The influence of interfacial barrier engineering on the resistance switching of In2O3：SnO2/TiO2/In2O3：SnO2 device

The I-V characteristics of In2O3：SnO2/TiO2/In2O3：SnO2 junctions with different interracial barriers are inves- tigated by comparing experiments. A two-step resistance switching process is found for samples with two interfacial barriers produced by specific thermal treatment on the interfaces. The nonsynchronous occurrence of conducting filament formation through the oxide bulk and the reduction in the interracial barrier due to the migration of oxygen vacancies under the electric field is supposed to explain the two-step resistive switching process. The unique switching properties of the device, based on interracial barrier engineering, could be exploited for novel applications in nonvolatile memory devices.     

Homogeneous interface-type resistance switching in Au/La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃/SrTiO₃/F:SnO₂ heterojunction memories

La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films are fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide conducting glass substrates by a pulsed laser deposition technique with SrTiO3 used as a buffer layer. The current-voltage characteristics of the heterojunctions exhibit an asymmetric and resistance switching behaviour. A homogeneous interface-type conduction mechanism is also reported using impedance spectroscopy. The spatial homogeneity of the charge carrier distribution leads to field- induced potential-barrier change at the Au-La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 interface and a concomitant resistance switching effect. The ratio of the high resistance state to the low resistance state is found to be as high as 1.3 × 10 4 % by simulating the AC electric field. This colossal resistance switching effect will greatly improve the signal-to-noise ratio in nonvolatile memory applications.     

Interface-related switching behaviors of amorphous Pr_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃-based memory cells

The resistive switching properties in amorphous Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films deposited by pulsed laser deposition are investigated.Reproducible and bipolar counter-8-shape and 8-shape switching behaviours of Au/Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 /F:SnO2 junctions are obtained at room temperature.Dramatically,the coexistence of two switching polarities could be reversibly adjusted by an applied voltage range.The results allocated those two switching types to areas of different defect densities beneath the same electrode.The migration of oxygen vacancies and the trapping effect of electrons under an applied electric field play an important role.An interface-effect-related resistance switching is proposed in an amorphous Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3-based memory cell.     

Effects of oxygen vacancy location on the electronic structure and spin density of Co-doped rutile TiO₂ dilute magnetic semiconductors

According to density functional theory (DFT) using the plane wave base and pseudo-potential, we investigate the effects of the specific location of oxygen vacancy (VO) in a (Ti,Co)O 6 distorted octahedron on the spin density and magnetic properties of Co-doped rutile TiO2 dilute magnetic semiconductors. Our calculations suggest that the V O location has a significant influence on the magnetic moment of individual Co cations. In the case where two Co atoms are separated far away from each other, when the V O is located at the equatorial site of a Co-contained octahedron, the ground state of the two Co cations is d6 (t3 2g ↑, t 3 2g ↓) without any magnetic moment. However, if the V O is located at the apical site, these two Co sites have different ground states and magnetic moments. The spin densities are also observed to be modified by the exchange coupling between the Co cations and the location of V O . Some positive spin polarization is induced around the adjacent O ions.     

Bipolar resistance switching in the fully transparent BaSnO_3-based memory device

The fully transparent indium-tin-oxide/BaSnO3/F-doped SnO2 devices that show a stable bipolar resistance switching effect are successfully fabricated. In addition to the transmittance being above 87% for visible light, an initial forming process is unnecessary for the production of transparent memory. Fittings to the current-voltage curves reveal the interfacial conduction in the devices. The first-principles calculation indicates that the oxygen vacancies in cubic BaSnO3 will form the defective energy level below the bottom of conduction band. The field-induced resistance change can be explained based on the change of the interracial Schottky barrier, due to the migration of oxygen vacancies in the vicinity of the interface. This work presents a candidate material BaSnO3 for the application of resistive random access memory to transparent electronics.     

Methane sensor based on SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/In<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanostructure

Two sets of samples of SnO₂/In₂O₃/TiO₂ system have been fabricated with different concentrations of component materials. In the first set TiO₂ with rutile structure was used, while in the second set it has the structure of anatase. Thin films (up to 50 nm) of obtained mixtures were deposited. Their sensitivity and selectivity with respect to methane (CH4) were studied. Nanostructure on the basis of 70%SnO₂ — 10%In₂O₃ — 20%TiO₂(anatase) exhibits sufficient sensitivity to methane.     

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in Sr- and Mg-doped LaGaO₃ : a density functional theory study

Oxygen vacancy formation and migration in La0.9 Sr0.1 Ga0.8 Mg0.2O3δ (LSGM) with various crystal symmetries (cubic, rhombohedral, orthorhombic, and monoclinic) are studied by employing first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). It is shown that the cubic LSGM has the smallest band gap, oxygen vacancy formation energy, and migration barrier, while the other three structures give rise to much larger values for these quantities, implying the best oxygen ion conductivity of the cubic LSGM among the four crystal structures. In our calculations, one oxygen vacancy migration pathway is considered in the cubic and rhombohedral structures due to all the oxygen sites being equivalent in them, while two vacancy migration pathways with different migration barriers are found in the orthorhombic and monoclinic symmetries owing to the existence of nonequivalent O1 and O2 oxygen sites. The migration energies along the migration pathway linking the two O2 sites are obviously lower than those along the pathway linking the O1 and O2 sites. Considering the phase transitions at high temperatures, the results obtained in this paper can not only explain the experimentally observed different behaviours of the oxygen ionic conductivity of LSGM with different symmetries, but also predict the rational crystal structures of LSGM for solid oxide fuel cell applications.     

Photoelectric properties of Al/In<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>3</Subscript> Schottky barriers

We used directional solidification of the melt to grow single crystals of the binary compound In2Se3 and then determined the composition of the crystals obtained and their structure. From Hall effect measurements, we determined the type of conductivity, the concentration, and the Hall mobility of the free electrons in the single crystals obtained, on which we developed photosensitive Al/In₂Se₃ Schottky barriers for the first time and determined their photoelectric properties. We established that the indicated barriers can be used to design broadband optical photoconverters based on In₂Se₃ single crystals. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 3, pp. 425–427, May–June, 2008.     

Oxygen vacancy in N-doped Cu₂ O crystals:A density functional theory study

The N-doping effects on the electronic properties of Cu2O crystals are investigated using density functional theory.The calculated results show that N-doped Cu2O with or without oxygen vacancy exhibits different modifications of electronic band structure.In N anion-doped Cu2O,some N 2p states overlap and mix with the O2p valence band,leading to a slight narrowing of band gap compared with the undoped Cu2O.However,it is found that the coexistence of both N impurity and oxygen vacancy contributes to band gap widening which may account for the experimentally observed optical band gap widening by N doping.     

Spectroscopic characterization of Yb:Sc₂O₃ transparent ceramics

Yb:Sc2O3 transparent ceramics are fabricated by a conventional ceramic process and sintering in H2 atmosphere. The room-temperature spectroscopic properties are investigated, and the Raman spectrum shows an obvious vibration characteristic band centred at 415 cm 1 . There are three broad absorption bands around 891, 937, and 971 nm, respectively. The strongest emission peak is centred at 1.04 μm with a broad bandwidth (11 nm) and an emission cross-section of 1.8×10 20 cm 2 . The gain coefficient implies a possible laser ability in a range from 990 nm to 1425 nm. The energy-level structure shows that Yb:Sc 2 O 3 ceramics have large Stark splitting at the ground state level due to their strong crystal field. All the results show that Yb:Sc2O3 transparent ceramics are a promising material for short pulse lasers.     

The effect of intragranular microstress in Al₂O₃-SiC nanocomposites

A theoretical model is established to investigate the intragranular particle residual stress in Al2O3-SiC nanocomposites.Using this model,we calculate the average compressive stress on the Al2O3 grain boundary(GB) and the average tensile stress within Al2O3 grains caused by SiC nanoparticles.The normal compressive stress strengthens the GB,and the average tensile stress weakens the grains.The model gives a reasonable interpretation of the strength changes of Al2O3-SiC nanocomposites with the number of SiC particles.     

10BaF₂:NaF,Na₃AlF₆/TiO₂ composite as a novel visible-light-driven photocatalyst based on upconversion emission

A rare-earth free upconversion luminescent material, 10BaF 2 :NaF, Na 3 AlF 6 , is synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The study of fluorescent spectrum indicates that it can convert visible light (550 nm–610 nm) into ultraviolet light (290 nm–350 nm), and two emission peaks at 304 nm and 324 nm are observed under the excitation of 583 nm at room temperature. Subsequently, 10BaF 2 :NaF, Na 3 AlF 6 /TiO 2 composite photocatalyst is prepared and its catalytic activity is evaluated by the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 under visible light irradiation (λ > 515 nm). The results show that 10BaF 2 :NaF, Na 3 AlF 6 /TiO 2 is a more effective photocatalyst for CO 2 reduction than pure TiO 2 , their corresponding methanol yields are 179 and 0 μmol/g-cat under the same conditions. Additionally, the mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 on 10BaF 2 :NaF, Na 3 AlF 6 /TiO 2 is proposed.     

The magnetic properties of diluted CoFe₂O₄ nanomaterials

The magnetic properties of (Cox Fe1-x )A(Zn1-xFe1+x) BO4 are studied using mean-field theory and the probability distribution law to obtain the saturation magnetization, the coercive field, the critical temperature, and the exchange interactions with different values of D (nm) and x. High-temperature series expansions (HTSEs) combined with the Pad′e approximant are used to calculate the critical temperature of (Cox Fe1-x) A (Zn1-x Fe1+x) BO4 , and the critical exponent associated with magnetic susceptibility is obtained.     

La0.5Ca0.5MnO3内禀与界面电脉冲诱导电阻转变效应的比较

一般地,钛矿结构锰氧化物的电脉冲诱导电阻转变(EPIR) 效应源于非内禀界面处的肖特基势垒. 本文采用固相烧结法制备了La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ (LCMO)陶瓷样品, 用四线测量模式对样品电输运性质, 特别对其内禀EPIR效应和忆阻器行为进行了研究. 室温下, 尽管样品在四线测量模式下的I-V特性曲线呈欧姆线性规律, 但在适当的脉冲电压刺激下, 仍能诱导产生明显、稳定的EPIR效应. 通过与二线模式的界面EPIR比较, 发现LCMO内禀EPIR效应具有更小的脉冲临界电压、更好的稳定性和抗疲劳特性, 是稀土掺杂锰氧化物中观察到的一类新颖的EPIR效应. 关键词： 钙钛矿结构锰氧化物 电致电阻效应 电脉冲诱导电阻转变效应 肖特基势垒     

Orientation effects on the bandgap and dispersion behavior of 0.91Pb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-0.09PbTiO₃ single crystals

0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO 3(PZN-9%PT) single crystals with different orientations are investigated by using a spectroscopic ellipsometer,and the refractive indices and the extinction coefficients are obtained.The Sellmeier dispersion equations for the refractive indices are obtained by the least square fitting,which can be used to calculate the refractive indices in a low absorption wavelength range.Average Sellmeier oscillator parameters E o,λ o,S o,and E d are calculated by fitting with the single-term oscillator equation,which are related directly to the electronic energy band structure.The optical energy bandgaps are obtained from the absorption coefficient spectra.Our results show that the optical properties of [001] and [111] poled crystals are very similar,but quite different from those of the [011] poled crystal.     

Performance of La₂O₃/InAlN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors

We report on the performance of La2O3/InAlN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors(MOSHEMTs) and InAlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors(HEMTs).The MOSHEMT presents a maximum drain current of 961 mA/mm at Vgs = 4 V and a maximum transconductance of 130 mS/mm compared with 710 mA/mm at Vgs = 1 V and 131 mS/mm for the HEMT device,while the gate leakage current in the reverse direction could be reduced by four orders of magnitude.Compared with the HEMT device of a similar geometry,MOSHEMT presents a large gate voltage swing and negligible current collapse.     

The phase transition,hygroscopicity, and thermal expansion properties of Yb_2-xAl_xMo₃O₁₂

Materials with the formula Yb 2-xAlxMo3O12(x =0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, and 1.8) were synthesized and their structures, phase transitions, and hygroscopicity investigated using X-ray powder diffrac- tion, Raman spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. It is shown that Yb2-xAlxMo3O12 solid solutions crystallize in a single monoclinic phase for 1.7 ≤ x ≤ 2.0 and in a single orthorhombic phase for 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4, and exhibit the characteristics of both monoclinic and orthorhombic structures outside these compositional ranges. The monoclinic to orthorhombic phase transition temperature of Al2Mo3O12 can be reduced by partial substitution of Al 3+ by Yb3+, and the Yb2-x AlxMo3O12 (0.0 < x ≤ 2.0) materials are hydrated at room temperature and contain two kinds of water species. One of these interacts strongly with and hinders the motions of the polyhedra, while the other does not. The partial substitution of Al3+ for Yb3+ in Yb2Mo3O12 decreases its hygroscopicity, and the linear thermal expansion co- efficients after complete removal of water species are measured to be 9.1×10 6 /K, 5.5×10 6 /K, 5.74×10 6 /K, and 9.5 × 10 6 /K for Yb1.8 Al0.2 (MoO4)3 , Yb1.6Al0.4 (MoO4 )3, Yb0.4 Al1.6 (MoO4)3 , and Yb 0.2Al1.8 (MoO4)3 , respectively.     

Photonic generation of stable microwave signals from a dual-wavelength Al₂O₃:Yb³⁺ distributed-feedback waveguide laser

We report the fabrication and characterization of a dual-wavelength distributed-feedback channel waveguide laser in ytterbium-doped aluminum oxide. Operation of the device is based on the optical resonances that are induced by two local phase shifts in the distributed-feedback structure. A stable microwave signal at ～15 GHz with a -3?dB width of 9 kHz was subsequently created via the heterodyne photodetection of the two laser wavelengths. The long-term frequency stability of the microwave signal produced by the free-running laser is better than ±2.5 MHz, while the power of the microwave signal is stable within ±0.35 dB.     

Synergistic effects of electrical and optical excitations on TiO_2 resistive device

The influences of electrical and optical excitations on the conductivity characteristic are investigated in bulk and edge devices of ITO/TiO_2/ITO structure. Driven by the electrical and optical stimuli independently, the conductivity relaxation behaviors of the pristine resistive state(PRS) are observed and ascribed to the electron trapping and the oxygen transport processes. For a resistive switching(RS) device, the conductance change under optical illumination is about two orders of magnitude smaller than the conductance change corresponding to the variation of background current due to the emergence of a great number of oxygen vacancies in the RS device. With the illumination being off, the conductance slowly decays,which suggests that the oxygen diffusion process dominates the conductance relaxation. The difference in conductance relaxation between the bulk and edge devices indicates that the oxygen exchange plays a critical role in the relaxation process of conductivity. The synergistic effects of both electrical and optical excitations on the RS devices could be used for novel applications in integrated optoelectronic memory devices.     

Influence of the Jahn-Teller distortion on magnetic ordering in TbMn_1-xFe_xO₃

The Jahn-Teller distortion plays an important role in determining the exchange interaction in rare-earth manganites.In this work we study the influence of the Jahn-Teller distortion on the magnetic structures of TbMn1-xFexO3(x = 0,0.02,0.05,0.10,and 0.20) single crystals in the basal MnO2 plane.The decrease in the quadruple splitting with the increasing Fe doping indicates the reduction of the Jahn-Teller distortion,which makes the nearest neighboring(NN) FM interaction dominant over the next nearest neighbor(NNN) AFM interaction.This alteration is favorable for the development of A-type AFM ordering instead of the spiral magnetic ordering,which collapses when x ≥ 0.05.The analysis of dielectric data indicates that the ferroelectricity is arising from the peculiar spiral magnetic ordering.