Rapid ultrasensitive and specific BNP biosensor with LED readout.

Biosensing for diagnostics has risen rapidly in popularity over the past decades. With the discovery of new nanomaterials and morphologies, sensitivity is being constantly improved enough for reliable detection of trace biomarkers in human samples, like serum or sweat. This precision has enabled detailed research on the efficacy of biosensors. However, current biosensors suffer from reduced speed of operation. To make better use of this sensitivity, the development of a conductometric biosensor with in-situ use of an Laser Emitting Device (LED) display can provide rapid determination of sample results, steadily pushing biosensors toward more clinical, point-of-care (POC) applications. In this research, a simple LED was used for facile optical determination and visual output of an ultrasensitive bio-signal amplification circuit was made to interface with a B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) biosensor. Tuning circuit gain enables an elegant method for adjustable separation of concentrations into 3 discrete categories: sub-threshold, analog, and saturation regions. These regions corresponded to 0 < [C] < 500 pg/mL (25, 100, 250 pg/mL, LED off), 500 < [C] < 1000 pg/mL (LED varying intensity), and 1000 pg/mL < [C] (LED full intensity). System efficacy was tested using human blood serum samples from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center patients, which were able to be accurately detected and sorted for rapid low cost and power. determination without need for complex digital elements. Additional specificity testing suggests insignificant impact of non-target biomarkers.

Incorporation of Si and Zr into Pure HfO2 and Its Effects on Dielectric Integrity.

Hafnium-silicate (HfSiO4, (HfO2)x(SiO2)1-x) and hafnium-zirconate (HfZrO4, (HfO2)x(ZrO2)1-x) films were employed as a gate dielectric to enhance the electrical properties of pure HfO2. (HfO2)x(SiO2)1-x and (HfO2)x(ZrO2)1-x films were formed onto p-Si substrates with varying degrees of Hf content x (x = 1, 0.9, 0.7, and 0.5) via solution processing. With regard to (HfO2)x(SiO2)1-x, the leakage current decreased from 1.94 × 10-8 to 4.29 × 10-9 A/cm2 at a gate voltage of VG = -1 V when the HfO2 content was reduced. These resulted from the reduction of leakage paths through the interface between HfSiO4 and Si substrate. Additionally, (HfO2)x(ZrO2)1-x exhibited the lowest interfacial trap density of 3.4 × 1011 cm-2 eV-1 for x = 0.5 due to a reduction in root mean square (RMS) roughness of the film from 6.0 to 4.2 nm. From the results, it was found that (HfO2)0.5(SiO2)0.5 demonstrated excellent oxide integrity in contact with Si substrates, whereas (HfO2)0.5(ZrO2)0.5 demonstrated an enhanced film morphology and maintained a high dielectric constant value. Finally, the HfZrO4/HfSiO4/Si structure revealed a gate oxide with enhanced integrity compared to pure HfO2-based devices.

Investigation of the Charge Balance in Green Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes by Controlling the Mixed Host Emission Layer.

In this paper, we investigated the use of a mixed host emission layer (MH-EML) in green phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The hole transport type (p-type) material (4,4'-Bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP)) and electron transport type (N-type) material (2,2',2″-(1,3,5-Benzinetriyl)-tris(1-phenyl-1-H-benzimidazole) (TPBi)) were mixed with different ratios. The electrons were easily injected through the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of TPBi in the mixed host system. Also, holes were confined in the EML because of the deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of TPBi (6.7 eV). These results indicate that excitons were formed effectively and the recombination zone became wider under a high electric field in MH-EML devices. For these reasons, the lifetime of the MH-OLED device was 1.36 times higher than that of a single host emission layer (SH-EML) device and showed a reduction in Joule heating. Finally, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) roll-off ratio from 1 mA/cm2 to 100 mA/cm2 in the optimized device (30.46%) was 18.12%p lower than that of the SH-EML (48.58%).

Electrical Characterization of Charge Polarity in AlF3 Anti-Reflection Layers for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Image Sensors.

In this study, the charge polarity of aluminum fluoride (AlF3) as a function of varying thickness (tAlF3 = 20, 35, 50, 65, and 80 nm) was discussed. AlF3 films were deposited onto p-Si wafers via electron beam sputtering. Thickness dependent charge polarity and reliability issues under bias-temperature stress conditions were identified using a capacitance-voltage (C-V) characterization method. AlF3 was found to possess negative fixed charges, leading to a C-V curve shift toward the positive gate bias direction as tAlF3 was increased up to 50 nm. On the contrary, the C-V characteristics were dominantly affected by the positive charges of mobile ions and/or fluorine vacancies when tAlF3 was increased to more than 50 nm. Additionally, negative bias temperature stress (1 MV/cm, 473 K for 10 mins) increased insulator trapped charges and decreased interface traps in 20 nm thick AlF3 films. These results could be attributed to positively charged fluorine vacancies introduced by broken Al-F bonds within AlF3 films and the passivation of Si dangling bonds due to broken fluorine ions at the interface, respectively. It was believed that 20 nm thick AlF3 films sufficiently attracted holes from the Si substrate, forming a hole accumulation layer on the surface due to total charge polarity of the AlF3 dielectric being entirely governed by negative fixed charges as the thickness of AlF3 decreased. Based on these results, AlF3 films are proposed for use as an anti-reflection layer to replace HfO2 in CMOS image sensors.

Leakage Current Analysis Method for Metal Insulator Semiconductor Capacitors Through Low-Frequency Noise Measurement.

Use of thinner oxides to improve the operating speed of a complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) device causes serious gate leakage problems. Leakage current of the dielectric analysis method has I-V, C-V, and charge pumping, but the procedure is very complicated. In this premier work, we analyzed the leakage current of metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) capacitors with different initiators through low-frequency noise (LFN) measurement with simplicity and high sensitivity. The LFN measurement results show a correlation between power spectral density (SIG) and gate leakage current (IG). MIS capacitors of hafnium zirconium silicate (HZS, (HfZrO4)1-x (SiO2)x) were used for the experiments with varying SiO2 ratio (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2) of hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO, HfZrO4). As the SiO2 ratio increased, the leakage current decreased according to J-V measurement. Further, the C-V measurement confirmed that the oxide-trapped charge (Not) increased with increasing SiO2 ratio. Finally, the LFN measurement method revealed that the cause of leakage current reduction was trap density reduction of the insulator.

Analysis of the Electrical Properties of an Electron Injection Layer in Alq3-Based Organic Light Emitting Diodes.

We investigated the carrier transfer and luminescence characteristics of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) with structure ITO/HAT-CN/NPB/Alq3/Al, ITO/HAT-CN/NPB/Alq3/Liq/Al, and ITO/HAT-CN/NPB/Alq3/LiF/A. The performance of the OLED device is improved by inserting an electron injection layer (EIL), which induces lowering of the electron injection barrier. We also investigated the electrical transport behaviors of p-Si/Alq3/Al, p-Si/Alq3/Liq/Al, and p-Si/Alq3/LiF/Al Schottky diodes, by using current-voltage (L-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characterization methods. The parameters of diode quality factor n and barrier height φ(b) were dependent on the interlayer materials between Alq3 and Al. The barrier heights φ(b) were 0.59, 0.49, and 0.45 eV, respectively, and the diode quality factors n were 1.34, 1.31, and 1.30, respectively, obtained from the I-V characteristics. The built in potentials V(bi) were 0.41, 0.42, and 0.42 eV, respectively, obtained from the C-V characteristics. In this experiment, Liq and LiF thin film layers improved the carrier transport behaviors by increasing electron injection from Al to Alq3, and the LiF schottky diode showed better I-V performance than the Liq schottky diode. We confirmed that a Liq or LiF thin film inter-layer governs electron and hole transport at the Al/Alq3 interface, and has an important role in determining the electrical properties of OLED devices.

Trap Profiling Based on Frequency Varied Charge Pumping Method for Hot Carrier Stressed Thin Gate Oxide Metal Oxide Semiconductors Field Effect Transistors.

In this study, pulse frequency and reverse bias voltage is modified in charge pumping and advanced technique is presented to extract oxide trap profile in hot carrier stressed thin gate oxide metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). Carrier trapping-detrapping in a gate oxide was analyzed after hot carrier stress and the relationship between trapping depth and frequency was investigated. Hot carrier induced interface traps appears in whole channel area but induced border traps mainly appears in above pinch-off region near drain and gradually decreases toward center of the channel. Thus, hot carrier stress causes interface trap generation in whole channel area while most border trap generation occurs in the drain region under the gate. Ultimately, modified charge pumping method was performed to get trap density distribution of hot carrier stressed MOSFET devices, and the trapping-detrapping mechanism is also analyzed.