Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Andrea Pulici, Stefano Kuschlan, Gabriele Seguini, Fabiana Taglietti, Marco Fanciulli, Riccardo Chiarcos, Michele Laus, Michele Perego
Summary: Ex-situ doping of 30 nm thick SOI substrates was achieved by using polymers terminated with a doping containing moiety. The polymers created a phosphorus delta-layer at the interface between the Si device layer and a SiO2 capping layer. P atoms were driven in by annealing the samples in a RTP system at temperatures ranging from 900 to 1200 degrees C. The uniform dopant concentration throughout the entire Si device layer was confirmed by ToF-SIMS measurements.
MATERIALS SCIENCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rani Mary Joy, Paulius Pobedinskas, Nina Baule, Shengyuan Bai, Daen Jannis, Nicolas Gauquelin, Marie-Amandine Pinault-Thaury, Francois Jomard, Kamatchi Jothiramalingam Sankaran, Rozita Rouzbahani, Fernando Lloret, Derese Desta, Jan D'Haen, Johan Verbeeck, Michael Frank Becker, Ken Haenen
Summary: This study investigates the influence of film microstructure and composition on the Young's modulus and residual stress in nanocrystalline diamond thin films. The results provide insights into the mechanical properties and intrinsic stress sources of these films, and demonstrate the potential for producing high-quality nanocrystalline diamond films under certain conditions.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
J. Rodriguez-Lopez, R. Rangel, A. Ramos-Carrazco, D. Berman-Mendoza, P. Quintana-Owen, P. Bartolo-Perez, J. J. Alvarado-Gil
Summary: The study aimed to develop nitrogen-doped nanostructured ZnO thin films using a sequential procedure involving atomic layer deposition and a hydrothermal process with microwave heating. The N-doped films showed textured wurtzite-like structures and a reduction in bandgap compared to pure ZnO. This methodology provides a viable way to produce high-quality N-ZnO nanostructured thin films.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hongyu Chen, Zexin Feng, Han Yan, Peixin Qin, Xiaorong Zhou, Huixin Guo, Xiaoning Wang, Haojiang Wu, Xin Zhang, Ziang Meng, Zhiqi Liu
Summary: Unexpected weak anomalous Hall effect was found in polycrystalline thin films of chromium, possibly attributed to noncollinear spin textures induced by local spin frustration and rearrangement. A dominant intrinsic Berry phase mechanism is speculated. This may be a general feature for collinear antiferromagnetic thin-film materials with moderately high defect concentrations, making them promising candidates for emergent antiferromagnetic spintronics.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariuca Gartner, Hermine Stroescu, Daiana Mitrea, Madalina Nicolescu
Summary: This review highlights the importance of Zn for the synthesis of multifunctional materials with interesting properties. Various strategies such as appropriate synthesis routes, doping and co-doping of ZnO films, and the addition of polymers are discussed. ZnO can be used in thin films, mixed layers, and composite films, and it can be doped with metals or non-metals. ZnO has multiple applications in sensing technology, piezoelectric devices, transparent conductive oxides, solar cells, and photoluminescence.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
J. Rodriguez-Lopez, R. Rangel, D. Berman-Mendoza, A. Ramos-Carrazco, J. J. Alvarado
Summary: This study aims to explore the photocatalytic process by discussing compounds that have been anionically doped. It focuses on the columnar growth of ZnO films produced through atomic layer deposition and their subsequent nitrogen doping using a nitrogen plasma source. The results suggest that the silicon substrate and zinc acetate precursor provide samples with the best photocatalytic performance, and nitrogen doping enhances the degradation of lignin.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Alestair Wilson, Erwann Fourmond, Bilel Saidi, Benjamin Fornacciari, Solene Brottet, Marc Juhel, Mickael Gros-Jean
Summary: Fine-tuning the crystallinity and doping levels of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon thin films is crucial for obtaining high-quality above-IC image sensors. This study investigates the structural and electrical properties of RF-PECVD-deposited microcrystalline silicon contact layers, focusing on the influence of phosphine concentration on dopant concentration, active dopant concentration, and crystallinity. A high doping level of 1.7 x 10(20) cm(-3) is achieved, and different incubation layers are obtained under different deposition conditions.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI A-APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Optics
Madhuri Mishra, Rajib Saha, Lavi Tyagi, Sushama Sushama, Sushil Kumar Pandey, Subhananda Chakrabarti
Summary: In this study, phosphorus-doped MgZnO thin films were prepared through spin-on doping and annealing, which improved the morphology, structure, and optical properties. Annealing at temperatures of 800-900 degrees C resulted in good morphology and large grains.
JOURNAL OF LUMINESCENCE
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Muhamad Mustofa, Seiya Mishima, Katsuhiko Saito, Qixin Guo, Tooru Tanaka
Summary: P-doped ZnTe thin films were grown using InP as the P source by MBE on ZnTe (100) substrates. SIMS analysis revealed that the P concentration in the films increased with increasing InP flux, accompanied by In incorporation. To suppress the In incorporation, the outlet of the InP cell was modified. The modified outlet successfully decreased the In concentration by three orders of magnitude, while the P concentration also decreased by one order of magnitude. An acceptor-bound exciton (I-a) peak at 2.36 eV was observed in the P-doped ZnTe thin film grown with a modified outlet, and the I-a intensity increased after annealing, indicating the activation of P acceptors.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Sung Il Park, Byung Chan Yang, Jihyun Kim, Jaeyoon Ko, Gyung-Min Choi, Jihwan An, Jungwan Cho
Summary: Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) doped with yttrium has been widely used in electronic and energy devices. In this study, we report the thermal conductivity of YSZ thin films with varying Y2O3 content deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The results show that the thermal conductivity decreases with increasing Y2O3 doping concentration, mainly due to increased phonon scattering by oxygen vacancies. Our PEALD YSZ films have higher thermal conductivities compared to previously reported films, possibly due to their relatively larger grain sizes.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexandra M. L. Oliveira, Monica Machado, Gabriela A. Silva, Diogo B. Bitoque, Joana Tavares Ferreira, Luis Abegao Pinto, Quirina Ferreira
Summary: Graphene oxide, with its unique properties, has been widely used in nanomedicine as a component of drug delivery systems. Research studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in controlling drug dosage and timely delivery when incorporated into multilayer films. This review provides an overview of the latest research developments in biomedical applications using graphene oxide for drug delivery systems, including film production and characterization, in vitro and in vivo experiments, main applications of graphene oxide in biomedical devices, and its biocompatibility properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yequan Chen, Yingmei Zhu, Renju Lin, Wei Niu, Ruxin Liu, Wenzhuo Zhuang, Xu Zhang, Jinghua Liang, Wenxuan Sun, Zhongqiang Chen, Yongsheng Hu, Fengqi Song, Jian Zhou, Di Wu, Binghui Ge, Hongxin Yang, Rong Zhang, Xuefeng Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates a significant topological Hall effect (THE) in large-area ferromagnetic Cr5Te6 thin films, which is essential for exploring the spin chirality generated by the real-space Berry curvature. The observed THE reaches approximately 1.6 μΩcm and can be maintained up to 270 K, thanks to the field-stimulated noncoplanar spin textures induced by the interaction of in-plane ferromagnet and antiferromagnet infrastructures. First-principles calculations further confirm the considerable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Cr5Te6. This work not only paves the way for robust chiral spin textures near room temperature in large-area low-dimensional ferromagnetic films for practical applications but also facilitates the development of high-density and dissipationless spintronic devices.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kacho Imtiyaz Ali Khan, Ram Singh Yadav, Himanshu Bangar, Akash Kumar, Niru Chowdhury, Prasanta Kumar Muduli, Pranaba Kishor Muduli
Summary: In this study, we investigate the growth of Fe3Sn2 thin films on Si/SiO2 substrates with two different seed layers (Ta and Pt). We find that Pt/Fe3Sn2 thin films form a pure ferromagnetic phase with higher saturation magnetization and exhibit an anomalous Hall coefficient that is two orders of magnitude higher than traditional ferromagnets. These results are important for the development of novel topological spintronic devices.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Tianyu Liu, Lvkang Shen, Shao-Dong Cheng, He Wang, Yixuan Li, Ming Liu
Summary: Inserting a graphene layer into magnetic oxide thin films can improve the linearity of the anomalous Hall effect, resulting in better performance and sensitivity for magnetic sensor applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yangkun He, Simon Lenne, Zsolt Gercsi, Gwenael Atcheson, Jack O'Brien, Daniel Fruchart, Karsten Rode, J. M. D. Coey
Summary: This article investigates the spin structure of Mn4N films and its influence on the magnetotransport properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mao Wang, Ye Yu, Slawomir Prucnal, Yonder Berencen, Mohd Saif Shaikh, Lars Rebohle, Muhammad Bilal Khan, Vitaly Zviagin, Rene Hubner, Alexej Pashkin, Artur Erbe, Yordan M. Georgiev, Marius Grundmann, Manfred Helm, Robert Kirchner, Shengqiang Zhou
Summary: The occurrence of mid-infrared localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) in thin Si films hyperdoped with tellurium (Te) is demonstrated in this study. By fabricating two-dimensional arrays of micrometer-sized antennas in a Te-hyperdoped Si chip, the mid-infrared LSPR can be further enhanced and extended to the far-infrared range. This finding opens up the possibility of integrating plasmonic sensors with the on-chip CMOS platform, greatly advancing the mass manufacturing potential of high-performance plasmonic sensing systems.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Swetha Raghuraman, Ann-Sophie Schubert, Stephan Broeker, Alejandro Jurado, Annika Mueller, Matthias Brandt, Bart E. Vos, Arne D. Hofemeier, Fatemeh Abbasi, Martin Stehling, Raphael Wittkowski, Johanna Ivaska, Timo Betz
Summary: Collective and coordinated cellular motion is a key behavior observed during morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer invasion. Understanding this type of migration is crucial for describing and treating cancer and other pathological defects. While individual cells exert forces to move, collective motion is coordinated by cell-cell adhesion-based forces.
Article
Cell Biology
Daniel Kummer, Tim Steinbacher, Sonja Tholmann, Mariel Flavia Schwietzer, Christian Hartmann, Simone Horenkamp, Sabrina Demuth, Swetha S. D. Peddibhotla, Frauke Brinkmann, Bjorn Kemper, Jurgen Schnekenburger, Matthias Brandt, Timo Betz, Ivan Liashkovich, Ivan U. Kouzel, Victor Shahin, Nathalie Corvaia, Klemens Rottner, Katsiaryna Tarbashevich, Erez Raz, Lilo Greune, M. Alexander Schmidt, Volker Gerke, Klaus Ebnet
Summary: This study identifies the cell adhesion molecule JAM-A as a central regulator of contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) in tumor cells. JAM-A links to αvβ5 integrin through tetraspanins CD9 and CD81, and inhibits the activity of Src. Loss of JAM-A leads to increased motility, enhanced cell-matrix turnover, and failure to halt migration upon collision with other cells. Proper regulation of CIL also depends on αvβ5 integrin engagement.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Hendrik Schuermann, Fatemeh Abbasi, Antonella Russo, Arne D. Hofemeier, Matthias Brandt, Johannes Roth, Thomas Vogl, Timo Betz
Summary: Podosomes are protrusive actin structures that respond to mechanical stimuli and are commonly found in myeloid cells, playing a role in vascular extravasation. This study investigated the force generation of podosome-bearing ER-Hoxb8 monocytes at the cellular level. The findings suggest that the collective contraction of the actomyosin network leads to a buckling mechanism, causing substrate indentation on the cell scale. This additional force generation complements the protrusion forces of individual podosomes.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias Brandt, Volker Gerke, Timo Betz
Summary: Endothelial cells play a crucial role in inflammation, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has a significant mechanical impact on these cells within a short time.
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Evgeny Krueger, Volker Gottschalch, Gabriele Benndorf, Ron Hildebrandt, Ana Lucia Pereira, Michael S. Bar, Steffen Blaurock, Stefan Merker, Chris Sturm, Marius Grundmann, Harald Krautscheid
Summary: This study presents the epitaxial growth of AgxCu1-xI alloy layers and isolated small crystals on Al2O3 (0001) using the close distance sublimation (CDS) technique. Single-phase gamma-AgxCu1-xI thin films are obtained up to an Ag content of approximately 0.5, with the beta-phase also observed at higher Ag contents. The epitaxial relationships between the deposited AgxCu1-xI layers and the Al2O3 substrate, as well as the structure type, are discussed for different alloy compositions. Additionally, a method for depositing polycrystalline single-phase gamma-AgxCu1-xI thin films for Ag contents up to approximately 0.7 is presented based on the solid-state reaction of AgI layers on Al2O3 (0001) substrate with CuI. Furthermore, it is shown that the near-band-edge emission at 2 K is dominated by excitonic recombination, and the spectral position of the emission profile can be tuned by the alloy composition.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jon Borgersen, Robert Karsthof, Vegard Ronning, Lasse Vines, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann, Andrej Yu Kuznetsov, Klaus Magnus Johansen
Summary: Significant resistivity variations have been observed in oxides subjected to low ion doses, which cannot be explained by bulk defects. A comparative study of In2O3-based oxides revealed correlations between resistivity evolution, low ion doses, and UV illumination. The resistivity drops were attributed to oxygen desorption facilitated by irradiation/illumination, as confirmed by post-irradiation exposure to oxygen atmosphere.
Review
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Laurenz Thyen, Daniel Splith, Max Kneiss, Marius Grundmann, Holger von Wenckstern
Summary: We introduce a new technique, MARS-PLD, for area-selective physical vapor deposition. By using a movable mask, we can selectively mask any desired area on a substrate to create multinary material composition gradients. We demonstrated the capabilities of this method by fabricating material gradients in (Mg,Zn)O thin films and on predefined two-dimensional patterns.
JOURNAL OF VACUUM SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY A
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Evgeny Krueger, Michael Seifert, Volker Gottschalch, Harald Krautscheid, Claudia S. Schnohr, Silvana Botti, Marius Grundmann, Chris Sturm
Summary: We studied the excitonic transition energy E-0 and spin-orbit split-off energy Delta(0) of gamma-AgxCu1-xI alloy thin films using reflectivity measurements at temperatures between 20 K and 290 K. The observed bowing behavior of the E-0 transition as a function of alloy composition is explained based on first-principles band structure calculations. The spin-orbit coupling increases with increasing Ag-content, and the temperature-dependent bandgap shift decreases with increasing Ag-content.
Article
Physics, Applied
Andreas Mueller, Sebastian Henn, Evgeny Krueger, Steffen Blaurock, Harald Krautscheid, Marius Grundmann, Chris Sturm
Summary: We report on the photoluminescence emission in copper iodide bulk single crystals induced by two- and three-photon absorption around 1.525eV. The non-linear optical processes were investigated through density-dependent, steady-state, and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. We observed that the photoluminescence intensity showed an almost parabolic behavior with the excitation power when the excitation energy corresponded to half of the bandgap energy. We also found a cubic contribution that increased with decreasing excitation energy. The ratio between the two- and three-photon absorption cross sections was determined to be approximately 10(-28) cm(2)s.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Marius Grundmann
Summary: This study revisits the problem of potential, electrical field, and charge density in a space charge region. Using the Boltzmann approximation, an analytical asymptotic solution is obtained. The exact solution can be found by numerically integrating an analytical function. A comparison is made with the popular abrupt (or depletion) approximation, and an analytical approximation is provided. The analytical approximation for potential, electrical field, and charge density in a space charge (depletion) region shows good agreement with the (numerically) exact solution.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Michael Lorenz, Holger Hochmuth, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann
Summary: Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a highly flexible physical growth technique for thin films of functional materials. This article describes a relatively simple and reliable concept of PLD hardware that enables deposition on large areas (up to 4 inches in diameter) and tailored lateral and vertical composition spreads without the need for time-consuming hardware changes. Different PLD approaches have been implemented in various chambers by using specific and correlated computer-controlled movements of the target, substrate, and masks, along with an appropriate target phase composition.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fabian Schoeppach, Daniel Splith, Holger von Wenckstern, Marius Grundmann
Summary: In this study, metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) devices based on pulsed laser deposition (PLD) grown In2O3 thin films are reported. These devices exhibit on-off ratios exceeding 6 orders of magnitude and low sub-threshold swing values close to the thermodynamic limit. Oxygen plasma treatment and compensation doping with Mg are used to suppress the accumulation of electrons at the surface of In2O3, which is a major obstacle for its use as an active material in electronic devices.
ADVANCED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Katja Wehner, Matthias Brandt, Andrea Hilpert, Nadja K. Simons, Nico Bluethgen
Summary: Declines in insect species richness and abundance are often caused by human activities and can have significant impacts on ecosystem functioning. Many studies have examined the effects of land-use intensity on phenotypic trait distribution among species at the community level, but results have been mixed. This study investigates intraspecific variation in morphological traits within selected species of dung beetles, bees, and grasshoppers and links it to land-use intensity in forests and grasslands.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Ruf, Stefan Merker, Frank Syrowatka, Philip Trempler, Georg Schmidt, Michael Lorenz, Marius Grundmann, Reinhard Denecke
Summary: This study focuses on the structural compatibility of perovskite BaTiO3 on garnet substrates Gd3Ga5O12 and Y3Fe5O12, with a particular emphasis on the growth behavior on different garnet orientations. It was found that BaTiO3 growth on the garnet (100) orientation showed good crystallinity, while growth on other orientations resulted in polycrystalline films.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2022)