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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2

Ab-initio simulations of higher Miller index Si:SiO{sub 2} interfaces for fin field effect transistor and nanowire transistors

Models of three representative higher Miller index interfaces, Si(310):SiO{sub 2}, Si(410):SiO{sub 2}, and Si(331):SiO{sub 2}, have been built by an ab-initio molecular dynamics method. We show that each interface can be made as a fully bonded network without any defects and has a reasonable electronic structure for use in fin field effect transistors or gate-all-around nanowire devices. The differences in numbers of oxygen bridges are attributed to the intermediate sub-oxide components and the atomic step structure. The interface bonding schemes to passivate different densities of dangling bonds on different facets are also analyzed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Stochastic Gain Degradation in III-V Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors due to Single Particle Displacement Damage

As device dimensions decrease single displacement effects are becoming more important. We measured the gain degradation in III-V Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors due to single particles using a heavy ion microbeam. Two devices with different sizes were irradiated with various ion species ranging from oxygen to gold to study the effect of the irradiation ion mass on the gain change. From the single steps in the inverse gain (which is proportional to the number of defects) we calculated Cumulative Distribution Functions to help determine design margins. The displacement process was modeled using the Marlowe Binary Collision Approximation (BCA) code. The entire structure of the device was modeled and the defects in the base-emitter junction were counted to be compared to the experimental results. While we found good agreement for the large device, we had to modify our model to reach reasonable agreement for the small device.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Photo‐/Thermal‐Responsive Field‐Effect Transistor upon Blending Polymeric Semiconductor with Hexaarylbiimidazole toward Photonically Programmable and Thermally Erasable Memory Device

Abstract It is shown that the semiconducting performance of field‐effect transistors (FETs) with PDPP4T (poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole‐quaterthiophene)) can be reversibly tuned by UV light irradiation and thermal heating after blending with the photochromic hexaarylbiimidazole compound ( p ‐NO 2 ‐HABI). A photo‐/thermal‐responsive FET with a blend thin film of PDPP4T and p ‐NO 2 ‐HABI is successfully fabricated. The transfer characteristics are altered significantly with current enhanced up to 10 6 ‐fold at V G = 0 V after UV light irradiation. However, further heating results in the recovery of the transfer curve. This approach can be extended to other semiconducting polymers such as P3HT (poly(3‐hexyl thiophene)), PBTTT (poly(2,5‐bis(3‐tetradecylthiophen‐2‐yl)thieno[3,2‐b] thiophene)) and PDPPDTT (poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole‐dithienothiophene)). It is hypothesized that TPIRs (2,4,5‐triphenylimidazolyl radicals) formed from p ‐NO 2 ‐HABI after UV light irradiation can interact with charge defects at the gate dielectric–semiconductor interface and those in the semiconducting layer to induce more hole carriers in the semiconducting channel. The application of the blend thin film of PDPP4T and p ‐NO 2 ‐HABI is further demonstrated to fabricate the photonically programmable and thermally erasable FET‐based nonvolatile memory devices that are advantageous in terms of i) high ON/OFF current ratio, ii) nondestructive reading at low electrical bias, and iii) reasonably highly stable ON‐state and OFF‐state.

Liu, Yidong↗

Highly Contrasting Static Charging and Bias Stress Effects in Pentacene Transistors with Polystyrene Heterostructures Incorporating Oxidizable N , N '-Bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline Side Chains as Gate Dielectrics

Charge storage and trapping properties of polymer dielectrics govern the charge densities of adjacent semiconductors and greatly influence the on-off switching voltage (threshold voltage, V th ) of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) when the polymers are used as gate insulators. Intentional charging of polymer dielectrics in OFETs can change V th and affect the bias stress. We describe a chemical design and fabrication protocol to construct multilayer-stack dielectrics for pentacene-based OFETs using different polystyrene (PS)-based polymers in each layer, with oxidizable N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)anilino (TPAOMe)-substituted styrene copolymers in arbitrary vertical positions in the stacks. Thermal, byproduct-free crosslinking of benzocyclobutene subunits provides integrity to the multilayer structure by preventing dissolution of the previous deposited layer. Neutron reflectivity data verified the multilayer morphology. We compared the Vth shift before and after charging the stacks by application of ±100V across 0.5-1 µm total film thicknesses. Bias stress was the dominant effect in bilayer devices with a TPAOMe layer in contact with the pentacene, indicated by the direction of V th shift associated with either polarity of external electric field. In structures with no TPAOMe subunit in contact with the pentacene, when charging with -100V on top of the source and drain electrodes, electron injection from pentacene to dielectric was the major charging mechanism, again consistent with the bias stress direction. When charging with +100V, bilayer devices without TPAOMe showed little change in V th , suggesting there was no bias stress effect or charge injection in these devices for this charging polarity. For the bilayer devices with the TPAOMe layer in the bottom, and the trilayer devices with TPOMe in the middle, when +100V was applied, the V th shifts were opposite those expected from bias stress. Dipole formation or partial ionization of chargeable groups at the interface between the dielectric layers are likely polarization mechanisms in these cases. A simple analytical model supports the plausibility of these mechanisms. This work provides examples of both stabilization and shifting of V th , and therefore controlling charge carrier density, in semiconductors overlying the dielectric multilayers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Buta-1,3-diyne-Based π-Conjugated Polymers for Organic Transistors and Solar Cells

We report the synthesis and characterization of new alkyl-substituted 1,4-di(thiophen-2-yl)buta-1,3-diyne (R-DTB) donor building blocks, based on the -C≡C-C≡C- conjugative pathway, and their incorporation with thienyl-diketopyrrolopyrrole (R'-TDPP) acceptor units into π-conjugated PTDPP-DTB polymers (P1-P4). The solubility of the new polymers strongly depends on the DTB and DPP solubilizing (R and R', respectively) substituents. Thus, solution processable and high molecular weight PDPP-DTB polymers are achieved for P3 (R = n-C12H25, R' = 2- butyloctyl) and P4 (R = 2-ethylhexyl, R' = 2-butyloctyl). Systematic studies of P3 and P4 physicochemical properties are carried using optical spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and thermal analysis, revealing characteristic features of the dialkynyl motif. For the first time, optoelectronic devices (OFETs, OPVs) are fabricated with 1,3-butadiyne containing organic semiconductors. OFET hole mobilities and record OPV power conversion efficiencies for acetylenic organic materials approach 0.1 cm2/(V s) and 4%, respectively, which can be understood from detailed thin-film morphology and microstructural characterization using AFM, TEM, XRD, and GIWAXS methodologies. Importantly, DTB-based polymers (P3 and P4) exhibit, in addition to stabilization of frontier molecular orbitals and to -C≡C-C≡C- relief of steric torsions, discrete morphological pliability through thermal annealing and processing additives. The advantageous materials properties and preliminary device performance reported here demonstrate the promise of 1,3-butadiyne-based semiconducting polymers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Photoinduced Anomalous Coulomb Blockade and the Role of Triplet States in Electron Transport through an Irradiated Molecular Transistor

In the present study, we explore photoinduced electron transport through a molecule weakly coupled to two electrodes by combining first-principles quantum chemistry calculations with a Pauli master equation approach that accounts for many-electron states. In the incoherent limit, we demonstrate that energy-level alignment of triplet and charged states plays a crucial role, even when the rate of intersystem crossing is much smaller than the rate of fluorescence. Furthermore, the field intensity dependence and an upper bound to the photoinduced electric current can be analytically derived in our model. Under an optical field, the conductance spectra (charge stability diagrams) exhibit unusual Coulomb diamonds, which are associated with molecular excited states, and their widths can be expressed in terms of energies of the molecular electronic states. This study offers new directions for exploring optoelectronic response in nanoelectronics.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Comparison of gain degradation and deep level transient spectroscopy in pnp Si bipolar junction transistors irradiated with different ion species

Here, we studied the effect of light ion and heavy ion irradiations on pnp Si BJTs. A mismatch in DLTS deep peak amplitude for devices with same final gain but irradiated with different ion species was observed. Also, different ions cause different gain degradation when the DLTS spectra are matched. Pre-dosed ion-irradiated samples show that ion induced ionization does not account for the differences in DLTS peak height but isochronal annealing studies suggest that light ions produce more VP defects than heavy ions to compensate for the lack of clusters that heavy ions produce. The creation of defect clusters by heavy ions is evident by the higher content of E4 and V* 2 defects compared to light ions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Impact of 12-nm FinFET Technology Variations on TID Effects: A Comparative Study of GF 12LP and 12LP+ at the Transistor Level

Here, this article presents a comparative analysis of total ionizing dose (TID) response in GlobalFoundries’ (GF) 12 low-power (LP) and 12LP+12-nm bulk fin field effect transistor (FinFET) technologies using 10-keV X-rays. Our findings show that 12LP+ n-type transistors demonstrate higher sensitivity to TID degradation of the off-state leakage drain current compared to 12LP. Data indicate that for both 12LP and 12LP+, transistors with higher threshold voltages (VTs) exhibit lower off-state drain-source leakage postirradiation compared to transistors with lower VTs. Data consistently show that transistors with fewer fins per transistor show superior TID tolerance, in both 12LP and 12LP+ technologies. Lower VT transistors in both technologies display similar preirradiation leakage currents. On the other hand, higher VT transistors in 12LP+ show lower preirradiation leakage currents than those in 12LP, highlighting that the front-end-of-line of 12LP+ technology has been modified compared to 12LP. p-type devices in 12LP+ presented negligible degradation. Larger TID sensitivity in 12LP+ might be attributed to the implementation of dual-metal gate work functions, reduced halo doping, deeper source/drain (S/D) doping profiles, and/or 12LP+ having narrower fins compared to 12LP.

Dual-metal gate work functions↗

Increase the threshold voltage of high voltage GaN transistors by low temperature atomic hydrogen treatment

High-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) based on AlGaN/GaN epitaxial heterostructures are a promising element base for the fabrication of high voltage electronic devices of the next generation. This is caused by both the high mobility of charge carriers in the transistor channel and the high electric strength of the material, which makes it possible to attain high breakdown voltages. For use in high-power switches, normally off-mode GaN transistors operating under enhancement conditions are required. To fabricate normally off GaN transistors, one most frequently uses a subgate region based on magnesium-doped p-GaN. However, optimization of the p-GaN epitaxial-layer thickness and the doping level makes it possible to attain a threshold voltage of GaN transistors close to V{sub th} = +2 V. In this study, it is shown that the use of low temperature treatment in an atomic hydrogen flow for the p-GaN-based subgate region before the deposition of gate-metallization layers makes it possible to increase the transistor threshold voltage to V{sub th} = +3.5 V. The effects under observation can be caused by the formation of a dipole layer on the p-GaN surface induced by the effect of atomic hydrogen. The heat treatment of hydrogen-treated GaN transistors in a nitrogen environment at a temperature of T = 250°C for 12 h reveals no degradation of the transistor’s electrical parameters, which can be caused by the formation of a thermally stable dipole layer at the metal/p-GaN interface as a result of hydrogenation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-voltage MIS-gated GaN transistors

Transistors with a high electron mobility based on AlGaN/GaN epitaxial heterostructures are promising component types for creating high-power electronic devices of the next generation. This is due both to a high charge-carrier mobility in the transistor channel and a high electric durability of the material making it possible to achieve high breakdown voltages. For use in power switching devices, normally off GaN transistors operating in the enrichment mode are required. To create normally off GaN transistors, the subgate region on the basis of p-GaN doped with magnesium is more often used. However, optimization of the p-GaN epitaxial-layer thickness and doping level makes it possible to achieve a threshold voltage close to V{sub th} = +2 V for the on-mode of GaN transistors. In this study, it is shown that the use of a subgate MIS (metal–insulator–semiconductor) structure involved in p-GaN transistors results in an increase in the threshold voltage for the on-mode to V{sub th} = +6.8 V, which depends on the subgate-insulator thickness in a wide range. In addition, it is established that the use of the MIS structure results in a decrease in the initial transistor current and the gate current in the on mode, which enables us to decrease the energy losses when controlling powerful GaN transistors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Efficient and Robust p-Type Transistor Based on Ultrawide-Bandgap Semiconductor

The p-type transistor is an indispensable component of semiconductor technology, enabling a complementary operation with n-channel transistors for computation, storage, and communication. Achieving both high robustness and high efficiency is highly desirable but challenging for p-type transistors due to the limited semiconductors with reliable hole transport and their high activation energies. Here, in this study, we achieved a robust yet efficient p-type transistor by heterogeneously integrating an ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor and a high-κ dielectric layer through van der Waals integration. The p-type transistor employs a two-dimensional hole channel on hydrogenated diamond (bandgap 5.6 eV) combined with a high-κ (30.5) SrTiO 3 perovskite membrane. At room temperature, the transistor exhibits stable operation with a high on-current (∼200 mA/mm), low subthreshold swing (70 mV/dec), high hole mobility (566 cm 2 /(V·s) to 572 cm 2 /(V·s)), and high on–off ratio (∼10 9 ). Furthermore, tuning the annealing temperature allows operation in either enhancement or depletion mode. The robust p-type transistor with high efficiency holds great potential for future power electronics, ultraviolet (UV) optoelectronics, and harsh-environment electronic applications.

high-κ membrane↗

Reducing the Barrier Height in Organic Transistors

Abstract Reducing the Schottky barrier height and Fermi level de‐pinning in metal‐organic semiconductor contacts are crucial for enhancing the performance of organic transistors. The reduction of the Schottky barrier height in bottom‐contact top‐gate organic transistors is demonstrated by adding 1 nm thick atomic layer deposited Al 2 O 3 on the source and drain contacts. By using two different donor‐acceptor copolymers, both p‐ and n‐ type transistors are investigated. Temperature‐dependent current–voltage measurements from non‐treated, self‐assembled monolayer treated, and Al 2 O 3 treated Au source‐drain contact field‐effect transistors with varying channel lengths are carried out. The drain current versus drain voltage near zero gate voltage, which may be described by the thermionic emission model at temperatures above 150 K, allows the estimation of the Schottky barrier height ( φ B ). The Al 2 O 3 contact‐treated transistors show more than 40% lower φ B compared with the non‐treated contacts in the p ‐type transistor. Similarly, an isoindigo‐based transistor, with n ‐type transport, shows a reduction in φ B with Al 2 O 3 treated contacts suggesting that such ultrathin oxide layers provide a universal method for reducing the barrier height.

Ghobadi, Arash↗