desired resistance. Yet another alternative is to tailor the resistance of a graphite film by exploiting the fact that its resistance can be changed permanently within about 10 percent by heating it to a temperature above 300 C. A coaxial heater, with electrical leads attached, that has been bent into an almost full circle for edge heating of a circular window is shown. (In the specific application, there is a requirement for a heated cell window, through which an optical beam enters the cell.)

Postfabrication annealing effects on insulator-metal transitions in VO2 thin-film devices.

PubMed

Rathi, Servin; Lee, In-yeal; Park, Jin-Hyung; Kim, Bong-Jun; Kim, Hyun-Tak; Kim, Gil-Ho

2014-11-26

In order to investigate the metal-insulator transition characteristics of VO2 devices annealed in reducing atmosphere after device fabrication at various temperature, electrical, chemical, and thermal characteristics are measured and analyzed. It is found that the sheet resistance and the insulator-metal transition point, induced by both voltage and thermal, decrease when the devices are annealed from 200 to 500 °C. The V 2p3/2 peak variation in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization verifies the reduction of thin-films. A decrease of the transition temperature from voltage hysteresis measurements further endorse the reducing effects of the annealing on VO2 thin-film.

Preparation and characterisation of crystalline tris(acetylacetonato)Fe(III) films grown on p-Si substrate for dielectric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dakhel, A. A.; Ali-Mohamed, A. Y.

2007-02-01

Thin tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III) films were prepared by sublimation in vacuum on glass and p-Si substrates. Then comprehensive studies of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption spectroscopy, AC-conductivity, and dielectric permittivity as a function of frequency and temperature have been performed. The prepared films show a polycrystalline of orthorhombic structure. The optical absorption spectrum of the film was identical with that of the bulk powder layer. For electrical measurements of the complex as insulator, sample in form of metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) structure was prepared and characterised by the measurement of the capacitance and AC-conductance as a function of gate voltage. From those measurements, the state density Dit at insulator/semiconductor interface and the density of the fixed charges in the complex film were determined. It was found that Dit was of order 1010 eV-1/cm2 and the surface charge density in the insulator film was of order 1010 cm-2. The frequency dependence of the electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of MIS structures were studied at room temperature. It was observed that the experimental data follow the correlated barrier-hopping (CBH) model, from which the fundamental absorption edge, the cut off hopping distance, and other parameters of the model were determined. It was found that the capacitance of the complex increases as temperature increases. Generally, the present study shows that the tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III) films grown on p-Si is a promising candidate for low-k dielectric applications, it displays low-k value around 2.0.

Correlation between surface morphology and electrical properties of VO2 films grown by direct thermal oxidation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Joonseok; Park, Changwoo; Park, Sungkyun; Mun, Bongjin Simon; Ju, Honglyoul

2015-10-01

We investigate surface morphology and electrical properties of VO2 films fabricated by direct thermal oxidation method. The VO2 film prepared with oxidation temperature at 580 °C exhibits excellent qualities of VO2 characteristics, e.g. a metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 67 °C, a resistivity ratio of ∼2.3 × 104, and a bandgap of 0.7 eV. The analysis of surface morphology with electrical resistivity of VO2 films reveals that the transport properties of VO2 films are closely related to the grain size and surface roughness that vary with oxidation annealing temperatures.

Leakage conduction behavior in electron-beam-cured nanoporous silicate films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Po-Tsun; Tsai, T. M.; Chang, T. C.

2005-05-01

This letter explores the application of electron-beam curing on nanoporous silicate films. The electrical conduction mechanism for the nanoporous silicate film cured by electron-beam radiation has been studied with metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors. Electrical analyses over a varying temperature range from room temperature to 150°C provide evidence for space-charge-limited conduction in the electron-beam-cured thin film, while Schottky-emission-type leaky behavior is seen in the counterpart typically cured by a thermal furnace. A physical model consistent with electrical analyses is also proposed to deduce the origin of conduction behavior in the nanoporous silicate thin film.

Harnessing the metal-insulator transition for tunable metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charipar, Nicholas A.; Charipar, Kristin M.; Kim, Heungsoo; Bingham, Nicholas S.; Suess, Ryan J.; Mathews, Scott A.; Auyeung, Raymond C. Y.; Piqué, Alberto

2017-08-01

The control of light-matter interaction through the use of subwavelength structures known as metamaterials has facilitated the ability to control electromagnetic radiation in ways not previously achievable. A plethora of passive metamaterials as well as examples of active or tunable metamaterials have been realized in recent years. However, the development of tunable metamaterials is still met with challenges due to lack of materials choices. To this end, materials that exhibit a metal-insulator transition are being explored as the active element for future metamaterials because of their characteristic abrupt change in electrical conductivity across their phase transition. The fast switching times (▵t < 100 fs) and a change in resistivity of four orders or more make vanadium dioxide (VO2) an ideal candidate for active metamaterials. It is known that the properties associated with thin film metal-insulator transition materials are strongly dependent on the growth conditions. For this work, we have studied how growth conditions (such as gas partial pressure) influence the metalinsulator transition in VO2 thin films made by pulsed laser deposition. In addition, strain engineering during the growth process has been investigated as a method to tune the metal-insulator transition temperature. Examples of both the optical and electrical transient dynamics facilitating the metal-insulator transition will be presented together with specific examples of thin film metamaterial devices.

Self Healing Coating/Film Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Summerfield, Burton; Thompson, Karen; Zeitlin, Nancy; Mullenix, Pamela; Calle, Luz; Williams, Martha

2015-01-01

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has been developing self healing materials and technologies. This project seeks to further develop self healing functionality in thin films for applications such as corrosion protective coatings, inflatable structures, space suit materials, and electrical wire insulation.

Direct observation of the lattice precursor of the metal-to-insulator transition in V2O3 thin films by surface acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kündel, J.; Pontiller, P.; Müller, C.; Obermeier, G.; Liu, Z.; Nateprov, A. A.; Hörner, A.; Wixforth, A.; Horn, S.; Tidecks, R.

2013-03-01

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line is used to study the metal-to-insulator (MI) transition of V2O3 thin films deposited on a piezoelectric LiNbO3 substrate. Effects contributing to the sound velocity shift of the SAW which are caused by elastic properties of the lattice of the V2O3 films when changing the temperature are separated from those originating from the electrical conductivity. For this purpose the electric field accompanying the elastic wave of the SAW has been shielded by growing the V2O3 film on a thin metallic Cr interlayer (coated with Cr2O3), covering the piezoelectric substrate. Thus, the recently discovered lattice precursor of the MI transition can be directly observed in the experiments, and its fine structure can be investigated.

High temperature polymer dielectric film-wire insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nairus, John G.

1994-01-01

The highlights of the program are outlined including two major accomplishments. TRW identified and demonstrated the potential of two aromatic/heterocyclic polymers to have an outstanding and superior combination of electrical, thermal, and chemical resistance properties versus state-of-the-art Kapton for spacecraft and/or aircraft dielectric insulation applications. (Supporting data is provided in tables.) Feasibility was demonstrated for supporting/enabling technologies such as ceramic coatings, continuous film casting, and conductor wire wrapping, which are designed to accelerate qualification and deployment of the new wire insulation materials for USAF systems applications during the mid- to late-1990's.

Characterization of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers and their use in metal-insulator-metal tunnel devices.

PubMed

Sharma, Saumya; Khawaja, Mohamad; Ram, Manoj K; Goswami, D Yogi; Stefanakos, Elias

2014-01-01

The characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett thin films of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PDA) and their use in metal-insulator-metal (MIM) devices were studied. The Langmuir monolayer behavior of the PDA film was studied at the air/water interface using surface tension-area isotherms of polymeric and monomeric PDA. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB, vertical deposition) and Langmuir-Schaefer (LS, horizontal deposition) techniques were used to deposit the PDA film on various substrates (glass, quartz, silicon, and nickel-coated film on glass). The electrochemical, electrical and optical properties of the LB and LS PDA films were studied using cyclic voltammetry, current-voltage characteristics (I-V), and UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopies. Atomic force microscopy measurements were performed in order to analyze the surface morphology and roughness of the films. A MIM tunnel diode was fabricated using a PDA monolayer assembly as the insulating barrier, which was sandwiched between two nickel layers. The precise control of the thickness of the insulating monolayers proved critical for electron tunneling to take place in the MIM structure. The current-voltage characteristics of the MIM diode revealed tunneling behavior in the fabricated Ni-PDA LB film-Ni structures.

Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pergolesi, Daniele; Roddatis, Vladimir; Fabbri, Emiliana; Schneider, Christof W.; Lippert, Thomas; Traversa, Enrico; Kilner, John A.

2015-02-01

Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used to probe the effect of strain on the oxygen ion migration in oxide materials. For the purpose of these investigations a good lattice matching between the film and the substrate is required to promote the ordered film growth. Moreover, the substrate should be a good electrical insulator at high temperature to allow a reliable electrical characterization of the deposited film. Here we report the fabrication of an epitaxial heterostructure made with a double buffer layer of BaZrO3 and SrTiO3 grown on MgO substrates that fulfills both requirements. Based on such template platform, highly ordered (001) epitaxially oriented thin films of 15% Sm-doped CeO2 and 8 mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 are grown. Bulk conductivities as well as activation energies are measured for both materials, confirming the success of the approach. The reported insulating template platform promises potential application also for the electrical characterization of other novel electrolyte materials that still need a thorough understanding of their ionic conductivity.

Thickness dependent properties of CMR Manganite thin films on lattice mismatched substrates: Distinguishing Strain and Interface Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, Anthony, III; Kolagani, Rajeswari; Bacharova, Ellisaveta; Yong, Grace; Smolyaninova, Vera; Schaefer, David; Mundle, Rajeh

2007-03-01

Epitaxial thin films of CMR manganite materials have been known to show thickness dependent electrical and magnetic properties on lattice mismatched substrates. Below a critical thickness, insulator-metal transition is suppressed. These effects have been largely attributed to the role of bi-axial lattice mismatch strain. Our recent results of epitaxial thin films of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) on two substrates with varying degrees of compressive lattice mismatch indicate that, in addition to the effect of lattice mismatch strain, the thickness dependence of the properties are influenced by other factors possibly related to the nature of the film substrate interface and defects such as twin boundaries. We have compared the properties of LCMO films on (100) oriented LaAlO3 and (001) oriented NdCaAlO4 both of which induce compressive bi-axial strain. Interestingly, the suppression of the insulator-metal transition is less in films on NCAO which has a larger lattice mismatch. We will present results correlating the electrical and magneto transport properties with the structure and morphology of the films.

Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

DOEpatents

Albright, S.P.; Chamberlin, R.

1997-10-07

Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells. 13 figs.

Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

DOEpatents

Albright, Scot P.; Chamberlin, Rhodes

1999-02-09

Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells.

Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

DOEpatents

Albright, S.P.; Chamberlin, R.

1999-02-09

Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells. 13 figs.

Thin film photovoltaic device and process of manufacture

DOEpatents

Albright, Scot P.; Chamberlin, Rhodes

1997-10-07

Provided is a thin film photovoltaic device and a method of manufacturing the device. The thin film photovoltaic device comprises a film layer having particles which are smaller than about 30 microns in size held in an electrically insulating matrix material to reduce the potential for electrical shorting through the film layer. The film layer may be provided by depositing preformed particles onto a surrogate substrate and binding the particles in a film-forming matrix material to form a flexible sheet with the film layer. The flexible sheet may be separated from the surrogate substrate and cut into flexible strips. A plurality of the flexible strips may be located adjacent to and supported by a common supporting substrate to form a photovoltaic module having a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells.

The mechanical properties of polyimide films after exposure to high pH

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croall, Catharine I.; St.clair, Terry L.

1992-01-01

Wiring failures linked to insulation damage have drawn much attention in the aerospace industry and concerns have developed regarding the stability and safety of polyimide insulated electrical wire. Several polyimides were selected for evaluation for resistance to degradation by various aqueous alkaline solutions. The polyimides under evaluation include commercially available films such as Kapton (tk), Apical (tk), LaRC(tk)-TPI, and Upilex(tk)R and S, as well as a number of experimental films prepared by NASA Langley. Thermally imidized films were studied for their retention of mechanical properties after exposure to high pH solutions under stressed conditions.

Investigation of electron beam lithography effects on metal-insulator transition behavior of vanadium dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuce, H.; Alaboz, H.; Demirhan, Y.; Ozdemir, M.; Ozyuzer, L.; Aygun, G.

2017-11-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) shows metal-insulator phase transition at nearly 68 °C. This metal-insulator transition (MIT) in VO2 leads to a significant change in near-infrared transmittance and an abrupt change in the resistivity of VO2. Due to these characteristics, VO2 plays an important role on optic and electronic devices, such as thermochromic windows, meta-materials with tunable frequency, uncooled bolometers and switching devices. In this work, VO2 thin films were fabricated by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering in O2/Ar atmosphere on sapphire substrates without any further post annealing processes. The effect of sputtering parameters on optical characteristics and structural properties of grown thin films was investigated by SEM, XRD, Raman and UV/VIS spectrophotometer measurements. Patterning process of VO2 thin films was realized by e-beam lithography technique to monitor the temperature dependent electrical characterization. Electrical properties of VO2 samples were characterized using microprobe station in a vacuum system. MIT with hysteresis behavior was observed for the unpatterned square samples at around 68 °C. By four orders of magnitude of resistivity change was measured for the deposited VO2 thin films at transition temperature. After e-beam lithography process, substantial results in patterned VO2 thin films were observed. In this stage, for patterned VO2 thin films as stripes, the change in resistivity of VO2 was reduced by a factor of 10. As a consequence of electrical resistivity measurements, MIT temperature was shifted from 68 °C to 50 °C. The influence of e-beam process on the properties of VO2 thin films and the mechanism of the effects are discussed. The presented results contribute to the achievement of VO2 based thermochromic windows and bolometer applications.

Very High Efficiency, Miniaturized, Long-Lived Alpha Particle Power Source Using Diamond Devices for Extreme Space Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolawa, Elizabeth A. (Inventor); Patel, Jagdishbhai U. (Inventor); Fleurial, Jean-Pierre (Inventor)

2004-01-01

A power source that converts a-particle energy into electricity by coulomb collision in doped diamond films is described. Alpha particle decay from curium-244 creates electron-hole pairs by free- ing electrons and holes inside the crystal lattice in N- and P-doped diamond films. Ohmic contacts provide electrical connection to an electronic device. Due to the built-in electric field at the rectifying junction across the hT- and P-doped diamond films, the free electrons are constrained to traveling in generally one direction. This one direction then supplies electrons in a manner similar to that of a battery. The radioactive curium layer may be disposed on diamond films for even distribution of a-particle radiation. The resulting power source may be mounted on a diamond substrate that serves to insulate structures below the diamond substrate from a-particle emission. Additional insulation or isolation may be provided in order to prevent damage from a-particle collision. N-doped silicon may be used instead of N-doped diamond.

Organometallic Polymeric Conductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

For aerospace applications, the use of polymers can result in tremendous weight savings over metals. Suitable polymeric materials for some applications like EMI shielding, spacecraft grounding, and charge dissipation must combine high electrical conductivity with long-term environmental stability, good processability, and good mechanical properties. Recently, other investigators have reported hybrid films made from an electrically conductive polymer combined with insulating polymers. In all of these instances, the films were prepared by infiltrating an insulating polymer with a precursor for a conductive polymer (either polypyrrole or polythiophene), and oxidatively polymerizing the precursor in situ. The resulting composite films have good electrical conductivity, while overcoming the brittleness inherent in most conductive polymers. The highest conductivities reported (approximately 4/Scm) were achieved with polythiophene in a polystyrene host polymer. The best films using a polyamide as base polymer were four orders of magnitude less conductive than the polystyrene films. The authors suggested that this was because polyimides were unable to swell sufficiently for infiltration of monomer as in the polystyrene. It was not clear, however, if the different conductivities obtained were merely the result of differing oxidation conditions. Oxidation time, temperature and oxidant concentration varied widely among the studies.

Pulsed metallic-plasma generators.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmour, A. S., Jr.; Lockwood, D. L.

1972-01-01

A pulsed metallic-plasma generator is described which utilizes a vacuum arc as the plasma source. The arc is initiated on the surface of a consumable cathode which can be any electrically conductive material. Ignition is accomplished by using a current pulse to vaporize a portion of a conductive film on the surface of an insulator separating the cathode from the ignition electrode. The film is regenerated during the ensuing arc. Over 100 million ignition cycles have been accomplished by using four 0.125-in. diameter zinc cathodes operating in parallel and high-density aluminum-oxide insulators. Among the applications being investigated for the generator are metal deposition, vacuum pumping, electric propulsion, and high-power dc arc interruption.

Electrically insulated MLI and thermal anchor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamiya, Koji; Furukawa, Masato; Murakami, Haruyuki

2014-01-29

The thermal shield of JT-60SA is kept at 80 K and will use the multilayer insulation (MLI) to reduce radiation heat load to the superconducting coils at 4.4 K from the cryostat at 300 K. Due to plasma pulse operation, the MLI is affected by eddy current in toroidal direction. The MLI is designed to suppress the current by electrically insulating every 20 degree in the toroidal direction by covering the MLI with polyimide films. In this paper, two kinds of designs for the MLI system are proposed, focusing on a way to overlap the layers. A boil-off calorimeter methodmore » and temperature measurement has been performed to determine the thermal performance of the MLI system. The design of the electrical insulated thermal anchor between the toroidal field (TF) coil and the thermal shield is also explained.« less

Conduction at domain walls in insulating Pb(Zr0.2 Ti0.8)O3 thin films.

PubMed

Guyonnet, Jill; Gaponenko, Iaroslav; Gariglio, Stefano; Paruch, Patrycja

2011-12-01

Domain wall conduction in insulating Pb(Zr(0.2) Ti(0.8))O(3) thin films is demonstrated. The observed electrical conduction currents can be clearly differentiated from displacement currents associated with ferroelectric polarization switching. The domain wall conduction, nonlinear and highly asymmetric due to the specific local probe measurement geometry, shows thermal activation at high temperatures, and high stability over time. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modification of electrical properties of silicon dioxide through intrinsic nano-patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majee, Subimal; Barshilia, Devesh; Banerjee, Debashree; Kumar, Sanjeev; Mishra, Prabhash; Akhtar, Jamil

2018-05-01

The inherent network of nanopores and voids in silicon dioxide (SiO2) is generally undesirable for aspects of film quality, electrical insulation and dielectric performance. However, if we view these pores as natural nano-patterns embedded in a dielectric matrix then that opens up new vistas for exploration. The nano-pattern platform can be used to tailor electrical, optical, magnetic and mechanical properties of the carrier film. In this article we report the tunable electrical properties of thermal SiO2 thin-film achieved through utilization of the metal-nanopore network where the pores are filled with metallic Titanium (Ti). Without any intentional chemical doping, we have shown that the electrical resistivity of the oxide film can be controlled through physical filling up of the intrinsic oxide nanopores with Ti. The electrical resistivity of the composite film remains constant even after complete removal of the metal from the film surface except the pores. Careful morphological, electrical and structural analyses are carried out to establish that the presence of Ti in the nanopores play a crucial role in the observed conductive nature of the nanoporous film.

Efficiency of thermoelectric conversion in ferroelectric film capacitive structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volpyas, V. A.; Kozyrev, A. B.; Soldatenkov, O. I.; Tepina, E. R.

2012-06-01

Thermal heating/cooling conditions for metal-insulator-metal structures based on barium strontium titanate ferroelectric films are studied by numerical methods with the aim of their application in capacitive thermoelectric converters. A correlation between the thermal and capacitive properties of thin-film ferroelectric capacitors is considered. The time of the temperature response and the rate of variation of the capacitive properties of the metal-insulator-metal structures are determined by analyzing the dynamics of thermal processes. Thermophysical calculations are carried out that take into consideration the real electrical properties of barium strontium titanate ferroelectric films and allow estimation of thermal modulation parameters and the efficiency of capacitive thermoelectric converters on their basis.

Improved reliability from a plasma-assisted metal-insulator-metal capacitor comprising a high-k HfO2 film on a flexible polyimide substrate.

PubMed

Meena, Jagan Singh; Chu, Min-Ching; Kuo, Shiao-Wei; Chang, Feng-Chih; Ko, Fu-Hsiang

2010-03-20

We have used a sol-gel spin-coating process to fabricate a new metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor comprising a 10 nm-thick high-k thin dielectric HfO(2) film on a flexible polyimide (PI) substrate. The surface morphology of this HfO(2) film was investigated using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, which confirmed that continuous and crack-free film growth had occurred on the film surface. After oxygen (O(2)) plasma pretreatment and subsequent annealing at 250 degrees C, the film on the PI substrate exhibited a low leakage current density of 3.64 x 10(-9) A cm(-2) at 5 V and a maximum capacitance density of 10.35 fF microm(-2) at 1 MHz. The as-deposited sol-gel film was completely oxidized when employing O(2) plasma at a relatively low temperature (ca. 250 degrees C), thereby enhancing the electrical performance. We employed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) at both high and low resolution to examine the chemical composition of the film subjected to various treatment conditions. The shift of the XPS peaks towards higher binding energy, revealed that O(2) plasma treatment was the most effective process for the complete oxidation of hafnium atoms at low temperature. A study of the insulator properties indicated the excellent bendability of our MIM capacitor; the flexible PI substrate could be bent up to 10(5) times and folded to near 360 degrees without any deterioration in its electrical performance.

Electroluminescence and electrical degradation of insulating polymers at electrode interfaces under divergent fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuai; Li, Qi; Hu, Jun; Zhang, Bo; He, Jinliang

2018-04-01

Electrical degradation of insulating polymers at electrode interfaces is an essential factor in determining long-term reliability. A critical challenge is that the exact mechanism of degradation is not fully understood, either experimentally or theoretically, due to the inherent complex processes. Consequently, in this study, we investigate electroluminescence (EL) at the interface of an electrode and insulator, and determine the relationship between EL and electrical degradation. Using a tip-plate electrode structure, the unique features of EL under a highly divergent field are investigated. The voltage type (alternating or direct current), the polymer matrix, and the time of pressing are also investigated separately. A study of EL from insulators under a divergent field is provided, and the relationship between EL spectra and degradation is discussed. It is shown that EL spectra under a divergent field have unique characteristics compared with EL spectra from polymer films under a uniform field and the most obvious one is the UV emission. The results obtained in the current investigation bring us a step closer to understanding the process of electrical degradation and provide a potential way to diagnose insulator defects.

Depolarization current relaxation process of insulating dielectrics after corona poling under different charging conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J. W.; Zhou, T. C.; Wang, J. X.; Yang, X. F.; Zhu, F.; Tian, L. M.; Liu, R. T.

2017-10-01

As an insulating dielectric, polyimide is favorable for the application of optoelectronics, electrical insulation system in electric power industry, insulating, and packaging materials in space aircraft, due to its excellent thermal, mechanical and electrical insulating stability. The charge storage profile of such insulating dielectric is utmost important to its application, when it is exposed to electron irradiation, high voltage corona discharge or other treatments. These treatments could induce changes in physical and chemical properties of treated samples. To investigate the charge storage mechanism of the insulating dielectrics after high-voltage corona discharge, the relaxation processes responsible for corona charged polyimide films under different poling conditions were analyzed by the Thermally Stimulated Discharge Currents method (TSDC). In the results of thermal relaxation process, the appearance of various peaks in TSDC spectra provided a deep insight into the molecular status in the dielectric material and reflected stored space charge relaxation process in the insulating polymers after corona discharge treatments. Furthermore, the different space charge distribution status under various poling temperature and different discharge voltage level were also investigated, which could partly reflect the influence of the ambiance condition on the functional dielectrics after corona poling.

Thin-film topological insulators for continuously tunable terahertz absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, D.; Zhang, S. B.

2018-02-01

One of the defining characteristics of a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) is the appearance of a Dirac cone on its surface when it creates an interface with vacuum. For thin film TIs, however, the Dirac cones on opposite surfaces interact forming a small gap. For the case of three quintuple layers of Bi2Se3, we show that this gap can be continuously tuned between 128 meV and 0 meV with the application of modest perpendicular electric fields of less than 30 meV Å-1. Through both the Hamiltonian model and first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that the inherent nonlinearity in realistic Dirac cone interaction leads to a gap which can be continuously tuned through the application of an external electric field. This tunability, coupled with the high optical absorption of thin film TIs, make this a very promising platform for terahertz and infrared detection.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, Shifeng; Wang, Shuyu; Lu, Ming

In this paper, vanadium thin films were deposited on sapphire substrates by DC magnetron sputtering and then oxidized in a tube furnace filled with oxygen under different temperatures and oxygen flow rates. The significant influence of the oxygen flow rate and oxidation temperature on the electrical and structural properties of the vanadium oxide thin films were investigated systematically. It shows the pure vanadium dioxide (VO 2) state can only be obtained in a very narrow temperature and oxygen flow rate range. The resistivity change during the metal-insulator transition varies from 0.2 to 4 orders of magnitude depending on the oxidationmore » condition. Large thermal hysteresis during the metal-insulator phase transition was observed during the transition compared to the results in literature. Proper oxidation conditions can significantly reduce the thermal hysteresis. Finally, the fabricated VO 2 thin films showed the potential to be applied in the development of electrical sensors and other smart devices.« less

Structural and electrical properties of sputter deposited ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammed Shameem P., V.; Mekala, Laxman; Kumar, M. Senthil

2018-05-01

The growth of zinc oxide thin films having different oxygen content was achieved at ambient temperature by reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique and their structural and electrical properties are studied. The structural studies show that the films are polycrystalline with a preferential orientation of the grains along the c-axis [002], which increases with increase in oxygen partial pressure. The grain size and the surface roughness of the zinc oxide films are found to decrease with increasing oxygen partial pressure. It is observed that the resistivity of the zinc oxide films can be tuned from semiconducting to insulating regime by varying the oxygen content.

Superconductor-Insulator transition in sputtered amorphous MoRu and MoRuN thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makise, K.; Shinozaki, B.; Ichikawa, F.

2018-03-01

This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for amorphous molybdenum ruthenium (MoRu) and molybdenum ruthenium nitride (MoRuN) films. These amorphous films onto c-plane sapphire substrates have been interpreted to be homogeneous by XRD and AFM measurements. Electrical and superconducting properties measurements were carried out on MoRu and MoRuN thin films deposited by reactive sputtering technique. We have analysed the data on R sq (T) based on excess conductivity of superconducting films by the AL and MT term and weak localization and electron-electron interaction for the conductance. MoRu films which offer the most homogeneous film morphology, showed a critical sheet resistance of transition, Rc, of ∼ 2 kΩ. This values is smaller than those previously our reported for quench-condensed MoRu films on SiO underlayer held at liquid He temperature.

Fluorinated graphene dielectric films obtained from functionalized graphene suspension: preparation and properties.

PubMed

Nebogatikova, N A; Antonova, I V; Prinz, V Ya; Kurkina, I I; Vdovin, V I; Aleksandrov, G N; Timofeev, V B; Smagulova, S A; Zakirov, E R; Kesler, V G

2015-05-28

In the present study, we have examined the interaction between a suspension of graphene in dimethylformamide and an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid, which was found to result in partial fluorination of suspension flakes. A considerable decrease in the thickness and lateral size of the graphene flakes (up to 1-5 monolayers in thickness and 100-300 nm in diameter) with increasing duration of fluorination treatment is found to be accompanied by a simultaneous transition of the flakes from the conducting to the insulating state. Smooth and uniform insulating films with a roughness of ∼2 nm and thicknesses down to 20 nm were deposited from the suspension on silicon. The electrical and structural properties of the films suggest their use as insulating elements in thin-film nano- and microelectronic device structures. In particular, it was found that the films prepared from the fluorinated suspension display rather high breakdown voltages (field strength of (1-3) × 10(6) V cm(-1)), ultralow densities of charges in the film and at the interface with the silicon substrate in metal-insulator-semiconductor structures (∼(1-5) × 10(10) cm(-2)). Such excellent characteristics of the dielectric film can be compared only to well-developed SiO2 layers. The films from the fluorinated suspension are cheap, practically feasible and easy to produce.

Fringing field effects in negative capacitance field-effect transistors with a ferroelectric gate insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hattori, Junichi; Fukuda, Koichi; Ikegami, Tsutomu; Ota, Hiroyuki; Migita, Shinji; Asai, Hidehiro; Toriumi, Akira

2018-04-01

We study the effects of fringing electric fields on the behavior of negative-capacitance (NC) field-effect transistors (FETs) with a silicon-on-insulator body and a gate stack consisting of an oxide film, an internal metal film, a ferroelectric film, and a gate electrode using our own device simulator that can properly handle the complicated relationship between the polarization and the electric field in ferroelectric materials. The behaviors of such NC FETs and the corresponding metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) FETs are simulated and compared with each other to evaluate the effects of the NC of the ferroelectric film. Then, the fringing field effects are evaluated by comparing the NC effects in NC FETs with and without gate spacers. The fringing field between the gate stack, especially the internal metal film, and the source/drain region induces more charges at the interface of the film with the ferroelectric film. Accordingly, the function of the NC to modulate the gate voltage and the resulting function to improve the subthreshold swing are enhanced. We also investigate the relationships of these fringing field effects to the drain voltage and four design parameters of NC FETs, i.e., gate length, gate spacer permittivity, internal metal film thickness, and oxide film thickness.

Origins of enhanced thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Wei; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070; Chi, Hang

2016-01-25

In this research, we report the enhanced thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating thin films of Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} with a thickness of 6–200 nm. Measurements of scanning tunneling spectroscopy and electronic transport show that the Fermi level lies close to the valence band edge, and that the topological surface state (TSS) is electron dominated. We find that the Seebeck coefficient of the 6 nm and 15 nm thick films is dominated by the valence band, while the TSS chiefly contributes to the electrical conductivity. In contrast, the electronic transport of the reference 200 nm thick film behaves similar to bulk thermoelectric materialsmore » with low carrier concentration, implying the effect of the TSS on the electronic transport is merely prominent in the thin region. The conductivity of the 6 nm and 15 nm thick film is obviously higher than that in the 200 nm thick film owing to the highly mobile TSS conduction channel. As a consequence of the enhanced electrical conductivity and the suppressed bipolar effect in transport properties for the 6 nm thick film, an impressive power factor of about 2.0 mW m{sup −1} K{sup −2} is achieved at room temperature for this film. Further investigations of the electronic transport properties of TSS and interactions between TSS and the bulk band might result in a further improved thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} thin films.« less

Chromium-induced ferromagnetism with perpendicular anisotropy in topological crystalline insulator SnTe (111) thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fei; Zhang, Hongrui; Jiang, Jue; Zhao, Yi-Fan; Yu, Jia; Liu, Wei; Li, Da; Chan, Moses H. W.; Sun, Jirong; Zhang, Zhidong; Chang, Cui-Zu

2018-03-01

Topological crystalline insulator is a recently discovered topological phase of matter. It possesses multiple Dirac surface states, which are protected by the crystal symmetry. This is in contrast to the time-reversal symmetry that is operative in the well-known topological insulators. In the presence of a Zeeman field and/or strain, the multiple Dirac surface states are gapped. The high-Chern-number quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state is predicted to emerge if the chemical potential resides in all the Zeeman gaps. Here, we use molecular-beam epitaxy to grow 12 double-layer (DL) pure and Cr-doped SnTe (111) thin film on heat-treated SrTi O3 (111) substrate using a quintuple layer of insulating (Bi0.2Sb0.8 ) 2T e3 topological insulator as a buffer film. The Hall traces of Cr-doped SnTe film at low temperatures display square hysteresis loops indicating long-range ferromagnetic order with perpendicular anisotropy. The Curie temperature of the 12 DL S n0.9C r0.1Te film is ˜110 K. Due to the chemical potential crossing the bulk valence bands, the anomalous Hall resistance of 12 DL S n0.9C r0.1Te film is substantially lower than the predicted quantized value (˜1 /4 h /e2 ). It is possible that with systematic tuning the chemical potential via chemical doping and electrical gating, the high-Chern-number QAH state can be realized in the Cr-doped SnTe (111) thin film.

Electric-field-driven phase transition in vanadium dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, B.; Zimmers, A.; Aubin, H.; Ghosh, R.; Liu, Y.; Lopez, R.

2011-12-01

We report on local probe measurements of current-voltage and electrostatic force-voltage characteristics of electric-field-induced insulator to metal transition in VO2 thin film. In conducting AFM mode, switching from the insulating to metallic state occurs for electric-field threshold E˜6.5×107Vm-1 at 300K. Upon lifting the tip above the sample surface, we find that the transition can also be observed through a change in electrostatic force and in tunneling current. In this noncontact regime, the transition is characterized by random telegraphic noise. These results show that electric field alone is sufficient to induce the transition; however, the electronic current provides a positive feedback effect that amplifies the phenomena.

Thickness-dependent magnetic and electrical transport properties of epitaxial La 0.7Sr 0.3CoO 3 films

DOE PAGES

Li, Binzhi; Chopdekar, Rajesh V.; Kane, Alexander M.; ...

2017-04-04

The thickness-dependent magnetic and electrical transport properties of nearly strain-free La 0.7Sr 0.3CoO 3 (LSCO) films grown on (001)-oriented (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 (Sr 2AlTaO 6) 0.7 substrates were systematically studied. A crossover from ferromagnetic/metallic to non-magnetic/insulating behavior occurs at a critical thickness (~8 nm) that is significantly smaller than LSCO films under larger strains in reported literature. X-ray absorption measurements revealed that the difference of functional properties at reduced film thicknesses was accompanied by changes in the valence state of Co ions at the film/substrate interface.

Structure of disordered gold-polymer thin films using small angle x-ray scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixeira, F. S.; Salvadori, M. C.; Cattani, M.; Brown, I. G.

2010-11-01

We have investigated the structure of disordered gold-polymer thin films using small angle x-ray scattering and compared the results with the predictions of a theoretical model based on two approaches—a structure form factor approach and the generalized Porod law. The films are formed of polymer-embedded gold nanoclusters and were fabricated by very low energy gold ion implantation into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The composite films span (with dose variation) the transition from electrically insulating to electrically conducting regimes, a range of interest fundamentally and technologically. We find excellent agreement with theory and show that the PMMA-Au films have monodispersive or polydispersive characteristics depending on the implanted ion dose.

Evaluation of the Fretting Resistance of the High Voltage Insulation on the ITER Magnet Feeder Busbars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, N.; Crouchen, M.; Evans, D.; Gung, C.-Y.; Su, M.; Devred, A.; Piccin, R.

2017-12-01

The high voltage (HV) insulation on the ITER magnet feeder superconducting busbars and current leads will be prepared from S-glass fabric, pre-impregnated with an epoxy resin, which is interleaved with polyimide film and wrapped onto the components and cured during feeder manufacture. The insulation architecture consists of nine half-lapped layers of glass/Kapton, which is then enveloped in a ground-screen, and two further half-lapped layers of glass pre-preg for mechanical protection. The integrity of the HV insulation is critical in order to inhibit electrical arcs within the feeders. The insulation over the entire length of the HV components (bus bar, current leads and joints) must provide a level of voltage isolation of 30 kV. In operation, the insulation on ITER busbars will be subjected to high mechanical loads, arising from Lorentz forces, and in addition will be subjected to fretting erosion against stainless steel clamps, as the pulsed nature of some magnets results in longitudinal movement of the busbar. This work was aimed at assessing the wear on, and the changes in, the electrical properties of the insulation when subjected to typical ITER operating conditions. High voltage tests demonstrated that the electrical isolation of the insulation was intact after the fretting test.

Electrical transport and capacitance characteristics of metal-insulator-metal structures using hexagonal and cubic boron nitride films as dielectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teii, Kungen; Kawamoto, Shinsuke; Fukui, Shingo; Matsumoto, Seiichiro

2018-04-01

Metal-insulator-metal capacitor structures using thick hexagonal and cubic boron nitride (hBN and cBN) films as dielectrics are produced by plasma jet-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and their electrical transport and capacitance characteristics are studied in a temperature range of 298 to 473 K. The resistivity of the cBN film is of the order of 107 Ω cm at 298 K, which is lower than that of the hBN film by two orders of magnitude, while it becomes the same order as the hBN film above ˜423 K. The dominant current transport mechanism at high fields (≥1 × 104 V cm-1) is described by the Frenkel-Poole emission and thermionic emission models for the hBN and cBN films, respectively. The capacitance of the hBN film remains stable for a change in alternating-current frequency and temperature, while that of the cBN film has variations of at most 18%. The dissipation factor as a measure of energy loss is satisfactorily low (≤5%) for both films. The origin of leakage current and capacitance variation is attributed to a high defect density in the film and a transition interlayer between the substrate and the film, respectively. This suggests that cBN films with higher crystallinity, stoichiometry, and phase purity are potentially applicable for dielectrics like hBN films.

Modifying ultrafast optical response of sputtered VOX nanostructures in a broad spectral range by altering post annealing atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kürüm, U.; Yaglioglu, H. G.; Küçüköz, B.; Oksuzoglu, R. M.; Yıldırım, M.; Yağcı, A. M.; Yavru, C.; Özgün, S.; Tıraş, T.; Elmali, A.

2015-01-01

Nanostructured VOX thin films were grown in a dc magnetron sputter system under two different Ar:O2 gas flow ratios. The films were annealed under vacuum and various ratios of O2/N2 atmospheres. The insulator-to-metal transition properties of the thin films were investigated by temperature dependent resistance measurement. Photo induced insulator-to-metal transition properties were investigated by Z-scan and ultrafast white light continuum pump probe spectroscopy measurements. Experiments showed that not only insulator-to-metal transition, but also wavelength dependence (from NIR to VIS) and time scale (from ns to ultrafast) of nonlinear optical response of the VOX thin films could be fine tuned by carefully adjusting post annealing atmosphere despite different initial oxygen content in the production. Fabricated VO2 thin films showed reflection change in the visible region due to photo induced phase transition. The results have general implications for easy and more effective fabrication of the nanostructured oxide systems with controllable electrical, optical, and ultrafast optical responses.

High-quality LaVO 3 films as solar energy conversion material

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Hai -Tian; Brahlek, Matthew; Ji, Xiaoyu; ...

2017-03-21

Mott insulating oxides and their heterostructures have recently been identified as potential photovoltaic materials with favorable absorption properties and an intrinsic built-in electric field that can efficiently separate excited electron hole pairs. At the same time, they are predicted to overcome the Shockley-Queisser limit due to strong electron electron interaction present. Despite these premises a high concentration of defects commonly observed in Mott insulating films acting as recombination centers can derogate the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. With use of the self-regulated growth kinetics in hybrid molecular beam epitaxy, this obstacle can be overcome. High-quality, stoichiometric LaVO 3 films were grown withmore » defect densities of in-gap states up to 2 orders of magnitude lower compared to the films in the literature, and a factor of 3 lower than LaVO 3 bulk single crystals. Photoconductivity measurements revealed a significant photoresponsivity increase as high as tenfold of stoichiometric LaVO 3 films compared to their nonstoichiometric counterparts. Furthermore, this work marks a critical step toward the realization of high-performance Mott insulator solar cells beyond conventional semiconductors.« less

High-Quality LaVO3 Films as Solar Energy Conversion Material.

PubMed

Zhang, Hai-Tian; Brahlek, Matthew; Ji, Xiaoyu; Lei, Shiming; Lapano, Jason; Freeland, John W; Gopalan, Venkatraman; Engel-Herbert, Roman

2017-04-12

Mott insulating oxides and their heterostructures have recently been identified as potential photovoltaic materials with favorable absorption properties and an intrinsic built-in electric field that can efficiently separate excited electron-hole pairs. At the same time, they are predicted to overcome the Shockley-Queisser limit due to strong electron-electron interaction present. Despite these premises a high concentration of defects commonly observed in Mott insulating films acting as recombination centers can derogate the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. With use of the self-regulated growth kinetics in hybrid molecular beam epitaxy, this obstacle can be overcome. High-quality, stoichiometric LaVO 3 films were grown with defect densities of in-gap states up to 2 orders of magnitude lower compared to the films in the literature, and a factor of 3 lower than LaVO 3 bulk single crystals. Photoconductivity measurements revealed a significant photoresponsivity increase as high as tenfold of stoichiometric LaVO 3 films compared to their nonstoichiometric counterparts. This work marks a critical step toward the realization of high-performance Mott insulator solar cells beyond conventional semiconductors.

Electrolysis-induced protonation of VO2 thin film transistor for the metal-insulator phase modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katase, Takayoshi; Endo, Kenji; Ohta, Hiromichi

2016-02-01

Compared to state-of-the-art modulation techniques, protonation is the most ideal to control the electrical and optical properties of transition metal oxides (TMOs) due to its intrinsic non-volatile operation. However, the protonation of TMOs is not typically utilized for solid-state devices because of imperative high-temperature annealing treatment in hydrogen source. Although one solution for room temperature (RT) protonation of TMOs is liquid-phase electrochemistry, it is unsuited for practical purposes due to liquid-leakage problem. Herein we demonstrate solid-state RT-protonation of vanadium dioxide (VO2), which is a well-known thermochromic TMO. We fabricated the three terminal thin-film-transistor structure on an insulating VO2 film using a water-infiltrated nanoporous glass, which serves as a solid electrolyte. For gate voltage application, water electrolysis and protonation/deprotonation of VO2 film surface occurred, leading to reversible metal-insulator phase conversion of ~11-nm-thick VO2 layer. The protonation was clearly accompanied by the structural change from an insulating monoclinic to a metallic tetragonal phase. Present results offer a new route for the development of electro-optically active solid-state devices with TMO materials by engineering RT protonation.

Comparison on electrically pumped random laser actions of hydrothermal and sputtered ZnO films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Canxing; Jiang, Haotian; Li, Yunpeng

2013-10-07

Random lasing (RL) in polycrystalline ZnO films is an intriguing research subject. Here, we have comparatively investigated electrically pumped RL behaviors of two metal-insulator-semiconductor structured devices using the hydrothermal and sputtered ZnO films as the semiconductor components, i.e., the light-emitting layers, respectively. It is demonstrated that the device using the hydrothermal ZnO film exhibits smaller threshold current and larger output optical power of the electrically pumped RL. The morphological characterization shows that the hydrothermal ZnO film is somewhat porous and is much rougher than the sputtered one, suggesting that in the former stronger multiple light scattering can occur. Moreover, themore » photoluminescence characterization indicates that there are fewer defects in the hydrothermal ZnO film than in the sputtered one, which means that the photons can pick up larger optical gain through stimulated emission in the hydrothermal ZnO film. Therefore, it is believed that the stronger multiple light scattering and larger optical gain contribute to the improved performance of the electrically pumped RL from the device using the hydrothermal ZnO film.« less

Fabrication of electrically bistable organic semiconducting/ferroelectric blend films by temperature controlled spin coating.

PubMed

Hu, Jinghang; Zhang, Jianchi; Fu, Zongyuan; Weng, Junhui; Chen, Weibo; Ding, Shijin; Jiang, Yulong; Zhu, Guodong

2015-03-25

Organic semiconducting/ferroelectric blend films attracted much attention due to their electrical bistability and rectification properties and thereof the potential in resistive memory devices. During film deposition from the blend solution, spinodal decomposition induced phase separation, resulting in discrete semiconducting phase whose electrical property could be modulated by the continuous ferroelectric phase. However, blend films processed by common spin coating method showed extremely rough surfaces, even comparable to the film thickness, which caused large electrical leakage and thus compromised the resistive switching performance. To improve film roughness and thus increase the productivity of these resistive devices, we developed temperature controlled spin coating technique to carefully adjust the phase separation process. Here we reported our experimental results from the blend films of ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) and semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). We conducted a series of experiments at various deposition temperatures ranging from 20 to 90 °C. The resulting films were characterized by AFM, SEM, and VPFM to determine their structure and roughness. Film roughness first decreased and then increased with the increase of deposition temperature. Electrical performance was also characterized and obviously improved insulating property was obtained from the films deposited between 50 and 70 °C. By temperature control during film deposition, it is convenient to efficiently fabricate ferroelectric/semiconducting blend films with good electrical bistability.

Investigation of electrical noise in selenium-immersed thermistor bolometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarpley, J. L.; Sarmiento, P. D.

1980-01-01

The selenium immersed, thermistor bolometer, IR detector failed due to spurious and escalating electrical noise outburst as a function of time at elevated temperatures during routine ground based testing in a space simulated environment. Spectrographic analysis of failed bolometers revealed selenium pure zones in the insulating selenium arsenic (Se-As) glass film which surrounds the active sintered Mn, Ni, Co oxide flake. The selenium pure film was identified as a potentially serious failure mechanism. Significant changes were instituted in the manufacturing techniques along with more stringent process controls which eliminated the selenium pure film and successfully produced 22study bolometers.

Improvement of thermal stability of nano-granular TMR films by using a Mg-Al-O insulator matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanie, S.; Koyama, S.

2018-05-01

A new metal-insulator nano-granular tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) film made of (Fe-Co)-(Mg-Al-O) has been investigated. It is confirmed that the film has granular structure in which crystal Fe-Co granules are surrounded by an amorphous Mg-Al-O matrix. A large MR ratio of 11.8 % at room temperature is observed for a 42 vol.%(Fe0.6Co0.4)-(Mg-Al-O) film annealed at 395 °C. The electrical resistivity increases rapidly by annealing at above the changing point (500 °C). The changing point is about 300 °C higher than that of conventional (Fe-Co)-(Mg-F) nano-granular TMR films. The 42 vol.%(Fe0.6Co0.4)-(Mg-Al-O) film also exhibits less degradation in the MR ratio at high annealing temperatures such as 600 °C. These results suggest the (Fe-Co)-(Mg-Al-O) film is superior to the (Fe-Co)-(Mg-F) film in thermal stability.

Thin film three-dimensional topological insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors: A candidate for sub-10 nm devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akhavan, N. D., E-mail: nima.dehdashti@uwa.edu.au; Jolley, G.; Umana-Membreno, G. A.

2014-08-28

Three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators (TI) are a new state of quantum matter in which surface states reside in the bulk insulating energy bandgap and are protected by time-reversal symmetry. It is possible to create an energy bandgap as a consequence of the interaction between the conduction band and valence band surface states from the opposite surfaces of a TI thin film, and the width of the bandgap can be controlled by the thin film thickness. The formation of an energy bandgap raises the possibility of thin-film TI-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs). In this paper, we explore the performance of MOSFETs basedmore » on thin film 3D-TI structures by employing quantum ballistic transport simulations using the effective continuous Hamiltonian with fitting parameters extracted from ab-initio calculations. We demonstrate that thin film transistors based on a 3D-TI structure provide similar electrical characteristics compared to a Si-MOSFET for gate lengths down to 10 nm. Thus, such a device can be a potential candidate to replace Si-based MOSFETs in the sub-10 nm regime.« less

Optimization of Multilayer Laminated Film and Absorbent of Vacuum Insulation Panel for Use at High Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araki, Kuninari; Echigoya, Wataru; Tsuruga, Toshimitsu; Kamoto, Daigorou; Matsuoka, Shin-Ichi

For the energy saving regulation and larger capacity, Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP) has been used in refrigerators with urethane foam in recent years. VIP for low temperature is constructed by laminated plastic film, using heat welding of each neighboring part for keeping vacuum, so that the performance decrement is very large under high temperature. But recently high efficiency insulation material is desired for high temperature water holding devices (automatic vending machine, heat pump water heater, electric hot-water pot water, etc.), and we especially focused on cost and ability of the laminated plastic film and absorbent for high temperature VIP. We measured the heatproof temperature of plastic films and checked the amount of water vapor and out coming gas on temperature-programmed adsorption in absorbent. These results suggest the suitable laminated film and absorbent system for VIP use at high temperature, and the long-term reliability was evaluated by measuring thermal conductivity of high temperature. As a result it was found that high-retort pouch of CPP (cast polypropylene film) and adding of aluminum coating are the most suitable materials for use in the welded layers of high-temperature VIPs (105°C).

Structural and electrical properties of large area epitaxial VO2 films grown by electron beam evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Théry, V.; Boulle, A.; Crunteanu, A.; Orlianges, J. C.; Beaumont, A.; Mayet, R.; Mennai, A.; Cosset, F.; Bessaudou, A.; Fabert, M.

2017-02-01

Large area (up to 4 squared inches) epitaxial VO2 films, with a uniform thickness and exhibiting an abrupt metal-insulator transition with a resistivity ratio as high as 2.85 × 10 4 , have been grown on (001)-oriented sapphire substrates by electron beam evaporation. The lattice distortions (mosaicity) and the level of strain in the films have been assessed by X-ray diffraction. It is demonstrated that the films grow in a domain-matching mode where the distortions are confined close to the interface which allows growth of high-quality materials despite the high film-substrate lattice mismatch. It is further shown that a post-deposition high-temperature oxygen annealing step is crucial to ensure the correct film stoichiometry and provide the best structural and electrical properties. Alternatively, it is possible to obtain high quality films with a RF discharge during deposition, which hence do not require the additional annealing step. Such films exhibit similar electrical properties and only slightly degraded structural properties.

Resistence seam welding thin copper foils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hollar, D.L. Jr.

1991-02-01

Use of flat flexible circuits in the electronics industry is expanding. The term flexible circuits'' is defined here as copper foil which has been bonded to an insulating film such as Kapton film. The foil is photo processed to produce individual circuit paths similar to printed circuit boards. Another insulating film is laminated over the conductors to complete the flexible circuit. Flexible circuits, like multiwire cables, are susceptible to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) interference. On multiwire cables the interference problem is mitigated by adding a woven wire braid shielding over the conductors. Shielding on flexible circuits is accomplished by enclosing themore » circuits in a copper foil envelope. However, the copper foil must be electrically sealed around the flexcircuit to be effective. Ultimately, a resistance seam welding process and appropriate equipment were developed which would provide the required electrical seal between two layers of 2-oz (0.0028-inch thick) copper foil on a 1.1-inch wide, 30-inch long, 0.040-inch thick flexible circuit. 4 refs., 19 figs.« less

Dimensionality-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in Spin-Orbit-Coupled SrIrO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schütz, P.; Di Sante, D.; Dudy, L.; Gabel, J.; Stübinger, M.; Kamp, M.; Huang, Y.; Capone, M.; Husanu, M.-A.; Strocov, V. N.; Sangiovanni, G.; Sing, M.; Claessen, R.

2017-12-01

Upon reduction of the film thickness we observe a metal-insulator transition in epitaxially stabilized, spin-orbit-coupled SrIrO3 ultrathin films. By comparison of the experimental electronic dispersions with density functional theory at various levels of complexity we identify the leading microscopic mechanisms, i.e., a dimensionality-induced readjustment of octahedral rotations, magnetism, and electronic correlations. The astonishing resemblance of the band structure in the two-dimensional limit to that of bulk Sr2 IrO4 opens new avenues to unconventional superconductivity by "clean" electron doping through electric field gating.

High-pressure dielectric-strength tests on PPP (PPLP) insulation. Final report. [Paper-polypropylene film-paper

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hata, R.; Hirose, M.; Nagai, T.

1983-06-01

The objectives of this project were to establish the effects of fluid pressure on the impulse and ac breakdown strengths of PPP (PPLP) (paper-polypropylene film-paper) insulation. Two thicknesses of PPP (PPLP), which was developed jointly by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and Tomoegawa Paper Co., Ltd. and produced by the latter company, were tested with dodecylebenzene (DDB) of the alkylbenzene family as dielectric fluid. Appropriate flat/model cells as employed for previous breakdown tests on paper-oil insulation were used, suitable for test pressures up to 20 kg/cm/sup 2/ abs. (2.0 MN/m/sup 2/ or 284 psi). Impulse and ac breakdown tests were performedmore » at a series of applied pressures, at room temperature and 90/sup 0/C. The results were analyzed and are presented in comparison with previously published data on paper-oil cable insulation.« less

Breakdown of water super-permeation in electrically insulating graphene oxide films: role of dual interlayer spacing.

PubMed

Kavitha, Maheshwari Kavirajan; Sakorikar, Tushar; Vayalamkuzhi, Pramitha; Jaiswal, Manu

2018-08-10

Conventional graphene oxide (GO) is characterized by low sp 2 content in a sp 3 rich matrix, which is responsible both for electrical insulation and water super-permeation. Upon reduction, electrical conduction is achieved at the expense of water permeation ability. Here, we demonstrate that charge conduction and water permeation can be simultaneously restricted in a functionalized form of GO. Gravimetric studies reveal that diffusion of water vapor through a glassy polymer membrane is arrested by loading a hydrophobic form of GO (H-GO) in the polymer matrix, even as such, water inhibition cannot be realized by substantially increasing the thickness of the bare polymer. As an application, the ability of the coating to impede the degradation of methyl ammonium lead iodide films under high humidity conditions is demonstrated. At the same time the H-GO film has a resistance over 10 7 times higher when compared to thermally reduced GO of similar sp 2 fraction. We attribute this unique behavior to the presence of a sub-micron matrix of GO with simultaneous presence of large (∼9.5 Å) and small (∼4.7 Å) interlayer spacing. This leads to disruption of the spatially distributed percolation pathways for electrical charge, and it also serves to block the nanocapillary networks for water molecules.

A Study of Electrical and Optical Stability of GSZO THin Film Transisitors

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

introduces an overview of the research carried out on IGZO , ZnO, and GSZO thin film transistors that is relevant to the work discussed in this...dangling bonds or electron trapping near the gate insulator interface in IGZO thin film transistors . Mathews et al. [13] indicated that subjecting TFTs to...Ping David Shieh, Hideo Hosono, and Jerzy Kanicki, Photofield-Effect in Amporphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a- IGZO ) Thin - Film Transistors . Journal of Information

JPRS Report, Science and Technology Japan, 3rd Microelectronics Symposium

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-20

Electric Power Insulating Substrate; Degree of Sintering, Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Nitride Ultrafine Particles ; Effect of Baking Pressure on AlN Sintering; Thick Film Resistor for Use in AlN Ceramics.

Preparation, Structural and Dielectric Properties of Solution Grown Polyvinyl Alcohol(PVA) Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nangia, Rakhi; Shukla, Neeraj K.; Sharma, Ambika

2017-08-01

Flexible dielectrics with high permittivity have been investigated extensively due to their applications in electronic industry. In this work, structural and electrical characteristics of polymer based film have been analysed. Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) film was prepared by solution casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterization technique is used to investigate the structural properties. The semi-crystalline nature has been determined by the analysis of the obtained XRD pattern. Electrical properties of the synthesized film have been analysed from the C-V and I-V curves obtained at various frequencies and temperatures. Low conductivity values confirm the insulating behaviour of the film. However, it is found that conductivity increases with temperature. Also, the dielectric permittivity is found to be higher at lower frequencies and higher temperatures, that proves PVA to be an excellent dielectric material which can be used in interface electronics. Dielectric behaviour of the film has been explained based on dipole orientations to slow and fast varying electric field. However further engineering can be done to modulate the structural, electrical properties of the film.

Temperature and electric field induced metal-insulator transition in atomic layer deposited VO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadjer, Marko J.; Wheeler, Virginia D.; Downey, Brian P.; Robinson, Zachary R.; Meyer, David J.; Eddy, Charles R.; Kub, Fritz J.

2017-10-01

Amorphous vanadium oxide (VO2) films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were crystallized with an ex situ anneal at 660-670 °C for 1-2 h under a low oxygen pressure (10-4 to 10-5 Torr). Under these conditions the crystalline VO2 phase was maintained, while formation of the V2O5 phase was suppressed. Electrical transition from the insulator to the metallic phase was observed in the 37-60 °C range, with an ROFF/RON ratio of up to about 750 and ΔTC ≅ 7-10 °C. Lateral electric field applied across two-terminal device structures induced a reversible phase change, with a room temperature transition field of about 25 kV/cm in the VO2 sample processed with the 2 h long O2 anneal. Both the width and slope of the field induced MIT I-V hysteresis were dependent upon the VO2 crystalline quality.

Interfacial control of oxygen vacancy doping and electrical conduction in thin film oxide heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Veal, Boyd W.; Kim, Seong Keun; Zapol, Peter; ...

2016-06-10

Oxygen vacancies in proximity to surfaces and heterointerfaces in oxide thin film heterostructures have major effects on properties, resulting, for example, in emergent conduction behavior, large changes in metal-insulator transition temperatures, or enhanced catalytic activity. Here in this paper, we report the discovery of a means of reversibly controlling the oxygen vacancy concentration and distribution in oxide heterostructures consisting of electronically conducting In 2O 3 films grown on ionically conducting Y 2O 3-stabilized ZrO 2 substrates. Oxygen ion redistribution across the heterointerface is induced using an applied electric field oriented in the plane of the interface, resulting in controlled oxygenmore » vacancy (and hence electron) doping of the film and possible orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the film's electrical conduction. The reversible modified behavior is dependent on interface properties and is attained without cation doping or changes in the gas environment.« less

Metal-Insulator Transition of strained SmNiO3 Thin Films: Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties

PubMed Central

Torriss, B.; Margot, J.; Chaker, M.

2017-01-01

Samarium nickelate (SmNiO3) thin films were successfully synthesized on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. The Mott metal-insulator (MI) transition of the thin films is sensitive to epitaxial strain and strain relaxation. Once the strain changes from compressive to tensile, the transition temperature of the SmNiO3 samples shifts to slightly higher values. The optical conductivity reveals the strong dependence of the Drude spectral weight on the strain relaxation. Actually, compressive strain broadens the bandwidth. In contrast, tensile strain causes the effective number of free carriers to reduce which is consistent with the d-band narrowing. PMID:28098240

Role of geometric parameters in electrical measurements of insulating thin films deposited on a conductive substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, S.; Gerhardt, R. A.

2012-03-01

The effects of film thickness, electrode size and substrate thickness on the impedance parameters of alternating frequency dielectric measurements of insulating thin films deposited on conductive substrates were studied through parametric finite-element simulations. The quasi-static forms of Maxwell's electromagnetic equations in a time harmonic mode were solved using COMSOL Multiphysics® for several types of 2D models (linear and axisymmetric). The full 2D model deals with a configuration in which the impedance is measured between two surface electrodes on top of a film deposited on a conductive substrate. For the simplified 2D models, the conductive substrate is ignored and the two electrodes are placed on the top and bottom of the film. By comparing the full model and the simplified models, approximations and generalizations are deduced. For highly insulating films, such as the case of insulating SiO2 films on a conducting Si substrate, even the simplified models predict accurate capacitance values at all frequencies. However, the edge effects on the capacitance are found to be significant when the film thickness increases and/or the top electrode contact size decreases. The thickness of the substrate affects predominantly the resistive components of the dielectric response while having no significant effect on the capacitive components. Changing the electrode contact size or the film thickness determines the specific values of the measured resistance or capacitance while the material time constant remains the same, and thus this affects the frequency dependence that is able to be detected. This work highlights the importance of keeping in mind the film thickness and electrode contact size for the correct interpretation of the measured dielectric properties of micro/nanoscale structures that are often investigated using nanoscale capacitance measurements.

Gate insulator effects on the electrical performance of ZnO thin film transistor on a polyethersulphone substrate.

PubMed

Lee, Jae-Kyu; Choi, Duck-Kyun

2012-07-01

Low temperature processing for fabrication of transistor backplane is a cost effective solution while fabrication on a flexible substrate offers a new opportunity in display business. Combination of both merits is evaluated in this investigation. In this study, the ZnO thin film transistor on a flexible Polyethersulphone (PES) substrate is fabricated using RF magnetron sputtering. Since the selection and design of compatible gate insulator is another important issue to improve the electrical properties of ZnO TFT, we have evaluated three gate insulator candidates; SiO2, SiNx and SiO2/SiNx. The SiO2 passivation on both sides of PES substrate prior to the deposition of ZnO layer was effective to enhance the mechanical and thermal stability. Among the fabricated devices, ZnO TFT employing SiNx/SiO2 stacked gate exhibited the best performance. The device parameters of interest are extracted and the on/off current ratio, field effect mobility, threshold voltage and subthreshold swing are 10(7), 22 cm2/Vs, 1.7 V and 0.4 V/decade, respectively.

A new theoretical formulation of coupling thermo-electric breakdown in LDPE film under dc high applied fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boughariou, F.; Chouikhi, S.; Kallel, A.; Belgaroui, E.

2015-12-01

In this paper, we present a new theoretical and numerical formulation for the electrical and thermal breakdown phenomena, induced by charge packet dynamics, in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) insulating film under dc high applied field. The theoretical physical formulation is composed by the equations of bipolar charge transport as well as by the thermo-electric coupled equation associated for the first time in modeling to the bipolar transport problem. This coupled equation is resolved by the finite-element numerical model. For the first time, all bipolar transport results are obtained under non-uniform temperature distributions in the sample bulk. The principal original results show the occurring of very sudden abrupt increase in local temperature associated to a very sharp increase in external and conduction current densities appearing during the steady state. The coupling between these electrical and thermal instabilities reflects physically the local coupling between electrical conduction and thermal joule effect. The results of non-uniform temperature distributions induced by non-uniform electrical conduction current are also presented for several times. According to our formulation, the strong injection current is the principal factor of the electrical and thermal breakdown of polymer insulating material. This result is shown in this work. Our formulation is also validated experimentally.

Spin Seebeck insulator.

PubMed

Uchida, K; Xiao, J; Adachi, H; Ohe, J; Takahashi, S; Ieda, J; Ota, T; Kajiwara, Y; Umezawa, H; Kawai, H; Bauer, G E W; Maekawa, S; Saitoh, E

2010-11-01

Thermoelectric generation is an essential function in future energy-saving technologies. However, it has so far been an exclusive feature of electric conductors, a situation which limits its application; conduction electrons are often problematic in the thermal design of devices. Here we report electric voltage generation from heat flowing in an insulator. We reveal that, despite the absence of conduction electrons, the magnetic insulator LaY(2)Fe(5)O(12) can convert a heat flow into a spin voltage. Attached Pt films can then transform this spin voltage into an electric voltage as a result of the inverse spin Hall effect. The experimental results require us to introduce a thermally activated interface spin exchange between LaY(2)Fe(5)O(12) and Pt. Our findings extend the range of potential materials for thermoelectric applications and provide a crucial piece of information for understanding the physics of the spin Seebeck effect.

Functionalized Thallium Antimony Films as Excellent Candidates for Large-Gap Quantum Spin Hall Insulator

PubMed Central

Zhang, Run-wu; Zhang, Chang-wen; Ji, Wei-xiao; Li, Sheng-shi; Yan, Shi-shen; Li, Ping; Wang, Pei-ji

2016-01-01

Group III-V films are of great importance for their potential application in spintronics and quantum computing. Search for two-dimensional III-V films with a nontrivial large-gap are quite crucial for the realization of dissipationless transport edge channels using quantum spin Hall (QSH) effects. Here we use first-principles calculations to predict a class of large-gap QSH insulators in functionalized TlSb monolayers (TlSbX2; (X = H, F, Cl, Br, I)), with sizable bulk gaps as large as 0.22 ~ 0.40 eV. The QSH state is identified by Z2 topological invariant together with helical edge states induced by spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Noticeably, the inverted band gap in the nontrivial states can be effectively tuned by the electric field and strain. Additionally, these films on BN substrate also maintain a nontrivial QSH state, which harbors a Dirac cone lying within the band gap. These findings may shed new light in future design and fabrication of QSH insulators based on two-dimensional honeycomb lattices in spintronics. PMID:26882865

Functionalized Thallium Antimony Films as Excellent Candidates for Large-Gap Quantum Spin Hall Insulator.

PubMed

Zhang, Run-wu; Zhang, Chang-wen; Ji, Wei-xiao; Li, Sheng-shi; Yan, Shi-shen; Li, Ping; Wang, Pei-ji

2016-02-17

Group III-V films are of great importance for their potential application in spintronics and quantum computing. Search for two-dimensional III-V films with a nontrivial large-gap are quite crucial for the realization of dissipationless transport edge channels using quantum spin Hall (QSH) effects. Here we use first-principles calculations to predict a class of large-gap QSH insulators in functionalized TlSb monolayers (TlSbX2; (X = H, F, Cl, Br, I)), with sizable bulk gaps as large as 0.22~0.40 eV. The QSH state is identified by Z2 topological invariant together with helical edge states induced by spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Noticeably, the inverted band gap in the nontrivial states can be effectively tuned by the electric field and strain. Additionally, these films on BN substrate also maintain a nontrivial QSH state, which harbors a Dirac cone lying within the band gap. These findings may shed new light in future design and fabrication of QSH insulators based on two-dimensional honeycomb lattices in spintronics.

Transport studies of mesoscopic and magnetic topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandala, Abhinav

Topological Insulators (TI) are a novel class of materials that are ideally insulating in the bulk, but have gapless, metallic states at the surface. These surface states have very exciting properties such as suppressed backscattering and spin-momentum locking, which are of great interest for research efforts towards dissipation-less electronics and spintronics. The popular thermo-electrics from the Bi chalcogenide family -- Bi2Se3 and Bi 2Te3 -- have been experimentally demonstrated to be promising candidate TI materials, and form the chosen material system for this dissertation research. The first part of this dissertation research focuses on low temperature magneto-transport measurements of mesoscopic topological insulator devices (Chapter 3). The top-down patterning of epitaxial thin films of Bi2Se 3 and Bi2Te3 (that are plagued with bulk conduction) is motivated, in part, by an effort to enhance the surface-to-volume ratio in mesoscopic channels. At cryogenic temperatures, transport measurements of these devices reveal periodic conductance fluctuations in straight channel devices, despite the lack of any explicit patterning of the TI film into a ring or a loop. A careful analysis of the surface morphology and comparison with the transport data then demonstrate that scattering off the edges of triangular plateaus at the surface leads to the creation of Aharonov-Bohm electronic orbits responsible for the periodicity. Another major focus of this dissertation work is on combining topological insulators with magnetism. This has been shown to open a gap in the surface states leading to possibilities of magnetic "gating" and the realization of dissipation-less transport at zero-field, amongst several other exotic quantum phenomena. In this dissertation, I present two different schemes for probing these effects in electrical transport devices -- interfacing with insulating ferromagnets (Chapter 4) and bulk magnetic doping (Chapter 5). In Chapter 4, I shall present the integration of GdN with Bi2Se 3 thin films. Careful structural, magnetic and electrical characterization of the heterostructures is employed to confirm that the magnetic species is solely restricted to the surface, and that the ferromagnetic GdN layer to be insulating, ensuring current flow solely through the TI layer. We also devise a novel device geometry that enables direct comparison of the magneto-transport properties of TI films with and without proximate magnetism, all, in a single device. A comparative study of weak anti-localization suggested that the overlying GdN suppressed quantum interference in the top surface state. In our second generation heterostructure devices, GdN is interfaced with low-carrier density, gate-tunable thin films of (Bi,Sb)2Te3 grown on SrTiO 3 substrates. These devices enable us to map out the comparison of magneto-transport, as the chemical potential is tuned from the bulk conduction band into the bulk valence band. In a second approach to study the effects of magnetism on TI's, I shall present, in Chapter 5, our results from magnetic doping of (Bi,Sb) 2Te3 thin films with Cr -- a system that was recently demonstrated to be a Quantum Anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator. In a Cr-rich regime, a highly insulating, high Curie temperature ferromagnetic phase is achieved. However, a careful, iterative process of tuning the composition of this complex alloy enabled access to the QAHE regime, with the observation of near dissipation-less transport and perfect Hall quantization at zero external field. Furthermore, we demonstrate a field tilt driven crossover between a quantum anomalous Hall phase and a gapless, ferromagnetic TI phase. This crossover manifests itself in an electrically tunable, giant anisotropic magneto-resistance effect that we employ as a quantitative probe of edge transport in this system.

Microstructure and transport properties of sol-gel derived highly (100)-oriented lanthanum nickel oxide thin films on SiO 2 /Si substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, M. W.; Wang, Z. J.; Chen, Y. N.; Zhang, Z. D.

2011-12-01

In the present work, lanthanum nickel oxide (LNO) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel method and different thermal treatments were adopted by adjusting the preheating treatment. The microstructure, crystal orientation, chemical composition and electrical properties of LNO films were analyzed to elucidate the relationship between the microstructure and the transport properties of the films. The results show that equiaxed grains predominate the microstructure of the films with pyrolysis step. Without the pyrolysis step, columnar grains are formed in the films, accompanied with an improvement in crystallinity and strengthening of the (100)-orientation. Furthermore, the metal-insulator transition temperature decreases for the films without the pyrolysis step. The effect of film microstructure on its electrical properties was discussed in terms of the existence of internal stress and the improved crystallinity.

Electrically controlled band gap and topological phase transition in two-dimensional multilayer germanane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Jingshan; Li, Xiao; Qian, Xiaofeng

2016-06-01

Electrically controlled band gap and topological electronic states are important for the next-generation topological quantum devices. In this letter, we study the electric field control of band gap and topological phase transitions in multilayer germanane. We find that although the monolayer and multilayer germananes are normal insulators, a vertical electric field can significantly reduce the band gap of multilayer germananes owing to the giant Stark effect. The decrease of band gap eventually leads to band inversion, transforming them into topological insulators with nontrivial Z2 invariant. The electrically controlled topological phase transition in multilayer germananes provides a potential route to manipulate topologically protected edge states and design topological quantum devices. This strategy should be generally applicable to a broad range of materials, including other two-dimensional materials and ultrathin films with controlled growth.

Reinforced carbon nanotubes as electrically conducting and flexible films for space applications.

PubMed

Atar, Nurit; Grossman, Eitan; Gouzman, Irina; Bolker, Asaf; Hanein, Yael

2014-11-26

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown entangled carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets are characterized by high electrical conductivity and durability to bending and folding. However, since freestanding CNT sheets are mechanically weak, they cannot be used as stand-alone flexible films. In this work, polyimide (PI) infiltration into entangled cup-stacked CNT (CSCNT) sheets was studied to form electrically conducting, robust, and flexible films for space applications. The infiltration process preserved CNTs' advantageous properties (i.e., conductivity and flexibility), prevented CNT agglomeration, and enabled CNT patterning. In particular, the CNT-PI films exhibited ohmic electrical conductance in both the lateral and vertical directions, with a sheet resistivity as low as 122 Ω/□, similar to that of as-grown CNT sheets, with minimal effect of the insulating matrix. Moreover, this high conductivity was preserved under mechanical and thermal manipulations. These properties make the reported CNT-PI films excellent candidates for applications where flexibility, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity are required. Particularly, the developed CNT-PI films were found to be durable in space environment hazards such as high vacuum, thermal cycling, and ionizing radiation, and hence they are suggested as an alternative for the electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection layer in spacecraft thermal blankets.

Transparent, Weakly Conductive Films for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, John; Morgan, Ashraf; Hambourger, Paul D.

2004-01-01

Electrically insulating spacecraft surfaces are vulnerable to nonuniform charge buildup due to particles emitted by the sun. On Mars, insulating surfaces of exploration vehicles and structures will be affected by dust coatings possibly held in place by triboelectric surface charge. Application of a conductive film may be a solution to the charging problem, but the coating must be highly transparent if used on solar panels, lenses, etc. Sheet resistivity requirements depend on the application and are in the range 10(exp 2) - 10(exp 8) ohms/square. Co-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO) and MgF2 is promising, with high transparency, tailorable electrical properties, and durability to atomic oxygen. Due to ITO's relatively narrow bandgap (approximately 3.5 eV), the film might absorb enough ultraviolet to protect polymeric substrates. Recent work on dual-magnetron-sputtered ITO-MgF2 showed that a variety of polymeric substrates can be coated at room temperature. However, the sheet resistivity is very sensitive to composition, suggestive of a percolation transition. This could be a serious problem for large-scale coating production. We will report on attempts to control film composition by plasma emission monitoring of the ITO and MgF2 guns.

Thin films of topological Kondo insulator candidate SmB6: Strong spin-orbit torque without exclusive surface conduction

PubMed Central

Li, Yufan; Ma, Qinli; Huang, S. X.; Chien, C. L.

2018-01-01

The advent of topological insulators (TIs), a novel class of materials that harbor a metallic spin-chiral surface state coexisting with band-insulating bulk, opens up new possibilities for spintronics. One promising route is current-induced switching of an adjacent magnetic layer via spin-orbit torque (SOT), arising from the large spin-orbit coupling intrinsically possessed by TIs. The Kondo insulator SmB6 has been recently proposed to be a strongly correlated TI, supported by the observation of a metallic surface state in bulk SmB6, as evidenced by the thickness independence of the low-temperature resistance plateau. We report the synthesis of epitaxial (001) SmB6/Si thin films and a systematic thickness-dependent electrical transport study. Although the low-temperature resistance plateau is observed for all films from 50 to 500 nm in thickness, the resistance is distinctively thickness-dependent and does not support the notion of surface conduction and interior insulation. On the other hand, we demonstrate that SmB6 can generate a large SOT to switch an adjacent ferromagnetic layer, even at room temperature. The effective SOT generated from SmB6 is comparable to that from β-W, one of the strongest SOT materials. PMID:29376125

Tailoring Materials for Mottronics: Excess Oxygen Doping of a Prototypical Mott Insulator.

PubMed

Scheiderer, Philipp; Schmitt, Matthias; Gabel, Judith; Zapf, Michael; Stübinger, Martin; Schütz, Philipp; Dudy, Lenart; Schlueter, Christoph; Lee, Tien-Lin; Sing, Michael; Claessen, Ralph

2018-05-07

The Mott transistor is a paradigm for a new class of electronic devices-often referred to by the term Mottronics-which are based on charge correlations between the electrons. Since correlation-induced insulating phases of most oxide compounds are usually very robust, new methods have to be developed to push such materials right to the boundary to the metallic phase in order to enable the metal-insulator transition to be switched by electric gating. Here, it is demonstrated that thin films of the prototypical Mott insulator LaTiO 3 grown by pulsed laser deposition under oxygen atmosphere are readily tuned by excess oxygen doping across the line of the band-filling controlled Mott transition in the electronic phase diagram. The detected insulator to metal transition is characterized by a strong change in resistivity of several orders of magnitude. The use of suitable substrates and capping layers to inhibit oxygen diffusion facilitates full control of the oxygen content and renders the films stable against exposure to ambient conditions. These achievements represent a significant advancement in control and tuning of the electronic properties of LaTiO 3+ x thin films making it a promising channel material in future Mottronic devices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ferromagnetic insulating state in tensile-strained LaCoO3 thin films from LDA + U calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Han; Blaha, Peter; Wentzcovitch, Renata M.

2012-04-01

With local density approximation+Hubbard U (LDA+U) calculations, we show that the ferromagnetic (FM) insulating state observed in tensile-strained LaCoO3 epitaxial thin films is most likely a mixture of low-spin (LS) and high-spin (HS) Co, namely, a HS/LS mixture state. Compared with other FM states, including the intermediate-spin (IS) state (metallic within LDA+U), which consists of IS Co only, and the insulating IS/LS mixture state, the HS/LS state is the most favorable one. The FM order in the HS/LS state is stabilized via the superexchange interactions between adjacent LS and HS Co. We also show that the Co spin state can be identified by measuring the electric field gradient at the Co nucleus via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Interfacial control of oxygen vacancy doping and electrical conduction in thin film oxide heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veal, Boyd W.; Kim, Seong Keun; Zapol, Peter

2016-06-10

Oxygen vacancies in proximity to surfaces and heterointerfaces in oxide thin film heterostructures have major effects on properties, resulting, for example, in emergent conduction behaviour, large changes in metal-insulator transition temperatures or enhanced catalytic activity. Here we report the discovery of a means of reversibly controlling the oxygen vacancy concentration and distribution in oxide heterostructures consisting of electronically conducting In2O3 films grown on ionically conducting Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 substrates. Oxygen ion redistribution across the heterointerface is induced using an applied electric field oriented in the plane of the interface, resulting in controlled oxygen vacancy (and hence electron) doping of the filmmore » and possible orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the film's electrical conduction. The reversible modified behaviour is dependent on interface properties and is attained without cation doping or changes in the gas environment.« less

Fabrication and Testing of a Thin-Film Heat Flux Sensor for a Stirling Convertor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Scott D.; Fralick, Gus c.; Wrbanek, John D.; Sayir, Ali

2010-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been testing high-efficiency free-piston Stirling convertors for potential use in radioisotope power systems since 1999. Stirling convertors are being operated for many years to demonstrate a radioisotope power system capable of providing reliable power for potential multiyear missions. Techniques used to monitor the convertors for change in performance include measurements of temperature, pressure, energy addition, and energy rejection. Micro-porous bulk insulation is used in the Stirling convertor test setup to minimize the loss of thermal energy from the electric heat source to the environment. The insulation is characterized before extended operation, enabling correlation of the net thermal energy addition to the convertor. Aging micro-porous bulk insulation changes insulation efficiency, introducing errors in the correlation for net thermal energy addition. A thin-film heat flux sensor was designed and fabricated to directly measure the net thermal energy addition to the Stirling convertor. The fabrication techniques include slipcasting and using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). One-micron-thick noble metal thermocouples measure temperature on the surface of an alumina ceramic disk and heat flux is calculated. Fabrication, integration, and test results of a thin-film heat flux sensor are presented.

Control of magnetism in Co by an electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiba, D.; Ono, T.

2013-05-01

In this paper, we review the recent experimental developments on electric-field switching of ferromagnetism in ultra-thin Co films. The application of an electric field changes the electron density at the surface of the Co film, which results in modulation of its Curie temperature. A capacitor structure consisting of a gate electrode, a solid-state dielectric insulator and a Co bottom electrode is used to observe the effect. To obtain a larger change in the electron density, we also fabricated an electric double-layer capacitor structure using an ionic liquid. A large change in the Curie temperature of ∼100 K across room temperature is achieved with this structure. The application of the electric field influences not only the Curie temperature but also the domain-wall motion. A change in the velocity of a domain wall prepared in a Co micro-wire of more than one order of magnitude is observed. Possible mechanisms to explain the above-mentioned electric-field effects in Co ultra-thin films are discussed.

An Exploration and Optimization of the Metal Insulator Transition in Vanadium Dioxide Thin Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-02

Executive summary Vanadium dioxide ( VO2 ) is an archetypal strongly correlated oxide and could offer many opportunities for new paradigms of information...experimental understanding of the metal-insulator transition in VO2 and explored the various ways to control the transition temperature and hysteresis...Beyond attempts to understand the strong correlation phenomena in VO2 , we hope to demonstrate a phase transition switch based on the electrically

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

PubMed

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.

Surface Engineering of Polycrystalline Silicon for Long-Term Mechanical Stress Endurance Enhancement in Flexible Low-Temperature Poly-Si Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Chen, Bo-Wei; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Hung, Yu-Ju; Huang, Shin-Ping; Chen, Hua-Mao; Liao, Po-Yung; Lin, Yu-Ho; Huang, Hui-Chun; Chiang, Hsiao-Cheng; Yang, Chung-I; Zheng, Yu-Zhe; Chu, Ann-Kuo; Li, Hung-Wei; Tsai, Chih-Hung; Lu, Hsueh-Hsing; Wang, Terry Tai-Jui; Chang, Tsu-Chiang

2017-04-05

The surface morphology in polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) film is an issue regardless of whether conventional excimer laser annealing (ELA) or the newer metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) process is used. This paper investigates the stress distribution while undergoing long-term mechanical stress and the influence of stress on electrical characteristics. Our simulated results show that the nonuniform stress in the gate insulator is more pronounced near the polysilicon/gate insulator edge and at the two sides of the polysilicon protrusion. This stress results in defects in the gate insulator and leads to a nonuniform degradation phenomenon, which affects both the performance and the reliability in thin-film transistors (TFTs). The degree of degradation is similar regardless of bending axis (channel-length axis, channel-width axis) or bending type (compression, tension), which means that the degradation is dominated by the protrusion effects. Furthermore, by utilizing long-term electrical bias stresses after undergoing long-tern bending stress, it is apparent that the carrier injection is severe in the subchannel region, which confirms that the influence of protrusions is crucial. To eliminate the influence of surface morphology in poly-Si, three kinds of laser energy density were used during crystallization to control the protrusion height. The device with the lowest protrusions demonstrates the smallest degradation after undergoing long-term bending.

Electrical Conductance Tuning and Bistable Switching in Poly(N-vinylcarbazole)-Carbon Nanotube Composite Films.

PubMed

Liu, Gang; Ling, Qi-Dan; Teo, Eric Yeow Hwee; Zhu, Chun-Xiang; Chan, D Siu-Hung; Neoh, Koon-Gee; Kang, En-Tang

2009-07-28

By varying the carbon nanotube (CNT) content in poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) composite thin films, the electrical conductance behavior of an indium-tin oxide/PVK-CNT/aluminum (ITO/PVK-CNT/Al) sandwich structure can be tuned in a controlled manner. Distinctly different electrical conductance behaviors, such as (i) insulator behavior, (ii) bistable electrical conductance switching effects (write-once read-many-times (WORM) memory effect and rewritable memory effect), and (iii) conductor behavior, are discernible from the current density-voltage characteristics of the composite films. The turn-on voltage of the two bistable conductance switching devices decreases and the ON/OFF state current ratio of the WORM device increases with the increase in CNT content of the composite film. Both the WORM and rewritable devices are stable under a constant voltage stress or a continuous pulse voltage stress, with an ON/OFF state current ratio in excess of 10(3). The conductance switching effects of the composite films have been attributed to electron trapping in the CNTs of the electron-donating/hole-transporting PVK matrix.

Spin-orbit torque in a thin film of the topological insulator Bi2Se3: Crossover from the ballistic to diffusive regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Y. J.; Deng, W. Y.; Geng, H.; Shen, R.; Shao, L. B.; Sheng, L.; Xing, D. Y.

2017-12-01

The spin-orbit torque provides an efficient method for switching the direction of a magnetization by using an electric field. Owing to the spin-orbit coupling, when an electric field is applied, a nonequilibrium spin density is generated, which exerts a torque on the local magnetization. Here, we investigate the spin-orbit torque in a thin film of topological insulator \\text{Bi}2\\text{Se}3 based upon a Boltzmann equation, with proper boundary conditions, which is applicable from the ballistic regime to the diffusive regime. It is shown that due to the spin-momentum interlocking of the electron surface states, the magnitude of the field-like torque is simply in linear proportion to the longitudinal electrical current. For a fixed electric field, the spin-orbit torque is proportional to the sample length in the ballistic limit, and saturates to a constant in the diffusive limit. The dependence of the torque on the magnetization direction and exchange coupling strength is also studied. Our theory may offer useful guidance for experimental investigations of the spin-orbit torque in finite-size systems.

Pulsed deposition of silicate films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, W.; Solanki, R.; Conley, J. F.; Ono, Y.

2003-09-01

A sequential pulsed process is utilized for deposition of nonstoichiometric silicate films without employing an oxidizing agent. The metal precursors were HfCl4, AlCl3, and ZrCl4, as well as Hf(NO3)4 and the silicon source was tris(tert-butoxy)silanol. Unlike atomic layer deposition, the growth per cycle was several monolayers thick, where the enhancement in growth was due to a catalytic reaction. The bulk and electrical properties of these films are similar to those of silicon dioxide. Silicon carbide devices coated with these films show good insulating characteristics.

Electrically controlled band gap and topological phase transition in two-dimensional multilayer germanane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qi, Jingshan, E-mail: qijingshan@jsnu.edu.cn, E-mail: feng@tamu.edu; Li, Xiao; Qian, Xiaofeng, E-mail: qijingshan@jsnu.edu.cn, E-mail: feng@tamu.edu

2016-06-20

Electrically controlled band gap and topological electronic states are important for the next-generation topological quantum devices. In this letter, we study the electric field control of band gap and topological phase transitions in multilayer germanane. We find that although the monolayer and multilayer germananes are normal insulators, a vertical electric field can significantly reduce the band gap of multilayer germananes owing to the giant Stark effect. The decrease of band gap eventually leads to band inversion, transforming them into topological insulators with nontrivial Z{sub 2} invariant. The electrically controlled topological phase transition in multilayer germananes provides a potential route tomore » manipulate topologically protected edge states and design topological quantum devices. This strategy should be generally applicable to a broad range of materials, including other two-dimensional materials and ultrathin films with controlled growth.« less

Memory switches based on metal oxide thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramesham, Rajeshuni (Inventor); Thakoor, Anilkumar P. (Inventor); Lambe, John J. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

MnO.sub.2-x thin films (12) exhibit irreversible memory switching (28) with an OFF/ON resistance ratio of at least about 10.sup.3 and the tailorability of ON state (20) resistance. Such films are potentially extremely useful as a connection element in a variety of microelectronic circuits and arrays (24). Such films provide a pre-tailored, finite, non-volatile resistive element at a desired place in an electric circuit, which can be electrically turned OFF (22) or disconnected as desired, by application of an electrical pulse. Microswitch structures (10) constitute the thin film element, contacted by a pair of separate electrodes (16a, 16b) and have a finite, pre-selected ON resistance which is ideally suited, for example, as a programmable binary synaptic connection for electronic implementation of neural network architectures. The MnO.sub.2-x microswitch is non-volatile, patternable, insensitive to ultraviolet light, and adherent to a variety of insulating substrates (14), such as glass and silicon dioxide-coated silicon substrates.

Electrical transport measurements of thin film samples under high hydrostatic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zabaleta, J.; Parks, S. C.; Baum, B.; Teker, A.; Syassen, K.; Mannhart, J.

2017-03-01

We present a method to perform electrical measurements of epitaxial films and heterostructures a few nanometers thick under high hydrostatic pressures in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility to tune the rich landscape of properties shown by epitaxial heterostructures, systems in which the combination of different materials, performed with atomic precision, can give rise to properties not present in their individual constituents. Measuring electrical conductivity under hydrostatic pressure in these systems requires a robust method that can address all the challenges: the preparation of the sample with side length and thickness that fits in the DAC setup, a contacting method compatible with liquid media, a gasket insulation that resists high forces, as well as an accurate procedure to place the sample in the pressure chamber. We prove the robustness of the method described by measuring the resistance of a two dimensional electron system buried at the interface between two insulating oxides under hydrostatic conditions up to ˜5 GPa. The setup remains intact until ˜10 GPa, where large pressure gradients affect the two dimensional conductivity.

Electrical transport measurements of thin film samples under high hydrostatic pressure.

PubMed

Zabaleta, J; Parks, S C; Baum, B; Teker, A; Syassen, K; Mannhart, J

2017-03-01

We present a method to perform electrical measurements of epitaxial films and heterostructures a few nanometers thick under high hydrostatic pressures in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility to tune the rich landscape of properties shown by epitaxial heterostructures, systems in which the combination of different materials, performed with atomic precision, can give rise to properties not present in their individual constituents. Measuring electrical conductivity under hydrostatic pressure in these systems requires a robust method that can address all the challenges: the preparation of the sample with side length and thickness that fits in the DAC setup, a contacting method compatible with liquid media, a gasket insulation that resists high forces, as well as an accurate procedure to place the sample in the pressure chamber. We prove the robustness of the method described by measuring the resistance of a two dimensional electron system buried at the interface between two insulating oxides under hydrostatic conditions up to ∼5 GPa. The setup remains intact until ∼10 GPa, where large pressure gradients affect the two dimensional conductivity.

Saran film is fire-retardant in oxygen atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodwin, J. T.; Herrera, W. R.

1968-01-01

Saran was tested for flammability as a wrapping on TFE-insulated electrical wire bundles in oxygen gas at pressures of 7.5 psia and 14.7 psia. It was found to be fire retardant or self-extinguishing in most instances.

Electrical characterization of MIM capacitor comprises an adamantane film at room temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tiwari, Rajanish N., E-mail: rajanisht@gmail.com; Toyota Technological Institute, 2-12-1Hisakata, Tempaku-Ku, Nagoya 468-8511; Yoshimura, Masamichi

2016-06-15

We fabricated a new metal-insulator-metal capacitor at room temperature, comprising a ∼90 nm thin low–k adamantane film on a Si substrate. The surface morphology of deposited organic film was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, which is confirmed that the adamantane thin film was uniformly distributed on the Si surface. The adamantane film exhibits a low leakage current density of 7.4 x 10{sup −7} A/cm{sup 2} at 13.5 V, better capacitance density of 2.14 fF/μm{sup 2} at 100 KHz.

High performance, freestanding and superthin carbon nanotube/epoxy nanocomposite films.

PubMed

Li, Jinzhu; Gao, Yun; Ma, Wenjun; Liu, Luqi; Zhang, Zhong; Niu, Zhiqiang; Ren, Yan; Zhang, Xiaoxian; Zeng, Qingshen; Dong, Haibo; Zhao, Duan; Cai, Le; Zhou, Weiya; Xie, Sishen

2011-09-01

We develop a facile, effective and filter free infiltration method to fabricate high performance, freestanding and superthin epoxy nanocomposite films with directly synthesized Sing-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) film as reinforcement skeleton. It is found that the thicknesses of the nanocomposite films can be easily controlled in the range of 0.5-3 μm by dripping target amount of acetone diluted epoxy through the skeleton film. The consequent measurements reveal that the mechanical and electrical properties of SWNTs/epoxy nanocomposite films could be tailored in a quite wide range. For examples, the Young's modulus of nanocomposite films can be tuned from 10 to 30 GPa, and the electrical conductivity can be ranged from 1000 S·cm(-1) to be insulated. Moreover, high load transfer efficiency in the nanocomposite films is demonstrated by the measured ultrahigh Raman bands shift rate (-30 ± 5 cm(-1)/% strain) under strain. The high effective modulus is derived as 774 ± 70 GPa for SWNTs inside this nanocomposite film.

Self-Healable Electrical Insulation for High Voltage Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Tiffany S.

2017-01-01

Polymeric aircraft electrical insulation normally degrades by partial discharge with increasing voltage, which causes excessive localized Joule heating in the material and ultimately leads to dielectric failure of the insulator through thermal breakdown. Developing self-healing insulation could be a viable option to mitigate permanent mechanical degradation, thus increasing the longevity of the insulation. Instead of relying on catalyst and monomer-filled microcapsules to crack, flow, and cure at the damaged sites described in well-published mechanisms, establishment of ionic crosslinks could allow for multiple healing events to occur with the added benefit of achieving full recovery strength under certain thermal environments. This could be possible if the operating temperature of the insulator is the same as or close to the temperature where ionic crosslinks are formed. Surlyn, a commercial material with ionic crosslinks, was investigated as a candidate self-healing insulator based off prior demonstrations of self-healing behavior. Thin films of varying thicknesses were investigated and the effects of thickness on the dielectric strength were evaluated and compared to representative polymer insulators. The effects of thermal conditioning on the recovery strength and healing were observed as a function of time following dielectric breakdown. Moisture absorption was also studied to determine if moisture absorption rates in Surlyn were lower than that of common polyimides.

Superconductor-Metal-Insulator transition in two dimensional Ta thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sun-Gyu; Kim, Eunseong

2013-03-01

Superconductor-insulator transition has been induced by tuning film thickness or magnetic field. Recent electrical transport measurements of MoGe, Bi, Ta thin films revealed an interesting intermediate metallic phase which intervened superconducting and insulating phases at certain range of magnetic field. Especially, Ta thin films show the characteristic IV behavior at each phase and the disorder tuned intermediate metallic phase [Y. Li, C. L. Vicente, and J. Yoon, Physical Review B 81, 020505 (2010)]. This unexpected metallic phase can be interpreted as a consequence of vortex motion or contribution of fermionic quasiparticles. In this presentation, we report the scaling behavior during the transitions in Ta thin film as well as the transport measurements in various phases. Critical exponents v and z are obtained in samples with wide ranges of disorder. These results reveal new universality class appears when disorder exceeds a critical value. Dynamical exponent z of Superconducting sample is found to be 1, which is consistent with theoretical prediction of unity. z in a metallic sample is suddenly increased to be approximately 2.5. This critical exponent is much larger than the value found in other system and theoretical prediction. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Research Foundation of Korea through the Creative Research Initiatives.

Electric field-triggered metal-insulator transition resistive switching of bilayered multiphasic VOx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Won, Seokjae; Lee, Sang Yeon; Hwang, Jungyeon; Park, Jucheol; Seo, Hyungtak

2018-01-01

Electric field-triggered Mott transition of VO2 for next-generation memory devices with sharp and fast resistance-switching response is considered to be ideal but the formation of single-phase VO2 by common deposition techniques is very challenging. Here, VOx films with a VO2-dominant phase for a Mott transition-based metal-insulator transition (MIT) switching device were successfully fabricated by the combined process of RF magnetron sputtering of V metal and subsequent O2 annealing to form. By performing various material characterizations, including scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron energy loss spectroscopy, the film is determined to have a bilayer structure consisting of a VO2-rich bottom layer acting as the Mott transition switching layer and a V2O5/V2O3 mixed top layer acting as a control layer that suppresses any stray leakage current and improves cyclic performance. This bilayer structure enables excellent electric field-triggered Mott transition-based resistive switching of Pt-VOx-Pt metal-insulator-metal devices with a set/reset current ratio reaching 200, set/reset voltage of less than 2.5 V, and very stable DC cyclic switching upto 120 cycles with a great set/reset current and voltage distribution less than 5% of standard deviation at room temperature, which are specifications applicable for neuromorphic or memory device applications. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Poole-Frenkel-effect as dominating current mechanism in thin oxide films—An illusion?!

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schroeder, Herbert

2015-06-07

In many of the publications, over 50 per year for the last five years, the Poole-Frenkel-effect (PFE) is identified or suggested as dominating current mechanism to explain measured current–electric field dependencies in metal-insulator-metal (MIM) thin film stacks. Very often, the insulating thin film is a metal oxide as this class of materials has many important applications, especially in information technology. In the overwhelming majority of the papers, the identification of the PFE as dominating current mechanism is made by the slope of the current–electric field curve in the so-called Poole-Frenkel plot, i.e., logarithm of current density, j, divided by themore » applied electric field, F, versus the square root of that field. This plot is suggested by the simplest current equation for the PFE, which comprises this proportionality (ln(j/F) vs. F{sup 1/2}) leading to a straight line in this plot. Only one other parameter (except natural constants) may influence this slope: the optical dielectric constant of the insulating film. In order to identify the importance of the PFE simulation studies of the current through MIM stacks with thin insulating films were performed and the current–electric field curves without and with implementation of the PFE were compared. For the simulation, an advanced current model has been used combining electronic carrier injection/ejection currents at the interfaces, described by thermionic emission, with the carrier transport in the dielectric, described by drift and diffusion of electrons and holes in a wide band gap semiconductor. Besides the applied electric field (or voltage), many other important parameters have been varied: the density of the traps (with donor- and acceptor-like behavior); the zero-field energy level of the traps within the energy gap, this energy level is changed by the PFE (also called internal Schottky effect); the thickness of the dielectric film; the permittivity of the dielectric film simulating different oxide materials; the barriers for electrons and holes at the interfaces simulating different electrode materials; the temperature. The main results and conclusions are: (1) For a single type of trap present only (donor-like or acceptor-like), none of the simulated current density curves shows the expected behavior of the PFE and in most cases within the tested parameter field the effect of PFE is negligibly small. (2) For both types of traps present (compensation) only in the case of exact compensation, the expected slope in the PF-plot was nearly found for a wider range of the applied electric field, but for a very small range of the tested parameter field because of the very restricting additional conditions: first, the quasi-fermi level of the current controlling particle (electrons or holes) has to be 0.1 to 0.5 eV closer to the respective band limit than the zero-field energy level of the respective traps and, second, the compensating trap energy level has to be shallow. The conclusion from all these results is: the observation of the PFE as dominating current mechanism in MIM stacks with thin dielectric (oxide) films (typically 30 nm) is rather improbable!.« less

Variable-Resistivity Material For Memory Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Distefano, Salvador; Moacanin, Jovan

1989-01-01

Nonvolatile memory elements packed densely. Electrically-erasable, programmable, read-only memory matrices made with newly-synthesized organic material of variable electrical resistivity. Material, polypyrrole doped with tetracyanoquinhydrone (TCNQ), changes reversibly between insulating or higher-resistivity state and conducting or low-resistivity state. Thin film of conductive polymer separates layer of row conductors from layer of column conductors. Resistivity of film at each intersection and, therefore, resistance of memory element defined by row and column, increased or decreased by application of suitable switching voltage. Matrix circuits made with this material useful for experiments in associative electronic memories based on models of neural networks.

Polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors fabricated by Joule-heating-induced crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Won-Eui; Ro, Jae-Sang

2015-01-01

Joule-heating-induced crystallization (JIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) films is carried out by applying an electric pulse to a conductive layer located beneath or above the films. Crystallization occurs across the whole substrate surface within few tens of microseconds. Arc instability, however, is observed during crystallization, and is attributed to dielectric breakdown in the conductor/insulator/transformed polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) sandwich structures at high temperatures during electrical pulsing for crystallization. In this study, we devised a method for the crystallization of a-Si films while preventing arc generation; this method consisted of pre-patterning an a-Si active layer into islands and then depositing a gate oxide and gate electrode. Electric pulsing was then applied to the gate electrode formed using a Mo layer. The Mo layer was used as a Joule-heat source for the crystallization of pre-patterned active islands of a-Si films. JIC-processed poly-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated successfully, and the proposed method was found to be compatible with the standard processing of coplanar top-gate poly-Si TFTs.

Investigation of the ferroelectric switching behavior of P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA blended films for synaptic device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, E. J.; Kim, K. A.; Yoon, S. M.

2016-02-01

Synaptic plasticity can be mimicked by electronic synaptic devices. By using ferroelectric thin films as gate insulator for thin-film transistors (TFT), channel conductance can be defined as the synaptic plasticity, and gradually modulated by the variations in amounts of aligned ferroelectric dipoles. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)]-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blended films are chosen and their switching kinetics are investigated by using the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model. The switching time for ferroelectric polarization is sensitively influenced by the amplitude of applied electric field and volumetric ratio of ferroelectric beta-phases in the P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA films. The switching time of the P(VDF-TrFE) increases with decreasing the pulse amplitude and/or the ratio of ferroelectric beta-phases by incorporation of PMMA. The activation electric field is also found to increase as the increase in blended amount of PMMA. Synapse TFTs are fabricated using the P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA as gate insulator and In-Ga-Zn-O active channels. The drain currents of the synapse TFTs gradually increased when the voltage pulse signals with given duration are repeatedly applied. This suggests that the synaptic weights can be modulated by the number of external pulse signals, and that the proposed synapse TFT can be applied for mimicking the operations of bio-synapses.

Relation between plastic surface microtexturation and Ag film percolation and resistivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapeaux, Michel; Tribut, Laurent

2017-09-01

Reinforced polycarbonate samples are textured by laser to get hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface. Then, Ag films are deposited on textured and non-textured samples by magnetron sputtering. In-situ resistivity measurement has been done to determine the electrical percolation threshold according to the texturation. Results are discussed and texturation is presented as one option to improve surface insulation in circuit breaker after a short-circuit event.

Non-volatile resistive switching in the Mott insulator (V1-xCrx)2O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Querré, M.; Tranchant, J.; Corraze, B.; Cordier, S.; Bouquet, V.; Députier, S.; Guilloux-Viry, M.; Besland, M.-P.; Janod, E.; Cario, L.

2018-05-01

The discovery of non-volatile resistive switching in Mott insulators related to an electric-field-induced insulator to metal transition (IMT) has paved the way for their use in a new type of non-volatile memories, the Mott memories. While most of the previous studies were dedicated to uncover the resistive switching mechanism and explore the memory potential of chalcogenide Mott insulators, we present here a comprehensive study of resistive switching in the canonical oxide Mott insulator (V1-xCrx)2O3. Our work demonstrates that this compound undergoes a non-volatile resistive switching under electric field. This resistive switching is induced by a Mott transition at the local scale which creates metallic domains closely related to existing phases of the temperature-pressure phase diagram of (V1-xCrx)2O3. Our work demonstrates also reversible resistive switching in (V1-xCrx)2O3 crystals and thin film devices. Preliminary performances obtained on 880 nm thick layers with 500 nm electrodes show the strong potential of Mott memories based on the Mott insulator (V1-xCrx)2O3.

Reorganization energy upon charging a single molecule on an insulator measured by atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatayer, Shadi; Schuler, Bruno; Steurer, Wolfram; Scivetti, Ivan; Repp, Jascha; Gross, Leo; Persson, Mats; Meyer, Gerhard

2018-05-01

Intermolecular single-electron transfer on electrically insulating films is a key process in molecular electronics1-4 and an important example of a redox reaction5,6. Electron-transfer rates in molecular systems depend on a few fundamental parameters, such as interadsorbate distance, temperature and, in particular, the Marcus reorganization energy7. This crucial parameter is the energy gain that results from the distortion of the equilibrium nuclear geometry in the molecule and its environment on charging8,9. The substrate, especially ionic films10, can have an important influence on the reorganization energy11,12. Reorganization energies are measured in electrochemistry13 as well as with optical14,15 and photoemission spectroscopies16,17, but not at the single-molecule limit and nor on insulating surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), with single-charge sensitivity18-22, atomic-scale spatial resolution20 and operable on insulating films, overcomes these challenges. Here, we investigate redox reactions of single naphthalocyanine (NPc) molecules on multilayered NaCl films. Employing the atomic force microscope as an ultralow current meter allows us to measure the differential conductance related to transitions between two charge states in both directions. Thereby, the reorganization energy of NPc on NaCl is determined as (0.8 ± 0.2) eV, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide the atomistic picture of the nuclear relaxations on charging. Our approach presents a route to perform tunnelling spectroscopy of single adsorbates on insulating substrates and provides insight into single-electron intermolecular transport.

Thermal conductivity of thin insulating films determined by tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect measurements and finite-element modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huebner, Torsten; Martens, Ulrike; Walowski, Jakob; Münzenberg, Markus; Thomas, Andy; Reiss, Günter; Kuschel, Timo

2018-06-01

In general, it is difficult to access the thermal conductivity of thin insulating films experimentally by electrical means. Here, we present a new approach utilizing the tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect (TMS) in combination with finite-element modeling (FEM). We detect the laser-induced TMS and the absolute thermovoltage of laser-heated magnetic tunnel junctions with 2.6 nm thin barriers of MgAl2O4 (MAO) and MgO, respectively. A second measurement of the absolute thermovoltage after a dielectric breakdown of the barrier grants insight into the remaining thermovoltage of the stack. Thus, the pure TMS without any parasitic Nernst contributions from the leads can be identified. In combination with FEM via COMSOL, we are able to extract values for the thermal conductivity of MAO (0.7 W (K · m)‑1) and MgO (5.8 W (K · m)‑1), which are in very good agreement with theoretical predictions. Our method provides a new promising way to extract the experimentally challenging parameter of the thermal conductivity of thin insulating films.

Physical and Electrical Properties of SiO2 Layer Synthesized by Eco-Friendly Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jong-Woong Kim,; Young-Seok Kim,; Sung-Jei Hong,; Tae-Hwan Hong,; Jeong-In Han,

2010-05-01

SiO2 thin film has a wide range of applications, including insulation layers in microelectronic devices, such as semiconductors and flat panel displays, due to its advantageous characteristics. Herein, we developed a new eco-friendly method for manufacturing SiO2 nanoparticles and, thereby, SiO2 paste to be used in the digital printing process for the fabrication of SiO2 film. By excluding harmful Cl- and NO3- elements from the SiO2 nanoparticle synthetic process, we were able to lower the heat treatment temperature for the SiO2 precursor from 600 to 300 °C and the diameter of the final SiO2 nanoparticles to about 14 nm. The synthesized SiO2 nanoparticles were dispersed in an organic solvent with additives to make a SiO2 paste for feasibility testing. The SiO2 paste was printed onto a glass substrate to test the feasibility of using it for digital printing. The insulation resistance of the printed film was high enough for it to be used as an insulation layer for passivation.

Electroforming and Switching in Oxides of Transition Metals: The Role of Metal Insulator Transition in the Switching Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudnovskii, F. A.; Odynets, L. L.; Pergament, A. L.; Stefanovich, G. B.

1996-02-01

Electroforming and switching effects in sandwich structures based on anodic films of transition metal oxides (V, Nb, Ti, Fe, Ta, W, Zr, Hf, Mo) have been studied. After being electroformed, some materials exhibited current-controlled negative resistance with S-shapedV-Icharacteristics. For V, Fe, Ti, and Nb oxides, the temperature dependences of the threshold voltage have been measured. As the temperature increased,Vthdecreased to zero at a critical temperatureT0, which depended on the film material. Comparison of theT0values with the temperatures of metal-insulator phase transition for some compounds (Tt= 120 K for Fe3O4, 340 K for VO2, ∼500 K for Ti2O3, and 1070 K for NbO2) showed that switching was related to the transition in the applied electric field. Channels consisting of the above-mentioned lower oxides were formed in the initial anodic films during the electroforming. The possibility of formation of these oxides with a metal-insulator transition was confirmed by thermodynamic calculations.

Evaluating electrically insulating films deposited on V-4% Cr-4% Ti by reactive CVD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, J.H.; Cho, W.D.

1997-04-01

Previous CaO coatings on V-4%Cr-4%Ti exhibited high-ohmic insulator behavior even though a small amount of vanadium from the alloy was incorporated in the coating. However, when the vanadium concentration in the coatings is > 15 wt%, the coating becomes conductive. When the vanadium concentration is high in localized areas, a calcium vanadate phase that exhibits semiconductor behavior can form. To explore this situation, CaO and Ca-V-O coatings were produced on vanadium alloys by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and by a metallic-vapor process to investigate the electrical resistance of the coatings. Initially, the vanadium alloy specimens were either charged with oxygenmore » in argon that contained trace levels of oxygen, or oxidized for 1.5-3 h in a 1% CO-CO{sub 2} gas mixture or in air to form vanadium oxide at 625-650{degrees}C. Most of the specimens were exposed to calcium vapor at 800-850{degrees}C. Initial and final weights were obtained to monitor each step, and surveillance samples were removed for examination by optical and scanning electron microscopy and electron-energy-dispersive and X-ray diffraction analysis; the electrical resistivity was also measured. The authors found that Ca-V-O films exhibited insulator behavior when the ratio of calcium concentration to vanadium concentration R in the film was > 0.9, and semiconductor or conductor behavior for R < 0.8. However, in some cases, semiconductor behavior was observed when CaO-coated samples with R > 0.98 were exposed in liquid lithium. Based on these studies, the authors conclude that semiconductor behavior occurs if a conductive calcium vanadate phase is present in localized regions in the CaO coating.« less

Suspended sub-50 nm vanadium dioxide membrane transistors: fabrication and ionic liquid gating studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sim, Jai S.; Zhou, You; Ramanathan, Shriram

2012-10-01

We demonstrate a robust lithographic patterning method to fabricate self-supported sub-50 nm VO2 membranes that undergo a phase transition. Utilizing such self-supported membranes, we directly observed a shift in the metal-insulator transition temperature arising from stress relaxation and consistent opening of the hysteresis. Electric double layer transistors were then fabricated with the membranes and compared to thin film devices. The ionic liquid allowed reversible modulation of channel resistance and distinguishing bulk processes from the surface effects. From the shift in the metal-insulator transition temperature, the carrier density doped through electrolyte gating is estimated to be 1 × 1020 cm-3. Hydrogen annealing studies showed little difference in resistivity between the film and the membrane indicating rapid diffusion of hydrogen in the vanadium oxide rutile lattice consistent with previous observations. The ability to fabricate electrically-wired, suspended VO2 ultra-thin membranes creates new opportunities to study mesoscopic size effects on phase transitions and may also be of interest in sensor devices.

Quantum transport in new two-dimensional heterostructures: Thin films of topological insulators, phosphorene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidi, Leyla; Zare, Moslem; Asgari, Reza

2018-06-01

The unusual features of the charge and spin transport characteristics are investigated in new two-dimensional heterostructures. Intraband specular Andreev reflection is realized in a topological insulator thin film normal/superconducting junction in the presence of a gate electric field. Perfect specular electron-hole conversion is shown for different excitation energy values in a wide experimentally available range of the electric field and also for all angles of incidence when the excitation energy has a particular value. It is further demonstrated that the transmission probabilities of the incoming electrons from different spin subbands to the monolayer phosphorene ferromagnetic/normal/ferromagnetic (F/N/F) hybrid structure have different behavior with the angle of incidence and perfect transmission occurs at defined angles of incidence to the proposed structure with different length of the N region, and different alignments of magnetization vectors. Moreover, the sign change of the spin-current density is demonstrated by tuning the chemical potential and exchange field of the F region.

Mechanically Stretchable and Electrically Insulating Thermal Elastomer Composite by Liquid Alloy Droplet Embedment.

PubMed

Jeong, Seung Hee; Chen, Si; Huo, Jinxing; Gamstedt, Erik Kristofer; Liu, Johan; Zhang, Shi-Li; Zhang, Zhi-Bin; Hjort, Klas; Wu, Zhigang

2015-12-16

Stretchable electronics and soft robotics have shown unsurpassed features, inheriting remarkable functions from stretchable and soft materials. Electrically conductive and mechanically stretchable materials based on composites have been widely studied for stretchable electronics as electrical conductors using various combinations of materials. However, thermally tunable and stretchable materials, which have high potential in soft and stretchable thermal devices as interface or packaging materials, have not been sufficiently studied. Here, a mechanically stretchable and electrically insulating thermal elastomer composite is demonstrated, which can be easily processed for device fabrication. A liquid alloy is embedded as liquid droplet fillers in an elastomer matrix to achieve softness and stretchability. This new elastomer composite is expected useful to enhance thermal response or efficiency of soft and stretchable thermal devices or systems. The thermal elastomer composites demonstrate advantages such as thermal interface and packaging layers with thermal shrink films in transient and steady-state cases and a stretchable temperature sensor.

Multi-pin chemiresistors for microchemical sensors

DOEpatents

Ho, Clifford K [Albuquerque, NM

2007-02-20

A multi-pin chemiresistor for use in microchemical sensors. A pair of free-standing, bare wires is supported by an electrically insulating support, and are oriented parallel to each other and spaced closely together. A free-standing film of a chemically sensitive polymer that swells when exposed to vapors of a volatile chemical is formed in-between the pair of closely-spaced wires by capillary action. Similar in construction to a thermocouple, this "chemicouple" is relatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate by dipping the pair of bare wires into a bath of well-mixed chemiresistor ink. Also, a chemiresistor "stick" is formed by dipping an electrically insulating rod with two or more linear or spiral-wrapped electrical traces into the bath of well-mixed chemiresistor ink, which deposits a uniform coating of the chemically sensitive polymer on the rod and the electrical traces. These "sticks" can be easily removed and replaced from a multi-chemiresistor plug.

Novel growth techniques of group-IV based semiconductors on insulator for next-generation electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyao, Masanobu; Sadoh, Taizoh

2017-05-01

Recent progress in the crystal growth of group-IV-based semiconductor-on-insulators is reviewed from physical and technological viewpoints. Liquid-phase growth based on SiGe-mixing-triggered rapid-melting growth enables formation of hybrid (100) (110) (111)-orientation Ge-on-insulator (GOI) structures, which show defect-free GOI with very high carrier mobility (˜1040 cm2 V-1 s-1). Additionally, SiGe mixed-crystals with laterally uniform composition were obtained by eliminating segregation phenomena during the melt-back process. Low-temperature solid-phase growth has been explored by combining this process with ion-beam irradiation, additional doping of group-IV elements, metal induced lateral crystallization with/without electric field, and metal-induced layer exchange crystallization. These efforts have enabled crystal growth on insulators below 400 °C, achieving high carrier mobility (160-320 cm2 V-1 s-1). Moreover, orientation-controlled SiGe and Ge films on insulators have been obtained below the softening temperatures of conventional plastic films (˜300 °C). Detailed characterization provides an understanding of physical phenomena behind these crystal growth techniques. Applying these methods when fabricating next-generation electronics is also discussed.

Resistivity behavior of optimized PbTiO3 thin films prepared by spin coating method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurbaya, Z.; Wahid, M. H.; Rozana, M. D.; Alrokayan, S. A. H.; Khan, H. A.; Rusop, M.

2018-05-01

Th is study presents the resistivity behavior of PbTiO3 thin films which were prepared towards metal-insulator-metal capacitor device fabrication. The PbTiO3 thin films were prepared through sol-gel spin coating method that involved various deposition parameters that is (1) different molar concentration of PbTiO3 solutions, (2) various additional PbAc-content in PbTiO3 solutions, and (3) various annealing temperature on PbTiO3 thin films. Hence, an electrical measurement of current versus voltage was done to determine the resistivity behavior of PbTiO3 thin films.

Novel Electrically Tunable Microwave Solenoid Inductor and Compact Phase Shifter Utilizing Permaloy and PZT Thin Films

DOE PAGES

Wang, Tengxing; Jiang, Wei; Divan, Ralu; ...

2017-08-03

A Permalloy (Py) thin film enabled tunable 3-D solenoid inductor is designed and fabricated. The special configuration of magnetic core is discussed and by selectively patterning Py thin film, the proposed tunable inductor can work at frequency up to several GHz range. The inductance of the solenoid inductor can be electrically tuned by dc current and the tunability is above 10%. Utilizing the implemented Py enabled tunable solenoid inductor and Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) thin film enabled metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, a compact fully electrically tunable lumped elements phase shifter is achieved. The tunable phase shifter has both inductive and capacitivemore » tunability and the dual tunability significantly improves the tuning range and design flexibility. Moreover, the dual tunability is able to retain the equivalent characteristic impedance of the device in the process of the phase being tuned. Here, the phase of the device can be tuned by fully electrical methods and when dc current and dc voltage are provided, the length normalized phase tunability is up to 210°/cm« less

Quantized topological magnetoelectric effect of the zero-plateau quantum anomalous Hall state

DOE PAGES

Wang, Jing; Lian, Biao; Qi, Xiao-Liang; ...

2015-08-10

The topological magnetoelectric effect in a three-dimensional topological insulator is a novel phenomenon, where an electric field induces a magnetic field in the same direction, with a universal coefficient of proportionality quantized in units of $e²/2h$. Here in this paper, we propose that the topological magnetoelectric effect can be realized in the zero-plateau quantum anomalous Hall state of magnetic topological insulators or a ferromagnet-topological insulator heterostructure. The finite-size effect is also studied numerically, where the magnetoelectric coefficient is shown to converge to a quantized value when the thickness of the topological insulator film increases. We further propose a device setupmore » to eliminate nontopological contributions from the side surface.« less

Fabrication of high performance thin-film transistors via pressure-induced nucleation.

PubMed

Kang, Myung-Koo; Kim, Si Joon; Kim, Hyun Jae

2014-10-31

We report a method to improve the performance of polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) via pressure-induced nucleation (PIN). During the PIN process, spatial variation in the local solidification temperature occurs because of a non-uniform pressure distribution during laser irradiation of the amorphous Si layer, which is capped with an SiO2 layer. This leads to a four-fold increase in the grain size of the poly-Si thin-films formed using the PIN process, compared with those formed using conventional excimer laser annealing. We find that thin films with optimal electrical properties can be achieved with a reduction in the number of laser irradiations from 20 to 6, as well as the preservation of the interface between the poly-Si and the SiO2 gate insulator. This interface preservation becomes possible to remove the cleaning process prior to gate insulator deposition, and we report devices with a field-effect mobility greater than 160 cm(2)/Vs.

DC current induced metal-insulator transition in epitaxial Sm{sub 0.6}Nd{sub 0.4}NiO{sub 3}/LaAlO{sub 3} thin film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Haoliang; CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026; Luo, Zhenlin, E-mail: zlluo@ustc.edu.cn

2014-05-15

The metal-insulator transition (MIT) in strong correlated electron materials can be induced by external perturbation in forms of thermal, electrical, optical, or magnetic fields. We report on the DC current induced MIT in epitaxial Sm{sub 0.6}Nd{sub 0.4}NiO{sub 3} (SNNO) thin film deposited by pulsed laser deposition on (001)-LaAlO{sub 3} substrate. It was found that the MIT in SNNO film not only can be triggered by thermal, but also can be induced by DC current. The T{sub MI} of SNNO film decreases from 282 K to 200 K with the DC current density increasing from 0.003 × 10{sup 9} A•m{sup −2}more » to 4.9 × 10{sup 9} A•m{sup −2}. Based on the resistivity curves measured at different temperatures, the MIT phase diagram has been successfully constructed.« less

Removal of a hydrogenated amorphous carbon film from the tip of a micropipette electrode using direct current corona discharge.

PubMed

Kakuta, Naoto; Okuyama, Naoki; Yamada, Yukio

2010-02-01

Micropipette electrodes are fabricated by coating glass micropipettes first with metal and then with hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) as an electrical insulator. Furthermore, at the tip of the micropipette electrode, the deposited a-C:H film needs to be removed to expose the metal-coated surface and hollow for the purposes of electrical measurement and injection. This paper describes a convenient and reliable method for removing the a-C:H film using direct current corona discharge in atmospheric air. The initial film removal occurred at an applied voltage of 1.5-2.0 kV, accompanied by an abrupt increase in the discharge current. The discharge current then became stable at a microampere level in the glow corona mode, and the removed area gradually extended.

Intense deep-blue electroluminescence from ITO/Y₂O₃/Ag structure.

PubMed

Yin, Xue; Wang, Shenwei; Li, Ling; Mu, Guangyao; Tang, Ying; Duan, Wubiao; Yi, Lixin

2015-07-13

ITO/Y₂O₃/Ag devices were fabricated using Y₂O₃ films as insulator. Four intense and sharp lines with half-peak width of 4 nm were observed for the 293.78 nm InI, 316.10 nm InI, 444.82 nm InII and 403.07 nm InIII transitions. Luminescence mechanism was illustrated by cross-section of the devices based on the analysis of surface morphology. Under the action of strong electric field, the loss of K-shell electrons led to the occurrence of characteristic radiation of indium ions. In addition, the device with turn-on voltage of 10V demonstrates typical I-V diode characteristics. Moreover, Y₂O₃/In₂O₃ multiple films as the insulation layer instead of single Y₂O₃ films was found to improve the device performance with excellent CIE (x, y) coordinates (0.16, 0.03).

Nonlinear optical observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmons in thin-film topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glinka, Yuri D.; Babakiray, Sercan; Johnson, Trent A.; Holcomb, Mikel B.; Lederman, David

2016-09-01

Low-energy collective electronic excitations exhibiting sound-like linear dispersion have been intensively studied both experimentally and theoretically for a long time. However, coherent acoustic plasmon modes appearing in time-domain measurements are rarely observed due to Landau damping by the single-particle continua. Here we report on the observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmon (CADP) modes excited in indirectly (electrostatically) opposite-surface coupled films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Using transient second-harmonic generation, a technique capable of independently monitoring the in-plane and out-of-plane electron dynamics in the films, the GHz-range oscillations were observed without corresponding oscillations in the transient reflectivity. These oscillations were assigned to the transverse magnetic and transverse electric guided CADP modes induced by the evanescent guided Lamb acoustic waves and remained Landau undamped due to fermion tunnelling between the opposite-surface Dirac states.

Non-conductive ferromagnetic carbon-coated (Co, Ni) metal/polystyrene nanocomposites films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takacs, H., E-mail: helene.takacs@gmail.com; LTM-CNRS-UJF, CEA, LETI, Minatec Campus, Grenoble 38054; Viala, B.

2016-03-07

This article reports non-conductive ferromagnetic properties of metal/polymer nanocomposite films intended to be used for RF applications. The nanocomposite arrangement is unique showing a core double-shell structure of metal-carbon-polystyrene: M/C//P{sub 1}/P{sub 2}, where M = Co, Ni is the core material, C = graphene or carbon is the first shell acting as a protective layer against oxidation, P{sub 1} = pyrene-terminated polystyrene is the second shell for electrical insulation, and P{sub 2} = polystyrene is a supporting matrix (// indicates actual grafting). The nanocomposite formulation is briefly described, and the film deposition by spin-coating is detailed. Original spin-curves are reported and analyzed. One key outcome is the achievementmore » of uniform and cohesive films at the wafer scale. Structural properties of films are thoroughly detailed, and weight and volume fractions of M/C are considered. Then, a comprehensive overview of DC magnetic and electrical properties is reported. A discussion follows on the magnetic softness of the nanocomposites vs. that of a single particle (theoretical) and the raw powder (experimental). Finally, unprecedented achievement of high magnetization (∼0.6 T) and ultra-high resistivity (∼10{sup 10 }μΩ cm) is shown. High magnetization comes from the preservation of the existing protective shell C, with no significant degradation on the particle net-moment, and high electrical insulation is ensured by adequate grafting of the secondary shell P{sub 1}. To conclude, the metal/polymer nanocomposites are situated in the landscape of soft ferromagnetic materials for RF applications (i.e., inductors and antennas), by means of two phase-diagrams, where they play a crucial role.« less

Electric shielding films for biased TEM samples and their application to in situ electron holography.

PubMed

Nomura, Yuki; Yamamoto, Kazuo; Hirayama, Tsukasa; Saitoh, Koh

2018-06-01

We developed a novel sample preparation method for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to suppress superfluous electric fields leaked from biased TEM samples. In this method, a thin TEM sample is first coated with an insulating amorphous aluminum oxide (AlOx) film with a thickness of about 20 nm. Then, the sample is coated with a conductive amorphous carbon film with a thickness of about 10 nm, and the film is grounded. This technique was applied to a model sample of a metal electrode/Li-ion-conductive-solid-electrolyte/metal electrode for biasing electron holography. We found that AlOx film with a thickness of 10 nm has a large withstand voltage of about 8 V and that double layers of AlOx and carbon act as a 'nano-shield' to suppress 99% of the electric fields outside of the sample. We also found an asymmetry potential distribution between high and low potential electrodes in biased solid-electrolyte, indicating different accumulation behaviors of lithium-ions (Li+) and lithium-ion vacancies (VLi-) in the biased solid-electrolyte.

Chromium–niobium co-doped vanadium dioxide films: Large temperature coefficient of resistance and practically no thermal hysteresis of the metal–insulator transition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miyazaki, Kenichi, E-mail: kenichi-miyazaki@denso.co.jp, E-mail: k.shibuya@aist.go.jp; University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8571; Shibuya, Keisuke, E-mail: kenichi-miyazaki@denso.co.jp, E-mail: k.shibuya@aist.go.jp

We investigated the effects of chromium (Cr) and niobium (Nb) co-doping on the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and the thermal hysteresis of the metal–insulator transition of vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) films. We determined the TCR and thermal-hysteresis-width diagram of the V{sub 1−x−y}Cr{sub x}Nb{sub y}O{sub 2} films by electrical-transport measurements and we found that the doping conditions x ≳ y and x + y ≥ 0.1 are appropriate for simultaneously realizing a large TCR value and an absence of thermal hysteresis in the films. By using these findings, we developed a V{sub 0.90}Cr{sub 0.06}Nb{sub 0.04}O{sub 2} film grown on amore » TiO{sub 2}-buffered SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate that showed practically no thermal hysteresis while retaining a large TCR of 11.9%/K. This study has potential applications in the development of VO{sub 2}-based uncooled bolometers.« less

Polarity compensation in ultra-thin films of complex oxides: The case of a perovskite nickelate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Middey, S.; Rivero, P.; Meyers, D.

2014-10-29

In this study, we address the fundamental issue of growth of perovskite ultra-thin films under the condition of a strong polar mismatch at the heterointerface exemplified by the growth of a correlated metal LaNiO 3 on the band insulator SrTiO 3 along the pseudo cubic [111] direction. While in general the metallic LaNiO 3 film can effectively screen this polarity mismatch, we establish that in the ultra-thin limit, films are insulating in nature and require additional chemical and structural reconstruction to compensate for such mismatch. A combination of in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction recorded during the growth, X-ray diffraction, andmore » synchrotron based resonant X-ray spectroscopy reveal the formation of a chemical phase La 2Ni 2O 5 (Ni 2+) for a few unit-cell thick films. First-principles layer-resolved calculations of the potential energy across the nominal LaNiO 3/SrTiO 3 interface confirm that the oxygen vacancies can efficiently reduce the electric field at the interface.« less

The electro-mechanical effect from charge dynamics on polymeric insulation lifetime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alghamdi, H., E-mail: haalghamdi@nu.edu.sa; Faculty of Engineering, Najran University, Najran, P.O.Box 1988; Chen, G.

For polymeric material used as electrical insulation, the presence of space charges could be the consequence of material degradations that are thermally activated but increased by the application of an electric field. The dynamics of space charge, therefore, can be potentially used to characterize the material. In this direction, a new aging model in which parameters have clear physical meanings has been developed and applied to the material to extrapolate the lifetime. The kinetic equation has been established based on charge trapping and detrapping of the injected charge from the electrodes. The local electromechanical energy stored in the region surroundingmore » the trap is able to reduce the trap-depth with a value related to the electric field. At a level where the internal electric field exceeds the detrapping field in the material, an electron can be efficiently detrapped and the released energy from detrapping process can cause a weak bond or chain scission i.e. material degradation. The model has been applied to the electro-thermally aged low density polyethylene film samples, showing well fitted result, as well as interesting relationships between parameter estimates and insulation morphology.« less

Integrated device architectures for electrochromic devices

DOEpatents

Frey, Jonathan Mack; Berland, Brian Spencer

2015-04-21

This disclosure describes systems and methods for creating monolithically integrated electrochromic devices which may be a flexible electrochromic device. Monolithic integration of thin film electrochromic devices may involve the electrical interconnection of multiple individual electrochromic devices through the creation of specific structures such as conductive pathway or insulating isolation trenches.

Multiple Interfacial Fe3O4@BaTiO3/P(VDF-HFP) Core-Shell-Matrix Films with Internal Barrier Layer Capacitor (IBLC) Effects and High Energy Storage Density.

PubMed

Zhou, Ling; Fu, Qiuyun; Xue, Fei; Tang, Xiahui; Zhou, Dongxiang; Tian, Yahui; Wang, Geng; Wang, Chaohong; Gou, Haibo; Xu, Lei

2017-11-22

Flexible nanocomposites composed of high dielectric constant fillers and polymer matrix have shown great potential for electrostatic capacitors and energy storage applications. To obtain the composited material with high dielectric constant and high breakdown strength, multi-interfacial composited particles, which composed of conductive cores and insulating shells and possessed the internal barrier layer capacitor (IBLC) effect, were adopted as fillers. Thus, Fe 3 O 4 @BaTiO 3 core-shell particles were prepared and loaded into the poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF-HFP)) polymer matrix. As the mass fraction of core-shell fillers increased from 2.5 wt % to 30 wt %, the dielectric constant of the films increased, while the loss tangent remained at a low level (<0.05 at 1 kHz). Both high electric displacement and high electric breakdown strength were achieved in the films with 10 wt % core-shell fillers loaded. The maximum energy storage density of 7.018 J/cm 3 was measured at 2350 kV/cm, which shows significant enhancement than those of the pure P(VDF-HFP) films and analogous composited films with converse insulating-conductive core-shell fillers. A Maxwell-Wagner capacitor model was also adopted to interpret the efficiency of IBLC effects on the suppressed loss tangent and the superior breakdown strength. This work explored an effective approach to prepare dielectric nanocomposites for energy storage applications experimentally and theoretically.

Preparation and electrical properties of Cr 2O 3 gate insulator embedded with Fe dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokota, Takeshi; Kuribayashi, Takaaki; Murata, Shotaro; Gomi, Manabu

2008-09-01

We investigated the electrical properties of a metal (Au)/insulator (magneto-electric materials: Cr 2O 3)/magnetic materials (Fe)/tunnel layer (Cr 2O 3)/semiconductor (Si) capacitor. This capacitor shows the typical capacitance-voltage ( C- V) properties of an Si-MIS capacitor with hysteresis depending on the Fe dispersibility which is determined by the deposition condition. The C- V curve of the only sample having a 0.5 nm Fe layer was seen to have a hysteresis window with a clockwise trace, indicating that electrons have been injected into the ultra-thin Fe layer. The samples having Fe layers of other thicknesses show a counterclockwise trace, which indicates that the film has mobile ionic charges due to the dispersed Fe. These results indicated that the charge-injection site, which works as a memory, in the Cr 2O 3 can be prepared by Fe insertion, which is deposited using well-controlled conditions. The results also revealed the possibility of an MIS capacitor containing both ferromagnetic materials and an ME insulating layer in a single system.

Measurement of Direct Current Voltage Causing Electrical Pitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noguchi, Shoji; Kakinuma, Shin-Nosuke; Kanada, Tohru

It is widely known that electrical pitting occurs when an electrical current is passed through a ball or roller bearing. The authors have investigated critical electrical current density causing electrical pitting and have shown that it occurs in a ball bearing even at an extremely low current. In this paper we present the results of an experiment in which a small ball bearing was supplied with a direct current (DC) voltage to determine the voltage required to induce a current. A film of grease acts as the insulator on an antifriction bearing used, and the thickness of this film is an important consideration and the current must pass through this film. Four types of grease were used on the bearing, which was rotated at various speed during 500 hours. A potential of 1.3V to 1.5V was necessary to induce the flow of current. The results indicate that the voltage supplied by typical dry cell batteries is sufficient to drive a currents through a small bearing, and that the experimental conditions had little effect on the magnitude of the flowing current.

Oxygen Displacement in Cuprates under Ionic Liquid Field-Effect Gating

PubMed Central

Dubuis, Guy; Yacoby, Yizhak; Zhou, Hua; He, Xi; Bollinger, Anthony T.; Pavuna, Davor; Pindak, Ron; Božović, Ivan

2016-01-01

We studied structural changes in a 5 unit cell thick La1.96Sr0.04CuO4 film, epitaxially grown on a LaSrAlO4 substrate with a single unit cell buffer layer, when ultra-high electric fields were induced in the film by applying a gate voltage between the film (ground) and an ionic liquid in contact with it. Measuring the diffraction intensity along the substrate-defined Bragg rods and analyzing the results using a phase retrieval method we obtained the three-dimensional electron density in the film, buffer layer, and topmost atomic layers of the substrate under different applied gate voltages. The main structural observations were: (i) there were no structural changes when the voltage was negative, holes were injected into the film making it more metallic and screening the electric field; (ii) when the voltage was positive, the film was depleted of holes becoming more insulating, the electric field extended throughout the film, the partial surface monolayer became disordered, and equatorial oxygen atoms were displaced towards the surface; (iii) the changes in surface disorder and the oxygen displacements were both reversed when a negative voltage was applied; and (iv) the c-axis lattice constant of the film did not change in spite of the displacement of equatorial oxygen atoms. PMID:27578237

Voltage- and current-activated metal-insulator transition in VO2-based electrical switches: a lifetime operation analysis.

PubMed

Crunteanu, Aurelian; Givernaud, Julien; Leroy, Jonathan; Mardivirin, David; Champeaux, Corinne; Orlianges, Jean-Christophe; Catherinot, Alain; Blondy, Pierre

2010-12-01

Vanadium dioxide is an intensively studied material that undergoes a temperature-induced metal-insulator phase transition accompanied by a large change in electrical resistivity. Electrical switches based on this material show promising properties in terms of speed and broadband operation. The exploration of the failure behavior and reliability of such devices is very important in view of their integration in practical electronic circuits. We performed systematic lifetime investigations of two-terminal switches based on the electrical activation of the metal-insulator transition in VO 2 thin films. The devices were integrated in coplanar microwave waveguides (CPWs) in series configuration. We detected the evolution of a 10 GHz microwave signal transmitted through the CPW, modulated by the activation of the VO 2 switches in both voltage- and current-controlled modes. We demonstrated enhanced lifetime operation of current-controlled VO 2 -based switching (more than 260 million cycles without failure) compared with the voltage-activated mode (breakdown at around 16 million activation cycles). The evolution of the electrical self-oscillations of a VO 2 -based switch induced in the current-operated mode is a subtle indicator of the material properties modification and can be used to monitor its behavior under various external stresses in sensor applications.

Theoretical-Experimental Analysis of the Effects of Grain Boundaries on the Electrical Properties of SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator) MOSFETS.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

work on recrystallization of polycrystalline silicon ( polysilicon ) films deposited on silicon-dioxide has demonstrated remarkable improvement in film...quality, and thus has identified another possibly viable 1SO technology for ICs. The polysilicon -on-S10 2 technology not only has the advantages alluded...and consequently higher areal device densities. Virtually all the research to date on polysilicon -on-SiO 2 has concentrated on the

Transparent, Weakly Conductive Films for Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffin, John; Morgan, Ashraf; Hambourger, Paul

2004-10-01

Electrically insulating spacecraft surfaces are vulnerable to nonuniform charge buildup due to particles emitted by the sun. On Mars, insulating surfaces of exploration vehicles and structures will be affected by dust coatings possibly held in place by triboelectric surface charge. Application of a conductive film may be a solution to the charging problem, but the coating must be highly transparent if used on solar panels, lenses, etc. Sheet resistivity requirements depend on the application and are in the range 10^2-10^8 ohms/square. Co-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO) and MgF2 is promising, with high transparency, tailorable electrical properties, and durability to atomic oxygen.(Joyce A. Dever et al., NASA TM 1998-208499 (August 1998).) Due to ITO's relatively narrow bandgap ( ˜3.5 eV), the film might absorb enough ultraviolet to protect polymeric substrates. Recent work on dual-magnetron-sputtered ITO-MgF2 showed that a variety of polymeric substrates can be coated at room temperature.(Thomas Cashman et al., Vacuum Technology & Coating, September 2003, p. 38.) However, the sheet resistivity is very sensitive to composition, suggestive of a percolation transition. This could be a serious problem for large-scale coating production. We will report on attempts to control film composition by plasma emission monitoring of the ITO and MgF2 guns. Supported by NASA Glenn Research Center, Cooperative Agreements NCC3-1033 and NCC3-1065.

New Techniques to Evaluate the Incendiary Behavior of Insulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buhler, Charles; Calle, Carlos; Clements, Sid; Trigwell, Steve; Ritz, Mindy

2008-01-01

New techniques for evaluating the incendiary behavior of insulators is presented. The onset of incendive brush discharges in air is evaluated using standard spark probe techniques for the case simulating approaches of an electrically grounded sphere to a charged insulator in the presence of a flammable atmosphere. However, this standard technique is unsuitable for the case of brush discharges that may occur during the charging-separation process for two insulator materials. We present experimental techniques to evaluate this hazard in the presence of a flammable atmosphere which is ideally suited to measure the incendiary nature of micro-discharges upon separation, a measurement never before performed. Other measurement techniques unique to this study include; surface potential measurements of insulators before, during and after contact and separation, as well as methods to verify fieldmeter calibrations using a charge insulator surface opposed to standard high voltage plates. Key words: Kapton polyimide film, incendiary discharges, brush discharges, contact and frictional electrification, ignition hazards, insulators, contact angle, surface potential measurements.

Characterization of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid Langmuir–Blodgett monolayers and their use in metal–insulator–metal tunnel devices

PubMed Central

Sharma, Saumya; Khawaja, Mohamad; Ram, Manoj K; Goswami, D Yogi

2014-01-01

Summary The characterization of Langmuir–Blodgett thin films of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PDA) and their use in metal–insulator–metal (MIM) devices were studied. The Langmuir monolayer behavior of the PDA film was studied at the air/water interface using surface tension–area isotherms of polymeric and monomeric PDA. Langmuir–Blodgett (LB, vertical deposition) and Langmuir–Schaefer (LS, horizontal deposition) techniques were used to deposit the PDA film on various substrates (glass, quartz, silicon, and nickel-coated film on glass). The electrochemical, electrical and optical properties of the LB and LS PDA films were studied using cyclic voltammetry, current–voltage characteristics (I–V), and UV–vis and FTIR spectroscopies. Atomic force microscopy measurements were performed in order to analyze the surface morphology and roughness of the films. A MIM tunnel diode was fabricated using a PDA monolayer assembly as the insulating barrier, which was sandwiched between two nickel layers. The precise control of the thickness of the insulating monolayers proved critical for electron tunneling to take place in the MIM structure. The current–voltage characteristics of the MIM diode revealed tunneling behavior in the fabricated Ni–PDA LB film–Ni structures. PMID:25551052

Deposition and thermal characterization of nano-structured aluminum nitride thin film on Cu-W substrate for high power light emitting diode package.

PubMed

Cho, Hyun Min; Kim, Min-Sun

2014-08-01

In this study, we developed AlN thick film on metal substrate for hybrid type LED package such as chip on board (COB) using metal printed circuit board (PCB). Conventional metal PCB uses ceramic-polymer composite as electrical insulating layer. Thermal conductivities of such type dielectric film are typically in the range of 1~4 W/m · K depending on the ceramic filler. Also, Al or Cu alloy are mainly used for metal base for high thermal conduction to dissipate heat from thermal source mounted on metal PCB. Here we used Cu-W alloy with low thermal expansion coefficient as metal substrate to reduce thermal stress between insulating layer and base metal. AlN with polyimide (PI) powder were used as starting materials for deposition. We could obtain very high thermal conductivity of 28.3 W/m · K from deposited AlN-PI thin film by AlN-3 wt% PI powder. We made hybrid type high power LED package using AlN-PI thin film. We tested thermal performance of this film by thermal transient measurement and compared with conventional metal PCB substrate.

Spin accumulation in disordered topological insulator ultrathin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siu, Zhuo Bin; Ho, Cong Son; Tan, Seng Ghee; Jalil, Mansoor B. A.

2017-08-01

Topological insulator (TI) ultrathin films differ from the more commonly studied semi-infinite bulk TIs in that the former possess both top and bottom surfaces where the surface states localized at different surfaces can couple to one another across the finite thickness of the film. In the presence of an in-plane magnetization, the TI thin films display two distinct phases depending on which of the inter-surface coupling or the magnetization is stronger. In this work, we consider a Bi2Se3 TI thin film system with an in-plane magnetization and numerically calculate the resulting spin accumulation on both surfaces of the film due to an in-plane electric field to linear order. We describe a numerical scheme for performing the Kubo formula calculation in which we include impurity scattering and vertex corrections. We find that the sums of the spin accumulation over the two surfaces in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the magnetization and in the out of plane direction are antisymmetric in Fermi energy around the charge neutrality point and are non-vanishing only when the symmetry between the top and bottom TI surfaces is broken. The impurity scattering, in general, diminishes the magnitude of the spin accumulation.

Carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposite infrared sensor.

PubMed

Pradhan, Basudev; Setyowati, Kristina; Liu, Haiying; Waldeck, David H; Chen, Jian

2008-04-01

The infrared photoresponse in the electrical conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is dramatically enhanced by embedding SWNTs in an electrically and thermally insulating polymer matrix. The conductivity change in a 5 wt % SWNT-polycarbonate nanocomposite is significant (4.26%) and sharp upon infrared illumination in the air at room temperature. While the thermal effect predominates in the infrared photoresponse of a pure SWNT film, the photoeffect predominates in the infrared photoresponse of SWNT-polycarbonate nanocomposites.

Effects of substrate-induced-strain on the electrical properties and laser induced voltages of tilted La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Ji; Zhang, Hui; Chen, Qingming; Liu, Xiang

2013-07-01

La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films have been prepared on vicinal cut LaAlO3, (LaAlO3)0.3-(SrAlTaO6)0.7, and SrTiO3 (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The influence of the substrate on the electrical transport properties and laser induced voltage (LIV) effect of the films was investigated. The high insulator to metal transition temperature Tp (263.6 K) and large peak voltage of LIV signal (2.328 V) were observed in the film grown on LaAlO3 substrate. The compressive strain and large Seebeck coefficient anisotropy ΔS (3.62 μV/K) induced by LaAlO3 are thought to be responsible for this result.

Broadband and wide angle near-unity absorption in graphene-insulator-metal thin film stacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H. J.; Zheng, G. G.; Chen, Y. Y.; Xu, L. H.

2018-05-01

Broadband unity absorption in graphene-insulator-metal (GIM) structures is demonstrated in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) spectra. The spectral characteristics possess broadband absorption peaks, by simply choosing a stack of GIM, while no nanofabrication steps and patterning are required, and thus can be easily fabricated to cover a large area. The electromagnetic (EM) waves can be entirely trapped and the absorption can be greatly enhanced are verified with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) methods. The position and the number of the absorption peak can be totally controlled by adjusting the thickness of the insulator layer. The proposed absorber maintains high absorption (above 90%) for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations, and for angles of incidence up to 80°. This work opens up a promising approach to realize perfect absorption (PA) with ultra-thin film, which could implicate many potential applications in optical detection and optoelectronic devices.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Yong; Pan, Xuan; Bernussi, Ayrton A.

We demonstrate that catalyst-assisted hydrogen spillover doping of VO{sub 2} thin films significantly alters the metal-insulator transition characteristics and stabilizes the metallic rutile phase at room temperature. With hydrogen inserted into the VO{sub 2} lattice, high resolution X-ray diffraction reveals expansion of the V-V chain separation when compared to the VO{sub 2}(R) phase. The donated free electrons, possibly from O-H bond formation, stabilize the VO{sub 2}(R) to low temperatures. By controlling the amount of dopants to obtain mixed insulating and metallic phases, VO{sub 2} resistivity can be continuously tuned until a critical condition is achieved that suppresses Fabry-Perot resonances. Ourmore » results demonstrate that hydrogen spillover is an effective technique to tune the electrical and optical properties of VO{sub 2} thin films.« less

Highly insulating ferromagnetic cobaltite heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Choi, Woo Seok; Kang, Kyeong Tae; Jeen, Hyoungjeen; ...

2017-04-02

Ferromagnetic insulators are rather rare but possess great technological potential in, for example, spintronics. Individual control of ferromagnetic properties and electronic transport provides a useful design concept of multifunctional oxide heterostructures. We studied the close correlation among the magnetism, atomic structure, and electronic structure of oxide heterostructures composed of the ferromagnetic perovskite LaCoO 3 and the antiferromagnetic brownmillerite SrCoO 2.5 epitaxial thin film layers. By reversing the stacking sequence of the two layers, we could individually modify the electric resistance and saturation magnetic moment. Lastly, the ferromagnetic insulating behavior in the heterostructures was understood in terms of the electronic reconstructionmore » at the oxide surface/interfaces and crystalline quality of the constituent layers.« less

Highly insulating ferromagnetic cobaltite heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Woo Seok; Kang, Kyeong Tae; Jeen, Hyoungjeen

Ferromagnetic insulators are rather rare but possess great technological potential in, for example, spintronics. Individual control of ferromagnetic properties and electronic transport provides a useful design concept of multifunctional oxide heterostructures. We studied the close correlation among the magnetism, atomic structure, and electronic structure of oxide heterostructures composed of the ferromagnetic perovskite LaCoO 3 and the antiferromagnetic brownmillerite SrCoO 2.5 epitaxial thin film layers. By reversing the stacking sequence of the two layers, we could individually modify the electric resistance and saturation magnetic moment. Lastly, the ferromagnetic insulating behavior in the heterostructures was understood in terms of the electronic reconstructionmore » at the oxide surface/interfaces and crystalline quality of the constituent layers.« less

Critical behavior at a dynamic vortex insulator-to-metal transition

DOE PAGES

Poccia, Nicola; Baturina, Tatyana I.; Coneri, Francesco; ...

2015-09-10

An array of superconducting islands placed on a normal metal film offers a tunable realization of nanopatterned superconductivity. This system enables elucidating open questions concerning the nature of competing vortex states and phase transitions between them. A square array creates the egg crate potential in which magnetic field-induced vortices are frozen into a vortex insulator. We observe a vortex insulator-to-vortex metal transition driven by the applied electric current and determine critical exponents strikingly coinciding with those for thermodynamic liquid-gas transition. Lastly, our findings offer a comprehensive description of dynamic critical behavior and establish a deep connection between equilibrium and nonequilibriummore » phase transitions.« less

Critical behavior at a dynamic vortex insulator-to-metal transition.

PubMed

Poccia, Nicola; Baturina, Tatyana I; Coneri, Francesco; Molenaar, Cor G; Wang, X Renshaw; Bianconi, Ginestra; Brinkman, Alexander; Hilgenkamp, Hans; Golubov, Alexander A; Vinokur, Valerii M

2015-09-11

An array of superconducting islands placed on a normal metal film offers a tunable realization of nanopatterned superconductivity. This system enables investigation of the nature of competing vortex states and phase transitions between them. A square array creates the eggcrate potential in which magnetic field-induced vortices are frozen into a vortex insulator. We observed a vortex insulator-vortex metal transition driven by the applied electric current and determined critical exponents that coincided with those for thermodynamic liquid-gas transition. Our findings offer a comprehensive description of dynamic critical behavior and establish a deep connection between equilibrium and nonequilibrium phase transitions. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Mesoscopic Free Path of Nonthermalized Photogenerated Carriers in a Ferroelectric Insulator.

PubMed

Gu, Zongquan; Imbrenda, Dominic; Bennett-Jackson, Andrew L; Falmbigl, Matthias; Podpirka, Adrian; Parker, Thomas C; Shreiber, Daniel; Ivill, Mathew P; Fridkin, Vladimir M; Spanier, Jonathan E

2017-03-03

We show how finite-size scaling of a bulk photovoltaic effect-generated electric field in epitaxial ferroelectric insulating BaTiO_{3}(001) films and a photo-Hall response involving the bulk photovoltaic current reveal a large room-temperature mean free path of photogenerated nonthermalized electrons. Experimental determination of mesoscopic ballistic optically generated carrier transport opens a new paradigm for hot electron-based solar energy conversion, and for facile control of ballistic transport distinct from existing low-dimensional semiconductor interfaces, surfaces, layers, or other structures.

Effects of Combined Stressing on the Electrical Properties of Film and Ceramic Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Overton, Eric; Hammoud, Ahmad N.; Baumann, Eric D.; Myers, Ira T.

1994-01-01

Advanced power systems which generate, control, and distribute electrical power to many large loads are a requirement for future space exploration missions. The development of high temperature insulating materials and power components constitute a key element in systems which are lightweight, efficient, and are capable of surviving the hostile space environment. In previous work, experiments were carried out to evaluate film and ceramic capacitors for potential use in high temperature applications. The effects of thermal stressing, in air and without electrical bias, on the electrical properties of the capacitors as a function of thermal aging up to 12 weeks were determined. In this work, the combined effects of thermal aging and electrical stresses on the properties of teflon film and ceramic power capacitors were examined. The ceramic capacitors were thermally aged for 35 weeks and the teflon capacitors for 15 weeks at 200 C under full electrical bias and were characterized, on a weekly basis, in terms of their capacitance stability and electrical loss in the frequency range of 50 Hz to 100 kHz. DC leakage current measurements were also obtained. The results obtained represent the influence that short-term thermal aging and electrical bias have on the electrical properties of the power capacitors characterized.

Electric-Field-Induced Amplitude Tuning of Ferromagnetic Resonance Peak in Nano-granular Film FeCoB-SiO2/PMN-PT Composites.

PubMed

Luo, Mei; Zhou, Peiheng; Liu, Yunfeng; Wang, Xin; Xie, Jianliang

2016-12-01

One of the challenges in the design of microwave absorbers lies in tunable amplitude of dynamic permeability. In this work, we demonstrate that electric-field-induced magnetoelastic anisotropy in nano-granular film FeCoB-SiO 2 /PMN-PT (011) composites can be used to tune the amplitude of ferromagnetic resonance peak at room temperature. The FeCoB magnetic particles are separated from each other by SiO 2 insulating matrix and present slightly different in-plane anisotropy fields. As a result, multi-resonances appear in the imaginary permeability (μ″) curve and mixed together to form a broadband absorption peak. The amplitude of the resonance peak could be modulated by external electric field from 118 to 266.

Influence of a surface film on the particles on the electrorheological response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. W.; Conrad, H.

1997-01-01

A conduction model is developed for the dc electrorheological (ER) response of highly conducting particles (e.g., metal particles) suspended in a weakly conducting oil. The numerical analyses show that a surface film with some conductivity is desired, but not a completely insulating film as previously proposed. Increasing the film conductivity leads to an increase in the ER yield stress. However, too high a conductivity will give an unacceptable level of current density. The film should also have an intermediate thickness. A small thickness increases the possibility of electrical breakdown in the film; too large a thickness decreases the ER effect. Good agreement exists between the yield stress and the current density predicted by our model and those measured.

A Solution-Doped Polymer Semiconductor:Insulator Blend for Thermoelectrics.

PubMed

Kiefer, David; Yu, Liyang; Fransson, Erik; Gómez, Andrés; Primetzhofer, Daniel; Amassian, Aram; Campoy-Quiles, Mariano; Müller, Christian

2017-01-01

Poly(ethylene oxide) is demonstrated to be a suitable matrix polymer for the solution-doped conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene). The polarity of the insulator combined with carefully chosen processing conditions permits the fabrication of tens of micrometer-thick films that feature a fine distribution of the F4TCNQ dopant:semiconductor complex. Changes in electrical conductivity from 0.1 to 0.3 S cm -1 and Seebeck coefficient from 100 to 60 μV K -1 upon addition of the insulator correlate with an increase in doping efficiency from 20% to 40% for heavily doped ternary blends. An invariant bulk thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W m -1 K -1 gives rise to a thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT ∼ 10 -4 that remains unaltered for an insulator content of more than 60 wt%. Free-standing, mechanically robust tapes illustrate the versatility of the developed dopant:semiconductor:insulator ternary blends.

A Solution‐Doped Polymer Semiconductor:Insulator Blend for Thermoelectrics

PubMed Central

Kiefer, David; Yu, Liyang; Fransson, Erik; Gómez, Andrés; Primetzhofer, Daniel; Amassian, Aram; Campoy‐Quiles, Mariano

2016-01-01

Poly(ethylene oxide) is demonstrated to be a suitable matrix polymer for the solution‐doped conjugated polymer poly(3‐hexylthiophene). The polarity of the insulator combined with carefully chosen processing conditions permits the fabrication of tens of micrometer‐thick films that feature a fine distribution of the F4TCNQ dopant:semiconductor complex. Changes in electrical conductivity from 0.1 to 0.3 S cm−1 and Seebeck coefficient from 100 to 60 μV K−1 upon addition of the insulator correlate with an increase in doping efficiency from 20% to 40% for heavily doped ternary blends. An invariant bulk thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W m−1 K−1 gives rise to a thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT ∼ 10−4 that remains unaltered for an insulator content of more than 60 wt%. Free‐standing, mechanically robust tapes illustrate the versatility of the developed dopant:semiconductor:insulator ternary blends. PMID:28105396

Electrically Detected Study of Variable Range Hopping in Silicon Nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waskiewicz, Ryan; Mutch, Michael; Lenahan, Patrick; King, Sean

Electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) offers greatly improved sensitivity over conventional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies in semiconductor/insulator systems; in EDMR measurements, one observes EPR via changes in device currents which are spin-dependent. In our study, we observe EDMR via spin-dependent trap assisted tunneling (SDTAT) via variable range hopping (VRH) through stoichiometric silicon nitride dielectric films. In these films, leakage current effectively changes at resonance. In our study, we have investigated the EDMR response as a function of dielectric electric field and temperature for films of various thicknesses. We believe that these measurements allow us to identify the defects responsible for transport in such these thin films using EDMR and to some extent measure the distances between the defects. The separation between the defects can, at least in principle, be measured using the recently demonstrated half-field EDMR response and we can also count total number of spins responsible for transport through dielectric films. Although we present results only on silicon nitride thin films, we believe that the approach utilized will be widely applicable to other dielectric films in which electronic transport is of interest. This project is sponsored in part by Intel Corporation and in part by the Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency under Grant Number HDTRA1-16-0008.

Effect of tungsten implantation on the switching parameters in V2O5 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdyukh, S. V.; Berezina, O. Ya.; Pergament, A. L.

2017-11-01

The paper examines the effect of doping with tungsten on switching in hydrated vanadium pentoxide films. The switching effect is associated with the metal-insulator transition in a vanadium dioxide channel that forms in the initial film due to the process of electrical forming (EF). Doping is carried out by the plasma immersion ion implantation method. It is shown that implanting small tungsten doses improves the switching parameters after EF. When implanting large doses, switching is observed without EF, and if EF is applied, the switching effect, on the contrary, disappears.

Vortices and quasiparticles near the superconductor-insulator transition in thin films.

PubMed

Galitski, Victor M; Refael, G; Fisher, Matthew P A; Senthil, T

2005-08-12

We study the low temperature behavior of an amorphous superconducting film driven normal by a perpendicular magnetic-field (B). For this purpose we introduce a new two-fluid formulation consisting of fermionized field-induced vortices and electrically neutralized Bogoliubov quasiparticles (spinons) interacting via a long-ranged statistical interaction. This approach allows us to access a novel non-Fermi-liquid phase, which naturally interpolates between the low B superconductor and the high B normal metal. We discuss the properties of the resulting "vortex metal" phase.

TSDC (Thermally Stimulated Depolarization Current) Studies of PEO (Poly(Ethylene Oxide)) and PEO Complexed with KSCN.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

evaporated onto the resulting films. These films were then cut to form disks about 8 mm in diameter and 0.7 mm thick. While one electrode covered the full...surrounded by a heating coil, inside an airtight chamber. A spring loaded brass electrode presses the sample and the other electrode ." down onto the copper...cylinder. A sapphire disk insulates the lower " lectrodh( from the copper. This arrangement guarantees good thermal contact, arid electrical

Electrodeless electro-hydrodynamic gentle printing of personalized medicines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khusid, Boris; Elele, Ezinwa; Shen, Yueyang

2010-11-01

Drop-on-demand (DOD) principle appears to be a particular promising approach for manufacturing personalized treatments carefully tailored to a patient's genetic background. The authors have recently developed a DOD method for gentle printing of personalized medicines. A fluid is infused into an electrically insulating nozzle to form a pendant drop. A sufficiently strong voltage pulse is applied to external electrodes to stretch the pendant drop until it touches an electrically insulating film and forms a liquid bridge. As the liquid bridge is intentionally formed in an unstable configuration, it breaks up, creating two drops, one on the film and the other hanging from the nozzle. To prove the validity and versatility of the method, experiments are conducted on fluids whose viscosity, conductivity, dielectric constant, and surface tension vary over a broad range, respectively: 1-1045 cP, 0.02-290 μS/cm, 9-78, and 41-72 dyn/cm. We present a scaling analysis that captures the essential physics of drop evolution and provides the critical design guidelines. The work was supported by NSF Engineering Research Center on Structured Organic Particulate Systems.

Mechanically Stretchable and Electrically Insulating Thermal Elastomer Composite by Liquid Alloy Droplet Embedment

PubMed Central

Jeong, Seung Hee; Chen, Si; Huo, Jinxing; Gamstedt, Erik Kristofer; Liu, Johan; Zhang, Shi-Li; Zhang, Zhi-Bin; Hjort, Klas; Wu, Zhigang

2015-01-01

Stretchable electronics and soft robotics have shown unsurpassed features, inheriting remarkable functions from stretchable and soft materials. Electrically conductive and mechanically stretchable materials based on composites have been widely studied for stretchable electronics as electrical conductors using various combinations of materials. However, thermally tunable and stretchable materials, which have high potential in soft and stretchable thermal devices as interface or packaging materials, have not been sufficiently studied. Here, a mechanically stretchable and electrically insulating thermal elastomer composite is demonstrated, which can be easily processed for device fabrication. A liquid alloy is embedded as liquid droplet fillers in an elastomer matrix to achieve softness and stretchability. This new elastomer composite is expected useful to enhance thermal response or efficiency of soft and stretchable thermal devices or systems. The thermal elastomer composites demonstrate advantages such as thermal interface and packaging layers with thermal shrink films in transient and steady-state cases and a stretchable temperature sensor. PMID:26671673

Molecular engineered conjugated polymer with high thermal conductivity

PubMed Central

Song, Bai; Lee, Elizabeth M. Y.; Gleason, Karen K.

2018-01-01

Traditional polymers are both electrically and thermally insulating. The development of electrically conductive polymers has led to novel applications such as flexible displays, solar cells, and wearable biosensors. As in the case of electrically conductive polymers, the development of polymers with high thermal conductivity would open up a range of applications in next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and energy devices. Current research has so far been limited to engineering polymers either by strong intramolecular interactions, which enable efficient phonon transport along the polymer chains, or by strong intermolecular interactions, which enable efficient phonon transport between the polymer chains. However, it has not been possible until now to engineer both interactions simultaneously. We report the first realization of high thermal conductivity in the thin film of a conjugated polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene), via bottom-up oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD), taking advantage of both strong C=C covalent bonding along the extended polymer chain and strong π-π stacking noncovalent interactions between chains. We confirm the presence of both types of interactions by systematic structural characterization, achieving a near–room temperature thermal conductivity of 2.2 W/m·K, which is 10 times higher than that of conventional polymers. With the solvent-free oCVD technique, it is now possible to grow polymer films conformally on a variety of substrates as lightweight, flexible heat conductors that are also electrically insulating and resistant to corrosion. PMID:29670943

Electric-field assisted switching of magnetization in perpendicularly magnetized (Ga,Mn)As films at high temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hailong; Ma, Jialin; Yu, Xueze; Yu, Zhifeng; Zhao, Jianhua

2017-01-01

The electric-field effects on the magnetism in perpendicularly magnetized (Ga,Mn)As films at high temperatures have been investigated. An electric-field as high as 0.6 V nm-1 is applied by utilizing a solid-state dielectric Al2O3 film as a gate insulator. The coercive field, saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy have been clearly changed by the gate electric-field, which are detected via the anomalous Hall effect. In terms of the Curie temperature, a variation of about 3 K is observed as determined by the temperature derivative of the sheet resistance. In addition, electrical switching of the magnetization assisted by a fixed external magnetic field at 120 K is demonstrated, employing the gate-controlled coercive field. The above experimental results have been attributed to the gate voltage modulation of the hole density in (Ga,Mn)As films, since the ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As is carrier-mediated. The limited modulation magnitude of magnetism is found to result from the strong charge screening effect introduced by the high hole concentration up to 1.10  ×  1021 cm-3, while the variation of the hole density is only about 1.16  ×  1020 cm-3.

Spreading Resistance on Thin Film Contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Peng; Lau, Y. Y.; Hung, D.; Gilgenbach, R. M.

2012-10-01

Electrical contact [1] is important to wire-array z-pinches, metal-insulator-vacuum junctions, and high power microwave sources, etc. Contact problems account for 40 percent of all electrical failures, from small scale consumer electronics to large scale defense and aerospace systems. The crowding of the current lines at contacts leads to enhanced localized heating, a measure of which is the spreading resistance (Rs). For a microscopic area of contact (the ``a-spot'' [1]) on a thin film, we calculate Rs in both Cartesian and cylindrical geometries [2]. In the limit of small film thickness, h, the normalized thin film spreading resistance converges to the finite values, 2.77 for the Cartesian case and 0.28 for the cylindrical case. These same finite limits are found to be applicable to the a-spot between bulk solids in the high frequency limit if the skin depth is identified with h. Extension to a general a-spot geometry is proposed [2]. [4pt] [1] R. Holm, Electric Contacts, 4th ed., Springer (1967). [0pt] [2] P. Zhang et al., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 59, 1936 (2012).

Two dimensional simulation of patternable conducting polymer electrode based organic thin film transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Shiny; Kathiresan, M.; Mukundan, T.

2018-02-01

Device characteristics of organic thin film transistor (OTFT) fabricated with conducting polyaniline:polystyrene sulphonic acid (PANi-PSS) electrodes, patterned by the Parylene lift-off method are systematically analyzed by way of two dimensional numerical simulation. The device simulation was performed taking into account field-dependent mobility, low mobility layer at the electrode-semiconductor interface, trap distribution in pentacene film and trapped charge at the organic/insulator interface. The electrical characteristics of bottom contact thin film transistor with PANi-PSS electrodes and pentacene active material is superior to those with palladium electrodes due to a lower charge injection barrier. Contact resistance was extracted in both cases by the transfer line method (TLM). The extracted charge concentration and potential profile from the two dimensional numerical simulation was used to explain the observed electrical characteristics. The simulated device characteristics not only matched the experimental electrical characteristics, but also gave an insight on the charge injection, transport and trap properties of the OTFTs as a function of different electrode materials from the perspectives of transistor operation.

Fabrication and Testing of a Thin-Film Heat Flux Sensor for a Stirling Convertor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Scott D.; Fralick, Gustave; Wrbanek, John; Sayir, Ali

2009-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been testing high efficiency free-piston Stirling convertors for potential use in radioisotope power systems since 1999. Stirling convertors are being operated for many years to demonstrate a radioisotope power system capable of providing reliable power for potential multi-year missions. Techniques used to monitor the convertors for change in performance include measurements of temperature, pressure, energy addition, and energy rejection. Micro-porous bulk insulation is used in the Stirling convertor test set up to minimize the loss of thermal energy from the electric heat source to the environment. The insulation is characterized before extended operation, enabling correlation of the net thermal energy addition to the convertor. Aging microporous bulk insulation changes insulation efficiency, introducing errors in the correlation for net thermal energy addition. A thin-mm heat flux sensor was designed and fabricated to directly measure the net thermal energy addition to the Stirling convertor. The fabrication techniques include slip casting and using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). One micron thick noble metal thermocouples measure temperature on the surface of an Alumina ceramic disc and heat flux is calculated. Fabrication, integration, and test results of a thin film heat flux sensor are presented.

“Thermal Stabilization Effect” of Al2O3 nano-dopants improves the high-temperature dielectric performance of polyimide

PubMed Central

Yang, Yang; He, Jinliang; Wu, Guangning; Hu, Jun

2015-01-01

Insulation performance of the dielectrics under extreme conditions always attracts widespread attention in electrical and electronic field. How to improve the high-temperature dielectric properties of insulation materials is one of the key issues in insulation system design of electrical devices. This paper studies the temperature-dependent corona resistance of polyimide (PI)/Al2O3 nanocomposite films under high-frequency square-wave pulse conditions. Extended corona resistant lifetime under high-temperature conditions is experimentally observed in the 2 wt% nanocomposite samples. The “thermal stabilization effect” is proposed to explain this phenomenon which attributes to a new kind of trap band caused by nanoparticles. This effect brings about superior space charge characteristics and corona resistance under high temperature with certain nano-doping concentration. The proposed theory is experimentally demonstrated by space charge analysis and thermally stimulated current (TSC) tests. This discovered effect is of profound significance on improving high-temperature dielectric properties of nanocomposites towards various applications. PMID:26597981

Development and characterization of ultrathin hafnium titanates as high permittivity gate insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Min

High permittivity or high-kappa materials are being developed for use as gate insulators for future ultrascaled metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). Hafnium containing compounds are the leading candidates. Due to its moderate permittivity, however, it is difficult to achieve HfO2 gate structures with an EOT well below 1.0 nm. One approach to increase HfO2 permittivity is combining it with a very high-kappa material, such as TiO2. In this thesis, we systematically studied the electrical and physical characteristics of high-kappa hafnium titanates films as gate insulators. A series of HfxTi1-xO2 films with well-controlled composition were deposited using an MOCVD system. The physical properties of the films were analyzed using a variety of characterization techniques. X-ray micro diffraction indicates that the Ti-rich thin film is more immune to crystallization. TEM analysis showed that the thick stoichiometric HfTiO 4 film has an orthorhombic structure and large anisotropic grains. The C-V curves from the devices with the hafnium titanates films displayed relatively low hysteresis. In a certain composition range, the interfacial layer (IL) EOT and permittivity of HfxTi1-x O2 increases linearly with increasing Ti. The charge is negative for HfxTi1-xO2/IL and positive for Si/IL interface, and the magnitude increases as Hf increases. For ultra-thin films (less than 2 nm EOT), the leakage current increases with increasing HE Moreover, the Hf-rich sample has weaker temperature dependence of the current. In the MOSFET devices with the hafnium titanates films, normal transistor characteristics were observed, also electron mobility degradation. Next, we investigated the effects that different pre-deposition surface treatments, including HF dipping, NH3 surface nitridation, and HfO2 deposition, have on the electrical properties of hafnium titanates. Surface nitridation shows stronger effect than the thin HfO2 layer. The nitrided samples displayed a negative flat band voltage shift and larger hysteresis relative to the HF-dipped samples. The IL EOT reduction by mtridation increases with increasing HE Surface nitridation also induces extra charge, more considerable at the Si/IL interface. The leakage current is reduced in the Hf-rich samples with a nitride layer. Electron mobility degradation by surface nitridation was also observed.

Organometallic Polymeric Conductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngs, Wiley J.

1997-01-01

For aerospace applications, the use of polymers can result in tremendous weight savings over metals. Suitable polymeric materials for some applications like EMI shielding, spacecraft grounding, and charge dissipation must combine high electrical conductivity with long-term environmental stability, good processability, and good mechanical properties. Recently, other investigators have reported hybrid films made from an electrically conductive polymer combined with insulating polymers. In all of these instances, the films were prepared by infiltrating an insulating polymer with a precursor for a conductive polymer (either polypyrrole or polythiophene), and oxidatively polymerizing the precursor in situ. The resulting composite films have good electrical conductivity, while overcoming the brittleness inherent in most conductive polymers. Many aerospace applications require a combination of properties. Thus, hybrid films made from polyimides or other engineering resins are of primary interest, but only if conductivities on the same order as those obtained with a polystyrene base could be obtained. Hence, a series of experiments was performed to optimize the conductivity of polyimide-based composite films. The polyimide base chosen for this study was Kapton. 3-MethylThiophene (3MT) was used for the conductive phase. Three processing variables were identified for producing these composite films, namely time, temperature, and oxidant concentration for the in situ oxidation. Statistically designed experiments were used to examine the effects of these variables and synergistic/interactive effects among variables on the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of the films. Multiple linear regression analysis of the tensile data revealed that temperature and time have the greatest effect on maximum stress. The response surface of maximum stress vs. temperature and time (for oxidant concentration at 1.2 M) is shown. Conductivity of the composite films was measured for over 150 days in air at ambient temperature. The conductivity of the films dropped only half an order of magnitude in that time. Films aged under vacuum at ambient temperature diminished slightly in conductivity in the first day, but did not change thereafter. An experimental design approach will be applied to maximize the efficiency of the laboratory effort. The material properties (initial and long term) will also be monitored and assessed. The experimental results will add to the existing database for electrically conductive polymer materials. Attachments: 1) Synthesis Crystal Structure, and Polymerization of 1,2:5,6:9,10-Tribenzo-3,7,11,13-tetradehydro(14) annulene. 2) Reinvestigation of the Photocyclization of 1,4-Phenylene Bis(phenylmaleic anhydride): Preparation and Structure of (5)Helicene 5,6:9,10-Dianhydride. 3) Preparation and Structure Charecterization of a Platinum Catecholate Complex Containing Two 3-Ethynyltheophone Groups. and 4) Rigid-Rod Polymers Based on Noncoplanar 4,4'-Biphenyldiamines: A Review of Polymer Properties vs Configuration of Diamines.

A flexible insulator of a hollow SiO2 sphere and polyimide hybrid for flexible OLEDs.

PubMed

Kim, Min Kyu; Kim, Dong Won; Shin, Dong Wook; Seo, Sang Joon; Chung, Ho Kyoon; Yoo, Ji Beom

2015-01-28

The fabrication of interlayer dielectrics (ILDs) in flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) not only requires flexible materials with a low dielectric constant, but also ones that possess the electrical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties required for optimal device performance. Porous polymer-silica hybrid materials were prepared to satisfy these requirements. Hollow SiO2 spheres were synthesized using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and a thermal calcination process. The hybrid film, which consists of hollow SiO2 spheres and polyimide, shows a low dielectric constant of 1.98 and excellent thermal stability up to 500 °C. After the bending test for 50 000 cycles, the porous hybrid film exhibits no degradation in its dielectric constant or leakage current. These results indicate that the hybrid film made up of hollow SiO2 spheres and polyimide (PI) is useful as a flexible insulator with a low dielectric constant and high thermal stability for flexible OLEDs.

Ferroelectric domain inversion and its stability in lithium niobate thin film on insulator with different thicknesses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shao, Guang-hao; Bai, Yu-hang; Cui, Guo-xin

2016-07-15

Ferroelectric domain inversion and its effect on the stability of lithium niobate thin films on insulator (LNOI) are experimentally characterized. Two sets of specimens with different thicknesses varying from submicron to microns are selected. For micron thick samples (∼28 μm), domain structures are achieved by pulsed electric field poling with electrodes patterned via photolithography. No domain structure deterioration has been observed for a month as inspected using polarizing optical microscopy and etching. As for submicron (540 nm) films, large-area domain inversion is realized by scanning a biased conductive tip in a piezoelectric force microscope. A graphic processing method is takenmore » to evaluate the domain retention. A domain life time of 25.0 h is obtained and possible mechanisms are discussed. Our study gives a direct reference for domain structure-related applications of LNOI, including guiding wave nonlinear frequency conversion, nonlinear wavefront tailoring, electro-optic modulation, and piezoelectric devices.« less

Influence of metal work function and incorporation of Sr atom on WO3 thin films for MIS and MIM structured SBDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marnadu, R.; Chandrasekaran, J.; Raja, M.; Balaji, M.; Maruthamuthu, S.; Balraju, P.

2018-07-01

In this work, two different structure of Cu/Sr-WO3/p-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) and Cu/Sr-WO3/FTO metal-insulator-metal (MIM) Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) fabricated with an insulating layer of pure tungsten trioxide (WO3) and Sr-WO3 thin films have been reported. The Sr-WO3 layer was coated separately, with different concentrations (0, 4, 8 and 12 wt %) of strontium (Sr) via jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique (JNSP) on the p-type silica wafer (p-Si) and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates which are been optimized at 400 °C. The XRD analysis reveals the multiphase crystalline structures for 12 wt % of Sr-WO3 film with higher average crystallite size. FE-SEM images show the randomly oriented sub-microsized slab and seashell like structures. Higher surface roughness with improved grain size for 12 wt % of Sr-WO3 film. The presence of W, O and Sr atoms was confirmed by EDX spectra. In optical studies, Maximum absorption with minimum optical band gap was observed for 12 wt % of Sr-WO3 composite film. There was a linear increase in the electrical conductivity of the films with higher wt. % of Sr. Evidently the activation energy decreased with Sr concentration which is in accordance with the bandgap values. The fitting results of the measured I-V, reveal that MIS (SBDs) under illumination condition have minimum ideality factor (n = 2.39) and maximum barrier height (Φb = 0.57) values for higher concentration (12 wt %) of Sr film compared to MIM SBDs.

Preliminary Evaluation of Polyarylate Dielectric Films for Cryogenic Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Richard L.; Hammoud, Ahmad; Fialla, Peter

2002-01-01

Polymeric materials are used extensively on spacecraft and satellites in electrical power and distribution systems, as thermal blankets and optical surface coatings, as well as mechanical support structures. The reliability of these systems when exposed to the harsh environment of space is very critical to the success of the mission and the safety of the crew in manned-flight ventures. In this work, polyarylate films were evaluated for potential use as capacitor dielectrics and wiring insulation for cryogenic applications. Two grades of the film were characterized in terms of their electrical and mechanical properties before and after exposure to liquid nitrogen (-196 C). The electrical characterization consisted of capacitance and dielectric loss measure Cents in the frequency range of 50 Hz to 100 kHz, and volume and surface resistivities. The mechanical measurements performed included changes in tensile (Young's modulus, elongation-at-break, and tensile strength) and structural properties (dimensional change, weight, and surface morphology). The preliminary results, which indicate good stability of the polymer after exposure to liquid nitrogen, are presented and discussed.

Epitaxial VO2 thin-film-based radio-frequency switches with electrical activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaeseong; Lee, Daesu; Cho, Sang June; Seo, Jung-Hun; Liu, Dong; Eom, Chang-Beom; Ma, Zhenqiang

2017-09-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a correlated material exhibiting a sharp insulator-to-metal phase transition (IMT) caused by temperature change and/or bias voltage. We report on the demonstration of electrically triggered radio-frequency (RF) switches based on epitaxial VO2 thin films. The highly epitaxial VO2 and SnO2 template layer was grown on a (001) TiO2 substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). A resistance change of the VO2 thin films of four orders of magnitude was achieved with a relatively low threshold voltage, as low as 13 V, for an IMT phase transition. VO2 RF switches also showed high-frequency responses of insertion losses of -3 dB at the on-state and return losses of -4.3 dB at the off-state over 27 GHz. Furthermore, an intrinsic cutoff frequency of 17.4 THz was estimated for the RF switches. The study on electrical IMT dynamics revealed a phase transition time of 840 ns.

Oxygen Displacement in Cuprates under IonicLiquid Field-Effect Gating

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dubuis, Guy; Yacoby, Yizhak; Zhou, Hua

We studied structural changes in a 5 unit cell thick La 1.96Sr 0.04CuO 4 film, epitaxially grown on a LaSrAlO 4 substrate with a single unit cell buffer layer, when ultra-high electric fields were induced in the film by applying a gate voltage between the film and an ionic liquid in contact with it. Measuring the diffraction intensity along the substrate-defined Bragg rods and analyzing the results using a phase retrieval method we obtained the three-dimensional electron density in the film, buffer layer, and topmost atomic layers of the substrate under different applied gate voltages. The main structural observations were:more » (i) there were no structural changes when the voltage was negative, holes were injected into the film making it more metallic and screening the electric field; (ii) when the voltage was positive, the film was depleted of holes becoming more insulating, the electric field extended throughout the film, the partial surface monolayer became disordered, and planar oxygen atoms were displaced towards the sample surface; (iii) the changes in surface disorder and the oxygen displacements were both reversed when a negative voltage was applied; and (iv) the c-axis lattice constant of the film did not change in spite of the displacement of planar oxygen atoms.« less

Oxygen Displacement in Cuprates under IonicLiquid Field-Effect Gating

DOE PAGES

Dubuis, Guy; Yacoby, Yizhak; Zhou, Hua; ...

2016-08-15

We studied structural changes in a 5 unit cell thick La 1.96Sr 0.04CuO 4 film, epitaxially grown on a LaSrAlO 4 substrate with a single unit cell buffer layer, when ultra-high electric fields were induced in the film by applying a gate voltage between the film and an ionic liquid in contact with it. Measuring the diffraction intensity along the substrate-defined Bragg rods and analyzing the results using a phase retrieval method we obtained the three-dimensional electron density in the film, buffer layer, and topmost atomic layers of the substrate under different applied gate voltages. The main structural observations were:more » (i) there were no structural changes when the voltage was negative, holes were injected into the film making it more metallic and screening the electric field; (ii) when the voltage was positive, the film was depleted of holes becoming more insulating, the electric field extended throughout the film, the partial surface monolayer became disordered, and planar oxygen atoms were displaced towards the sample surface; (iii) the changes in surface disorder and the oxygen displacements were both reversed when a negative voltage was applied; and (iv) the c-axis lattice constant of the film did not change in spite of the displacement of planar oxygen atoms.« less

Insulator to metal transition in WO 3 induced by electrolyte gating

DOE PAGES

Leng, X.; Pereiro, J.; Strle, J.; ...

2017-07-03

Tungsten oxide and its associated bronzes (compounds of tungsten oxide and an alkali metal) are well known for their interesting optical and electrical characteristics. We have modified the transport properties of thin WO 3 films by electrolyte gating using both ionic liquids and polymer electrolytes. We are able to tune the resistivity of the gated film by more than five orders of magnitude, and a clear insulator-to-metal transition is observed. To clarify the doping mechanism, we have performed a series of incisive operando experiments, ruling out both a purely electronic effect (charge accumulation near the interface) and oxygen-related mechanisms. Wemore » propose instead that hydrogen intercalation is responsible for doping WO 3 into a highly conductive ground state and provide evidence that it can be described as a dense polaronic gas.« less

Electric double-layer transistor using layered iron selenide Mott insulator TlFe1.6Se2

PubMed Central

Katase, Takayoshi; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Kamiya, Toshio; Hosono, Hideo

2014-01-01

A1–xFe2–ySe2 (A = K, Cs, Rb, Tl) are recently discovered iron-based superconductors with critical temperatures (Tc) ranging up to 32 K. Their parent phases have unique properties compared with other iron-based superconductors; e.g., their crystal structures include ordered Fe vacancies, their normal states are antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulating phases, and they have extremely high Néel transition temperatures. However, control of carrier doping into the parent AFM insulators has been difficult due to their intrinsic phase separation. Here, we fabricated an Fe-vacancy-ordered TlFe1.6Se2 insulating epitaxial film with an atomically flat surface and examined its electrostatic carrier doping using an electric double-layer transistor (EDLT) structure with an ionic liquid gate. The positive gate voltage gave a conductance modulation of three orders of magnitude at 25 K, and further induced and manipulated a phase transition; i.e., delocalized carrier generation by electrostatic doping is the origin of the phase transition. This is the first demonstration, to the authors' knowledge, of an EDLT using a Mott insulator iron selenide channel and opens a way to explore high Tc superconductivity in iron-based layered materials, where carrier doping by conventional chemical means is difficult. PMID:24591598

Electromechanical Behavior of Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benchirouf, Abderrahmane; Müller, Christian; Kanoun, Olfa

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose strain-sensitive thin films based on chemically reduced graphene oxide (GO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) without adding any further surfactants. In spite of the insulating properties of the thin-film-based GO due to the presence functional groups such as hydroxyl, epoxy, and carbonyl groups in its atomic structure, a significant enhancement of the film conductivity was reached by chemical reduction with hydro-iodic acid. By optimizing the MWCNT content, a significant improvement of electrical and mechanical thin film sensitivity is realized. The optical properties and the morphology of the prepared thin films were studied using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The UV-Vis spectra showed the ability to tune the band gap of the GO by changing the MWCNT content, whereas the SEM indicated that the MWCNTs were well dissolved and coated by the GO. Investigations of the piezoresistive properties of the hybrid nanocomposite material under mechanical load show a linear trend between the electrical resistance and the applied strain. A relatively high gauge factor of 8.5 is reached compared to the commercial metallic strain gauges. The self-assembled hybrid films exhibit outstanding properties in electric conductivity, mechanical strength, and strain sensitivity, which provide a high potential for use in strain-sensing applications.

Electromechanical Behavior of Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Material.

PubMed

Benchirouf, Abderrahmane; Müller, Christian; Kanoun, Olfa

2016-12-01

In this paper, we propose strain-sensitive thin films based on chemically reduced graphene oxide (GO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) without adding any further surfactants. In spite of the insulating properties of the thin-film-based GO due to the presence functional groups such as hydroxyl, epoxy, and carbonyl groups in its atomic structure, a significant enhancement of the film conductivity was reached by chemical reduction with hydro-iodic acid. By optimizing the MWCNT content, a significant improvement of electrical and mechanical thin film sensitivity is realized. The optical properties and the morphology of the prepared thin films were studied using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The UV-Vis spectra showed the ability to tune the band gap of the GO by changing the MWCNT content, whereas the SEM indicated that the MWCNTs were well dissolved and coated by the GO. Investigations of the piezoresistive properties of the hybrid nanocomposite material under mechanical load show a linear trend between the electrical resistance and the applied strain. A relatively high gauge factor of 8.5 is reached compared to the commercial metallic strain gauges. The self-assembled hybrid films exhibit outstanding properties in electric conductivity, mechanical strength, and strain sensitivity, which provide a high potential for use in strain-sensing applications.

Combined strain and composition-induced effects in the metal-insulator transition of epitaxial VO2 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Théry, V.; Boulle, A.; Crunteanu, A.; Orlianges, J. C.

2017-12-01

The role of epitaxial strain, thermal strain, and bulk (strain-free) lattice parameters in the metal-insulator transition (MIT) and the structural phase transition (SPT) of VO2 is investigated for the case of epitaxial films grown on (001)-oriented TiO2 substrates. Temperature-resolved X-ray reciprocal space mapping has been used to determine the absolute state of strain as well as the bulk lattice parameters of VO2 at 100 °C. For the thinnest film (15 nm), the state of strain is dominated by the film/substrate lattice mismatch yielding an in-plane tensile strain which, in turn, shifts both the MIT and the SPT towards lower temperatures. Conversely, for the thickest film (100 nm), the epitaxial strain is relaxed, so that the state of strain is dominated by the VO2/TiO2 thermal expansion mismatch which is responsible for a compressive in-plane strain. In all cases, a swelling of the strain-free VO2 unit-cell is observed which indicates the presence of interfacial oxygen vacancies and/or Ti diffusion into the VO2 films. The presence of oxygen vacancies stabilizes the metallic rutile phase and counterbalances the action of thermal strain on the MIT and the SPT and degrades the electric properties for the thinnest film. For the thickest film, the resistivity ratio is 6.4 × 104.

Dielectric response of crystalline tris(acetylacetonato)cobalt(III) films grown on Si substrate for low- k dielectric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dakhel, A. A.; Ali-Mohamed, A. Y.

2008-01-01

Thin films of the complex tris(acetylacetonato)cobalt(III) [abb. Co(acac) 3] were deposited in vacuum on glass and p-Si substrates for optical and dielectric studies. The samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction and fluorescence methods as well as optical absorption spectroscopy. The prepared films show a polycrystalline of monoclinic P2 1/ c structure. The optical absorption spectrum of the prepared film was not exactly fit to that of the molecular one. The energy of the optical absorption onset of the Co(acac) 3 film was calculated by using usual solid-state methods. For electrical measurements on the complex as insulator, samples in the form of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure were prepared and characterised by measurement of the capacitance as a function of gate voltage at 1 MHz. The frequency dependence of the complex dielectric constant of the complex was studied in the frequency range (1-1000 kHz) in the temperature range (294-323 K). The experimental results were analysed in the framework of Debye single relaxation model. Generally, the present study shows that a film of complex Co(acac) 3 grown on Si substrate is a promising candidate for low- k dielectric applications, it displays low- k value around 1.7 at high frequencies.

High-Rate Assembly of Nanomaterials on Insulating Surfaces Using Electro-Fluidic Directed Assembly.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Cihan; Sirman, Asli; Halder, Aditi; Busnaina, Ahmed

2017-08-22

Conductive or semiconducting nanomaterials-based applications such as electronics and sensors often require direct placement of such nanomaterials on insulating surfaces. Most fluidic-based directed assembly techniques on insulating surfaces utilize capillary force and evaporation but are diffusion limited and slow. Electrophoretic-based assembly, on the other hand, is fast but can only be utilized for assembly on a conductive surface. Here, we present a directed assembly technique that enables rapid assembly of nanomaterials on insulating surfaces. The approach leverages and combines fluidic and electrophoretic assembly by applying the electric field through an insulating surface via a conductive film underneath. The approach (called electro-fluidic) yields an assembly process that is 2 orders of magnitude faster compared to fluidic assembly. By understanding the forces on the assembly process, we have demonstrated the controlled assembly of various types of nanomaterials that are conducting, semiconducting, and insulating including nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanotubes on insulating rigid and flexible substrates. The presented approach shows great promise for making practical devices in miniaturized sensors and flexible electronics.

Second Harmonic Generation characterization of SOI wafers: Impact of layer thickness and interface electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damianos, D.; Vitrant, G.; Lei, M.; Changala, J.; Kaminski-Cachopo, A.; Blanc-Pelissier, D.; Cristoloveanu, S.; Ionica, I.

2018-05-01

In this work, we investigate Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) as a non-destructive characterization method for Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) materials. For thick SOI stacks, the SHG signal is related to the thickness variations of the different layers. However, in thin SOI films, the comparison between measurements and optical modeling suggests a supplementary SHG contribution attributed to the electric fields at the SiO2/Si interfaces. The impact of the electric field at each interface of the SOI on the SHG is assessed. The SHG technique can be used to evaluate interfacial electric fields and consequently interface charge density in SOI materials.

Dielectric and electrical study of PPy doped PVA-PVP films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Sushma; Tripathi, Deepti

2018-05-01

Dielectric parameters of free standing films of pure PVA (PolyvinylAlcohol) and PVA with varying concentrations of PVP(Polyvinylpyrrolidone) and Polypyrrole were prepared and studied in low frequency range (100Hz - 2MHz). The results show that dielectric constant, loss tangent and conductivity increase sharply on increasing the concentration of PVP above 50wt% in polymer matrix. PVA-PVP film with low concentration of PPy showed improvement in the values of complex permittivity, loss tangent and ac conductivity within the experimental frequency range. This eco - friendly polymeric material will be studied for its probable application for RFI/EMI shielding, biosensors, capacitors & insulation purposes.

Electric field induced metal-insulator transition in VO2 thin film based on FTO/VO2/FTO structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Rulong; Li, Yi; Liu, Fei; Sun, Yao; Tang, Jiayin; Chen, Peizu; Jiang, Wei; Wu, Zhengyi; Xu, Tingting; Fang, Baoying

2016-03-01

A VO2 thin film has been prepared using a DC magnetron sputtering method and annealing on an F-doped SnO2 (FTO) conductive glass substrate. The FTO/VO2/FTO structure was fabricated using photolithography and a chemical etching process. The temperature dependence of the I-V hysteresis loop for the FTO/VO2/FTO structure has been analyzed. The threshold voltage decreases with increasing temperature, with a value of 9.2 V at 20 °C. The maximum transmission modulation value of the FTO/VO2/FTO structure is 31.4% under various temperatures and voltages. Optical modulation can be realized in the structure by applying an electric field.

Giant energy density and high efficiency achieved in bismuth ferrite-based film capacitors via domain engineering.

PubMed

Pan, Hao; Ma, Jing; Ma, Ji; Zhang, Qinghua; Liu, Xiaozhi; Guan, Bo; Gu, Lin; Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Yu-Jun; Li, Liangliang; Shen, Yang; Lin, Yuan-Hua; Nan, Ce-Wen

2018-05-08

Developing high-performance film dielectrics for capacitive energy storage has been a great challenge for modern electrical devices. Despite good results obtained in lead titanate-based dielectrics, lead-free alternatives are strongly desirable due to environmental concerns. Here we demonstrate that giant energy densities of ~70 J cm -3 , together with high efficiency as well as excellent cycling and thermal stability, can be achieved in lead-free bismuth ferrite-strontium titanate solid-solution films through domain engineering. It is revealed that the incorporation of strontium titanate transforms the ferroelectric micro-domains of bismuth ferrite into highly-dynamic polar nano-regions, resulting in a ferroelectric to relaxor-ferroelectric transition with concurrently improved energy density and efficiency. Additionally, the introduction of strontium titanate greatly improves the electrical insulation and breakdown strength of the films by suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies. This work opens up a feasible and propagable route, i.e., domain engineering, to systematically develop new lead-free dielectrics for energy storage.

Double anisotropic electrically conductive flexible Janus-typed membranes.

PubMed

Li, Xiaobing; Ma, Qianli; Tian, Jiao; Xi, Xue; Li, Dan; Dong, Xiangting; Yu, Wensheng; Wang, Xinlu; Wang, Jinxian; Liu, Guixia

2017-12-07

Novel type III anisotropic conductive films (ACFs), namely flexible Janus-typed membranes, were proposed, designed and fabricated for the first time. Flexible Janus-typed membranes composed of ordered Janus nanobelts were constructed by electrospinning, which simultaneously possess fluorescence and double electrically conductive anisotropy. For the fabrication of the Janus-typed membrane, Janus nanobelts comprising a conductive side and an insulative-fluorescent side were primarily fabricated, and then the Janus nanobelts are arranged into parallel arrays using an aluminum rotary drum as the collector to obtain a single anisotropically conductive film. Subsequently, a secondary electrospinning process was applied to the as-prepared single anisotropically conductive films to acquire the final Janus-typed membrane. For this Janus-typed membrane, namely its left-to-right structure, anisotropic electrical conduction synchronously exists on both sides, and furthermore, the two electrically conductive directions are perpendicular. By modulating the amount of Eu(BA) 3 phen complex and conducting polyaniline (PANI), the characteristics and intensity of the fluorescence-electricity dual-function in the membrane can be tuned. The high integration of this peculiar Janus-typed membrane with simultaneous double electrically conductive anisotropy-fluorescent dual-functionality is successfully realized in this study. This design philosophy and preparative technique will provide support for the design and construction of new types of special nanostructures with multi-functionality.

Composition dependence of charge and magnetic length scales in mixed valence manganite thin films

PubMed Central

Singh, Surendra; Freeland, J. W.; Fitzsimmons, M. R.; Jeen, H.; Biswas, A.

2016-01-01

Mixed-valence manganese oxides present striking properties like the colossal magnetoresistance, metal-insulator transition (MIT) that may result from coexistence of ferromagnetic, metallic and insulating phases. Percolation of such phase coexistence in the vicinity of MIT leads to first-order transition in these manganites. However the length scales over which the electronic and magnetic phases are separated across MIT which appears compelling for bulk systems has been elusive in (La1−yPry)1−xCaxMnO3 films. Here we show the in-plane length scale over which charge and magnetism are correlated in (La0.4Pr0.6)1−xCaxMnO3 films with x = 0.33 and 0.375, across the MIT temperature. We combine electrical transport (resistance) measurements, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and specular/off-specular x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) measurements as a function of temperature to elucidate relationships between electronic, magnetic and morphological structure of the thin films. Using off-specular XRMS we obtained the charge-charge and charge-magnetic correlation length of these LPCMO films across the MIT. We observed different charge-magnetic correlation length for two films which increases below the MIT. The different correlation length shown by two films may be responsible for different macroscopic (transport and magnetic) properties. PMID:27461993

Composition dependence of electronic, magnetic, transport and morphological properties of mixed valence manganite thin films

DOE PAGES

Singh, Surendra; Freeland, J. W.; Fitzsimmons, Michael R.; ...

2016-07-27

Mixed-valence manganese oxides present striking properties like the colossal magnetoresistance, metal-insulator transition (MIT) that may result from coexistence of ferromagnetic, metallic and insulating phases. Percolation of such phase coexistence in the vicinity of MIT leads to first-order transition in these manganites. However the length scales over which the electronic and magnetic phases are separated across MIT which appears compelling for bulk systems has been elusive in (La 1-yPr y) 1-xCaxMnO 3 films. Here we show the in-plane length scale over which charge and magnetism are correlated in (La 0.4Pr 0.6) 1-xCaxMnO3 films with x = 0.33 and 0.375, across themore » MIT temperature. We combine electrical transport (resistance) measurements, x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and specular/off-specular x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) measurements as a function of temperature to elucidate relationships between electronic, magnetic and morphological structure of the thin films. Using off-specular XRMS we obtained the charge-charge and charge-magnetic correlation length of these LPCMO films across the MIT. We observed different charge-magnetic correlation length for two films which increases below the MIT. The different correlation length shown by two films may be responsible for different macroscopic (transport and magnetic) properties.« less

Significantly improved dielectric performances of nanocomposites via loading two-dimensional core-shell structure Bi2Te3@SiO2 nanosheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jianwen; Wang, Xiucai; Yu, Xinmei; Fan, Yun; Duan, Zhikui; Jiang, Yewen; Yang, Faquan; Zhou, Yuexia

2018-07-01

Polymer/semiconductor-insulator nanocomposites can display high dielectric constants with a relatively low dissipation factor under low electric fields, and thus seem to promising for high energy density capacitors. Here, a novel nanocomposite films is developed by loading two-dimensional (2D) core-shell structure Bi2Te3@SiO2 nanosheets in the poly (vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene) (P(VDF-HFP)) polymer matrix. The 2D Bi2Te3 nanosheets were prepared through simple microwave-assisted method. The experimental results suggesting that the SiO2 shell layer between the fillers and polymer matrix could effectively improve the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, AC conductivity, and breakdown strength of composites films. The composite films load with 10 vol.% 2D Bi2Te3@SiO2 nanosheets exhibits a high dielectric constant of 70.3 at 1 kHz and relatively low dielectric loss of 0.058 at 1 kHz. The finite element simulation of electric field and electric current density distribution revealed that the SiO2 shell layer between the fillers and polymer matrix could effectively improve the energy loss, local electric field strength, and breakdown strength of composite films. Therefore, this work will provide a promising route to achieve high-performance capacitors.

Influence of gamma ray irradiation on thermal conductivity of bismaleimide-triazine-based insulation tape at cryogenic temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Idesaki, A.; Ogitsu, T.

2018-01-01

Recent accelerator-based experiments for particle physics require the superconducting magnets that can be operated under high radiation environment. An electrical insulation tape, which is composed of polyimide film and a boron free glass fabric pre-impregnated with epoxy resin blended with bismaleimide-triazine resin, is developed to enhance the radiation tolerance for superconducting magnets. Since the thermal conductivity of insulation tape is one of key parameters that affects the coil temperature during the operation, the influence of gamma-ray irradiation on the thermal conductivity of the insulation tape is investigated with a maximum dose of 5 MGy. The thermal conductivity is measured at cryogenic temperature from 5 K to 20 K cooled by a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler. By comparing the thermal conductivity before and after the gamma ray irradiation, no significant degradation on the thermal conductivity has been observed.

Extending the high-order-harmonic spectrum using surface plasmon polaritons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebadian, H.; Mohebbi, M.

2017-08-01

Nanoparticle assisted high-order-harmonic generation by low-intensity ultrashort laser pulses in hydrogen atomic gas is studied. This work is based on surface plasmon-polariton coupling in metal-insulator-metal structures. The necessary laser intensity is provided by enhancement of the incident laser power in the vicinity of bowtie nanoparticles installed on an insulator-metal structure. The inhomogeneous electric field distribution in the Au nanobowtie gap region is investigated. Simulations show that the insulator layer installed on the Au metal film that supports the plasmon-polariton interactions has a dramatic effect on the field enhancement factor. High-order-harmonic generation cutoffs for different arrangements are calculated and results show that the metal-insulator-metal structure is an excellent device for high-order-harmonic generation purposes. Also, the harmonic cutoff order is extended to more than 170, which is a considerable value and will be an efficient source for extreme ultraviolet radiation.

Carrier mobility degradation due to high dose implantation in ultrathin unstrained and strained silicon-on-insulator films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupré, C.; Ernst, T.; Hartmann, J.-M.; Andrieu, F.; Barnes, J.-P.; Rivallin, P.; Faynot, O.; Deleonibus, S.; Fazzini, P. F.; Claverie, A.; Cristoloveanu, S.; Ghibaudo, G.; Cristiano, F.

2007-11-01

Based on electrical measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging, we propose an explanation for the electron and hole mobility degradation with gate length reduction in metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). We demonstrate that ion implantation, normally used for source/drain doping, is responsible for transport degradation for short-channel devices. Implantation impact on electrons and holes mobility was investigated both on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and tensile strained silicon-on-insulator (sSOI) substrates. Wafers with ultrathin Si films (from 8 to 35 nm) were Ge implanted at 3 keV and various concentrations (from 5×1014 to 2×1015 atoms cm-2), then annealed at 600 °C for 1 h. Secondary ion mass spectrometry enabled us to quantify the Ge-implanted atoms concentrations. The end-of-range defects impact on mobility was investigated with the pseudo-MOSFET technique. Measurements showed a mobility decrease as the implantation dose increased. We demonstrated that sSOI mobility is more sensitive to implantation than SOI mobility, without any implantation-induced strain relaxation in sSOI (checked using the ultraviolet Raman technique). A 36% (25%) holes (electrons) mobility degradation was measured for sSOI, while SOI presented a 21% mobility degradation for holes and 5% for electrons. Finally, the electrical results were compared with morphological studies. Plan-view TEM showed the presence of interstitial defects formed during ion implantation and annealing. The defect density was estimated to be two times higher in sSOI than in SOI, which is in full agreement with electrical results mentioned before. The results are relevant for the optimization of the source and drain regions of advanced nanoscale SOI and sSOI transistors.

Evaluation of Contact Separation Force Testing as a Screening Methodology for Electrical Socket Contacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Chris; Greenwell, Chris; Brusse, jay; Krus, Dennis; Leidecker, Henning

2009-01-01

During system level testing intermittent and permanent open circuit failures of mated, crimp removable, electrical contact pairs were experienced. The root cause of the failures was determined to be low (but not zero) contact forces applied by the socket contact tines against the engaging pin. The low contact force reduces the effectiveness of the wiping action of the socket tines against the pin. The observed failure mode may be produced when insufficient wiping during mate, demate and small relative movement in use allows for the accumulation of debris or insulating films that electrically separate the contact pair. The investigation identified at least three manufacturing process control problems associated with the socket contacts that enabled shipment of contacts susceptible to developing low contact forces: (1) Improper heat treatment of the socket tines resulting in plastic rather than elastic behavior; (2) Overly thinned socket tines at their base resulting in reduced pin retention forces; (3) insufficient screening tests to identify parts susceptible to the aforementioned failure mechanisms. The results from an extensive screening program of socket contacts utilizing the industry standard contact separation force test procedures are described herein. The investigation shows this method to be capable of identifying initially weak sockets. However, sockets whose contact retention forces may degrade during use may not be screened out by pin retention testing alone. Further investigations are required to correlate low contact retention forces with increased electrical contact resistance in the presence of insulating films that may accumulate in the use environment.

Highly condensed fluorinated methacrylate hybrid material for transparent low-kappa passivation layer in LCD-TFT.

PubMed

Oh, Ji-Hoon; Kwak, Seung-Yeon; Yang, Seung-Cheol; Bae, Byeong-Soo

2010-03-01

Photocurable and highly condensed fluorinated methacrylate oligosiloxane, with a low dielectric constant (kappa = 2.54), was prepared by a nonhydrolytic sol-gel condensation reaction. The oligosiloxane resin was then spin-coated, photocured, and thermally baked in order to fabricate a fluorinated methacrylate hybrid material (FM hybrimer) thin film. This study investigated the application of this FM hybrimer film as a low-kappa passivation layer in LCD-based thin film transistors (TFT). It was found that a dielectric constant as low as kappa = 2.54 could be obtained, without introducing pores in the dense FM hybrimer films. This study compares FM hybrimer film characteristics with those required for passivation layers in LCD-TFTs, including thermal stability, optical transmittance, hydrophobicity, gap fill, and planarization effects as well as electrical insulation.

Polyimide/Carbon Nanotube Composite Films for Electrostatic Charge Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Joseph G., Jr.; Delozier, Donavon M.; Connell, John W.; Watson, Kent A.

2004-01-01

Low color, space environmentally durable polymeric films with sufficient electrical conductivity to mitigate electrostatic charge (ESC) build-up have potential applications on large, deployable, ultra-light weight Gossamer spacecraft as thin film membranes on antennas, solar sails, thermal/optical coatings, multi-layer insulation blankets, etc.. The challenge has been to develop a method to impart robust electrical conductivity into these materials without increasing solar absorptivity (alpha ) or decreasing optical transparency or film flexibility. Since these spacecraft will require significant compaction prior to launch, the film portion of the spacecraft will require folding. The state-of-the-art clear, conductive coating (e.g. indium-tin-oxide, ITO) is brittle and cannot tolerate folding. In this report, doping a polymer with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using two different methods afforded materials with good flexibility and surface conductivities in the range sufficient for ESC mitigation. A coating method afforded materials with minimal effects on the mechanical, optical, and thermo-optical properties as compared to dispersal of SWNTs in the matrix. The chemistry and physical properties of these nanocomposites are discussed.

Magnon-mediated current drag across a magnetic insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jing

Electric current transmission can occur in a magnetic insulator via spin current inter-conversions at heavy metal/magnetic insulator interfaces. In magnetic insulators, spin current is carried by spin wave excitations or their quanta, magnons. This marvelous phenomenon was first theoretically predicted and dubbed as the magnon-mediated current drag in 2012 by Zhang et al.. Following a breakthrough in materials growth, i.e. yttrium iron garnet films or YIG ranging from 30 to 80 nm in thickness sandwiched between two heavy metal films, we successfully showed the nonlocal DC current transmission in such sandwich structures via spin current rather than charge current. To exclude the leakage effect, the experiments are conducted at temperatures below 250 K where the resistance between the metal layers exceeds 20 Gohms. In addition, by replacing the top Pt electrode with beta-Ta which is known to reverse the sign in the spin Hall angle, we found that the nonlocal signal reverses the polarity, which is a direct demonstration of the spin current nature. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the nonlocal signal confirms the role of magnons in this effect. The work was supported as part of the SHINES, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award No. SC0012670.

Electrooptical properties and structural features of amorphous ITO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amosova, L. P., E-mail: l-amosova@mail.ru

2015-03-15

Thin indium-tin oxide (ITO) films are deposited onto cold substrates by magnetron-assisted sputtering. The dependences of the structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films on the oxygen content in the atmosphere of sputtering and the growth rate are studied. It is shown that, if the substrate temperature is no higher than the ITO crystallization temperature and the conditions of growth deviate from the optimal relationship between the oxygen pressure and the growth rate, the resistance of the layers can be six or seven orders of magnitude higher than the resistance of conducting amorphous layers and reach hundreds of megaohms.more » At the same time, the optical properties of insulating layers in the visible spectral region are completely identical to the properties of the conducing amorphous modification. A conceptual model of defects responsible for the insulating properties of amorphous ITO is proposed.« less

Use of laser drilling in the manufacture of organic inverter circuits.

PubMed

Iba, Shingo; Kato, Yusaku; Sekitani, Tsuyoshi; Kawaguchi, Hiroshi; Sakurai, Takayasu; Someya, Takao

2006-01-01

Inverter circuits have been made by connecting two high-quality pentacene field-effect transistors. A uniform and pinhole-free 900 nm thick polyimide gate-insulating layer was formed on a flexible polyimide film with gold gate electrodes and partially removed by using a CO2 laser drilling machine to make via holes and contact holes. Subsequent evaporation of the gold layer results in good electrical connection with a gold gate layer underneath the gate-insulating layer. By optimization of the settings of the CO2 laser drilling machine, contact resistance can be reduced to as low as 3 ohms for 180 microm square electrodes. No degradation of the transport properties of the organic transistors was observed after the laser-drilling process. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using the laser drilling process for implementation of organic transistors in integrated circuits on flexible polymer films.

Research on silicon microchannel array oxidation insulation technology and stress issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, Jin; Li, Mo; Liang, Yong-zhao; Yang, Ji-kai; Wang, Guo-zheng; Duanmu, Qing-duo

2013-08-01

Microchannel plate is widely used in the field of low light level night vision, photomultiplier, tubes, X-ray enhancer and so on. In order to meet the requirement of microchannel plate electron multiplier, we used the method of thermal oxidation to produce a thin film of silicon dioxide which could play a role in electric insulation. Silicon dioxide film has a high breakdown voltage, it can satisfy the high breakdown voltage requirements of electron multiplier. We should find the reasonable parameter values and preparation process in the oxidation so that the thickness and uniformity of the silicon dioxide layer would meet requirement. This article has been focused on researching and analyzing of the problem of oxide insulation and thermal stress in the process of production of silicon dioxide film. In this experiment, dry oxygen and wet oxygen were carried out respectively for 8 hours. The thickness of dry oxygen silicon dioxide films was 458 nm and wet oxygen silicon dioxide films was 1.4 μm. Under these conditions, the silicon microchannel is uniformity and neat, meanwhile the insulating layer's breakdown voltage was measured at 450 V after the wet oxygen oxidation. By using ANSYS finite element software, we analyze the thermal stress, which came from the microchannel oxygen processes, under the conditions of which ambient temperature was 27 ℃ and porosity was 64%, we simulated the thermal stress in the temperature of 1200 ℃ and 1000 ℃, finally we got the maximum equivalent thermal stress of 472 MPa and 403 MPa respectively. The higher thermal stress area was spread over Si-SiO2 interface, by simulate conditions 50% porosity silicon microchannel sample was selected for simulation analysis at 1100 ℃, we got the maximum equivalent thermal stress of 472 MPa, Thermal stress is the minimum value of 410 MPa.

Electrochemical method for defect delineation in silicon-on-insulator wafers

DOEpatents

Guilinger, Terry R.; Jones, Howland D. T.; Kelly, Michael J.; Medernach, John W.; Stevenson, Joel O.; Tsao, Sylvia S.

1991-01-01

An electrochemical method for defect delineation in thin-film SOI or SOS wafers in which a surface of a silicon wafer is electrically connected so as to control the voltage of the surface within a specified range, the silicon wafer is then contacted with an electrolyte, and, after removing the electrolyte, defects and metal contamination in the silicon wafer are identified.

Effect of temperature on the electrical properties of a metal-ferroelectric (SrBi2Ta2O9)-insulator (HfTaO)-silicon capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. Q.; Xu, X. B.; Lei, Z. F.; Y Liao, X.; Wang, X.; Zeng, C.; En, Y. F.; Huang, Y.

2015-01-01

A metal-ferroelectric (SrBi2Ta2O9)-insulator (HfTaO)-semiconductor capacitor was fabricated, and the temperature dependence of its electrical properties was investigated. Within the temperature range of 300-220 K, the maximum memory window is up to 1.26 V, and it could be attributed to a higher coercive field of the ferroelectric film at a lower temperature, which is induced by the deeper and more box-shaped potential well based on the defect-domain interaction model. The memory window decreases with increasing temperature from 300 to 400 K, and the larger sweep voltage leads to a smaller memory window at a higher temperature, which could be attributed to temperature-dependent polarization of the ferroelectric film and charge injection from an Si substrate of the capacitor. With the temperature increasing from 220 to 400 K, the leakage current density increases with temperature by about one order, and the corresponding conduction mechanism is discussed. The results could provide useful guidelines for design and application of ferroelectric memory.

Enhanced spin Seebeck effect signal due to spin-momentum locked topological surface states

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Zilong; Chang, Cui -Zu; Masir, Massoud Ramezani; ...

2016-05-04

Spin-momentum locking in protected surface states enables efficient electrical detection of magnon decay at a magnetic-insulator/topological-insulator heterojunction. Here we demonstrate this property using the spin Seebeck effect (SSE), that is, measuring the transverse thermoelectric response to a temperature gradient across a thin film of yttrium iron garnet, an insulating ferrimagnet, and forming a heterojunction with (Bi xSb 1–x) 2Te 3, a topological insulator. The non-equilibrium magnon population established at the interface can decay in part by interactions of magnons with electrons near the Fermi energy of the topological insulator. When this decay channel is made active by tuning (Bi xSbmore » 1–x) 2Te 3 into a bulk insulator, a large electromotive force emerges in the direction perpendicular to the in-plane magnetization of yttrium iron garnet. Lastly, the enhanced, tunable SSE which occurs when the Fermi level lies in the bulk gap offers unique advantages over the usual SSE in metals and therefore opens up exciting possibilities in spintronics.« less

Direct electron injection into an oxide insulator using a cathode buffer layer

PubMed Central

Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Lim, Keon-Hee; Seok Byun, Jun; Ko, Jieun; Dong Kim, Young; Park, Yongsup; Kim, Youn Sang

2015-01-01

Injecting charge carriers into the mobile bands of an inorganic oxide insulator (for example, SiO2, HfO2) is a highly complicated task, or even impossible without external energy sources such as photons. This is because oxide insulators exhibit very low electron affinity and high ionization energy levels. Here we show that a ZnO layer acting as a cathode buffer layer permits direct electron injection into the conduction bands of various oxide insulators (for example, SiO2, Ta2O5, HfO2, Al2O3) from a metal cathode. Studies of current–voltage characteristics reveal that the current ohmically passes through the ZnO/oxide-insulator interface. Our findings suggests that the oxide insulators could be used for simply fabricated, transparent and highly stable electronic valves. With this strategy, we demonstrate an electrostatic discharging diode that uses 100-nm SiO2 as an active layer exhibiting an on/off ratio of ∼107, and protects the ZnO thin-film transistors from high electrical stresses. PMID:25864642

Superconductor to weak-insulator transitions in disordered tantalum nitride films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breznay, Nicholas P.; Tendulkar, Mihir; Zhang, Li; Lee, Sang-Chul; Kapitulnik, Aharon

2017-10-01

We study the two-dimensional superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in thin films of tantalum nitride. At zero magnetic field, films can be disorder-tuned across the SIT by adjusting thickness and film stoichiometry; insulating films exhibit classical hopping transport. Superconducting films exhibit a magnetic-field-tuned SIT, whose insulating ground state at high field appears to be a quantum-corrected metal. Scaling behavior at the field-tuned SIT shows classical percolation critical exponents z ν ≈1.3 , with a corresponding critical field Hc≪Hc 2 , the upper critical field. The Hall effect exhibits a crossing point near Hc, but with a nonuniversal critical value ρxy c comparable to the normal-state Hall resistivity. We propose that high-carrier-density metals will always exhibit this pattern of behavior at the boundary between superconducting and (trivially) insulating ground states.

Porous silicon film formation from silicon-nanoparticle inks: The possibility of effects of van der Waals interactions on uniform film formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Kazuki; Nagoya, Wataru; Moriki, Kazuya; Sato, Seiichi

2018-02-01

Porous Si films were formed on electrically insulative, semiconductive, and conductive substrates by depositing aqueous and nonaqueous Si nanoparticle inks. In this study, we focused on whether the Si ink deposition resulted in the formation of uniform porous Si films on various substrates. As a result of the experiments, we found that the inks showing better substrate wettabilities did not necessarily result in more uniform film formation on the substrates. This implies that the ink-solvent wettability and the nanoparticle-substrate interactions play important roles in the uniform film formation. As one of the interactions, we discussed the influence of van der Waals interactions by calculating the Hamaker constants. The calculation results indicated that the uniform film formation was hampered when the nanoparticle surface had a repulsive van der Waals interaction with the substrate.

Low-temperature electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition silicon dioxide as gate insulator for polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maiolo, L.; Pecora, A.; Fortunato, G.

2006-03-15

Silicon dioxide films have been deposited at temperatures below 270 deg. C in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma reactor from O{sub 2}, SiH{sub 4}, and He gas mixture. Pinhole density analysis as a function of substrate temperature for different microwave powers was carried out. Films deposited at higher microwave power and at room temperature show defect densities (<7 pinhole/mm{sup 2}), ensuring low-temperature process integration on large area. From Fourier transform infrared analysis and thermal desorption spectrometry we also evaluated very low hydrogen content if compared to conventional rf-plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) SiO{sub 2} deposited at 350 deg. C. Electrical propertiesmore » have been measured in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, depositing SiO{sub 2} at RT as gate dielectric; breakdown electric fields >10 MV/cm and charge trapping at fields >6 MV/cm have been evaluated. From the study of interface quality in MOS capacitors, we found that even for low annealing temperature (200 deg. C), it is possible to considerably reduce the interface state density down to 5x10{sup 11} cm{sup -2} eV{sup -1}. To fully validate the ECR-PECVD silicon dioxide we fabricated polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors using RT-deposited SiO{sub 2} as gate insulator. Different postdeposition thermal treatments have been studied and good device characteristics were obtained even for annealing temperature as low as 200 deg. C.« less

Conductive tracks of 30-MeV C60 clusters in doped and undoped tetrahedral amorphous carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauser, J.; Gehrke, H.-G.; Hofsäss, H.; Trautmann, C.; Weidinger, A.

2013-07-01

In insulating tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), the irradiation with 30-MeV C60 cluster ions leads to the formation of well conducting tracks. While electrical currents through individual tracks produced with monoatomic projectiles (e.g. Au or U) often exhibit rather large track to track fluctuations, C60 clusters are shown to generate highly conducting tracks with very narrow current distributions. Additionally, all recorded current-voltage curves show linear characteristics. These findings are attributed to the large specific energy loss dE/dx of the 30-MeV C60 clusters. We also investigated C60 tracks in ta-C films which were slightly doped with B, N or Fe during film growth. Doping apparently increases the ion track conductivity. However, at the same time the insulating characteristics of the pristine ta-C film can be reduced. The present C60 results are compared with data from earlier experiments with monoatomic heavy ion beams. The investigations were performed by means of atomic force microscopy including temperature dependent conductivity measurements of single ion tracks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yan, S. A.; Tang, M. H., E-mail: mhtang@xtu.edu.cn, E-mail: lizheng@xtu.edu.cn; Xiao, Y. G.

In this work, metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) structure capacitors with SrBi{sub 2}Ta{sub 2}O{sub 9} (300 nm) as ferroelectric thin film and HfTaO (6 nm, 8 nm, 10 nm, and 12 nm) as insulating buffer layer were proposed and investigated. The prepared capacitors were fabricated and characterized before radiation and then subjected to {sup 60}Co gamma irradiation in steps of two dose levels. Significant irradiation-induced degradation of the electrical characteristics was observed. The radiation experimental results indicated that stability and reliability of as-fabricated MFIS capacitors for nonvolatile memory applications could become uncontrollable under strong irradiation dose and/or long irradiation time.

Investigation of organic adhesives for hybrid microcircuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, K. L.; Licari, J. J.

1975-01-01

The properties of organic adhesives were investigated to acquire information for a guideline document regarding the selection of adhesives for use in high reliability hybrid microcircuits. Specifically, investigations were made of (1) alternate methods for determining the outgassing of cured adhesives, (2) effects of long term aging at 150 C on the electrical properties of conductive adhesives, (3) effects of shelf life age on adhesive characteristics, (4) bond strengths of electrically conductive adhesives on thick film gold metallization, (5) a copper filled adhesive, (6) effects of products outgassed from cured adhesives on device electrical parameters, (7) metal migration from electrically conductive adhesives, and (8) ionic content of electrically insulative adhesives. The tests performed during these investigations are described, and the results obtained are discussed.

Superconductor to weak-insulator transitions in disordered tantalum nitride films

DOE PAGES

Breznay, Nicholas P.; Tendulkar, Mihir; Zhang, Li; ...

2017-10-31

Here, we study the two-dimensional superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in thin films of tantalum nitride. At zero magnetic field, films can be disorder-tuned across the SIT by adjusting thickness and film stoichiometry; insulating films exhibit classical hopping transport. Superconducting films exhibit a magnetic-field-tuned SIT, whose insulating ground state at high field appears to be a quantum-corrected metal. Scaling behavior at the field-tuned SIT shows classical percolation critical exponents zν ≈ 1.3, with a corresponding critical field H c << H c2, the upper critical field. The Hall effect exhibits a crossing point near H c, but with a nonuniversal critical valuemore » ρ c xy comparable to the normal-state Hall resistivity. We propose that high-carrier-density metals will always exhibit this pattern of behavior at the boundary between superconducting and (trivially) insulating ground states.« less

Fabrication of VO2 thin film by rapid thermal annealing in oxygen atmosphere and its metal—insulator phase transition properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Ji-Ran; Wu, Mai-Jun; Hu, Ming; Liu, Jian; Zhu, Nai-Wei; Xia, Xiao-Xu; Chen, Hong-Da

2014-07-01

Vanadium dioxide thin films have been fabricated through sputtering vanadium thin films and rapid thermal annealing in oxygen. The microstructure and the metal—insulator transition properties of the vanadium dioxide thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and a spectrometer. It is found that the preferred orientation of the vanadium dioxide changes from (1¯11) to (011) with increasing thickness of the vanadium thin film after rapid thermal annealing. The vanadium dioxide thin films exhibit an obvious metal—insulator transition with increasing temperature, and the phase transition temperature decreases as the film thickness increases. The transition shows hysteretic behaviors, and the hysteresis width decreases as the film thickness increases due to the higher concentration carriers resulted from the uncompleted lattice. The fabrication of vanadium dioxide thin films with higher concentration carriers will facilitate the nature study of the metal—insulator transition.

High-Performance Ink-Synthesized Cu-Gate Thin-Film Transistor with Diffusion Barrier Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Whang Je; Nam, Taewook; Oh, Il-Kwon; Maeng, Wanjoo; Kim, Hyungjun

2018-02-01

The improved electrical properties of Cu-gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) using an ink-synthesizing process were studied; this technology enables a low-cost and large area process for the display industry. We investigated the film properties and the effects of the ink-synthesized Cu layer in detail with respect to device characteristics. The mobility and reliability of the devices were significantly improved by applying a diffusion barrier at the interface between the Cu gate and the gate insulator. By using a TaN diffusion barrier layer, considerably improved and stabilized ink-Cu gated TFTs could be realized, comparable to sputtered-Cu gated TFTs under positive bias temperature stress measurements.

Evidence for the bias-driven migration of oxygen vacancies in amorphous non-stoichiometric gallium oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, D. Y.; Qian, Y. P.; Su, Y. L.; Shi, H. Z.; Li, P. G.; Wu, J. T.; Wang, S. L.; Cui, C.; Tang, W. H.

2017-06-01

The conductivity of gallium oxide thin films is strongly dependent on the growth temperature when they deposited by pulsed laser deposition under vacuum environment, exhibiting an insulative-to-metallic transition with the decrease of the temperature. The high conductive gallium oxide films deposited at low temperature are amorphous, non-stoichiometric, and rich in oxygen vacancy. Large changes in electrical resistance are observed in these non-stoichiometric thin films. The wide variety of hysteretic shapes in the I-V curves depend on the voltage-sweep rate, evidencing that the time-dependent redistribution of oxygen vacancy driven by bias is the controlling parameter for the resistance of gallium oxide.

High-Performance Ink-Synthesized Cu-Gate Thin-Film Transistor with Diffusion Barrier Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Whang Je; Nam, Taewook; Oh, Il-Kwon; Maeng, Wanjoo; Kim, Hyungjun

2018-05-01

The improved electrical properties of Cu-gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) using an ink-synthesizing process were studied; this technology enables a low-cost and large area process for the display industry. We investigated the film properties and the effects of the ink-synthesized Cu layer in detail with respect to device characteristics. The mobility and reliability of the devices were significantly improved by applying a diffusion barrier at the interface between the Cu gate and the gate insulator. By using a TaN diffusion barrier layer, considerably improved and stabilized ink-Cu gated TFTs could be realized, comparable to sputtered-Cu gated TFTs under positive bias temperature stress measurements.

Electrical control of exchange bias via oxygen migration across CoO-ZnO nanocomposite barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Q.; Yan, S. S.; Xu, J.; Li, S. D.; Zhao, G. X.; Long, Y. Z.; Shen, T. T.; Zhang, K.; Zhang, J.

2016-12-01

We proposed a nanocomposite barrier CoO-ZnO for magnetism manipulation in Co/CoO-ZnO/Ag heterojunctions. Both electrical control of magnetism and resistive switching were realized in this junction. An electrical tunable exchange bias of CoO1-v (v denotes O vacancies) on Co films was realized using voltages below 1 volt. The magnetism modulation associated with resistive switching can be attributed to the oxygen ions migration between the insulating CoO1-v layer and the semiconductive ZnO1-v layer, which can cause both ferromagnetic phase and resistance switching of CoO1-v layer.

Formation of inorganic electride thin films via site-selective extrusion by energetic inert gas ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyakawa, Masashi; Toda, Yoshitake; Hayashi, Katsuro; Hirano, Masahiro; Kamiya, Toshio; Matsunami, Noriaki; Hosono, Hideo

2005-01-01

Inert gas ion implantation (acceleration voltage 300kV) into polycrystalline 12CaO.7Al2O3 (C12A7) films was investigated with fluences from 1×1016 to 1×1017cm-2 at elevated temperatures. Upon hot implantation at 600°C with fluences greater than 1×1017cm-2, the obtained films were colored and exhibited high electrical conductivity in the as-implanted state. The extrusion of O2- ions encaged in the crystallographic cages of C12A7 crystal, which leaves electrons in the cages at concentrations up to ˜1.4×1021cm-3, may cause the high electrical conductivity. On the other hand, when the fluence is less than 1×1017cm-2, the as-implanted films are optically transparent and electrically insulating. The conductivity is enhanced and the films become colored by irradiating with ultraviolet light due to the formation of F +-like centers. The electrons forming the F+-like centers are photo released from the encaged H- ions, which are presumably derived from the preexisting OH- groups. The induced electron concentration is proportional to the calculated displacements per atom, which suggests that nuclear collision effects of the implanted ions play a dominant role in forming the electron and H- ion in the films. The hot ion implantation technique provides a nonchemical process for preparing electronic conductive C12A7 films.

Thin-film metal coated insulation barrier in a Josephson tunnel junction. [Patent application

DOEpatents

Hawkins, G.A.; Clarke, J.

1975-10-31

A highly stable, durable, and reproducible Josephson tunnel junction consists of a thin-film electrode of a hard superconductor, a thin oxide insulation layer over the electrode constituting a Josephson tunnel junction barrier, a thin-film layer of stabilizing metal over the barrier, and a second thin-film hard superconductive electrode over the stabilizing film. The thin stabilizing metal film is made only thick enough to limit penetration of the electrode material through the insulation layer so as to prevent a superconductive short.

Testing of flat conductor cable to Underwriters Laboratory standards UL719 and UL83

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loggins, R. W.; Herndon, R. H.

1974-01-01

The flat conductor cable (FCC) which was tested consisted of three AWG No. 12 flat copper conductors laminated between two films of polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar) insulation with a self-extinguishing polyester adhesive. Results of the tests conducted on this cable, according to specifications, warrants the use of this FCC for electrical interconnections in a surface nonmetallic protective covering.

Atomic-scale compensation phenomena at polar interfaces.

PubMed

Chisholm, Matthew F; Luo, Weidong; Oxley, Mark P; Pantelides, Sokrates T; Lee, Ho Nyung

2010-11-05

The interfacial screening charge that arises to compensate electric fields of dielectric or ferroelectric thin films is now recognized as the most important factor in determining the capacitance or polarization of ultrathin ferroelectrics. Here we investigate using aberration-corrected electron microscopy and density-functional theory to show how interfaces cope with the need to terminate ferroelectric polarization. In one case, we show evidence for ionic screening, which has been predicted by theory but never observed. For a ferroelectric film on an insulating substrate, we found that compensation can be mediated by an interfacial charge generated, for example, by oxygen vacancies.

Vanadium dioxide thin films prepared on silicon by low temperature MBE growth and ex-situ annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homm, Pia; van Bilzen, Bart; Menghini, Mariela; Locquet, Jean-Pierre; Ivanova, Todora; Sanchez, Luis; Sanchis, Pablo

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a material that shows an insulator to metal transition (IMT) near room temperature. This property can be exploited for applications in field effect devices, electro-optical switches and nonlinear circuit components. We have prepared VO2 thin films on silicon wafers by combining a low temperature MBE growth with an ex-situ annealing at high temperature. We investigated the structural, electrical and optical characteristics of films with thicknesses ranging from 10 to 100 nm. We have also studied the influence of the substrate cleaning. The films grown with our method are polycrystalline with a preferred orientation in the (011) direction of the monoclinic phase. For the films produced on silicon with a native oxide, an IMT at around 75 °C is observed. The magnitude of the resistance change across the IMT decreases with thickness while the refractive index at room temperature corresponds with values reported in the literature for thin films. The successful growth of VO2 films on silicon with good electrical and optical properties is an important step towards the integration of VO2 in novel devices. The authors acknowledge financial support from the FWO project G052010N10 and EU-FP7 SITOGA project. PH acknowledges support from Becas Chile - CONICYT.

Effect of UV lamp irradiation during oxidation of Zr/Pt/Si structure on electrical properties of Pt/ZrO 2/Pt/Si structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Joon Woo; Lim, Jae-Won; Mimura, Kouji; Uchikoshi, Masahito; Miyazaki, Takamichi; Isshiki, Minoru

2010-03-01

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors were fabricated using ZrO 2 films and the effects of structural and native defects of the ZrO 2 films on the electrical and dielectric properties were investigated. For preparing ZrO 2 films, Zr films were deposited on Pt/Si substrates by ion beam deposition (IBD) system with/without substrate bias voltages and oxidized at 200 °C for 60 min under 0.1 MPa O 2 atmosphere with/without UV light irradiation ( λ = 193 nm, Deep UV lamp). The ZrO 2(˜12 nm) films on Pt(˜100 nm)/Si were characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), capacitance-voltage ( C- V) and current-voltage ( I- V) measurements were carried out on MIM structures. ZrO 2 films, fabricated by oxidizing the Zr film deposited with substrate bias voltage under UV light irradiation, show the highest capacitance (784 pF) and the lowest leakage current density. The active oxygen species formed by UV irradiation are considered to play an important role in the reduction of the leakage current density, because they can reduce the density of oxygen vacancies.

Thermostability of Hybrid Thermoelectric Materials Consisting of Poly(Ni-ethenetetrathiolate), Polyimide and Carbon Nanotubes

PubMed Central

Oshima, Keisuke; Sadakata, Shifumi; Shiraishi, Yukihide; Toshima, Naoki

2017-01-01

Three-component organic/inorganic hybrid films were fabricated by drop-casting the mixed dispersion of nanodispersed-poly(nickel 1,1,2,2-ethenetetrathiolate) (nano-PETT), polyimide (PI) and super growth carbon nanotubes (SG-CNTs) in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) at the designed ratio on a substrate. The dried nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films were prepared by the stepwise cleaning of NMP and methanol, and were dried once more. The thermoelectric properties of Seebeck coefficient S and electrical conductivity σ were measured by a thin-film thermoelectric measurement system ADVANCE RIKO ZEM-3M8 at 330–380 K. The electrical conductivity of nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films increased by 1.9 times for solvent treatment by clearing insulated of polymer. In addition, the density of nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films decreased 1.31 to 0.85 g·cm−3 with a decrease in thermal conductivity from 0.18 to 0.12 W·m−1·K−1. To evaluate the thermostability of nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films, the samples were kept at high temperature and the temporal change of thermoelectric properties was measured. The nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films were rather stable at 353 K and kept their power factor even after 4 weeks. PMID:28773182

Inducing electric polarization in ultrathin insulating layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Castro, Jose; Piantek, Marten; Persson, Mats; Serrate, David; Hirjibehedin, Cyrus F.

Studies of ultrathin polar oxide films have attracted the interest of researchers for a long time due to their different properties compared to bulk materials. However they present several challenges such as the difficulty in the stabilization of the polar surfaces and the limited success in tailoring their properties. Moreover, recently developed Van der Waals materials have shown that the stacking of 2D-layers trigger new collective states thanks to the interaction between layers. Similarly, interface phenomena emerge in polar oxides, like induced ferroelectricity. This represents a promising way for the creation of new materials with customized properties that differ from those of the isolated layers. Here we present a new approach for the fabrication and study of atomically thin insulating films. We show that the properties of insulating polar layers of sodium chloride (NaCl) can be engineered when they are placed on top of a charge modulated template of copper nitride (Cu2N). STM studies carried out in ultra-high vacuum and at low temperatures over NaCl/Cu2N/Cu(001) show that we are able to build up and stabilize interfaces of polar surface at the limit of one atomic layer showing new properties not present before at the atomic scale.

Enhancement of electrical transport modulation in epitaxial VO2 nanowire field-effect transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Hidekazu; Chikanari, Masashi; Kanki, Teruo

Strongly correlated system vanadium dioxide VO2 has attracted widespread concerns from researchers as an exciting electronic material, due to the many intriguing features, especially metal-insulator transition (MIT) in vicinity of room temperature. In this work, we report a diverse geometry for high sensitivity in the transport modulation. By taking advantage of nanometer scale channel, instead of thin film channels, we demonstrated the enhancement of resistance modulation by applying gate voltage. Also we designed the insulating gate, consisting of high-k material Ta2O5/organic polymer parylene-C hybrid insulator. Such as this hybrid gate dielectric would effectively reduce interface deterioration of active channel oxide and provide sufficient carrier density. Moreover, benefited from the nanometer scale channel, the VO2 nanowire-based transistor could deliver a resistance modulation ratio over 8.5%, which are about 10 folds higher than that of the film case. Furthermore, this result is explained that in spite of the stronger field distribution in the edge parts of VO2 nanowire channel yielded little carrier density, the generated mobility modulation would biquadratic increase according to Brinkman-Rice picture as new finding.

Thickness dependent quantum oscillations of transport properties in topological insulator Bi2Te3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogacheva, E. I.; Budnik, A. V.; Sipatov, A. Yu.; Nashchekina, O. N.; Dresselhaus, M. S.

2015-02-01

The dependences of the electrical conductivity, the Hall coefficient, and the Seebeck coefficient on the layer thickness d (d = 18-600 nm) of p-type topological insulator Bi2Te3 thin films grown by thermal evaporation in vacuum on glass substrates were obtained at room temperature. In the thickness range of d = 18-100 nm, sustained oscillations with a substantial amplitude were revealed. The observed oscillations are well approximated by a harmonic function with a period Δd = (9.5 ± 0.5) nm. At d > 100 nm, the transport coefficients practically do not change as d is increased. The oscillations of the kinetic properties are attributed to the quantum size effects due to the hole confinement in the Bi2Te3 quantum wells. The results of the theoretical calculations of Δd within the framework of a model of an infinitely deep potential well are in good agreement with the experimental results. It is suggested that the substantial amplitude of the oscillations and their sustained character as a function of d are connected with the topologically protected gapless surface states of Bi2Te3 and are inherent to topological insulators.

Highly Oriented Atomically Thin Ambipolar MoSe2 Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), together with other two-dimensional (2D) materials, have attracted great interest due to the unique optical and electrical properties of atomically thin layers. In order to fulfill their potential, developing large-area growth and understanding the properties of TMDCs have become crucial. Here, we have used molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow atomically thin MoSe2 on GaAs(111)B. No intermediate compounds were detected at the interface of as-grown films. Careful optimization of the growth temperature can result in the growth of highly aligned films with only two possible crystalline orientations due to broken inversion symmetry. As-grown films can be transferred onto insulating substrates, allowing their optical and electrical properties to be probed. By using polymer electrolyte gating, we have achieved ambipolar transport in MBE-grown MoSe2. The temperature-dependent transport characteristics can be explained by the 2D variable-range hopping (2D-VRH) model, indicating that the transport is strongly limited by the disorder in the film. PMID:28530829

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Bilayer Photoresist Insulator for High Performance Organic Thin-Film Transistors on Plastic Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, He; Li, Chun-Hong; Pan, Feng; Wang, Hai-Bo; Yan, Dong-Hang

2009-11-01

A novel bilayer photoresist insulator is applied in flexible vanadyl-phthalocyanine (VOPc) organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The micron-size patterns of this photoresisit insulator can be directly defined only by photolithography without the etching process. Furthermore, these OTFTs exhibit high field-effect mobility (about 0.8 cm2/Vs) and current on/off ratio (about 106). In particular, they show rather low hysteresis (< 1 V). The results demonstrate that this bilayer photoresist insulator can be applied in large-area electronics and in the facilitation of patterning insulators.

Tetradymites as thermoelectrics and topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heremans, Joseph P.; Cava, Robert J.; Samarth, Nitin

2017-10-01

Tetradymites are M2X3 compounds — in which M is a group V metal, usually Bi or Sb, and X is a group VI anion, Te, Se or S — that crystallize in a rhombohedral structure. Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 are archetypical tetradymites. Other mixtures of M and X elements produce common variants, such as Bi2Te2Se. Because tetradymites are based on heavy p-block elements, strong spin-orbit coupling greatly influences their electronic properties, both on the surface and in the bulk. Their surface electronic states are a cornerstone of frontier work on topological insulators. The bulk energy bands are characterized by small energy gaps, high group velocities, small effective masses and band inversion near the centre of the Brillouin zone. These properties are favourable for high-efficiency thermoelectric materials but make it difficult to obtain an electrically insulating bulk, which is a requirement of topological insulators. This Review outlines recent progress made in bulk and thin-film tetradymite materials for the optimization of their properties both as thermoelectrics and as topological insulators.

High efficient photothermal energy conversion of topologic insulator Bi2Se3 nanosheets thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yanling; Zhang, Yanbang; Zhao, Zejia; Jia, Guozhi

2018-05-01

The photothermal conversion has become rather attractive to realize the heat energy application. A simple, rapid and scalable optical-controlling Bi2Se3 nanosheets film heater is prepared by softly nondestructive rubbing technology and then transferring to PET substrate under the assistance of PVA. The optical-controlling film heater exhibits the excellent adjustability, accuracy and stability of temperature. The film heater is first tested by using laser irradiation at 410 mW and the corresponding temperature rapidly increased to the 53.2 °C for SThin film and 73.2 °C for SThick film during 50 seconds. The SThin and SThick film display a transmittance of 40% to 60% from the visible to near-IR region, respectively. As-prepared optical-controlling Bi2Se3 film heater can be easily integrated to optical or photo-electric device without preparation of electrode. These exotic properties of Bi2Se3 nanosheets optical-controlling heater suggest exciting prospects for the temperature-dependent flexible optoelectronics and electronic device.

VO2 film temperature dynamics at low-frequency current self-oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bortnikov, S. G.; Aliev, V. Sh.; Badmaeva, I. A.; Mzhelskiy, I. V.

2018-02-01

Low-frequency (˜2 Hz) current self-oscillations were first obtained in a millimeter-sized two-terminal planar device with a vanadium dioxide (VO2) film. The film temperature distribution dynamics was investigated within one oscillation period. It was established that the formation and disappearance of a conductive channel occur in a film in less than 60 ms with oscillation period 560 ms. The experimentally observed temperature in the channel region reached 413 K, being understated due to a low infrared microscope performance (integration time 10 ms). The VO2 film temperature distribution dynamics was simulated by solving a 2D problem of the electric current flow and heat transfer in the film. The calculation showed that the thermally initiated resistance switching in the film occurs in less than 4 ms at a channel temperature reaching ˜1000 K. The experimental results and simulation are consistent with the current self-oscillation mechanism based on the current pinching and dielectric relaxation in the VO2 film at the metal-insulator phase transition.

Effects of substrate conductivity on cell morphogenesis and proliferation using tailored, atomic layer deposition-grown ZnO thin films

PubMed Central

Choi, Won Jin; Jung, Jongjin; Lee, Sujin; Chung, Yoon Jang; Yang, Cheol-Soo; Lee, Young Kuk; Lee, You-Seop; Park, Joung Kyu; Ko, Hyuk Wan; Lee, Jeong-O

2015-01-01

We demonstrate that ZnO films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be employed as a substrate to explore the effects of electrical conductivity on cell adhesion, proliferation, and morphogenesis. ZnO substrates with precisely tunable electrical conductivity were fabricated on glass substrates using ALD deposition. The electrical conductivity of the film increased linearly with increasing duration of the ZnO deposition cycle (thickness), whereas other physical characteristics, such as surface energy and roughness, tended to saturate at a certain value. Differences in conductivity dramatically affected the behavior of SF295 glioblastoma cells grown on ZnO films, with high conductivity (thick) ZnO films causing growth arrest and producing SF295 cell morphologies distinct from those cultured on insulating substrates. Based on simple electrostatic calculations, we propose that cells grown on highly conductive substrates may strongly adhere to the substrate without focal-adhesion complex formation, owing to the enhanced electrostatic interaction between cells and the substrate. Thus, the inactivation of focal adhesions leads to cell proliferation arrest. Taken together, the work presented here confirms that substrates with high conductivity disturb the cell-substrate interaction, producing cascading effects on cellular morphogenesis and disrupting proliferation, and suggests that ALD-grown ZnO offers a single-variable method for uniquely tailoring conductivity. PMID:25897486

The Influence of Mechanical Parameters on Dielectric Characteristics of Rigid Electrical Insulating Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buică, G.; Antonov, A. E.; Beiu, C.; Dobra, R.; Risteiu, M.

2018-06-01

Rigid electrical insulating materials are used in the manufacture of work equipment with electric safety function, being mainly intended for use in the energy sector. The paper presents the results of the research on the identification of the technical and safety requirements for rigid electrical insulating materials that are part of the electrical insulating work equipment. The paper aims to show the behaviour of rigid electrical insulating materials under the influence of mechanical risk factors, in order to check the functionality and to ensure the safety function for the entire life time. There were tested rigid electrical insulating equipment designed to be used as safety means in electrical power stations and overhead power lines.

Correlations among magnetic, electrical and magneto-transport properties of NiFe nanohole arrays.

PubMed

Leitao, D C; Ventura, J; Teixeira, J M; Sousa, C T; Pinto, S; Sousa, J B; Michalik, J M; De Teresa, J M; Vazquez, M; Araujo, J P

2013-02-13

In this work, we use anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates to build NiFe magnetic nanohole arrays. We perform a thorough study of their magnetic, electrical and magneto-transport properties (including the resistance R(T), and magnetoresistance MR(T)), enabling us to infer the nanohole film morphology, and the evolution from granular to continuous film with increasing thickness. In fact, different physical behaviors were observed to occur in the thickness range of the study (2 nm < t < 100 nm). For t < 10 nm, an insulator-to-metallic crossover was visible in R(T), pointing to a granular film morphology, and thus being consistent with the presence of electron tunneling mechanisms in the magnetoresistance. Then, for 10 nm < t < 50 nm a metallic R(T) allied with a larger anisotropic magnetoresistance suggests the onset of morphological percolation of the granular film. Finally, for t > 50 nm, a metallic R(T) and only anisotropic magnetoresistance behavior were obtained, characteristic of a continuous thin film. Therefore, by combining simple low-cost bottom-up (templates) and top-down (sputtering deposition) techniques, we are able to obtain customized magnetic nanostructures with well-controlled physical properties, showing nanohole diameters smaller than 35 nm.

Parametric investigation of nano-gap thermophotovoltaic energy conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Japheth Z.-J.; Bong, Victor N.-S.; Wong, Basil T.

2016-03-01

Nano-gap thermophotovoltaic energy converters have the potential to be excellent generators of electrical power due to the near-field radiative effect which enhances the transfer of energy from one medium to another. However, there is still much to learn about this new form of energy converter. This paper seeks to investigate three parameters that affect the performance of nano-gap thermophotovoltaic devices: the emitter material, the thermophotovoltaic cell material, and the cell thickness. Furthermore, the temperature profiles in insulated thin films (cells exposed to below-band gap near-field radiation) are analysed. It was discovered that an effective emitter material is one that has a high generalised emissivity value and is also able to couple with the TPV cell material through surface polaritons while a cell material's electrical properties and its thickness has heavy bearing on its internal quantum efficiency. In regards to the temperature profile, the heat-flux absorbed causes a rise in temperature across the thin film, but is insufficient to generate a temperature gradient across the film.

Metal-Insulator Transitions in Epitaxial LaVO(3) and LaTiO(3) Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

epitaxial films of LaVO3 and LaTiO3 can exhibit metallicity though their bulk counterparts are Mott insulators. When LaTiO3 films are compressively...secondarily to interface electronic reconstruction at the LaTiO3 /SrTiO3 interface. However, when LaVO3 films are compressively strained on SrTiO3...ABSTRACT We have demonstrated that epitaxial films of LaVO3 and LaTiO3 can exhibit metallicity though their bulk counterparts are Mott insulators. When

Low substrate temperature fabrication of high-performance metal oxide thin-film by magnetron sputtering with target self-heating

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, W. F.; Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Liu, Z. G.

2013-03-18

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films with high transmittance and low resistivity were achieved on low temperature substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering using a high temperature target. By investigating the effect of target temperature (T{sub G}) on electrical and optical properties, the origin of electrical conduction is verified as the effect of the high T{sub G}, which enhances crystal quality that provides higher mobility of electrons as well as more effective activation for the Al dopants. The optical bandgap increases from 3.30 eV for insulating ZnO to 3.77 eV for conducting AZO grown at high T{sub G}, and is associated withmore » conduction-band filling up to 1.13 eV due to the Burstein-Moss effect.« less

Topological Anderson insulator phase in a Dirac-semimetal thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Rui; Xu, Dong-Hui; Zhou, Bin

2017-06-01

The recently discovered topological Dirac semimetal represents a new exotic quantum state of matter. Topological Dirac semimetals can be viewed as three-dimensional analogues of graphene, in which the Dirac nodes are protected by crystalline symmetry. It has been found that the quantum confinement effect can gap out Dirac nodes and convert Dirac semimetal to a band insulator. The band insulator is either a normal insulator or quantum spin Hall insulator, depending on the thin-film thickness. We present the study of disorder effects in a thin film of Dirac semimetals. It is found that moderate Anderson disorder strength can drive a topological phase transition from a normal band insulator to a topological Anderson insulator in a Dirac-semimetal thin film. The numerical calculation based on the model parameters of Dirac semimetal Na3Bi shows that in the topological Anderson insulator phase, a quantized conductance plateau occurs in the bulk gap of the band insulator, and the distributions of local currents further confirm that the quantized conductance plateau arises from the helical edge states induced by disorder. Finally, an effective medium theory based on the Born approximation fits the numerical data.

RF MEMS microswitches design and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lafontan, Xavier; Dufaza, Christian; Robert, Michel; Perez, Guy; Pressecq, Francis

2000-08-01

This paper presents the work performed in MUMPs on RF MEMS micro-switch. Concepts, design and characterization of switches are studied. The study particularly focuses on the electrical resistance characterization and modelization. The switches developed uses two different principle: overflowed gold and hinged beam. The realized contacts exhibited high on resistance (~20(Omega) ) due to nanoscopics asperities of contacts and insulating interfacial films. Results of a typical contact cleaning method are also presented.

Nature of the superconductor-insulator transition in disordered superconductors.

PubMed

Dubi, Yonatan; Meir, Yigal; Avishai, Yshai

2007-10-18

The interplay of superconductivity and disorder has intrigued scientists for several decades. Disorder is expected to enhance the electrical resistance of a system, whereas superconductivity is associated with a zero-resistance state. Although superconductivity has been predicted to persist even in the presence of disorder, experiments performed on thin films have demonstrated a transition from a superconducting to an insulating state with increasing disorder or magnetic field. The nature of this transition is still under debate, and the subject has become even more relevant with the realization that high-transition-temperature (high-T(c)) superconductors are intrinsically disordered. Here we present numerical simulations of the superconductor-insulator transition in two-dimensional disordered superconductors, starting from a microscopic description that includes thermal phase fluctuations. We demonstrate explicitly that disorder leads to the formation of islands where the superconducting order is high. For weak disorder, or high electron density, increasing the magnetic field results in the eventual vanishing of the amplitude of the superconducting order parameter, thereby forming an insulating state. On the other hand, at lower electron densities or higher disorder, increasing the magnetic field suppresses the correlations between the phases of the superconducting order parameter in different islands, giving rise to a different type of superconductor-insulator transition. One of the important predictions of this work is that in the regime of high disorder, there are still superconducting islands in the sample, even on the insulating side of the transition. This result, which is consistent with experiments, explains the recently observed huge magneto-resistance peak in disordered thin films and may be relevant to the observation of 'the pseudogap phenomenon' in underdoped high-T(c) superconductors.

Nanostructured Anodic Multilayer Dielectric Stacked Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitors.

PubMed

Karthik, R; Kannadassan, D; Baghini, Maryam Shojaei; Mallick, P S

2015-12-01

This paper presents the fabrication of Al2O3/TiO2/Al2O3 metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor using anodization technique. High capacitance density of > 3.5 fF/μm2, low quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance of < 115 ppm/V2 and a low leakage current density of 4.457 x 10(-11) A/cm2 at 3 V are achieved which are suitable for analog and mixed signal applications. We found that the anodization voltage played a major role in electrical and structural properties of the thin film. This work suggests that the anodization method can offer crystalline multilayer dielectric stack required for high performance MIM capacitor.

Waterproof Silicone Coatings of Thermal Insulation and Vaporization Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cagliostro, Domenick E. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

Thermal insulation composed of porous ceramic material can be waterproofed by producing a thin silicone film on the surface of the insulation by exposing it to volatile silicone precursors at ambient conditions. When the silicone precursor reactants are multi-functional siloxanes or silanes containing alkenes or alkynes carbon groups higher molecular weight films can be produced. Catalyst are usually required for the silicone precursors to react at room temperature to form the films. The catalyst are particularly useful in the single component system e.g. dimethylethoxysilane (DNMS) to accelerate the reaction and decrease the time to waterproof and protect the insulation. In comparison to other methods, the chemical vapor technique assures better control over the quantity and location of the film being deposited on the ceramic insulation to improve the waterproof coating.

Complex oxide ferroelectrics: Electrostatic doping by domain walls

DOE PAGES

Maksymovych, Petro

2015-06-19

Electrically conducting interfaces can form, rather unexpectedly, by breaking the translational symmetry of electrically insulating complex oxides. For example, a nanometre-thick heteroepitaxial interface between electronically insulating LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 supports a 2D electron gas1 with high mobility of >1,000 cm 2 V -1 s -1 (ref. 2). Such interfaces can exhibit magnetism, superconductivity and phase transitions that may form the functional basis of future electronic devices2. A peculiar conducting interface can be created within a polar ferroelectric oxide by breaking the translational symmetry of the ferroelectric order parameter and creating a so-called ferroelectric domain wall (Fig. 1a,b). Ifmore » the direction of atomic displacements changes at the wall in such a way as to create a discontinuity in the polarization component normal to the wall (Fig. 1a), the domain wall becomes electrostatically charged. It may then attract compensating mobile charges of opposite sign produced by dopant ionization, photoexcitation or other effects, thereby locally, electrostatically doping the host ferroelectric film. In contrast to conductive interfaces between epitaxially grown oxides, domain walls can be reversibly created, positioned and shaped by electric fields, enabling reconfigurable circuitry within the same volume of the material. Now, writing in Nature Nanotechnology, Arnaud Crassous and colleagues at EPFL and University of Geneva demonstrate control and stability of charged conducting domain walls in ferroelectric thin films of BiFeO 3 down to the nanoscale.« less

Effects of lattice deformation on magnetic properties of electron-doped La0.8Hf0.2MnO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Z. P.; Jiang, Y. C.; Gao, J.

2013-05-01

The lattice deformation effects on electric and magnetic properties of electron-doped La0.8Hf0.2MnO3 (LHMO) thin films have been systematically investigated. LHMO films with various thicknesses (15 nm, 40 nm, and 80 nm) were grown on (001) SrTiO3 and (001) LaAlO3 substrates, which induces in-plane tensile and compressive biaxial stress, respectively. The metal-insulator phase transition temperature (TP) and magnetoresistance (MR) effect show a strong dependence on film thickness. TP increases with a decrease in thickness and is enhanced as the lattice strain rises, regardless of whether it is tensile or compressive. The maximum MR ratio is suppressed by reduction of the film thickness. These anomalous phenomena may be attributed to the competition between the strain induced modification of the Mn-O bond length and the eg orbital stability.

Using in-situ polymerization of conductive polymers to enhance the electrical properties of solution-processed carbon nanotube films and fibers.

PubMed

Allen, Ranulfo; Pan, Lijia; Fuller, Gerald G; Bao, Zhenan

2014-07-09

Single-walled carbon nanotubes/polymer composites typically have limited conductivity due to a low concentration of nanotubes and the insulating nature of the polymers used. Here we combined a method to align carbon nanotubes with in-situ polymerization of conductive polymer to form composite films and fibers. Use of the conducting polymer raised the conductivity of the films by 2 orders of magnitude. On the other hand, CNT fiber formation was made possible with in-situ polymerization to provide more mechanical support to the CNTs from the formed conducting polymer. The carbon nanotube/conductive polymer composite films and fibers had conductivities of 3300 and 170 S/cm, respectively. The relatively high conductivities were attributed to the polymerization process, which doped both the SWNTs and the polymer. In-situ polymerization can be a promising solution-processable method to enhance the conductivity of carbon nanotube films and fibers.

Tuning the thickness of electrochemically grafted layers in large area molecular junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fluteau, T.; Bessis, C.; Barraud, C.; Della Rocca, M. L.; Martin, P.; Lacroix, J.-C.; Lafarge, P.

2014-09-01

We have investigated the thickness, the surface roughness, and the transport properties of oligo(1-(2-bisthienyl)benzene) (BTB) thin films grafted on evaporated Au electrodes, thanks to a diazonium-based electro-reduction process. The thickness of the organic film is tuned by varying the number of electrochemical cycles during the growth process. Atomic force microscopy measurements reveal the evolution of the thickness in the range of 2-27 nm. Its variation displays a linear dependence with the number of cycles followed by a saturation attributed to the insulating behavior of the organic films. Both ultrathin (2 nm) and thin (12 and 27 nm) large area BTB-based junctions have then been fabricated using standard CMOS processes and finally electrically characterized. The electronic responses are fully consistent with a tunneling barrier in case of ultrathin BTB film whereas a pronounced rectifying behavior is reported for thicker molecular films.

Resistive spectroscopy coupled with non-contacting oscillator for detecting discontinuous-continuous transition of metallic films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, N.; Ogi, H.

2017-09-01

In spectroscopic measurements, one measures responses of specimens to oscillating fields (including electric, magnetic, and stress fields) at different frequencies for characterizing the samples. In contrast, we develop spectroscopy where the response (loss) is measured by changing the electric resistance, named the resistive spectroscopy. In the resistive spectroscopy, an energy-loss peak appears when the resistance is changed. We here apply it for studying the morphological change of thin films. When a metallic material is deposited on a substrate, the morphological transition from discontinuous islands to the continuous film occurs. It accompanies a drastic change in the resistance of the deposited material because of the transition from an insulator to a conductor. We find that the energy-loss peak appears at the transition moment during deposition of Ag. The resistive spectroscopy we develop uses no electrodes; it adopts the electric field generated by a piezoelectric material vibrating at its resonant frequency beneath the substrate. It is observed that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the resonance shows the peak during the deposition for high resistance substrates. The FWHM peak fails to be found for low resistance substrates, but it appears when the resonance frequency is increased. We propose an electrical-circuit model for explaining these observations.

Indium local geometry in In-Sb-Te thin films using XANES and DFT calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilovol, V.; Gil Rebaza, A. V.; Mudarra Navarro, A. M.; Errico, L.; Fontana, M.; Arcondo, B.

2017-12-01

In-Sb-Te when is a thin film presents a huge difference in its electrical resistivity when transform from the amorphous (insulating) to the crystalline (conducting) phase. This property made this system one of the main phase-change materials used in the data storage industry. The change in the electrical conductivity is probably associated to a change in the bonding geometry of some of its constituents. To explore this point, we present in this work an study of the bonding geometry of In atoms in In-Sb-Te films by means of In K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation in both as deposited (amorphous) and crystalline thin films obtained as a result of resistance (R) vs temperature (T) measurements. Comparison of the XANES spectra obtained for ternary amorphous films and binary crystalline reference films suggests that in amorphous films the bonding geometry of In atoms is tetrahedral-like. After the thermal annealing has been carried out the differences in the XANES spectra of the as deposited and the annealed films indicate that the bonding geometry of In atoms changes. Based on X-ray diffraction results and ab initio calculations in the framework of the Density Functional Theory (DFT) we show that the new coordination geometry is associated with a tendency of In atoms towards octahedral-like.

Surface plasmon polaritons in a topological insulator embedded in an optical cavity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, L. L., E-mail: lllihfcas@foxmail.com; Xu, W., E-mail: wenxu-issp@aliyun.com; Department of Physics, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091

Very recently, the surface plasmons in a topological insulator (TI) have been experimentally observed by exciting these collective modes with polarized light [P. Di Pietro, M. Ortolani, O. Limaj, A. Di Gaspare, V. Giliberti, F. Giorgianni, M. Brahlek, N. Bansal, N. Koirala, S. Oh, P. Calvani, and S. Lupi, Nat. Nanotechnol. 8, 556 (2013)]. Motivated by this experimental work, here we present a theoretical study on the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) induced by plasmon-photon interactions in a TI thin film embedded in an optical cavity. It is found that the frequencies of SPP modes are within the terahertz (THz) bandwidthmore » and can be tuned effectively by adjusting the surface electron density and/or the optical cavity length. Since the surface electron density can be well controlled by the gate-voltage applied perpendicular to the TI surface, our theoretical results indicate that gated TI thin films may have potential applications in the electrically tunable THz plasmonic devices.« less

Surface plasmon polaritons in a topological insulator embedded in an optical cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L. L.; Xu, W.

2014-03-01

Very recently, the surface plasmons in a topological insulator (TI) have been experimentally observed by exciting these collective modes with polarized light [P. Di Pietro, M. Ortolani, O. Limaj, A. Di Gaspare, V. Giliberti, F. Giorgianni, M. Brahlek, N. Bansal, N. Koirala, S. Oh, P. Calvani, and S. Lupi, Nat. Nanotechnol. 8, 556 (2013)]. Motivated by this experimental work, here we present a theoretical study on the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) induced by plasmon-photon interactions in a TI thin film embedded in an optical cavity. It is found that the frequencies of SPP modes are within the terahertz (THz) bandwidth and can be tuned effectively by adjusting the surface electron density and/or the optical cavity length. Since the surface electron density can be well controlled by the gate-voltage applied perpendicular to the TI surface, our theoretical results indicate that gated TI thin films may have potential applications in the electrically tunable THz plasmonic devices.

Strain and Defect Engineering for Tailored Electrical Properties in Perovskite Oxide Thin Films and Superlattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsing, Greg Hsiang-Chun

Functional complex-oxides display a wide spectrum of physical properties, including ferromagnetism, piezoelectricity, ferroelectricity, photocatalytic and metal-insulating transition (MIT) behavior. Within this family, oxides with a perovskite structure have been widely studied, especially in the form of thin films and superlattices (heterostructures), which are strategically and industrially important because they offer a wide range of opportunities for electronic, piezoelectric and sensor applications. The first part of my thesis focuses on understanding and tuning of the built-in electric field found in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 (PTO/STO) ferroelectric superlattices and other ferroelectric films. The artificial layering in ferroelectric superlattices is a potential source of polarization asymmetry, where one polarization state is preferred over another. One manifestation of this asymmetry is a built-in electric field associated with shifted polarization hysteresis. Using off-axis RF-magnetron sputtering, we prepared several compositions of PTO/STO superlattice thin films; and for comparison PbTiO3/SrRuO 3 (PTO/SRO) superlattices, which have an additional intrinsic compositional asymmetry at the interface. Both theoretical modeling and experiments indicate that the layer-by-layer superlattice structure aligns the Pb-O vacancy defect dipoles in the c direction which contributes significantly to the built-in electric field; however the preferred polarization direction is different between the PTO/STO and PTO/SRO interface. By designing a hybrid superlattice that combines PTO/STO and PTO/SRO superlattices, we show the built-in electric field can be tuned to zero by changing the composition of the combo-superlattice. The second part of my thesis focuses on the epitaxial growth of SrCrO 3 (SCO) films. The inconsistent reports regarding its electrical and magnetic properties through the years stem from the compositionally and structurally ill-defined polycrystalline samples, but still suggest strong coupling between structure and electronic structure of the material. Our goal is to establish the growth parameters necessary to achieve high-quality and single-phase epitaxial SCO films. Well-defined SCO films were deposited on different substrates to change the structural properties and epitaxial strain. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements using the Van der Pauw method were performed to identify the metallicity of the films. The results showed a difference in the electrical properties of SCO films under different epitaxial strains.

Nanopore fabricated in pyramidal HfO2 film by dielectric breakdown method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Thick film magnetic nanoparticulate composites and method of manufacture thereof

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ge, Shihui (Inventor); Yan, Dajing (Inventor); Xiao, Danny T. (Inventor); Ma, Xinqing (Inventor); Zhang, Yide (Inventor); Zhang, Zongtao (Inventor)

2009-01-01

Thick film magnetic/insulating nanocomposite materials, with significantly reduced core loss, and their manufacture are described. The insulator coated magnetic nanocomposite comprises one or more magnetic components, and an insulating component. The magnetic component comprises nanometer scale particles (about 1 to about 100 nanometers) coated by a thin-layered insulating phase. While the intergrain interaction between the immediate neighboring magnetic nanoparticles separated by the insulating phase provides the desired soft magnetic properties, the insulating material provides high resistivity, which reduces eddy current loss.

Monte Carlo simulations of electrical percolation in multicomponent thin films with nanofillers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Xiaojuan; Hui, Chao; Su, Ninghai; Jiang, Wei; Liu, Feng

2018-02-01

We developed a 2D disk-stick percolation model to investigate the electrical percolation behavior of an insulating thin film reinforced with 1D and 2D conductive nanofillers via Monte Carlo simulation. Numerical predictions of the percolation threshold in single component thin films showed good agreement with the previous published work, validating our model for investigating the characteristics of the percolation phenomena. Parametric studies of size effect, i.e., length of 1D nanofiller and diameter of 2D nanofiller, were carried out to predict the electrical percolation threshold for hybrid systems. The relationships between the nanofillers in two hybrid systems was established, which showed differences from previous linear assumption. The effective electrical conductance was evaluated through Kirchhoff’s current law by transforming it into a resistor network. The equivalent resistance was obtained from the distribution of nodal voltages by solving a system of linear equations with a Gaussian elimination method. We examined the effects of stick length, relative concentration, and contact patterns of 1D/2D inclusions on electrical performance. One novel aspect of our study is its ability to investigate the effective conductance of nanocomposites as a function of relative concentrations, which shows there is a synergistic effect when nanofillers with different dimensionalities combine properly. Our work provides an important theoretical basis for designing the conductive networks and predicting the percolation properties of multicomponent nanocomposites.

Hydrogen induced electric conduction in undoped ZnO and Ga-doped ZnO thin films: Creating native donors via reduction, hydrogen donors, and reactivating extrinsic donors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akazawa, Housei, E-mail: akazawa.housei@lab.ntt.co.jp

2014-09-01

The manner in which hydrogen atoms contribute to the electric conduction of undoped ZnO and Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films was investigated. Hydrogen atoms were permeated into these films through annealing in an atmospheric H{sub 2} ambient. Because the creation of hydrogen donors competes with the thermal annihilation of native donors at elevated temperatures, improvements to electric conduction from the initial state can be observed when insulating ZnO films are used as samples. While the resistivity of conductive ZnO films increases when annealing them in a vacuum, the degree of increase is mitigated when they are annealed in H{sub 2}. Hydrogenationmore » of ZnO crystals was evidenced by the appearance of OH absorption signals around a wavelength of 2700 nm in the optical transmittance spectra. The lowest resistivity that was achieved by H{sub 2} annealing was limited to 1–2 × 10{sup −2} Ω cm, which is one order of magnitude higher than that by native donors (2–3 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm). Hence, all native donors are converted to hydrogen donors. In contrast, GZO films that have resistivities yet to be improved become more conductive after annealing in H{sub 2} ambient, which is in the opposite direction of GZO films that become more resistive after vacuum annealing. Hydrogen atoms incorporated into GZO crystals should assist in reactivating Ga{sup 3+} donors.« less

Influence of Thickness on the Electrical Transport Properties of Exfoliated Bi2Te3 Ultrathin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, D. L.; Wang, W. B.; Cai, Q.

2016-08-01

In this work, the mechanical exfoliation method has been utilized to fabricate Bi2Te3 ultrathin films. The thickness of the ultrathin films is revealed to be several tens of nanometers. Weak antilocalization effects and Shubnikov de Haas oscillations have been observed in the magneto-transport measurements on individual films with different thickness, and the two-dimensional surface conduction plays a dominant role. The Fermi level is found to be 81 meV above the Dirac point, and the carrier mobility can reach ~6030 cm2/(Vs) for the 10-nm film. When the film thickness decreases from 30 to 10 nm, the Fermi level will move 8 meV far from the bulk valence band. The coefficient α in the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka equation is shown to be ~0.5, manifesting that only the bottom surface of the Bi2Te3 ultrathin films takes part in transport conductions. These will pave the way for understanding thoroughly the surface transport properties of topological insulators.

A silicon carbide array for electrocorticography and peripheral nerve recording.

PubMed

Diaz-Botia, C A; Luna, L E; Neely, R M; Chamanzar, M; Carraro, C; Carmena, J M; Sabes, P N; Maboudian, R; Maharbiz, M M

2017-10-01

Current neural probes have a limited device lifetime of a few years. Their common failure mode is the degradation of insulating films and/or the delamination of the conductor-insulator interfaces. We sought to develop a technology that does not suffer from such limitations and would be suitable for chronic applications with very long device lifetimes. We developed a fabrication method that integrates polycrystalline conductive silicon carbide with insulating silicon carbide. The technology employs amorphous silicon carbide as the insulator and conductive silicon carbide at the recording sites, resulting in a seamless transition between doped and amorphous regions of the same material, eliminating heterogeneous interfaces prone to delamination. Silicon carbide has outstanding chemical stability, is biocompatible, is an excellent molecular barrier and is compatible with standard microfabrication processes. We have fabricated silicon carbide electrode arrays using our novel fabrication method. We conducted in vivo experiments in which electrocorticography recordings from the primary visual cortex of a rat were obtained and were of similar quality to those of polymer based electrocorticography arrays. The silicon carbide electrode arrays were also used as a cuff electrode wrapped around the sciatic nerve of a rat to record the nerve response to electrical stimulation. Finally, we demonstrated the outstanding long term stability of our insulating silicon carbide films through accelerated aging tests. Clinical translation in neural engineering has been slowed in part due to the poor long term performance of current probes. Silicon carbide devices are a promising technology that may accelerate this transition by enabling truly chronic applications.

Topological Crystalline Insulator SnTe/Si Vertical Heterostructure Photodetectors for High-Performance Near-Infrared Detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongbin; Man, Baoyuan; Zhang, Qi

2017-04-26

Due to the gapless surface state and narrow bulk band gap, the light absorption of topological crystalline insulators covers a broad spectrum ranging from terahertz to infrared, revealing promising applications in new generation optoelectronic devices. To date, the photodetectors based on topological insulators generally suffer from a large dark current and a weaker photocurrent especially under the near-infrared lights, which severely limits the practical application of devices. Owing to the lower excitation energy of infrared lights, the photodetection application of topological crystalline insulators in the near-infrared region relies critically on understanding the preparation and properties of their heterostructures. Herein, we fabricate the high-quality topological crystalline insulator SnTe film/Si vertical heterostructure by a simple physical vapor deposition process. The resultant heterostructure exhibits an excellent diode characteristic, enabling the construction of high-performance near-infrared photodetectors. The built-in electric field at SnTe/Si interface enhances the absorption efficiency of near-infrared lights and greatly facilitates the separation of photogenerated carriers, making the device capable of operating as a self-driven photodetector. The as-grown SnTe film acts as the hole transport layer in heterostructure photodetectors, promoting the transport of holes to electrode and reducing electron-hole recombination effectively. These merits enable the SnTe/Si heterostructure photodetector to have a high responsivity of 2.36 AW -1 , a high detectivity of 1.54 × 10 14 Jones, and a large bandwidth of 10 4 Hz in the near-infrared wavelength, which makes the detector have a promising market in novel device applications.

A silicon carbide array for electrocorticography and peripheral nerve recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Botia, C. A.; Luna, L. E.; Neely, R. M.; Chamanzar, M.; Carraro, C.; Carmena, J. M.; Sabes, P. N.; Maboudian, R.; Maharbiz, M. M.

2017-10-01

Objective. Current neural probes have a limited device lifetime of a few years. Their common failure mode is the degradation of insulating films and/or the delamination of the conductor-insulator interfaces. We sought to develop a technology that does not suffer from such limitations and would be suitable for chronic applications with very long device lifetimes. Approach. We developed a fabrication method that integrates polycrystalline conductive silicon carbide with insulating silicon carbide. The technology employs amorphous silicon carbide as the insulator and conductive silicon carbide at the recording sites, resulting in a seamless transition between doped and amorphous regions of the same material, eliminating heterogeneous interfaces prone to delamination. Silicon carbide has outstanding chemical stability, is biocompatible, is an excellent molecular barrier and is compatible with standard microfabrication processes. Main results. We have fabricated silicon carbide electrode arrays using our novel fabrication method. We conducted in vivo experiments in which electrocorticography recordings from the primary visual cortex of a rat were obtained and were of similar quality to those of polymer based electrocorticography arrays. The silicon carbide electrode arrays were also used as a cuff electrode wrapped around the sciatic nerve of a rat to record the nerve response to electrical stimulation. Finally, we demonstrated the outstanding long term stability of our insulating silicon carbide films through accelerated aging tests. Significance. Clinical translation in neural engineering has been slowed in part due to the poor long term performance of current probes. Silicon carbide devices are a promising technology that may accelerate this transition by enabling truly chronic applications.

Ultralow Damping in Nanometer-Thick Epitaxial Spinel Ferrite Thin Films.

PubMed

Emori, Satoru; Yi, Di; Crossley, Sam; Wisser, Jacob J; Balakrishnan, Purnima P; Khodadadi, Behrouz; Shafer, Padraic; Klewe, Christoph; N'Diaye, Alpha T; Urwin, Brittany T; Mahalingam, Krishnamurthy; Howe, Brandon M; Hwang, Harold Y; Arenholz, Elke; Suzuki, Yuri

2018-06-08

Pure spin currents, unaccompanied by dissipative charge flow, are essential for realizing energy-efficient nanomagnetic information and communications devices. Thin-film magnetic insulators have been identified as promising materials for spin-current technology because they are thought to exhibit lower damping compared with their metallic counterparts. However, insulating behavior is not a sufficient requirement for low damping, as evidenced by the very limited options for low-damping insulators. Here, we demonstrate a new class of nanometer-thick ultralow-damping insulating thin films based on design criteria that minimize orbital angular momentum and structural disorder. Specifically, we show ultralow damping in <20 nm thick spinel-structure magnesium aluminum ferrite (MAFO), in which magnetization arises from Fe 3+ ions with zero orbital angular momentum. These epitaxial MAFO thin films exhibit a Gilbert damping parameter of ∼0.0015 and negligible inhomogeneous linewidth broadening, resulting in narrow half width at half-maximum linewidths of ∼0.6 mT around 10 GHz. Our findings offer an attractive thin-film platform for enabling integrated insulating spintronics.

Understanding Metal-Insulator transitions in ultra-thin films of LaNiO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravichandran, Jayakanth; King, Philip D. C.; Schlom, Darrell G.; Shen, Kyle M.; Kim, Philip

2014-03-01

LaNiO3 (LNO) is a bulk paramagnetic metal and a member of the family of RENiO3 Nickelates (RE = Rare Earth Metals), which is on the verge of the metal-insulator transition. Ultra-thin films of LNO has been studied extensively in the past and due to its sensitivity to disorder, the true nature of the metal-insulator transition in these films have been hard to decipher. We grow high quality ultra-thin films of LNO using reactive molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and use a combination of ionic liquid gating and magneto-transport measurements to understand the nature and tunability of metal-insulator transition as a function of thickness for LNO. The underlying mechanisms for the transition are discussed in the framework of standard transport models. These results are discussed in the light of other Mott insulators such as Sr2IrO4, where we have performed similar measurements around the insulating state.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Breznay, Nicholas P.; Tendulkar, Mihir; Zhang, Li

Here, we study the two-dimensional superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in thin films of tantalum nitride. At zero magnetic field, films can be disorder-tuned across the SIT by adjusting thickness and film stoichiometry; insulating films exhibit classical hopping transport. Superconducting films exhibit a magnetic-field-tuned SIT, whose insulating ground state at high field appears to be a quantum-corrected metal. Scaling behavior at the field-tuned SIT shows classical percolation critical exponents zν ≈ 1.3, with a corresponding critical field H c << H c2, the upper critical field. The Hall effect exhibits a crossing point near H c, but with a nonuniversal critical valuemore » ρ c xy comparable to the normal-state Hall resistivity. We propose that high-carrier-density metals will always exhibit this pattern of behavior at the boundary between superconducting and (trivially) insulating ground states.« less

Electrochromic optical switching device

DOEpatents

Lampert, C.M.; Visco, S.J.

1992-08-25

An electrochromic cell is disclosed which comprises an electrochromic layer, a polymerizable organo-sulfur layer which comprises the counter electrode of the structure, and an ionically conductive electronically insulating material which comprises the separator between the electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, both the separator and the organo-sulfur electrode (in both its charged and uncharged states) are transparent either to visible light or to the entire solar spectrum. An electrochromic device is disclosed which comprises such electrodes and separator encased in glass plates on the inner surface of each of which is formed a transparent electrically conductive film in respective electrical contact with the electrodes which facilitates formation of an external electrical connection or contact to the electrodes of the device to permit electrical connection of the device to an external potential source. 3 figs.

Electrochromic optical switching device

DOEpatents

Lampert, Carl M.; Visco, Steven J.

1992-01-01

An electrochromic cell is disclosed which comprises an electrochromic layer, a polymerizable organo-sulfur layer which comprises the counter electrode of the structure, and an ionically conductive electronically insulating material which comprises the separator between the electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, both the separator and the organo-sulfur electrode (in both its charged and uncharged states) are transparent either to visible light or to the entire solar spectrum. An electrochromic device is disclosed which comprises such electrodes and separator encased in glass plates on the inner surface of each of which is formed a transparent electrically conductive film in respective electrical contact with the electrodes which facilitates formation of an external electrical connection or contact to the electrodes of the device to permit electrical connection of the device to an external potential source.

Preparation Nano-Structure Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Functional Film on the Cellulose Insulation Polymer and Its Effect on the Breakdown Voltage and Hydrophobicity Properties

PubMed Central

Liu, Cong; Li, Yanqing; Liao, Ruijin; Liao, Qiang; Tang, Chao

2018-01-01

Cellulose insulation polymer is an important component of oil-paper insulation, which is widely used in power transformer. The weight of the cellulose insulation polymer materials is as high as tens of tons in the larger converter transformer. Excellent performance of oil-paper insulation is very important for ensuring the safe operation of larger converter transformer. An effective way to improve the insulation and the physicochemical property of the oil impregnated insulation pressboard/paper is currently a popular research topic. In this paper, the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) functional film was coated on the cellulose insulation pressboard by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering to improve its breakdown voltage and the hydrophobicity properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the nano-structure PTFE functional film was successfully fabricated on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) present that the nanoscale size PTFE particles were attached to the pressboard surface and it exists in the amorphous form. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that the sputtered pressboard surface is still rough. The rough PTFE functional film and the reduction of the hydrophilic hydroxyl of the surface due to the shielding effect of PTFE improve the breakdown and the hydrophobicity properties of the cellulose insulation pressboard obviously. This paper provides an innovative way to improve the performance of the cellulose insulation polymer. PMID:29883376

Preparation Nano-Structure Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Functional Film on the Cellulose Insulation Polymer and Its Effect on the Breakdown Voltage and Hydrophobicity Properties.

PubMed

Hao, Jian; Liu, Cong; Li, Yanqing; Liao, Ruijin; Liao, Qiang; Tang, Chao

2018-05-21

Cellulose insulation polymer is an important component of oil-paper insulation, which is widely used in power transformer. The weight of the cellulose insulation polymer materials is as high as tens of tons in the larger converter transformer. Excellent performance of oil-paper insulation is very important for ensuring the safe operation of larger converter transformer. An effective way to improve the insulation and the physicochemical property of the oil impregnated insulation pressboard/paper is currently a popular research topic. In this paper, the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) functional film was coated on the cellulose insulation pressboard by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering to improve its breakdown voltage and the hydrophobicity properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that the nano-structure PTFE functional film was successfully fabricated on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) present that the nanoscale size PTFE particles were attached to the pressboard surface and it exists in the amorphous form. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that the sputtered pressboard surface is still rough. The rough PTFE functional film and the reduction of the hydrophilic hydroxyl of the surface due to the shielding effect of PTFE improve the breakdown and the hydrophobicity properties of the cellulose insulation pressboard obviously. This paper provides an innovative way to improve the performance of the cellulose insulation polymer.

Density change and viscous flow during structural relaxation of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited silicon oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Xin

2004-10-01

The structural relaxation of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) silane-based silicon oxide films during thermal cycling and annealing has been studied using wafer curvature measurements. These measurements, which determine stress in the amorphous silicon oxide films, are sensitive to both plastic deformation and density changes. A quantitative case study of such changes has been done based upon the experimental results. A microstructure-based mechanism elucidates seams as a source of density change and voids as a source of plastic deformation, accompanied by a viscous flow. This theory was then used to explain a series of experimental results that are related to thermal cycling as well as annealing of PECVD silicon oxide films including stress hysteresis generation and reduction and coefficient of thermal-expansion changes. In particular, the thickness effect was examined; PECVD silicon oxide films with a thickness varying from 1to40μm were studied, as certain demanding applications in microelectromechanical systems require such thick films serving as heat/electrical insulation layers.

Enhanced performance of solution-processed organic thin-film transistors with a low-temperature-annealed alumina interlayer between the polyimide gate insulator and the semiconductor.

PubMed

Yoon, Jun-Young; Jeong, Sunho; Lee, Sun Sook; Kim, Yun Ho; Ka, Jae-Won; Yi, Mi Hye; Jang, Kwang-Suk

2013-06-12

We studied a low-temperature-annealed sol-gel-derived alumina interlayer between the organic semiconductor and the organic gate insulator for high-performance organic thin-film transistors. The alumina interlayer was deposited on the polyimide gate insulator by a simple spin-coating and 200 °C-annealing process. The leakage current density decreased by the interlayer deposition: at 1 MV/cm, the leakage current densities of the polyimide and the alumina/polyimide gate insulators were 7.64 × 10(-7) and 3.01 × 10(-9) A/cm(2), respectively. For the first time, enhancement of the organic thin-film transistor performance by introduction of an inorganic interlayer between the organic semiconductor and the organic gate insulator was demonstrated: by introducing the interlayer, the field-effect mobility of the solution-processed organic thin-film transistor increased from 0.35 ± 0.15 to 1.35 ± 0.28 cm(2)/V·s. Our results suggest that inorganic interlayer deposition could be a simple and efficient surface treatment of organic gate insulators for enhancing the performance of solution-processed organic thin-film transistors.

Effect of mesa structure formation on the electrical properties of zinc oxide thin film transistors.

PubMed

Singh, Shaivalini; Chakrabarti, P

2014-05-01

ZnO based bottom-gate thin film transistor (TFT) with SiO2 as insulating layer has been fabricated with two different structures. The effect of formation of mesa structure on the electrical characteristics of the TFTs has been studied. The formation of mesa structure of ZnO channel region can definitely result in better control over channel region and enhance value of channel mobility of ZnO TFT. As a result, by fabricating a mesa structured TFT, a better value of mobility and on-state current are achieved at low voltages. A typical saturation current of 1.85 x 10(-7) A under a gate bias of 50 V is obtained for non mesa structure TFT while for mesa structured TFT saturation current of 5 x 10(-5) A can be obtained at comparatively very low gate bias of 6.4 V.

Voltage Control of Metal-insulator Transition and Non-volatile Ferroelastic Switching of Resistance in VOx/PMN-PT Heterostructures

PubMed Central

Nan, Tianxiang; Liu, Ming; Ren, Wei; Ye, Zuo-Guang; Sun, Nian X.

2014-01-01

The central challenge in realizing electronics based on strongly correlated electronic states, or ‘Mottronics', lies in finding an energy efficient way to switch between the distinct collective phases with a control voltage in a reversible and reproducible manner. In this work, we demonstrate that a voltage-impulse-induced ferroelastic domain switching in the (011)-oriented 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) substrates allows a robust non-volatile tuning of the metal-insulator transition in the VOx films deposited onto them. In such a VOx/PMN-PT heterostructure, the unique two-step electric polarization switching covers up to 90% of the entire poled area and contributes to a homogeneous in-plane anisotropic biaxial strain, which, in turn, enables the lattice changes and results in the suppression of metal-insulator transition in the mechanically coupled VOx films by 6 K with a resistance change up to 40% over a broad range of temperature. These findings provide a framework for realizing in situ and non-volatile tuning of strain-sensitive order parameters in strongly correlated materials, and demonstrate great potentials in delivering reconfigurable, compactable, and energy-efficient electronic devices. PMID:25088796

Voltage control of metal-insulator transition and non-volatile ferroelastic switching of resistance in VOx/PMN-PT heterostructures.

PubMed

Nan, Tianxiang; Liu, Ming; Ren, Wei; Ye, Zuo-Guang; Sun, Nian X

2014-08-04

The central challenge in realizing electronics based on strongly correlated electronic states, or 'Mottronics', lies in finding an energy efficient way to switch between the distinct collective phases with a control voltage in a reversible and reproducible manner. In this work, we demonstrate that a voltage-impulse-induced ferroelastic domain switching in the (011)-oriented 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) substrates allows a robust non-volatile tuning of the metal-insulator transition in the VOx films deposited onto them. In such a VOx/PMN-PT heterostructure, the unique two-step electric polarization switching covers up to 90% of the entire poled area and contributes to a homogeneous in-plane anisotropic biaxial strain, which, in turn, enables the lattice changes and results in the suppression of metal-insulator transition in the mechanically coupled VOx films by 6 K with a resistance change up to 40% over a broad range of temperature. These findings provide a framework for realizing in situ and non-volatile tuning of strain-sensitive order parameters in strongly correlated materials, and demonstrate great potentials in delivering reconfigurable, compactable, and energy-efficient electronic devices.

Installing fiber insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, D. S.; Warren, A. D. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A method for installing fragile, high temperature insulation batting in an elongated cavity or in a resilient wire sleeve to form a resilient seal. The batting is preformed to rough dimensions and wrapped in a plastic film, the film being of a material which is fugitive at a high temperature. The film is heat sealed and trimmed to form a snugly fit skin which overlaps at least at one end to permit attachment of a pull cord. The film absorbs the tensile force of pulling the film enclosed batting through the cavity or wire mesh sleeve and is subsequently driven off by high temperature baking, leaving only the insulation in the cavity or wire mesh sleeve.

Cloaking magnetic field and generating electric field with topological insulator and superconductor bi-layer sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jin

2017-12-01

When an electric field is applied on a topological insulator, not only the electric field is generated, but also the magnetic field is generated, vice versa. I designed topological insulator and superconductor bi-layer magnetic cloak, derived the electric field and magnetic field inside and outside the topological insulator and superconductor sphere. Simulation and calculation results show that the applied magnetic field is screened by the topological insulator and superconductor bi-layer, and the electric field is generated in the cloaked region.

Efficient barrier for charge injection in polyethylene by silver nanoparticles/plasma polymer stack

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milliere, L.; Makasheva, K., E-mail: kremena.makasheva@laplace.univ-tlse.fr; Laurent, C.

2014-09-22

Charge injection from a metal/insulator contact is a process promoting the formation of space charge in polymeric insulation largely used in thick layers in high voltage equipment. The internal charge perturbs the field distribution and can lead to catastrophic failure either through its electrostatic effects or through energetic processes initiated under charge recombination and/or hot electrons effects. Injection is still ill-described in polymeric insulation due to the complexity of the contact between the polymer chains and the electrodes. Barrier heights derived from the metal work function and the polymer electronic affinity do not provide a good description of the measurementsmore » [Taleb et al., IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul. 20, 311–320 (2013)]. Considering the difficulty to describe the contact properties and the need to prevent charge injection in polymers for high voltage applications, we developed an alternative approach by tailoring the interface properties by the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)/plasma polymer stack, deposited on the polymer film. Due to their small size, the AgNPs, covered by a very thin film of plasma polymer, act as deep traps for the injected charges thereby stabilizing the interface from the point of view of charge injection. After a quick description of the method for elaborating the nanostructured layer near the contact, it is demonstrated how the AgNPs/plasma polymer stack effectively prevents, in a spectacular way, the formation of bulk space charge.« less

Development of electrical-erosion instrument for direct write micro-patterning on large area conductive thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Álvarez, Ángel Luis; Coya, Carmen; García-Vélez, Miguel

2015-08-15

We have developed a complete instrument to perform direct, dry, and cost-effective lithography on conductive materials, based on localized electrical discharges, which avoids using masks or chemicals typical of conventional photolithography. The technique is considered fully compatible with substrate transport based systems, like roll-to-roll technology. The prototype is based on two piezo nano-steppers coupled to three linear micro-stages to cover a large scale operation from micrometers to centimeters. The operation mode consists of a spring probe biased at low DC voltage with respect to a grounded conductive layer. The tip slides on the target layer keeping contact with the materialmore » in room conditions, allowing continuous electric monitoring of the process, and also real-time tilt correction via software. The sliding tip leaves an insulating path (limited by the tip diameter) along the material, enabling to draw electrically insulated tracks and pads. The physical principle of operation is based in the natural self-limitation of the discharge due to material removal or insulation. The so produced electrical discharges are very fast, in the range of μs, so features may be performed at speeds of few cm/s, enabling scalability to large areas. The instrument has been tested on different conducting materials as gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum, allowing the fabrication of alphanumeric displays based on passive matrix of organic light emitting diodes without the use of masks or photoresists. We have verified that the highest potential is achieved on graphene, where no waste material is detected, producing excellent well defined edges. This allows manufacturing graphene micro-ribbons with a high aspect ratio up to 1200:1.« less

Development of electrical-erosion instrument for direct write micro-patterning on large area conductive thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Álvarez, Ángel Luis; Coya, Carmen; García-Vélez, Miguel

2015-08-01

We have developed a complete instrument to perform direct, dry, and cost-effective lithography on conductive materials, based on localized electrical discharges, which avoids using masks or chemicals typical of conventional photolithography. The technique is considered fully compatible with substrate transport based systems, like roll-to-roll technology. The prototype is based on two piezo nano-steppers coupled to three linear micro-stages to cover a large scale operation from micrometers to centimeters. The operation mode consists of a spring probe biased at low DC voltage with respect to a grounded conductive layer. The tip slides on the target layer keeping contact with the material in room conditions, allowing continuous electric monitoring of the process, and also real-time tilt correction via software. The sliding tip leaves an insulating path (limited by the tip diameter) along the material, enabling to draw electrically insulated tracks and pads. The physical principle of operation is based in the natural self-limitation of the discharge due to material removal or insulation. The so produced electrical discharges are very fast, in the range of μs, so features may be performed at speeds of few cm/s, enabling scalability to large areas. The instrument has been tested on different conducting materials as gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum, allowing the fabrication of alphanumeric displays based on passive matrix of organic light emitting diodes without the use of masks or photoresists. We have verified that the highest potential is achieved on graphene, where no waste material is detected, producing excellent well defined edges. This allows manufacturing graphene micro-ribbons with a high aspect ratio up to 1200:1.

Development of electrical-erosion instrument for direct write micro-patterning on large area conductive thin films.

PubMed

Álvarez, Ángel Luis; Coya, Carmen; García-Vélez, Miguel

2015-08-01

We have developed a complete instrument to perform direct, dry, and cost-effective lithography on conductive materials, based on localized electrical discharges, which avoids using masks or chemicals typical of conventional photolithography. The technique is considered fully compatible with substrate transport based systems, like roll-to-roll technology. The prototype is based on two piezo nano-steppers coupled to three linear micro-stages to cover a large scale operation from micrometers to centimeters. The operation mode consists of a spring probe biased at low DC voltage with respect to a grounded conductive layer. The tip slides on the target layer keeping contact with the material in room conditions, allowing continuous electric monitoring of the process, and also real-time tilt correction via software. The sliding tip leaves an insulating path (limited by the tip diameter) along the material, enabling to draw electrically insulated tracks and pads. The physical principle of operation is based in the natural self-limitation of the discharge due to material removal or insulation. The so produced electrical discharges are very fast, in the range of μs, so features may be performed at speeds of few cm/s, enabling scalability to large areas. The instrument has been tested on different conducting materials as gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum, allowing the fabrication of alphanumeric displays based on passive matrix of organic light emitting diodes without the use of masks or photoresists. We have verified that the highest potential is achieved on graphene, where no waste material is detected, producing excellent well defined edges. This allows manufacturing graphene micro-ribbons with a high aspect ratio up to 1200:1.

High temperature dielectric properties of Apical, Kapton, Peek, Teflon AF, and Upilex polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammoud, A. N.; Baumann, E. D.; Overton, E.; Myers, I. T.; Suthar, J. L.; Khachen, W.; Laghari, J. R.

1992-01-01

Reliable lightweight systems capable of providing electrical power at the magawatt level are a requirement for future manned space exploration missions. This can be achieved by the development of high temperature insulating materials which are not only capable of surviving the hostile space environment but can contribute to reducing the mass and weight of the heat rejection system. In this work, Apical, Upilex, Kapton, Teflon AF, and Peek polymers are characterized for AC and DC dielectric breakdown in air and in silicone oil at temperatures up to 250 C. The materials are also tested in terms of their dielectric constant and dissipation factor at high temperatures with an electrical stress of 60 Hz, 200 V/mil present. The effects of thermal aging on the properties of the films are determined after 15 hours of exposure to 200 and 250 C, each. The results obtained are discussed and conclusions are made concerning the suitability of these dielectrics for use in capacitors and cable insulations in high temperature environments.

High temperature dielectric properties of Apical, Kapton, Peek, Teflon AF, and Upilex polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammoud, A. N.; Baumann, E. D.; Overton, E.; Myers, I. T.; Suthar, J. L.; Khachen, W.; Laghari, J. R.

1992-06-01

Reliable lightweight systems capable of providing electrical power at the magawatt level are a requirement for future manned space exploration missions. This can be achieved by the development of high temperature insulating materials which are not only capable of surviving the hostile space environment but can contribute to reducing the mass and weight of the heat rejection system. In this work, Apical, Upilex, Kapton, Teflon AF, and Peek polymers are characterized for AC and DC dielectric breakdown in air and in silicone oil at temperatures up to 250 C. The materials are also tested in terms of their dielectric constant and dissipation factor at high temperatures with an electrical stress of 60 Hz, 200 V/mil present. The effects of thermal aging on the properties of the films are determined after 15 hours of exposure to 200 and 250 C, each. The results obtained are discussed and conclusions are made concerning the suitability of these dielectrics for use in capacitors and cable insulations in high temperature environments.

Conduction in titanium dioxide films and metal–TiO{sub 2}–Si structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalygina, V. M.; Egorova, I. M.; Prudaev, I. A.

2016-08-15

The effect of the annealing of titanium oxide films on the electrical properties of metal–TiO{sub 2}–n-Si structures is investigated. It is shown that, regardless of the annealing temperature, the conductivity of the structures at positive gate potentials is determined by the space-charge-limited current in the insulator with traps exponentially distributed in terms of energy. At negative gate potentials, the main contribution to the current is provided by the generation of electron–hole pairs in the space-charge region in silicon. The properties of the TiO{sub 2}/n-Si interface depend on the structure and phase state of the oxide film, which are determined bymore » the annealing temperature.« less

Weak antilocalization in Cd3As2 thin films

PubMed Central

Zhao, Bo; Cheng, Peihong; Pan, Haiyang; Zhang, Shuai; Wang, Baigeng; Wang, Guanghou; Xiu, Faxian; Song, Fengqi

2016-01-01

Recently, it has been theoretically predicted that Cd3As2 is a three dimensional Dirac material, a new topological phase discovered after topological insulators, which exhibits a linear energy dispersion in the bulk with massless Dirac fermions. Here, we report on the low-temperature magnetoresistance measurements on a ~50 nm-thick Cd3As2 film. The weak antilocalization under perpendicular magnetic field is discussed based on the two-dimensional Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) theory. The electron-electron interaction is addressed as the source of the dephasing based on the temperature-dependent scaling behavior. The weak antilocalization can be also observed while the magnetic field is parallel to the electric field due to the strong interaction between the different conductance channels in this quasi-two-dimensional film. PMID:26935029

Weak antilocalization in Cd3As2 thin films.

PubMed

Zhao, Bo; Cheng, Peihong; Pan, Haiyang; Zhang, Shuai; Wang, Baigeng; Wang, Guanghou; Xiu, Faxian; Song, Fengqi

2016-03-03

Recently, it has been theoretically predicted that Cd3As2 is a three dimensional Dirac material, a new topological phase discovered after topological insulators, which exhibits a linear energy dispersion in the bulk with massless Dirac fermions. Here, we report on the low-temperature magnetoresistance measurements on a ~50 nm-thick Cd3As2 film. The weak antilocalization under perpendicular magnetic field is discussed based on the two-dimensional Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka (HLN) theory. The electron-electron interaction is addressed as the source of the dephasing based on the temperature-dependent scaling behavior. The weak antilocalization can be also observed while the magnetic field is parallel to the electric field due to the strong interaction between the different conductance channels in this quasi-two-dimensional film.

Specific heat measurement set-up for quench condensed thin superconducting films.

PubMed

Poran, Shachaf; Molina-Ruiz, Manel; Gérardin, Anne; Frydman, Aviad; Bourgeois, Olivier

2014-05-01

We present a set-up designed for the measurement of specific heat of very thin or ultra-thin quench condensed superconducting films. In an ultra-high vacuum chamber, materials of interest can be thermally evaporated directly on a silicon membrane regulated in temperature from 1.4 K to 10 K. On this membrane, a heater and a thermometer are lithographically fabricated, allowing the measurement of heat capacity of the quench condensed layers. This apparatus permits the simultaneous thermal and electrical characterization of successively deposited layers in situ without exposing the deposited materials to room temperature or atmospheric conditions, both being irreversibly harmful to the samples. This system can be used to study specific heat signatures of phase transitions through the superconductor to insulator transition of quench condensed films.

Influence of the chemical and electronic structure on the electrical behavior of zirconium oxynitride films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, P.; Chappé, J. M.; Cunha, L.; Lanceros-Méndez, S.; Alpuim, P.; Vaz, F.; Alves, E.; Rousselot, C.; Espinós, J. P.; González-Elipe, A. R.

2008-05-01

This work is devoted to the investigation of decorative zirconium oxynitride, ZrOxNy, films prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering, using a 17:3 nitrogen-to-oxygen-ratio gas mixture. The color of the films changed from metallic-like, very bright yellow pale, and golden yellow, for low gas mixture flows [from 0 to about 9SCCM (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP)] to red brownish for intermediate gas flows (values up to 12SCCM). Associated to this color change there is a significant decrease of brightness. With further increase of the reactive gas flow, the color of the samples changed from red brownish to dark blue (samples prepared with 13 and 14SCCM). The films deposited with gas flows above 14SCCM showed only apparent colorations due to interference effects. This change in optical behavior from opaque to transparent (characteristic of a transition from metallic to insulating-type materials), promoted by the change in gas flow values, revealed that significant changes were occurring in the film structure and electronic properties, thus opening new potential applications for the films, beyond those of purely decorative ones. Taking this into account, the electrical behavior of the films was investigated as a function of the reactive gas flow and correlated with the observed chemical, electronic, and structural features. The variations in composition disclosed the existence of four different zones, which were correlated to different crystalline structures. For the so-called zone I, x-ray diffraction revealed the development of films with a B1 NaCl face-centered cubic zirconium nitride-type phase, with some texture changes. Increasing the reactive gas flow, the structure of the films is that of a poorly crystallized overstoichiometric nitride phase, which may be similar to that of Zr3N4, but with some probable oxygen inclusions within nitrogen positions. This region was characterized as zone II. Zone III was indexed as an oxynitride-type phase, similar to that of γ-Zr2ON2 with some oxygen atoms occupying some of the nitrogen positions. Finally, occurring at the highest flow rates, zone IV was assigned to a ZrO2 monoclinic-type structure. The composition/structure variations were consistent with the chemical bonding analysis carried out by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which showed oxygen doping in both Zr3N4- and ZrN-type grown films. The electronic properties of the films exhibited significant changes from zone to zone. Resistivity measurements revealed a very wide range of values, varying from relatively highly conductive materials (for zone I) with resistivity values around few hundreds of μΩcm to highly insulating films within zones III and IV, which presented resistivity values in the order of 1015μΩcm. Regarding zone II, corresponding to oxygen doped Zr3N4-type compounds, the observed behavior revealed resistivity values increasing steeply from about 103 up to 1015μΩcm, indicating a systematic transition from metallic to insulating regimes.

Impact of total ionizing dose irradiation on Pt/SrBi2Ta2O9/HfTaO/Si memory capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, S. A.; Zhao, W.; Guo, H. X.; Xiong, Y.; Tang, M. H.; Li, Z.; Xiao, Y. G.; Zhang, W. L.; Ding, H.; Chen, J. W.; Zhou, Y. C.

2015-01-01

In this work, metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) structure capacitors with SrBi2Ta2O9 (300 nm) as ferroelectric thin film and HfTaO (6 nm, 8 nm, 10 nm, and 12 nm) as insulating buffer layer were proposed and investigated. The prepared capacitors were fabricated and characterized before radiation and then subjected to 60Co gamma irradiation in steps of two dose levels. Significant irradiation-induced degradation of the electrical characteristics was observed. The radiation experimental results indicated that stability and reliability of as-fabricated MFIS capacitors for nonvolatile memory applications could become uncontrollable under strong irradiation dose and/or long irradiation time.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Hot wire needle probe for thermal conductivity detection

DOEpatents

Condie, Keith Glenn; Rempe, Joy Lynn; Knudson, Darrell lee; Daw, Joshua Earl; Wilkins, Steven Curtis; Fox, Brandon S.; Heng, Ban

2015-11-10

An apparatus comprising a needle probe comprising a sheath, a heating element, a temperature sensor, and electrical insulation that allows thermal conductivity to be measured in extreme environments, such as in high-temperature irradiation testing. The heating element is contained within the sheath and is electrically conductive. In an embodiment, the heating element is a wire capable of being joule heated when an electrical current is applied. The temperature sensor is contained within the sheath, electrically insulated from the heating element and the sheath. The electrical insulation electrically insulates the sheath, heating element and temperature sensor. The electrical insulation fills the sheath having electrical resistance capable of preventing electrical conduction between the sheath, heating element, and temperature sensor. The control system is connected to the heating element and the temperature sensor.

Crystallinity of tellurium capping and epitaxy of ferromagnetic topological insulator films on SrTiO 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Jihwey; Soh, Yeong-Ah; Aeppli, Gabriel

2015-06-30

Thin films of topological insulators are often capped with an insulating layer since topological insulators are known to be fragile to degradation. However, capping can hinder the observation of novel transport properties of the surface states. To understand the influence of capping on the surface states, it is crucial to understand the crystal structure and the atomic arrangement at the interfaces. Here, we use x-ray diffraction to establish the crystal structure of magnetic topological insulator Cr-doped (Bi,Sb) 2Te 3 (CBST) films grown on SrTiO 3 (1 1 1) substrates with and without a Te capping layer. We find that bothmore » the film and capping layer are single crystal and that the crystal quality of the film is independent of the presence of the capping layer, but that x-rays cause sublimation of the CBST film, which is prevented by the capping layer. Our findings show that the different transport properties of capped films cannot be attributed to a lower crystal quality but to a more subtle effect such as a different electronic structure at the interface with the capping layer. Our results on the crystal structure and atomic arrangements of the topological heterostructure will enable modelling the electronic structure and design of topological heterostructures.« less

Electrical conductivity in Li2O2 and its role in determining capacity limitations in non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V.; Thygesen, K. S.; Hummelshøj, J. S.; Nørskov, J. K.; Girishkumar, G.; McCloskey, B. D.; Luntz, A. C.

2011-12-01

Non-aqueous Li-air or Li-O2 cells show considerable promise as a very high energy density battery couple. Such cells, however, show sudden death at capacities far below their theoretical capacity and this, among other problems, limits their practicality. In this paper, we show that this sudden death arises from limited charge transport through the growing Li2O2 film to the Li2O2-electrolyte interface, and this limitation defines a critical film thickness, above which it is not possible to support electrochemistry at the Li2O2-electrolyte interface. We report both electrochemical experiments using a reversible internal redox couple and a first principles metal-insulator-metal charge transport model to probe the electrical conductivity through Li2O2 films produced during Li-O2 discharge. Both experiment and theory show a "sudden death" in charge transport when film thickness is ˜5 to 10 nm. The theoretical model shows that this occurs when the tunneling current through the film can no longer support the electrochemical current. Thus, engineering charge transport through Li2O2 is a serious challenge if Li-O2 batteries are ever to reach their potential.

Electrical conductivity in Li2O2 and its role in determining capacity limitations in non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries.

PubMed

Viswanathan, V; Thygesen, K S; Hummelshøj, J S; Nørskov, J K; Girishkumar, G; McCloskey, B D; Luntz, A C

2011-12-07

Non-aqueous Li-air or Li-O(2) cells show considerable promise as a very high energy density battery couple. Such cells, however, show sudden death at capacities far below their theoretical capacity and this, among other problems, limits their practicality. In this paper, we show that this sudden death arises from limited charge transport through the growing Li(2)O(2) film to the Li(2)O(2)-electrolyte interface, and this limitation defines a critical film thickness, above which it is not possible to support electrochemistry at the Li(2)O(2)-electrolyte interface. We report both electrochemical experiments using a reversible internal redox couple and a first principles metal-insulator-metal charge transport model to probe the electrical conductivity through Li(2)O(2) films produced during Li-O(2) discharge. Both experiment and theory show a "sudden death" in charge transport when film thickness is ~5 to 10 nm. The theoretical model shows that this occurs when the tunneling current through the film can no longer support the electrochemical current. Thus, engineering charge transport through Li(2)O(2) is a serious challenge if Li-O(2) batteries are ever to reach their potential. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Alternate current conductivity in BSb films prepared by PLD technique: Electron transport processes in low-temperature range (10-275 K)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Shirsendu; Bhunia, Ritamay; Hussain, Shamima; Bhar, Radhaballabh; Kumar Pal, Arun

2017-04-01

This study is focused on the measurement of alternate current (a.c.) electrical conductivity of BSb films, deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates at 673K by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The frequency-dependent a.c. conductivity is measured as a function of temperature (10-275K) and frequency (100Hz-100kHz). The transport processes governing the electrical conduction processes in this material are analyzed critically. It is observed from FESEM micrograph that the film is composed of small discrete grain with sizes varying in the range 6-12nm. It is interesting to notice from \\lnσ_ac versus 1000/T plot that there are three distinct zones: i) Semiconductor zone at high temperature from 275 to 150K, ii) Insulator zone at low temperature from 70 to 10K and iii) an abrupt change of the \\lnσ_ac versus 1000/T plot at ˜ 75 indicating MIS transition occurring in this BSb film. We found that the activation energy for the BSb films in the lower-temperature range was quite low ˜ 6 to 41neV, while that in the higher-temperature range was 20 to 50meV.

Outline and comparison of the possible effects present in a metal-thin-film-insulator-semiconductor solar cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fonash, S. J.

1976-01-01

The advantages possible with the insertion of a thin-film insulating or semi-insulating layer between a metal and a semiconductor to form the MIS photovoltaic device have been presented previously in the literature. This MIS configuration may be considered as a specific example of a more general class of photovoltaic devices: electrode-thin-film-insulator-semiconductor devices. Since the advantages of the configuration were pointed out, there has been considerable experimental interest in these photovoltaic devices. Because the previous analysis showed that the introduction of the insulator layer could produce several different but advantageous effects, this paper presents a further outline giving a comparison of these effects together with their ramifications.

Localized superconductivity in the quantum-critical region of the disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transition in TiN thin films.

PubMed

Baturina, T I; Mironov, A Yu; Vinokur, V M; Baklanov, M R; Strunk, C

2007-12-21

We investigate low-temperature transport properties of thin TiN superconducting films in the vicinity of the disorder-driven superconductor-insulator transition. In a zero magnetic field, we find an extremely sharp separation between superconducting and insulating phases, evidencing a direct superconductor-insulator transition without an intermediate metallic phase. At moderate temperatures, in the insulating films we reveal thermally activated conductivity with the magnetic field-dependent activation energy. At very low temperatures, we observe a zero-conductivity state, which is destroyed at some depinning threshold voltage V{T}. These findings indicate the formation of a distinct collective state of the localized Cooper pairs in the critical region at both sides of the transition.

Preparation and modification of VO2 thin film on R-sapphire substrate by rapid thermal process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Nai-Wei; Hu, Ming; Xia, Xiao-Xu; Wei, Xiao-Ying; Liang, Ji-Ran

2014-04-01

The VO2 thin film with high performance of metal-insulator transition (MIT) is prepared on R-sapphire substrate for the first time by magnetron sputtering with rapid thermal process (RTP). The electrical characteristic and THz transmittance of MIT in VO2 film are studied by four-point probe method and THz time domain spectrum (THz-TDS). X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and search engine marketing (SEM) are employed to analyze the crystalline structure, valence state, surface morphology of the film. Results indicate that the properties of VO2 film which is oxidized from the metal vanadium film in oxygen atmosphere are improved with a follow-up RTP modification in nitrogen atmosphere. The crystallization and components of VO2 film are improved and the film becomes compact and uniform. A better phase transition performance is shown that the resistance changes nearly 3 orders of magnitude with a 2-°C hysteresis width and the THz transmittances are reduced by 64% and 60% in thermal and optical excitation respectively.

Passivation Effect of Atomic Layer Deposition of Al2O3 Film on HgCdTe Infrared Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Peng; Ye, Zhen-Hua; Sun, Chang-Hong; Chen, Yi-Yu; Zhang, Tian-Ning; Chen, Xin; Lin, Chun; Ding, Ring-Jun; He, Li

2016-09-01

The passivation effect of atomic layer deposition of (ALD) Al2O3 film on a HgCdTe infrared detector was investigated in this work. The passivation effect of Al2O3 film was evaluated by measuring the minority carrier lifetime, capacitance versus voltage ( C- V) characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor devices, and resistance versus voltage ( R- V) characteristics of variable-area photodiodes. The minority carrier lifetime, C- V characteristics, and R- V characteristics of HgCdTe devices passivated by ALD Al2O3 film was comparable to those of HgCdTe devices passivated by e-beam evaporation of ZnS/CdTe film. However, the baking stability of devices passivated by Al2O3 film is inferior to that of devices passivated by ZnS/CdTe film. In future work, by optimizing the ALD Al2O3 film growing process and annealing conditions, it may be feasible to achieve both excellent electrical properties and good baking stability.

Cu-Induced Dielectric Breakdown of Porous Low-Dielectric-Constant Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yi-Lung; Lee, Chih-Yen; Huang, Yao-Liang; Sun, Chung-Ren; Lee, Wen-Hsi; Chen, Giin-Shan; Fang, Jau-Shiung; Phan, Bach Thang

2017-06-01

Dielectric breakdown induced by Cu ion migration in porous low- k dielectric films has been investigated in alternating-polarity bias conditions using a metal-insulator-metal capacitor with Cu top metal electrode. The experimental results indicated that Cu ions migrated into the dielectric film under stress with positive polarity, leading to weaker dielectric strength and shorter time to failure (TTF). In the alternating-polarity test, the measured TTFs increased with decreasing stressing frequency, implying backward migration of Cu ions during reverse-bias stress. Additionally, compared with a direct-current stress condition, the measured TTFs were higher as the frequency was decreased to 10-2 Hz. The electric-field acceleration factor for porous low- k dielectric film breakdown in the alternating-polarity test was also found to increase. This Cu backward migration effect is effective when the stressing time under negative polarity is longer than 0.1 s.

Fabrication of Vertical Organic Light-Emitting Transistor Using ZnO Thin Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, Hiroshi; Iizuka, Masaaki; Kudo, Kazuhiro

2007-04-01

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) combined with thin film transistor (TFT) are well suitable elements for low-cost, large-area active matrix displays. On the other hand, zinc oxide (ZnO) is a transparent material and its electrical conductivity is controlled from conductive to insulating by growth conditions. The drain current of ZnO FET is 180 μA. The OLED uses ZnO thin film (Al-doped) for the electron injection layer and is controlled by radio frequency (rf) and direct current (dc) sputtering conditions, such as Al concentration and gas pressure. Al concentration in the ZnO film and deposition rate have strong effects on electron injection. Furthermore, the OLED driven by ZnO FET shows a luminance of 13 cd/m2, a luminance efficiency of 0.7 cd/A, and an on-off ratio of 650.

Annealing effects on electrical behavior of gold nanoparticle film: Conversion of ohmic to non-ohmic conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimpour, Zeinab; Mansour, Nastaran

2017-02-01

This paper reports on the electrical behavior of self-assembled gold nanoparticle films before and after high-temperature annealing in ambient environment. These films are made by depositing gold nanoparticles from a colloidal solution on glass substrates using centrifuge deposition technique. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of these films exhibits ohmic and non-ohmic properties for un-annealed and annealed films respectively. As the annealing time duration increases, the onset of non-ohmic behavior occurs at higher voltages. To understand the underlying mechanisms for the observed electrical conduction behavior in these films and how electrical conduction is effected by film morphology and structural properties before and after annealing, systematic comparative studies based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been performed. The morphology of the films shows that the assembled gold nanoparticles are distributed on the substrate in a random way before annealing. After 2 h annealing gold nanoparticles exhibit a higher filling fraction when examined by SEM, which means that they coalesce, upon annealing, with respect to un-annealed films. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the films show that there is a red-shift and broadening in the absorption band for the annealed films. The observed phenomenon is related to the plasmon near-field coupling effect and suggests that the nanoparticle ensembles interspacing has decreased. The structural and crystallinity of the films exhibit amorphous structure before annealing and pure crystalline phases with a preferential growth direction along the (111) plane after annealing. The XPS analysis further suggests the existence of the stable thin oxide layer in the phase of Au2O3 in the annealed films. The I-V characteristics have been described by Simmons' model for tunnel transport through metal-insulator-metal (MIM) junctions. The Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots show the transition of the in-plane charge transport mechanism from direct tunneling to field emission in annealed films. Our results suggest that, the formation of a thin layer of Au2O3 , the proximity of the nanoparticles as well as their higher filling fraction are important parameters related with the tunneling process enhancement. The observed non-ohmic conductivity property can make these self-assembled gold nanoparticle films very useful structures in different applications such as sensing, resistors and other nanoelectronic applications.

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction.

PubMed

Sokolowski-Tinten, K; Shen, X; Zheng, Q; Chase, T; Coffee, R; Jerman, M; Li, R K; Ligges, M; Makasyuk, I; Mo, M; Reid, A H; Rethfeld, B; Vecchione, T; Weathersby, S P; Dürr, H A; Wang, X J

2017-09-01

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels.

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction

PubMed Central

Sokolowski-Tinten, K.; Shen, X.; Zheng, Q.; Chase, T.; Coffee, R.; Jerman, M.; Li, R. K.; Ligges, M.; Makasyuk, I.; Mo, M.; Reid, A. H.; Rethfeld, B.; Vecchione, T.; Weathersby, S. P.; Dürr, H. A.; Wang, X. J.

2017-01-01

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels. PMID:28795080

Epitaxial Growth of Cadmium Telluride Films on Silicon and Indium Antimonide Substrates Using a Closed Hot Wall Epitaxy System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, Tien-Chuan

For many applications, such as infrared detector and high speed devices, we need high quality cadmium telluride (CdTe) films. To fabricate CdTe films we are using a home -built Closed Hot Wall Epitaxy system (CHWE). This system consists of two growth chambers, preheat chamber, substrate exchange load lock and ultra-high vacuum system. It can exchange the substrates without disturbing the vacuum environment and prevents the source materials from contamination. Two different substrate materials, Si and InSb, are used in this work. Deposition parameters were varied in order to determine the growth condition for obtaining good quality CdTe films. The characteristics of the films were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope, X-ray diffractormeter and Auger Electron Spectroscope. The electrical properties of Al/CdTe/InSb MIS diodes are also examined. Experimental results show that the quality of the CdTe films on these two substrates are functions of the source and substrate temperatures. The surface of CdTe films grown on Si substrate are rougher than CdTe films grown on InSb substrate. X -ray patterns show that the crystal orientations of the CdTe films are, (100) and (111), similar to those of the substrates under optimum growth conditions. The CdTe film are stoichiometric based on the results of Auger survey. Electrical measurement also indicates that CdTe films grown on InSb substrates have very high purity and are insulator. The induced stresses due to the differences of lattice constant and thermal expansion coefficient between CdTe films and substrates were observed in CdTe films. The critical thickness of CdTe films on InSb substrates are measured by X-ray diffraction to be 2.63 um.

Determination of Insulator-to-Semiconductor Transition in Sol-Gel Oxide Semiconductors Using Derivative Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lee, Woobin; Choi, Seungbeom; Kim, Kyung Tae; Kang, Jingu; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2015-12-23

We report a derivative spectroscopic method for determining insulator-to-semiconductor transition during sol-gel metal-oxide semiconductor formation. When an as-spun sol-gel precursor film is photochemically activated and changes to semiconducting state, the light absorption characteristics of the metal-oxide film is considerable changed particularly in the ultraviolet region. As a result, a peak is generated in the first-order derivatives of light absorption ( A' ) vs. wavelength (λ) plots, and by tracing the peak center shift and peak intensity, transition from insulating-to-semiconducting state of the film can be monitored. The peak generation and peak center shift are described based on photon-energy-dependent absorption coefficient of metal-oxide films. We discuss detailed analysis method for metal-oxide semiconductor films and its application in thin-film transistor fabrication. We believe this derivative spectroscopy based determination can be beneficial for a non-destructive and a rapid monitoring of the insulator-to-semiconductor transition in sol-gel oxide semiconductor formation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faraby, H.; DiBattista, M.; Bandaru, P. R., E-mail: pbandaru@ucsd.edu

The electrical impedance (both the resistive and capacitive aspects) of focused ion beam (FIB) deposited SiO{sub 2} has been correlated to the specific composition of the ion beam, in Ga- and Xe-based FIB systems. The presence of electrically percolating Ga in concert with carbon (inevitably found as the product of the hydrocarbon precursor decomposition) has been isolated as a major cause for the observed decrease in the resistivity of the deposited SiO{sub 2}. Concomitant with the decreased resistivity, an increased capacitance and effective dielectric constant was observed. Our study would be useful to understand the constraints to the deposition ofmore » high quality insulator films through FIB based methodologies.« less

30 CFR 77.503 - Electric conductors; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Electric conductors; capacity and insulation... UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Electrical Equipment-General § 77.503 Electric conductors; capacity and insulation. Electric conductors shall be sufficient in size and have adequate current carrying capacity and be of such...

30 CFR 77.503 - Electric conductors; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Electric conductors; capacity and insulation... UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Electrical Equipment-General § 77.503 Electric conductors; capacity and insulation. Electric conductors shall be sufficient in size and have adequate current carrying capacity and be of such...

Quantum transport of two-species Dirac fermions in dual-gated three-dimensional topological insulators

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yang; Miotkowski, Ireneusz; Chen, Yong P.

2016-05-04

Topological insulators are a novel class of quantum matter with a gapped insulating bulk, yet gapless spin-helical Dirac fermion conducting surface states. Here, we report local and non-local electrical and magneto transport measurements in dual-gated BiSbTeSe 2 thin film topological insulator devices, with conduction dominated by the spatially separated top and bottom surfaces, each hosting a single species of Dirac fermions with independent gate control over the carrier type and density. We observe many intriguing quantum transport phenomena in such a fully tunable two-species topological Dirac gas, including a zero-magnetic-field minimum conductivity close to twice the conductance quantum at themore » double Dirac point, a series of ambipolar two-component half-integer Dirac quantum Hall states and an electron-hole total filling factor zero state (with a zero-Hall plateau), exhibiting dissipationless (chiral) and dissipative (non-chiral) edge conduction, respectively. As a result, such a system paves the way to explore rich physics, ranging from topological magnetoelectric effects to exciton condensation.« less

Tuning thermoelectricity in a Bi 2Se 3 topological insulator via varied film thickness

DOE PAGES

Guo, Minghua; Wang, Zhenyu; Xu, Yong; ...

2016-01-12

We report thermoelectric transport studies on Bi 2Se 3 topological insulator thin films with varied thickness grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We find that the Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric power factor decrease systematically with the reduction of film thickness. These experimental observations can be explained quantitatively by theoretical calculations based on realistic electronic band structure of the Bi 2Se 3 thin films. Lastly, this work illustrates the crucial role played by the topological surface states on the thermoelectric transport of topological insulators, and sheds new light on further improvement of their thermoelectric performance.

Proceedings of the twenty sixth international symposium on discharges and electrical insulation in vacuum. V. 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2014-07-01

Vacuum science and technology has made vital contributions in high technology areas like space, high energy particle accelerators, plasma devices, pulse power, electronics, vacuum interrupters, thin films, melting and refining of metals/alloys, extraction and processing of advanced materials. Vacuum discharges, vacuum arc physics and technology and various applications towards vacuum interrupters, pulse power and particle accelerator are the main themes for this symposium. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately.

Proceedings of the twenty sixth international symposium on discharges and electrical insulation in vacuum. V. 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2014-07-01

Vacuum science and technology has made vital contributions in high technology areas like space, high energy particle accelerators, plasma devices, pulse power, electronics, vacuum interrupters, thin films, melting and refining of metals/alloys, extraction and processing of advanced materials. Vacuum discharges, vacuum arc physics and technology and various applications towards vacuum interrupters, pulse power and particle accelerator are the main themes for this symposium. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately.

Measurement of a superconducting energy gap in a homogeneously amorphous insulator.

PubMed

Sherman, D; Kopnov, G; Shahar, D; Frydman, A

2012-04-27

We present tunneling spectroscopy measurements that directly reveal the existence of a superconducting gap in the insulating state of homogenously disordered amorphous indium oxide films. Two films on both sides of the disorder induced superconductor to insulator transition show the same energy gap scale. This energy gap persists up to relatively high magnetic fields and is observed across the magnetoresistance peak typical of disordered superconductors. The results provide useful information for understanding the nature of the insulating state in the disorder induced superconductor to insulator transition.

Particle-vortex symmetric liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulligan, Michael

2017-01-01

We introduce an effective theory with manifest particle-vortex symmetry for disordered thin films undergoing a magnetic field-tuned superconductor-insulator transition. The theory may enable one to access both the critical properties of the strong-disorder limit, which has recently been confirmed by Breznay et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 113, 280 (2016), 10.1073/pnas.1522435113] to exhibit particle-vortex symmetric electrical response, and the nearby metallic phase discovered earlier by Mason and Kapitulnik [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 5341 (1999), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.5341] in less disordered samples. Within the effective theory, the Cooper-pair and field-induced vortex degrees of freedom are simultaneously incorporated into an electrically neutral Dirac fermion minimally coupled to a (emergent) Chern-Simons gauge field. A derivation of the theory follows upon mapping the superconductor-insulator transition to the integer quantum Hall plateau transition and the subsequent use of Son's particle-hole symmetric composite Fermi liquid. Remarkably, particle-vortex symmetric response does not require the introduction of disorder; rather, it results when the Dirac fermions exhibit vanishing Hall effect. The theory predicts approximately equal (diagonal) thermopower and Nernst signal with a deviation parameterized by the measured electrical Hall response at the symmetric point.

Characterization of structural and electrostatic complexity in pentacene thin films by scanning probe microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puntambekar, Kanan Prakash

The advancement of organic electronics for applications in solar energy conversion, printed circuitry, displays, and solid-state lighting depends upon optimization of structure and properties for a variety of organic semiconductor interfaces. Organic semiconductor/insulator (O/I) and organic-metal (O/M) interfaces, in particular, are critical to the operation of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) currently being developed for printed flexible electronics. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a powerful tool to isolate and characterize the bottlenecks to charge transport at these interfaces. This thesis establishes a direct correlation between the structural disorder and electrical complexity at these interfaces, using various SPM based methods and discusses the implications of such complexity on device performance. To examine the O/M interfaces, surface potentials of operating pentacene TFTs with two different contact geometries (bottom or top) were mapped by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM). The surface potential distribution was used to isolate the potential drops at the source and drain contacts. Simultaneously obtained topography and surface potential maps elucidated the correlation between the morphology and contact resistance at the O/M interface; the bottom contact TFTs were observed to be contact limited at large gate voltages, while the top contact TFTs were not contact limited. A direct correlation between structural defects and electric potential variations at the pentacene and silicon dioxide, a common insulator, is demonstrated. Lateral force microscopy (LFM) generates striking images of the polycrystalline microstructure of a monolayer thick pentacene film, allowing clear visualization of the grain boundary network. Further more, surface potential wells localized at the grain boundaries were observed by KFM, suggesting that the grain boundaries may serve as charge carrier (hole) traps. Line dislocations were also revealed in the second monolayer by chemical etching and SPM and produce strong variations in the surface potential that must affect the interfacial charge conductance. Structural disorder at the O/I and O/M interfaces degrades both injection and transport of charge, and therefore needs to be minimized. Thus both visualization and correlation of structural and electrical complexity at these interfaces have important implications for understanding electrical transport in OTFTs and for defining strategies to improve device performance.

Improvement in interfacial characteristics of low-voltage carbon nanotube thin-film transistors with solution-processed boron nitride thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Jun-Young; Ha, Tae-Jun

2017-08-01

In this article, we demonstrate the potential of solution-processed boron nitride (BN) thin films for high performance single-walled carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (SWCNT-TFTs) with low-voltage operation. The use of BN thin films between solution-processed high-k dielectric layers improved the interfacial characteristics of metal-insulator-metal devices, thereby reducing the current density by three orders of magnitude. We also investigated the origin of improved device performance in SWCNT-TFTs by employing solution-processed BN thin films as an encapsulation layer. The BN encapsulation layer improves the electrical characteristics of SWCNT-TFTs, which includes the device key metrics of linear field-effect mobility, sub-threshold swing, and threshold voltage as well as the long-term stability against the aging effect in air. Such improvements can be achieved by reduced interaction of interfacial localized states with charge carriers. We believe that this work can open up a promising route to demonstrate the potential of solution-processed BN thin films on nanoelectronics.

Elaboration of m-cresol polyamide12/ polyaniline composite films for antistatic applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mezdour, D.; Tabellout, M.; Bardeau, J.-F

2013-12-16

The present work deals with the preparation of transparent antistatic films from an extreme dilution of an intrinsically conducting polymer (ICP) with not coloured polymers. Our approach is based on the chemical polymerization of a very thin layer of Polyaniline (PANI) around particles of an insulating polymer (PA12). Films were obtained by dissolving the synthesized core-shell particles in m-Cresol. The electric property and structure relationships were investigated by using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Composite films exhibited a well established dc conductivity over all the frequency range for 10 wt. % of PANI concentration related to themore » conductive properties of the PANI clusters. X-ray diffraction data show broader and lower intensity of PA12 peaks when increasing PANI content, probably due to the additional doping effect of m- cresol. The doping of PA12/PANI films with Dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) was unequivocally verified by Raman spectroscopy.« less

Impact of process parameters on the structural and electrical properties of metal/PZT/Al2O3/silicon gate stack for non-volatile memory applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Prashant; Jha, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Rajat Kumar; Singh, B. R.

2018-02-01

In this paper, we present the structural and electrical properties of the Al2O3 buffer layer on non-volatile memory behavior using Metal/PZT/Al2O3/Silicon structures. Metal/PZT/Silicon and Metal/Al2O3/Silicon structures were also fabricated and characterized to obtain capacitance and leakage current parameters. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT::35:65) and Al2O3 films were deposited by sputtering on the silicon substrate. Memory window, PUND, endurance, breakdown voltage, effective charges, flat-band voltage and leakage current density parameters were measured and the effects of process parameters on the structural and electrical characteristics were investigated. X-ray data show dominant (110) tetragonal phase of the PZT film, which crystallizes at 500 °C. The sputtered Al2O3 film annealed at different temperatures show dominant (312) orientation and amorphous nature at 425 °C. Multiple angle laser ellipsometric analysis reveals the temperature dependence of PZT film refractive index and extinction coefficient. Electrical characterization shows the maximum memory window of 3.9 V and breakdown voltage of 25 V for the Metal/Ferroelectric/Silicon (MFeS) structures annealed at 500 °C. With 10 nm Al2O3 layer in the Metal/Ferroelectric/Insulator/Silicon (MFeIS) structure, the memory window and breakdown voltage was improved to 7.21 and 35 V, respectively. Such structures show high endurance with no significant reduction polarization charge for upto 2.2 × 109 iteration cycles.

Electric Field Distribution in High Voltage Power Modules Using Finite Element Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhao; Liu, Yaoning

2018-03-01

With the development of the high voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power module, it leads to serious problems concerning the electric field insulation. The electric field capabilities of the silicone gels used in the power module encapsulation directly affect the module insulation. Some solutions have been developed to optimize the electric field and reliability. In this letter, the finite element simulation was used to analyze and localize the maximum electric field position; solutions were proposed to improve the module insulation. It’s demonstrated that BaTiO3 silicone composite is a promising insulation material for high voltage power device.

30 CFR 75.513 - Electric conductor; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. 75.513 Section 75.513 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL... § 75.513 Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. [Statutory Provision] All electric conductors...

30 CFR 75.513 - Electric conductor; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. 75.513 Section 75.513 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL... § 75.513 Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. [Statutory Provision] All electric conductors...

Chalcogenide-based van der Waals epitaxy: Interface conductivity of tellurium on Si(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüpke, Felix; Just, Sven; Bihlmayer, Gustav; Lanius, Martin; Luysberg, Martina; Doležal, Jiří; Neumann, Elmar; Cherepanov, Vasily; Ošt'ádal, Ivan; Mussler, Gregor; Grützmacher, Detlev; Voigtländer, Bert

2017-07-01

We present a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of a Te rich interface layer which represents a template for chalcogenide-based van der Waals epitaxy on Si(111). On a clean Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) surface, we find Te to form a Te/Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) reconstruction to saturate the substrate bonds. A problem arising is that such an interface layer can potentially be highly conductive, undermining the applicability of the on-top grown films in electric devices. We perform here a detailed structural analysis of the pristine Te termination and present direct measurements of its electrical conductivity by in situ distance-dependent four-probe measurements. The experimental results are analyzed with respect to density functional theory calculations and the implications of the interface termination with respect to the electrical conductivity of chalcogenide-based topological insulator thin films are discussed. In detail, we find a Te/Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) interface conductivity of σ2D Te=2.6 (5 ) ×10-7S /□ , which is small compared to the typical conductivity of topological surface states.

Electric Charge Accumulation in Polar and Non-Polar Polymers under Electron Beam Irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagasawa, Kenichiro; Honjoh, Masato; Takada, Tatsuo; Miyake, Hiroaki; Tanaka, Yasuhiro

The electric charge accumulation under an electron beam irradiation (40 keV and 60 keV) was measured by using the pressure wave propagation (PWP) method in the dielectric insulation materials, such as polar polymeric films (polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene-naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), and polyethylene-terephthalate (PET)) and non-polar polymeric films (polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)). The PE and PTFE (non-polar polymers) showed the properties of large amount of electric charge accumulation over 50 C/m3 and long saturation time over 80 minutes. The PP and PS (non-polar polymer) showed the properties of middle amount of charge accumulation about 20 C/m3 and middle saturation time about 1 to 20 minutes. The PC, PEN, PI and PET (polar polymers) showed the properties of small amount of charge accumulation about 5 to 20 C/m3 and within short saturation time about 1.0 minutes. This paper summarizes the relationship between the properties of charge accumulation and chemical structural formula, and compares between the electro static potential distribution with negative charged polymer and its chemical structural formula.

Fabrication of solution-processed InSnZnO/ZrO2 thin film transistors.

PubMed

Hwang, Soo Min; Lee, Seung Muk; Choi, Jun Hyuk; Lim, Jun Hyung; Joo, Jinho

2013-11-01

We fabricated InSnZnO (ITZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a high-permittivity (K) ZrO2 gate insulator using a solution process and explored the microstructure and electrical properties. ZrO2 and ITZO (In:Sn:Zn = 2:1:1) precursor solutions were deposited using consecutive spin-coating and drying steps on highly doped p-type Si substrate, followed by annealing at 700 degrees C in ambient air. The ITZO/ZrO2 TFT device showed n-channel depletion mode characteristics, and it possessed a high saturation mobility of approximately 9.8 cm2/V x s, a small subthreshold voltage swing of approximately 2.3 V/decade, and a negative V(TH) of approximately 1.5 V, but a relatively low on/off current ratio of approximately 10(-3). These results were thought to be due to the use of the high-kappa crystallized ZrO2 dielectric (kappa approximately 21.8) as the gate insulator, which could permit low-voltage operation of the solution-processed ITZO TFT devices for applications to high-throughput, low-cost, flexible and transparent electronics.

Artificial semiconductor/insulator superlattice channel structure for high-performance oxide thin-film transistors

PubMed Central

Ahn, Cheol Hyoun; Senthil, Karuppanan; Cho, Hyung Koun; Lee, Sang Yeol

2013-01-01

High-performance thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the fundamental building blocks in realizing the potential applications of the next-generation displays. Atomically controlled superlattice structures are expected to induce advanced electric and optical performance due to two-dimensional electron gas system, resulting in high-electron mobility transistors. Here, we have utilized a semiconductor/insulator superlattice channel structure comprising of ZnO/Al2O3 layers to realize high-performance TFTs. The TFT with ZnO (5 nm)/Al2O3 (3.6 nm) superlattice channel structure exhibited high field effect mobility of 27.8 cm2/Vs, and threshold voltage shift of only < 0.5 V under positive/negative gate bias stress test during 2 hours. These properties showed extremely improved TFT performance, compared to ZnO TFTs. The enhanced field effect mobility and stability obtained for the superlattice TFT devices were explained on the basis of layer-by-layer growth mode, improved crystalline nature of the channel layers, and passivation effect of Al2O3 layers. PMID:24061388

Formation of Semimetallic Cobalt Telluride Nanotube Film via Anion Exchange Tellurization Strategy in Aqueous Solution for Electrocatalytic Applications.

PubMed

Patil, Supriya A; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Shrestha, Nabeen K; Chang, Jinho; Lee, Joong Kee; Han, Sung-Hwan

2015-11-25

Metal telluride nanostructures have demonstrated several potential applications particularly in harvesting and storing green energy. Metal tellurides are synthesized by tellurization process performed basically at high temperature in reducing gas atmosphere, which makes the process expensive and complicated. The development of a facile and economical process for desirable metal telluride nanostructures without complicated manipulation is still a challenge. In an effort to develop an alternative strategy of tellurization, herein we report a thin film formation of self-standing cobalt telluride nanotubes on various conducting and nonconducting substrates using a simple binder-free synthetic strategy based on anion exchange transformation from a thin film of cobalt hydroxycarbonate nanostructures in aqueous solution at room temperature. The nanostructured films before and after ion exchange transformation reaction are characterized using field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray analyzer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thin film X-ray diffraction technique, high resolution transmission electron microscope, and selected area electron diffraction analysis technique. After the ion exchange transformation of nanostructures, the film shows conversion from insulator to highly electrical conductive semimetallic characteristic. When used as a counter electrode in I3(-)/I(-) redox electrolyte based dye-sensitized solar cells, the telluride film exhibits an electrocatalytic reduction activity for I3(-) with a demonstration of solar-light to electrical power conversion efficiency of 8.10%, which is highly competitive to the efficiency of 8.20% exhibited by a benchmarked Pt-film counter electrode. On the other hand, the telluride film electrode also demonstrates electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction from oxidation of water.

Recent Progress in Electrical Insulation Techniques for HTS Power Apparatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayakawa, Naoki; Kojima, Hiroki; Hanai, Masahiro; Okubo, Hitoshi

This paper describes the electrical insulation techniques at cryogenic temperatures, i.e. Cryodielectrics, for HTS power apparatus, e.g. HTS power transmission cables, transformers, fault current limiters and SMES. Breakdown and partial discharge characteristics are discussed for different electrical insulation configurations of LN2, sub-cooled LN2, solid, vacuum and their composite insulation systems. Dynamic and static insulation performances with and without taking account of quench in HTS materials are also introduced.

Conduction mechanism change with transport oxide layer thickness in oxide hetero-interface diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, Bu-il; Park, Jong Seo; Lim, Keon-Hee; Ahn, Yong-keon; Lee, Jinwon; Park, Jun-woo; Cho, Nam-Kwang; Lee, Donggun; Lee, Han-Bo-Ram; Kim, Youn Sang

2017-07-01

An effective and facile strategy is proposed to demonstrate an engineered oxide hetero-interface of a thin film diode with a high current density and low operating voltage. The electrical characteristics of an oxide hetero-interface thin film diode are governed by two theoretical models: the space charge-limited current model and the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling model. Interestingly, the dominant mechanism strongly depends on the insulator thickness, and the mechanism change occurs at a critical thickness. This paper shows that conduction mechanisms of oxide hetero-interface thin film diodes depend on thicknesses of transport oxide layers and that current densities of these can be exponentially increased through quantum tunneling in the diodes with the thicknesses less than 10 nm. These oxide hetero-interface diodes have great potential for low-powered transparent nanoscale applications.

Tuning metal-insulator transitions in epitaxial V2O3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorsteinsson, Einar B.; Shayestehaminzadeh, Seyedmohammad; Arnalds, Unnar B.

2018-04-01

We present a study of the synthesis of epitaxial V2O3 films on c-plane Al2O3 substrates by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering. The results reveal a temperature window, at substantially lower values than previously reported, wherein epitaxial films can be obtained when deposited on [0001] oriented surfaces. The films display a metal-insulator transition with a change in the resistance of up to four orders of magnitude, strongly dependent on the O2 partial pressure during deposition. While the electronic properties of the films show sensitivity to the amount of O2 present during deposition of the films, their crystallographic structure and surface morphology of atomically flat terraced structures with up to micrometer dimensions are maintained. The transition temperature, as well as the scale of the metal-insulator transition, is correlated with the stoichiometry and local strain in the films controllable by the deposition parameters.

Polarization of electron-beam irradiated LDPE films: contribution to charge generation and transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banda, M. E.; Griseri, V.; Teyssèdre, G.; Le Roy, S.

2018-04-01

Electron-beam irradiation is an alternative way to generate charges in insulating materials, at controlled position and quantity, in order to monitor their behaviour in regard to transport phenomena under the space charge induced electric field or external field applied. In this study, low density polyethylene (LDPE) films were irradiated by a 80 keV electron-beam with a flux of 1 nA cm‑2 during 10 min in an irradiation chamber under vacuum conditions, and were then characterized outside the chamber using three experimental methods. The electrical behaviour of the irradiated material was assessed by space charge measurements using the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method under dc stress. The influence of the applied electric field polarity and amplitude has been tested in order to better understand the charge behaviour after electron-beam irradiation. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed to evaluate the impact of the electron beam irradiation, i.e. deposited charges and energy, on the chemical structure of the irradiated samples. The present results show that the electrical behaviour in LDPE after irradiation is mostly driven by charges, i.e. by physical process functions of the electric field, and that changes in the chemical structure seems to be mild.

Electrical wire insulation and electromagnetic coil

DOEpatents

Bich, George J.; Gupta, Tapan K.

1984-01-01

An electromagnetic coil for high temperature and high radiation application in which glass is used to insulate the electrical wire. A process for applying the insulation to the wire is disclosed which results in improved insulation properties.

Zero-field edge plasmons in a magnetic topological insulator [Zero-field edge magnetoplasmons in a magnetic topological insulator

DOE PAGES

Mahoney, Alice C.; Colless, James I.; Peeters, Lucas; ...

2017-11-28

Incorporating ferromagnetic dopants into three-dimensional topological insulator thin films has recently led to the realisation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. These materials are of great interest since they may support electrical currents that flow without resistance, even at zero magnetic field. To date, the quantum anomalous Hall effect has been investigated using low-frequency transport measurements. However, transport results can be difficult to interpret due to the presence of parallel conductive paths, or because additional non-chiral edge channels may exist. Here we move beyond transport measurements by probing the microwave response of a magnetised disk of Cr-(Bi,Sb) 2Te 3. Wemore » identify features associated with chiral edge plasmons, a signature that robust edge channels are intrinsic to this material system. Finally, our results provide a measure of the velocity of edge excitations without contacting the sample, and pave the way for an on-chip circuit element of practical importance: the zero-field microwave circulator.« less

Ambipolar surface state thermoelectric power of topological insulator Bi2Se3.

PubMed

Kim, Dohun; Syers, Paul; Butch, Nicholas P; Paglione, Johnpierre; Fuhrer, Michael S

2014-01-01

We measure gate-tuned thermoelectric power of mechanically exfoliated Bi2Se3 thin films in the topological insulator regime. The sign of the thermoelectric power changes across the charge neutrality point as the majority carrier type switches from electron to hole, consistent with the ambipolar electric field effect observed in conductivity and Hall effect measurements. Near the charge neutrality point and at low temperatures, the gate-dependent thermoelectric power follows the semiclassical Mott relation using the expected surface state density of states but is larger than expected at high electron doping, possibly reflecting a large density of states in the bulk gap. The thermoelectric power factor shows significant enhancement near the electron-hole puddle carrier density ∼0.5 × 10(12) cm(-2) per surface at all temperatures. Together with the expected reduction of lattice thermal conductivity in low-dimensional structures, the results demonstrate that nanostructuring and Fermi level tuning of three-dimensional topological insulators can be promising routes to realize efficient thermoelectric devices.

Tuning the metal-insulator crossover and magnetism in SrRuO 3 by ionic gating

DOE PAGES

Yi, Hee Taek; Gao, Bin; Xie, Wei; ...

2014-10-13

Reversible control of charge transport and magnetic properties without degradation is a key for device applications of transition metal oxides. Chemical doping during the growth of transition metal oxides can result in large changes in physical properties, but in most of the cases irreversibility is an inevitable constraint. We report a reversible control of charge transport, metal-insulator crossover and magnetism in field-effect devices based on ionically gated archetypal oxide system - SrRuO 3. In these thin-film devices, the metal-insulator crossover temperature and the onset of magnetoresistance can be continuously and reversibly tuned in the range 90–250 K and 70–100 K,more » respectively, by application of a small gate voltage. We infer that a reversible diffusion of oxygen ions in the oxide lattice dominates the response of these materials to the gate electric field. These findings provide critical insights into both the understanding of ionically gated oxides and the development of novel applications.« less

Nonvolatile Solid-State Charged-Polymer Gating of Topological Insulators into the Topological Insulating Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireland, R. M.; Wu, Liang; Salehi, M.; Oh, S.; Armitage, N. P.; Katz, H. E.

2018-04-01

We demonstrate the ability to reduce the carrier concentration of thin films of the topological insulator (TI) Bi2 Se3 by utilizing a nonvolatile electrostatic gating via corona charging of electret polymers. Sufficient electric field can be imparted to a polymer-TI bilayer to result in significant electron density depletion, even without the continuous connection of a gate electrode or the chemical modification of the TI. We show that the Fermi level of Bi2 Se3 is shifted toward the Dirac point with this method. Using terahertz spectroscopy, we find that the surface chemical potential is lowered into the bulk band gap (approximately 50 meV above the Dirac point and 170 meV below the conduction-band minimum), and it is stabilized in the intrinsic regime while enhancing electron mobility. The mobility of surface state electrons is enhanced to a value as high as approximately 1600 cm2/V s at 5 K.

Zero-field edge plasmons in a magnetic topological insulator [Zero-field edge magnetoplasmons in a magnetic topological insulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahoney, Alice C.; Colless, James I.; Peeters, Lucas

Incorporating ferromagnetic dopants into three-dimensional topological insulator thin films has recently led to the realisation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. These materials are of great interest since they may support electrical currents that flow without resistance, even at zero magnetic field. To date, the quantum anomalous Hall effect has been investigated using low-frequency transport measurements. However, transport results can be difficult to interpret due to the presence of parallel conductive paths, or because additional non-chiral edge channels may exist. Here we move beyond transport measurements by probing the microwave response of a magnetised disk of Cr-(Bi,Sb) 2Te 3. Wemore » identify features associated with chiral edge plasmons, a signature that robust edge channels are intrinsic to this material system. Finally, our results provide a measure of the velocity of edge excitations without contacting the sample, and pave the way for an on-chip circuit element of practical importance: the zero-field microwave circulator.« less

Tuning the metal-insulator crossover and magnetism in SrRuO₃ by ionic gating.

PubMed

Yi, Hee Taek; Gao, Bin; Xie, Wei; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Podzorov, Vitaly

2014-10-13

Reversible control of charge transport and magnetic properties without degradation is a key for device applications of transition metal oxides. Chemical doping during the growth of transition metal oxides can result in large changes in physical properties, but in most of the cases irreversibility is an inevitable constraint. Here we report a reversible control of charge transport, metal-insulator crossover and magnetism in field-effect devices based on ionically gated archetypal oxide system - SrRuO₃. In these thin-film devices, the metal-insulator crossover temperature and the onset of magnetoresistance can be continuously and reversibly tuned in the range 90-250 K and 70-100 K, respectively, by application of a small gate voltage. We infer that a reversible diffusion of oxygen ions in the oxide lattice dominates the response of these materials to the gate electric field. These findings provide critical insights into both the understanding of ionically gated oxides and the development of novel applications.

Nucleation-controlled low-temperature solid-phase crystallization for Sn-doped polycrystalline-Ge film on insulator with high carrier mobility (˜550 cm2/V s)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Chang; Gao, Hongmiao; Sugino, Takayuki; Miyao, Masanobu; Sadoh, Taizoh

2018-06-01

High-speed thin-film transistors (TFTs) are required to develop the next generation of electronics, such as three-dimensional large-scale integrated circuits and advanced system-in-displays. For this purpose, high-carrier-mobility semiconductor films on insulator structures should be fabricated with low-temperature processing conditions (≤500 °C). To achieve this, we investigate solid-phase crystallization of amorphous-GeSn (a-GeSn) films (Sn concentration: 2% and thickness: 50-200 nm) on insulating substrates, where thin a-Si under-layers (thickness: 0-20 nm) are introduced between a-GeSn films and insulating substrates. The GeSn films are polycrystallized by annealing (450 °C, 20 h) for all samples irrespective of a-GeSn and a-Si thickness conditions, while the Si films remain amorphous. Analysis of crystal structures of GeSn films (thickness: 50 nm) reveals that grain sizes decrease from ˜10 μm to 2-3 μm by the introduction of a-Si under-layers (thickness: 3-20 nm). This phenomenon is attributed to the change in dominant nucleation sites from the interface to the bulk, which significantly decreases grain-boundary scattering of carriers through a decrease in the barrier heights at grain boundaries. Bulk-nucleation further becomes dominant by increasing the GeSn film thickness. As a result, a high carrier mobility of ˜550 cm2/V s is realized for GeSn films (thickness: 100 nm) grown with a-Si under-layers. This mobility is the largest among ever reported data for Ge and GeSn grown on an insulator. This technique will facilitate realization of high-speed TFTs for use in the next generation of electronics.

Electroless epitaxial etching for semiconductor applications

DOEpatents

McCarthy, Anthony M.

2002-01-01

A method for fabricating thin-film single-crystal silicon on insulator substrates using electroless etching for achieving efficient etch stopping on epitaxial silicon substrates. Microelectric circuits and devices are prepared on epitaxial silicon wafers in a standard fabrication facility. The wafers are bonded to a holding substrate. The silicon bulk is removed using electroless etching leaving the circuit contained within the epitaxial layer remaining on the holding substrate. A photolithographic operation is then performed to define streets and wire bond pad areas for electrical access to the circuit.

Bulk crystal growth of Ga2O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuramata, Akito; Koshi, Kimiyoshi; Watanabe, Shinya; Yamaoka, Yu; Masui, Takekazu; Yamakoshi, Shigenobu

2018-02-01

This paper describes the bulk crystal growth of β-Ga2O3 using edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) process. We first describe the method of the crystal growth and show that large-size crystal with width of up to 6 inch can be grown. Then, we discuss the way to control electrical properties. In the discussion, we give some experimental results of residual impurity measurement, intentional doping using Si and Sn for n-type doping and Fe for insulating doping.

Circular chemiresistors for microchemical sensors

DOEpatents

Ho, Clifford K [Albuquerque, NM

2007-03-13

A circular chemiresistor for use in microchemical sensors. A pair of electrodes is fabricated on an electrically insulating substrate. The pattern of electrodes is arranged in a circle-filling geometry, such as a concentric, dual-track spiral design, or a circular interdigitated design. A drop of a chemically sensitive polymer (i.e., chemiresistive ink) is deposited on the insulating substrate on the electrodes, which spreads out into a thin, circular disk contacting the pair of electrodes. This circularly-shaped electrode geometry maximizes the contact area between the pair of electrodes and the polymer deposit, which provides a lower and more stable baseline resistance than with linear-trace designs. The circularly-shaped electrode pattern also serves to minimize batch-to-batch variations in the baseline resistance due to non-uniform distributions of conductive particles in the chemiresistive polymer film.

Photodetectors based on carbon nanotubes deposited by using a spray technique on semi-insulating gallium arsenide

PubMed Central

Nitti, Maria Angela; Valentini, Marco; Valentini, Antonio; Ligonzo, Teresa; De Pascali, Giuseppe; Ambrico, Marianna

2014-01-01

Summary In this paper, a spray technique is used to perform low temperature deposition of multi-wall carbon nanotubes on semi-insulating gallium arsenide in order to obtain photodectors. A dispersion of nanotube powder in non-polar 1,2-dichloroethane is used as starting material. The morphological properties of the deposited films has been analysed by means of electron microscopy, in scanning and transmission mode. Detectors with different layouts have been prepared and current–voltage characteristics have been recorded in the dark and under irradiation with light in the range from ultraviolet to near infrared. The device spectral efficiency obtained from the electrical characterization is finally reported and an improvement of the photodetector behavior due to the nanotubes is presented and discussed. PMID:25383309

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using electric field stress shields

DOEpatents

Cookson, Alan H.; Dale, Steinar J.; Bolin, Philip C.

1982-12-28

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by use of main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. The flexing elements and the stress shields may also be utilized in connection with a plug and socket arrangement for providing electrical connection between main conductor sections.

Two-phase mixed media dielectric with macro dielectric beads for enhancing resistivity and breakdown strength

DOEpatents

Falabella, Steven; Meyer, Glenn A; Tang, Vincent; Guethlein, Gary

2014-06-10

A two-phase mixed media insulator having a dielectric fluid filling the interstices between macro-sized dielectric beads packed into a confined volume, so that the packed dielectric beads inhibit electro-hydrodynamically driven current flows of the dielectric liquid and thereby increase the resistivity and breakdown strength of the two-phase insulator over the dielectric liquid alone. In addition, an electrical apparatus incorporates the two-phase mixed media insulator to insulate between electrical components of different electrical potentials. And a method of electrically insulating between electrical components of different electrical potentials fills a confined volume between the electrical components with the two-phase dielectric composite, so that the macro dielectric beads are packed in the confined volume and interstices formed between the macro dielectric beads are filled with the dielectric liquid.

Evidence of charged puddles and induced dephasing in topological insulator thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sourabh; Gopal, R. K.; Sarkar, Jit; Roy, Subhadip; Mitra, Chiranjib

2018-05-01

We investigate the dephasing mechanism in bulk insulating topological insulator thin films. The phase coherence length is extracted from magnetoresistance measurements at different temperatures. There is a crossover of the phase coherence length as a function of temperature signifying the role of more than one dephasing mechanism in the system. The dephasing rates have been studied systematically and explained.

Inkjet-Printed Organic Transistors Based on Organic Semiconductor/Insulating Polymer Blends.

PubMed

Kwon, Yoon-Jung; Park, Yeong Don; Lee, Wi Hyoung

2016-08-02

Recent advances in inkjet-printed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are reviewed in this article. Organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are attractive ink candidates for enhancing the jetting properties, inducing uniform film morphologies, and/or controlling crystallization behaviors of organic semiconductors. Representative studies using soluble acene/insulating polymer blends as an inkjet-printed active layer in OFETs are introduced with special attention paid to the phase separation characteristics of such blended films. In addition, inkjet-printed semiconducting/insulating polymer blends for fabricating high performance printed OFETs are reviewed.

Inkjet-Printed Organic Transistors Based on Organic Semiconductor/Insulating Polymer Blends

PubMed Central

Kwon, Yoon-Jung; Park, Yeong Don; Lee, Wi Hyoung

2016-01-01

Recent advances in inkjet-printed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are reviewed in this article. Organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are attractive ink candidates for enhancing the jetting properties, inducing uniform film morphologies, and/or controlling crystallization behaviors of organic semiconductors. Representative studies using soluble acene/insulating polymer blends as an inkjet-printed active layer in OFETs are introduced with special attention paid to the phase separation characteristics of such blended films. In addition, inkjet-printed semiconducting/insulating polymer blends for fabricating high performance printed OFETs are reviewed. PMID:28773772

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takahashi, Jumpei; Oka, Daichi; Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology

Synthesis of mid- to late-transition metal oxynitrides is generally difficult by conventional thermal ammonolysis because of thermal instability. In this letter, we synthesized epitaxial thin films of AX-type phase-pure cobalt oxynitrides (CoO{sub x}N{sub y}) by using nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition and investigated their structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The CoO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films with 0 ≤ y/(x + y) ≤ 0.63 grown on MgO (100) substrates showed a structural phase transition from rock salt (RS) to zinc blend at the nitrogen content y/(x + y) ∼ 0.5. As the nitrogen content increased, the room-temperature electrical resistivity of the CoO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films monotonically decreased from the order ofmore » 10{sup 5} Ω cm to 10{sup −4} Ω cm. Furthermore, we observed an insulator-to-metal transition at y/(x + y) ∼ 0.34 in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} phase, which has not yet been reported in Co{sup 2+}/Co{sup 3+} mixed-valence cobalt oxides with octahedral coordination. The low resistivity in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} phase, on the 10{sup −3} Ω cm order, may have originated from the intermediate spin state of Co{sup 3+} stabilized by the lowered crystal field symmetry of the CoO{sub 6−n}N{sub n} octahedra (n = 1, 2,…5). Magnetization measurements suggested that a magnetic phase transition occurred in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} films during the insulator-to-metal transition. These results demonstrate that low-temperature epitaxial growth is a promising approach for exploring novel electronic functionalities in oxynitrides.« less

Ultrafast far-infrared studies of vanadates &mdash Multiple routes for an insulator to metal transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mengkun

The metal insulator transition in vanadates has been studied for decades and yet new discoveries still spring up revealing new physics, especially among two of the most studied members: Vanadium sesquioxide (V20 3) and Vanadium dioxide (VO2). Although subtleties abound, both of the materials have first order insulator to metal phase transitions that are considered to be related to strong electron-electron (e-e) correlation. Further, ultrafast spectroscopy of strongly correlated materials has generated great interest in the field given the potential to dynamically distinguish the difference between electronic (spin) response versus lattice responses due to the associated characteristic energy and time scales. In this thesis, I mainly focus on utilizing ultrafast optical and THz spectroscopy to study phase transition dynamics in high quality V20 3 and VO2 thin films epitaxially grown on different substrates. The main findings of the thesis are: (1) Despite the fact that the insulator to metal transition (IMT) in V203 is electron-correlation driven, lattice distortion plays an important role. Coherent oscillations in the far-infrared conductivity are observed resulting from coherent acoustic phonon modulation of the bandwidth W. The same order of lattice distortion induces less of an effect on the electron transport in VO2 in comparison to V203. This is directly related to the difference in latent heat of the phase transitions in VO2 and V203. (2) It is possible for the IMT to occur with very little structural change in epitaxial strained VO2 films, like in the case of Cr doped or strained V203. However, in V02, this necessitates a large strain which is only possible by clamping to a substrate with larger c axis parameter through epitaxial growth. This is demonstrated for VO 2 films on TiO2 substrates. (3) Initiating an ultrafast photo-induced insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) is not only possible with above bandgap excitation, but also possible with high-field far-infrared excitation. With the help of the field enhancement in metamaterial split ring resonator gaps, we obtain picosecond THz electric field transients of several MV/cm which is sufficient to drive the insulator to metal transition in V02.

An experimental investigation of electric flashover across solid insulators in vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonbaeyer, H. C.

1984-01-01

The insulation of high voltage conductors often employs solid insulators for many applications. In such applications, an unexpected electric flashover may occur along the insulator surface. Under conditions of high vacuum, the flashover voltage across the insulator is observed to be lower compared with that of the same electrode separation without an insulator. The reason for such an extreme reduction of flashover voltage is not well understood. Several models based on the secondary electron emission, were proposed to explain the onset of the surface flashover. The starting point and the developing velocity of the surface flashover were determined. An intensified image converter camera was used to observe the initial stage of electrical flashover along the insulator surface parallel to the electric field. Several different insulator materials were used as test pieces to determine the effect of the dielectric constant on the flashover voltage characteristics.

Electromagnetic Nondestructive Evaluation of Wire Insulation and Models of Insulation Material Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowler, Nicola; Kessler, Michael R.; Li, Li; Hondred, Peter R.; Chen, Tianming

2012-01-01

Polymers have been widely used as wiring electrical insulation materials in space/air-craft. The dielectric properties of insulation polymers can change over time, however, due to various aging processes such as exposure to heat, humidity and mechanical stress. Therefore, the study of polymers used in electrical insulation of wiring is important to the aerospace industry due to potential loss of life and aircraft in the event of an electrical fire caused by breakdown of wiring insulation. Part of this research is focused on studying the mechanisms of various environmental aging process of the polymers used in electrical wiring insulation and the ways in which their dielectric properties change as the material is subject to the aging processes. The other part of the project is to determine the feasibility of a new capacitive nondestructive testing method to indicate degradation in the wiring insulation, by measuring its permittivity.

The Development and Application of Simulative Insulation Resistance Tester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Yan; Chai, Ziqi; Wang, Bo; Ma, Hao

2018-02-01

The insulation state determines the performance and insulation life of electrical equipment, so it has to be judged in a timely and accurate manner. Insulation resistance test, as the simplest and most basic test of high voltage electric tests, can measure the insulation resistance and absorption ratio which are effective criterion of part or whole damp or dirty, breakdown, severe overheating aging and other insulation defects. It means that the electrical test personnel need to be familiar with the principle of insulation resistance test, and able to operate the insulation resistance tester correctly. At present, like the insulation resistance test, most of electrical tests are trained by physical devices with the real high voltage. Although this allows the students to truly experience the test process and notes on security, it also has certain limitations in terms of safety and test efficiency, especially for a large number of new staves needing induction training every year. This paper presents a new kind of electrical test training system based on the simulative device of dielectric loss measurement and simulative electrical testing devices. It can not only overcome the defects of current training methods, but also provide other advantages in economical efficiency and scalability. That makes it possible for the system to be allied in widespread.

Cryogenic electrical properties of irradiated cyanate ester/epoxy insulation for fusion magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Wu, Z. X.; Li, J.; Xu, D.; Liu, H. M.; Huang, R. J.; Li, L. F.

2017-12-01

The insulation materials used in high field fusion magnets require excellent mechanical properties, high electrical breakdown strength, good thermal conductivity and high radiation tolerance. Previous investigations showed that cyanate ester/epoxy (CE/EP) insulation material, a candidate insulation for fusion magnets, can maintain good mechanical performance at cryogenic temperature after 10 MGy irradiation and has a much longer pot life than traditional epoxy insulation material. In order to quantify the electrical properties of the CE/EP insulation material at low temperature, a cryogenic electrical property testing system cooled by a G-M cryocooler was developed for this study. An insulation material with 40% cyanate ester and 60% epoxy was subjected to 60Co γ-ray irradiation in air at ambient temperature with a dose rate of 300 Gy/min, and total doses of 1 MGy, 5 MGy and 10 MGy. The electrical breakdown strength of this CE/EP insulation material was measured before and after irradiation. The results show that cryogenic temperature has a positive effect on the electrical breakdown strength of this composite, while the influence of 60Co γ-ray irradiation is not obvious at 6.1 K.

Influence of deposition conditions on the nature of epitaxial SrIrO3 on STO (001)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhat, Shwetha G.; Sebastian, Nirmal K.; Kumar, P. S. Anil

2018-05-01

SrIrO3 (SIO) is one of the materials known to exhibit a high spin-orbit coupling with correlated semi-metallic ground state, along with the topological states, as proven in recent times. In this regard, the SIO thin films grown by us on SrTiO3 (001) at certain deposition conditions, exhibit a low temperature magneto-transport behavior which is analogous to the materials with topological states. Further, we have explored various deposition conditions of SIO such as partial pressure of O2 and different temperatures of growth for different thickness of SIO. In addition, from the electrical transport properties, SIO thin films found to exhibit semi-metallic nature with either insulating-like or a crossover from metal-like to insulating-like behavior based on the conditions chosen for the growth. Moreover, the magneto-transport data of various SIO thin films are found to be obeying the usual B2 (Lorentzian) behavior in majority of the cases. At the same time, we have also observed the weak-localization and weak-antilocalization effects; along with a linear magneto-resistance at low temperature ranges. Thus, from our extensive measurements, it becomes clear that SIO thin films can exhibit wide varieties of magneto-transport properties based on the deposition conditions. Plethora of interesting properties exhibited by the highly spin-orbit coupled SIO epitaxial thin films at lower temperatures in the presence of magnetic field makes the material to be promising for the future applications in the field of spintronics.

Preparation of nonconducting infrared-absorbing thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gradhand, Martin; Breitenstein, Otwin

2005-05-01

A simple procedure for preparing colloidal "black" bismuth films is introduced, which leaves the target cold and does not pollute the recipient. The Bi evaporation occurs in a closed box in the evaporation chamber with an internal radiation shield. The bismuth is evaporated from a tantalum boat at a residual air pressure of 2×102Pa. The resulting films with a thickness of about 10μm are structureless down to a spatial resolution of 5.6μm, they become electrically insulating after 48h storage time in air, and they show an IR absorbance of above 70% in the 3-5μm wavelength range. The films are easily removable in an ultrasonic water bath. Thus, these films are ideally appropriate to increase the IR emissivity of microelectronic structures in microthermal infrared failure analysis investigations such as lock-in thermography, as is demonstrated in an application example. The application of this film may improve the thermographic detection limit of heat sources below metallized areas by up to a factor of 10, leading to a saving in acquisition time by a factor of 100.

Positive Bias Instability of Bottom-Gate Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with a SiOx/SiNx-Stacked Gate Insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuta, Mamoru; Kamada, Yudai; Hiramatsu, Takahiro; Li, Chaoyang; Kimura, Mutsumi; Fujita, Shizuo; Hirao, Takashi

2011-03-01

The positive bias instabilities of the zinc oxide thin-film transistors (ZnO TFTs) with a SiOx/SiNx-stacked gate insulator have been investigated. The film quality of a gate insulator of SiOx, which forms an interface with the ZnO channel, was varied by changing the gas mixture ratio of SiH4/N2O/N2 during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The positive bias stress endurance of ZnO TFT strongly depended on the deposition condition of the SiOx gate insulator. From the relaxations of the transfer curve shift after imposition of positive bias stress, transfer curves could not be recovered completely without any thermal annealing. A charge trapping in a gate insulator rather than that in bulk ZnO and its interface with a gate insulator is a dominant instability mechanism of ZnO TFTs under positive bias stress.

Low-Emissivity, Energy-Control, Retrofit Window Film: Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winckler, Lisa

Solutia Performance Films, utilizing funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Buildings Technologies Program, completed research to develop, validate, and commercialize a range of cost-effective, low-emissivity energy-control retrofit window films with significantly improved emissivity over current technology. These films, sold under the EnerLogic® trade name, offer the energy-saving properties of modern low-e windows, with several advantages over replacement windows, such as: lower initial installation cost, a significantly lower product carbon footprint, and an ability to provide a much faster return on investment. EnerLogic® window films also offer significantly greater energy savings than previously available with window films with similar visiblemore » light transmissions. EnerLogic® window films offer these energy-saving advantages over other window films due to its ability to offer both summer cooling and winter heating savings. Unlike most window films, that produce savings only during the cooling season, EnerLogic® window film is an all-season, low-emissivity (low-e) film that produces both cooling and heating season savings. This paper will present technical information on the development hurdles as well as details regarding the following claims being made about EnerLogic® window film, which can be found at www.EnerLogicfilm.com: 1. Other window film technologies save energy. EnerLogic® window film's patent-pending coating delivers excellent energy efficiency in every season, so no other film can match its annual dollar or energy consumption savings. 2. EnerLogic® window film is a low-cost, high-return technology that compares favorably to other popular energy-saving measures both in terms of energy efficiency and cost savings. In fact, EnerLogic® window film typically outperforms most of the alternatives in terms of simple payback. 3. EnerLogic® window film provides unparalleled glass insulating capabilities for window film products. With its patent-pending low-e technology, EnerLogic® window film has the best insulating performance of any film product available. The insulating power of EnerLogic® window film gives single-pane windows the annual insulating performance of double-pane windows - and gives double-pane windows the annual insulating performance of triple-pane windows.« less

Tilted Orientation of Photochromic Dyes with Guest-Host Effect of Liquid Crystalline Polymer Matrix for Electrical UV Sensing

PubMed Central

Ranjkesh, Amid; Park, Min-Kyu; Park, Do Hyuk; Park, Ji-Sub; Choi, Jun-Chan; Kim, Sung-Hoon; Kim, Hak-Rin

2015-01-01

We propose a highly oriented photochromic dye film for an ultraviolet (UV)-sensing layer, where spirooxazine (SO) derivatives are aligned with the liquid crystalline UV-curable reactive mesogens (RM) using a guest-host effect. For effective electrical UV sensing with a simple metal-insulator-metal structure, our results show that the UV-induced switchable dipole moment amount of the SO derivatives is high; however, their tilting orientation should be controlled. Compared to the dielectric layer with the nearly planar SO dye orientation, the photochromic dielectric layer with the moderately tilted dye orientation shows more than seven times higher the UV-induced capacitance variation. PMID:26729116

Nanotextured phase coexistence in the correlated insulator V2O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLeod, Alexander

The Mott insulator-metal transition remains among the most studied phenomena in correlated electron physics. However, the formation of spontaneous spatial patterns amidst coexisting insulating and metallic phases remains poorly explored on the meso- and nanoscales. Here we present real-space evolution of the insulator-metal transition in a thin film of V2O3, the ``canonical'' Mott insulator, imaged at high spatial resolution by cryogenic near-field infrared microscopy. We resolve spontaneously nanotextured coexistence of metal and correlated Mott insulator phases near the insulator-metal transition (T = 160-180 K) associated with percolation and an underlying structural phase transition. Augmented with macroscopic temperature-resolved X-ray diffraction measurements of the same film, a quantitative analysis of nano-infrared images acquired across the transition suggests decoupling of electronic and structural transformations. Persistent low-temperature metallicity is accompanied by unconventional dimensional scaling among metallic ``puddles,'' implicating relevance of a long-range Coulombic interaction through the film's first-order insulator-metal transition. The speaker and co-authors acknowledge support from DOE-DE-SC0012375, DOE-DE-SC0012592, and AFOSR Grant No. FA9550-12-1-0381. The speaker also acknowledges support from a US Dept. of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE SCGF).

Influence of Oxygen Stoichiometry Variations on the Properties of CaMnO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehringer, Tyler; Yong, Grace; Otouloumougoye, Brenda; Keshavarz, Camron; Sharma, Prahash; Tanyi, E. Kevin; Schaefer, David; Kolagani, Rajeswari

2013-03-01

The family of alkaline-earth doped rare earth manganese oxides RE1-xAExMnO3 exhibit a rich variety of electronic phases depending on the cation stoichiometry. In thin films of these materials, the oxygen stoichiometry is also a variable, and together with cation stoichiometry is known to play a key role in determining the equilibrium phase. The cation and oxygen stoichiometry variations influence electrical and magnetic properties through changes in the mixed valence state of Mn, i.e. the ratio of Mn3+ to Mn4+ ions. CaMnO3 is one of the end members of this family with x =1. Stoichiometric CaMnO3 is a canted antiferromagnetic insulator with the Mn ion in the Mn4+ valence state. We will present our results on the effects of oxygen content variation on the structural, electrical, and magnetoresistive properties CaMnO3 thin films grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition. These results will be compared to the effects of oxygen stoichiometry variation in thin films of its doped counter-part La1-xCaxMnO3. We will also discuss surface morphology changes associated with variation in oxygen stoichiometry which may be associated with different surface terminations. We acknowledge support from the NSF grant ECCS 1128586 at Towson University.

Superconductor-insulator quantum phase transition in disordered FeSe thin films.

PubMed

Schneider, R; Zaitsev, A G; Fuchs, D; V Löhneysen, H

2012-06-22

The evolution of two-dimensional electronic transport with increasing disorder in epitaxial FeSe thin films is studied. Disorder is generated by reducing the film thickness. The extreme sensitivity of the films to disorder results in a superconductor-insulator transition. The finite-size scaling analysis in the critical regime based on the Bose-glass model strongly supports the idea of a continuous quantum phase transition. The obtained value for the critical-exponent product of approximately 7/3 suggests that the transition is governed by quantum percolation. Finite-size scaling with the same critical-exponent product is also substantiated when the superconductor-insulator transition is tuned with an applied magnetic field.

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using electric field stress shields

DOEpatents

Cookson, A.H.; Dale, S.J.; Bolin, P.C.

1982-12-28

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by use of main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. The flexing elements and the stress shields may also be utilized in connection with a plug and socket arrangement for providing electrical connection between main conductor sections. 10 figs.

Charge Storage, Conductivity and Charge Profiles of Insulators as Related to Spacecraft Charging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennison, J. R.; Swaminathan, Prasanna; Frederickson, A. R.

2004-01-01

Dissipation of charges built up near the surface of insulators due to space environment interaction is central to understanding spacecraft charging. Conductivity of insulating materials is key to determine how accumulated charge will distribute across the spacecraft and how rapidly charge imbalance will dissipate. To understand these processes requires knowledge of how charge is deposited within the insulator, the mechanisms for charge trapping and charge transport within the insulator, and how the profile of trapped charge affects the transport and emission of charges from insulators. One must consider generation of mobile electrons and holes, their trapping, thermal de-trapping, mobility and recombination. Conductivity is more appropriately measured for spacecraft charging applications as the "decay" of charge deposited on the surface of an insulator, rather than by flow of current across two electrodes around the sample. We have found that conductivity determined from charge storage decay methods is 102 to 104 smaller than values obtained from classical ASTM and IEC methods for a variety of thin film insulating samples. For typical spacecraft charging conditions, classical conductivity predicts decay times on the order of minutes to hours (less than typical orbit periods); however, the higher charge storage conductivities predict decay times on the order of weeks to months leading to accumulation of charge with subsequent orbits. We found experimental evidence that penetration profiles of radiation and light are exceedingly important, and that internal electric fields due to charge profiles and high-field conduction by trapped electrons must be considered for space applications. We have also studied whether the decay constants depend on incident voltage and flux or on internal charge distributions and electric fields; light-activated discharge of surface charge to distinguish among differing charge trapping centers; and radiation-induced conductivity. Our experiments also show that "Malter" electron emission occurs for hours after turning off the electron beam. This Malter emission similar to emission due to negative electron affinity in semiconductors is a result of the prior radiation or optical excitations of valence electrons and their slow drift among traps towards the surface where they are subsequently emitted. This work is supported through funding from the NASA Space Environments and Effects Program.

Superconductor-Insulator Transition in NbTiN Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdastyh, M. V.; Postolova, S. V.; Baturina, T. I.; Proslier, T.; Vinokur, V. M.; Mironov, A. Yu.

2017-12-01

Experimental results indicating a direct disorder-induced superconductor-insulator transition in NbTiN thin films have been reported. It has been shown that an increase in the resistance per square in the normal state is accompanied by the suppression of the critical temperature of the superconducting transition T c according to the fermion mechanism of suppression of superconductivity by disorder. At the same time, the temperature of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition is completely suppressed at a nonzero critical temperature and, then, the ground state changes to insulating, which is characteristic of the boson model of suppression of superconductivity by disorder. It has been shown that the temperature dependences of the resistance of insulating films follow the Arrhenius activation law.

Hydrogen incorporation induced the octahedral symmetry variation in VO2 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dooyong; Kim, Hyegyeong; Kim, Ji Woong; Lee, Ik Jae; Kim, Yooseok; Yun, Hyung-Joong; Lee, Jouhahn; Park, Sungkyun

2017-02-01

This study examined the microscopic aspects of macroscopic physical property variations of hydrogen annealed VO2 films, deposited on Al2O3(0001) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The temperature-dependent electrical resistivity showed that the as-grown film exhibited a metal-insulator-transition (MIT) at 55.20 °C and 49.26 °C during heating and cooling, respectively. On the other hand, no MIT was observed for the film annealed under a hydrogen environment. Spectroscopic measurements during the in-situ hydrogenation process showed that hydrogen annealing (∼0.3 mbar, up to 300 °C) promoted the V3+ state above 100 °C. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed that the as-grown film changed from a monoclinic to rutile structure during hydrogen annealing. In addition, the shift of the (020) diffraction peak position of the hydrogen-annealed film to a lower angle compare to that of the known rutile VO2 film was attributed to the expansion of the unit cell. In addition, local structure analysis showed that an increase in octahedral symmetry after hydrogen annealing is one of the main explanations for the metallic characteristics of the hydrogen-annealed film.

High temperature experimental characterization of microscale thermoelectric effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favaloro, Tela

Thermoelectric devices have been employed for many years as a reliable energy conversion technology for applications ranging from the cooling of sensors or charge coupled devices to the direct conversion of heat into electricity for remote power generation. However, its relatively low conversion efficiency has limited the implementation of thermoelectric materials for large scale cooling and waste heat recovery applications. Recent advances in semiconductor growth technology have enabled the precise and selective engineering of material properties to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit and thus the efficiency of thermoelectric devices. Accurate characterization at the intended operational temperature of novel thermoelectric materials is a crucial component of the optimization process in order to fundamentally understand material behavior and evaluate performance. The objective of this work is to provide the tools necessary to characterize high efficiency bulk and thin-film materials for thermoelectric energy conversion. The techniques developed here are not bound to specific material or devices, but can be generalized to any material system. Thermoreflectance imaging microscopy has proven to be invaluable for device thermometry owing to its high spatial and temporal resolutions. It has been utilized in this work to create two-dimensional temperature profiles of thermoelectric devices during operation used for performance analysis of novel materials, identification of defects, and visualization of high speed transients in a high-temperature imaging thermostat. We report the development of a high temperature imaging thermostat capable of high speed transient thermoelectric characterization. In addition, we present a noninvasive method for thermoreflectance coefficient calibration ideally suited for vacuum and thus high temperature employment. This is the first analysis of the thermoreflectance coefficient of commonly used metals at high-temperatures. High temperature vacuum thermostats are designed and fabricated with optical imaging capability and interchangeable measurement stages for various electrical and thermoelectric characterizations. We demonstrate the simultaneous measurement of in-plane electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of thin-film or bulk thermoelectric materials. Furthermore, we utilize high-speed circuitry to implement the transient Harman technique and directly determine the cross-plane figure of merit of thin film thermoelectric materials at high temperatures. Transient measurements on thin film devices are subject to complications from the growth substrate, non-ideal contacts and other detrimental thermal and electrical effects. A strategy is presented for optimizing device geometry to mitigate the impact of these parasitics. This design enabled us to determine the cross-plane thermoelectric material properties in a single high temperature measurement of a 25mum InGaAs thin film with embedded ErAs (0.2%) nanoparticles using the bipolar transient Harman technique in conjunction with thermoreflectance thermal imaging. This approach eliminates discrepancies and potential device degradation from the multiple measurements necessary to obtain individual material parameters. Finite element method simulations are used to analyze non-uniform current and temperature distributions over the device area and determine the three dimensional current path for accurate extraction of material properties from the thermal images. Results match with independent measurements of thermoelectric material properties for the same material composition, validating this approach. We apply high magnification thermoreflectance imaging to create temperature maps of vanadium dioxide nanobeams and examine electro-thermal energy conversion along the nanobeam length. The metal to insulator transition of strongly correlated materials is subject to strong lattice coupling which brings about the unique one-dimensional alignment of metal-insulator domains along nanobeams. Many studies have investigated the effects of stress on the metal to insulator transition and hence the phase boundary, but few have directly examined the temperature profile across the metal-insulating interface. Here, thermoreflectance microscopy reveals the underlying behavior of single-crystalline VO2 nanobeams in the phase coexisting regime. We directly observe highly localized alternating Peltier heating and cooling as well as Joule heating concentrated at the domain interfaces, indicating the significance of the domain walls and band offsets. Moreover, we are able to elucidate strain accumulation along the nanobeam and distinguish between two insulating phases of VO 2 through detection of the opposite polarity of their respective thermoreflectance coefficients.

Designing and Implementation a Lab Testing Method for Power Cables Insulation Resistance According with STAS 10411-89, SR EN ISO/CEI/17025/2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobra, R.; Pasculescu, D.; Marc, G.; Risteiu, M.; Antonov, A.

2017-06-01

Insulation resistance measurement is one of the most important tests required by standards and regulations in terms of electrical safety. Why these tests are is to prevent possible accidents caused by electric shock, damage to equipment or outbreak of fire in normal operating conditions of electrical cables. The insulation resistance experiment refers to the testing of electrical cable insulation, which has a measured resistance that must be below the imposed regulations. Using a microcontroller system data regarding the insulation resistance of the power cables is acquired and with SCADA software the test results are displayed.

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the exposed surfaces...

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., such as by providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the...

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., such as by providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the...

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the exposed surfaces...

Fabrication and Characterization of ZnO Langmuir-Blodgett Film and Its Use in Metal-Insulator-Metal Tunnel Diode.

PubMed

Azad, Ibrahim; Ram, Manoj K; Goswami, D Yogi; Stefanakos, Elias

2016-08-23

Metal-insulator-metal tunnel diodes have great potential for use in infrared detection and energy harvesting applications. The quantum based tunneling mechanism of electrons in MIM (metal-insulator-metal) or MIIM (metal-insulator-insulator-metal) diodes can facilitate rectification at THz frequencies. In this study, the required nanometer thin insulating layer (I) in the MIM diode structure was fabricated using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The zinc stearate LB film was deposited on Au/Cr coated quartz, FTO, and silicon substrates, and then heat treated by varying the temperature from 100 to 550 °C to obtain nanometer thin ZnO layers. The thin films were characterized by XRD, AFM, FTIR, and cyclic voltammetry methods. The final MIM structure was fabricated by depositing chromium/nickel over the ZnO on Au/Cr film. The current voltage (I-V) characteristics of the diode showed that the conduction mechanism is electron tunneling through the thin insulating layer. The sensitivity of the diodes was as high as 32 V(-1). The diode resistance was ∼80 Ω (at a bias voltage of 0.78 V), and the rectification ratio at that bias point was about 12 (for a voltage swing of ±200 mV). The diode response exhibited significant nonlinearity and high asymmetry at the bias point, very desirable diode performance parameters for IR detection applications.

Spin-current probe for phase transition in an insulator

DOE PAGES

Qiu, Zhiyong; Li, Jia; Hou, Dazhi; ...

2016-08-30

Spin fluctuation and transition have always been one of the central topics of magnetism and condensed matter science. Experimentally, the spin fluctuation is found transcribed onto scattering intensity in the neutron-scattering process, which is represented by dynamical magnetic susceptibility and maximized at phase transitions. Importantly, a neutron carries spin without electric charge, and therefore it can bring spin into a sample without being disturbed by electric energy. However, large facilities such as a nuclear reactor are necessary. Here we present that spin pumping, frequently used in nanoscale spintronic devices, provides a desktop microprobe for spin transition; spin current is amore » flux of spin without an electric charge and its transport reflects spin excitation. Additionally, we demonstrate detection of antiferromagnetic transition in ultra-thin CoO films via frequency-dependent spin-current transmission measurements, which provides a versatile probe for phase transition in an electric manner in minute devices.« less

Liquid-level sensing device

DOEpatents

Goldfuss, G.T.

1975-09-16

This invention relates to a device for sensing the level of a liquid while preventing the deposition and accumulation of materials on the exterior surfaces thereof. Two dissimilar metal wires are enclosed within an electrical insulating material, the wires being joined together at one end to form a thermocouple junction outside the insulating material. Heating means is disposed within the electrical insulating material and maintains the device at a temperature substantially greater than that of the environment surrounding the device, the heating means being electrically insulated from the two dissimilar thermocouple wires. In addition, a metal sheath surrounds and contacts both the electrical insulating material and the thermocouple junction. Electrical connections are provided for connecting the heating means with a power source and for connecting the thermocouple wires with a device for sensing the electrical potential across the thermocouple junction. (auth)

Electrical response of Pt/Ru/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/Pt capacitor as function of lead precursor excess

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueye, Ibrahima; Le Rhun, Gwenael; Renault, Olivier; Defay, Emmanuel; Barrett, Nicholas

2017-11-01

We investigated the influence of the surface microstructure and chemistry of sol-gel grown PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) on the electrical performance of PZT-based metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors as a function of Pb precursor excess. Using surface-sensitive, quantitative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, we confirm the presence of ZrOx surface phase. Low Pb excess gives rise to a discontinuous layer of ZrOx on a (100) textured PZT film with a wide band gap reducing the capacitance of PZT-based MIMs whereas the breakdown field is enhanced. At high Pb excess, the nanostructures disappear while the PZT grain size increases and the film texture becomes (111). Concomitantly, the capacitance density is enhanced by 8.7%, and both the loss tangent and breakdown field are reduced by 20 and 25%, respectively. The role of the low permittivity, dielectric interface layer on capacitance and breakdown is discussed.

Electroluminescence and cathodoluminescence from polyethylene and polypropylene films: Spectra reconstruction from elementary components and underlying mechanisms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qiao, B.; Teyssedre, G.; Laurent, C.

The mechanisms of electroluminescence from large band gap polymers used as insulation in electric components are still under debate. It becomes important to unravel the underlying physics of the emission because of increasing thermo-electric stress and a possible relationship between electroluminescence and field withstand. We report herein on the cathodoluminescence spectra of polyethylene and polypropylene films as a way to uncover the nature of its contributions to electroluminescence emission. It is shown that spectra from the two materials are structured around four elementary components, each of them being associated with a specific process contributing to the overall emission with differentmore » weights depending on excitation conditions and on materials. The cathodoluminescence and electroluminescence spectra of each material are reconstructed from the four spectral components and their relative contribution are discussed. It is shown that electroluminescence from polyethylene and polypropylene has the same origin pointing towards generic mechanisms in both.« less

Screen Cage Ion Plating (SCIP) and scratch testing of polycrystalline aluminum oxide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spalvins, Talivaldis; Sliney, Harold E.; Deadmore, Daniel L.

1992-01-01

A screen cage ion plating (SCIP) technique was developed to apply silver films on electrically nonconducting aluminum oxide. It is shown that SCIP has remarkable throwing power; surfaces to be coated need not be in direct line of sight with the evaporation source. Scratch tests, employing a diamond stylus with a 200 micro m radius tip, were performed on uncoated and on silver coated alumina. Subsequent surface analysis show that a significant amount of silver remains on the scratched surfaces, even in areas where high stylus load produced severe crack patterns in the ceramic. Friction coefficients were lowered during the scratch tests on the coated alumina indicating that this modification of the ion planting process should be useful for applying lubricating films of soft metals to electrical insulating materials. The very good throwing power of SCIP also strongly suggests general applicability of this process in other areas of technology, e.g., electronics, in addition to tribology.

Microwave a.c. conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric thin films

DOE PAGES

Tselev, Alexander; Yu, Pu; Cao, Ye; ...

2016-05-31

Ferroelectric domain walls are of great interest as elementary building blocks for future electronic devices due to their intrinsic few-nanometre width, multifunctional properties and field-controlled topology. To realize the electronic functions, domain walls are required to be electrically conducting and addressable non-destructively. However, these properties have been elusive because conducting walls have to be electrically charged, which makes them unstable and uncommon in ferroelectric materials. Here we reveal that spontaneous and recorded domain walls in thin films of lead zirconate and bismuth ferrite exhibit large conductance at microwave frequencies despite being insulating at d.c. We explain this effect by morphologicalmore » roughening of the walls and local charges induced by disorder with the overall charge neutrality. a.c. conduction is immune to large contact resistance enabling completely non-destructive walls read-out. Finally, this demonstrates a technological potential for harnessing a.c. conduction for oxide electronics and other materials with poor d.c. conduction, particularly at the nanoscale.« less

Microwave a.c. conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric thin films

PubMed Central

Tselev, Alexander; Yu, Pu; Cao, Ye; Dedon, Liv R.; Martin, Lane W.; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Maksymovych, Petro

2016-01-01

Ferroelectric domain walls are of great interest as elementary building blocks for future electronic devices due to their intrinsic few-nanometre width, multifunctional properties and field-controlled topology. To realize the electronic functions, domain walls are required to be electrically conducting and addressable non-destructively. However, these properties have been elusive because conducting walls have to be electrically charged, which makes them unstable and uncommon in ferroelectric materials. Here we reveal that spontaneous and recorded domain walls in thin films of lead zirconate and bismuth ferrite exhibit large conductance at microwave frequencies despite being insulating at d.c. We explain this effect by morphological roughening of the walls and local charges induced by disorder with the overall charge neutrality. a.c. conduction is immune to large contact resistance enabling completely non-destructive walls read-out. This demonstrates a technological potential for harnessing a.c. conduction for oxide electronics and other materials with poor d.c. conduction, particularly at the nanoscale. PMID:27240997

Charge injection from gate electrode by simultaneous stress of optical and electrical biases in HfInZnO amorphous oxide thin film transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Dae Woong; Kim, Jang Hyun; Chang, Ji Soo; Kim, Sang Wan; Sun, Min-Chul; Kim, Garam; Kim, Hyun Woo; Park, Jae Chul; Song, Ihun; Kim, Chang Jung; Jung, U. In; Park, Byung-Gook

2010-11-01

A comprehensive study is done regarding stabilities under simultaneous stress of light and dc-bias in amorphous hafnium-indium-zinc-oxide thin film transistors. The positive threshold voltage (Vth) shift is observed after negative gate bias and light stress, and it is completely different from widely accepted phenomenon which explains that negative-bias stress results in Vth shift in the left direction by bias-induced hole-trapping. Gate current measurement is performed to explain the unusual positive Vth shift under simultaneous application of light and negative gate bias. As a result, it is clearly found that the positive Vth shift is derived from electron injection from gate electrode to gate insulator.

Contamination control in hybrid microelectronic modules. Part 2: Selection and evaluation of coating materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Himmel, R. P.

1975-01-01

The selection, test, and evaluation of organic coating materials for contamination control in hybrid circuits is reported. The coatings were evaluated to determine their suitability for use as a conformal coating over the hybrid microcircuit (including chips and wire bonds) inside a hermetically sealed package. Evaluations included ease of coating application and repair and effect on thin film and thick film resistors, beam leads, wire bonds, transistor chips, and capacitor chips. The coatings were also tested for such properties as insulation resistance, voltage breakdown strength, and capability of immobilizing loose particles inside the packages. The selected coatings were found to be electrically, mechanically, and chemically compatible with all components and materials normally used in hybrid microcircuits.

Charge retention characteristics of silicide-induced crystallized polycrystalline silicon floating gate thin-film transistors for active matrix organic light-emitting diode.

PubMed

Park, Jae Hyo; Son, Se Wan; Byun, Chang Woo; Kim, Hyung Yoon; Joo, So Na; Lee, Yong Woo; Yun, Seung Jae; Joo, Seung Ki

2013-10-01

In this work, non-volatile memory thin-film transistor (NVM-TFT) was fabricated by nickel silicide-induced laterally crystallized (SILC) polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) as the active layer. The nickel seed silicide-induced crystallized (SIC) poly-Si was used as storage layer which is embedded in the gate insulator. The novel unit pixel of active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) using NVM-TFT is proposed and investigated the electrical and optical performance. The threshold voltage shift showed 17.2 V and the high reliability of retention characteristic was demonstrated until 10 years. The retention time can modulate the recharge refresh time of the unit pixel of AMOLED up to 5000 sec.

Physical properties of Ce-TZP at cryogenic temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Y. M.; Chen, Z.; Zhou, M.; Huang, R. J.; Huang, C. J.; Li, L. F.

2014-01-01

Electrical insulators, which are used to insulate cryogenic supply lines and conductor windings, are critical units in superconducting TOKAMAK magnets. Electrical insulators used in superconducting magnets fall into axial and radial insulators. These insulators can be made from glass ribbon epoxy densification and have been used in the Experiment Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The properties of Ce-TZP can satisfy the requirement of electrical insulators. In this paper, thermal conductivity, mechanical properties and coefficient of thermal expansion of Ce-TZP have been investigated at cryogenic temperatures. Results indicate that the Ce-TZP shows better properties than epoxy and it demonstrates that the Ce-TZP can be used as insulation material in superconducting magnets.

Leakage current and charging/discharging processes in barrier-type anodic alumina thin films for use in metal-insulator-metal capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hourdakis, E.; Koutsoureli, M.; Papaioannou, G.; Nassiopoulou, A. G.

2018-06-01

Barrier-type anodic alumina thin films are interesting for use in high capacitance density metal-insulator-metal capacitors due to their excellent dielectric properties at small thickness. This thickness is easily controlled by the anodization voltage. In previous papers we studied the main parameters of interest of the Al/barrier-type anodic alumina/Al structure for use in RF applications and showed the great potential of barrier-type anodic alumina in this respect. In this paper, we investigated in detail charging/discharging processes and leakage current of the above dielectric material. Two different sets of metal-insulator-metal capacitors were studied, namely, with the top Al electrode being either e-gun deposited or sputtered. The dielectric constant of the barrier-type anodic alumina was found at 9.3. Low leakage current was observed in all samples studied. Furthermore, depending on the film thickness, field emission following the Fowler-Nordheim mechanism was observed above an applied electric field. Charging of the anodic dielectric was observed, occurring in the bulk of the anodic layer. The stored charge was of the order of few μC/cm2 and the calculated trap density ˜2 × 1018 states/cm3, the most probable origin of charge traps being, in our opinion, positive electrolyte ions trapped in the dielectric during anodization. We do not think that oxygen vacancies play an important role, since their existence would have a more important impact on the leakage current characteristics, such as resistive memory effects or significant changes during annealing, which were not observed. Finally, discharging characteristic times as high as 5 × 109 s were measured.

Elastically stretchable thin film conductors on an elastomeric substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones Harris, Joyelle Elizabeth

Imagine a large, flat screen television that can be rolled into a small cylinder after purchase in the store and then unrolled and mounted onto the wall of a home. The electronic devices within the television must be able to withstand large deformation and tensile strain. Consider a robot that is covered with an electronic skin that simulates human skin. The skin would enable the machine to lift an elderly person with care and sensitivity. The skin will endure repeated deformation with the highest tensile strains being experienced at the robot's joints. These applications and many others will benefit from stretchable electronic circuitry. While several different methods have been employed to create stretchable electronics, all methods use a common tool -- stretchable conductors. Therefore, the goal of this thesis work was to fabricate elastically stretchable conductors that can be used in stretchable electronics. We deposited Au thin films on an elastomeric substrate, and the resulting conductors remained electrically continuous when stretched by 30% and more. We developed photolithographic processes that can be used to pattern elastically stretchable conductors with a 10 mum resolution. We fabricated bi-level stretchable conductors that are separated by an elastomeric insulator and are electrically connected through via holes in the insulator. We applied our bi-level conductors to create a stretchable resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) circuit with a tunable resonant frequency. We also used stretchable conductors to measure action potentials in biological samples. This thesis describes the fabrication and application of our elastically stretchable conductors.

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

Synthesis of ultrathin polymer insulating layers by initiated chemical vapour deposition for low-power soft electronics.

PubMed

Moon, Hanul; Seong, Hyejeong; Shin, Woo Cheol; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Mincheol; Lee, Seungwon; Bong, Jae Hoon; Noh, Yong-Young; Cho, Byung Jin; Yoo, Seunghyup; Im, Sung Gap

2015-06-01

Insulating layers based on oxides and nitrides provide high capacitance, low leakage, high breakdown field and resistance to electrical stresses when used in electronic devices based on rigid substrates. However, their typically high process temperatures and brittleness make it difficult to achieve similar performance in flexible or organic electronics. Here, we show that poly(1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane) (pV3D3) prepared via a one-step, solvent-free technique called initiated chemical vapour deposition (iCVD) is a versatile polymeric insulating layer that meets a wide range of requirements for next-generation electronic devices. Highly uniform and pure ultrathin films of pV3D3 with excellent insulating properties, a large energy gap (>8 eV), tunnelling-limited leakage characteristics and resistance to a tensile strain of up to 4% are demonstrated. The low process temperature, surface-growth character, and solvent-free nature of the iCVD process enable pV3D3 to be grown conformally on plastic substrates to yield flexible field-effect transistors as well as on a variety of channel layers, including organics, oxides, and graphene.

Characterization and manipulation of individual defects in insulating hexagonal boron nitride using scanning tunnelling microscopy.

PubMed

Wong, Dillon; Velasco, Jairo; Ju, Long; Lee, Juwon; Kahn, Salman; Tsai, Hsin-Zon; Germany, Chad; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Zettl, Alex; Wang, Feng; Crommie, Michael F

2015-11-01

Defects play a key role in determining the properties and technological applications of nanoscale materials and, because they tend to be highly localized, characterizing them at the single-defect level is of particular importance. Scanning tunnelling microscopy has long been used to image the electronic structure of individual point defects in conductors, semiconductors and ultrathin films, but such single-defect electronic characterization remains an elusive goal for intrinsic bulk insulators. Here, we show that individual native defects in an intrinsic bulk hexagonal boron nitride insulator can be characterized and manipulated using a scanning tunnelling microscope. This would typically be impossible due to the lack of a conducting drain path for electrical current. We overcome this problem by using a graphene/boron nitride heterostructure, which exploits the atomically thin nature of graphene to allow the visualization of defect phenomena in the underlying bulk boron nitride. We observe three different defect structures that we attribute to defects within the bulk insulating boron nitride. Using scanning tunnelling spectroscopy we obtain charge and energy-level information for these boron nitride defect structures. We also show that it is possible to manipulate the defects through voltage pulses applied to the scanning tunnelling microscope tip.

Superconductivity-related insulating behavior.

PubMed

Sambandamurthy, G; Engel, L W; Johansson, A; Shahar, D

2004-03-12

We present the results of an experimental study of superconducting, disordered, thin films of amorphous indium oxide. These films can be driven from the superconducting phase to a reentrant insulating state by the application of a perpendicular magnetic field (B). We find that the high-B insulator exhibits activated transport with a characteristic temperature, TI. TI has a maximum value (TpI) that is close to the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) at B=0, suggesting a possible relation between the conduction mechanisms in the superconducting and insulating phases. Tp(I) and Tc display opposite dependences on the disorder strength.

Tailoring transport properties of phase-separated manganite films with ordered magnetic nanostructures

DOE PAGES

Vlaminck, V.; Yanez, W.; Hoffman, J.; ...

2016-08-02

Here, the magnetotransport properties of thin manganite films (La 0.7Ca 0.3MnO 3) coupled with arrays of permalloy (Py) nanodots deposited on the surface of the film are studied as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and the size of the dots. In the presence of the magnetic dots, a reduction of the electrical resistivity is observed, especially at the insulator-to-metal transition, as well as a shift of the transition peak towards higher temperatures. This indicates that, due to local interface exchange coupling, highly conductive ferromagnetic domains are nucleated in the manganite film underneath the Py nanodots. The use of amore » simplified resistor network model allows us to estimate the size of the metallic regions induced by exchange coupling. At low temperatures, these regions extend ~70 nm beyond the edge of the nanodots, a length scale comparable to the correlation length of the ferromagnetic clusters in the phase-separated state of La 0.7Ca 0.3MnO 3.« less

Fabrication of ZnO Thin Films by Sol-Gel Spin Coating and Their UV and White-Light Emission Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mirgender; Dubey, Sarvesh; Rajendar, Vanga; Park, Si-Hyun

2017-10-01

ZnO thin films have been fabricated by the sol-gel spin-coating technique and annealed under different conditions, and their ultraviolet (UV) and white-light emission properties investigated. Different ambient conditions including oxygen, nitrogen, zinc-rich nitrogen, and vacuum were used to tune the main properties of the ZnO thin films. The resistivity varied from the conductive to semi-insulating regime, and the luminescence emission from fairly intense UV to polychromatic. The emission intensity was also found to be a function of the annealing conditions. Possible routes to compensate the loss of emission characteristics are discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was carried out to detect the chemical states of the zinc/oxygen species. The changes in the electrical and emission properties are explained based on annihilation/formation of inherent donor/acceptor-type defects. Such ZnO thin films could have potential applications in solid-state lighting.

Nontrivial Nature and Penetration Depth of Topological Surface States in SmB6 Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tao; Li, Yufan; Gu, Lei; Ding, Junjia; Chang, Houchen; Janantha, P. A. Praveen; Kalinikos, Boris; Novosad, Valentyn; Hoffmann, Axel; Wu, Ruqian; Chien, C. L.; Wu, Mingzhong

2018-05-01

The nontrivial feature and penetration depth of the topological surface states (TSS) in SmB6 were studied via spin pumping. The experiments used SmB6 thin films grown on the bulk magnetic insulator Y3Fe5O12 (YIG). Upon the excitation of magnetization precession in the YIG, a spin current is generated in the SmB6 that produces, via spin-orbit coupling, a lateral electrical voltage in the film. This spin-pumping voltage signal becomes considerably stronger as the temperature decreases from 150 to 10 K, and such an enhancement most likely originates from the spin-momentum locking of the TSS and may thereby serve as evidence for the nontrivial nature of the TSS. The voltage data also show a unique film thickness dependence that suggests a TSS depth of ˜32 nm . The spin-pumping results are supported by transport measurements and analyses using a tight binding model.

Direct laser writing of micro-supercapacitors on hydrated graphite oxide films.

PubMed

Gao, Wei; Singh, Neelam; Song, Li; Liu, Zheng; Reddy, Arava Leela Mohana; Ci, Lijie; Vajtai, Robert; Zhang, Qing; Wei, Bingqing; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2011-07-31

Microscale supercapacitors provide an important complement to batteries in a variety of applications, including portable electronics. Although they can be manufactured using a number of printing and lithography techniques, continued improvements in cost, scalability and form factor are required to realize their full potential. Here, we demonstrate the scalable fabrication of a new type of all-carbon, monolithic supercapacitor by laser reduction and patterning of graphite oxide films. We pattern both in-plane and conventional electrodes consisting of reduced graphite oxide with micrometre resolution, between which graphite oxide serves as a solid electrolyte. The substantial amounts of trapped water in the graphite oxide makes it simultaneously a good ionic conductor and an electrical insulator, allowing it to serve as both an electrolyte and an electrode separator with ion transport characteristics similar to that observed for Nafion membranes. The resulting micro-supercapacitor devices show good cyclic stability, and energy storage capacities comparable to existing thin-film supercapacitors.

Direct laser writing of micro-supercapacitors on hydrated graphite oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Wei; Singh, Neelam; Song, Li; Liu, Zheng; Reddy, Arava Leela Mohana; Ci, Lijie; Vajtai, Robert; Zhang, Qing; Wei, Bingqing; Ajayan, Pulickel M.

2011-08-01

Microscale supercapacitors provide an important complement to batteries in a variety of applications, including portable electronics. Although they can be manufactured using a number of printing and lithography techniques, continued improvements in cost, scalability and form factor are required to realize their full potential. Here, we demonstrate the scalable fabrication of a new type of all-carbon, monolithic supercapacitor by laser reduction and patterning of graphite oxide films. We pattern both in-plane and conventional electrodes consisting of reduced graphite oxide with micrometre resolution, between which graphite oxide serves as a solid electrolyte. The substantial amounts of trapped water in the graphite oxide makes it simultaneously a good ionic conductor and an electrical insulator, allowing it to serve as both an electrolyte and an electrode separator with ion transport characteristics similar to that observed for Nafion membranes. The resulting micro-supercapacitor devices show good cyclic stability, and energy storage capacities comparable to existing thin-film supercapacitors.

Integrated Multilayer Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dye, Scott

2009-01-01

Integrated multilayer insulation (IMLI) is being developed as an improved alternative to conventional multilayer insulation (MLI), which is more than 50 years old. A typical conventional MLI blanket comprises between 10 and 120 metallized polymer films separated by polyester nets. MLI is the best thermal- insulation material for use in a vacuum, and is the insulation material of choice for spacecraft and cryogenic systems. However, conventional MLI has several disadvantages: It is difficult or impossible to maintain the desired value of gap distance between the film layers (and consequently, it is difficult or impossible to ensure consistent performance), and fabrication and installation are labor-intensive and difficult. The development of IMLI is intended to overcome these disadvantages to some extent and to offer some additional advantages over conventional MLI. The main difference between IMLI and conventional MLI lies in the method of maintaining the gaps between the film layers. In IMLI, the film layers are separated by what its developers call a micro-molded discrete matrix, which can be loosely characterized as consisting of arrays of highly engineered, small, lightweight, polymer (typically, thermoplastic) frames attached to, and placed between, the film layers. The term "micro-molded" refers to both the smallness of the frames and the fact that they are fabricated in a process that forms precise small features, described below, that are essential to attainment of the desired properties. The term "discrete" refers to the nature of the matrix as consisting of separate frames, in contradistinction to a unitary frame spanning entire volume of an insulation blanket.

Method of fabricating high-density hermetic electrical feedthroughs using insulated wire bundles

DOEpatents

Shah, Kedar G.; Benett, William J.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.

2016-05-10

A method of fabricating electrical feedthroughs coats of a plurality of electrically conductive wires with an electrically insulating material and bundles the coated wires together in a substantially parallel arrangement. The bundled coated wires are secured to each other by joining the electrically insulating material of adjacent wires together to form a monolithic block which is then cut transverse to the wires to produce a block section having opposing first and second sides with a plurality of electrically conductive feedthroughs extending between them.

Seebeck Effects in N-Type and P-Type Polymers Driven Simultaneously by Surface Polarization and Entropy Differences Based on Conductor/Polymer/Conductor Thin-Film Devices

DOE PAGES

Hu, Dehua; Liu, Qing; Tisdale, Jeremy; ...

2015-04-15

This paper reports Seebeck effects driven by both surface polarization difference and entropy difference by using intramolecular charge-transfer states in n-type and p-type conjugated polymers, namely IIDT and IIDDT, based on vertical conductor/polymer/conductor thin-film devices. Large Seebeck coefficients of -898 V/K and 1300 V/K from are observed from n-type IIDT p-type IIDDT, respectively, when the charge-transfer states are generated by a white light illumination of 100 mW/cm2. Simultaneously, electrical conductivities are increased from almost insulating states in dark condition to conducting states under photoexcitation in both n-type IIDT and p-type IIDDT devices. We find that the intramolecular charge-transfer states canmore » largely enhance Seebeck effects in the n-type IIDT and p-type IIDDT devices driven by both surface polarization difference and entropy difference. Furthermore, the Seebeck effects can be shifted between polarization and entropy regimes when electrical conductivities are changed. This reveals a new concept to develop Seebeck effects by controlling polarization and entropy regimes based on charge-transfer states in vertical conductor/polymer/conductor thin-film devices.« less

Frequency mixer having ferromagnetic film

DOEpatents

Khitun, Alexander; Roshchin, Igor V.; Galatsis, Kosmas; Bao, Mingqiang; Wang, Kang L.

2016-03-29

A frequency conversion device, which may include a radiofrequency (RF) mixer device, includes a substrate and a ferromagnetic film disposed over a surface of the substrate. An insulator is disposed over the ferromagnetic film and at least one microstrip antenna is disposed over the insulator. The ferromagnetic film provides a non-linear response to the frequency conversion device. The frequency conversion device may be used for signal mixing and amplification. The frequency conversion device may also be used in data encryption applications.

Growth and study of first order metal insulator transition in VO2 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathore, Ajay K.; Kumar, Satish; Kumar, Dhirendra; Sathe, V. G.

2015-06-01

VO2 films have been grown on Si substrate using pulse laser deposition technique. The as-deposited film prepared by V2O3 target is found to possess signatures of V2O5 phase. Up on annealing at 780°C the film transforms to VO2 phase. The annealed film is found to be highly oriented along (011) and single phase in nature. The high temperature Raman spectroscopic measurements on the annealed film showed first order transition from monoclinic insulating phase to conductive tetragonal rutile phase around 65°C.

Visualizing ferromagnetic domains in magnetic topological insulators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Wenbo; Gu, G. D.; Yang, Fang

2015-05-13

We report a systematic study of ferromagnetic domains in both single-crystal and thin-film specimens of magnetic topological insulators Cr doped (Bi 0.1Sb 0.9) 2Te 3 using magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The temperature and field dependences of MFM and in situ resistance data are consistent with previous bulk transport and magnetic characterization. Bubble-like ferromagnetic domains were observed in both single crystals and thin films. Significantly, smaller domain size (~500 nm) with narrower domain wall (~150 – 300 nm) was observed in thin films of magnetic topological insulators, likely due to vertical confinement effect. As a result, these results suggest that thinmore » films are more promising for visualization of chiral edge states.« less

Termination unit

DOEpatents

Traeholt, Chresten [Frederiksberg, DK; Willen, Dag [Klagshamn, SE; Roden, Mark [Newnan, GA; Tolbert, Jerry C [Carrollton, GA; Lindsay, David [Carrollton, GA; Fisher, Paul W [Heiskell, TN; Nielsen, Carsten Thidemann [Jaegerspris, DK

2014-01-07

This invention relates to a termination unit comprising an end-section of a cable. The end section of the cable defines a central longitudinal axis and comprising end-parts of N electrical phases, an end-part of a neutral conductor and a surrounding thermally insulation envelope adapted to comprising a cooling fluid. The end-parts of the N electrical phases and the end-part of the neutral conductor each comprising at least one electrical conductor and being arranged in the cable concentrically around a core former with a phase 1 located relatively innermost, and phase N relatively outermost in the cable, phase N being surrounded by the neutral conductor, electrical insulation being arrange between neighboring electrical phases and between phase N and the neutral conductor, and wherein the end-parts of the neutral conductor and the electrical phases each comprise a contacting surface electrically connected to at least one branch current lead to provide an electrical connection: The contacting surfaces each having a longitudinal extension, and being located sequentially along the longitudinal extension of the end-section of the cable. The branch current leads being individually insulated from said thermally insulation envelope by individual electrical insulators.

Giant Electroresistance in Edge Metal-Insulator-Metal Tunnel Junctions Induced by Ferroelectric Fringe Fields

PubMed Central

Jung, Sungchul; Jeon, Youngeun; Jin, Hanbyul; Lee, Jung-Yong; Ko, Jae-Hyeon; Kim, Nam; Eom, Daejin; Park, Kibog

2016-01-01

An enormous amount of research activities has been devoted to developing new types of non-volatile memory devices as the potential replacements of current flash memory devices. Theoretical device modeling was performed to demonstrate that a huge change of tunnel resistance in an Edge Metal-Insulator-Metal (EMIM) junction of metal crossbar structure can be induced by the modulation of electric fringe field, associated with the polarization reversal of an underlying ferroelectric layer. It is demonstrated that single three-terminal EMIM/Ferroelectric structure could form an active memory cell without any additional selection devices. This new structure can open up a way of fabricating all-thin-film-based, high-density, high-speed, and low-power non-volatile memory devices that are stackable to realize 3D memory architecture. PMID:27476475

Ionic liquid versus SiO 2 gated a-IGZO thin film transistors: A direct comparison

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pudasaini, Pushpa Raj; Noh, Joo Hyon; Wong, Anthony T.

Here, ionic liquid gated field effect transistors have been extensively studied due to their low operation voltage, ease of processing and the realization of high electric fields at low bias voltages. Here, we report ionic liquid (IL) gated thin film transistors (TFTs) based on amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (a-IGZO) active layers and directly compare the characteristics with a standard SiO 2 gated device. The transport measurements of the top IL gated device revealed the n-channel property of the IGZO thin film with a current ON/OFF ratio ~10 5, a promising field effect mobility of 14.20 cm 2V –1s –1,more » and a threshold voltage of 0.5 V. Comparable measurements on the bottom SiO2 gate insulator revealed a current ON/OFF ratio >108, a field effect mobility of 13.89 cm 2V –1s –1 and a threshold voltage of 2.5 V. Furthermore, temperature-dependent measurements revealed that the ionic liquid electric double layer can be “frozen-in” by cooling below the glass transition temperature with an applied electrical bias. Positive and negative freezing bias locks-in the IGZO TFT “ON” and “OFF” state, respectively, which could lead to new switching and possibly non-volatile memory applications.« less

Ionic liquid versus SiO 2 gated a-IGZO thin film transistors: A direct comparison

DOE PAGES

Pudasaini, Pushpa Raj; Noh, Joo Hyon; Wong, Anthony T.; ...

2015-08-12

Here, ionic liquid gated field effect transistors have been extensively studied due to their low operation voltage, ease of processing and the realization of high electric fields at low bias voltages. Here, we report ionic liquid (IL) gated thin film transistors (TFTs) based on amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (a-IGZO) active layers and directly compare the characteristics with a standard SiO 2 gated device. The transport measurements of the top IL gated device revealed the n-channel property of the IGZO thin film with a current ON/OFF ratio ~10 5, a promising field effect mobility of 14.20 cm 2V –1s –1,more » and a threshold voltage of 0.5 V. Comparable measurements on the bottom SiO2 gate insulator revealed a current ON/OFF ratio >108, a field effect mobility of 13.89 cm 2V –1s –1 and a threshold voltage of 2.5 V. Furthermore, temperature-dependent measurements revealed that the ionic liquid electric double layer can be “frozen-in” by cooling below the glass transition temperature with an applied electrical bias. Positive and negative freezing bias locks-in the IGZO TFT “ON” and “OFF” state, respectively, which could lead to new switching and possibly non-volatile memory applications.« less

Chiral magnetic conductivity and surface states of Weyl semimetals in topological insulator ultra-thin film multilayer.

PubMed

Owerre, S A

2016-06-15

We investigate an ultra-thin film of topological insulator (TI) multilayer as a model for a three-dimensional (3D) Weyl semimetal. We introduce tunneling parameters t S, [Formula: see text], and t D, where the former two parameters couple layers of the same thin film at small and large momenta, and the latter parameter couples neighbouring thin film layers along the z-direction. The Chern number is computed in each topological phase of the system and we find that for [Formula: see text], the tunneling parameter [Formula: see text] changes from positive to negative as the system transits from Weyl semi-metallic phase to insulating phases. We further study the chiral magnetic effect (CME) of the system in the presence of a time dependent magnetic field. We compute the low-temperature dependence of the chiral magnetic conductivity and show that it captures three distinct phases of the system separated by plateaus. Furthermore, we propose and study a 3D lattice model of Porphyrin thin film, an organic material known to support topological Frenkel exciton edge states. We show that this model exhibits a 3D Weyl semi-metallic phase and also supports a 2D Weyl semi-metallic phase. We further show that this model recovers that of 3D Weyl semimetal in topological insulator thin film multilayer. Thus, paving the way for simulating a 3D Weyl semimetal in topological insulator thin film multilayer. We obtain the surface states (Fermi arcs) in the 3D model and the chiral edge states in the 2D model and analyze their topological properties.

Growth and electrical transport properties of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 thin films on Sr 2 IrO 4 single crystals

DOE PAGES

Moon, E. J.; May, A. F.; Shafer, P.; ...

2017-04-20

Here, we report the physical properties of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 thin films on Sr 2 IrO 4 single crystals. We also deposited the manganite films using oxide molecular beam epitaxy on flux-grown (001)-oriented iridate crystals. Temperature-dependent magnetotransport and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements reveal the presence of a ferromagnetic metallic ground state in the films, consistent with films grown on SrTiO 3 and La 0.3 Sr 0.7 Al 0.65 Ta 0.35 O 3 . A parallel resistance model is used to separate conduction effects within the Sr 2 IrO 4 substrate and the La 0.7 Sr 0.3more » MnO 3 thin films, revealing that the measured resistance maximum does not correspond to the manganite Curie temperature but results from a convolution of properties of the near-insulating substrate and metallic film. Furthermore, the ability to grow and characterize epitaxial perovskites on Sr 2 IrO 4 crystals enables a new route for studying magnetism at oxide interfaces in the presence of strong spin-orbit interactions.« less

Fabrication and characterization of NiO based metal-insulator-metal diode using Langmuir-Blodgett method for high frequency rectification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azad, Ibrahim; Ram, Manoj K.; Goswami, D. Yogi; Stefanakos, Elias

2018-04-01

Thin film metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes have attracted significant attention for use in infrared energy harvesting and detection applications. As demonstrated over the past decades, MIM or metal-insulator-insulator-metal (MIIM) diodes can operate at the THz frequencies range by quantum tunneling of electrons. The aim of this work is to synthesize required ultra-thin insulating layers and fabricate MIM diodes using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. The nickel stearate (NiSt) LB precursor film was deposited on glass, silicon (Si), ITO glass and gold coated silicon substrates. The photodesorption (UV exposure) and the thermodesorption (annealing at 100 °C and 350 °C) methods were used to remove organic components from the NiSt LB film and to achieve a uniform homogenous nickel oxide (NiO) film. These ultrathin NiO films were characterized by EDS, AFM, FTIR and cyclic voltammetry methods, respectively. The MIM diode was fabricated by depositing nickel (Ni) on the NiO film, all on a gold (Au) plated silicon (Si) substrate. The current (I)-voltage (V) characteristics of the fabricated diode were studied to understand the conduction mechanism assumed to be tunneling of electron through the ultra-thin insulating layer. The sensitivity of the diode was measured to be as high as 35 V-1. The diode resistance was ˜100 ohms (at a bias voltage of 0.60 V), and the rectification ratio was about 22 (for a signal voltage of ±200 mV). At the bias point, the diode response demonstrated significant non-linearity and high asymmetry, which are very desirable characteristics for applications in infrared detection and harvesting.

Ceramic electrical insulation for electrical coils, transformers, and magnets

DOEpatents

Rice, John A.; Hazelton, Craig S.; Fabian, Paul E.

2002-01-01

A high temperature electrical insulation is described, which is suitable for electrical windings for any number of applications. The inventive insulation comprises a cured preceramic polymer resin, which is preferably a polysiloxane resin. A method for insulating electrical windings, which are intended for use in high temperature environments, such as superconductors and the like, advantageously comprises the steps of, first, applying a preceramic polymer layer to a conductor core, to function as an insulation layer, and second, curing the preceramic polymer layer. The conductor core preferably comprises a metallic wire, which may be wound into a coil. In the preferred method, the applying step comprises a step of wrapping the conductor core with a sleeve or tape of glass or ceramic fabric which has been impregnated by a preceramic polymer resin. The inventive insulation system allows conducting coils and magnets to be fabricated using existing processing equipment, and maximizes the mechanical and thermal performance at both elevated and cryogenic temperatures. It also permits co-processing of the wire and the insulation to increase production efficiencies and reduce overall costs, while still remarkably enhancing performance.

Electrical leakage phenomenon in heteroepitaxial cubic silicon carbide on silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradeepkumar, Aiswarya; Zielinski, Marcin; Bosi, Matteo; Verzellesi, Giovanni; Gaskill, D. Kurt; Iacopi, Francesca

2018-06-01

Heteroepitaxial 3C-SiC films on silicon substrates are of technological interest as enablers to integrate the excellent electrical, electronic, mechanical, thermal, and epitaxial properties of bulk silicon carbide into well-established silicon technologies. One critical bottleneck of this integration is the establishment of a stable and reliable electronic junction at the heteroepitaxial interface of the n-type SiC with the silicon substrate. We have thus investigated in detail the electrical and transport properties of heteroepitaxial cubic silicon carbide films grown via different methods on low-doped and high-resistivity silicon substrates by using van der Pauw Hall and transfer length measurements as test vehicles. We have found that Si and C intermixing upon or after growth, particularly by the diffusion of carbon into the silicon matrix, creates extensive interstitial carbon traps and hampers the formation of a stable rectifying or insulating junction at the SiC/Si interface. Although a reliable p-n junction may not be realistic in the SiC/Si system, we can achieve, from a point of view of the electrical isolation of in-plane SiC structures, leakage suppression through the substrate by using a high-resistivity silicon substrate coupled with deep recess etching in between the SiC structures.

Electrically conductive polyurethanes for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Charles M.; Nash, M. A.; Poole-Warren, Laura A.

2005-02-01

Electrical interfacing with neural tissue poses significant problems due to host response to the material. This response generally leads to fibrous encapsulation and increased impedance across the electrode. In neural electrodes such as cochlear implants, an elastomeric material like silicone is used as an insulator for the metal electrode. This project ultimately aims to produce a polymer electrode with elastomeric mechanical properties, metal like conductivity and capability. The approach taken was to produce a nanocomposite elastomeric material based on polyurethane (PU) and carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are ideal due to their high aspect ratio as well as being a ballistic conductor. The choice of PU is based on its elastomeric properties, processability and biocompatibility. Multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) were dispersed ultrasonically in various dispersive solutions before being added at up to 20wt% to a 5wt% PU (Pellethane80A) in Dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Films were then solvent cast in a vacuum oven overnight. The resulting films were tested for conductivity using a two-probe technique and mechanically tested using an Instron tensiometer. The percolation threshold (p) of the PU/MWNT films occurred at loadings of between 7 and 10 wt% in this polymer system. Conductivity of the films (above p) was comparable to those for similar systems reported in the literature at up to approximately 7x10-2 Scm-1. Although PU stiffness increased with increased %loading of nanotubes, all composites were highly flexible and maintained elastomeric properties. From these preliminary results we have demonstrated electrical conductivity. So far it is evident that a superior percolation threshold is dependent on the degree of dispersion of the nanotubes. This has prompted work into investigating other preparations of the films, including melt-processing and electrospinning.

Electrochemically Induced Insulator-Metal-Insulator Transformations of Vanadium Dioxide Nanocrystal Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milliron, Delia; Dahlman, Clayton; Leblanc, Gabriel; Bergerud, Amy

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) undergoes significant optical, electronic, and structural changes as it transforms between the low-temperature monoclinic and high-temperature rutile phases. The low-temperature state is insulating and transparent, while the high-temperature state is metallic and IR blocking. Alternative stimuli have been utilized to trigger insulator-to-metal transformations in VO2, including electrochemical gating. Here, VO2 nanocrystal films have been prepared by solution deposition of V2O3 nanocrystals followed by oxidative annealing. Nanocrystalline VO2 films are electrochemically reduced, inducing changes in their electronic and optical properties. We observe a reversible transition between infrared transparent insulating phases and a darkened metallic phase by in situ visible-near-infrared spectroelectrochemistry and correlate these observations with structural and electronic changes monitored by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and conductivity measurements. Reduction causes an initial transformation to a metallic, IR-colored distorted monoclinic phase. However, an unexpected reversible transition from conductive, reduced monoclinic VO2 to an infrared-transparent insulating phase is observed upon further reduction.

Periodic domain inversion in x-cut single-crystal lithium niobate thin film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackwitz, P., E-mail: peterm@mail.upb.de; Rüsing, M.; Berth, G.

2016-04-11

We report the fabrication of periodically poled domain patterns in x-cut lithium niobate thin-film. Here, thin films on insulator have drawn particular attention due to their intrinsic waveguiding properties offering high mode confinement and smaller devices compared to in-diffused waveguides in bulk material. In contrast to z-cut thin film lithium niobate, the x-cut geometry does not require back electrodes for poling. Further, the x-cut geometry grants direct access to the largest nonlinear and electro-optical tensor element, which overall promises smaller devices. The domain inversion was realized via electric field poling utilizing deposited aluminum top electrodes on a stack of LNmore » thin film/SiO{sub 2} layer/Bulk LN, which were patterned by optical lithography. The periodic domain inversion was verified by non-invasive confocal second harmonic microscopy. Our results show domain patterns in accordance to the electrode mask layout. The second harmonic signatures can be interpreted in terms of spatially, overlapping domain filaments which start their growth on the +z side.« less

Surface-State-Dominated Spin-Charge Current Conversion in Topological-Insulator-Ferromagnetic-Insulator Heterostructures.

PubMed

Wang, Hailong; Kally, James; Lee, Joon Sue; Liu, Tao; Chang, Houchen; Hickey, Danielle Reifsnyder; Mkhoyan, K Andre; Wu, Mingzhong; Richardella, Anthony; Samarth, Nitin

2016-08-12

We report the observation of ferromagnetic resonance-driven spin pumping signals at room temperature in three-dimensional topological insulator thin films-Bi_{2}Se_{3} and (Bi,Sb)_{2}Te_{3}-deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on Y_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12} thin films. By systematically varying the Bi_{2}Se_{3} film thickness, we show that the spin-charge conversion efficiency, characterized by the inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect length (λ_{IREE}), increases dramatically as the film thickness is increased from two quintuple layers, saturating above six quintuple layers. This suggests a dominant role of surface states in spin and charge interconversion in topological-insulator-ferromagnet heterostructures. Our conclusion is further corroborated by studying a series of Y_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12}/(Bi,Sb)_{2}Te_{3} heterostructures. Finally, we use the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth broadening and the inverse Rashba-Edelstein signals to determine the effective interfacial spin mixing conductance and λ_{IREE}.

Stencil lithography of superconducting contacts on MBE-grown topological insulator thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schüffelgen, Peter; Rosenbach, Daniel; Neumann, Elmar; Stehno, Martin P.; Lanius, Martin; Zhao, Jialin; Wang, Meng; Sheehan, Brendan; Schmidt, Michael; Gao, Bo; Brinkman, Alexander; Mussler, Gregor; Schäpers, Thomas; Grützmacher, Detlev

2017-11-01

Topological insulator (Bi0.06Sb0.94)2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been capped in-situ with a 2 nm Al film to conserve the pristine topological surface states. Subsequently, a shadow mask - structured by means of focus ion beam - was in-situ placed underneath the sample to deposit a thick layer of Al on well-defined microscopically small areas. The 2 nm thin Al layer fully oxidizes after exposure to air and in this way protects the TI surface from degradation. The thick Al layer remains metallic underneath a 3-4 nm thick native oxide layer and therefore serves as (super-) conducting contacts. Superconductor-Topological Insulator-Superconductor junctions with lateral dimensions in the nm range have then been fabricated via an alternative stencil lithography technique. Despite the in-situ deposition, transport measurements and transmission electron microscope analysis indicate a low transparency, due to an intermixed region at the interface between topological insulator thin film and metallic Al.

Large-scale and patternable graphene: direct transformation of amorphous carbon film into graphene/graphite on insulators via Cu mediation engineering and its application to all-carbon based devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yu-Ze; Medina, Henry; Lin, Hung-Chiao; Tsai, Hung-Wei; Su, Teng-Yu; Chueh, Yu-Lun

2015-01-01

Chemical vapour deposition of graphene was the preferred way to synthesize graphene for multiple applications. However, several problems related to transfer processes, such as wrinkles, cleanness and scratches, have limited its application at the industrial scale. Intense research was triggered into developing alternative synthesis methods to directly deposit graphene on insulators at low cost with high uniformity and large area. In this work, we demonstrate a new concept to directly achieve growth of graphene on non-metal substrates. By exposing an amorphous carbon (a-C) film in Cu gaseous molecules after annealing at 850 °C, the carbon (a-C) film surprisingly undergoes a noticeable transformation to crystalline graphene. Furthermore, the thickness of graphene could be controlled, depending on the thickness of the pre-deposited a-C film. The transformation mechanism was investigated and explained in detail. This approach enables development of a one-step process to fabricate electrical devices made of all carbon material, highlighting the uniqueness of the novel approach for developing graphene electronic devices. Interestingly, the carbon electrodes made directly on the graphene layer by our approach offer a good ohmic contact compared with the Schottky barriers usually observed on graphene devices using metals as electrodes.Chemical vapour deposition of graphene was the preferred way to synthesize graphene for multiple applications. However, several problems related to transfer processes, such as wrinkles, cleanness and scratches, have limited its application at the industrial scale. Intense research was triggered into developing alternative synthesis methods to directly deposit graphene on insulators at low cost with high uniformity and large area. In this work, we demonstrate a new concept to directly achieve growth of graphene on non-metal substrates. By exposing an amorphous carbon (a-C) film in Cu gaseous molecules after annealing at 850 °C, the carbon (a-C) film surprisingly undergoes a noticeable transformation to crystalline graphene. Furthermore, the thickness of graphene could be controlled, depending on the thickness of the pre-deposited a-C film. The transformation mechanism was investigated and explained in detail. This approach enables development of a one-step process to fabricate electrical devices made of all carbon material, highlighting the uniqueness of the novel approach for developing graphene electronic devices. Interestingly, the carbon electrodes made directly on the graphene layer by our approach offer a good ohmic contact compared with the Schottky barriers usually observed on graphene devices using metals as electrodes. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental methods; pictures of a new quartz tube and an aged quartz tube before and after annealing Cu foil at 1025 °C for 2 h; Raman spectrum of as-deposited a-C layer; XPS depth profiles of 25 nm-thick pre-deposited a-C film after annealing in the presence of Cu gaseous molecules and the corresponding transformation ratios; ICP-MS results of Cu gaseous molecules captured by the formation of the Ni-Cu alloy; SEM-EDS results of samples with different thicknesses of pre-deposited a-C films; UV-Vis spectrum of the graphene directly transformed from the 5 nm-thick pre-deposited a-C film on quartz substrate. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr04627g

In vivo biocompatibility of boron doped and nitrogen included conductive-diamond for use in medical implants.

PubMed

Garrett, David J; Saunders, Alexia L; McGowan, Ceara; Specks, Joscha; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Meffin, Hamish; Williams, Richard A; Nayagam, David A X

2016-01-01

Recently, there has been interest in investigating diamond as a material for use in biomedical implants. Diamond can be rendered electrically conducting by doping with boron or nitrogen. This has led to inclusion of boron doped and nitrogen included diamond elements as electrodes and/or feedthroughs for medical implants. As these conductive device elements are not encapsulated, there is a need to establish their clinical safety for use in implants. This article compares the biocompatibility of electrically conducting boron doped diamond (BDD) and nitrogen included diamond films and electrically insulating poly crystalline diamond films against a silicone negative control and a BDD sample treated with stannous octoate as a positive control. Samples were surgically implanted into the back muscle of a guinea pig for a period of 4-15 weeks, excised and the implant site sectioned and submitted for histological analysis. All forms of diamond exhibited a similar or lower thickness of fibrotic tissue encapsulating compared to the silicone negative control samples. All forms of diamond exhibited similar or lower levels of acute, chronic inflammatory, and foreign body responses compared to the silicone negative control indicating that the materials are well tolerated in vivo. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Electrical Performance and Reliability Improvement of Amorphous-Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with HfO₂ Gate Dielectrics by CF₄ Plasma Treatment.

PubMed

Fan, Ching-Lin; Tseng, Fan-Ping; Tseng, Chiao-Yuan

2018-05-17

In this work, amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) with a HfO₂ gate insulator and CF₄ plasma treatment was demonstrated for the first time. Through the plasma treatment, both the electrical performance and reliability of the a-IGZO TFT with HfO₂ gate dielectric were improved. The carrier mobility significantly increased by 80.8%, from 30.2 cm²/V∙s (without treatment) to 54.6 cm²/V∙s (with CF₄ plasma treatment), which is due to the incorporated fluorine not only providing an extra electron to the IGZO, but also passivating the interface trap density. In addition, the reliability of the a-IGZO TFT with HfO₂ gate dielectric has also been improved by the CF₄ plasma treatment. By applying the CF₄ plasma treatment to the a-IGZO TFT, the hysteresis effect of the device has been improved and the device's immunity against moisture from the ambient atmosphere has been enhanced. It is believed that the CF₄ plasma treatment not only significantly improves the electrical performance of a-IGZO TFT with HfO₂ gate dielectric, but also enhances the device's reliability.

Metal-Insulator-Metal Diode Process Development for Energy Harvesting Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Sputter Tool Dep Method: Sputtering (DC Magnetron ) Recipe: MC_Pt 1640A_TiO2 1000A_Ti 2000A_500C_1a MC_Pt 1640A_TiO2 1000A_Ti 2000A_300C_1a MC_Pt...thin films were sputtered onto silicon substrates with silicon dioxide overlayers. I-V measurements were taken using an electrical characterization...deposition of the entire MIM material stack to be done without breaking the vacuum within a multi-material system DC sputtering tool. A CAD layout of a MIM

Applications of Polymer Nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meth, Jeffrey

Polymer nanocomposites have been developed for application in several areas. This talk will provide three vignettes of applications that have been explored. Nanoporous ceramics are free standing ceramic objects that can be used for filtration. The pore size distribution is in the proper target range for filtering viruses from medicines in solution. Filled polyimides are useful for improving the ultimate electrical properties of insulating films during corona exposure. The advantages and pitfalls of this approach will be detailed. Exfoliated laponite dispersed into ethylene copolymers reduces creep while maintaining transparency, which is applicable to packaging.

High temperature (Al2O3) insulation and light weight conductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, H.

1981-01-01

The of an aluminum conductor with an aluminum oxide insulation film was investigated. Aluminum oxide insulated wire or strip (with a melting point of 2050 C) is unique for applications in the electronic, missile, atomic reactor, aerospace, and aircraft industries. The oxide film is highly flexible, suitable for all windings of any size and shape of coil (magnetic). Briefly touched upon are the ultraviolet, proton gamma radiation uses, as well as high vacuum and cryogenic applications. Since the film is inorganic and chemically inert, it does not age or deteriorate in storage and has good dielectric properties (1000 volts per mil).

SF6 plastic film insulated outdoor bushing for metalclad switchgear operating at system voltages of 420 kV and above

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietz, H.

1981-10-01

In replacement of conventional oil-paper bushings, a type of SF6 insulated bushing with polypropylene plastic film dielectricum was developed for outdoor operation of metalclad switchgear. Such bushings have the advantage of the conformity of the insulation with that of the matching switchgear and of the nonflammability of the SF6 gas. The choice of the plastic film, the winding technique, the thermal and dielectrical test program, and the high voltage long-term test program are described. Series production of a 420 kV bushing is under way and research specimens for 525 kV were successfully tested.

High temperature (Al2O3) insulation and light weight conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, H.

The of an aluminum conductor with an aluminum oxide insulation film was investigated. Aluminum oxide insulated wire or strip (with a melting point of 2050 C) is unique for applications in the electronic, missile, atomic reactor, aerospace, and aircraft industries. The oxide film is highly flexible, suitable for all windings of any size and shape of coil (magnetic). Briefly touched upon are the ultraviolet, proton gamma radiation uses, as well as high vacuum and cryogenic applications. Since the film is inorganic and chemically inert, it does not age or deteriorate in storage and has good dielectric properties (1000 volts per mil).

An application area of C60: Overall improvement of insulating oil's electrical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Potao; Sima, Wenxia; Chen, Jiaqi; Zhang, Dingfei; Jiang, Xiongwei; Chen, Qiulin

2018-04-01

We prepared nano-C60 based insulating oil, which has the potential to overcome the application barriers of nanomodified insulating oil. We find that nano-C60 based insulating oil has an excellent stability. Its electrical performance increases by 17.9%, 9.3%, and 8.3% for AC and positive/negative lightning impulse voltage, respectively. We believe that C60 molecules have a strong capacity to absorb electrons and can capture photons in a streamer, which may weaken photoionization in the streamer and thereby improve the electrical performance of insulating oil.

Prototype thin-film thermocouple/heat-flux sensor for a ceramic-insulated diesel engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Walter S.; Barrows, Richard F.

1988-01-01

A platinum versus platinum-13 percent rhodium thin-film thermocouple/heat-flux sensor was devised and tested in the harsh, high-temperature environment of a ceramic-insulated, low-heat-rejection diesel engine. The sensor probe assembly was developed to provide experimental validation of heat transfer and thermal analysis methodologies applicable to the insulated diesel engine concept. The thin-film thermocouple configuration was chosen to approximate an uninterrupted chamber surface and provide a 1-D heat-flux path through the probe body. The engine test was conducted by Purdue University for Integral Technologies, Inc., under a DOE-funded contract managed by NASA Lewis Research Center. The thin-film sensor performed reliably during 6 to 10 hr of repeated engine runs at indicated mean surface temperatures up to 950 K. However, the sensor suffered partial loss of adhesion in the thin-film thermocouple junction area following maximum cyclic temperature excursions to greater than 1150 K.

30 CFR 57.12008 - Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Insulation and fittings for power wires and... NONMETAL MINES Electricity Surface and Underground § 57.12008 Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables. Power wires and cables shall be insulated adequately where they pass into or out of electrical...

30 CFR 57.12008 - Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Insulation and fittings for power wires and... NONMETAL MINES Electricity Surface and Underground § 57.12008 Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables. Power wires and cables shall be insulated adequately where they pass into or out of electrical...

Irreversible metal-insulator transition in thin film VO2 induced by soft X-ray irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, V. R.; Jovic, V.; Valmianski, I.; Ramirez, J. G.; Lamoureux, B.; Schuller, Ivan K.; Smith, K. E.

2017-12-01

In this study, we show the ability of soft x-ray irradiation to induce room temperature metal-insulator transitions (MITs) in VO2 thin films grown on R-plane sapphire. The ability of soft x-rays to induce MIT in VO2 thin films is confirmed by photoemission spectroscopy and soft x-ray spectroscopy measurements. When irradiation was discontinued, the systems do not return to the insulating phase. Analysis of valence band photoemission spectra revealed that the density of states (DOSs) of the V 3d band increased with irradiation time, while the DOS of the O 2p band decreased. We use these results to propose a model in which the MIT is driven by oxygen desorption from thin films during irradiation.

ZnO thin-film transistors with a polymeric gate insulator built on a polyethersulfone substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyung, Gun Woo; Park, Jaehoon; Koo, Ja Ryong; Choi, Kyung Min; Kwon, Sang Jik; Cho, Eou Sik; Kim, Yong Seog; Kim, Young Kwan

2012-03-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (c-PVA) insulator are fabricated on a polyethersulfone substrate. The ZnO film, formed by atomic layer deposition, shows a polycrystalline hexagonal structure with a band gap energy of about 3.37 eV. The fabricated ZnO TFT exhibits a field-effect mobility of 0.38 cm2/Vs and a threshold voltage of 0.2 V. The hysteresis of the device is mainly caused by trapped electrons at the c-PVA/ZnO interface, whereas the positive threshold voltage shift occurs as a consequence of constant positive gate bias stress after 5000 s due to an electron injection from the ZnO film into the c-PVA insulator.

Asymmetries in surface waves and reflection/transmission characteristics associated with topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackay, Tom G.; Chiadini, Francesco; Fiumara, Vincenzo; Scaglione, Antonio; Lakhtakia, Akhlesh

2017-08-01

Three numerical studies were undertaken involving the interactions of plane waves with topological insulators. In each study, the topologically insulating surface states of the topological insulator were represented through a surface admittance. Canonical boundary-value problems were solved for the following cases: (i) Dyakonov surface-wave propagation guided by the planar interface of a columnar thin film and an isotropic dielectric topological insulator; (ii) Dyakonov-Tamm surface-wave propagation guided by the planar interface of a structurally chiral material and an isotropic dielectric topological insulator; and (iii) reflection and transmission due to the planar interface of a topologically insulating columnar thin film and vacuum. The nonzero surface admittance resulted in asymmetries in the wave speeds and decay constants of the surface waves in studies (i) and (ii). The nonzero surface admittance resulted in asymmetries in the reflectances and transmittances in study (iii).

Process For Cutting Polymers Electrolyte Multi-Layer Batteries And Batteries Obtained Thereby

DOEpatents

Gauthier, Michel; Lessard, Ginette; Dussault, Gaston; Rouillard, Roger; Simoneau, Martin; Miller, Alan Paul

2003-09-09

A stacking of battery laminate is prepared, each battery consisting of anode, polymer electrolyte, cathode films and possibly an insulating film, under conditions suitable to constitute a rigid monoblock assembly, in which the films are unitary with one another. The assembly obtained is thereafter cut in predetermined shape by using a mechanical device without macroscopic deformation of the films constituting the assembly and without inducing permanent short circuits. The battery which is obtained after cutting includes at least one end which appears as a uniform cut, the various films constituting the assembly having undergone no macroscopic deformation, the edges of the films of the anode including an electronically insulating passivation film.

78 FR 4873 - Electrical Protective Equipment Standard and the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-23

..., personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials, and insulated tools for working on or...] Electrical Protective Equipment Standard and the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution... the information collection requirements specified in its standards on Electrical Protective Equipment...

Purely hopping conduction in c-axis oriented LiNbO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shandilya, Swati; Tomar, Monika; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

2009-05-01

Dielectric constant and ac conductivity of highly c-axis oriented LiNbO3 thin film grown by pulsed laser deposition were studied in a metal-insulator-metal configuration over a wide temperature (200 to 450 K) and frequency (100 Hz to 1 MHz) range. The preferred oriented Al (1%) doped ZnO film with electrical conductivity 1.1×103 Ω-1 cm-1 was deposited for dual purpose: (1) to serve as nucleating center for LiNbO3 crystallites along preferred c-axis growth direction, and (2) to act as a suitable bottom electrode for electrical studies. The room temperature dc conductivity (σdc) of LiNbO3 film was about 5.34×10-10 Ω-1 cm-1 with activation energy ˜0.3 eV, indicating extrinsic conduction. The ac conductivity σac was found to be much higher in comparison to σdc in the low temperature region (<300 K) and exhibits a power law behavior due to the hopping of charge carriers. In higher temperature region (>300 K), σac shows a weak frequency dependence, whereas dielectric constant exhibits a strong frequency dispersion. The dielectric dispersion data has been discussed in the light of theoretical models based on Debye type mixed conduction and purely hopping conduction. The dominant conduction in c-axis oriented LiNbO3 thin film is attributed to the purely hopping where both σdc and σac arise due to same mechanism.

High power density capacitor and method of fabrication

DOEpatents

Tuncer, Enis

2012-11-20

A ductile preform for making a drawn capacitor includes a plurality of electrically insulating, ductile insulator plates and a plurality of electrically conductive, ductile capacitor plates. Each insulator plate is stacked vertically on a respective capacitor plate and each capacitor plate is stacked on a corresponding insulator plate in alignment with only one edge so that other edges are not in alignment and so that each insulator plate extends beyond the other edges. One or more electrically insulating, ductile spacers are disposed in horizontal alignment with each capacitor plate along the other edges and the pattern is repeated so that alternating capacitor plates are stacked on alternating opposite edges of the insulator plates. A final insulator plate is positioned at an extremity of the preform. The preform may then be drawn to fuse the components and decrease the dimensions of the preform that are perpendicular to the direction of the draw.

Strong Influence of Humidity on Low-Temperature Thin-Film Fabrication via Metal Aqua Complex for High Performance Oxide Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Lim, Keon-Hee; Huh, Jae-Eun; Lee, Jinwon; Cho, Nam-Kwang; Park, Jun-Woo; Nam, Bu-Il; Lee, Eungkyu; Kim, Youn Sang

2017-01-11

Oxide semiconductors thin film transistors (OS TFTs) with good transparency and electrical performance have great potential for future display technology. In particular, solution-processed OS TFTs have been attracted much attention due to many advantages such as continuous, large scale, and low cost processability. Recently, OS TFTs fabricated with a metal aqua complex have been focused because they have low temperature processability for deposition on flexible substrate as well as high field-effect mobility for application of advanced display. However, despite some remarkable results, important factors to optimize their electrical performance with reproducibility and uniformity have not yet been achieved. Here, we newly introduce the strong effects of humidity to enhance the electrical performance of OS TFTs fabricated with the metal aqua complex. Through humidity control during the spin-coating process and annealing process, we successfully demonstrate solution-processed InO x /SiO 2 TFTs with a good electrical uniformity of ∼5% standard deviation, showing high average field-effect mobility of 2.76 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and 15.28 cm 2 V -1 s -1 fabricated at 200 and 250 °C, respectively. Also, on the basis of the systematic analyses, we demonstrate the mechanism for the change in electrical properties of InO x TFTs depending on the humidity control. Finally, on the basis of the mechanism, we extended the humidity control to the fabrication of the AlO x insulator. Subsequently, we successfully achieved humidity-controlled InO x /AlO x TFTs fabricated at 200 °C showing high average field-effect mobility of 9.5 cm 2 V -1 s -1 .

Carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng; Lin, Yuehe; Yantasee, Wassana; Liu, Guodong; Lu, Fang; Tu, Yi

2008-11-18

The present invention relates to microelectode arrays (MEAs), and more particularly to carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays (CNT-NEAs) for chemical and biological sensing, and methods of use. A nanoelectrode array includes a carbon nanotube material comprising an array of substantially linear carbon nanotubes each having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the carbon nanotubes are attached to a catalyst substrate material so as to form the array with a pre-determined site density, wherein the carbon nanotubes are aligned with respect to one another within the array; an electrically insulating layer on the surface of the carbon nanotube material, whereby the distal end of the carbon nanotubes extend beyond the electrically insulating layer; a second adhesive electrically insulating layer on the surface of the electrically insulating layer, whereby the distal end of the carbon nanotubes extend beyond the second adhesive electrically insulating layer; and a metal wire attached to the catalyst substrate material.

DC breakdown characteristics of silicone polymer composites for HVDC insulator applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Byung-Jo; Seo, In-Jin; Seong, Jae-Kyu; Hwang, Young-Ho; Yang, Hai-Won

2015-11-01

Critical components for HVDC transmission systems are polymer insulators, which have stricter requirements that are more difficult to achieve compared to those of HVAC insulators. In this study, we investigated the optimal design of HVDC polymer insulators by using a DC electric field analysis and experiments. The physical properties of the polymer specimens were analyzed to develop an optimal HVDC polymer material, and four polymer specimens were prepared for DC breakdown experiments. Single and reverse polarity breakdown tests were conducted to analyze the effect of temperature on the breakdown strength of the polymer. In addition, electric fields were analyzed via simulations, in which a small-scale polymer insulator model was applied to prevent dielectric breakdown due to electric field concentration, with four DC operating conditions taken into consideration. The experimental results show that the electrical breakdown strength and the electric field distribution exhibit significant differences in relation to different DC polarity transition procedures.

Dielectrophoretic systems without embedded electrodes

DOEpatents

Cummings, Eric B [Livermore, CA; Singh, Anup K [San Francisco, CA

2006-03-21

Method and apparatus for dielectrophoretic separation of particles in a fluid based using array of insulating structures arranged in a fluid flow channel. By utilizing an array of insulating structures, a spatially inhomogeneous electric field is created without the use of the embedded electrodes conventionally employed for dielectrophoretic separations. Moreover, by using these insulating structures a steady applied electric field has been shown to provide for dielectrophoresis in contrast to the conventional use of an alternating electric field. In a uniform array of posts, dielectrophoretic effects have been produced flows having significant pressure-driven and electrokinetic transport. Above a threshold applied electric field, filaments of concentrated and rarefied particles appear in the flow as a result of dielectrophoresis. Above a higher threshold applied voltage, dielectrophoresis produces zones of highly concentrated and immobilized particles. These patterns are strongly influenced by the angle of the array of insulating structures with respect to the mean applied electric field and the shape of the insulating structures.

Metal-insulator transition of valence-controlled VO2 thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering using oxygen radical

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suetsugu, Takaaki; Shimazu, Yuichi; Tsuchiya, Takashi; Kobayashi, Masaki; Minohara, Makoto; Sakai, Enju; Horiba, Koji; Kumigashira, Hiroshi; Higuchi, Tohru

2016-06-01

We have prepared b-axis-oriented VO2 thin films by RF magnetron sputtering using oxygen radicals as the reactive gas. The VO2 thin films consist of a mixed-valence V3+/V4+ state formed by oxygen vacancies. The V3+ ratio strongly depends on the film thickness and the oxygen partial pressure of the radical gun during deposition. The lattice constant of the b-axis increases and the metal-insulator transition (MIT) temperature decreases with decreasing V3+ ratio, although the VO2 thin films with a high V3+ ratio of 42% do not exhibit MIT. The bandwidths and spectral weights of V 3d a1g and \\text{e}\\text{g}σ bands at around the Fermi level, which correspond to the insulating phase at 300 K, are smaller in the VO2 thin films with a low V3+ ratio. These results indicate that the control of the mixed-valence V3+/V4+ state is important for the MIT of b-axis-oriented VO2 thin films.

Surface modification of polyimide gate insulators for solution-processed 2,7-didecyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C10-BTBT) thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Jang, Kwang-Suk; Kim, Won Soo; Won, Jong-Myung; Kim, Yun-Ho; Myung, Sung; Ka, Jae-Won; Kim, Jinsoo; Ahn, Taek; Yi, Mi Hye

2013-01-21

The surface property of a polyimide gate insulator was successfully modified with an n-octadecyl side-chain. Alkyl chain-grafted poly(amic acid), the polyimide precursor, was synthesized using the diamine comonomer with an alkyl side-chain. By adding a base catalyst to the poly(amic acid) coating solution, the imidization temperature of the spin-coated film could be reduced to 200 °C. The 350 nm-thick polyimide film had a dielectric constant of 3.3 at 10 kHz and a leakage current density of less than 8.7 × 10(-10) A cm(-2), while biased from 0 to 100 V. To investigate the potential of the alkyl chain-grafted polyimide film as a gate insulator for solution-processed organic thin-film transistors (TFTs), we fabricated C(10)-BTBT TFTs. C(10)-BTBT was deposited on the alkyl chain-grafted polyimide gate insulator by spin-coating, forming a well-ordered crystal structure. The field-effect mobility and the on/off current ratio of the TFT device were measured to be 0.20-0.56 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and >10(5), respectively.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leng, X.; Pereiro, J.; Strle, J.

Tungsten oxide and its associated bronzes (compounds of tungsten oxide and an alkali metal) are well known for their interesting optical and electrical characteristics. We have modified the transport properties of thin WO 3 films by electrolyte gating using both ionic liquids and polymer electrolytes. We are able to tune the resistivity of the gated film by more than five orders of magnitude, and a clear insulator-to-metal transition is observed. To clarify the doping mechanism, we have performed a series of incisive operando experiments, ruling out both a purely electronic effect (charge accumulation near the interface) and oxygen-related mechanisms. Wemore » propose instead that hydrogen intercalation is responsible for doping WO 3 into a highly conductive ground state and provide evidence that it can be described as a dense polaronic gas.« less

A novel X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the Al/SiO2 interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hecht, M. H.; Vasquez, R. P.; Grunthaner, F. J.; Zamani, N.; Maserjian, J.

1985-01-01

The nondestructive measurement of the chemical and physical characteristics of the interface between bulk SiO2 and thick aluminum films is reported. Both X-ray phototelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical measurements of unannealed, resistively evaporated Al films on thermal SiO2 indicate an atomically abrupt interface. Post metallization annealing at 450 C induces reduction of the SiO2 by the aluminum, at a rate consistent with the bulk reaction rate. The XPS measurement is performed from the SiO2 side after the removal of the Si substrate with XeF2 gas and thinning of the SiO2 layer with HF:ETOH. This represents a powerful new approach to the study of metal-insulator and related interfaces.

Subthreshold characteristics of pentacene field-effect transistors influenced by grain boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jaehoon; Jeong, Ye-Sul; Park, Kun-Sik; Do, Lee-Mi; Bae, Jin-Hyuk; Sun Choi, Jong; Pearson, Christopher; Petty, Michael

2012-05-01

Grain boundaries in polycrystalline pentacene films significantly affect the electrical characteristics of pentacene field-effect transistors (FETs). Upon reversal of the gate voltage sweep direction, pentacene FETs exhibited hysteretic behaviours in the subthreshold region, which was more pronounced for the FET having smaller pentacene grains. No shift in the flat-band voltage of the metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitor elucidates that the observed hysteresis was mainly caused by the influence of localized trap states existing at pentacene grain boundaries. From the results of continuous on/off switching operation of the pentacene FETs, hole depletion during the off period is found to be limited by pentacene grain boundaries. It is suggested that the polycrystalline nature of a pentacene film plays an important role on the dynamic characteristics of pentacene FETs.

Microstructural and magneto-transport characterization of Bi2SexTe3-x topological insulator thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Zhenghe; Kumar, Raj; Hunte, Frank; Narayan, Jay; Kim, Ki Wook; North Carolina State University Team

Bi2SexTe3-x topological insulator thin films were grown on Al2O3 (0001) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). XRD and other structural characterization measurements confirm the growth of the textured Bi2SexTe3-x thin films on Al2O3 substrate. The magneto-transport properties of thick and thin Þlms were investigated to study the effect of thickness on the topological insulator properties of the Bi2SexTe3 - x films. A pronounced semiconducting behavior with a highly insulating ground state was observed in the resistivity vs. temperature data. The presence of the weak anti-localization (WAL) effect with a sharp cusp in the magnetoresistance measurements confirms the 2-D surface transport originating from the TSS in Bi2SexTe3-x TI films. A high fraction of surface transport is observed in the Bi2SexTe3-x TI thin films which decreases in Bi2SexTe3-x TI thick films. The Cosine (θ) dependence of the WAL effect supports the observation of a high proportion of 2-D surface state contribution to overall transport properties of the Bi2SexTe3-x TI thin films. Our results show promise that high quality Bi2SexTe3-x TI thin films with significant surface transport can be grown by PLD method to exploit the exotic properties of the surface transport in future generation spintronic devices. This work was supported, in part, by National Science Foundation ECCS-1306400 and FAME.

Enhanced tunability of electrical and magnetic properties in (La,Sr)MnO3 thin films via field-assisted oxygen vacancy modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Hon Fai; Ng, Sheung Mei; Cheng, Wang Fai; Liu, Yukuai; Chen, Xinxin; von Nordheim, Danny; Mak, Chee Leung; Dai, Jiyan; Ploss, Bernd; Leung, Chi Wah

2017-12-01

We investigated the tunability of the transport and magnetic properties in 7.5 nm La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) epitaxial films in a field effect geometry with the ferroelectric copolymer P(VDF-TrFE) as the gate insulator. Two different switching behaviors were observed upon application of gate voltages with either high or low magnitudes. The application of single voltage pulses of alternating polarity with an amplitude high enough to switch the remanent polarization of the ferroelectric copolymer led to a 15% change of the resistance of the LSMO channel at temperature 300 K (but less than 1% change at 20 K). A minimal shift of the peak in the resistance-temperature plot was observed, implying that the Curie temperature TC of the manganite layer is not changed. Alternatively, the application of a chain of low voltage pulses was found to shift TC by more than 16 K, and a change of the channel resistance by a 45% was obtained. We attribute this effect to the field-assisted injection and removal of oxygen vacancies in the LSMO layer, which can occur across the thickness of the oxide film. By controlling the oxygen migration, the low-field switching route offers a simple method for modulating the electric and magnetic properties of manganite films.

Sub-Micrometer Zeolite Films on Gold-Coated Silicon Wafers with Single-Crystal-Like Dielectric Constant and Elastic Modulus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tiriolo, Raffaele; Rangnekar, Neel; Zhang, Han

A low-temperature synthesis coupled with mild activation produces zeolite films exhibiting low dielectric constant (low-k) matching the theoretically predicted and experimentally measured values for single crystals. This synthesis and activation method allows for the fabrication of a device consisting of a b-oriented film of the pure-silica zeolite MFI (silicalite-1) supported on a gold-coated silicon wafer. The zeolite seeds are assembled by a manual assembly process and subjected to optimized secondary growth conditions that do not cause corrosion of the gold underlayer, while strongly promoting in-plane growth. The traditional calcination process is replaced with a non-thermal photochemical activation to ensure preservationmore » of an intact gold layer. The dielectric constant (k), obtained through measurement of electrical capacitance in a metal-insulator-metal configuration, highlights the ultralow k approximate to 1.7 of the synthetized films, which is among the lowest values reported for an MFI film. There is large improvement in elastic modulus of the film (E approximate to 54 GPa) over previous reports, potentially allowing for integration into silicon wafer processing technology.« less

Advancement Of Tritium Powered Betavoltaic Battery Systems FY16 EOY Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staack, G.; Gaillard, J.; Hitchcock, D.

2016-10-12

The goal of this work is to increase the power output of tritium-powered betavoltaic batteries and investigate the change in power output and film resistance in real-time during tritium loading of adsorbent films. To this end, several tritium-compatible test vessels with the capability of measuring both the resistivity of a tritium trapping film and the power output of a betavoltaic device in-situ have been designed and fabricated using four electrically insulated feedthroughs in tritium-compatible load cells. Energy conversion devices were received from Widetronix, a betavoltaic manufacturing firm based in Ithaca, NY. Thin films were deposited on the devices and cappedmore » with palladium to facilitate hydrogen loading. Gold contacts were then deposited on top of the films to allow resistivity measurements of the film during hydrogen loading. Finally, the chips were wire bonded and installed in the test cells. The cells were then baked-out under vacuum and leak checked at temperature to reduce the chances of tritium leaks during loading. Following the bake-out, IV curves were measured to verify no internal wires were compromised, and the cells were delivered to Tritium for loading. Tritium loading is anticipated in October, 2017.« less

Investigating compositional effects of atomic layer deposition ternary dielectric Ti-Al-O on metal-insulator-semiconductor heterojunction capacitor structure for gate insulation of InAlN/GaN and AlGaN/GaN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colon, Albert; Stan, Liliana; Divan, Ralu

Gate insulation/surface passivation in AlGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors is a major concern for passivation of surface traps and reduction of gate leakage current. However, finding the most appropriate gate dielectric materials is challenging and often involves a compromise of the required properties such as dielectric constant, conduction/valence band-offsets, or thermal stability. Creating a ternary compound such as Ti-Al-O and tailoring its composition may result in a reasonably good gate material in terms of the said properties. To date, there is limited knowledge of the performance of ternary dielectric compounds on AlGaN/GaN and even less on InAlN/GaN. To approachmore » this problem, the authors fabricated metal-insulator-semiconductor heterojunction (MISH) capacitors with ternary dielectrics Ti-Al-O of various compositions, deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The film deposition was achieved by alternating cycles of TiO2 and Al2O3 using different ratios of ALD cycles. TiO2 was also deposited as a reference sample. The electrical characterization of the MISH capacitors shows an overall better performance of ternary compounds compared to the pure TiO2. The gate leakage current density decreases with increasing Al content, being similar to 2-3 orders of magnitude lower for a TiO2:Al2O3 cycle ratio of 2:1. Although the dielectric constant has the highest value of 79 for TiO2 and decreases with increasing the number of Al2O3 cycles, it is maintaining a relatively high value compared to an Al2O3 film. Capacitance voltage sweeps were also measured in order to characterize the interface trap density. A decreasing trend in the interface trap density was found while increasing Al content in the film. In conclusion, our study reveals that the desired high-kappa properties of TiO2 can be adequately maintained while improving other insulator performance factors. The ternary compounds may be an excellent choice as a gate material for both AlGaN/GaN and InAlN/GaN based devices.« less

Technique eliminates high voltage arcing at electrode-insulator contact area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mealy, G.

1967-01-01

Coating the electrode-insulator contact area with silver epoxy conductive paint and forcing the electrode and insulator tightly together into a permanent connection, eliminates electrical arcing in high-voltage electrodes supplying electrical power to vacuum facilities.

Electronic evidence of an insulator-superconductor crossover in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films.

PubMed

He, Junfeng; Liu, Xu; Zhang, Wenhao; Zhao, Lin; Liu, Defa; He, Shaolong; Mou, Daixiang; Li, Fangsen; Tang, Chenjia; Li, Zhi; Wang, Lili; Peng, Yingying; Liu, Yan; Chen, Chaoyu; Yu, Li; Liu, Guodong; Dong, Xiaoli; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Chuangtian; Xu, Zuyan; Chen, Xi; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun; Zhou, X J

2014-12-30

In high-temperature cuprate superconductors, it is now generally agreed that superconductivity is realized by doping an antiferromagnetic Mott (charge transfer) insulator. The doping-induced insulator-to-superconductor transition has been widely observed in cuprates, which provides important information for understanding the superconductivity mechanism. In the iron-based superconductors, however, the parent compound is mostly antiferromagnetic bad metal, raising a debate on whether an appropriate starting point should go with an itinerant picture or a localized picture. No evidence of doping-induced insulator-superconductor transition (or crossover) has been reported in the iron-based compounds so far. Here, we report an electronic evidence of an insulator-superconductor crossover observed in the single-layer FeSe film grown on a SrTiO3 substrate. By taking angle-resolved photoemission measurements on the electronic structure and energy gap, we have identified a clear evolution of an insulator to a superconductor with increasing carrier concentration. In particular, the insulator-superconductor crossover in FeSe/SrTiO3 film exhibits similar behaviors to that observed in the cuprate superconductors. Our results suggest that the observed insulator-superconductor crossover may be associated with the two-dimensionality that enhances electron localization or correlation. The reduced dimensionality and the interfacial effect provide a new pathway in searching for new phenomena and novel superconductors with a high transition temperature.

Design analysis of ceramic and polymer 150 kV insulators for tropical condition using quickfield software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walukow, Stephy B.; Manjang, Salama; Zainuddin, Zahir; Samman, Faizal Arya

2018-03-01

This research is to analyze design of ceramic and polymer 150 kV insulators for the tropical area. The use of an insulator certainly requires an electric field. The leakage current and breakdown voltage this happens the contaminant on the surface of the insulator. This type of contaminant can be rain, dust, salt air, extreme weather (much in tropical climates), industrial pollutants and cracks on the surface resulting in collisions. The method used in this research is magnetic field and electric field isolator using Quicfield software. To get the test results variation ranges 20 kV, 70 kV and 150 kV. Side effects of magnetic and electric fields around the insulator. The simulation results show the accumulated contaminants on the surface. Planning should be done in insulator insulator on unstable insulator. Thus, the approach using this commercially available software can be applied to. Therefore, the development of further simulations on the different types of composite insulators used on.

Fabrication and characterization of Aerogel-Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) Insulation Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, Yeoung ah; Song, Sinae; Taik Kim, Hee

2018-03-01

The building has a large impact on the space heating demand and the indoor environment is affected by climate or daylight. Hence, silica aerogel has generally used as a film to reduce the coefficient of the window in the building. Silica aerogel is a suitable material to apply for insulation material with lower thermal conductivity than that of air to save interior energy. However expensive precursor and drying process were the main issue of the silica aerogel synthesis and practical usage. We attempt to fabricate aerogel insulation film for energy saving through the economic process under ambient pressure. Silica aerogel was synthesized from rice husk ash, which was an agricultural waste to be able to recycle. Taguchi design was used to optimize the parameters (amount of rice husk ash, pH, aging time) controlling the surface area of silica aerogel. The silica aerogel is prepared by sol-gel processing through acidic treatment and aging. The silica aerogel was obtained by modification of silica hydrogel surface and dry at ambient pressure. Finally, aerogel film was respectively fabricated by the different content of aerogel in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Silica aerogel obtained 21 – 24nm average particle size was analyzed by SEM and silica aerogel with high surface area (832.26 m2/g), pore size ( 3.30nm ) was characterized by BET. Then silica Aerogel – PDMS insulation film with thermal conductivity (0.002 W/mK) was analyzed by thermal wave system. The study demonstrates an eco-friendly and low-cost route toward silica – PDMS insulation film with low thermal conductivity (0.002 W/mK).

Solution-derived SiO2 gate insulator formed by CO2 laser annealing for polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hishitani, Daisuke; Horita, Masahiro; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Ikenoue, Hiroshi; Uraoka, Yukiharu

2017-05-01

The formation of perhydropolysilazane (PHPS)-based SiO2 films by CO2 laser annealing is proposed. Irradiation with a CO2 laser with optimum fluence transformed a prebaked PHPS film into a SiO2 film with uniform composition in the thickness direction. Polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) with a SiO2 film as the gate insulator were fabricated. When the SiO2 film was formed by CO2 laser annealing (CO2LA) at the optimum fluence of 20 mJ/cm2, the film had fewer OH groups which was one-twentieth that of the furnace annealed PHPS film and one-hundredth that of the SiO2 film deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The resulting TFTs using PHPS showed a clear transistor operation with a field-effect mobility of 37.9 ± 1.2 cm2 V-1 s-1, a threshold voltage of 9.8 ± 0.2 V, and a subthreshold swing of 0.76 ± 0.02 V/decade. The characteristics of such TFTs were as good as those of a poly-Si TFT with a SiO2 gate insulator prepared by PECVD using TEOS.

Forming Refractory Insulation On Copper Wire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Setlock, J.; Roberts, G.

1995-01-01

Alternative insulating process forms flexible coat of uncured refractory insulating material on copper wire. Coated wire formed into coil or other complex shape. Wire-coating apparatus forms "green" coat on copper wire. After wire coiled, heating converts "green" coat to refractory electrical insulator. When cured to final brittle form, insulating material withstands temperatures above melting temperature of wire. Process used to make coils for motors, solenoids, and other electrical devices to be operated at high temperatures.

Breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 in severely non-uniform electric fields at low temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Gao, Z. W.; Li, G. X.; Zhu, X. C.; Yu, C. L.; Liang, J. Q.; Li, L.

2018-01-01

SF6 has good electrical insulating properties, which is widely used as an insulating medium of GIS, GIL and other electrical equipment. However, the reliability of electrical equipments´ insulated gas is greatly challenged in cold areas, since SF6 more readily liquefies. To solve the problem, SF6 can be mixed with N2 to maintain the insulating properties, and reduce its liquefaction temperature. Such practice has certain application prospect. In this paper, a breakdown experimental platform was built to study the insulating property of SF6/N2 at low temperature, wherein the temperature of the platform can be adjusted. A severely non-uniform electric field was generated by a rod-plate electrode. The breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 with different mixing proportions at low pressures and low temperatures were measured. The result showed that the mixed gas was not liquefied within the temperature range. Temperature had insignificant influence on the insulating property thereof. The result in the paper has certain guiding significance for applying SF6/N2 mixed gas in high latitude areas.

Duality picture of Superconductor-insulator transitions on Superconducting nanowire.

PubMed

Makise, Kazumasa; Terai, Hirotaka; Tominari, Yukihiro; Tanaka, Shukichi; Shinozaki, Bunju

2016-06-17

In this study, we investigated the electrical transport properties of niobium titanium nitride (NbTiN) nanowire with four-terminal geometries to clarify the superconducting phase slip phenomena and superconducting-insulator transitions (SIT) for one-dimensional superconductors. We fabricated various nanowires with different widths and lengths from epitaxial NbTiN films using the electron beam lithography method. The temperature dependence of resistance R(T) below the superconducting transition temperature Tc was analyzed using thermal activation phase slip (TAPS) and quantum phase slip (QPS) theories. Although the accuracy of experimental data at low temperatures can deviate when using the TAPS model, the QPS model thoroughly represents the R(T) characteristic with resistive tail at low temperatures. From the analyses of data on Tc, we found that NbTiN nanowires exhibit SIT because of the change in the ratio of kinetic inductance energy and QPS amplitude energy with respect to the flux-charge duality theory.

Thermal conductance of Nb thin films at sub-kelvin temperatures.

PubMed

Feshchenko, A V; Saira, O-P; Peltonen, J T; Pekola, J P

2017-02-03

We determine the thermal conductance of thin niobium (Nb) wires on a silica substrate in the temperature range of 0.1-0.6 K using electron thermometry based on normal metal-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions. We find that at 0.6 K, the thermal conductance of Nb is two orders of magnitude lower than that of Al in the superconducting state, and two orders of magnitude below the Wiedemann-Franz conductance calculated with the normal state resistance of the wire. The measured thermal conductance exceeds the prediction of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, and demonstrates a power law dependence on temperature as T 4.5 , instead of an exponential one. At the same time, we monitor the temperature profile of the substrate along the Nb wire to observe possible overheating of the phonon bath. We show that Nb can be successfully used for thermal insulation in a nanoscale circuit while simultaneously providing an electrical connection.

Metal-Insulator Transition Driven by Vacancy Ordering in GeSbTe Phase Change Materials.

PubMed

Bragaglia, Valeria; Arciprete, Fabrizio; Zhang, Wei; Mio, Antonio Massimiliano; Zallo, Eugenio; Perumal, Karthick; Giussani, Alessandro; Cecchi, Stefano; Boschker, Jos Emiel; Riechert, Henning; Privitera, Stefania; Rimini, Emanuele; Mazzarello, Riccardo; Calarco, Raffaella

2016-04-01

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are unique compounds employed in non-volatile random access memory thanks to the rapid and reversible transformation between the amorphous and crystalline state that display large differences in electrical and optical properties. In addition to the amorphous-to-crystalline transition, experimental results on polycrystalline GeSbTe alloys (GST) films evidenced a Metal-Insulator Transition (MIT) attributed to disorder in the crystalline phase. Here we report on a fundamental advance in the fabrication of GST with out-of-plane stacking of ordered vacancy layers by means of three distinct methods: Molecular Beam Epitaxy, thermal annealing and application of femtosecond laser pulses. We assess the degree of vacancy ordering and explicitly correlate it with the MIT. We further tune the ordering in a controlled fashion attaining a large range of resistivity. Employing ordered GST might allow the realization of cells with larger programming windows.

Thermal conductance of Nb thin films at sub-kelvin temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feshchenko, A. V.; Saira, O.-P.; Peltonen, J. T.; Pekola, J. P.

2017-02-01

We determine the thermal conductance of thin niobium (Nb) wires on a silica substrate in the temperature range of 0.1-0.6 K using electron thermometry based on normal metal-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions. We find that at 0.6 K, the thermal conductance of Nb is two orders of magnitude lower than that of Al in the superconducting state, and two orders of magnitude below the Wiedemann-Franz conductance calculated with the normal state resistance of the wire. The measured thermal conductance exceeds the prediction of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, and demonstrates a power law dependence on temperature as T4.5, instead of an exponential one. At the same time, we monitor the temperature profile of the substrate along the Nb wire to observe possible overheating of the phonon bath. We show that Nb can be successfully used for thermal insulation in a nanoscale circuit while simultaneously providing an electrical connection.