Innovative Nanostructured Semiconductors for Electronic Devices

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanoelectronics, Nanosensors and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2025 | Viewed by 2227

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Engineering Department, Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano, via don Carlo Gnocchi 3, 00166 Rome, Italy
Interests: laser treatments; charge mobility; high-temperature mixed conductivity; photovoltaic; nanosensors
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Guest Editor
Engineering Department, Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano, via don Carlo Gnocchi 3, 00166 Rome, Italy
Interests: design, fabrication and characterization of diamond detectors for UV, X-rays or protons; design, fabrication and realization of front-end and read-out electronics; characterization of diamond detectors with laser-formed graphite buried contacts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Semiconductor materials represent a milestone, and have served as a foundation from which electronic devices have evolved in recent decades. The microelectronic industry is based on the silicon element, with Moore’s Law ended up almost two decades ago and technology scaling approaching its inner physical limits (3 to 2 nm next resolution upgrade). Therefore, electronic device research is strongly oriented toward the realization of innovative transistors based on 2D materials for power efficiency and flexibility or toward energy and sensing applications.

The demand for more power-efficient and flexible transistors has pushed forward research on excitonic and valleytronic transistors based on 2D materials, such as graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). These materials cointegrated with CMOS technology would widen the design possibilities at the level of the single logical block, while the search for higher energy conversion efficiencies has driven an incredible scientific effort to create a new class of materials, such as hybrid perovskites, whose superior performances in charge collection is also pushing photodetector research to new frontiers. The other major challenge of semiconductor-based device research is the ability to find ecological pathways for their synthesis and subsequent functionalization at large scale and low cost, in order to create a “real green economy”.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a unique international platform for scientists to publish their latest advancements on the following main topics:

  • Novel forms of semiconducting materials such as nanoparticles, nanosheets, nanorods, quantum dots for energy, and sensing applications;
  • Three-dimensional surface and bulk restructuring/modification of semiconductive materials for the control of light-trapping and surface transport properties;
  • Physical, chemical, and optical characterization of semiconductive nanomaterials and exploitation of their outstanding features for device fabrication and integration in complex systems;
  • Novel procedures for the synthesis of semiconductor nanomaterials that are low-toxicity and low-cost procedures.

Dr. Andrea Orsini
Dr. Stefano Salvatori
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanosheets
  • nanowires
  • nanosensors
  • quantum dots
  • LIPSS
  • charge mobility

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3585 KiB  
Article
High-Performance LiNbO3 Domain Wall Memory Devices with Enhanced Selectivity via Optimized Metal–Semiconductor Contact
by Haiqing Jiang, Cuihua Dai, Bowen Shen and Jun Jiang
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(12), 1031; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14121031 - 14 Jun 2024
Viewed by 934
Abstract
Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) single-crystal nanodevices featuring elevated readout domain wall currents exhibit significant potential for integrated circuits in memory computing applications. Nevertheless, challenges stem from suboptimal electrode–LiNbO3 single crystal contact characteristics, which impact the stability of high currents within these [...] Read more.
Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) single-crystal nanodevices featuring elevated readout domain wall currents exhibit significant potential for integrated circuits in memory computing applications. Nevertheless, challenges stem from suboptimal electrode–LiNbO3 single crystal contact characteristics, which impact the stability of high currents within these devices. In this work, we concentrate on augmenting the domain wall current by refining the fabrication processes of domain wall random access memory (DWRAM). Each LiNbO3 domain wall nanodevice was fabricated using a self-aligned process. Device performance was significantly enhanced by introducing a 10 nm interlayer between the LiNbO3 and Cu electrodes. A comparative analysis of electrical properties was conducted on devices with interlayers made of chromium (Cr) and titanium (Ti), as well as devices without interlayers. After the introduction of the Ti interlayer, the device’s coercive voltage demonstrated an 82% reduction, while the current density showed a remarkable 94-fold increase. A 100 nm sized device with the Ti interlayer underwent positive down–negative up pulse testing, demonstrating a writing time of 82 ns at 8 V and an erasing time of 12 μs at −9 V. These operating speeds are significantly faster than those of devices without interlayers. Moreover, the enhanced devices exhibited symmetrical domain switching hysteresis loops with retention times exceeding 106 s. Notably, the coercive voltage (Vc) dispersion remained narrow after more than 1000 switching cycles. At an elevated temperature of 400 K, the device’s on/off ratio was maintained at 105. The device’s embedded selector demonstrated an ultrahigh selectivity (>106) across various reading voltages. These results underscore the viability of high-density nanoscale integration of ferroelectric domain wall memory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Nanostructured Semiconductors for Electronic Devices)
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12 pages, 4248 KiB  
Article
Wide Response Range Photoelectrochemical UV Detector Based on Anodized TiO2-Nanotubes@Ti@quartz Structure
by Youqing Wang, Miaomiao Zhang, Wenxuan Wu, Ze Wang, Minghui Liu, Tiantian Yang and Renqianzhuoma
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(5), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14050439 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1033
Abstract
Conventional sandwich structure photoelectrochemical UV detectors cannot detect UV light below 300 nm due to UV filtering problems. In this work, we propose to place the electron collector inside the active material, thus avoiding the effect of electrodes on light absorption. We obtained [...] Read more.
Conventional sandwich structure photoelectrochemical UV detectors cannot detect UV light below 300 nm due to UV filtering problems. In this work, we propose to place the electron collector inside the active material, thus avoiding the effect of electrodes on light absorption. We obtained a TiO2-nanotubes@Ti@quartz photoanode structure by precise treatment of a commercial Ti mesh by anodic oxidation. The structure can absorb any light in the near-UV band and has superior stability to other metal electrodes. The final encapsulated photoelectrochemical UV detectors exhibit good switching characteristics with a response time below 100 ms. The mechanism of the oxidation conditions on the photovoltaic performance of the device was investigated by the electrochemical impedance method, and we obtained the optimal synthesis conditions. Response tests under continuous spectroscopy confirm that the response range of the device is extended from 300–400 nm to 240–400 nm. This idea of a built-in collector is an effective way to extend the response range of a photoelectrochemical detector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Nanostructured Semiconductors for Electronic Devices)
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