Journal of Electronic Materials最新文献

Doping is a widely explored technique to modify the properties of semiconducting materials. In the case of tungsten trioxide (WO₃), doping with elements such as SnO₂ and SrO has garnered significant attention owing to its potential impact on structural, functional, and optical characteristics. We report on structural, functional, optical, and dielectric properties of SnO₂/WO₃ and SrO/SnO₂/WO₃ composites and, for comparison, WO₃ prepared via a wet chemical method. Crystallite phases were confirmed using x-ray diffraction patterns. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and dielectric studies were employed to analyze the functional groups, dielectric constants, and losses of the SnO₂/WO₃ and WO₃/SnO₂/SrO composites. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to examine the optical absorption and emission maxima, respectively. The energy bandgap was determined from the absorption spectra by using a Tauc plot. Additionally, all the prepared composites exhibited brighter and sharper narrow emissions in the photoluminescence spectra. Dielectric studies of WO₃/SnO₂/SrO composites revealed slightly better dielectric constants and lower dielectric losses than those of SnO₂/WO₃ composites. Our findings suggest that the prepared composites are suitable for use in sensor and optoelectronic device applications.

Construction of advanced carbon material is critical for the development of high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries. In this work, we report Rhizopus hyphae biomass carbon (RHBC) as a host material for the sulfur cathode of lithium–sulfur batteries. The porous structure of the RHBC is optimized through hydrothermal activation using KOH solution. The introduction of RHBC into the cathode not only enhances the electronic conductivity of the sulfur cathode, but also substantially improves the capacity of the active materials. Additionally, the RHBC can effectively relieve the volume expansion problem of the sulfur conversion reaction and maintain structural stability, leading to improved lifetime and capacity. Accordingly, the KOH-activated RHBC/S cathode presents initial discharge specific capacity of 748 mAh/g at current density of 0.1 C. Furthermore, the porous structure facilitates rapid transport of electrons and ions, thereby enabling good high-rate performance.

Ba_0.9Sr_0.1Ce_0.4Zr_0.6−xYb_xO_3−δ(x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) proton-conducting electrolyte powders were synthesized by the nitrate combustion method. The effects of co-doping of Sr and Yb on the phase composition and electrochemical performance were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that Sr and Yb were successfully doped into the lattice of BaCe_0.4Zr_0.6O₃, forming a single perovskite phase. The AC impedance technique was used to investigate the total conductivity of the materials under air and water vapor atmospheres at 400–800°C. The results show that BSCZY20 demonstrated the highest electrical conductivity of 0.033 S cm⁻¹ at 800°C in water vapor. This suggests that the co-doping strategy can effectively enhance the conductivity of BaCe_0.4Zr_0.6O₃ proton-conducting material, which provides valuable insight for the development of high-performance proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells.

This study investigates the resistive switching characteristics of Ag nanoparticle (AgNP)-incorporated pectin (pectin-AgNP) as a memristive thin film, with varying concentrations of AgNP (0.0 wt.%, 0.5 wt.%, and 1.0 wt.%) and pectin (5.0 mg/L, 5.5 mg/L, 6.0 mg/L, 6.5 mg/L, and 7.0 mg/L), sandwiched between Au and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes on glass substrate. The structural, chemical, and electrical properties of these pectin-AgNP thin films were evaluated. With AgNP concentration of 0.5 wt.% in a pectin concentration of 5.5 mg/mL, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicated the highest presence of C–O bonds. This suggests the incorporation of AgNP and the formation of more linear and extended pectin chains established by glycosidic bonds. The abundance of C–O bonds contributed significantly to the increase in the resistance of the thin film, consequently yielding the highest ON/OFF ratio (7.2 × 10³) observed among the samples. The electronic and thermochemical mechanisms governing the resistive switching behaviours were also proposed.

Graphical Abstract

A tunable plasmonic filter in the near-infrared range is being investigated using the finite element numerical method (FEM). The filter structure consists of a serrated dielectric layer, which includes an air layer and silica teeth sandwiched between two metal layers. A numerical analysis shows that it is possible to adjust the band-stop amplitude, intensity, and band-pass width by changing the geometrical parameters. The proposed structure is expected to be used as an essential component of photonics devices due to its ability to confine light in the sub-wavelength region.

The conversion of ambient mechanical vibrations into electricity using piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) has garnered significant attention from researchers over the past few years, in light of its potential in wearable applications. The high flexibility and significant ferroelectricity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) make them the most promising candidates for PENG applications among polymer piezoelectric materials. In the present work, NiO nanoparticles were incorporated in different ratios into a PVDF matrix, and their potential for use in piezoelectric nanogenerators was investigated. The PVDF/NiO (5 wt.%) nanocomposite PENG exhibited the highest electrical output, with a 2.8-fold increase in open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current observed as compared to a bare PVDF-based PENG. However, a further increase in the compositional ratio of NiO led to a decrease in PENG output. The improved piezoelectricity in the PVDF/NiO (5 wt.%) nanocomposite is attributed to the enhanced polar phases and improved ferroelectricity of PVDF. Further confirmation of the improved piezoresponse was explored by measurement of the piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃) and dielectric study of the nanocomposites. The PENG electrical output was further simulated using the finite elemental method in COMSOL Multiphysics 5.5. The simulated results matched well with the experimental output, which confirmed the improved electrical performance of the PVDF/NiO nanocomposite-based PENGs. The enhanced performance of the nanocomposite PVDF film is attributed to the higher β phase in the PVDF. The efficiency of the PENG devices in motion-sensing applications was also explored. Different output voltage signals corresponding to different movements of the nanocomposite-based PENGs make the device compatible with sensor applications.

Photocatalysis is a novel approach to degrade hazardous compounds, frequently employed in environmental remediation such as eliminating methyl orange (MO) dye from wastewater. However, low efficient usage of visible light due to the large band gap of photocatalysts and its high rate of recombination limit the process. To address this issue, piezophototronics has been utilized to improve the efficacy of catalytic degradation. Specifically for this study, the piezo-photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO–MoS₂ heterostructures has been realized using solar and mechanical energy in degrading MO dye. One-dimensional heterostructures with an average length of 3.34 μm and an average diameter of 872.6 nm compactly aligned on glass substrates were synthesized through a two-step hydrothermal process. Under simulated solar illumination and ultrasonic vibration, the ZnO–MoS₂ effectively degraded MO, improving the degradation efficiency from 55% to 84% by introducing piezopotential in ZnO. Ultrasonication aided the photocatalysis through field-assisted separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes, reducing recombination. Coupled liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry confirmed the degradation of MO into its smaller metabolites. The catalyst films have achieved 61% degradation even after 3 times reuse.

Ionic conductors with the composition SrTi_1−xCe_xO₃ (x = 0, 0.02, and 0.04) were synthesized by a high-temperature conventional ceramic route, and their electrical properties were analyzed for use as solid electrolytes in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) was used to analyze the compositional homogeneity and morphology of the samples. The phase analysis was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), followed by Rietveld refinement, confirming the cubic crystal structure under the space group (Pmoverline{3 }m). The bands at 462 cm⁻¹ and 449 cm⁻¹ in the Raman spectrum confirmed the incorporation of Ce at the Ti-site of SrTiO₃. The presence of a negative charge was found from zeta potential analysis, supporting the presence of Ce³⁺ at the Ce⁴⁺site, denoted by (C{e}_{C{e}^{4+}}^{3+}{^prime}), and Ti³⁺ at the Ti⁴⁺ site, denoted by (T{i}_{T{i}^{4+}}^{3+}{^prime}), in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The total conductivity of samples showed thermal-dependent Arrhenius behavior with two different activation energy values. The activation energy (ge 1 text{eV}) in high-temperature regions indicated the migration of doubly ionized oxygen vacancy and (le 0.50 text{eV}) reflecting the migration of electrons between the degenerate sites of Ti⁴⁺/Ce⁴⁺. The impedance spectroscopy studies suggested the presence of bulk contribution in the electrical properties, and similar charge carriers were responsible for both processes. The impact of oxygen vacancy on electrical conduction was also supported by the magnetic properties, which displayed diamagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition with Ce doping. The highest value of total conductivity was obtained around 0.003 S cm⁻¹ at 610°C, making it a potential candidate for solid electrolytes in IT-SOFC applications.

The effect of annealing treatment on the electromigration (EM) resistance of low-temperature Cu/Sn-57Bi-1Ag (600 μm)/Cu solder interconnects has been investigated. The annealing treatment of as-soldered Cu/Sn-57Bi-1Ag/Cu solder interconnects caused the obvious coarsening of Bi phases in the bulk solders and a slight reduction in the electric resistance of the solder interconnects. The coarsening of the Bi phases induced a decrease in the Bi/β-Sn phase boundaries and thus a decrease in the EM-induced atomic diffusion flux of Bi atoms during the subsequent current stressing, resulting in the segregation of a thinner Bi phase layer at the anode and a lower increase rate of electric resistance of the solder interconnects. The longer the annealing time, the higher the EM resistance of the solder interconnects. The reductions in both the effective diffusion coefficient of the Bi atoms and the electric resistivity of the bulk Sn-57Bi-1Ag solders induced by the annealing treatment were responsible for the higher EM resistance of low-temperature Sn-57Bi-1Ag solder interconnects.

With recent trends moving towards sustainable approaches in adherence to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, research is actively focused on sustainable production of high-potential materials. In this study, a successful synthesis pathway was demonstrated for a graphene/tungsten carbide (WC) nanocomposite via pulsed arc discharge in liquid medium, utilizing crude palm oil and commercial cooking palm oil as liquid precursors. The synthesis of the graphene/WC nanocomposites was carried out by applying current with amplitude of 80 A and 100 A to the tungsten electrode immersed in the liquid palm oil, subjected to 150 arc discharges. A comparative investigation was performed to examine the morphological and functional characteristics of the materials synthesized from the different types of palm oil under different current conditions. In addition, the synthesized nanocomposites were assessed with respect to their gas sensing performance. Impressively, the CRG100(150) nanocomposite (produced from crude palm oil with current of 100 A) exhibited gas sensing response of 4.853% upon injection of 200 ppm of ethanol. The CRG100(150) nanocomposite also demonstrated short response and recovery time of 43 s and 182 s, respectively. Thus, the successful synthesis of CRG100(150), utilizing a natural precursor via arc discharge in liquid, paves the way for the development of sustainable gas sensing materials.