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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Electronic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 35533

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Prof. Dr. Oleg A. Ageev

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Scientific and Educational Center "Nanotechnologies", Southern Federal University, Taganrog, Russia
Interests: nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, microsystems technology, nanosystems technology, atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, molecular beam epitaxy, focused ion beams, laser ablation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern semiconductor technology is inexorably approaching the threshold of miniaturization and, as a result, its efficiency against the background of rapidly growing needs for high-performance processing systems, and the storage and safe transfer of large amounts of data. This necessitates the transition to fundamentally new architectures of computing and telecommunication platforms, primarily hybrid, based on the integration of further options for the development of a traditional and promising electronic component base with the principles of quantum electronics and photonics. Of particular note is the relevance of the creation of solid-state schemes for the implementation of such platforms, coupled with the current and/or predictable capabilities of production processes and research tools in the framework of conditionally planar technology.

Building such platforms is possible on the basis of such promising functional elements as highly efficient sources of single and entangled photons (quantum communication and cryptography), quantum registers (quantum computing and memory/quantum computing), structural units (blocks) of cellular automata, functional and structural blocks of hybrid integral schemes (for example, microdisk lasers on whispering gallery mods), etc. This, in turn, requires the development of new methods and approaches in the field of designing functional elements of nano- and optoelectronics, conducting research in the field of creating new functional materials based on various types of nanostructures, etc.

This Special Issue, “Electronic Materials and Devices”, will be a collection of full papers, short communications and review papers focusing on recent progress in the field of semiconductor nanostructures, the technology of their production and promising nano- and optoelecronic elements and devices based on them.

Prof. Dr. Oleg A. Ageev
Guest Editor

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Keywords

functional materials
semiconductor nanostructures
optoelecronic elements and devices
nanoelectronic devices
device modeling and numerical simulation
modeling methodology and approaches

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 13487 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Based on LiNbO₃ Thin Films

by Zakhar Vakulov, Andrey Geldash, Daniil Khakhulin, Marina V. Il’ina, Oleg I. Il’in, Viktor S. Klimin, Vladimir N. Dzhuplin, Boris G. Konoplev, Zhubing He and Oleg A. Ageev

Materials 2020, 13(18), 3984; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13183984 - 9 Sep 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2186

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the influence of the energy of laser pulses during laser ablation on the morphology and electro-physical properties of LiNbO₃ nanocrystalline films. It is found that increasing laser pulse energy from 180 to 220 mJ results in the concentration of charge carriers in LiNbO₃ films decreasing from 8.6 × 10¹⁵ to 1.0 × 10¹³ cm⁻³, with the mobility of charge carriers increasing from 0.43 to 17.4 cm²/(V·s). In addition, experimental studies of sublayer material effects on the geometric parameters of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are performed. It is found that the material of the lower electrode has a significant effect on the formation of CNTs. CNTs obtained at the same growth time on a sample with a Cr sublayer have a smaller diameter and a longer length compared to samples with a V sublayer. Based on the obtained results, the architecture of the energy nanogenerator is proposed. The current generated by the nanogenerator is 18 nA under mechanical stress of 600 nN. The obtained piezoelectric nanogenerator parameters are used to estimate the parameters of the hybrid-carbon-nanostructures-based piezoelectric energy converter. Obtained results are promising for the development of efficient energy converters for alternative energy devices based on lead-free ferroelectric films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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15 pages, 2891 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Approach to the Fabrication of Memristive Neuromorphic Devices: Compositionally Graded Films

by Jong-Gul Yoon

Materials 2020, 13(17), 3680; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13173680 - 20 Aug 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2190

Abstract

Energy-efficient computing paradigms beyond conventional von-Neumann architecture, such as neuromorphic computing, require novel devices that enable information storage at nanoscale in an analogue way and in-memory computing. Memristive devices with long-/short-term synaptic plasticity are expected to provide a more capable neuromorphic system compared to traditional Si-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits. Here, compositionally graded oxide films of Al-doped Mg_xZn_1−xO (g-Al:MgZnO) are studied to fabricate a memristive device, in which the composition of the film changes continuously through the film thickness. Compositional grading in the films should give rise to asymmetry of Schottky barrier heights at the film-electrode interfaces. The g-Al:MgZnO films are grown by using aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of the films show self-rectifying memristive behaviors which are dependent on maximum applied voltage and repeated application of electrical pulses. Endurance and retention performance tests of the device show stable bipolar resistance switching (BRS) with a short-term memory effect. The short-term memory effects are ascribed to the thermally activated release of the trapped electrons near/at the g-Al:MgZnO film-electrode interface of the device. The volatile resistive switching can be used as a potential selector device in a crossbar memory array and a short-term synapse in neuromorphic computing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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13 pages, 4305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Resistive Switching of GaAs Oxide Nanostructures

by Vadim Avilov, Nikita Polupanov, Roman Tominov, Maxim Solodovnik, Boris Konoplev, Vladimir Smirnov and Oleg Ageev

Materials 2020, 13(16), 3451; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163451 - 5 Aug 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2222

Abstract

The paper presents the results of experimental studies of the influence of the local anodic oxidation control parameters on the geometric parameters of oxide nanoscale structures (ONS) and profiled nanoscale structures (PNS) on the surface of epitaxial structures of silicon doped gallium arsenide with an impurity concentration of 5 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed that GaAs oxide consists of oxide phases Ga₂O₃ and As₂O₃, and the thickness of the Ga₂O₃ layer is 2–3 times greater than the thickness of As₂O₃ area—i.e., the oxidized GaAs region consists mainly of Ga₂O₃. The experimental studies of the influence of ONS thickness on the resistive switching effect were obtained. An increase in the ONS thickness from 0.8 ± 0.3 to 7.6 ± 0.6 nm leads to an increase in the switching voltage Uset from 2.8 ± 0.3 to 6.8 ± 0.9 V. The results can be used in the development of technological processes for the manufacturing of nano-electronic elements, such as ReRAM, as well as a high-efficiency quantum dot laser. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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6 pages, 2742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Temperature In-Induced Holes Formation in Native-SiO_x/Si(111) Substrates for Self-Catalyzed MBE Growth of GaAs Nanowires

by Rodion R. Reznik, Konstantin P. Kotlyar, Vladislav O. Gridchin, Evgeniy V. Ubyivovk, Vladimir V. Federov, Artem I. Khrebtov, Dmitrii S. Shevchuk and George E. Cirlin

Materials 2020, 13(16), 3449; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163449 - 5 Aug 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1809

Abstract

The reduction of substrate temperature is important in view of the integration of III–V materials with a Si platform. Here, we show the way to significantly decrease substrate temperature by introducing a procedure to create nanoscale holes in the native-SiO_x layer on Si(111) substrate via In-induced drilling. Using the fabricated template, we successfully grew self-catalyzed GaAs nanowires by molecular-beam epitaxy. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis reveals no indium atoms inside the nanowires. This unambiguously manifests that the procedure proposed can be used for the growth of ultra-pure GaAs nanowires. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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29 pages, 8045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Layered Group III Metal Chalcogenides on GaAs(001) Substrates

by Sergey V. Sorokin, Pavel S. Avdienko, Irina V. Sedova, Demid A. Kirilenko, Valery Yu. Davydov, Oleg S. Komkov, Dmitrii D. Firsov and Sergey V. Ivanov

Materials 2020, 13(16), 3447; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163447 - 5 Aug 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4446

Abstract

Development of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials is an inevitable step in realizing novel devices based on 2D materials and heterostructures. However, due to existence of numerous polytypes and occurrence of additional phases, the synthesis of 2D films remains a difficult task. This paper reports on MBE growth of GaSe, InSe, and GaTe layers and related heterostructures on GaAs(001) substrates by using a Se valve cracking cell and group III metal effusion cells. The sophisticated self-consistent analysis of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy data was used to establish the correlation between growth conditions, formed polytypes and additional phases, surface morphology and crystalline structure of the III–VI 2D layers. The photoluminescence and Raman spectra of the grown films are discussed in detail to confirm or correct the structural findings. The requirement of a high growth temperature for the fabrication of optically active 2D layers was confirmed for all materials. However, this also facilitated the strong diffusion of group III metals in III–VI and III–VI/II–VI heterostructures. In particular, the strong In diffusion into the underlying ZnSe layers was observed in ZnSe/InSe/ZnSe quantum well structures, and the Ga diffusion into the top InSe layer grown at ~450 °C was confirmed by the Raman data in the InSe/GaSe heterostructures. The results on fabrication of the GaSe/GaTe quantum well structures are presented as well, although the choice of optimum growth temperatures to make them optically active is still a challenge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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9 pages, 1475 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Floating Ni Capping for High-Mobility p-Channel SnO Thin-Film Transistors

by Min-Gyu Shin, Kang-Hwan Bae, Hyun-Seok Cha, Hwan-Seok Jeong, Dae-Hwan Kim and Hyuck-In Kwon

Materials 2020, 13(14), 3055; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13143055 - 8 Jul 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2799

Abstract

We utilized Ni as a floating capping layer in p-channel SnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) to improve their electrical performances. By utilizing the Ni as a floating capping layer, the p-channel SnO TFT showed enhanced mobility as high as 10.5 cm²·V⁻¹·s⁻¹. The increase in mobility was more significant as the length of Ni capping layer increased and the thickness of SnO active layer decreased. The observed phenomenon was possibly attributed to the changed vertical electric field distribution and increased hole concentration in the SnO channel by the floating Ni capping layer. Our experimental results demonstrate that incorporating the floating Ni capping layer on the channel layer is an effective method for increasing the field-effect mobility in p-channel SnO TFTs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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10 pages, 2549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impurity Doping in Mg(OH)₂ for n-Type and p-Type Conductivity Control

by Masaya Ichimura

Materials 2020, 13(13), 2972; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13132972 - 3 Jul 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3128

Abstract

Magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) has a wide bandgap of about 5.7 eV and is usually considered an insulator. In this study, the energy levels of impurities introduced into Mg(OH)₂ are predicted by first-principles calculations. A supercell of brucite Mg(OH)₂ consisting of 135 atoms is used for the calculations, and an impurity atom is introduced either at the substitutional site replacing Mg or the interlayer site. The characteristics of impurity levels are predicted from density-of-states analysis for the charge-neutral cell. According to the results, possible shallow donors are trivalent cations at the substitutional site (e.g., Al and Fe) and cation atoms at the interlayer site (Cu, Ag, Na, and K). On the other hand, an interlayer F atom can be a shallow acceptor. Thus, valence control by impurity doping can turn Mg(OH)₂ into a wide-gap semiconductor useful for electronics applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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12 pages, 3054 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Power MOSFET with Beyond-1D-Limit R_SP-BV Trade-Off and Superior Reverse Recovery Characteristics

by Meng Zhang, Baikui Li and Jin Wei

Materials 2020, 13(11), 2581; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13112581 - 5 Jun 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3594

Abstract

The application of conventional power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is limited by the famous one-dimensional “silicon limit” (1D-limit) in the trade-off relationship between specific on-resistance (R_SP) and breakdown voltage (BV). In this paper, a new power MOSFET architecture is proposed to achieve a beyond-1D-limit R_SP-BV trade-off. Numerical TCAD (technology computer-aided design) simulations were carried out to comparatively study the proposed MOSFET, the conventional power MOSFET, and the superjunction MOSFET. All the devices were designed with the same breakdown voltage of ~550 V. The proposed MOSFET features a deep trench between neighboring p-bodies and multiple p-islands located at the sidewall and bottom of the trench. The proposed MOSFET allows a high doping concentration in the drift region, which significantly reduces its R_SP compared to the conventional power MOSFET. The multiple p-islands split the electric field into multiple peaks and help the proposed MOSFET maintain a similar breakdown voltage to the conventional power MOSFET with the same drift region thickness. Another famous device technology, the superjunction MOSFET (SJ-MOSFET), also breaks the 1D-limit. However, the SJ-MOSFET suffers a snappy reverse recovery performance, which is a notorious drawback of SJ-MOSFET and limits the range of its application. On the contrary, the proposed MOSFET presents a superior reverse recovery performance and can be used in various power switching applications where hard commutation is required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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14 pages, 3626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Microlasers Formed on Silicon Using Monolithic and Hybrid Integration Methods

by Alexey E. Zhukov, Natalia V. Kryzhanovskaya, Eduard I. Moiseev, Anna S. Dragunova, Mingchu Tang, Siming Chen, Huiyun Liu, Marina M. Kulagina, Svetlana A. Kadinskaya, Fedor I. Zubov, Alexey M. Mozharov and Mikhail V. Maximov

Materials 2020, 13(10), 2315; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13102315 - 18 May 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2623

Abstract

An InAs/InGaAs quantum dot laser with a heterostructure epitaxially grown on a silicon substrate was used to fabricate injection microdisk lasers of different diameters (15–31 µm). A post-growth process includes photolithography and deep dry etching. No surface protection/passivation is applied. The microlasers are capable of operating heatsink-free in a continuous-wave regime at room and elevated temperatures. A record-low threshold current density of 0.36 kA/cm² was achieved in 31 µm diameter microdisks operating uncooled. In microlasers with a diameter of 15 µm, the minimum threshold current density was found to be 0.68 kA/cm². Thermal resistance of microdisk lasers monolithically grown on silicon agrees well with that of microdisks on GaAs substrates. The ageing test performed for microdisk lasers on silicon during 1000 h at a constant current revealed that the output power dropped by only ~9%. A preliminary estimate of the lifetime for quantum-dot (QD) microlasers on silicon (defined by a double drop of the power) is 83,000 h. Quantum dot microdisk lasers made of a heterostructure grown on GaAs were transferred onto a silicon wafer using indium bonding. Microlasers have a joint electrical contact over a residual n+ GaAs substrate, whereas their individual addressing is achieved by placing them down on a p-contact to separate contact pads. These microdisks hybridly integrated to silicon laser at room temperature in a continuous-wave mode. No effect of non-native substrate on device characteristics was found. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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11 pages, 1779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Radiation Resistance of GaInP/GaInAs/Ge Triple-Junction Solar Cells Using GaInP Back-Surface Field in the Middle Subcell

by Hui Gao, Ruixia Yang and Yonghui Zhang

Materials 2020, 13(8), 1958; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13081958 - 22 Apr 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2613

Abstract

This paper studies the radiation resistance for GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction space solar cells with a GaInP back-surface field (BSF) in the GaInAs middle subcell compared with those with an AlGaAs BSF. The results show that the initial electrical performance is almost the same for both of them. However, the radiation resistance of the GaInP BSF cell was improved. After irradiation by 1 MeV electron beam with a cumulative dose of 10¹⁵ e/cm², the J_sc declined by 4.73% and 6.61% for the GaInP BSF cell and the AlGaAs BSF cell, respectively; the efficiency degradation was 13.64% and 14.61% for the GaInP BSF cell and the AlGaAs BSF cell, respectively, leading to a reduced degradation level of 6%. The mechanism for GaInP BSF to improve the radiation resistance of GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells is also discussed in this work. Similar results were obtained when irradiation cumulative doses varied from 1 × 10¹⁴ e/cm² to 1 × 10¹⁶ e/cm². Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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15 pages, 6190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On-Chip Miniaturized Bandpass Filter Using GaAs-Based Integrated Passive Device Technology For L-Band Application

by Bao-Hua Zhu, Nam-Young Kim, Zhi-Ji Wang and Eun-Seong Kim

Materials 2019, 12(18), 3045; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12183045 - 19 Sep 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2739

Abstract

In this work, a miniaturized bandpass filter (BPF) constructed of two spiral intertwined inductors and a central capacitor, with several interdigital structures, was designed and fabricated using integrated passive device (IPD) technology on a GaAs wafer. Five air-bridge structures were introduced to enhance the mutual inductive effect and form the differential geometry of the outer inductors. In addition, the design of the differential inductor combined with the centrally embedded capacitor results in a compact construction with the overall size of 0.037λ₀ × 0.019λ₀ (1537.7 × 800 μm²) where λ₀ is the wavelength of the central frequency. For the accuracy evolution of the equivalent circuit, the frequency-dependent lumped elements of the proposed BPF was analyzed and modeled through the segment method, mutual inductance approach, and simulated scattering parameters (S-parameters). Afterward, the BPF was fabricated using GaAs-based IPD technology and a 16-step manufacture flow was accounted for in detail. Finally, the fabricated BPF was wire-bonded with Au wires and packaged onto a printed circuit board for radio-frequency performance measurements. The measured results indicate that the implemented BPF possesses a center frequency operating at 2 GHz with the insertion losses of 0.38 dB and the return losses of 40 dB, respectively, and an ultrawide passband was achieved with a 3-dB fraction bandwidth of 72.53%, as well. In addition, a transmission zero is located at 5.32 GHz. Moreover, the variation of the resonant frequency with different inductor turns and metal thicknesses was analyzed through the simulation results, demonstrating good controllability of the proposed BPF. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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14 pages, 4938 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Printable Stretchable Silver Ink and Application to Printed RFID Tags for Wearable Electronics

by Tao Zhong, Ning Jin, Wei Yuan, Chunshan Zhou, Weibing Gu and Zheng Cui

Materials 2019, 12(18), 3036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12183036 - 19 Sep 2019

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4392

Abstract

A printable elastic silver ink has been developed, which was made of silver flakes, dispersant, and a fluorine rubber and could be sintered at a low temperature. The printed elastic conductors showed low resistivity at 21 μΩ·cm, which is about 13.2 times of bulk silver (1.59 μΩ·cm). Their mechanical properties were investigated by bending, stretching, and cyclic endurance tests. It was found that upon stretching the resistance of printed conductors increased due to deformation and small cracks appeared in the conductor, but was almost reversible when the strain was removed, and the recovery of conductivity was found to be time dependent. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags were fabricated by screen printing the stretchable silver ink on a stretchable fabric (lycra). High performance of tag was maintained even with 1000 cycles of stretching. As a practical example of wearable electronics, an RFID tag was printed directly onto a T-shirt, which demonstrated its normal working order in a wearing state. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Materials and Devices)

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