First-Principles Investigation of Electronic Properties of GaAsxSb1 –x Ternary Alloys

Semiconductors - Compositional variations in GaAs based ternary alloys have exhibited wide range alterations in electronic properties. In the present paper, first-principles study of...     

Dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]pyrrol‐Cored Hole Transport Material Enabling Over 21% Efficiency Dopant‐Free Perovskite Solar Cells

Dopant‐free hole transport materials (HTMs) are essential for commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the state‐of‐the‐art PSCs with small molecule dopant‐free HTMs are below 20%. Herein, a simple dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]pyrrol‐cored small molecule, DTP‐C6Th, is reported as a promising dopant‐free HTM. Compared with commonly used spiro‐OMeTAD, DTP‐C6Th exhibits a similar energy level, a better hole mobility of 4.18 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1, and more efficient hole extraction, enabling efficient and stable PSCs with a dopant‐free HTM. With the addition of an ultrathin poly(methyl methacrylate) passivation layer and properly tuning the composition of the perovskite absorber layer, a champion PCE of 21.04% is achieved, which is the highest value for small molecule dopant‐free HTM based PSCs to date. Additionally, PSCs using the DTP‐C6Th HTM exhibit significantly improved long‐term stability compared with the conventional cells with the metal additive doped spiro‐OMeTAD HTM. Therefore, this work provides a new candidate and effective device engineering strategy for achieving high PCEs with dopant‐free HTMs.     

Performance analysis of wireless communication system over nonidentical cascaded generalised gamma fading channels

Multiplicative fading statistics usually encountered in different radio propagation environments. In this context, we evaluate and analyse the performance of a wireless communication system over the nonidentical cascaded generalised Gamma Fading Channels, also known as generalised Bessel‐K fading channel. To this end, the closed‐form expressions for the amount of fading (AOF), the outage probability (OP), the average symbol error probability (SEP), and the channel capacity are derived. In addition approximate expressions for the average SEP with maximal ratio combining (MRC) diversity are also provided. The low‐ and high‐power solutions for the channel capacity are also provided. Furthermore, simplified asymptotic average SEP expressions for MRC and selection combining (SC) are presented to gain the system performance with diversity. The proposed methodologies provide more flexibility to accommodate different radio propagation scenarios. To examine the accuracy of the proposed solutions, numerical and simulation results are compared and shown to fit for variety of fading parameters.     

An EKV-based high voltage MOSFET model with improved mobility and drift model

An EKV-based high voltage MOSFET model is presented. The intrinsic channel model is derived based on the charge based EKV-formalism. An improved mobility model is used for the modeling of the intrinsic channel to improve the DC characteristics. The model uses second order dependence on the gate bias and an extra parameter for the smoothening of the saturation voltage of the intrinsic drain. An improved drift model [Chauhan YS, Anghel C, Krummenacher F, Ionescu AM, Declercq M, Gillon R, et al. A highly scalable high voltage MOSFET model. In: IEEE European solid-state device research conference (ESSDERC), September 2006. p. 270–3; Chauhan YS, Anghel C, Krummenacher F, Maier C, Gillon R, Bakeroot B, et al. Scalable general high voltage MOSFET model including quasi-saturation and self-heating effect. Solid State Electron 2006;50(11–12):1801–13] is used for the modeling of the drift region, which gives smoother transition on output characteristics and also models well the quasi-saturation region of high voltage MOSFETs. First, the model is validated on the numerical device simulation of the VDMOS transistor and then, on the measured characteristics of the SOI-LDMOS transistor. The accuracy of the model is better than our previous model [Chauhan YS, Anghel C, Krummenacher F, Maier C, Gillon R, Bakeroot B, et al. Scalable general high voltage MOSFET model including quasi-saturation and self-heating effect. Solid State Electron 2006;50(11–12):1801–13] especially in the quasi-saturation region of output characteristics.     

Generating optimal adaptive fuzzy-neural models of dynamicalsystems with applications to control

The paper describes an approach to generating optimal adaptive fuzzy neural models from I/O data. This approach combines structure and parameter identification of Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy models. We propose to achieve structure determination via a combination of modified mountain clustering (MMC) algorithm, recursive least squares estimation (RLSE), and group method of data handling (GMDH). Parameter adjustment is achieved by training the initial TSK model using the algorithm of an adaptive network based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), which employs backpropagation (BP) and RLSE. Further, a procedure for generating locally optimal model structures is suggested. The structure optimization procedure is composed of two phases: 1) locally optimal rule premise variables subsets (LOPVS) are identified using MMC, GMDH, and a search tree (ST); and 2) locally optimal numbers of model rules (LONOR) are determined using MMC/RLSE along with parallel simulation mean square error (PSMSE) as a performance index. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by a variety of simulation examples. The examples include modeling of a nonlinear dynamical process from I/O data and modeling nonlinear components of dynamical plants, followed by tracking control based on a model reference adaptive scheme (MRAC). Simulation results show that this approach is fast and accurate and leads to several optimal models     

Sub-quarter micron silicon integrated circuits and single wafer processing

This paper describes the role of single wafer processing in the development of sub-quarter micron silicon integrated circuits (ICs). The issues related to device processing, choice of materials, performance, reliability, and manufacturing are covered. Single wafer processing based rapid photothermal processing (dominant photons with wavelength less than about 800 nm) is an ideal answer to almost all the thermal processing requirements of current and future Si ICs. For process integration, a new model for process optimization based on minimization of thermal stress is proposed. For breaking the sub-100 nm manufacturing barriers, high throughput lithography based on direct writing is a proposed solution.     

A novel technique for RTP annealing of compound semiconductors

We introduce for the first time a novel rapid thermal processing (RTP) unit called Zapper™, which has recently been developed by MHI Inc. and the University of Florida, for high temperature thermal processing of semiconductors. This Zapper™ unit is capable of reaching much highertemperatures (>1500°C) than conventional tungsten–halogen lamp RTP equipment and achievinghigh ramp-up and ramp-down rates. We have conducted implant activation annealing studies ofSi⁺-implanted GaN thin films (with and without an AlN encapsulation layer) using the Zapper™ unit at temperatures up to 1500°C. The electrical property measurements of such annealed samples have led to the conclusion that high annealing temperatures and AlN encapsulation are needed for the optimum activation efficiency of Si⁺ implants in GaN. It has clearly been demonstrated that the Zapper™ unit has tremendous potential for RTP annealing of semiconductor materials, especially for wide band-gap (WBG) compound semiconductors that require very high processing temperatures.     

Transient plasma shielding effects during pulsed laser ablation of materials

The absorption of laser energy by the plasma during pulsed laser deposition of thin films has been analyzed theoretically. The amount of laser energy absorbed in the plasma termed as the “plasma shielding factor” is a function of the incident laser wavelength, and time dependent plasma dimensions and electron density. Due to time varying parameters, a quantitative analysis of the plasma absorption is difficult. A model which takes into account the absorption of laser energy by the plasma has been developed. In this model, the time-dependent plasma dimension is replaced by the time dependent ablation depth. Using simulated absorption coefficient values, the ablation characteristics of silicon and high T_c superconductors are computed and compared with experimental results. The plasma shielding factor was found to vary approximately linearly with absorbed laser energy. The calculations also showed that the plasma shielding was strongly dependent on the laser fluence but varies very weakly with the simulated plasma absorption coefficient values. Experimental results on plume shielding showed good agreement with the calculations.     

Low thermal budget processing of organic dielectrics

Low dielectric constant organic materials are ideal for use as interconnect dielectrics for integrated circuits (ICs) to reduce power dissipation, crosstalk and RC delays. For high performance and reliability of ICs, reduced thermal and intrinsic stress is highly desirable. Low thermal budget rapid isothermal processing (RIP) can provide materials with lower stress. In this paper, we demonstrate the role of photoeffects in the curing of polyimide films using a rapid isothermal processor as a source of optical and thermal energy. The availability of large a number of ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet photons on the film surface allowed a lower curing temperature and also resulted in the lowest leakage current and film stress. We demonstrate a direct one-to-one correlation between electrical, mechanical, and structural properties of the organic dielectrics     

Fluorescence Spectroscopic and Calorimetry Based Approaches to Characterize the Mode of Interaction of Small Molecules with DNA

Ethidium bromide displacement assay by fluorescence is frequently used as a diagnostic tool to identify the intercalation ability of DNA binding small molecules. Here we have demonstrated that the method has pitfalls. We have employed fluorescence, absorbance and label free technique such as isothermal titration calorimetry to probe the limitations. Ethidium bromide, a non-specific intercalator, netropsin, a (A-T) specific minor groove binder, and sanguinarine, a (G-C) specific intercalator, have been used in our experiments to study the association of a ligand with DNA in presence of a competing ligand. Here we have shown that netropsin quenches the fluorescence intensity of an equilibrium mixture of ethidium bromide - calf thymus DNA via displacement of ethidium bromide. Isothermal titration calorimetry results question the accepted interpretation of the observed decrease in fluorescence of bound ethidium bromide in terms of competitive binding of two ligands to DNA. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry experiments and absorbance measurements indicate that the fluorescence change might be due to formation of ternary complex and not displacement of one ligand by another.