Abstract: Germanium combined with high-κ dielectrics is investigated for the next generations of CMOS devices. Therefore, we study reaction mechanisms for Al2O3 atomic layer deposition on sulfur passivated Ge using calculations based on density functional theory and total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). TXRF indicates 6 S/nm2 and 4 Al/nm2 after the first TMA/H2O reaction cycle, and growth inhibition from the second reaction cycle on. Calculations are performed on molecular clusters representing −GeSH surface sites. The calculations confirm that the TMA reaction does not affect the S content. On fully SH-terminated Ge, TMA favorably reacts with up to three −GeSH sites, resulting in a near tetrahedral Al coordination. Electron deficient structures with a GeS site shared between two Al atoms are proposed. The impact of the cluster size on the structures and reaction energetics is systematically investigated.

Abstract: We performed a detailed investigation of the oxidation of the technologically relevant GaAs(001)-beta 2(2x4) surface via density functional calculations. The purpose is to gain insights on the atomistic mechanisms and local bondings that underlie the degradation of the surface properties once exposed to oxygen. The study comprises the adsorption of single O atoms, through the sampling of several adsorption sites, and the subsequent formation of the O adsorbate at increasing coverage by taking into account multiple-atom adsorption. Based on the evaluation of the energetics and the structural properties of the atomistic models generated, the results here reported delineate a consistent picture of the initial stage of the surface oxidation: (i) at low coverage, in the limit of single O insertions, oxygen is incorporated on the surface forming a twofold-bridging Ga-O-As bond; (ii) at increasing coverage, as multiple O atoms are involved, this is accompanied by the formation of a threefold-coordinated bond (with two Ga and one As atoms); (iii) the latter has important implications regarding the electronic properties of the adsorbate since this O bonding may result in the formation of As dangling bonds. Moreover, a clear trend of increased energy gain for the incorporation of neighboring O atoms compared to single O insertions indicates that the formation of oxide clusters is favored over a regime of uniform oxidation. Our findings provide a detailed description of the O bonding and stress the importance of modeling the adsorption of multiple O atoms for an accurate description of the surface oxidation.

Abstract: Recently, core shell silicon nanowires (Si-NWs) have been envisaged to be used for field-effect transistors and photovoltaic applications. In spite of the constant downsizing of such devices, the formation of ultrasmall diameter core shell Si-NWs currently remains entirely unexplored. We report here on the modeling of the formation of such core shell Si-NWs using a dry thermal oxidation of 2 nm diameter (100) Si nanowires at 300 and 1273 K, by means of reactive molecular dynamics simulations using the ReaxFF potential. Two different oxidation mechanisms are discussed, namely a self-limiting process that occurs at low temperature (300 K), resulting in a Si core I ultrathin SiO2 silica shell nanowire, and a complete oxidation process that takes place at a higher temperature (1273 K), resulting in the formation of an ultrathin SiO2 silica nanowire. The oxidation kinetics of both cases and the resulting structures are analyzed in detail. Our results demonstrate that precise control over the Si-core radius of such NWs and the SiOx (x <= 2.0) oxide shell is possible by controlling the growth temperature used during the oxidation process.

Abstract: We investigated the deposition of MoS2 multilayers on large area substrates. The pre-deposition of metal or metal oxide with subsequent sulfurization is a promising technique to achieve layered films. We distinguish a different reaction behavior in metal oxide and metallic films and investigate the effect of the temperature, the H2S/H-2 gas mixture composition, and the role of the underlying substrate on the material quality. The results of the experiments suggest a MoS2 growth mechanism consisting of two subsequent process steps. At first, the reaction of the sulfur precursor with the metal or metal oxide occurs, requiring higher temperatures in the case of metallic film compared to metal oxide. At this stage, the basal planes assemble towards the diffusion direction of the reaction educts and products. After the sulfurization reaction, the material recrystallizes and the basal planes rearrange parallel to the substrate to minimize the surface energy. Therefore, substrates with low roughness show basal plane assembly parallel to the substrate. These results indicate that the substrate character has a significant impact on the assembly of low dimensional MoS2 films.

Abstract: The adsorption of CO2 on surfaces of graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), decorated with Fe atoms, are investigated using the self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) method, neglecting the heat effects. Fe ad-atoms are more stable when they are dispersed on hollow sites. They introduce a large density of states at the Fermi level (N-F); where keeping such density low would help in gas sensing. Furthermore, the Fe ad-atom can weaken the C=O double bonds of the chemisorbed CO2 molecule, paving the way for oxygen atoms to drain more charges from Fe. Consequently, chemisorption of CO2 molecules reduces both N-F and the conductance while it enhances the sensitivity with the increasing gas dose. Conducting armchair CNTs (ac-CNTs) have higher sensitivity than graphene and semiconducting zigzag CNTs (zz-CNT5). Comparative study of sensitivity of ac-CNT-Fe composite towards various gases (e.g., O-2, N-2, H-2, H2O, CO and CO2) has shown high sensitivity and selectivity towards CO, CO2 and H2O gases. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: ZrO2 and HfO2 nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in SiO2 matrices (supported film and bulk powders) by copolymerization of two oxozirconium and oxohafnium clusters (M4O(2)(OMc)(12), M= Zr, Hf; OMc = OC(O)-C(CH3)=CH2) with (methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (MAPTMS, (CH2=C(CH3)C(O)O)-(CH2)(3)Si(OCH3)(3)). After calcination (at a temperature >= 800 degrees C), a silica matrix with homogeneously distributed MO2 nanocrystallites is obtained. This route yields a spatially homogeneous dispersion of the metal precursors inside the silica matrix, which is maintained during calcination. The composition of the films and the powders is studied before and after calcination by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). The local environment of the metal atoms in one of the calcined samples is investigated by using X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Through X-ray diffraction (XRD) the crystallization of Hf and Zr oxides is seen at temperatures higher than those expected for the pure oxides, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows the presence of well-distributed and isolated crystalline oxide nanoparticles (540 nm).

Abstract: Microwave plasmas are one of the most promising techniques for CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals and fuels since they are very energy efficient. Nevertheless, experiments show that this high energy efficiency is only reached at low pressures and significantly drops toward atmospheric pressure, which is a clear limitation for industrial applications. In this paper, we use a zerodimensional reaction kinetics model to simulate a CO2 microwave plasma in a pressure range from 50 mbar to 1 bar, in order to evaluate the reasons for this decrease in energy efficiency at atmospheric pressure. The code includes a detailed description of the vibrational kinetics of CO2, CO, and O2 as well as the energy exchanges between them because the vibrational kinetics is known to be crucial for energy efficient CO2 splitting. First, we use a self-consistent gas temperature calculation in order to assess the key performance indicators for CO2 splitting, i.e., the CO2 conversion and corresponding energy efficiency. Our results indicate that lower pressures and higher power densities lead to more vibrational excitation, which is beneficial for the conversion. We also demonstrate the key role of the gas temperature. The model predicts the highest conversion and energy efficiencies at pressures around 300 mbar, which is in agreement with experiments from the literature. We also show the beneficial aspect of fast gas cooling in the afterglow at high pressure. In a second step, we study in more detail the effects of pressure, gas temperature, and power density on the vibrational distribution function and on the dissociation and recombination mechanisms of CO2, which define the CO2 splitting efficiency. This study allows us to identify the limiting factors of CO2 conversion and to propose potential solutions to improve the process.

Abstract: The amorphous oxide semiconductor Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) has gained a large technological relevance as a semiconductor for thin-film transistors in active-matrix displays. Yet, major questions remain unanswered regarding the atomic origin of threshold voltage control, doping level, hysteresis, negative bias stress (NBS), and negative bias illumination stress (NBIS). We undertake a systematic study of the effects of oxygen vacancies on the properties of a-IGZO by relating experimental observations to microscopic insights gained from first-principle simulations. It is found that the amorphous nature of the semiconductor allows unusually large atomic relaxations. In some cases, oxygen vacancies are found to behave as perfect shallow donors without the formation of structural defects. Once structural defects are formed, their transition states can vary upon charge and discharge cycles. We associate this phenomenon to a possible presence of hysteresis in the transfer curve of the devices. Under NBS, the creation of oxygen vacancies becomes energetically very stable, hence thermodynamically very likely. This generation process is correlated with the occurrence of the negative bias stress instabilities observed in a-IGZO transistors. While oxygen vacancies can therefore be related to NBS and hysteresis, it appears unlikely from our results that they are direct causes of NBIS, contrary to common belief.

Abstract: <script type='text/javascript'>document.write(unpmarked('The crystal and defect structure of SnS crystals grown using chemical vapour deposition for application in electronic devices are investigated. The structural analysis shows the presence of two distinct crystal morphologies, that is thin flakes with lateral sizes up to 50 m and nanometer scale thickness, and much thicker but smaller crystallites. Both show similar Raman response associated with SnS. The structural analysis with transmission electron microscopy shows that the flakes are single crystals of -SnS with [010] normal to the substrate. Parallel with the surface of the flakes, lamellae with varying thickness of a new SnS phase are observed. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), first-principles simulations (DFT) and nanobeam diffraction (NBD) techniques are employed to characterise this phase in detail. DFT results suggest that the phase is a strain stabilised \u0027 one grown epitaxially on the -SnS crystals. TEM analysis shows that the crystallites are also -SnS with generally the [010] direction orthogonal to the substrate. Contrary to the flakes the crystallites consist of two to four grains which are tilted up to 15 degrees relative to the substrate. The various grain boundary structures and twin relations are discussed. Under high-dose electron irradiation, the SnS structure is reduced and -Sn formed. It is shown that this damage only occurs for SnS in direct contact with SiO2. Lay description SnS is a p-type semiconductor, which has attracted significant interest for electronic devices due to its unique properties, low-toxicity and abundance of Sn in nature. Although in the past it has been most extensively studied as the absorber material in solar cells, it has recently garnered interest for application as a p-type two-dimensional semiconductor in nanoelectronic devices due to its anisotropic layered structure similar to the better known phosphorene. Tin sulphide can take the form of several phases and the electronic properties of the material depend strongly on its crystal structure. It is therefore crucial to study the crystal structure of the material in order to predict the electronic properties and gain insight into the growth mechanism. In this work, SnS crystals deposited using a chemical vapour deposition technique are investigated extensively for their crystal and defect structure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and related techniques. We find the presence of two distinct crystal morphologies, that is thin flakes with lateral sizes up to 50 m and nm scale thickness, and much thicker but smaller crystallites. The flakes are single crystals of -SnS and contain lamellae with varying thickness of a different phase which appear to be -SnS at first glance. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy is used to characterise these lamellae where the annular bright field (ABF) mode better reveals the position of the sulphur columns. The sulphur columns in the lamellae are found to be shifted relative to the -SnS structure which indicates the formation of a new phase which is a distorted version of the phase which we tentatively refer to as \u0027-SnS. Simulations based on density functional theory (DFT) are used to model the interface and a similar shift of sulphur columns in the -SnS layer is observed which takes place as a result of strong interaction at the interface between the two phases resulting in strain transfer. Nanobeam electron diffraction (NBD) is used to map the lattice mismatch in the thickness of the flakes which reveals good in-plane matching and some expansion out-of-plane in the lamellae. Contrary to the flakes the crystallites are made solely of -SnS and consist of two to four grains which are tilted up to 15 degrees relative to the substrate. The various grain boundary structures and twin relations are discussed. At high electron doses, SnS is reduced to -Sn, however the damage occurs only for SnS in direct contact with SiO2.'));

Abstract: A falling film dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor combined with adsorption on activated carbon textile material was optimized to minimize the formation of hazardous oxidation by-products from the treatment of persistent pesticides (alachlor, diuron and isoproturon) in water. The formation of by-products and the reaction mechanism was investigated by HPLC-TOF-MS. The maximum concentration of each by-product was at least two orders of magnitude below the initial pesticide concentration, during the first 10 min of treatment. After 30 min of treatment, the individual by-product concentrations had decreased to values of at least three orders of magnitude below the initial pesticide concentration. The proposed oxidation pathways revealed five main oxidation steps: dechlorination, dealkylation, hydroxylation, addition of a double-bonded oxygen and nitrification. The latter is one of the main oxidation mechanisms of diuron and isoproturon for air plasma treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the formation of nitrificated intermediates is reported for the plasma treatment of non-phenolic compounds.

Abstract: Heterostructures of low-dimensional semiconducting materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides (MX2), are promising building blocks for future electronic and optoelectronic devices. The patterning of one MX2 material on top of another one is challenging due to their structural similarity. This prevents an intrinsic etch stop when conventional anisotropic dry etching processes are used. An alternative approach consist in a two-step process, where a sacrificial silicon layer is pre-patterned with a low damage plasma process, stopping on the underlying MoS2 film. The pre-patterned layer is used as sacrificial template for the formation of the top WS2 film. This study describes the optimization of a cyclic Ar/Cl-2 atomic layer etch process applied to etch silicon on top of MoS2, with minimal damage, followed by a selective conversion of the patterned Si into WS2. The impact of the Si atomic layer etch towards the MoS2 is evaluated: in the ion energy range used for this study, MoS2 removal occurs in the over-etch step over 1-2 layers, leading to the appearance of MoOx but without significant lattice distortions to the remaining layers. The combination of Si atomic layer etch, on top of MoS2, and subsequent Si-to-WS2 selective conversion, allows to create a WS2/MoS2 heterostructure, with clear Raman signals and horizontal lattice alignment. These results demonstrate a scalable, transfer free method to achieve horizontally individually patterned heterostacks and open the route towards wafer-level processing of 2D materials.