Ultrathin Limit on the Anisotropic Superconductivity of Single-Layered Cuprate Films

Exploring dimensionality effects on cuprates is important for understanding the nature of high-temperature superconductivity.By atomically layer-by-layer growth with oxide molecular beam epitaxy,we demonstrate that La_(2−x)Sr_(x)CuO_(4)(x=0.15)thin films remain superconducting down to 2 unit cells of thickness but quickly reach the maximum superconducting transition temperature at and above 4 unit cells.By fitting the critical magnetic field(μ0H_(c2)),we show that the anisotropy of the film’s superconductivity increases with decreasing film thickness,indicating that the superconductivity of the film gradually evolves from weak three-to two-dimensional character.These results are helpful to gain more insight into the nature of high-temperature superconductivity with dimensionality.

Epitaxial growth of ultrathin gallium films on Cd(0001)

Growth and electronic properties of ultrathin Ga films on Cd(0001) are investigated by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) and density functional theory(DFT) calculations. It is found that Ga films exhibit the epitaxial growth with the pseudomorphic 1×1 lattice. The Ga islands deposited at 100 K show a ramified shape due to the suppressed edge diffusion and corner crossing. Furthermore, the majority of Ga islands reveal flat tops and a preferred height of three atomic layers, indicating the electronic growth at low temperature. Annealing to room temperature leads to not only the growth mode transition from electronic growth to conventional Stranski–Krastanov growth, but also the shape transition from ramified islands to smooth compact islands. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy(STS) measurements reveal that the Ga monolayer exhibits metallic behavior. DFT calculations indicate that all the interfacial Ga atoms occupy the energetically favorable hcp-hollow sites of the substrate. The charge density difference analysis demonstrates that the charge transfer from the Cd substrate to the Ga atoms is negligible, and there is weak interaction between Ga atoms and the Cd substrate. These results shall shed important light on fabrication of ultrathin Ga films on metal substrates with novel physical properties.

Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Metal Mesh Films with Ultra‑High FoM for Stretchable Heating and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Despite the growing demand for transparent conductive films in smart and wearable electronics for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding,achieving a flexible EMI shielding film,while maintaining a high transmittance remains a significant challenge.Herein,a flexible,transparent,and conductive copper(Cu)metal mesh film for EMI shielding is fabricated by self-forming crackle template method and electroplating technique.The Cu mesh film shows an ultra-low sheet resistance(0.18Ω□^(-1)),high transmittance(85.8%@550 nm),and ultra-high figure of merit(>13,000).It also has satisfactory stretchability and mechanical stability,with a resistance increases of only 1.3%after 1,000 bending cycles.As a stretchable heater(ε>30%),the saturation temperature of the film can reach over 110°C within 60 s at 1.00 V applied voltage.Moreover,the metal mesh film exhibits outstanding average EMI shielding effectiveness of 40.4 dB in the X-band at the thickness of 2.5μm.As a demonstration,it is used as a transparent window for shielding the wireless communication electromagnetic waves.Therefore,the flexible and transparent conductive Cu mesh film proposed in this work provides a promising candidate for the next-generation EMI shielding applications.

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in GeSn thin film based on time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

We measure the time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy of GeSn thin film and studied the ultrafast dynamics of its photo-generated carriers.The experimental results show that there are photo-generated carriers in GeSn under femtosecond laser excitation at 2500 nm,and its pump-induced photoconductivity can be explained by the Drude–Smith model.The carrier recombination process is mainly dominated by defect-assisted Auger processes and defect capture.The firstand second-order recombination rates are obtained by the rate equation fitting,which are(2.6±1.1)×10^(-2)ps^(-1)and(6.6±1.8)×10^(-19)cm^(3)·ps^(-1),respectively.Meanwhile,we also obtain the diffusion length of photo-generated carriers in GeSn,which is about 0.4μm,and it changes with the pump delay time.These results are important for the GeSn-based infrared optoelectronic devices,and demonstrate that Ge Sn materials can be applied to high-speed optoelectronic detectors and other applications.

Highly Thermally Conductive and Structurally Ultra‑Stable Graphitic Films with Seamless Heterointerfaces for Extreme Thermal Management

Highly thermally conductive graphitic film(GF)materials have become a competitive solution for the thermal management of high-power electronic devices.However,their catastrophic structural failure under extreme alternating thermal/cold shock poses a significant challenge to reliability and safety.Here,we present the first investigation into the structural failure mechanism of GF during cyclic liquid nitrogen shocks(LNS),which reveals a bubbling process characterized by“permeation-diffusion-deformation”phenomenon.To overcome this long-standing structural weakness,a novel metal-nanoarmor strategy is proposed to construct a Cu-modified graphitic film(GF@Cu)with seamless heterointerface.This well-designed interface ensures superior structural stability for GF@Cu after hundreds of LNS cycles from 77 to 300 K.Moreover,GF@Cu maintains high thermal conductivity up to 1088 W m^(−1)K^(−1)with degradation of less than 5%even after 150 LNS cycles,superior to that of pure GF(50%degradation).Our work not only offers an opportunity to improve the robustness of graphitic films by the rational structural design but also facilitates the applications of thermally conductive carbon-based materials for future extreme thermal management in complex aerospace electronics.

Metal-Halide Perovskite Submicrometer-Thick Films for Ultra-Stable Self-Powered Direct X-Ray Detectors

Metal-halide perovskites are revolutionizing the world of X-ray detectors,due to the development of sensitive,fast,and cost-effective devices.Self-powered operation,ensuring portability and low power consumption,has also been recently demonstrated in both bulk materials and thin films.However,the signal stability and repeatability under continuous X-ray exposure has only been tested up to a few hours,often reporting degradation of the detection performance.Here it is shown that self-powered direct X-ray detectors,fabricated starting from a FAPbBr_(3)submicrometer-thick film deposition onto a mesoporous TiO_(2)scaffold,can withstand a 26-day uninterrupted X-ray exposure with negligible signal loss,demonstrating ultra-high operational stability and excellent repeatability.No structural modification is observed after irradiation with a total ionizing dose of almost 200 Gy,revealing an unexpectedly high radiation hardness for a metal-halide perovskite thin film.In addition,trap-assisted photoconductive gain enabled the device to achieve a record bulk sensitivity of 7.28 C Gy^(−1)cm^(−3)at 0 V,an unprecedented value in the field of thin-film-based photoconductors and photodiodes for“hard”X-rays.Finally,prototypal validation under the X-ray beam produced by a medical linear accelerator for cancer treatment is also introduced.

Uniform deposition of ultra-thin TiO_(2) film on mica substrate by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition: Effect of precursor concentration

The performance of pearlescent pigment significantly affected by the grain size and the roughness of deposited film. The effect of TiCl_(4) concentration on the initial deposition of TiO_(2) on mica by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition(APCVD) was investigated. The precursor concentration significantly affected the deposition and morphology of TiO_(2) grains assembling the film. The deposition time for fully covering the surface of mica decreased from 120 to 10 s as the TiCl_(4) concentration increased from 0.38%to 2.44%. The grain size increased with the TiCl_(4) concentration. The AFM and TEM analysis demonstrated that the aggregation of TiO_(2) clusters at the initial stage finally result to the agglomeration of fine TiO_(2) grains at high TiCl_(4) concentrations. Following the results, it was suggested that the nucleation density and size was easy to be adjusted when the TiCl_(4) concentration is below 0.90%.

Simultaneous measurement of velocity profile and liquid film thickness in horizontal gas–liquid slug flow by using ultrasonic Doppler method

Horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering,oil/gas production and other important industrial processes.Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas-liquid flows and characterized by intermittent motion of film region and slug region.This work aims to develop the ultrasonic Doppler method to realize the simultaneous measurement of the velocity profile and liquid film thickness of slug flow.A single-frequency single-channel transducer is adopted in the design of the field-programmable gate array based ultrasonic Doppler system.A multiple echo repetition technology is used to improve the temporal-spatial resolution for the velocity profile.An experiment of horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow is implemented in an acrylic pipe with an inner diameter of 20 mm.Considering the aerated characteristics of the liquid slug,slug flow is divided into low-aerated slug flow,high-aerated slug flow and pseudo slug flow.The temporal-spatial velocity distributions of the three kinds of slug flows are reconstructed by using the ultrasonic velocity profile measurement.The evolution characteristics of the average velocity profile in slug flows are investigated.A novel method is proposed to derive the liquid film thickness based on the instantaneous velocity profile.The liquid film thickness can be effectively measured by detecting the position and the size of the bubbles nearly below the elongated gas bubble.Compared with the time of flight method,the film thickness measured by the Doppler system shows a higher accuracy as a bubble layer occurs in the film region.The effect of the gas distribution on the film thickness is uncovered in three kinds of slug flows.

Thickness effect on solar-blind photoelectric properties of ultrathinβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films prepared by atomic layer deposition

Theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films with different thicknesses are prepared by an atomic layer deposition system.The influence of film thickness on the crystal quality is obvious,indicating that the thicker films perform better crystal quality,which is verified from x-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscope(SEM)results.The Ga_(2)O_(3)-based solar blind photodetectors with different thicknesses are fabricated and studied.The experimental results show that the responsivity of the photodetectors increases exponentially with the increase of the film thickness.The photodetectors with inter-fingered structure based on 900 growth cyclesβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)active layers(corresponding film thickness of 58 nm)exhibit the best performances including a low dark current of 134 fA,photo-to-dark current ratio of 1.5×10^(7),photoresponsivity of 1.56 A/W,detectivity of 2.77×10^(14)Jones,and external quantum efficiency of 764.49%at a bias voltage of 10 V under 254-nm DUV illumination.The photoresponse rejection ratio(R_(254)/R_(365))is up to 1.86×10^(5).In addition,we find that the photoelectric characteristics also depend on the finger spacing of the MSM structure.As the finger spacing decreases from 50μm to10μW,the photoresponsivity,detectivity,and external quantum efficiency increase significantly.

High performance solar-blind deep ultraviolet photodetectors viaβ-phase(In_(0.09)Ga_(0.91))_(2)O_(3)single crystalline film

We successfully fabricate a high performanceβ-phase(In_(0.09)Ga_(0.91))_(2)O_(3)single-crystalline film deep ultraviolet(DUV)solar-blind photodetector.The 2-inches high crystalline quality film is hetero-grown on the sapphire substrates using the plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy(PA-MBE).The smooth InGaO single crystalline film is used to construct the solar-blind DUV detector,which utilized an interdigitated Ti/Au electrode with a metal-semiconductor-metal structure.The device exhibits a low dark current of 40 pA(0 V),while its UV photon responsivity exceeds 450 A/W(50 V)at the peak wavelength of 232 nm with illumination intensity of 0.21 m W/cm^(2)and the UV/VIS rejection ratio(R232 nm/R380 nm)exceeds 4×10^(4).Furthermore,the devices demonstrate ultrafast transient characteristics for DUV signals,with fast-rising and fast-falling times of 80 ns and 420 ns,respectively.This excellent temporal dynamic behavior can be attributed to indium doping can adjust the electronic structure of Ga_(2)O_(3)alloys to enhance the performance of InGaO solar-blind detectors.Additionally,a two-dimensional DUV scanning image is captured using the InGaO photodetector as a sensor in an imaging system.Our results pave the way for future applications of two-dimensional array DUV photodetectors based on the large-scale InGaO heteroepitaxially grown alloy wide bandgap semiconductor films.

Efficient electrooxidation of biomass-derived aldehydes over ultrathin Ni V-layered double hydroxides films

Selective upgrading of C=O bonds to afford carboxylic acid is significant for the petrochemical industry and biomass utilization.Here we declared the efficient electrooxidation of biomass-derived aldehydes family over NiV-layered double hydroxides(LDHs) thin films.Mechanistic studies confirmed the hydroxyl active intermediate(-OH*) generated on the surface of NiV-LDHs films by employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.By using advanced techniques,e.g.,extended X-ray absorption fine structure and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy,NiV-LDHs films with 2.6 nm could expose larger specific surface area.Taking benzaldehyde as a model,high current density of 200 mA cm^(-2)at 1.8 V vs.RHE,81.1% conversion,77.6% yield of benzoic acid and 90.8% Faradaic efficiency were reached,which was superior to most of previous studies.Theoretical DFT analysis was well matched with experimental findings and documented that NiV-LDHs had high adsorption capacity for the aldehydes to suppress the side reaction,and the aldehydes were oxidized by the electrophilic hydroxyl radicals formed on NiV-LDHs.Our findings offer a universal strategy for the robust upgrading of diverse biomass-derived platform chemicals.

Homojunction structure amorphous oxide thin film transistors with ultra-high mobility

Amorphous oxide semiconductors(AOS)have unique advantages in transparent and flexible thin film transistors(TFTs)applications,compared to low-temperature polycrystalline-Si(LTPS).However,intrinsic AOS TFTs are difficult to obtain field-effect mobility(μFE)higher than LTPS(100 cm^(2)/(V·s)).Here,we design ZnAlSnO(ZATO)homojunction structure TFTs to obtainμFE=113.8 cm^(2)/(V·s).The device demonstrates optimized comprehensive electrical properties with an off-current of about1.5×10^(-11)A,a threshold voltage of–1.71 V,and a subthreshold swing of 0.372 V/dec.There are two kinds of gradient coupled in the homojunction active layer,which are micro-crystallization and carrier suppressor concentration gradient distribution so that the device can reduce off-current and shift the threshold voltage positively while maintaining high field-effect mobility.Our research in the homojunction active layer points to a promising direction for obtaining excellent-performance AOS TFTs.

Effect of drying methods on perovskite films and solar cells

The high efficiency,solution processibility,and flexibility of perovskite solar cells make them promising candidates for the photovoltaic industry[1−8].The deposition method is one of the most critical factors that affect the performance of perovskite films.Various deposition methods have been developed to make perovskite films,including spin-coating,slotdie coating.

Mechanical and magnetocaloric adjustable properties of Fe3O4/PET deformed nanoparticle film

The flexibility of nanoparticle films is a topic of rapidly growing interest in both scientific and engineering researches due to their numerous potential applications in a broad range of wearable electronics and biomedical devices.This article presents the elucidation of the properties of nanoparticle films.Here,a flexible film is fabricated based on polyethylene terephthalate(PET)and magnetic iron oxide at the nanoscale using layer-by-layer technology.The 2D thin flexible film material can be bent at different angles from 0°to 360°.With an increase in elastic deformation angles,the magnetocaloric effect of the film gradually increases in the alternating magnetic field.The test results from a vibrating sample magnetometer and a low-frequency impedance analyzer demonstrate that the film has a good magnetic response and anisotropy.The magnetocaloric effect and magnetic induction effect are controlled by deformation,providing a new idea for the application of elastic films.It combines the flexibility of the nanoparticle PET substrate and,in the future,it may be used for skin adhesion for administration and magnetic stimulation control.

Multilevel optoelectronic hybrid memory based on N-doped Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)film with low resistance drift and ultrafast speed

Multilevel phase-change memory is an attractive technology to increase storage capacity and density owing to its high-speed,scalable and non-volatile characteristics.However,the contradiction between thermal stability and operation speed is one of key factors to restrain the development of phase-change memory.Here,N-doped Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)-based optoelectronic hybrid memory is proposed to simultaneously implement high thermal stability and ultrafast operation speed.The picosecond laser is adopted to write/erase information based on reversible phase transition characteristics whereas the resistance is detected to perform information readout.Results show that when N content is 27.4 at.%,N-doped Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)film possesses high ten-year data retention temperature of 175℃and low resistance drift coefficient of 0.00024 at 85℃,0.00170 at 120℃,and 0.00249 at 150℃,respectively,owing to the formation of Ge–N,Sb–N,and Te–N bonds.The SET/RESET operation speeds of the film reach 520 ps/13 ps.In parallel,the reversible switching cycle of the corresponding device is realized with the resistance ratio of three orders of magnitude.Four-level reversible resistance states induced by various crystallization degrees are also obtained together with low resistance drift coefficients.Therefore,the N-doped Ge_(2)Sb_(2)Te_(5)thin film is a promising phase-change material for ultrafast multilevel optoelectronic hybrid storage.

Structural and magnetic properties of micropolycrystalline cobalt thin films fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering

Pure cobalt(Co)thin films were fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering,and the effects of sputtering power and pres-sure on the microstructure and electromagnetic properties of the films were investigated.As the sputtering power increases from 15 to 60 W,the Co thin films transition from an amorphous to a polycrystalline state,accompanied by an increase in the intercrystal pore width.Simultaneously,the resistivity decreases from 276 to 99μΩ·cm,coercivity increases from 162 to 293 Oe,and in-plane magnetic aniso-tropy disappears.As the sputtering pressure decreases from 1.6 to 0.2 Pa,grain size significantly increases,resistivity significantly de-creases,and the coercivity significantly increases(from 67 to 280 Oe),which can be attributed to the increase in defect width.Corres-pondingly,a quantitative model for the coercivity of Co thin films was formulated.The polycrystalline films sputtered under pressures of 0.2 and 0.4 Pa exhibit significant in-plane magnetic anisotropy,which is primarily attributable to increased microstress.

Local thermal conductivity of inhomogeneous nano-fluidic films:A density functional theory perspective

Combining the mean field Pozhar-Gubbins(PG)theory and the weighted density approximation,a novel method for local thermal conductivity of inhomogeneous fluids is proposed.The correlation effect that is beyond the mean field treatment is taken into account by the simulation-based empirical correlations.The application of this method to confined argon in slit pore shows that its prediction agrees well with the simulation results,and that it performs better than the original PG theory as well as the local averaged density model(LADM).In its further application to the nano-fluidic films,the influences of fluid parameters and pore parameters on the thermal conductivity are calculated and investigated.It is found that both the local thermal conductivity and the overall thermal conductivity can be significantly modulated by these parameters.Specifically,in the supercritical states,the thermal conductivity of the confined fluid shows positive correlation to the bulk density as well as the temperature.However,when the bulk density is small,the thermal conductivity exhibits a decrease-increase transition as the temperature is increased.This is also the case in which the temperature is low.In fact,the decrease-increase transition in both the small-bulk-density and low-temperature cases arises from the capillary condensation in the pore.Furthermore,smaller pore width and/or stronger adsorption potential can raise the critical temperature for condensation,and then are beneficial to the enhancement of the thermal conductivity.These modulation behaviors of the local thermal conductivity lead immediately to the significant difference of the overall thermal conductivity in different phase regions.

Effects of gallium surfactant on AlN thin films by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

In this work, AlN films were grown using gallium (Ga) as surfactant on 4° off-axis 4H-SiC substrates via microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). We have found that AlN growth rate can be greatly improved due to the catalytic effect of trimethyl-gallium (TMGa), but AlN crystal structure and composition are not affected. When the proportion of TMGa in gas phase was low, crystal quality of AlN can be improved and three-dimensional growth mode of AlN was enhanced with the increase of Ga source. When the proportion of TMGa in gas phase was high, two-dimensional growth mode of AlN was presented, with the increase of Ga source results in the deterioration of AlN crystal quality. Finally, employing a two-step growth approach, involving the initial growth of Ga-free AlN nucleation layer followed by Ga-assisted AlN growth, high quality of AlN film with flat surface was obtained and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of 415 nm AlN (002) and (102) planes were 465 and 597 arcsec.

Chitosan/Sodium Alginate Multilayer pH-Sensitive Films Based on Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly for Intelligent Packaging

The abuse of plastic food packaging has brought about severe white pollution issues around the world.Developing green and sustainable biomass packaging is an effective way to solve this problem.Hence,a chitosan/sodium alginate-based multilayer film is fabricated via a layer-by-layer(LBL)self-assembly method.With the help of superior interaction between the layers,the multilayer film possesses excellent mechanical properties(with a tensile strength of 50 MPa).Besides,the film displays outstanding water retention property(blocking moisture of 97.56%)and ultraviolet blocking property.Anthocyanin is introduced into the film to detect the food quality since it is one natural plant polyphenol that is sensitive to the pH changes ranging from 1 to 13 in food when spoilage occurs.It is noted that the film is also bacteriostatic which is desired for food packaging.This study describes a simple technique for the development of advanced multifunctional and fully biodegradable food packaging film and it is a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.

Effects of Mg-doping temperature on the structural and electrical properties of nonpolar a-plane p-type GaN films

Nonpolar(11–20) a-plane p-type GaN films were successfully grown on r-plane sapphire substrate with the metal–organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD) system. The effects of Mg-doping temperature on the structural and electrical properties of nonpolar p-type GaN films were investigated in detail. It is found that all the surface morphology, crystalline quality, strains, and electrical properties of nonpolar a-plane p-type GaN films are interconnected, and are closely related to the Mg-doping temperature. This means that a proper performance of nonpolar p-type GaN can be expected by optimizing the Mg-doping temperature. In fact, a hole concentration of 1.3×10^(18)cm^(-3), a high Mg activation efficiency of 6.5%,an activation energy of 114 me V for Mg acceptor, and a low anisotropy of 8.3% in crystalline quality were achieved with a growth temperature of 990℃. This approach to optimizing the Mg-doping temperature of the nonpolar a-plane p-type GaN film provides an effective way to fabricate high-efficiency optoelectronic devices in the future.