Micro and Nanostructures最新文献

{"title":"Investigation of latent fingerprints on porous and non-porous surfaces using multi-walled carbon nanotube-assisted ZnO nanocomposites","authors":"Basavajyothi Khapate ,&nbsp;Bhavani Betadur ,&nbsp;Madhura N. Talwar ,&nbsp;Asha P. Shirni ,&nbsp;Milana Nagaraj ,&nbsp;Kotresh M. Goudar ,&nbsp;Gnanaprakash A.P. ,&nbsp;Pushpa N.","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An innovative, safe, cost-effective, and eco-friendly multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)- assisted Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using a low-temperature solution combustion method followed by ex-situ ultrasonication. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) results revealed that MWCNT doping did not affect the phase structure; however, a decrease in average crystallite size was observed, from 48.14 nm to 37.07 nm. Ultraviolet–visible (UV) spectroscopy studies revealed an increase in optical bandgap with MWCNTs doping. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra at different excitation wavelengths showed maximum emission at 364, 369 and 362 nm, attributed to the near-band-edge emission of ZnO. The ZnO:MWCNT NCs were successfully used to investigate latent fingerprints (LFPs) on both porous and non-porous surfaces. These NCs showed excellent stability under humidity, temperature and mechanical abrasion tests. Further analysis highlights the average ridge spacing of 0.236 mm with a resolution ratio of 4.24 ridges/mm on porous surfaces, and on non-porous surfaces, it was noted as 0.251 mm, yielding a resolution ratio of 3.98 ridges/mm, confirming significant image resolution. These outcomes indicate that these high-performance ZnO:MWCNT NCs have potential applications in LFPs detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208513"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145747892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simulated and experimental investigation of through-mask electrochemical micromachining for micro pillar arrays","authors":"Yankui Sun ,&nbsp;Song Hu ,&nbsp;Qiangliang Yu ,&nbsp;Bo Yu ,&nbsp;Zhengfeng Ma ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Xie ,&nbsp;Wufang Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Micro pillar array is an important functional texture and reliably fundamental research platform for surface physical phenomena such as wettability. Due to the limitation of machining methods, fabricating micropillar array on metal is still a challenge. Through-mask electrochemical machining (TMEMM) provides a feasible approach, but its forming mechanism and corresponding forming model with real-time structure evolution need to be explored with machining parameters and electrolytic products such as anode mud and bubbles. Here, the forming mechanism of the micropillar by TMEMM is investigated with machining parameter and electrolytic product, with a corrected real-time forming simulation based on the experiment. It is found that anode mud is beneficial for obtaining the pillar with a large aspect ratio by inhibiting lateral etching, and an anisotropic forming model with an impact factor of anode mud and bubble has a good real-time match with experiment. These outcomes will further promote the intensive investigation of TMEMM and enlarge the potential application of the micro pillar array.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208510"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Branch-resolved nonequilibrium phonon transport in GaN HEMTs via nongray multi-speed lattice Boltzmann method","authors":"Chengdi Xiao ,&nbsp;Binbin Zhou ,&nbsp;Yipeng Wu ,&nbsp;Haitao Zhang ,&nbsp;Xixin Rao","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate modeling of branch-resolved phonon heat transport in nanoscale hotspots is vital for the thermal management of high-power GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs). This work presents a multiscale theoretical framework that couples first-principles calculations, nongray multi-speed lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), TCAD electro-thermal simulations, and the diffuse mismatch model (DMM) to analyze phonon-mediated heat transport under varying gate voltages, device thicknesses, and operating modes. The phonon dispersion and scattering lifetimes calculated from first-principles are embedded in the D2Q40 LBM, while the Joule heating derived from TCAD simulations is mapped to the phonon branching heat source. Notably, as the gate voltage increases from −3 V to 1 V, the peak hotspot temperature rises from 326.02 K to 350.06 K, yet the maximum temperature difference between phonon branches increases only from 1.49 K to 2.77 K, revealing that higher bias enhances energy accumulation without fundamentally altering scattering mechanisms. Device miniaturization significantly increases the dimensionless thermal resistance, with the TA1 branch being the most thickness sensitive. Among different operating modes, pulse mode 2 achieves a lower and more stable temperature rise than continuous heating. The number of heat dissipation interruptions in the pulse mode directly regulates the interfacial thermal resistance of the different branches, thus controlling heat transfer. These results provide new insights into nonequilibrium, branch-resolved phonon transport in GaN HEMTs, and offer important guidance for fine thermal design and reliability improvement in high-power electronics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208512"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145747877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"β Ga2O3/ p-Si (100) based vertical diode deposited using RF sputtering for rectifier design","authors":"Mandira Biswas ,&nbsp;Lalit Katariya ,&nbsp;Franco Mayanglambam ,&nbsp;Shubhankar Majumdar ,&nbsp;Ankush Bag","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208495","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Conventional Si-based devices are limited in high-power and high-frequency applications due to their narrow bandgap and poor thermal stability. To address these limitations, &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mi&gt;β&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;-Ga&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;O&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;/p-Si heterojunction diodes were fabricated using RF sputtering for next-generation devices. Structural, optical, and chemical state analyses of the deposited &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;Ga&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;O&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; films confirm the formation of the &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mi&gt;β&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;-phase with a polycrystalline nature, where the (403) plane emerges as the dominant crystallographic orientation. The crystallite size was estimated to be &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mo&gt;∼&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;15.05 nm from XRD, while cross-sectional FESEM confirmed a uniform film thickness of &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mo&gt;∼&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;120 nm. The fabricated &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;Ga&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;O&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;/p-Si diode exhibits excellent rectifying performance, with a high breakdown voltage (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;V&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;B&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;R&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) of 223 V, a low on-resistance (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;R&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mtext&gt;on&lt;/mtext&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) of &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;21&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;m&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;Ω&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;cm&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;, an ideality factor of 3.5, a built-in potential (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;V&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;b&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;i&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) of 0.52 V, and a carrier concentration of &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;6&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;23&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;×&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;1&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;0&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;15&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;cm&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. The device demonstrates a rectification ratio of &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;∼&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;1&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;0&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt; at &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mo&gt;±&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;4 V and a reverse saturation current density (&lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;msub&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;J&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;0&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msub&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) of &lt;span&gt;&lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;3&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;.&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;804&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;mo&gt;×&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;1&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;0&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mo&gt;−&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;mn&gt;5&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;mspace&gt;&lt;/mspace&gt;&lt;mi&gt;A&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mo&gt;/&lt;/mo&gt;&lt;msup&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mi&gt;cm&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/msup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. TCAD simulation results were calibrated against experimental data, and SPICE parameters were extracted using the SILVACO UTMOST IV-compatible model. The Verilog-A implementation in Cadence validated the diode behavior in an AC–DC rectifie","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208495"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extraordinary flexibility and sunlight absorption of Janus heterojunctions MXY/graphene (M=Hf, Zr; X, YS, Se)","authors":"Changxu Liu,&nbsp;Jiadong Chang,&nbsp;Hongjun Ren,&nbsp;Jiaming Zhang,&nbsp;Wenzhuo Li,&nbsp;Qiyi Zhao,&nbsp;Lu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heterojunctions of two-dimensional materials provide a new way for the development of flexible electronics because of the exceptional flexibility and high carrier mobility. In this paper, the elasticity, electronic structures and optical dielectric properties of heterojunctions composed of graphene and monolayer Janus MXY (M = Hf, Zr; X, Y<img>S, Se) are investigated systematically. The result indicates that heterojunctions show the potentials to outperform conventional materials in terms of mechanical stability, and efficient optical response. It is worth noting that the heterojunctions of graphene and ZrSSe have an excellent sunlight absorption up to 2.41 × 10⁶ cm⁻¹. The photon fluxes can reach up to 9.8 mA cm⁻². After forming the heterojunctions with Janus materials, the bandgap of graphene significantly increases, reaching up to 0.3088 eV. Moreover, the electric conductivity, optical response and mechanical properties have been enhanced based on fabricating the heterojunctions. This study not only deepens the understanding of the electronic, optoelectronic and mechanical properties of heterojunctions of graphene and Janus materials, but also offers theoretical guidance for the development of optoelectronic devices based on Janus materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208511"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance analysis of double-gate black phosphorene tunnel FETs (BP-TFETs) for high-frequency analog/ RF applications","authors":"Santu Pradhan ,&nbsp;Anup Dey ,&nbsp;Biswajit Maiti","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Atomistic quantum transport simulations using DFT-NEGF (Density Functional Theory – Non-equilibrium Green Function) with a self-consistent approach are employed to investigate the performance of a double gate BP-TFET using black phosphorene as the channel material. A comprehensive approach combines an analytical description with a small-signal circuit model. The source/drain doping concentration has a significant impact on device performance in high-frequency analog applications. It is adjusted to obtain the optimized values of intrinsic cut-off frequency f_T = 1.6 THz and unity power gain frequency f_max = 178 GHz, while maintaining a good sub-threshold slope SS = 47.6 mV/dec. Corresponding to a physical device, parasitic capacitances and resistances should degrade f_T and f_max, but their effects can be controlled through proper device engineering. It is verified by assuming certain realistic values of parasitic capacitances and resistances and f_T and f_max are reduced to the GHz range with f_T = 520 GHz and f_max = 88 GHz.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208507"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling and optimization of CFET structures for sub-3 nm CMOS scaling","authors":"Nour El I Boukortt,&nbsp;Dirk Stroobandt","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As semiconductor scaling approaches the sub-3 nm regime, conventional FinFET architectures face increasing challenges in controlling short-channel effects (SCEs) while maintaining power–performance–area (PPA) efficiency. Complementary FET (CFET) architectures, which vertically integrate nFET and pFET devices, offer improved electrostatic control and a reduced footprint, making them strong candidates for next-generation logic technologies. In this study, three-dimensional FinFET and CFET structures with a 15 nm gate length are modeled and calibrated using experimental data from IBM and TSMC via TCAD tools. After validation, the models are employed to systematically examine the impact of fin width, fin height, gate length, source/drain extension length, and gate stack engineering on both DC and RF performance. Key metrics including threshold voltage (V_th), subthreshold slope (SS), drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL), on/off current ratio (I_on/I_off), transconductance (g_m), gate capacitance (C_gg), intrinsic delay (τ), cut-off frequency (f_T), and power are analyzed in detail. We investigated source/drain extension doping corresponding to contact resistances from 5 × 10⁻¹⁰ to 5 × 10⁻⁹ Ω cm². Lower contact resistance improves drive current and operating speed but increases dynamic power by ∼26.5 %, illustrating the inherent speed–power trade-off crucial for CFET layer design across technology nodes. Overall, our geometric and material optimizations significantly enhance CFET performance, providing practical design guidelines for low-power, high-performance applications in advanced technology nodes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208506"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline using ZnO-modified Y2Ti2O7 nanoparticles","authors":"Brahim Arfoy ,&nbsp;Idris Khaddoudi ,&nbsp;Leila Loubbidi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Elmourabit ,&nbsp;Oualid El Haddade ,&nbsp;Ibrahim Allaoui ,&nbsp;Abdelhadi El Hachmi ,&nbsp;Mohamed Douma ,&nbsp;El Hossain Chtoun","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The persistence of tetracycline (TC) in aquatic environments necessitates the development of efficient photocatalysts. This work explores the photocatalytic potential of a defect-engineered pyrochlore solid solution, Y_2-xTi_{2- x} Zn_xO_7-5x/2 (YTZ), for this application. The YTZ material is characterized by intrinsic oxygen vacancies, which result from the aliovalent substitution of Ti⁴⁺ by Zn²⁺. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that these pre-existing defects play a crucial role in photocatalysis by acting as charge-trapping sites, effectively suppressing electron-hole recombination. Structural analyses confirmed the formation of a single-phase cubic pyrochlore where increasing Zn content systematically narrowed the optical band gap from 3.25 Y₂Ti₂O₇ (YTZ₀) to 3.10 eV the YTZ_0.25 composition. The engineered defects act as crucial charge-trapping sites, effectively suppressing electron-hole recombination. This directly resulted in significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity. The optimized YTZ_0.25 composition achieved 76 % TC degradation in 180 min, far surpassing the pristine material. The catalyst also showed excellent stability and reusability over four consecutive cycles (60.45 %). This work establishes aliovalent substitution in pyrochlores as a powerful and direct pathway to tune electronic properties and design efficient, defect-driven photocatalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208508"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A theoretical exploration of high-performance tunable terahertz metamaterial perfect absorber for early cancer detection","authors":"Saeed Heidary Kamarroodi,&nbsp;Javad Javidan","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208496","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208496","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, two polarization-insensitive, triple-band graphene-based biosensor structures with simple designs are proposed. Both sensor configurations consist of a three-layer stack: a gold ground plane, a SiO₂ spacer layer, along with a patterned graphene sheet functionalized by the analyte. The quantity of absorption peaks can be tuned via adjustment of the layer sizes along with the geometry of the patterned graphene sheet. Furthermore, through tuning graphene's relaxation time and chemical potential, both absorption quality and resonance frequencies can be enhanced. Key benefits of the proposed design include its simplicity and immunity to polarization variations. The first proposed sensor exhibits three absorption peaks with over 95 % absorptivity and demonstrates suitable sensitivity for detecting cancer cells associated with Basel, Jurkat, MCF-7, and PC-12, achieving its highest sensitivity of 7.85 THz/RIU for MCF-7 in the third band. The second proposed sensor achieves over 96 % absorptivity across three bands and shows effective detection capabilities for Basel, Jurkat, MCF-7, breast, and cervical cancers, with its maximum sensitivity of 7.95 THz/RIU obtained for cervical cancer in the third band. The proposed technology offers a rapid and economical approach for oncological detection, enabling real-time tracking and tailored therapeutic strategies. All computational analyses were conducted with CST software.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208496"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrochemical preparation of Co3O4/V2O5 nanostructured bilayer on ITO/glass for high-response UV photodetector: Structural evolution and optoelectronic characterization","authors":"Olamide A. Akintayo ,&nbsp;Maymounah N. Alharthi ,&nbsp;Olubusayo F. Oladejo ,&nbsp;Muhydeen A. Ibraheem ,&nbsp;Maruf M. Popoola ,&nbsp;Walilou Buremoh ,&nbsp;Saheed A. Adewinbi ,&nbsp;Bidini A. Taleatu","doi":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.micrna.2025.208505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A Co₃O₄/V₂O₅ bilayer heterostructure was successfully fabricated on ITO/glass substrates via sequential electrodeposition and comprehensively evaluated for its structural, vibrational, and optoelectronic properties toward ultraviolet (UV) photodetection. SEM analysis revealed a morphological transformation from the granular V₂O₅ and densely packed Co₃O₄ textures to a uniform, compact nanostructured network in the Co₃O₄/V₂O₅ heterostructure, indicating enhanced interfacial adhesion and surface coverage. Elemental mapping confirmed a homogeneous distribution of V, Co, and O elements without phase segregation. XRD patterns verified the coexistence of orthorhombic V₂O₅ and cubic Co₃O₄ phases, exhibiting interfacial strain-induced peak shifts, suppression of the (301) plane of V₂O₅, and broadened diffraction peaks, signifying improved crystalline coherence and structural coupling. Raman spectra further validated the phase purity and distinct vibrational features of both oxides. UV–visible absorption spectra displayed modulated band transitions, while Tauc's plots revealed tunable optical bandgaps ranging from 2.35 to 2.59 eV, depending on material composition and heterostructure formation. The fabricated UV photodetector demonstrated excellent photoresponse characteristics, including high responsivity and strong detectivity, attributed to efficient charge separation and transport at the heterostructure Co₃O₄/V₂O₅ interface. These findings establish the Co₃O₄/V₂O₅ heterostructure as a promising and scalable oxide-based platform for high-performance UV photodetectors and related optoelectronic applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100923,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nanostructures","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 208505"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145694114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}