Recent Progress on Flexible Room-Temperature Gas Sensors Based on Metal Oxide Semiconductor

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things,there is a great demand for portable gas sensors.Metal oxide semiconductors(MOS)are one of the most traditional and well-studied gas sensing materials and have been widely used to prepare various commercial gas sensors.However,it is limited by high operating temperature.The current research works are directed towards fabricating high-performance flexible room-temperature(FRT)gas sensors,which are effective in simplifying the structure of MOS-based sensors,reducing power consumption,and expanding the application of portable devices.This article presents the recent research progress of MOS-based FRT gas sensors in terms of sensing mechanism,performance,flexibility characteristics,and applications.This review comprehensively summarizes and discusses five types of MOS-based FRT gas sensors,including pristine MOS,noble metal nanoparticles modified MOS,organic polymers modified MOS,carbon-based materials(carbon nanotubes and graphene derivatives)modified MOS,and two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides materials modified MOS.The effect of light-illuminated to improve gas sensing performance is further discussed.Furthermore,the applications and future perspectives of FRT gas sensors are also discussed.

Photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production based on transition‐metal‐oxide semiconductors

As a kind of valuable chemicals,hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)has aroused growing attention in many fields.However,H2O2 production via traditional anthraquinone process suffers from challenges of large energy consumption and heavy carbon footprint.Alternatively,photoelectrocatalytic(PEC)production of H2O2 has shown great promises to make H2O2 a renewable fuel to store solar energy.Transition‐metal‐oxide(TMO)semiconductor based photoelectrocatalysts are among the most promising candidates for PEC H2O2 production.In this work,the fundamentals of H2O2 synthesis through PEC process are briefly introduced,followed by the state‐of‐the‐art of TMO semiconductor based photoelectrocatalysts for PEC production H2O2.Then,the progress on H2O2 fuel cells from on‐site PEC production is presented.Furthermore,the challenges and future perspectives of PEC H2O2 production are discussed.This review aims to provide inspiration for the PEC production of H2O2 as a renewable solar fuel.

Structural evolution of low-dimensional metal oxide semiconductors under external stress

Metal oxide semiconductors(MOSs) are attractive candidates as functional parts and connections in nanodevices.Upon spatial dimensionality reduction, the ubiquitous strain encountered in physical reality may result in structural instability and thus degrade the performance of MOS. Hence, the basic insight into the structural evolutions of low-dimensional MOS is a prerequisite for extensive applications, which unfortunately remains largely unexplored. Herein, we review the recent progress regarding the mechanical deformation mechanisms in MOSs, such as CuO and ZnO nanowires(NWs). We report the phase transformation of CuO NWs resulting from oxygen vacancy migration under compressive stress and the tensile strain-induced phase transition in ZnO NWs. Moreover, the influence of electron beam irradiation on interpreting the mechanical behaviors is discussed.

Effect of NO annealing on charge traps in oxide insulator and transition layer for 4H-SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor devices

The effect of nitric oxide（NO） annealing on charge traps in the oxide insulator and transition layer in n-type4H–Si C metal–oxide–semiconductor（MOS） devices has been investigated using the time-dependent bias stress（TDBS）,capacitance–voltage（C–V）,and secondary ion mass spectroscopy（SIMS）.It is revealed that two main categories of charge traps,near interface oxide traps（Nniot） and oxide traps（Not）,have different responses to the TDBS and C–V characteristics in NO-annealed and Ar-annealed samples.The Nniotare mainly responsible for the hysteresis occurring in the bidirectional C–V characteristics,which are very close to the semiconductor interface and can readily exchange charges with the inner semiconductor.However,Not is mainly responsible for the TDBS induced C–V shifts.Electrons tunneling into the Not are hardly released quickly when suffering TDBS,resulting in the problem of the threshold voltage stability.Compared with the Ar-annealed sample,Nniotcan be significantly suppressed by the NO annealing,but there is little improvement of Not.SIMS results demonstrate that the Nniotare distributed within the transition layer,which correlated with the existence of the excess silicon.During the NO annealing process,the excess Si atoms incorporate into nitrogen in the transition layer,allowing better relaxation of the interface strain and effectively reducing the width of the transition layer and the density of Nniot.

Mobility enhancement of strained GaSb p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors with biaxial compressive strain

Various biaxial compressive strained GaSb p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors （MOSFETs） are experimentally and theoretically investigated, The biaxial compressive strained GaSb MOSFETs show a high peak mobility of 638 cm2/V.s, which is 3.86 times of the extracted mobility of the fabricated GaSb MOSFETs without strain. Meanwhile, first principles calculations show that the hole effective mass of GaSb depends on the biaxial compressive strain. The biaxiai compressive strain brings a remarkable enhancement of the hole mobility caused by a significant reduction in the hole effective mass due to the modulation of the valence bands.

Wet thermal annealing effect on TaN/HfO_2/Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with and without a GeO_2 passivation layer

Wet thermal annealing effects on the properties of TaN/HfO2/Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor （MOS） structures with and without a GeO2 passivation layer are investigated. The physical and the electrical properties are characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, capacitance-voltage （C-V） and current-voltage characteristics. It is demonstrated that wet thermal annealing at relatively higher temperature such as 550 ℃ can lead to Ge incorporation in HfO2 and the partial crystallization of HfO2, which should be responsible for the serious degradation of the electrical characteristics of the TaN/HfO2/Ge MOS capacitors. However, wet thermal annealing at 400 ℃ can decrease the GeOx interlayer thickness at the HfO2/Ge interface, resulting in a significant reduction of the interface states and a smaller effective oxide thickness, along with the introduction of a positive charge in the dielectrics due to the hydrolyzable property of GeOx in the wet ambient. The pre-growth of a thin GeO2 passivation layer can effectively suppress the interface states and improve the C V characteristics for the as-prepared HfO2 gated Ge MOS capacitors, but it also dissembles the benefits of wet thermal annealing to a certain extent.

High-voltage super-junction lateral double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor with a partial lightly doped pillar

A novel super-junction lateral double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor （SJ-LDMOS） with a partial lightly doped P pillar （PD） is proposed. Firstly, the reduction in the partial P pillar charges ensures the charge balance and suppresses the substrate-assisted depletion effect. Secondly, the new electric field peak produced by the P/P junction modulates the surface electric field distribution. Both of these result in a high breakdown voltage （BV）. In addition, due to the same conduction paths, the specific on-resistance （Ron,sp） of the PD SJ-LDMOS is approximately identical to the conventional SJ-LDMOS. Simulation results indicate that the average value of the surface lateral electric field of the PD SJ-LDMOS reaches 20 V/μm at a 15 μm drift length, resulting in a BV of 300 V.

Multifunctional silicon-based light emitting device in standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology

A three-terminal silicon-based light emitting device is proposed and fabricated in standard 0.35 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. This device is capable of versatile working modes： it can emit visible to near infra-red （NIR） light （the spectrum ranges from 500 nm to 1000 nm） in reverse bias avalanche breakdown mode with working voltage between 8.35 V-12 V and emit NIR light （the spectrum ranges from 900 nm to 1300 nm） in the forward injection mode with working voltage below 2 V. An apparent modulation effect on the light intensity from the polysilicon gate is observed in the forward injection mode. Furthermore, when the gate oxide is broken down, NIR light is emitted from the polysilicon/oxide/silicon structure. Optoelectronic characteristics of the device working in different modes are measured and compared. The mechanisms behind these different emissions are explored.

Effect of depositing PCBM on perovskite-based metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistors

In this manuscript,the perovskite-based metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistors（MOSFETs） with phenylC61-butyric acid methylester（PCBM） layers are studied.The MOSFETs are fabricated on perovskites,and characterized by photoluminescence spectra（PL）,x-ray diffraction（XRD）,and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）.With PCBM layers,the current–voltage hysteresis phenomenon is effetely inhibited,and both the transfer and output current values increase.The band energy diagrams are proposed,which indicate that the electrons are transferred into the PCBM layer,resulting in the increase of photocurrent.The electron mobility and hole mobility are extracted from the transfer curves,which are about one order of magnitude as large as those of PCBM deposited,which is the reason why the electrons are transferred into the PCBM layer and the holes are still in the perovskites,and the effects of ionized impurity scattering on carrier transport become smaller.

Modeling electric field of power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor with dielectric trench based on Schwarz–Christoffel transformation

A power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor(MOSFET) with dielectric trench is investigated to enhance the reversed blocking capability. The dielectric trench with a low permittivity to reduce the electric field at reversed blocking state has been studied. To analyze the electric field, the drift region is segmented into four regions, where the conformal mapping method based on Schwarz–Christoffel transformation has been applied. According to the analysis, the improvement in the electric field for using the low permittivity trench is mainly due to the two electric field peaks generated in the drift region around this dielectric trench. The analytical results of the electric field and the potential models are in good agreement with the simulation results.

Evaluation of a gate-first process for AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors with low ohmic annealing temperature

In this paper, TiN/A1Ox gated A1GaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors （MOS- HFETs） were fabricated for gate-first process evaluation. By employing a low temperature ohmic process, ohmic contact can be obtained by annealing at 600 ℃ with the contact resistance approximately 1.6 Ω.mm. The ohmic annealing process also acts as a post-deposition annealing on the oxide film, resulting in good device performance. Those results demonstrated that the TiN/A1Ox gated MOS-HFETs with low temperature ohmic process can be applied for self-aligned gate AIGaN/GaN MOS-HFETs.

Stacked lateral double-diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor with enhanced depletion effect by surface substrate

A stacked lateral double-diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor(LDMOS) with enhanced depletion effect by surface substrate is proposed(ST-LDMOS), which is compatible with the traditional CMOS processes. The new stacked structure is characterized by double substrates and surface dielectric trenches(SDT). The drift region is separated by the P-buried layer to form two vertically parallel devices. The doping concentration of the drift region is increased benefiting from the enhanced auxiliary depletion effect of the double substrates, leading to a lower specific on-resistance(Ron,sp). Multiple electric field peaks appear at the corners of the SDT, which improves the lateral electric field distribution and the breakdown voltage(BV). Compared to a conventional LDMOS(C-LDMOS), the BV in the ST-LDMOS increases from 259 V to 459 V, an improvement of 77.22%. The Ron,sp decreases from 39.62 m?·cm^2 to 23.24 m?·cm^2 and the Baliga's figure of merit(FOM) of is 9.07 MW/cm^2.

Improved interfacial and electrical properties of GaSb metal oxide semiconductor devices passivated with acidic(NH_4)_2S solution

Surface passivation with acidic （NH4）2S solution is shown to be effective in improving the interfacial and electrical properties of HfOE/GaSb metal oxide semiconductor devices. Compared with control samples, the samples treated with acidic （NH4）2S solution show great improvements in gate leakage current, frequency dispersion, border trap density, and interface trap density. These improvements are attributed to the enhancing passivation of the substrates, according to analysis from the perspective of chemical mechanism, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.

Investigation of trap states in Al_2O_3 InAlN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

In this paper the trapping effects in Al2O3/In0.17Al0.83N/GaN MOS-HEMT（here, HEMT stands for high electron mobility transistor） are investigated by frequency-dependent capacitance and conductance analysis. The trap states are found at both the Al2O3/In AlN and InAlN/GaN interface. Trap states in InAlN/GaN heterostructure are determined to have mixed de-trapping mechanisms, emission, and tunneling. Part of the electrons captured in the trap states are likely to tunnel into the two-dimensional electron gas（2DEG） channel under serious band bending and stronger electric field peak caused by high Al content in the In AlN barrier, which explains the opposite voltage dependence of time constant and relation between the time constant and energy of the trap states.

Capacitance characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with a single layer of embedded nickel nanoparticles for the application of nonvolatile memory

This paper reports that metal-oxide-semiconductor （MOS） capacitors with a single layer of Ni nanopartictes were successfully fabricated by using electron-beam evaporation and rapid thermal annealing for application to nonvolatile memory. Experimental scanning electron microscopy images showed that Ni nanoparticles of about 5 nm in diameter were clearly embedded in the SiO2 layer on p-type Si （100）. Capacitance-voltage measurements of the MOS capacitor show large flat-band voltage shifts of 1.8 V, which indicate the presence of charge storage in the nickel nanoparticles. In addition, the charge-retention characteristics of MOS capacitors with Ni nanoparticles were investigated by using capacitance-time measurements. The results showed that there was a decay of the capacitance embedded with Ni nanoparticles for an electron charge after 104 s. But only a slight decay of the capacitance originating from hole charging was observed. The present results indicate that this technique is promising for the efficient formation or insertion of metal nanoparticles inside MOS structures.

X-ray detection based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensors

Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS) sensors can convert X-rays into detectable signals; therefore, they are powerful tools in X-ray detection applications. Herein, we explore the physics behind X-ray detection performed using CMOS sensors. X-ray measurements were obtained using a simulated positioner based on a CMOS sensor, while the X-ray energy was modified by changing the voltage, current, and radiation time. A monitoring control unit collected video data of the detected X-rays. The video images were framed and filtered to detect the effective pixel points(radiation spots).The histograms of the images prove there is a linear relationship between the pixel points and X-ray energy. The relationships between the image pixel points, voltage, and current were quantified, and the resultant correlations were observed to obey some physical laws.

Fabrication and characterization of the normally-off N-channel lateral 4H–SiC metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors

In this paper, the normally-off N-channel lateral 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors （MOSF- FETs） have been fabricated and characterized. A sandwich- （nitridation-oxidation-nitridation） type process was used to grow the gate dielectric film to obtain high channel mobility. The interface properties of 4H-SiC/SiO2 were examined by the measurement of HF l-V, G-V, and C-V over a range of frequencies. The ideal C-V curve with little hysteresis and the frequency dispersion were observed. As a result, the interface state density near the conduction band edge of 4H-SiC was reduced to 2 x 1011 eV-l.cm-2, the breakdown field of the grown oxides was about 9.8 MV/cm, the median peak field- effect mobility is about 32.5 cm2.V-1 .s-1, and the maximum peak field-effect mobility of 38 cm2-V-1 .s-1 was achieved in fabricated lateral 4H-SiC MOSFFETs.

GaSb p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor and its temperature dependent characteristics

GaSb p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors （MOSFETs） with an atomic layer deposited Al2O3 gate dielectric and a self-aligned Si-implanted source/drain are experimentally demonstrated. Temperature dependent electrical characteristics are investigated. Different electrical behaviors are observed in two temperature regions, and the un- derlying mechanisms are discussed. It is found that the reverse-bias pn junction leakage of the drain/substrate is the main component of the off-state drain leakage current, which is generation-current dominated in the low temperature regions and is diffusion-current dominated in the high temperature regions. Methods to further reduce the off-state drain leakage current are given.

The study on mechanism and model of negative bias temperature instability degradation in P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

Negative Bias Temperature Instability （NBTI） has become one of the most serious reliability problems of metaloxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors （MOSFETs）. The degradation mechanism and model of NBTI are studied in this paper. From the experimental results, the exponential value 0.25-0.5 which represents the relation of NBTI degradation and stress time is obtained. Based on the experimental results and existing model, the reaction-diffusion model with H^＋ related species generated is deduced, and the exponent 0.5 is obtained. The results suggest that there should be H^＋ generated in the NBTI degradation. With the real time method, the degradation with an exponent 0.5 appears clearly in drain current shift during the first seconds of stress and then verifies that H^＋ generated during NBTI stress.

Influences of fringing capacitance on threshold voltage and subthreshold swing of a GeOI metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor

Models of threshold voltage and subthreshold swing, including the fringing-capacitance effects between the gate electrode and the surface of the source/drain region, are proposed. The validity of the proposed models is confirmed by the good agreement between the simulated results and the experimental data. Based on the models, some factors impacting the threshold voltage and subthreshold swing of a GeOI metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor（MOSFET） are discussed in detail and it is found that there is an optimum thickness of gate oxide for definite dielectric constant of gate oxide to obtain the minimum subthreshold swing. As a result, it is shown that the fringing-capacitance effect of a shortchannel GeOI MOSFET cannot be ignored in calculating the threshold voltage and subthreshold swing.