Quantification of dopant species using atom probe tomography for semiconductor application

Doping of semiconductors serve various purposes in metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, eg, increase carrier concentration and modify electric field distribution. With the scaling down of device and the introduction of three-dimensional fin field-effect transistors (FinFET), precise and reliable dopant quantification of concentration at the nano-scale is critical. Laser-assisted atom probe tomography (APT) provides a unique approach to characterize and quantify the dopant in three dimensions at sub-nanometer resolution. Nevertheless, quantification accuracy of APT is strongly influenced by the experimental conditions. Although B quantification has been widely studied, the correlation of B signal loss to B concentration is not yet established. In addition, no phosphorous quantification study has been reported. In this work, we found that, due to B multi-hit effect in APT, high B dose sample has larger B loading compared with low B dose sample. For standard calibration with minimized impact from multi-hit effect, we recommend B dose in the range of 1e14 atoms/cm². Despite the fact that B loading is dose dependent, APT quantification of B achieves precision within 2% to 6% relative standard deviation (RSD), which demonstrates that APT has good accuracy. On the other hand, P quantification suffers from mass interference of ³¹P⁺ and ³¹P₂²⁺ at 31 Da resulting in a large loading between APT and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Nevertheless, we recommend that 31 Da to be labeled as ³¹P⁺ for smaller P variation for the APT analysis.     

A method to study the electric field distribution on sample surfaces in atom probe analysis

We report the development of a nondestructive method to estimate the electric field (EF) distribution on a nano-sized sample surface in atom probe (AP) analysis. The simulated EF distribution on an ideal hemisphere indicates that the largest EF exists on the geometrical top of the ideal hemisphere and that EF decreases as the emitting area getting away from the sample apex. To estimate the EF distribution on a real sample surface, the sample apex is determined via comparing the field ion microscopy (FIM) signal intensity of {113} planes on the symmetrical sample surface. A series of contour maps showing the intensity of the evaporated ions (eg, H⁺) was obtained by applying various EFs on the sample surface. A plot of relative EFs with respect to the emitting angle can thus be extracted.     

Application of atom probe tomography to fundamental issues of steel materials

Although steel research has a very long history, there are still various questions and uncertainties on the fundamental issues of steel materials. Our aim is to clarify the issues by atomic-scale characterization using atom probe tomography (APT). This paper introduced our developed techniques in application of APT into steel materials. The first one is the specimen tip preparation technique from the site-specific regions of interest in steel, which significantly expanded the application field of steel analysis. The second one is the observation technique of trapped hydrogen in steel using our developed “deuterium charge cell,” which accomplished direct observation of the hydrogen trapping site in alloy carbide precipitation strengthened steels. Such atomic-scale analyses bring many new findings in steel materials science.     

Observation of DC field-evaporated ion species extracted from transition metal nitride thin film deposited on tungsten-tip

The ion species extracted from transition metal nitride thin films were investigated in order to understand the field evaporation mechanism of nitrogen in atom probe analysis. Nitrides of group IV transition metal, ie, titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf) nitrides, were chosen for analysis, owing to their good electrical conductivities. The samples were prepared by sputtering deposition of nitride thin film on a tungsten needle. Measurements were performed at 3 different direct current voltages, and for each voltage, we observed different ion species. For TiN and ZrN, both atomic metal ions and molecular ions were detected and TiN and ZrN tended to evaporate in the form of triple-charged molecular ions. For ZrN, Zr²⁺, Zr³⁺, ZrN³⁺, and (ZrN)₂³⁺ were observed at lower direct current voltages. For a higher tip voltage, N⁺ ions were detected in addition to these ions. These results suggest that the evaporation field of nitrogen is higher than those of Zr³⁺ and (ZrN)₂³⁺. In the analysis of an HfN tip, no ions could be detected. These results can be explained in terms of the differences between evaporation fields that were roughly estimated from the work functions and the bond energies of the analyzed nitrides.     

A new quantitative structure-retention relationship model for predicting chromatographic retention time of oligonucleotides

An integrated approach is proposed to predict the chromatographic retention time of oligonucleotides based on quantitative structure-retention relationships(QSRR) models.First,the primary base sequences of oligonucleotides are translated into vectors based on scores of generalized base properties(SGBP),involving physicochemical,quantum chemical,topological,spatial structural properties,etc.;thereafter,the sequence data are transformed into a uniform matrix by auto cross covariance(ACC).ACC accounts for the ...     

一例水溶液中识别铜离子的染料探针

通过罗丹明B与乙二胺反应生成的中间体合成了一例可以对铜离子进行比色检测的探针R-Cu.R-Cu可以实现对在HEPES(5 mmol/L;pH 7.4)溶液中Cu2+的比色可视化识别,加入Cu2+后,R-Cu的吸收明显增强,呈现出罗丹明B的紫红色.探针对Cu2+具有较高的选择性和灵敏性,对其他常见的金属离子具有较强的抗干扰能力.该探针可以在较宽的特别是近中性pH环境下有效检测Cu2+,最低检出限为2.70×10?7 mol/L.     

Compositional and structural characterization of alloyed carbide by 3D atom probe and high‐resolution TEM

During tempering of solute supersaturated ferrous martensite, the face‐centered cubic MC‐type carbides (M is alloy elements) such as VC and NbC phases usually co‐precipitate on crystal defects such as dislocation and take on plate‐like morphology. Over‐tempering makes the plate‐like shape change to spherical shape because of Ostwald coarsening. The coarsening process strongly correlates to the diffusion behaviors of the carbon and carbide‐forming elements, and consequently inhomogeneous compositional and structural distribution in the carbides is formed. Three‐dimensional atom probe and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy have been proved useful methods to characterize the composition, morphology and nanostructure of the carbides that precipitate in a quench‐tempered micro‐alloyed steel. Depending on the actual affinity with C and the diffusion behavior, Si and Al are rejected from the alloy carbide, whereas Mn, V and Nb are inhomogeneously enriched in it. The morphology and structure change with the compositional redistribution. During the coarsening process of the pre‐existing plate‐like carbide, transition carbide that is semi‐coherent with ferritic matrix is formed because of the disparity in diffusion ratio of different solutes. A core–shell complex nanostructure is consequently formed in the coarsening carbide, and the core and shell are identified as V₈C₇ enriched in Mn, Mo and Mo₂C, respectively. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biotinylated fluorescent probe for the specific and quantitative determination of blood glucose

The quantitative detection of biomarkers in protein‐rich samples using fluorescent probes is usually hampered by nonspecific fluorescence as a result of nonspecific probe–protein interactions. In this paper, we report a biotinylated fluorescent probe that is encapsulated in avidin protein, which can generate very specific fluorescence in blood serum by blocking out nonspecific dye–protein interactions. This approach was applied successfully to quantify glucose concentrations in blood serum.     

A Hg(II)-specific probe for imaging application in living systems and quantitative analysis in environmental/food samples

Mercury ions are highly toxic and can accumulate along food chains in water, soil, crops and animals. Effective detection of mercury ions in various media is of great significance for maintaining the ecological environment and protecting people’s health. In this work, a mercury ions specific fluorescent probe was developed by a simple one-step reaction of commercial substrates of 4-chloro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole and 1-(2-aminoethyl)-4-methylpiperazine. Investigation on sensing behavior showed that this probe had high sensitivity and selectivity towards mercury ions. Furthermore, this probe could be used as a tool to track the level of mercury ions in living system. In living cells, the probe with green emission emitted a bright red fluorescence when it was bound to mercury ions. In Arabidopsis thaliana, similar red emission could be detected from the root tip and stalk when A. thaliana was grown in culture medium containing mercury ions. The imaging in zebrafish showed that mercury ions were mainly concentrated in the stomach and head of zebrafish. Especially, this probe could be applied in quantitative analysis of mercury ions in tap water, green tea, sea shrimp and soil. This work provided a practical tool for the detection of mercury ions in living systems and quantitative analysis in real samples.     

醛酮化合物色谱保留指数的集成全息定量构效关系模型

色谱保留指数(retention index,RI)是色谱分析中的重要参数,不同化合物在不同极性固定相上具有不同的保留行为.醛酮化合物种类众多,实验测定其RI值的时间和经济成本高.该论文采用集成建模(ensemble modeling)结合全息定量构效关系(HQSAR)方法研究了醛酮化合物在2种固定相(DB-210和H...     

A highly sensitive naphthalimide-based fluorescent probe for detection of Cu2+ via selective hydrolysis reaction and its application in practical samples

A novel fluorescent probe CN3, containing 1,8-naphthalimide and picolinate units, was synthesized, and its structure was characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H NMR), ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (C NMR), and mass spectroscopy techniques. The detection property of CN3 toward copper ions (Cu²⁺) has been investigated in ethanol–HEPES buffer (v/v = 1/1, pH = 7.40) solution by UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra. The results showed that CN3 had a highly selective and sensitive fluorescence quenching response to Cu²⁺, which was attributed to the generation of weak fluorescent N-ethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl-1,8- naphthalimide (compound 2) in polar ethanol–HEPES buffer (v/v = 1/1, pH = 7.40) via selective hydrolysis reaction. The detection of CN3 for Cu²⁺ was not influenced in the presence of other competing metal ions, and the limit of detection was as low as 50.0 nM. Therefore, the color of CN3 changed from colorless to yellowish when the Cu²⁺ was added. Furthermore, the fluorescent probe CN3 was utilized to detect Cu²⁺ in real water samples with fine performance.     

一种新型快速检测半胱氨酸的荧光探针EI北大核心CSCD

基于三苯胺母体的强供电子能力,设计合成了一种共轭性良好的新型半胱氨酸(Cys)荧光探针。采用荧光光谱法和紫外-可见光谱法研究了目标探针T-Probe对半胱氨酸(Cys)的光谱响应。结果表明:目标探针分子与Cys作用后,荧光发射波长有约20 nm红移,荧光强度发生明显的增强,在365 nm紫外灯下,溶液由青色变为蓝色;探针分子选择性识别Cys的检测限为98.4 nmol/L,且灵敏度较高。     

A proximity-induced covalent fluorescent probe for selective detection of bromodomain 4

Through proximity-induced conjugation reaction, a peptide-based fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized for selective detection of bromodomain 4.     

A switch-on near-infrared fluorescence-ready probe for Cu(I): live cell imaging

A reaction-based strategy exploiting metal ion mediated oxidative C–O bond cleavage affords selective ‘switch-on’ near-infrared (NIR) emitting cyanine probe for Cu⁺ in aqueous media and live cells. Near-infrared fluorescence-ready probe TPACy readily reacts with Cu⁺ to release the quinone embedded heptamethine cyanine (Cy-quinone) with extended π-electron conjugation responsible for the switch-on NIR fluorescence in aqueous buffer solution (50 mM HEPES, pH 7.2). This probe can be conveniently used for monitoring Cu⁺ without the interference from pH dependent effects of physiological media. Utility of the probe has been demonstrated by its application in the detection of unbound copper species (Cu⁺) in live cells.     

Convergence properties of Fock's expansion for S-state eigenfunctions of the helium atom

It is proved by functional analytic methods that for S-state solutions of Schrödinger's equation for the helium atom, Fock's expansion in powers of R ^1/2 and R ln R, where R is the hyperspherical radius r ₁ ² +r ₂ ² , converges pointwise for all R, thereby generalising a result of Macek that the expansion converges in the mean for all R<1/2. It is shown that for any value (even complex) of the energy E, Schrödinger's equation, considered as a partial differential equation with no boundary condition at R=, has infinitely many solutions representable by an expansion of the type proposed by Fock. Some of the open problems are discussed in determining whether for E in the point spectrum of the atomic Hamiltonian the physical eigenfunction _E, which has exponential decay as R , is representable by Fock's expansion.     

A fluorometric and mitochondrion-targetable probe for rapid,naked-eye test of hypochlorite in real samples

A colorimetric, fluorometric and mitochondrion-targetable probe (Rh-ClO) based on rhodamine B fluorophore and thiophene-2-carbohydrazide has been unveiled and successfully utilized for ClO^- detection in water samples and HeLa cells.     

Highly selective chromogenic and fluorogenic probe based on benzothiazole-thiosemicarbazone Schiff base for detection of copper (II) in real samples

Copper is the third most abundant essential transition metal ion in the human body. It's responsible for important activities in many living things, but excessive intake of Cu²⁺ can lead to a range of diseases. A colorimetric and turn-off fluorescent probe (E)-2-(5-(benzothiazol-2-yl)-2-(diethylamino)-4-hydroxybenzylidene)-N-phenylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide ( ZTR ) was designed and synthesized by thiosemicarbazone Schiff base as a specific complexes site strategy to achieve highly specific Cu²⁺ detection. The fluorescence of the probe ZTR solution fell dramatically when Cu²⁺ was added, and its appearance changed from dazzling blue to nearly colorless. The simple structure and readily available fluorescent probe provide a novel approach for the quantitative detection of Cu²⁺ in the linear range from 0 to 0.12 μM, with a detection limit down to 16 nM, and with high selectivity for Cu²⁺ over 15 other metal ions. Job’s plot analysis showed that probe ZTR and Cu²⁺ formed a 1:1 coordination complex. In addition, because of its low detection limits and fast response time, the created fluorescent molecule was effectively used to study the target ions on test paper strips and in water samples.))     

Benzimidazole-based optical probe for selective detection of multiple-cations via dual-channel analysis

A benzimidazole-based optical probe having pendant carboxyl, amine, and imine groups as ionophore has been prepared for screening various metal ions. The 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acid (1) has been obtained in good yield and characterized by full battery of complementary physico-chemical techniques including ¹H NMR, UV-Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Metal ion-binding properties of 1 have been studied using ppm level concentration of representative alkali metal (Na⁺, K⁺), alkaline earth metal (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺), and transition metal (Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe³⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ag⁺) ions and the output signal was monitored via two different channels viz chromogenically and fluorogenically. Selective recognition of Hg²⁺ has been explored with absorption spectra whereas emission spectra of 1 display differential response for multiple cations at parts-per-million (ppm) level concentration that allow selective detection of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Na⁺ ions. The results have been discussed in light of selectivity, sensitivity, response time, mode of binding/interactions, and sensing properties.