High-performance visible to near-infrared photodetectors by using (Cd,Zn)Te single crystal.

The authors report on a high-performance metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector fabricated on the Cd0.96Zn0.04Te single crystal with the photoresponse from visible to near infrared region. Benefitting from the high-quality single crystallization, an ultra-low dark current of ~10-10 A was obtained at a high applied voltage of 10 V, leading to a photo-to-dark-current ratio of more than 103 at 700 nm light illumination. The highest responsivity is estimated to be 1.43 A/W with a specific detectivity of 3.31 × 1012 Jones at 10 V at a relatively lower injection power density. The discrimination ratio between the near infrared region of 800 nm and 900 nm is almost 102, which is high enough for the accurate spectra selectivity. The MSM photodetector also exhibits a fast response speed of ~800 µs and extremely low persistent photoconductivity (PPC), while the PPC is inhibited at high temperatures.

An Overview of High-k Oxides on Hydrogenated-Diamond for Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Capacitors and Field-Effect Transistors.

Thanks to its excellent intrinsic properties, diamond is promising for applications of high-power electronic devices, ultraviolet detectors, biosensors, high-temperature tolerant gas sensors, etc. Here, an overview of high-k oxides on hydrogenated-diamond (H-diamond) for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors and MOS field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is demonstrated. Fabrication routines for the H-diamond MOS capacitors and MOSFETs, band configurations of oxide/H-diamond heterointerfaces, and electrical properties of the MOS and MOSFETs are summarized and discussed. High-k oxide insulators are deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and sputtering deposition (SD) techniques. Electrical properties of the H-diamond MOS capacitors with high-k oxides of ALD-Al2O3, ALD-HfO2, ALD-HfO2/ALD-Al2O3 multilayer, SD-HfO2/ALD-HfO2 bilayer, SD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3 bilayer, and ALD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3 bilayer are discussed. Analyses for capacitance-voltage characteristics of them show that there are low fixed and trapped charge densities for the ALD-Al2O3/H-diamond and SD-HfO2/ALD-HfO2/H-diamond MOS capacitors. The k value of 27.2 for the ALD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3 bilayer is larger than those of the other oxide insulators. Drain-source current versus voltage curves show distinct pitch-off and p-type channel characteristics for the ALD-Al2O3/H-diamond, SD-HfO2/ALD-HfO2/H-diamond, and ALD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3/H-diamond MOSFETs. Understanding of fabrication routines and electrical properties for the high-k oxide/H-diamond MOS electronic devices is meaningful for the fabrication of high-performance H-diamond MOS capacitor and MOSFET gas sensors.

Self-assembling diacetylene molecules on atomically flat insulators.

Single crystal sapphire and diamond surfaces are used as planar, atomically flat insulating surfaces, for the deposition of the diacetylene compound 10,12-nonacosadiynoic acid. The surface assembly is compared with results on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and MoS2 surfaces. A perfectly flat-lying monolayer of 10,12-nonacosadiynoic acid self-assembles on h-BN like on HOPG and MoS2. On sapphire and oxidized diamond surfaces, we observed assemblies of standing-up molecular layers. Surface assembly is driven by surface electrostatic dipoles. Surface polarity is partially controlled using a hydrogenated diamond surface or totally screened by the deposition of a graphene layer on the sapphire surface. This results in a perfectly flat and organized SAM on graphene, which is ready for on-surface polymerization of long and isolated molecular wires under ambient conditions.

Experimental Formation and Mechanism Study for Super-High Dielectric Constant AlOx/TiOy Nanolaminates.

Super-high dielectric constant (k) AlOx/TiOy nanolaminates (ATO NLs) are deposited by an atomic layer deposition technique for application in next-generation electronics. Individual multilayers with uniform thicknesses are formed for the ATO NLs. With an increase in AlOx content in each ATO sublayer, the shape of the Raman spectrum has a tendency to approach that of a single AlOx layer. The effects of ATO NL deposition conditions on the electrical properties of the metal/ATO NL/metal capacitors were investigated. A lower deposition temperature, thicker ATO NL, and lower TiOy content in each ATO sublayer can lead to a lower leakage current and smaller loss tangent at 1 kHz for the capacitors. A higher deposition temperature, larger number of ATO interfaces, and higher TiOy content in each ATO sublayer are important for obtaining higher k values for the ATO NLs. With an increase in resistance in the capacitors, the ATO NLs vary from semiconductors to insulators and their k values have a tendency to decrease. For most of the capacitors, the capacitances reduce with increments in absolute measurement voltage. There are semi-circular shapes for the impedance spectra of the capacitors. By fitting them with the equivalent circuit, it is observed that with the increase in absolute voltage, both parallel resistance and capacitance decrease. The variation in the capacitance is explained well by a novel double-Schottky electrode contact model. The formation of super-high k values for the semiconducting ATO NLs is possibly attributed to the accumulation of charges.

Edge-of-chaos learning achieved by ion-electron-coupled dynamics in an ion-gating reservoir.

Physical reservoir computing has recently been attracting attention for its ability to substantially reduce the computational resources required to process time series data. However, the physical reservoirs that have been reported to date have had insufficient computational capacity, and most of them have a large volume, which makes their practical application difficult. Here, we describe the development of a Li+ electrolyte-based ion-gating reservoir (IGR), with ion-electron-coupled dynamics, for use in high-performance physical reservoir computing. A variety of synaptic responses were obtained in response to past experience, which were stored as transient charge density patterns in an electric double layer, at the Li+ electrolyte/diamond interface. Performance for a second-order nonlinear dynamical equation task is one order of magnitude higher than memristor-based reservoirs. The edge-of-chaos state of the IGR enabled the best computational capacity. The IGR described here opens the way for high-performance and integrated neural network devices.

Stress effect on the resonance properties of single-crystal diamond cantilever resonators for microscopy applications.

Micro-cantilever beams have been widely used for surface sensing applications as well as atomic force microscope. However, surface stress appears in cantilever beams due to a variety of factors such as the absorption of molecules, temperature variations, materials imperfectness, and the fabrication process. Single-crystal diamond (SCD) has been regarded as an ideal material for cantilever sensors through the surface effect due to the outstanding mechanical rigidity and chemical inertness. In this paper, the authors report on the SCD cantilever beams fabricated by a smart-cut method with high quality factors up to 14 000 and stress characterization by surface geometry curvature observation and Raman microscopy. Although both surface geometry profile and Raman shift show the existence of surface stress in the SCD cantilever beams, the resonance properties are little influenced and maintain excellent rigidity and high quality. Therefore, the SCD-on-SCD resonator provides a promising platform for high-reliability microscopy applications.

The electric double layer effect and its strong suppression at Li+ solid electrolyte/hydrogenated diamond interfaces.

The electric double layer (EDL) effect at solid electrolyte/electrode interfaces has been a key topic in many energy and nanoelectronics applications (e.g., all-solid-state Li+ batteries and memristors). However, its characterization remains difficult in comparison with liquid electrolytes. Herein, we use a novel method to show that the EDL effect, and its suppression at solid electrolyte/electronic material interfaces, can be characterized on the basis of the electric conduction characteristics of hydrogenated diamond(H-diamond)-based EDL transistors (EDLTs). Whereas H-diamond-based EDLT with a Li-Si-Zr-O Li+ solid electrolyte showed EDL-induced hole density modulation over a range of up to three orders of magnitude, EDLT with a Li-La-Ti-O (LLTO) Li+ solid electrolyte showed negligible enhancement, which indicates strong suppression of the EDL effect. Such suppression is attributed to charge neutralization in the LLTO, which is due to variation in the valence state of the Ti ions present. The method described is useful for quantitatively evaluating the EDL effect in various solid electrolytes.

Bascule nanobridges self-assembled with ZnO nanowires as double Schottky barrier UV switches.

We report the fabrication of a double Schottky barrier (DSB) device by self-assembly of nanowires (NWs). The operating principle of the device is governed by the surface depletion effects of the NWs. High DSBs were formed at the contact interface of ZnO NWs self-assembled into bascule nanobridge (NB) structures. The bascule NB structures exhibited high sensitivity and fast response to UV illumination, having a photocurrent to dark current ratio > 10(4) and a recovery time as short as approximately 3 s. The enhanced UV photoresponse of the bascule NB structure is ascribed to the DSB, whose height is tunable with UV light, being high (approximately 0.77 eV) in dark and low under UV. The bascule NB structure provides a new type of optical switch for spectrally selective light sensing applications ranging from environmental monitoring to optical communication.

Surface morphology smoothing of a 2 inch-diameter GaN homoepitaxial layer observed by X-ray diffraction topography.

We investigated the surface morphology changes in a 2 inch-diameter, c-plane, free-standing GaN wafer using X-ray diffraction topography in a grazing-incidence geometry. We observed a decrease in the peak intensity and increase in the full width at half maximum of the GaN 112̄4 Bragg peak after the deposition of a homoepitaxial layer on the same GaN wafer. However, the lattice plane bending angles did not change after homoepitaxial layer deposition. Distorted-wave Born approximation calculations near the total external reflection condition revealed a decrease in the X-ray incidence angle of the 112̄4 Bragg peak after the homoepitaxial layer deposition. The decrease in both X-ray penetration and incidence angle induced broader and weaker diffraction peaks from the surface instead of the bulk GaN.

Epitaxial Combination of Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride with Single-Crystalline Diamond Substrate.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and diamond are promising materials for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics. However, their combination is rarely reported. In this study, we for the first time demonstrate the success to direct growth of two-dimensional (2D) hBN crystal layers on diamond substrates by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Compared with the disordered growth we found on diamond (100), atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy results all support 2D hBN with highly oriented lattice formation on diamond (111). Also, the epitaxial relationship between hBN and diamond (111) substrate is revealed to be [0 0 0 1]hBN // [1 1 1]diamond and [1 0 1̅ 0]hBN // [1 1 2̅]diamond. The valence band offset at hBN/diamond (111) heterointerface determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is 1.4 ± 0.2 eV, thus yielding a conduction band offset of 1.0 ± 0.2 eV and type II staggered band alignment with a bandgap of 5.9 eV assumed for hBN. Furthermore, prior thermal cleaning of diamond in a pure H2 atmosphere smoothens the surface for well-ordered layered hBN epitaxy, while thermal cleaning in a mixed H2 and NH3 atmosphere etches the diamond surface, creating many small faceted pits that destroy the following epitaxy of hBN.

Enhancing Delta E Effect at High Temperatures of Galfenol/Ti/Single-Crystal Diamond Resonators for Magnetic Sensing.

A conventional wisdom is that the sensing properties of magnetic sensors at high temperatures will be degraded due to the materials' deterioration. Here, the concept of high-temperature enhancing magnetic sensing is proposed based on the hybrid structure of SCD MEMS resonator functionalized with a high thermal-stable ferromagnetic galfenol (FeGa) film. The delta E effect of the magnetostrictive FeGa thin film on Ti/SCD cantilevers is investigated by varying the operating temperature from 300 to 773 K upon external magnetic fields. The multilayer structure magnetic sensor presents a high sensitivity of 71.1 Hz/mT and a low noise level of 10 nT/√Hz at 773 K for frequencies higher than 7.5 kHz. The high-temperature magnetic sensing performance exceeds those of the reported magnetic sensors. Furthermore, an anomalous behavior is observed on the delta E effect, which exhibits a positive temperature dependence with the law of Tn. Based on the resonance frequency shift of the FeGa/Ti/SCD cantilever, the strain coupling in the multilayers of the FeGa/Ti/SCD structure under a magnetic field is strengthened with increasing temperature. The delta E effect shows a strong relationship with the azimuthal angle, θ, as a sine function at 300 and 773 K. This work provides a strategy to develop magnetic sensors for high-temperature applications with performance superior to that of the present ones.

High-Performance Blue/Ultraviolet-Light-Sensitive ZnSe-Nanobelt Photodetectors.

Single-crystalline zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanobelts were fabricated via the ethylenediamine (en)-assisted ternary solution technique and subsequent thermal treatment. Individual ZnSe nanobelts were assembled into nanoscale devices, showing a high spectral selectivity and photocurrent/immediate-decay ratio and a fast time response, justifying effective utilization of the ZnSe nanobelts as blue/UV-light-sensitive photodetectors.

Comparative Analysis of Defects in Mg-Implanted and Mg-Doped GaN Layers on Freestanding GaN Substrates.

Inefficient Mg-induced p-type doping has been remained a major obstacle in the development of GaN-based electronic devices for solid-state lighting and power applications. This study reports comparative structural analysis of defects in GaN layers on freestanding GaN substrates where Mg incorporation is carried out via two approaches: ion implantation and epitaxial doping. Scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed the existence of pyramidal and line defects only in Mg-implanted sample whereas Mg-doped sample did not show presence of these defects which suggests that nature of defects depends upon incorporation method. From secondary ion mass spectrometry, a direct correspondence is observed between Mg concentrations and location and type of these defects. Our investigations suggest that these pyramidal and line defects are Mg-rich species and their formation may lead to reduced free hole densities which is still a major concern for p-GaN-based material and devices. As freestanding GaN substrates offer a platform for realization of p-n junction-based vertical devices, comparative structural investigation of defects originated due to different Mg incorporation processes in GaN layers on such substrates is likely to give more insight towards understanding Mg self-compensation mechanisms and then optimizing Mg doping and/or implantation process for the advancement of GaN-based device technology.

Fabrication of Hydrogenated Diamond Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors.

Diamond is regarded as a promising material for fabrication of high-power and high-frequency electronic devices due to its remarkable intrinsic properties, such as wide band gap energy, high carrier mobility, and high breakdown field. Meanwhile, since diamond has good biocompatibility, long-term durability, good chemical inertness, and a large electron-chemical potential window, it is a suitable candidate for the fabrication of biosensors. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of hydrogenated diamond (H-diamond) based metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs). The fabrication is based on the combination of laser lithography, dry-etching, atomic layer deposition (ALD), sputtering deposition (SD), electrode evaporation, and lift-off techniques. The gate insulator is high-k HfO2 with a SD/ALD bilayer structure. The thin ALD-HfO2 film (4.0 nm) acts as a buffer layer to prevent the hydrogen surface of the H-diamond from plasma discharge damage during the SD-HfO2 deposition. The growth of H-diamond epitaxial layer, fabrication of H-diamond MISFETs, and electrical property measurements for the MISFETs is demonstrated. This chapter explains the fabrication of H-diamond FET based biosensors.

Magnetic Control of Magneto-Electrochemical Cell and Electric Double Layer Transistor.

A magneto-electrochemical cell and an electric double layer transistor (EDLT), each containing diluted [Bmim]FeCl4 solution, have been controlled by applying a magnetic field in contrast to the control of conventional field effect devices by an applied electric field. A magnetic field of several hundred mT generated by a small neodymium magnet is sufficient to operate magneto-electrochemical cells, which generate an electromotive force of 130 mV at maximum. An EDLT composed of hydrogen-terminated diamond was also operated by applying a magnetic field. Although it showed reversible drain current modulation with a magnetoresistance effect of 503%, it is not yet advantageous for practical application. Magnetic control has unique and interesting characteristics that are advantageous for remote control of electrochemical behavior, the application for which conventional electrochemical devices are not well suited. Magnetic control is opening a door to new applications of electrochemical devices and related technologies.

P-Channel InGaN/GaN heterostructure metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor based on polarization-induced two-dimensional hole gas.

The concept of p-channel InGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistor (FET) using a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) induced by polarization effect is demonstrated. The existence of 2DHG near the lower interface of InGaN/GaN heterostructure is verified by theoretical simulation and capacitance-voltage profiling. The metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET) with Al2O3 gate dielectric shows a drain-source current density of 0.51 mA/mm at the gate voltage of -2 V and drain bias of -15 V, an ON/OFF ratio of two orders of magnitude and effective hole mobility of 10 cm(2)/Vs at room temperature. The normal operation of MOSFET without freeze-out at 8 K further proves that the p-channel behavior is originated from the polarization-induced 2DHG.

Design and fabrication of high-performance diamond triple-gate field-effect transistors.

The lack of large-area single-crystal diamond wafers has led us to downscale diamond electronic devices. Here, we design and fabricate a hydrogenated diamond (H-diamond) triple-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) to extend device downscaling and increase device output current. The device's electrical properties are compared with those of planar-type MOSFETs, which are fabricated simultaneously on the same substrate. The triple-gate MOSFET's output current (174.2 mA mm-1) is much higher than that of the planar-type device (45.2 mA mm-1), and the on/off ratio and subthreshold swing are more than 108 and as low as 110 mV dec-1, respectively. The fabrication of these H-diamond triple-gate MOSFETs will drive diamond electronic device development forward towards practical applications.

Low on-resistance diamond field effect transistor with high-k ZrO2 as dielectric.

Although several high-k insulators have been deposited on the diamond for metal-insulator-semiconductor field effect transistors (MISFETs) fabrication, the k values and current output are still not fully satisfactory. Here, we present a high-k ZrO2 layer on the diamond for the MISFETs. The k value for ZrO2 is determined by capacitance-voltage characteristic to be 15.4. The leakage current density is smaller than 4.8 × 10(-5) A · cm(-2) for the gate voltage ranging from -4.0 to 2.0 V. The low on-resistance MISFET is obtained by eliminating source/drain-channel interspaces, which shows a large current output and a high extrinsic transconductance. The high-performance diamond MISFET fabrication will push forward the development of power devices.

Flexible ultraviolet photodetectors with broad photoresponse based on branched ZnS-ZnO heterostructure nanofilms.

The application of nanofilm networks made of branched ZnS-ZnO nanostructures as a flexible UV photodetector is demonstrated. The fabricated devices show excellent operational characteristics: tunable spectral selectivity, widerange photoresponse, fast response speed, and excellent environmental stability.

A multilevel intermediate-band solar cell by InGaN/GaN quantum dots with a strain-modulated structure.

Multiple stacked InGaN/GaN quantum dots are embedded into an InGaN p-n junction to develop multilevel intermediateband (MIB) solar cells. An IB transition is evidenced from both experiment and theoretical calculations. The MIB solar cell shows a wide photovoltaic response from the UV to the near-IR region. This work opens up an interesting opportunity for high-efficiency IB solar cells in the photovoltaics field.