Improvement of the high-k/Ge interface thermal stability using an in-situ ozone treatment characterized by conductive atomic force microscopy

In this work, an in-situ ozone treatment is carried out to improve the interface thermal stability of HfO_2/Al_2O_3 gate stack on germanium（Ge） substrate. The micrometer scale level of HfO_2/Al_2O_3 gate stack on Ge is studied using conductive atomic force microscopy（AFM） with a conductive tip. The initial results indicate that comparing with a non insitu ozone treated sample, the interface thermal stability of the sample with an in-situ ozone treatment can be substantially improved after annealing. As a result, void-free surface, low conductive spots, low leakage current density, and relative high breakdown voltage high-κ/Ge are obtained. A detailed analysis is performed to confirm the origins of the changes.All results indicate that in-situ ozone treatment is a promising method to improve the interface properties of Ge-based three-dimensional（3D） devices in future technology nodes.

In situ strain electrical atomic force microscopy study on two-dimensional ternary transition metal dichalcogenides

Atomically thin two-dimensional(2D)alloys have attracted wide interests of study recently due to their potential in flexible electronic and optoelectronic applications.In particular,monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide(TMD)alloys have emerged as unique 2D semiconductors with tunable bandgaps,by means of alloying.However,response of surface electrical potential and barrier height to strain for 2D TMD alloys–electrode interface is rarely explored.Apparently,revealing such strain-dependent evolution of electrical properties is crucial for developing advanced 2D TMD based flexible electronics and opto-electronics.Here we performed in situ strain Kelvin probe force microscopy(KPFM)and conductive atomic force microscopy(C-AFM)investigations of monolayer Mo_(0.4)W_(0.6)Se_(2) on Au coated flexible substrate,where controlled uni-axial tensile strain is applied.Both contact potential difference(CPD)and Schottky barrier heights(SBH)of monolayer Mo_(0.4) W_(0.6)Se_(2) show obvious decreases with the increase of strain,which is mainly due to the strain-induced increment of TMD electron affinity.Our in situ strain photoluminescence(PL)measurements also indicate the changes of electronic band structures under strain.We further exploit the substrate effects on CPD by study the monolayer alloy on the mostly used substrates of SiO 2/Si and indium tin oxide(ITO)/glass.Our findings could strengthen the foundation for the potential applications of 2D TMD and their alloys in the fields of strain sensors,flexible photodetectors,and other wearable electronic devices.

Local leakage current behaviours of BiFeO_3 films

The leakage current behaviours of polycrystalline BiFeO3 thin films are investigated by using both conductive atomic force microscopy and current-voltage characteristic measurements. The local charge transport pathways are found to be located mainly at the grain boundaries of the films. The leakage current density can be tuned by changing the post-annealing temperature, the annealing time, the bias voltage and the light illumination, which can be used to improve the performances of the ferroelectric devices based on the BiFeOa films. A possible leakage mechanism is proposed to interpret the charge transports in the polycrystalline BiFeO3 films.

Microscopic Damage of Tungsten and Molybdenum Exposed to Low-Energy Helium Ions

Polycrystalline tungsten（W）and molybdenum（Mo）materials both non-annealed and annealed at temperatures of 800-1750~C have been irradiated with low-energy（220 eV）,high-flux（~10^（21）ions/m^2.s）He~＋at an irradiation temperature of 600℃and at a dose of1.0×10^（25）ions/m^2.This non-destructive conductive atomic force microscopy technique provides direct observation and comparison of surface swellings with growth of nanoscale defects in the irradiated materials.A coral-like surface structure and nanostructured defects were formed in W when irradiated at a He＋dose of 1.0×10^（25）ions/m^2.Increasing the annealing temperature resulted in an increase in the size of nanostructured defects and serious surface damage of W.Compared to W,Mo suffered much less surface damage after being irradiated at various He~＋doses.

Origin mechanism of pitting corrosion induced by cerium inclusions

In this paper,the origin mechanism of pitting corrosion induced by Ce_(2)O_(3),Ce_(2)O_(2)S,and CeAlO_(3) inclusions in a microalloyed steel was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscattered diffraction,conductivity atomic force microscopy,immersion test,and first-principles calculation.The results show that the Ce_(2)O_(3),Ce_(2)O_(2)S,and CeAlO_(3) inclusions are non-conductive,which are impossible to form corrosion couples with the steel matrix.There are no obvious lattice distortion zones in the steel matrix around the Ce_(2)O_(3),Ce_(2)O_(2)S,and CeAlO_(3) inclusions,so it is difficult to form micro-galvanic corrosion near the Ce inclusion.The order of work functions of the Ce inclusions and the steel matrix from small to large is Ce_(2)O_(2)S<Ce_(2)O_(3)<CeAlO_(3)<steel matrix,which is consistent with their dissolution sequence in the immersion test in _(3).5 wt%NaCl solution.Consequently,it is effective and reliable to use work function to predict or judge the dissolution behaviors of the Ce inclusions or steel matrix in corrosive solution.The Ce_(2)O_(3),Ce_(2)O_(2)S,and CeAlO_(3) inclusions have the tendency of self-dissolution and dissolve preferentially to the steel matrix in the solution by the salt effect,which lead to pitting corrosion of Ce-containing microalloyed steel.

A universal calibration method for eliminating topographydependent current in conductive AFM and its application in nanoscale imaging

The topography and electrical properties are two crucial characteristics that determine the roles and functionalities of materials.Conductive atomic force microscopy(CAFM)is widely recognized for its ability to independently measure the topography and conductivity.The increasing trend towards miniaturization in electrical devices and sensors has encouraged an urgent demand for enhancing the accuracy of CAFM characterization.However,when performing CAFM tests on Bi_(0.5)Na_(0.5)TiO_(3)bulk ceramic,it is interesting to observe significant currents related to the topography.Why do insulators exhibit“conductivity”in CAFM testing?Herein,we thoroughly investigated the topography-dependent current during CAFM testing for the first time.Based on the linear dependence between the current and the first derivative of topography,the calibration method has been proposed to eliminate the topographic crosstalk.This method is evaluated on Bi_(0.5)Na_(0.5)TiO_(3)bulk ceramic,one-dimensional(1D)ZnO nanowire,twodimensional(2D)NbOI_(2)flake,and biological lotus leaf.The corresponding results of negligible topography-interference current affirm the feasibility and universality of this calibration method.This work effectively addresses the challenge of topographic crosstalk in CAFM characterization,thereby preventing the erroneous estimation of the conductivity of any unknown sample.

Structure and Electrical Characteristics of Zinc Oxide Thin Films Grown on Si (111) by Metal-organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

ZnO thin films were grown on Si （111） substrates by low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The crystal structures and electrical properties of as-grown sample were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and conductive atomic force microscopy （C-AFM）. It can be seen that with increasing growth temperature, the surface morphology of ZnO thin films changed from flake-like to cobblestones-like structure. The current maps were simultaneously recorded with the topography, which was gained by C-AFM contact mode. Conductivity for the off-axis facet planes presented on ZnO grains enhanced. Measurement results indicate that the off-axis facet planes were more electrically active than the c-plane of ZnO flakes or particles probably due to lower Schottky barrier height of the off-axis facet planes.