A Large-Scale and Low-Cost Thermoacoustic Loudspeaker Based on Three-Dimensional Graphene Foam.

Graphene is a promising material for thermoacoustic sources due to its extremely low heat capacity per unit area and high thermal conductivity. However, current graphene thermoacoustic devices have limited device area and relatively high cost, which limit their applications of daily use. Here, we adopt a dip-coating method to fabricate a large-scale and cost-effective graphene sound source. This sound source has the three-dimensional (3D) porous structure that can increase the contact area between graphene and air, thus assisting heat to release into the air. In this method, polyurethane (PU) is used as a support, and graphene nanoplates are attached onto the PU skeleton so that a highly flexible graphene foam (GrF) device is obtained. At a measuring distance of 1 mm, it can emit sound at up to 70 dB under the normalized input power of 1 W. Considering its unique porous structure, we establish a thermoacoustic analysis model to simulate the acoustic performance of GrF. Furthermore, the obtained GrF can be made up to 44 in. (100 cm × 50 cm) in size, and it has good flexibility and processability, which broadens the application fields of GrF loudspeakers. It can be attached to the surfaces of objects with different shapes, making it suitable to be used as a large-area speaker in automobiles, houses, and other application scenarios, such as neck mounted speaker. In addition, it can also be widely used as a fully flexible in-ear earphone.

Adversarial infrared blocks: A multi-view black-box attack to thermal infrared detectors in physical world.

Thermal infrared detectors have a vast array of potential applications in pedestrian detection and autonomous driving, and their safety performance is of great concern. Recent works use bulb plate, "QR" suit, and infrared patches as physical perturbations to perform white-box attacks on thermal infrared detectors, which are effective but not practical for real-world scenarios. Some researchers have tried to utilize hot and cold blocks as physical perturbations for black-box attacks on thermal infrared detectors. However, this attempts has not yielded robust and multi-view physical attacks, indicating limitations in the approach. To overcome the limitations of existing approaches, we introduce a novel black-box physical attack method, called adversarial infrared blocks (AdvIB). By optimizing the physical parameters of the infrared blocks and deploying them to pedestrians from multiple views, including the front, side, and back, AdvIB can execute robust and multi-view attacks on thermal infrared detectors. Our physical tests show that the proposed method achieves a success rate of over 80% under most distance and view conditions, validating its effectiveness. For stealthiness, our method involves attaching the adversarial infrared block to the inside of clothing, enhancing its stealthiness. Additionally, we perform comprehensive experiments and compare the experimental results with baseline to verify the robustness of our method. In summary, AdvIB allows for potent multi-view black-box attacks, profoundly influencing ethical considerations in today's society. Potential consequences, including disasters from technology misuse and attackers' legal liability, highlight crucial ethical and security issues associated with AdvIB. Considering these concerns, we urge heightened attention to the proposed AdvIB. Our code can be accessed from the following link: https://github.com/ChengYinHu/AdvIB.git.

Transcriptomic insights into the lipotoxicity of high-fat high-fructose diet in rat and mouse.

Along with the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, the deleterious effects of high-calorie diet are gradually recognized through more and more epidemiological studies. However, the concealed and chronic causality whitewashes its unhealthy character. Given an ingenious mechanism orchestrates the metabolic adaptation to high-fat high-fructose (HFF) diet and connive its lipotoxicity, in this study, an experimental rat/mouse model of obesity was induced and a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed to probe the mystery. Our results demonstrated that HFF diet consumption altered the transcriptomic pattern as well as different high-calorie diet fed rat/mouse manifested distinct hepatic transcriptome. Validation with RT-qPCR and Western blotting confirmed that SREBP1-FASN involved in de novo lipogenesis partly mediated metabolic self-adaption. Moreover, hepatic ACSL1-CPT1A-CPT2 pathway involved in fatty acids ß-oxidation, played a key role in the metabolic adaption to HFF. Collectively, our findings enrich the knowledge of the chronic adaptation mechanisms and also shed light on future investigations. Meanwhile, our results also suggest that efforts to restore the fatty acids metabolic fate could be a promising avenue to fight against obesity and associated steatosis and insulin resistance challenged by HFF diet.

A firm-level analysis of Chinese commercial health insurance surrender.

Based on the unbalanced panel data of Chinese professional health insurance companies from 2011 to 2021, the paper constructs "PW+PCSE" model to empirically investigate the main factors affecting the commercial health insurance surrender in China from the company level. The results show that asset-liability ratio has a significant positive effect on health insurance surrender rate. The value preservation and appreciation rate of capital and R&D expenditure rate both have significant negative effects on health insurance surrender rate. These studies bring important enlightenment for domestic health insurance companies to avoid surrender risk.

All Three AKT Isoforms Can Upregulate Oxygen Metabolism and Lactate Production in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main pathological type of liver cancer, is related to risk factors such as viral hepatitis, alcohol intake, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The constitutive activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is common in HCC and has essential involvement in tumor progression. The serine/threonine kinase AKT has several downstream substrates, which have been implicated in the regulation of cellular metabolism. However, the contribution of each of the three AKT isoforms, i.e., AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3, to HCC metabolism has not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we analyzed the functional role of AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3 in HCC metabolism. The overexpression of activated AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3 isoforms in the human HCC cell lines Hep3B and Huh7 resulted in higher oxygen consumption rate (OCR), ATP production, maximal respiration and spare respiratory capacity in comparison to vector-transduced cells. Vice versa, lentiviral vector-mediated knockdowns of each AKT isoform reduced OCR in both cell lines. Reduced OCR rates observed in the three AKT isoform knockdowns were associated with reduced extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) and reduced lactate production in both analyzed cell lines. Mechanistically, the downregulation of OCR by AKT isoform knockdowns correlated with an increased phosphorylation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase on Ser232, which negatively regulates the activity of this crucial gatekeeper of mitochondrial respiration. In summary, our data indicate that each of the three AKT isoforms is able to upregulate OCR, ECAR and lactate production independently of each other in human HCC cells through the regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Correlation between soluble klotho and chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder in chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis.

We conducted a systematic search across medical databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, up to March 2023. A total of 1944 subjects or individuals from 17 studies were included in our final analysis. The correlation coefficient (r) between sKlotho and calcium was [0.14, (0.02, 0.26)], and a moderate heterogeneity was observed (I2 = 66%, P < 0.05). The correlation coefficient (r) between Klotho and serum phosphate was [- 0.21, (- 0.37, - 0.04)], with apparent heterogeneity (I2 = 84%, P < 0.05). The correlation coefficient (r) between sKlotho and parathyroid hormone and vascular calcification was [- 0.23,(- 0.29, - 0.17); - 0.15, (- 0.23, - 0.08)], with no significant heterogeneity among the studies. (I2 = 40%, P < 0.05; I2 = 30%, P < 0.05). A significant correlation exists between low sKlotho levels and an increased risk of CKD-MBD in patients with CKD. According to the findings, sKlotho may play a role in alleviating CKD-MBD by lowering phosphorus and parathyroid hormone levels, regulating calcium levels, and suppressing vascular calcification. As analysis showed that sKlotho has an important impact on the pathogenesis and progression of CKD-MBD in CKD patients. Nonetheless, further comprehensive and high-quality studies are needed to validate our conclusions.

Selective breeding of cold-tolerant black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae: Gut microbial shifts and transcriptional patterns.

The larvae of black soldier fly (BSFL) convert organic waste into insect proteins used as feedstuff for livestock and aquaculture. BSFL production performance is considerably reduced during winter season. Herein, the intraspecific diversity of ten commercial BSF colonies collected in China was evaluated. The Bioforte colony was subjected to selective breeding at 12 °C and 16 °C to develop cold-tolerant BSF with improved production performance. After breeding for nine generations, the weight of larvae, survival rate, and the dry matter conversion rate significantly increased. Subsequently, intestinal microbiota in the cold-tolerant strain showed that bacteria belonging to Morganella, Dysgonomonas, Salmonella, Pseudochrobactrum, and Klebsiella genera were highly represented in the 12 °C bred, while those of Acinetobacter, Pseudochrobactrum, Enterococcus, Comamonas, and Leucobacter genera were significantly represented in the 16 °C bred group. Metagenomic revealed that several animal probiotics of the Enterococcus and Vagococcus genera were greatly enriched in the gut of larvae bred at 16 °C. Moreover, bacterial metabolic pathways including carbohydrate, lipid, amino acids, and cofactors and vitamins, were significantly increased, while organismal systems and human diseases was decreased in the 16 °C bred group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the upregulated differentially expressed genes in the 16 °C bred groups mainly participated in Autophagy-animal, AMPK signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway at day 34 under 16 °C conditions, suggesting their significant role in the survival of BSFL. Taken together, these results shed lights on the role of intestinal microflora and gene pathways in the adaptation of BSF larvae to cold stress.

Laser-Induced Skin-like Flexible Pressure Sensor for Artificial Intelligence Speech Recognition.

Skin-like flexible pressure sensors with good sensing performance have great application potential, but their development is limited owing to the need for multistep, high-cost, and low-efficiency preparation processes. Herein, a simple, low-cost, and efficient laser-induced forming process is proposed for the first time to prepare a skin-like flexible piezoresistive sensor. In the laser-induced forming process, based on the photothermal effect of graphene and the foaming effect of glucose, a skin-like polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) film with porous structures and surface protrusions is obtained by using infrared laser irradiation of the glucose/graphene/PDMS prepolymer film. Further, based on the skin-like PDMS film with a graphene conductive layer, a new skin-like flexible piezoresistive sensor is obtained. Due to the stress concentration caused by the surface protrusions and the low stiffness caused by the porous structures, the flexible piezoresistive sensor realizes an ultrahigh sensitivity of 1348 kPa-1 at 0-2 kPa, a wide range of 200 kPa, a fast response/recovery time of 52 ms/35 ms, and good stability over 5000 cycles. The application of the sensor to the detection of human pulses and robot clamping force indicates its potential for health monitoring and soft robots. Furthermore, in combination with the neural network (CNN) algorithm in artificial intelligence technology, the sensor achieves 95% accuracy in speech recognition, which demonstrates its great potential for intelligent wearable electronics. Especially, the laser-induced forming process is expected to facilitate the efficient, large-scale preparation of flexible devices with multilevel structures.

The Roadmap of 2D Materials and Devices Toward Chips.

Due to the constraints imposed by physical effects and performance degradation, silicon-based chip technology is facing certain limitations in sustaining the advancement of Moore's law. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as highly promising candidates for the post-Moore era, offering significant potential in domains such as integrated circuits and next-generation computing. Here, in this review, the progress of 2D semiconductors in process engineering and various electronic applications are summarized. A careful introduction of material synthesis, transistor engineering focused on device configuration, dielectric engineering, contact engineering, and material integration are given first. Then 2D transistors for certain electronic applications including digital and analog circuits, heterogeneous integration chips, and sensing circuits are discussed. Moreover, several promising applications (artificial intelligence chips and quantum chips) based on specific mechanism devices are introduced. Finally, the challenges for 2D materials encountered in achieving circuit-level or system-level applications are analyzed, and potential development pathways or roadmaps are further speculated and outlooked.

Growth and Physiological Responses of Magnoliaceae to NaCl Stress.

The growth and physiological characteristics of four Magnoliaceae plants (Yulania biondii, Yulania denudata, and two varieties of Magnolia wufengensis (Jiaohong 1 and Jiaohong 2)) were investigated. Four Magnoliaceae plants were subjected to various concentrations of NaCl for 60 days: 0 mM, 60 mM, 120 mM, 180 mM, and 240 mM. The leaf water content (LWC), relative growth rate of plant height and stem diameter, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthetic rate (Pn) decreased during the NaCl treatments, indicating slowed growth and photosynthesis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Na+, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, ascorbic acid (AsA) content, and soluble sugar content all increased while K+ decreased. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, glutathione (GSH), soluble protein, and proline first increased after decreasing with increasing NaCl concentration. Principal component 1 (PC1) had larger loading values for growth and photosynthesis indices, while principal component 2 (PC2) exhibited larger loading values for antioxidant substances and osmotic adjustment substances; the correlation analysis showed that PC1 and PC2 had negative correlations. The four Magnoliaceae plants exhibited largely variable growth and physiological activities in response to NaCl. Yulania denudata exhibited greater reductions in growth and photosynthesis and greater decreases in antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic adjustment substances, which indicated poor tolerance to salt stress. Among the four Magnoliaceae plants, Jiaohong 1 exhibited the greatest salt tolerance, followed by Jiaohong 2, Yulania biondii, and Yulania denudata.

Programmable Ferroelectricity in Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Enabled by Oxygen Defect Engineering.

Ferroelectricity, especially the Si-compatible type recently observed in hafnia-based materials, is technologically useful for modern memory and logic applications, but it is challenging to differentiate intrinsic ferroelectric polarization from the polar phase and oxygen vacancy. Here, we report electrically controllable ferroelectricity in a Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based heterostructure with Sr-doped LaMnO3, a mixed ionic-electronic conductor, as an electrode. Electrically reversible extraction and insertion of an oxygen vacancy into Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 are macroscopically characterized and atomically imaged in situ. Utilizing this reversible process, we achieved multilevel polarization states modulated by the electric field. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of the mixed conductor to repair, create, manipulate, and utilize advanced ferroelectric functionality. Furthermore, the programmed ferroelectric heterostructures with Si-compatible doped hafnia are desirable for the development of future ferroelectric electronics.

Age-stratified risk factors of re-intervention for uterine fibroids treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the rate and risk factors of re-intervention for patients with uterine fibroids (UFs) undergoing high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) at different age distributions. METHOD: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Nanchong Central Hospital, recruiting a total of 672 patients with UFs undergoing HIFU from June 2017 to December 2019. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression, risk factors for re-intervention were assessed. RESULTS: Among 401 patients with UFs who completed the follow-up visits (median 47 months, range 34-61), 50 (12.46%) patients underwent re-intervention (such as high-intensity focused ultrasound, uterine artery embolization, myomectomy and hysterectomy). In the different age distributions, the re-intervention rate was 17.5% (34/194) in patients aged <45 years and 7.7% (16/207) in those aged ≥45 years. Regarding the younger patient group (aged <45 years), hypo- or iso-intensive fibroids in T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2WI) intensity may elevate the risk of re-intervention for UFs (odds ratio [OR] 2.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37-6.62; P = 0.007). Among the older patient group (aged ≥45 years), preoperative anemic patients had an increased risk of re-intervention compared with those without anemia (OR 3.30, 95% CI 1.01-10.37; P = 0.041). CONCLUSION: The re-intervention rate of HIFU decreased with increasing age. Among those aged <45 years, T2WI intensity was the independent risk factor for re-intervention, and among those aged ≥45 years, preoperative anemic status may be related to re-intervention outcome.

Polarized Tunneling Transistor for Ultralow-Energy-Consumption Artificial Synapse toward Neuromorphic Computing.

Neural networks based on low-power artificial synapses can significantly reduce energy consumption, which is of great importance in today's era of artificial intelligence. Two-dimensional (2D) material-based floating-gate transistors (FGTs) have emerged as compelling candidates for simulating artificial synapses owing to their multilevel and nonvolatile data storage capabilities. However, the low erasing/programming speed of FGTs renders them unsuitable for low-energy-consumption artificial synapses, thereby limiting their potential in high-energy-efficient neuromorphic computing. Here, we introduce a FGT-inspired MoS2/Trap/PZT heterostructure-based polarized tunneling transistor (PTT) with a simple fabrication process and significantly enhanced erasing/programming speed. Distinct from the FGT, the PTT lacks a tunnel layer, leading to a marked improvement in its erasing/programming speed. The PTT's highest erasing/programming (operation) speed can reach ∼20 ns, which outperforms the performance of most FGTs based on 2D heterostructures. Furthermore, the PTT has been utilized as an artificial synapse, and its weight-update energy consumption can be as low as 0.0002 femtojoule (fJ), which benefits from the PTT's ultrahigh operation speed. Additionally, PTT-based artificial synapses have been employed in constructing artificial neural network simulations, achieving facial-recognition accuracy (95%). This groundbreaking work makes it possible for fabricating future high-energy-efficient neuromorphic transistors utilizing 2D materials.

Graphene-based Two-Stage Enhancement Pressure Sensor for Subtle Mechanical Force Monitoring.

The development of pressure sensors with high sensitivity and a low detection limit for subtle mechanical force monitoring and the understanding of the sensing mechanism behind subtle mechanical force monitoring are of great significance for intelligent technology. Here, we proposed a graphene-based two-stage enhancement pressure sensor (GTEPS), and we analyzed the difference between subtle mechanical force monitoring and conventional mechanical force monitoring. The GTEPS exhibited a high sensitivity of 62.2 kPa-1 and a low detection limit of 0.1 Pa. Leveraging its excellent performance, the GTEPS was successfully applied in various subtle mechanical force monitoring applications, including acoustic wave detection, voice-print recognition, and pulse wave monitoring. In acoustic wave detection, the GTEPS achieved a 100% recognition accuracy for six words. In voiceprint recognition, the sensor exhibited accurate identification of distinct voiceprints among individuals. Furthermore, in pulse wave monitoring, GTEPS demonstrated effective detection of pulse waves. By combination of the pulse wave signals with electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, it enabled the assessment of blood pressure. These results demonstrate the excellent performance of GTEPS and highlight its great potential for subtle mechanical force monitoring and its various applications. The current results indicate that GTEPS shows great potential for applications in subtle mechanical force monitoring.

Membrane-Based Preparation Process and Antioxidant and Anti-AGEs Activities of a Novel Propolis Ultrafiltrate.

Propolis is one functional supplement with hundreds of years of usage. However, it's rarely consumed directly for its resinous property. Herein, a pre-treated process which can remove the impurity while preserve its bioactivities is needed to maximise its therapeutic opportunities. In the present study, a membrane-based ultrafiltration process was developed on a KM1812-NF experimental instrument. Using Brazilian green propolis as testing material, all experimental steps and parameters were sequentially optimized. In addition, a mathematical model was developed to fit the process. As a result, the optimum solvent was 60 % ethanol adjusted to pH 8-9, while the optimum MWCO (molecular weight cut-off) value of membrane was 30 KDa. The membrane filtration dynamic model fitted with the function y=(ax+b)/(1+cx+dx2 ). The resulting propolis ultrafiltrate from Brazilian green propolis, termed P30K, contains the similar profile of flavonoids and phenolic acids as raw propolis. Meanwhile, the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value of P30K is 11429.45±1557.58 µM TE/g and the IC50 value of inhibition of fluorescent AGEs (advanced glycation end products) formation is 0.064 mg/mL. Our work provides an innovative alternative process for extraction of active compounds from propolis and reveals P30K as an efficient therapeutic antioxidant.

Efficacy and safety of tirofiban combined with endovascular therapy for basilar artery occlusion stroke due to large artery atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant tirofiban in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion due to large-artery atherosclerotic (LAA) receiving endovascular therapy (EVT). METHODS: This was a non-randomized, multicenter study using data from the Endovascular Treatment for Acute BASILAR Artery Occlusion (BASILAR) registry. Patients with acute basilar artery occlusion due to LAA within 24h of symptom onset who underwent EVT were included. Patients were divided into tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups according to whether tirofiban was used. The primary outcome was the ordinal modified Rankin scale score at 90 days. Safety outcomes were mortality within 90 days and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 48 h. RESULTS: A total of 417 patients were included, of whom 275 patients were in the tirofiban group and 142 patients in the non-tirofiban group. Compared with patients in the non-tirofiban group, patients in the tirofiban group were associated with a favorable shift in functional outcome at 90 days (6[4-6] vs 5 [2-6]; adjusted common OR, 2.51; 95 % CI, 1.64-3.83). The mortality was lower in the tirofiban group than the non-tirofiban group (40.7 % vs 58.5 %; adjusted OR, 0.35; 95 % CI, 0.21-0.56). The rate of sICH was 12.2 % in the non-tirofiban group and 5.2 % in the tirofiban group (adjusted OR, 0.37; 95 % CI, 0.17-0.80; P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Tirofiban plus EVT might improve functional outcomes with a good safety for patients with acute basilar artery occlusion due to LAA. The results need to be confirmed in a randomized trial.

PZT-Enabled MoS2 Floating Gate Transistors: Overcoming Boltzmann Tyranny and Achieving Ultralow Energy Consumption for High-Accuracy Neuromorphic Computing.

Low-power electronic devices play a pivotal role in the burgeoning artificial intelligence era. The study of such devices encompasses low-subthreshold swing (SS) transistors and neuromorphic devices. However, conventional field-effect transistors (FETs) face the inherent limitation of the "Boltzmann tyranny", which restricts SS to 60 mV decade-1 at room temperature. Additionally, FET-based neuromorphic devices lack sufficient conductance states for highly accurate neuromorphic computing due to a narrow memory window. In this study, we propose a pioneering PZT-enabled MoS2 floating gate transistor (PFGT) configuration, demonstrating a low SS of 46 mV decade-1 and a wide memory window of 7.2 V in the dual-sweeping gate voltage range from -7 to 7 V. The wide memory window provides 112 distinct conductance states for PFGT. Moreover, the PFGT-based artificial neural network achieves an outstanding facial-recognition accuracy of 97.3%. This study lays the groundwork for the development of low-SS transistors and highly energy efficient artificial synapses utilizing two-dimensional materials.

Combined early palliative care for non-small-cell lung cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial in Chongqing, China.

Purpose: More effective approaches are needed to improve the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Thus, we used the E-warm model to assess how early integration of interdisciplinary palliative care was related to the quality of life (QoL), psychological functioning, pain management, and nutrition factors of NSCLC patients. Methods: This randomized controlled trial enrolled 280 newly diagnosed NSCLC patients, which were randomly divided (1:1) into combined early palliative care (CEPC) and standard oncological care (SC) groups. At baseline and after 24 weeks, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess QoL and psychological function, respectively. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) were used to assess cancer patients' pain and nutrition levels. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes comprised changes in the QoL, psychological functioning, pain, and nutrition state. The intention-to-treat method was applied for analysis. This study was registered at www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2200062617). Results: Of the 140 patients enrolled in the CEPC and SC groups, 102 and 82 completed the research. The CEPC group presented higher QoL than the SC group (p < 0.05). Additionally, fewer patients presented depressive symptoms in the CEPC group than in the SC group (p < 0.05), as well as better nutritional status (p = 0.007) and pain management (p = 0.003). Compared to the SC group, CEPC patients had significantly longer OS (20.4 vs. 24.6 months, p = 0.042; HR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.04-0.85, p = 0.029). Conclusion: With combined early palliative care, NSCLC patients lived longer, had better QoL, were psychologically stable, were in less pain, and were more nutritionally satisfied.

Landauer-QFLPS Model for Mixed Schottky-Ohmic Contact Two-Dimensional Transistors.

Two-dimensional material-based field-effect transistors (2DM-FETs) are playing a revolutionary role in electronic devices. However, before electronic design automation (EDA) for 2DM-FETs can be achieved, it remains necessary to determine how to incorporate contact transports into model. Reported methods compromise between physical intelligibility and model compactness due to the heterojunction nature. To address this, quasi-Fermi-level phase space theory (QFLPS) is generalized to incorporate contact transports using the Landauer formula. It turns out that the Landauer-QFLPS model effectively overcomes the issue of concern. The proposed new formula can describe 2DM-FETs with Schottky or Ohmic contacts with superior accuracy and efficiency over previous methods, especially when describing non-monotonic drain conductance characteristics. A three-bit threshold inverter quantizer (TIQ) circuit is fabricated using ambipolar black phosphorus and it is demonstrated that the model accurately predicts circuit performance. The model could be very effective and valuable in the development of 2DM-FET-based integrated circuits.