DNA-based organic-on-inorganic semiconductor Schottky structures

A sandwich device has been fabricated from DNA molecular film by solution processing located between Al and p-type silicon inorganic semiconductor. We have performed the electrical characteristics of the device such as current–voltage (I–V), capacitance–voltage (C–V) and capacitance–frequency (C–f) at room temperature and in dark. The DNA-based structure has showed the rectifying behavior. From its optical absorbance spectrum, it has been seen that DNA has been a semiconductor-like material with wide optical band energy gap of 4.12 eV and resistivity of 1.6 × 10¹⁰ Ω cm representing a p-type conductivity.     

Electronic and photovoltaic properties of p-Si/C70 heterojunction diode

Electronic and photovoltaic properties of p-Si/C₇₀ heterojunction diode have been investigated. The ideality factor n and barrier height φ_b values of the diode were found to be 1.86 and 0.69 eV, respectively. The diode indicates a non-ideal current–voltage behaviour due to the ideality factor being higher than unity. This behaviour results from the effect of series resistance and the presence of an interfacial layer. The series resistance R_S and ideality factor n values were determined using Cheng's method and the obtained values are 2.21×10⁵ Ω and 1.86, respectively. The device shows photovoltaic behaviour with a maximum open-circuit voltage of 0.22 V and a short-circuit current of 0.35 μA under 6 mW/cm² light intensity.     

The electrical characterization of Zn(Phen)q/p-type Si/Al diode with interfacial layer by current–voltage characteristics

The current–voltage characteristics of Zinc (II) [(8-hydroxyquinoline)(1,10-phenanthroline)] complex (Zn(phen)q)/p-type Si/Al diode with interfacial layer have been investigated. The barrier height and ideality factor of the diode were found to be 0.71 eV and 2.05. Zn(phen)q/p-type Si/Al diode shows a metal–insulator–semiconductor structure resulted from presence of series resistance and an interfacial layer. The n and φ_B values obtained the presence of interfacial layer are 1.02 and 0.70 eV, respectively. The effect of series resistance was evaluated using a method developed by Cheung. The R_s and n values were determined from the d ln(I)/dV plot and were found to be 30.43 kΩ and 2.16, respectively. The barrier height and R_s values were calculated from the H(I)–I plot and were found to be 0.70 eV and 30.99 kΩ. The density of the interface states of the Zn(phen)q/p-type Si/Al diode was calculated and was found to be an order of 10¹³ eV⁻¹ cm⁻².     

A study of estimation method for conduction band offset in semiconductor heterostructure by using triple-barrier resonant tunneling diodes

A method for evaluating a band offset of a heterojunction is proposed by measuring temperature dependence of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics in triple-barrier resonant tunneling diodes (TBRTDs). The method was applied for investigating a conduction band offset by using GaAs_0.25P_0.75/GaAs TBRTDs with thin strain heterobarriers grown by MOCVD and ΔE_c was estimated as 200–240 meV. In the strain-barrier TBRTDs, negative differential resistance was observed below 100 K.     

Optical constants of Tl4Ga3InSe8 layered single crystals

The optical properties of Tl₄Ga₃InSe₈ layered single crystals have been studied by means of transmission and reflection measurements in the wavelength range of 500–1100 nm. The analysis of the room temperature absorption data revealed the presence of both optical indirect and direct transitions with band gap energies of 1.94 and 2.20 eV, respectively. Transmission measurements carried out in the temperature range of 10–300 K revealed that the rate of change of the indirect band gap with temperature is γ=−4.1×10⁻⁴ eV/K. The absolute zero value of the band gap energy was obtained as E_gi(0)=2.03 eV. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the Wemple–DiDomenico single-effective-oscillator model. The refractive index dispersion parameters: oscillator energy, dispersion energy, oscillator strength and zero-frequency refractive index were found to be 4.10 eV, 23.17 eV, 6.21×10¹³ m⁻² and 2.58, respectively. From X-ray powder diffraction study, the parameters of monoclinic unit cell were determined.     

Bismuth oxide thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method: annealing effect

Bismuth oxide thin films have been deposited by room temperature chemical bath deposition (CBD) method and annealed at 623 K in air. They were characterized for structural, surface morphological, optical and electrical properties. From the X-ray diffraction patterns, it was found that after annealing a non-stoichiometric phase, Bi₂O_2.33, was removed and phase pure monoclinic Bi₂O₃ was obtained. Surface morphology of Bi₂O₃ film at lower magnification SEM showed rod-like structure, however, higher magnification showed a rectangular slice-like structure perpendicular to substrate, giving rise to microrods on the surface. The optical studies showed the decrease in band gap by 0.3 eV after annealing. The electrical resistivity variation showed semiconductor behavior and from thermoemf measurements, the electrical conductivity was found to be of n-type.     

Simulation studies of current transport in metal–insulator–semiconductor Schottky barrier diodes

The current–voltage characteristics of Schottky diodes with an interfacial insulator layer are analysed by numerical simulation. The current–voltage data of the metal–insulator–semiconductor Schottky diode are simulated using thermionic emission diffusion (TED) equation taking into account an interfacial layer parameter. The calculated current–voltage data are fitted into ideal TED equation to see the apparent effect of interfacial layer parameters on current transport. Results obtained from the simulation studies shows that with mere presence of an interfacial layer at the metal–semiconductor interface the Schottky contact behave as an ideal diode of apparently high barrier height (BH), but with same ideality factor and series resistance as considered for a pure Schottky contact without an interfacial layer. This apparent BH decreases linearly with decreasing temperature. The effects giving rise to high ideality factor in metal–insulator–semiconductor diode are analysed. Reasons for observed temperature dependence of ideality factor in experimentally fabricated metal–insulator–semiconductor diodes are analysed and possible mechanisms are discussed.     

Determination and analysis of the dispersive optical constants of the 5,5′,6,6′-tetraphenyl-2,2′-bi([1,3]dithiolo[4,5-b][1,4]dithiinylidene)–DDQ complex thin film

The synthesis and optical properties of the 5,5′,6,6′-tetraphenyl-2,2′-bi([1,3]dithiolo [4,5-b] [1,4]dithiinylidene)–2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) complex thin film were investigated by the optical characterization. The optical constants such as refractive index, extinction coefficient and absorption coefficient were determined using the transmittance T(λ) and reflectance R(λ) spectra and the refractive index dispersion was analyzed using single oscillator of Wemple–Didomenico model. The single oscillator energy E₀ and the dispersion energy E_d were calculated. The effect of temperature on refractive dispersion and optical band gap E_g is also discussed. As a result, the annealing temperatures have an important effect on refractive index of thin film.     

Optical characterization of amorphous Ga50Se45S5 films

The transmission spectra of thermally evaporated Ga₅₀Se₄₅S₅ films were measured over the wavelength range 300–900 nm. A simple method, suggested by Swanepoel, was used for the determination of the optical constants and thickness of the films. Increasing the thickness of the film beyond 450 nm does not affect the optical constants. The dependence of the absorption coefficient on the photon energy (hν) at the edge of the absorption band is well described by the relation hν=β(hν−E_opt)² with an optical gap equals 2.4 eV. A good fit of the experimental points with Tauc relation indicates that non-direct transition is the most probable mechanism responsible for the photon absorption inside the investigated film.     

Effects of oxygen flow rate on the properties of HfO2 layers grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy

The investigations on the properties of HfO₂ dielectric layers grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy were performed. Hafnium-tetra-tert-butoxide, Hf(C₄H₉O)₄ was used as a Hf precursor and pure oxygen was introduced to form an oxide layer. The grown film was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and capacitance–voltage (C–V) and current–voltage (I–V) analyses. As an experimental variable, the O₂ flow rate was changed from 2 to 8 sccm while the other experimental conditions were fixed. The XPS spectra of Hf 4f and O 1s shifted to the higher binding energy due to the charge transfer effect and the density of trapped charges in the interfacial layer was increased as the oxygen flow rate increased. The observed microstructure indicated the HfO₂ layer was polycrystalline, and the monoclinic phases are the dominant crystal structure. From the C–V analyses, k = 14–16 and EOT = 44–52 were obtained, and the current densities of (3.2–3.3) × 10⁻³ A/cm² were measured at −1.5 V gate voltage from the I–V analyses.     

The fabrication and characterization of ZnO UV detector

ZnO films were deposited on GaAs substrates by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering followed by an ambient-controlled heat treatment process for arsenic doping. In Hall measurements, the As-doped ZnO films showed the characteristics of p-type semiconductor. The ZnO thin film p–n homojuctions were then fabricated to investigate the electrical properties of the films. The p–n homojunctions exhibited the distinct rectifying current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. The turn-on voltage was measured to be 3.0 V under the forward bias. When ultraviolet (UV) light (λ = 325 nm) was irradiated on the p–n homojunction, photocurrent of 2 mA was detected. Based on these results, it is proposed that the p–n homojunction herein is a potential candidate for UV photodetector and optical devices.     

Surface modification of indium tin oxide anode with self-assembled monolayer modified Ag film for improved OLED device characteristics

Modification of electrodes has attracted much attention in the study of organic semiconductor devices. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 4-fluorothiophenol is employed to modify the Ag film on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) to improve the hole injection and the surface morphology. The modified anode was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM), and UV–vis transmittance spectra. To investigate the effect of the modification on the device characteristics, typical double layer devices with the structure of anode/-naphthylphenylbiphenyl diamine (NPB, 60 nm)/tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃, 60 nm)/LiF(0.7 nm)/Al(100 nm) were fabricated using the modified anode and the bare ITO. The effect of Ag layer thickness on the device performance is also investigated. The results revealed that SAM modified ultra-thin Ag film is an effective buffer layer for organic light emitting diode. The device using the ITO/Ag (5 nm)/SAM as anode show improved device characteristics than that of using bare ITO as anode. The enhancements in luminance and efficiency are attributed to enhanced hole injection and smooth surface between anode and the organic material. The Ag thickness of 5 nm is chosen as an acceptable compromise between substrate transparency and the device performance.     

Superhard nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H film fabricated by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique

Superhard nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H films, with an excellent combination of high elastic recovery, low friction coefficient and good H/E ratio, were prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique using the C₂H₂ gas as the precursor. The effect of C₂H₂ flow rate on the microstructure, phase composition, mechanical and tribological properties of nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C:H films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), microindentation and tribotester measurements. It was observed that the C₂H₂ flow rate significantly affected the Ti content and hardness of films. Furthermore, by selecting the proper value for C₂H₂ flow rate, 20 sccm, one can deposit the nanocomposite film nc-TiC/a-C:H with excellent properties such as superhardness (66.4 GPa), high elastic recovery (83.3%) and high H/E ratio (0.13).     

A metastable de-excitation spectroscopy (MDS) study on oxygen adsorption on a polycrystalline zirconium surface

The adsorption of oxygen on a polycrystalline zirconium surface at room temperature has been studied by metastable de-excitation spectroscopy (MDS) in conjunction with UPS and AES. From the analysis of the measured spectra, we have shown the following. (1) At the initial stage of oxygen adsorption (exposure <1.2 L), the surface density of states (SDOS) of zirconium changes little at around the Fermi level (E_F), while it decreases appreciably at 1–2 eV below E_F (E_B=1–2 eV) by oxygen adsorption. (2) The SDOS at E_B=0–2 eV decreases with increasing oxygen exposure at >1.2 L and disappears at >8 L. (3) The oxygen 2p states (E_B=5–8 eV) are localized at the subsurface region at oxygen exposure 0–2 L. (4) The ZrO₂ phase appears at the outermost zirconium surface at around 2 L, then grows with increasing exposure, and finally dominates at >8 L. It is suggested that two different phases (ZrO₂ phase and that in which oxygen occupies subsurface sites) coexist at the outermost surface at 2–8 L.     

旋涂法酸处理PEDOT∶PSS薄膜对OLED性能的影响

采用旋涂法对PEDOT∶PSS薄膜进行了酸处理,研究了不同方法处理PEDOT∶PSS薄膜对器件ITO/酸处理PEDOT∶PSS/NPB/Alq3/Li F/Al性能的影响。实验结果表明:用盐酸(草酸)处理PEDOT∶PSS薄膜时,以0.75 mol/L的盐酸(草酸)在120℃下退火15 min时性能更好,最大电流效率达到4.28 cd/A。并且盐酸、草酸处理PEDOT∶PSS薄膜制备器件比未处理PEDOT∶PSS薄膜制备器件的电流效率明显提高了34%。     

VO_2薄膜Vis-NIR及NIR-MIR椭圆偏振光谱分析

采用射频磁控溅射在石英玻璃基底上反应溅射制备单斜相(M相)VO_2薄膜.利用V-VASE和IR-VASE椭圆偏振仪及变温附件分别在0.5—3.5 eV(350—2500 nm)和0.083—0.87 eV(1400—15000 nm)入射光能量范围内对相变前后的VO_2薄膜进行光谱测试,运用逐点拟合的方式,并通过薄膜的吸收峰的特征,在0.5—3.5 eV范围内添加3个Lorentz谐振子色散模型和0.083—0.87 eV范围内添加4个Gaussion振子模型对低温态半导体态的薄膜椭偏参数进行拟合,再对高温金属态的薄膜添加7个Lorentz谐振子色散模型对进行椭偏参数的拟合,得到了较为理想的拟合结果.结果发现:半导体态的VO_2薄膜的折射率在近红外-中红外基本保持在最大值3.27不变,且消光系数k在此波段接近于零,这是由于半导体态薄膜在可见光-近红外光范围内的吸收主要是自由载流子吸收,而半导体态薄膜的d//轨道内的电子态密度较小.高温金属态的VO_2薄膜的折射率n在近红外-中红外波段具有明显的增大趋势,且在入射光能量为0.45 eV时大于半导体态的折射率;消光系数k在近红外波段迅速增大,原因是在0.5—1.62 eV范围内,能带内的自由载流子浓度增加及电子在V_(3d)能带内发生带内的跃迁吸收,使k值迅速增加;当能量小于0.5 eV时k值变化平缓,是由于薄膜内自由载流子浓度和电子跃迁率趋于稳定所致.     

Electronic conduction properties of Au/C60/p-Si and C60/Au/p-Si sandwich structures: I–V and transducer characteristics

Gold-fullerite [C₆₀]-silicon (p-type) sandwich structures have been fabricated in order to investigate intrinsic cross-sectional and planar electronic conductive properties, in particular the C₆₀/p-Si p–n heterojunction. The turn-on voltage of this p–n heterojunction lies in the range 0.25–0.27 V. The I–V characteristics of the Au/C₆₀/p-Si structure are mostly defined by the bulk specific resistance of the fullerite crystal film itself (6×10⁷ Ω cm). I–V curves in the C₆₀/Au/p-Si structure are shown to be ohmic. Au/C₆₀/p-Si sandwiches irradiated with swift (300 MeV) heavy ions, (⁸⁴Kr¹⁴⁺) to a total fluence 10¹⁰ ion/cm² yield structures which are sensitive to ambient air pressure, specifically in the case of a transverse contact configuration, and if one of the contacts is located on the irradiated part of the fullerite film. The sandwich-structure sensitivity to pressure is 5×10⁻⁶ Pa⁻¹. This exceeds the sensitivity of conventional silicon pressure transducers by almost three orders of magnitude.     

Transparent conductive oxide thin films of CdTe-doped indium oxide prepared by pulsed-laser deposition

Transparent conducting oxide thin film CdTe-doped indium oxide (In₂O₃) has been grown by pulsed-laser deposition from a target of CdTe powder embedded in metallic indium. The electro-optical and structural properties were investigated as a function of oxygen partial pressure (PO₂) and substrate temperature (T_s). A film deposited at T_s=420 °C and PO₂=4 Pa shows the minimum resistivity 7.5×10⁻⁴ Ω cm, its optical transmission is 83% and the carrier concentration was 8.9×10²⁰ cm³. The optical band gap and the average roughness of that sample were 3.6 eV and 6.45 Å, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies indicated that the films were polycrystalline. This material is a good candidate for being used as transparent conductor in the CdTe–CdS solar cell.     

Mechanical anisotropy and electronic properties of X2N2 (XH2 ): first-principles calculations*

The mechanical anisotropy, structural properties, electronic band structures and thermal properties of C₂ N₂ (CH₂ ), Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) are detailed and investigated in this work. The novel silicon nitride phase Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and germanium nitride phase Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) in the Cmc 2₁ structure are proposed in this work. The novel proposed Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) are both mechanically and dynamically stable. The electronic band calculation of the HSE06 hybrid functional shows that C₂ N₂ (CH₂ ), Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) are all wide band gap semiconductor materials, and C₂ N₂ (CH₂ ) and Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) are direct band gap semiconductor materials, while Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) is a quasi-direct band gap semiconductor material, the band gap of C₂ N₂ (CH₂ ), Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) are 5.634 eV, 3.013 eV, and 2.377 eV, respectively. The three-dimensional and plane distributions of Young’s modulus, shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio of C₂ N₂ (CH₂ ), Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) show that these materials have different degrees of mechanical anisotropy. The order of Young’s modulus of Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ) and Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ) in different directions is different from that of C₂ N₂ (CH₂ ). When the tensile axis is in a particular direction, the order of the Young’s modulus of Si₂ N₂ (SiH₂ ): E _[110] <E _[120] <E _[111] <E _[101] <E _[010] =E _[100] <E _[011] <E _[001], and the order of the Young’s modulus of Ge₂ N₂ (GeH₂ ): E _[110] <E _[111] <E _[101] <E _[120] <E _[100] <E _[010] <E _[011] <E _[001] .     

有机半导体薄膜生长原位实时测量方法的研究

针对原位实时监测有机半导体薄膜生长情况的需求, 提出了差分反射光谱法与场效应晶体管法结合的光电联合测量方法, 设计研制了测量系统. 以并五苯有机分子为例, 通过自制底栅底接触式场效应管微结构, 实验测试了热蒸发法生长导电膜层过程中光电信号的演变与相互关联. 光谱信号显示, 并五苯以薄膜态结构进行生长, 光谱随生长进程变化显著. 实验数据与四相结构模型仿真结果的良好吻合, 表明因薄膜增厚引起干涉条件的改变是光谱变化的主因, 由此推算出薄膜生长速率为0.23 nm/min. 当薄膜等效厚度达到28 nm时, 场效应管的导电性显著增强, 标志着并五苯有效传输层的形成. 此后, 薄膜厚度持续增加, 但测试电流增长缓慢, 说明该结构进入电学特性饱和区. 光电联合法不仅有助于研究有机半导体薄膜的光谱信息、电学特性和薄膜结构之间的相互对应关系, 也为发展原位监测有机半导体薄膜制备过程, 探索最佳工艺提供了新的研究手段.