Energy-efficient operation conditions of MoS2-based memristors. - In: Physica status solidi, ISSN 1862-6319, Bd. 220 (2023), 13, 2200893, S. 1-12
Sufficient energy consumption for conventional information processing makes it necessary to look for new computational methods. One of the possible solutions to this problem is neuromorphic computations using memristive devices. Memristors based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) are a promising way to provide a sizeable amount of hysteresis at low energy costs. Herein, different configurations of MoS2 memristors as well as the mechanisms involved in hysteresis formation are shown. Bottom gated configuration is beneficial in terms of hysteresis area and energy efficiency. The impact of device channel dimensions on the hysteresis area and energy consumption is discussed. Different operation conditions with triangular, rectangular, sinusoidal, and sawtooth drain-to-source pulses are simulated, and rectangular pulses demonstrate the highest energy efficiency. The study shows the potential to realize low-power neuromorphic systems using MoS2 memristive devices.
https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202200893
Influence of environment on self-propagating reactions in Al/Ni multilayer foils. - In: MRS advances, ISSN 2059-8521, Bd. 8 (2023), 9, S. 477-483
Reactive aluminum-nickel multilayer system shows exothermic energetic materials which act as a heat source for packaging and bonding of microsystems. The main challenge is controlling the self-propagation reaction velocity and temperature generated by thermal management through different thermal conductive substrate materials. The current work investigates the heat distribution of Al/Ni multilayer foils from different thermal conductive substrates which act as heat sink materials during the self-propagating reaction. A two-dimensional numerical model was developed to study thermal conductive heat loss and substrate thermal properties on the self-propagating reaction in Al/Ni multilayer foils. The self-propagating reaction was introduced on the surface of the foils by an electrical spark. Here we investigate the minimum critical thickness of Al/Ni multilayer foils which shows the self-propagation reaction on different substrates and verified from the two-dimensional numerical model. The outcomes of this investigation will facilitate the integration of Al/Ni multilayer foils on different substrates as intrinsic heat sources for different applications of micro/nanodevices.
https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-023-00574-6
Binary aluminum alloys from 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids for cathodic corrosion protection. - In: Metals, ISSN 2075-4701, Bd. 13 (2023), 2, 377, S. 1-15
Aluminum cannot provide continuous cathodic corrosion protection under ambient conditions due to the formation of an insulating oxide layer and therefore it should be alloyed. Binary aluminum alloys with Cr, Zn and Sn from AlCl3/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([EMIm]Cl) containing CrCl2, ZnCl2 or SnCl2 have been deposited and their morphology and composition were investigated using SEM/EDS. The corrosion behavior of alloys with 2–4 wt% Cr, Zn or Sn was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, neutral salt spray test (NSS) and environmental exposure (EE). Pure aluminum provides excellent corrosion protection of steel in a chloride-containing environment, but not under ambient conditions. AlCr alloys show poor corrosion protection while AlZn alloys provide excellent corrosion protection in the NSS test and superior cathodic protection in the EE test compared to aluminum. AlSn alloys are highly active at even low tin contents and dissolve rapidly in chloride-containing electrolytes. However, a slightly improved cathodic protection in the EE test compared to pure aluminum has been observed. The results prove the necessity of alloying aluminum to achieve effective cathodic corrosion protection under mild atmospheric conditions.
https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020377
Alkyds with artistic applications based on drying oils, multifunctional polyalcohols and different polybasic acids. - In: Journal of applied polymer science, ISSN 1097-4628, Bd. 140 (2023), 16, e53746, S. 1-12
Today's requirements in the art field have challenged researchers to create artistic paintings with attractive appearance and long-term color stability. Alkyd-based art mediums have become an important group in the art field, because of their similar characteristics to traditional oils and exceptional drying properties. In this work, high solid alkyd-based art mediums have been synthesized by the monoglyceride and acidolysis processes. Multifunctional polyols and high unsaturated fatty acid sources were compared and used for alkyd synthesis. The use of a non-traditional oil of Peruvian origin is proposed. Resins have been characterized according to their physicochemical (acid number, viscosity, color and density) and drying properties. Drying tendencies were verified with the use of quartz crystal microbalance. Also, the behavior of the art mediums mixed with commercial oil paintings and a dry pigment, have also been evaluated. Results indicate that resins containing the polyol with the highest functionality are more viscous and have fewer tendencies to yellowing, while non-traditional Peruvian oil is the best option for creating light-colored art mediums. Alkyd mediums prepared by the monoglyceride method gave to oil paintings better characteristics and drying behavior on canvas.
https://doi.org/10.1002/app.53746
Optical in situ studies of Ge(100) interfacial exchange reactions in GaAs-rich MOVPE reactors for low-defect III-P growth. - In: ACS applied electronic materials, ISSN 2637-6113, Bd. 5 (2023), 2, S. 1295-1301
For vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) or photoelectrochemical devices and high efficient III-V/Ge(100) photovoltaics, preparation of double-atomic steps on Ge(100) substrates is highly recommended in order to avoid anti-phase boundaries in the III-V buffer layers. These Ge(100) surfaces were investigated in detail under As- and GaAs-rich MOVPE reactor conditions. During initial growth of III-P buffer layers, however, on an atomically well-ordered Ge(100):As surface, As-P exchange takes place, during which double-layer steps should be preserved. Here, we apply in situ monitoring to study the interaction of P with vicinal Ge(100):As surfaces under realistic, GaAs-rich CVD reactor conditions at growth temperature. In situ optical spectroscopy in combination with surface science techniques in ultra-high vacuum ambience is used to investigate the Ge(100) surface. We show that different Ge(100):As/P heterointerfaces are formed depending on the applied molar flow of phosphorus precursors. Despite the lattice-matched quality of the probing III-P layer, this critical heterointerface impacts significantly the surface roughness and the formation of crystal defects in the subsequently grown III-P buffer layers.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.2c01775
Formation of nanoflowers: Au and Ni silicide cores surrounded by SiOx branches. - In: Beilstein journal of nanotechnology, ISSN 2190-4286, Bd. 14 (2023), 1, S. 133-140
This work reports the formation of nanoflowers after annealing of Au/Ni bilayers deposited on SiO2/Si substrates. The cores of the nanoflowers consist of segregated Ni silicide and Au parts and are surrounded by SiOx branches. The SiO2 decomposition is activated at 1050 ˚C in a reducing atmosphere, and it can be enhanced more by Au compared to Ni. SiO gas from the decomposition of SiO2 and the active oxidation of Si is the source of Si for the growth of the SiOx branches of the nanoflowers. The concentration of SiO gas around the decomposition cavities is inhomogeneously distributed. Closer to the cavity border, the concentration of the Si sources is higher, and SiOx branches grow faster. Hence, nanoflowers present shorter and shorter branches as they are getting away from the border. However, such inhomogeneous SiO gas concentration is weakened in the sample with the highest Au concentration due to the strong ability of Au to enhance SiO2 decomposition, and nanoflowers with less difference in their branches can be observed across the whole sample.
https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.14.14
Innovative Fertigung von Leiterplatten durch FDM-Druck und selektive Kunststoffmetallisierung. - In: WOMag, ISSN 2195-5891, Bd. 12 (2023), 4, S. 9-11
Mit Hilfe von additiven Fertigungsverfahren lassen sich Kunststoffe mit unterschiedlichen Eigenschaften zu einem Produkt kombinieren. Dies erlaubt es, die Grundeinheiten von elektrischen Leiterplatten mittels Drucktechnik herzustellen, wobei der Aufwand weitgehend unabhängig von der hergestellten Stückzahl ist. Durch Drucken mit metallisierbaren Kunststoffen gelingt es, Leiterbahnen mit akzeptabler Leitfähigkeit auf elektrisch isolierendem Trägermaterial zu erzeugen. Die bisherigen Entwicklungen sind auf die Verwendung von Kunststoff mit einer maximalen Temperaturbelastung bis etwa 100 ˚C beschränkt. Um die bestehenden Verfahren der Leiterplattentechnik nutzen zu können, muss diese Temperaturobergrenze deutlich erhöht werden.
Stiffness considerations for a MEMS-based weighing cell. - In: Sensors, ISSN 1424-8220, Bd. 23 (2023), 6, 3342, S. 1-15
In this paper, a miniaturized weighing cell that is based on a micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) is discussed. The MEMS-based weighing cell is inspired by macroscopic electromagnetic force compensation (EMFC) weighing cells and one of the crucial system parameters, the stiffness, is analyzed. The system stiffness in the direction of motion is first analytically evaluated using a rigid body approach and then also numerically modeled using the finite element method for comparison purposes. First prototypes of MEMS-based weighing cells were successfully microfabricated and the occurring fabrication-based system characteristics were considered in the overall system evaluation. The stiffness of the MEMS-based weighing cells was experimentally determined by using a static approach based on force-displacement measurements. Considering the geometry parameters of the microfabricated weighing cells, the measured stiffness values fit to the calculated stiffness values with a deviation from -6.7 to 3.8% depending on the microsystem under test. Based on our results, we demonstrate that MEMS-based weighing cells can be successfully fabricated with the proposed process and in principle be used for high-precision force measurements in the future. Nevertheless, improved system designs and read-out strategies are still required.
https://doi.org/10.3390/s23063342
Thermally induced oxygen vacancies in BiOCl nanosheets and their impact on photoelectrochemical performance. - In: ChemPhotoChem, ISSN 2367-0932, Bd. 7 (2023), 3, e202200192, S. 1-9
Oxygen vacancies (OVs) have been reported to significantly alter the photocatalytic properties of BiOCl nanosheets. However, their formation mechanism and their role in the enhancement of photoelectrochemical performance remain unclear. In this work, thermally induced oxygen vacancies are introduced in BiOCl nanosheets by annealing in He atmosphere at various temperatures and their formation mechanism is investigated by in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared (DRIFTS) measurements. The influence of OVs on band offset, carrier concentrations and photoelectrochemical performance are systematically studied. The results show that (1) the surface of BiOCl nanosheets is extremely sensitive to temperature and defects are formed at temperatures as low as 200 ˚C in inert atmosphere. (2) The formation of surface and bulk OVs in BiOCl is identified by a combination of XPS, in-situ DRIFTS, and EPR experiments. (3) The photocurrent of BiOCl is limited by the concentration of charge carriers and shallow defect states induced by bulk oxygen vacancies, while the modulation of these parameters can effectively increase light absorption and carrier concentration leading to an enhancement of photoelectrochemical performance of BiOCl.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cptc.202200192
The effect of glass structure and local rare earth site symmetry on the optical properties of rare earth doped alkaline earth aluminosilicate glasses. - In: Acta materialia, ISSN 1873-2453, Bd. 249 (2023), 118811
Understanding the connection of molecular structure and optical properties of rare earth doped luminescent materials is essential for fabrication of state-of-the-art active laser media. On the other hand, rare earth ions can be used as a probe ion for the molecular structure of the host material if the structure-property correlations are known. Therefore, this work combines molecular dynamics simulations, Judd-Ofelt theory and UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy including the behavior of the structure-sensitive hypersensitive absorption transitions of Er3+ to expand the knowledge on the local molecular structure in the immediate vicinity of the doped rare earth ions in dependence of glass composition. For this purpose, glasses of the compositions (35-x) BaO &hahog; x MgO &hahog; 10 Al2O3 &hahog; 55 SiO2 (mol%) (x = 0, 7.5, 15, 25, 35) and (20-x) BaO &hahog; x MgO &hahog; 20 Al2O3 &hahog; 60 SiO2 (mol%) (x = 0, 10, 20), doped with 2 × 10^20 ions/cm^3 Er3+ were prepared and analyzed. Clear differences in the absorption spectra between glasses of different BaO/MgO ratios, i.e. different network modifier field strengths, and different network modifier oxide to Al2O3 ratios are found and discussed in detail. Glasses with high BaO concentrations and high network modifier oxide to Al2O3 ratios provide lower rare earth coordination numbers with oxygen in general but higher coordination probabilities with non-bridging oxygen, which results in notably increased splitting of the optical transitions of the doped rare earth ions and higher hypersensitivity / lower local site symmetry for the doped rare earth ions in the investigated compositions. Based on our results and results from other publications the local rare earth site symmetry in glasses can in general be correlated with the rare earth coordination number.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.118811