Enabling structural and interfacial stability of 5 V spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode by a coherent interface

Spinel LiNi_(0.5)Mn_(1.5)O_(4)(LNMO),a 5 V class high voltage cathode,has been regarded as an attractive candidate to further improve the energy density of lithium-ion battery.The issue simultaneously enabling side stability and maintaining high interfacial kinetics,however,has not yet been resolved.Herein,we design a coherent Li_(1.3)A_(l0.3)Ti_(1.7)(PO)_(4)(LATP)layer that is crystally connected to the spinel LNMO host lattices,which offers fast lithium ions transportation as well as enhances the mechanical stability that prevents the particle fracture.Furthermore,the inactive Li_(3)BO_(3)(LBO)coating layer inhibits the corrosion of transition metals and continuous side reactions.Consequently,the coherent-engineered LNMO-LATPLBO cathode material exhibits superior electrochemical cycling stability in a window of 3.0–5.0 V,for example a high-capacity retention that is 89.7%after 500 cycles at 200 m A g-1obtained and enhanced rate performance(85.1 m A h g^(-1)at 800 m A g^(-1))when tested with a LiPF6-based carbonate electrolyte.Our work presents a new approach of engineering 5 V class spinel oxide cathode that combines interfacial coherent crystal lattice design and surface coating.

Low-temperature plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of large area HfS2 nanocrystal thin films

Hafnium disulfide(HfS2) is a promising two-dimensional material for scaling electronic devices due to its higher carrier mobility, in which the combination of two-dimensional materials with traditional semiconductors in the framework of CMOS-compatible technology is necessary. We reported on the deposition of HfS2 nanocrystals by remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition at low temperature using Hf(N(CH3)(C2H5))4 and H2S as the reaction precursors. Selflimiting reaction behavior was observed at the deposition temperatures ranging from 150℃ to 350℃, and the film thickness increased linearly with the growth cycles. The uniform HfS2 nanocrystal thin films were obtained with the size of nanocrystal grain up to 27 nm. It was demonstrated that higher deposition temperature could enlarge the grain size and improve the HfS2 crystallinity, while causing crystallization of the mixed HfO2 above 450℃. These results suggested that atomic layer deposition is a low-temperature route to synthesize high quality HfS2 nanocrystals for electronic device or electrochemical applications.

Theoretical study of a group IV p–i–n photodetector with a flat and broad response for visible and infrared detection

We report a theoretical study of a broadband Si/graded-SiGe/Ge/Ge0.9Sn0.1 p–i–n photodetector with a flat response based on modulating thickness of the layers in the active region.The responsivity of the photodetector is about 0.57 A/W in the range of 700 to 1800 nm.This structure is suitable for silicon-based epitaxial growth.Annealing is technically applied to form the graded-SiGe.The photodetector reaches a cut-off wavelength at^2300 nm and a low dark-current density under 3 V reverse bias about 0.17 mA/cm^2 is achieved theoretical at room temperature.This work is of great significance for silicon-based detection and communication,from visible to infrared.

Interfacial nitrogen engineering of robust silicon/MXene anode toward high energy solid-state lithium-ion batteries

Replacing the conventional carbonate electrolyte by solid-state electrolyte (SSE) will offer improved safety for lithium-ion batteries.To further improve the energy density,Silicon (Si) is attractive for next generation solid-state battery (SSB) because of its high specific capacity and low cost.High energy density and safe Si-based SSB,however,is plagued by large volume change that leads to poor mechanical stability and slow lithium ions transportation at the multiple interfaces between Si and SSE.Herein,we designed a self-integrated and monolithic Si/two dimensional layered T_(3)C_(2)T_(x)(MXene,T_(x) stands for terminal functional groups) electrode architecture with interfacial nitrogen engineering.During a heat treatment process,the polyacrylonitrile not only converts into amorphous carbon (a-C) that shells Si but also forms robust interfacial nitrogen chemical bonds that anchors Si and MXene.During repeated lithiation and delithiation processes,the robust interfacial engineered Si/MXene configuration enhances the mechanical adhesion between Si and MXene that improves the structure stability but also contributes to form stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI).In addition,the N-MXene provides fast lithium ions transportation pathways.Consequently,the Si/MXene with interfacial nitrogen engineering (denoted as Si-N-MXene) deliveres high-rate performance with a specific capacity of 1498 m Ah g^(-1) at a high current of 6.4 A g^(-1).A Si-N-MXene/NMC full cell exhibited a capacity retention of 80.5%after 200 cycles.The Si-N-MXene electrode is also applied to SSB and shows a relative stable cycling over 100 cycles,demonstrating the versatility of this concept.

High-performing silicon-based germanium Schottky photodetector with ITO transparent electrode

A near-infrared germanium(Ge)Schottky photodetector(PD)with an ultrathin silicon(Si)barrier enhancement layer between the indium-doped tin oxide(ITO)electrode and Ge epilayer on Si or silicon-on-insulator(SOI)is proposed and fabricated.The well-behaved ITO/Si cap/Ge Schottky junctions without intentional doping process for the Ge epilayer are formed on the Si and SOI substrates.The Si-and SOI-based ITO/Si cap/Ge Schottky PDs exhibit low dark current densities of 33 mA/cm2 and 44 mA/cm2,respectively.Benefited from the high transmissivity of ITO electrode and the reflectivity of SOI substrate,an optical responsivity of 0.19 A/W at 1550 nm wavelength is obtained for the SOI-based ITO/Si cap/Ge Schottky PD.These complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor(CMOS)compatible Si(or SOI)-based ITO/Si cap/Ge Schottky PDs are quite useful for detecting near-infrared wavelengths with high efficiency.

Cu nanowire array with designed interphases enabling high performance Si anode toward flexible lithium-ion battery

To meet the growing demand for wearable smart electronic devices,the development of flexible lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)is essential.Silicon is an ideal candidate for the anode material of flexible lithium-ion batteries due to its high specific capacity,low working potential,and earth abundance.The largest challenge in developing a flexible silicon anode is how to maintain structural integrity and ensure stable electrochemical reactions during external deformation.In this work,we propose a novel design for fabricating core–shell electrodes based on a copper nanowire(CuNW)array core and magnetron sputtered Si/C shell.The nanowire array structure has characteristics of bending under longitudinal stress and twisting under transverse stress,which helps to maintain the mechanical stability of the structure during electrode bending and cycling.The low-temperature annealing generates a small amount of Cu3Si alloy,which enhances the connection strength between Si and the conductive network and solves the poor conductivity problem of Si,which is known as a semiconductor material.This unique configuration design of CuNW@Si@C-400℃ leads to stable long cycle performance of 1109 mAh∙g^(-1) after 1000 cycles and excellent rate performance of 500 mAh∙g^(-1) at a current density of 10 A∙g^(-1).Furthermore,the CuNW@Si@C-400℃||LiFePO_(4)(LFP)full battery demonstrates excellent flexibility,with a capacity retention of more than 96%after 100 bends.This study provides a promising strategy for the development of flexible lithium-ion batteries.

Tuning the electron transport behavior at Li/LATP interface for enhanced cyclability of solid-state Li batteries

An interlayer is usually employed to tackle the interfacial instability issue between solid electrolytes(SEs)and Li metal caused by the side reaction.However,the failure mechanism of the ionic conductor interlayers,especially the influence from electron penetration,remains largely unknown.Herein,using Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3(LATP)as the model SE and LiF as the interlayer,we use metal semiconductor contact barrier theory to reveal the failure origin of Li/LiF@LATP interface based on the calculation results of density functional theory(DFT),in which electrons can easily tunnel through the LiF grain boundary with F vacancies due to its narrow barrier width against electron injection,followed by the reduction of LATP.Remarkably,an Al-LiF bilayer between Li/LATP is found to dramatically promote the interfacial stability,due to the highly increased barrier width and homogenized electric field at the interface.Consequently,the Li symmetric cells with Al-LiF bilayer can exhibit excellent cyclability of more than 2,000 h superior to that interlayered by LiF monolayer(~860 h).Moreover,the Li/Al-LiF@LATP/LiFePO4 solid-state batteries deliver a capacity retention of 83.2%after 350 cycles at 0.5 C.Our findings emphasize the importance of tuning the electron transport behavior by optimizing the potential barrier for the interface design in high-performance solid-state batteries.

High gain,broadband p-WSe_(2)/n-Ge van der Waals heterojunction phototransistor with a Schottky barrier collector

Mixed-dimensional van der Waals(vdW)heterostructures based on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides and threedimensional semiconductors have led to a new era in next-generation optoelectronics due to the high-quality interfaces and energy band complementation,especially in broadband photodetectors which can be used for all-weather navigation,object identification,etc.However,the reported photodetectors conventionally operated in photodiode mode with low responsivity and a narrow response spectrum.In this study,we report a p-WSe_(2)/n-Ge vdW heterojunction phototransistor with a Schottky barrier collector on n-Ge for broadband photodetection.Large hole/electron injection ratio from p-WSe_(2)/n-Ge heterojunction under forward bias due to their large bandgap offset renders the high photocurrent gain,while the Ge Schottky barrier limits the dark current.The responsivities of the phototransistor at 1.0 V emitter-collector bias are 55,95,and 120 A·W−1 at 405,1,310,and 1,550 nm,respectively,which is superior to that of the corresponding p-WSe_(2)/n-Ge photodiodes.The phototransistor shows a high photocurrent gain of 80,a specific detectivity of 1011 Jones,as well as a fast response time of 290μs at 1,550 nm.The results suggest that the novel phototransistor being implemented with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor processing is an ideal strategy for high-performance broadband photodetection.

Liquid-phase sintering enabling mixed ionic-electronic interphases and free-standing composite cathode architecture toward high energy solid-state battery

Solid-state batteries(SSBs)will potentially offer increased energy density and,more importantly,improved safety for next generation lithium-ion(Li-ion)batteries.One enabling technology is solid-state composite cathodes with high operating voltage and area capacity.Current composite cathode manufacturing technologies,however,suffer from large interfacial resistance and low active mass loading that with excessive amounts of polymer electrolytes and conductive additives.Here,we report a liquidphase sintering technology that offers mixed ionic-electronic interphases and free-standing electrode architecture design,which eventually contribute to high area capacity.A small amount(~4 wt.%)of lithium hydroxide(LiOH)and boric acid(H_(3)BO_(3))with low melting point are utilized as sintering additives that infiltrate into single-crystal Ni-rich LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)(NMC811)particles at a moderately elevated temperature(~350℃)in a liquid state,which not only enable intimate physical contact but also promote the densification process.In addition,the liquid-phase additives react and transform to ionic-conductive lithium boron oxide,together with the indium tin oxide(ITO)nanoparticle coating,mixed ionic-electronic interphases of composite cathode are successfully fabricated.Furthermore,the liquid-phase sintering performed at high-temperature(~800℃)also enables the fabrication of highly dense and thick composite cathodes with a novel free-standing architecture.The promising performance characteristics of such composite cathodes,for example,delivering an area capacity above 8 mAh·cm^(−2) within a wide voltage window up to 4.4 V,open new opportunities for SSBs with a high energy density of 500 Wh·kg^(−1) for safer portable electronic and electrical transport.

Electrical properties of Si/Si bonded wafers based on an amorphous Ge interlayer

An amorphous Ge（a-Ge） intermediate layer is introduced into the Si bonded interface to lower the annealing temperature and achieve good electrical characteristics. The interface and electrical characteristics of nSi/n-Si and p-Si/n-Si junctions manufactured by low-temperature wafer bonding based on a thin amorphous Ge are investigated. It is found that the bubble density tremendously decreases when the a-Ge film is not immersed in DI water. This is due to the decrease of the –OH groups. In addition, when the samples are annealed at 400 °C for20 h, the bubbles totally disappear. This can be explained by the appearance of the polycrystalline Ge（absorption of H;） at the bonded interface. The junction resistance of the n-Si/n-Si bonded wafers decreases with the increase of the annealing temperature. This is consistent with the recrystallization of the a-Ge when high-temperature annealing is conducted. The carrier transport of the Si-based PN junction annealed at 350 °C is consistent with the trap-assisted tunneling model and that annealed at 400 °C is related to the carrier recombination model.

Simulation of the effects of defects in low temperature Ge buffer layer on dark current of Si-based Ge photodiodes

The influence of defects in low temperature Ge layer on electrical characteristics of p-Ge/i-Ge/n-Si and n-Ge/i-Ge/p-Ge photodiodes（PDs） was studied.Due to a two-step growth method,there are high defect densities in low-temperature buffer Ge layer.It is shown that the defects in low-temperature Ge layer change the band diagrams and the distribution of electric field,leading to the increase of the total dark current for p-Ge/i-Ge/n-Si PDs,whereas these defects have no influence on the dark current for n-Ge/i-Ge/p-Ge PDs.As a complement,a three-dimensional simulation of the total current under illumination was also performed.