A large-area multi-fingerβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) MOSFET and its self-heating effect

The self-heating effect severely limits device performance and reliability.Although some studies have revealed the heat distribution ofβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) MOSFETs under biases,those devices all have small areas and have difficulty reflecting practical con-ditions.This work demonstrated a multi-fingerβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) MOSFET with a maximum drain current of 0.5 A.Electrical characteris-tics were measured,and the heat dissipation of the device was investigated through infrared images.The relationship between device temperature and time/bias is analyzed.

Large-areaβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) Schottky barrier diode and its application in DC-DC converters

We demonstrate superb large-area verticalβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)SBDs with a Schottky contact area of 1×1 mm^(2)and obtain a high-efficiency DC-DC converter based on the device.Theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)SBD can obtain a forward current of 8 A with a forward volt-age of 5 V,and has a reverse breakdown voltage of 612 V.The forward turn-on voltage(VF)and the on-resistance(Ron)are 1.17 V and 0.46Ω,respectively.The conversion efficiency of theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)SBD-based DC-DC converter is 95.81%.This work indicates the great potential of Ga_(2)O_(3)SBDs and relevant circuits in power electronic applications.

Experimental investigation on the instability for NiO/β-Ga_(2)O_(3) heterojunction-gate FETs under negative bias stress

A NiO/β-Ga_(2)O_(3) heterojunction-gate field effect transistor(HJ-FET)is fabricated and it_(s)instability mechanisms are exper-imentally investigated under different gate stress voltage(V_(G,s))and stress times(t_(s)).Two different degradation mechanisms of the devices under negative bias stress(NBS)are identified.At low V_(G,s)for a short t_(s),NiO bulk traps trapping/de-trapping elec-trons are responsible for decrease/recovery of the leakage current,respectively.At higher V_(G,s)or long t_(s),the device transfer char-acteristic curves and threshold voltage(V_(TH))are almost permanently negatively shifted.This is because the interface dipoles are almost permanently ionized and neutralize the ionized charges in the space charge region(SCR)across the heterojunction inter-face,resulting in a narrowing SCR.This provides an important theoretical guide to study the reliability of NiO/β-Ga_(2)O_(3) hetero-junction devices in power electronic applications.

Vertical β-Ga_(2)O_(3) power electronics

β-Ga_(2)O_(3) possesses a highly promising critical electric field of 8 MV/cm,allowing devices with improved perfor-mance compared with other wide bandgap materials[1,2].The 4-inch wafers grown from a melt and over 10μm of the epitax-ial layers grown by Halide vapor phase epitaxy(HVPE)with highly controllable doping concentration,are commercially available,paving the way of vertical power devices.Theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) community has consistently elevated the average criti-cal electric field superior to SiC or GaN,which is suitable for medium/high voltage infrastructures demanding over 900 V[1].Verticalβ-Ga_(2)O_(3) power electronics have made a tremendous progress in recent years,such as various surface/interface engineering,diverse edge termination,quasi-inversion vertical transistor,etc.

Preface to Special Issue on Towards High Performance Ga_(2)O_(3) Electronics: Epitaxial Growth and Power Devices(Ⅰ)

There is currently great optimism within the electronics community that gallium oxide(Ga_(2)O_(3)) ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors have unprecedented prospects for eventually revolutionizing a rich variety of power electronic applications. Specially, benefiting from its ultra-high bandgap of around 4.8 eV, it is expected that the emerging Ga_(2)O_(3) technology would offer an exciting platform to deliver massively enhanced device performance for power electronics and even completely new applications.

Preface to Special Issue on Towards High Performance Ga_(2)O_(3) Electronics:Power Devices and DUV Optoelectronic Devices(Ⅱ)

Gallium oxide(Ga_(2)O_(3))has garnered world-wide atten-tion as an ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor material from the area of power electronics and DUV optical devices benefit-ing from its outstanding electronic and optoelectronic proper-ties.For one thing,since Ga_(2)O_(3)features high critical break-down field of 8 MV/cm and Baliga’s figure of merit(BFOM)of 3444,it is a promising candidate for advanced high-power applications.For another thing,due to the bandgap directly corresponding to the deep-ultraviolet(DUV)region,Ga_(2)O_(3)is widely used in DUV optoelectronic devices.

Progress of power field effect transistor based on ultra-wide bandgap Ga_2O_3 semiconductor material

As a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, gallium oxide(Ga_2O_3) has attracted increasing attention in recent years. The high theoretical breakdown electrical field(8 MV/cm), ultra-wide bandgap(～ 4.8 eV) and large Baliga's figure of merit(BFOM) of Ga_2O_3 make it a potential candidate material for next generation high-power electronics, including diode and field effect transistor(FET). In this paper, we introduce the basic physical properties of Ga_2O_3 single crystal, and review the recent research process of Ga_2O_3 based field effect transistors. Furthermore, various structures of FETs have been summarized and compared, and the potential of Ga_2O_3 is preliminary revealed. Finally, the prospect of the Ga_2O_3 based FET for power electronics application is analyzed.

Review of deep ultraviolet photodetector based on gallium oxide

Ultraviolet(UV) photodetectors(PDs) have drawn great attention in recent years due to their potential application in civil and military fields. Because of its ultrawide bandgap, low cost, strong radiation hardness, and high thermal and chemical stability with high visible-light transparency, Ga_2O_3 is regarded as the most promising candidate for UV detection.Furthermore, the bandgap of Ga_2O_3 is as high as 4.7–4.9 eV, directly corresponding to the solar-blind UV detection band with wavelength less than 280 nm. There is no need of doping in Ga_2O_3 to tune its bandgap, compared to AlGaN, MgZnO,etc, thereby avoiding alloy composition fluctuations and phase separation. At present, solar-blind Ga_2O_3 photodetectors based on single crystal or amorphous Ga_2O_3 are mainly focused on metal–semiconductor–metal and Schottky photodiodes.In this work, the recent achievements of Ga_2O_3 photodetectors are systematically reviewed. The characteristics and performances of different photodetector structures based on single crystal Ga_2O_3 and amorphous Ga_2O_3 thin film are analyzed and compared. Finally, the prospects of Ga_2O_3 UV photodetectors are forecast.

A 10×10 deep ultraviolet light-emitting micro-LED array

In this work,we design and fabricate a deep ultraviolet(DUV)light-emitting array consisting of 10×10 micro-LEDs(μ-LEDs)with each device having 20μm in diameter.Strikingly,the array demonstrates a significant enhancement of total light output power by nearly 52%at the injection current of 100 mA,in comparison to a conventional large LED chip whose emitting area is the same as the array.A much higher(~22%)peak external quantum efficiency,as well as a smaller efficiency droop forμ-LED array,was also achieved.The numerical calculation reveals that the performance boost can be attributed to the higher light extraction efficiency at the edge of eachμ-LED.Additionally,the far-field pattern measurement shows that theμ-LED array possesses a better forward directionality of emission.These findings shed light on the enhancement of the DUV LEDs performance and provide new insights in controlling the light behavior of theμ-LEDs.

Fully Printed High‑Performance n‑Type Metal Oxide Thin‑Film Transistors Utilizing Coffee‑Ring Effect

Metal oxide thin-films transistors(TFTs)produced from solution-based printing techniques can lead to large-area electronics with low cost.However,the performance of current printed devices is inferior to those from vacuum-based methods due to poor film uniformity induced by the“coffeering”effect.Here,we report a novel approach to print highperformance indium tin oxide(ITO)-based TFTs and logic inverters by taking advantage of such notorious effect.ITO has high electrical conductivity and is generally used as an electrode material.However,by reducing the film thickness down to nanometers scale,the carrier concentration of ITO can be effectively reduced to enable new applications as active channels in transistors.The ultrathin(~10-nm-thick)ITO film in the center of the coffee-ring worked as semiconducting channels,while the thick ITO ridges(>18-nm-thick)served as the contact electrodes.The fully inkjet-printed ITO TFTs exhibited a high saturation mobility of 34.9 cm2 V^(−1) s^(−1) and a low subthreshold swing of 105 mV dec^(−1).In addition,the devices exhibited excellent electrical stability under positive bias illumination stress(PBIS,ΔV_(th)=0.31 V)and negative bias illuminaiton stress(NBIS,ΔV_(th)=−0.29 V)after 10,000 s voltage bias tests.More remarkably,fully printed n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor(NMOS)inverter based on ITO TFTs exhibited an extremely high gain of 181 at a low-supply voltage of 3 V,promising for advanced electronics applications.

Electrically Tunable Wafer-Sized Three-Dimensional Topological Insulator Thin Films Grown by Magnetron Sputtering

Three-dimensional(3 D)topological insulators(TIs)are candidate materials for various electronic and spintronic devices due to their strong spin-orbit coupling and unique surface electronic structure.Rapid,low-cost preparation of large-area TI thin films compatible with conventional semiconductor technology is the key to the practical applications of TIs.Here we show that wafer-sized Bi2Te3 family TI and magnetic TI films with decent quality and well-controlled composition and properties can be prepared on amorphous SiO2/Si substrates by magnetron cosputtering.The SiO2/Si substrates enable us to electrically tune(Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 and Cr-doped(Bi1-xSbx)2 Te3 TI films between p-type and n-type behavior and thus study the phenomena associated with topological surface states,such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect(QAHE).This work significantly facilitates the fabrication of TI-based devices for electronic and spintronic applications.

Preface to the Special Issue on Ultra-Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Gallium Oxide: from Materials to Devices

As one of the ultra-wide bandgap {UWBG)semiconducting materials,gallium oxide has attractive properties with a wide bandgap of about 4.8 eV and a high breakdown field of about 8 MWcm,which offers an alternative platform for various applications such as high performance power switches,RF amplifiers,solar blind photodetectors,and harsh environment signal processing.

Analysis of tail bits generation of multilevel storage in resistive switching memory

The tail bits of intermediate resistance states（IRSs） achieved in the SET process（IRSS） and the RESET process（IRSR） of conductive-bridge random-access memory were investigated. Two types of tail bits were observed, depending on the filament morphology after the SET/RESET operation.（i） Tail bits resulting from lateral diffusion of Cu ions introduced an abrupt increase of device resistance from IRS to ultrahigh-resistance state, which mainly happened in IRSS.（ii） Tail bits induced by the vertical diffusion of Cu ions showed a gradual shift of resistance toward lower value. Statistical results show that more than 95% of tail bits are generated in IRSS. To achieve a reliable IRS for multilevel cell（MLC） operation, it is desirable to program the IRS in RESET operation. The mechanism of tail bit generation that is disclosed here provides a clear guideline for the data retention optimization of MLC resistive random-access memory cells.

Toward emerging gallium oxide semiconductors:A roadmap

Owing to the advantages of ultra-wide bandgap and rich material systems,gallium oxide(Ga_(2)O_(3))has emerged as a highly viable semiconductor material for new researches.This article mainly focuses on the growth processes,material characteristics,and applications of Ga_(2)O_(3).Compared with single crystals and the epitaxial growth of other wide-bandgap semiconductors,large-size and high-quality𝛽-Ga_(2)O_(3) single crystals can be efficiently grown with a low cost,making them highly competitive.Thanks to the availability of high-quality single crystals,epi-taxial films,and rich material systems,high-performance semiconductor devices based on Ga_(2)O_(3) go through a booming development in recent years.The defects and interfaces of Ga_(2)O_(3) are comprehensively analyzed owing to their significant influence on practical applications.In this study,the two most common applications of Ga_(2)O_(3) materials are introduced.The high breakdown electric field,high working temperature,and excellent Baliga’s figure-of-merit of Ga_(2)O_(3) represent an inspiring prospect for power electronic devices.In addition,the excellent absorption in deep-ultraviolet band provides new ideas for optoelectronic detectors and ensures the dramatic progress.Finally,the summary,challenges,and prospects of the Ga_(2)O_(3) materials and devices are presented and discussed.

CMOS-compatible wafer-scale Si subulate array for superb switching uniformity of RRAM with localized nanofilaments

Resistive switching random access memory(RRAM)is one of the most promising candidates with highdensity three-dimensional integration characteristics for nextgeneration nonvolatile memory technology.However,the poor uniformity issue caused by the stochastic property of the conductive filament(CF)impedes the large-scale manufacture of RRAM chips.Subulate array has been introduced into the RRAM to minimize the CF randomness,but the methods are cumbersome,expensive,or resolution-limited for large-scale preparation.In this work,Si subulate array(SSA)substrates with different curvature radii prepared by a wafer-scale and nanoscale-controllable method are introduced for RRAM fabrication.The SSA structure,which induces a quasi-single CF or a few CFs formed in the tip region(TR)of the device as evidenced by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy characterization,dramatically improves the cycle-to-cycle and device-to-device uniformity.Decreasing the curvature radius of the TR significantly improves the device performance,including switching voltages,high/low resistance states,and retention characteristics.The improved uniformity can be attributed to the enhanced local electric field in the TR.The proposed SSA provides a low-cost,uniform,CMOS-compatible,and nanoscale-controllable optimization strategy for the largescale integration of highly uniform RRAM devices.

An overview of the switching parameter variation of RRAM

Resistive random access memory(RRAM) has been considered as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation nonvolatile memory, due to its advantages of simple device structure, excellent scalability, fast operation speed and low power consumption. Deeply understanding the physical mechanism and effectively controlling the statistical variation of switching parameters are the basis of fostering RRAM into commercial application. In this paper, based on the deep understanding on the mechanism of the formation and rupture of conductive filament, we summarize the methods of analyzing and modeling the statistics of switching parameters such as SET/RESET voltage, current, speed or time. Then, we analyze the distributions of switching parameters and the influencing factors. Additionally, we also sum up the analytical model of resistive switching statistics composed of the cell-based percolation model and SET/RESET switching dynamics. The results of the model can successfully explain the experimental distributions of switching parameters of the Ni O- and Hf O2-based RRAM devices. The model also provides theoretical guide on how to improve the uniformity and reliability such as disturb immunity. Finally, some experimental approaches to improve the uniformity of switching parameters are discussed.

Highly uniform and nonlinear selection device based on trapezoidal band structure for high density nano- crossbar memory array

Crossbar array provides a cost-effective approach for achieving high-density integration of two-terminal functional devices. However, the ＂sneaking current problem＂, which can lead to read failure, is a severe challenge in crossbar arrays. To inhibit the sneaking current from unselected cells, the integration of individual selection devices is necessary. In this work, we report a novel TaOx-based selector exhibiting a trapezoidal band structure formed by tuning the concentration of defects in the oxide. Salient features such as a high current density （1 MA·cm^-2）, high selectivity （5 × 10^4）, low off-state current （-10 pA）, robust endurance （〉10^10）, self-compliance, and excellent uniformity were successfully achieved. The integrated one-selector one-resistor （1S1R） device exhibits high nonlinearity in the low resistance state （LRS）, which is quite effective in solving the sneaking current issue.

Modulation of Microstructure and Charge Transport in Polymer Monolayer Transistors by Solution Aging

A few monolayers of organic semiconductors adjacent to the dielectric layer are of vital importance in organic field-effect transistors due to their dominant role in charge transport.In this report,the 2-nm-thick polymer monolayers based on poly(3-hexylthiophene)with different molecular weights(M_(n))were fabricated using dip-coating technique.During the monolayer(solid state)formation from the solution,a disorder-to-order transition of polymer conformation is observed through UV-vis absorption measurement.Meanwhile,high Mn polymer monolayer generates higher crystalline fibrillar microstructure than the low Mn one due to the strongerπ–πintermolecular packing between polymers.More importantly,the solution aging procedure is utilized to further improve the morphology of polymer monolayers.It is obvious that after aging for 6 d,both fiber dimension and density as well as conjugation length are significantly increased under the same processing conditions in comparison to the fresh solution,and consequently the field-effect mobilities are remarkably enhanced by 2—4 times.Note that the maximum mobility of 0.027 cm2·V^(–1)·s^(–1)is among the highest reported values for poly(3-hexylthiophene)monolayer transistors.These results demonstrate a simple but powerful strategy for boosting the device performance of polymer monolayer transistors.

Modulating 3D memristor synapse by analog spiking pulses for bioinspired neuromorphic computing

Memristor based artificial synapses have demonstrated great potential for bioinspired neuromorphic computing in recent years. To emulate synaptic fimctions, such as short-term plasticity and long-term potentiation/depression, square pulses or combined complex pulse groups are applied on the device. However, in biological neuron systems, the action potentials are analog pulses with similar amplitudes. Furthermore, in biological systems, the intensity of the stimulus is coded into the frequency of action potentials to modulate the weight of synapses. Toward this programming method, we applied a series of analog spiking pulses with same peaks on Ru/TiOJTiN 3D memristor to emulate synaptic functions, such as long-term potentiation/depression and synaptic saturation. Moreover, we demonstrated the conductance change of the device under different stimulus frequencies of analog spiking pulses and described the statistical results of conductance change value, which shows that the device conductance has a larger change value under a higher spiking frequency with identical pulse number. These results show that the analog spiking pulses can well modulate the memristor-based synaptic weight and have a great potential for bioinspired computing in the future.

Observation of polarity-switchable photoconductivity in lInitride/MoS_(x)core-shell nanowires

Ⅱ-Ⅴsemiconductor nanowires are indispensable building blocks for nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.However,solely relying on their intrinsic physical and material properties sometimes limits device functionalities to meet the increasing demands in versatile and complex electronic world.By leveraging the distinctive nature of the one-dimensional geometry and large surface-to-volume ratio of the nanowires,new properties can be attained through monolithic integration of conventional nanowires with other easy-synthesized functional materials.Herein,we combine high-crystal-quality lInitridle nanowires with amorphous molybdenum sulfides(a-MoS)to construct II.nitride/a-MoS_(x) core-shell nanostructures.Upon light ilumination,such nanostructures exhibit striking spectrally distinctive photodetection characteristic in photoelectrochemical environment,demonstrating a negative photoresponsivity of-100.42 mA W^(-1)under 254 nm ilumination,and a positive photoresponsivity of 29.5 mA W^(-1)under 365 nm ilumination.Density functional theory calculations reveal that the successful surface modifcation of the nanowires via a-MoS_(x)decoration accelerates the reaction process at the electrolyte/nanowire interface,leading to the generation of opposite photocurrent signals under different photon ilumination.Most importantly,such polarity-switchable photoconductivity can be further tuned for multiple wavelength bands photodetection by simply adjusting the surrounding environment and/or tailoring the nanowire composition,showing great promise to build light-wavelength controllable sensing devices in the future.