A. Posadas

High-Mobility Few-Layer Graphene Field Effect Transistors Fabricated on Epitaxial Ferroelectric Gate Oxides

The carrier mobility mu of few-layer graphene (FLG) field-effect transistors increases tenfold when the SiO2 substrate is replaced by single-crystal epitaxial Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (PZT). In the electron-only regime of the FLG, mu reaches 7x10(4) cm(2)/V s at 300 K for n=2.4x10(12)/cm(2), 70% of the intrinsic limit set by longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons; it increases to 1.4x10(5) cm(2)/V s at low temperature. The temperature-dependent resistivity rho(T) reveals a clear signature of LA phonon scattering, yielding a deformation potential D=7.8+/-0.5 eV.

Unusual resistance hysteresis in n-layer graphene field effect transistors fabricated on ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3

We have fabricated n-layer graphene field effect transistors on epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O_3 (PZT) thin films. At low gate voltages, PZT behaves as a high-k dielectric with k up to 100. An unusual resistance hysteresis occurs in gate sweeps at high voltages, with its direction opposite to that expected from the polarization switching of PZT. The relaxation of the metastable state is thermally activated, with an activation barrier of 50-110 meV and a time constant of 6 hours at 300 K. We attribute its origin to the slow dissociation/recombination dynamics of water molecules adsorbed at the graphene-PZT interface. This robust hysteresis can potentially be used to construct graphene-ferroelectric hybrid memory devices.

Examining the screening limit of field effect devices via the metal-insulator transition

The electronic screening length, the distance over which an electric field is attenuated in a material, imposes a lower physical bound on the lateral size scaling of semiconductor field effect devices. Alternatives will be needed to achieve devices whose characteristic dimensions approach a nanometer. In this work, we demonstrate the atomic-scale nature of screening at high electron densities, using the polarization field of a ferroelectric oxide, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, to electrostatically modulate the metallicity of ultrathin manganite La1−xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) films near the metal-insulator transition. Within the screening length, the transport characteristics of LSMO vary sharply at the scale of a single atomic layer.

Epitaxial growth of multiferroic YMnO3 on GaN

In this work, we report on the epitaxial growth of multiferroic YMnO3 on GaN. Both materials are hexagonal with a nominal lattice mismatch of 4%, yet x-ray diffraction reveals an unexpected 30° rotation between the unit cells of YMnO3 and GaN that results in a much larger lattice mismatch (10%) compared to the unrotated case. Estimates based on first principles calculations show that the bonding energy gained from the rotated atomic arrangement compensates for the increase in strain energy due to the larger lattice mismatch. Understanding the energy competition between chemical bonding energy and strain energy provides insight into the heteroepitaxial growth mechanisms of complex oxide-semiconductor systems.

Epitaxial MgO as an alternative gate dielectric for SiC transistor applications

Power transistor applications require alternative gate dielectrics on SiC that can operate at high fields without breaking down, as well as provide a high quality interface in order to minimize mobility degradation due to interface roughness. We have grown epitaxial MgO (111) crystalline layers on 6H-SiC (0001) substrates and characterized their structural and electrical properties. Measurements of gate leakage, breakdown fields, and dielectric properties make epitaxial MgO a potential candidate gate dielectric for SiC-based transistors.

Anisotropic magnetoresistance in colossal magnetoresistive La1-xSrxMnO3 thin films

We report on magnetic field and temperature-dependent measurements of the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in epitaxial La1−xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) thin films. While in 3d ferromagnetic alloys increasing the magnetization, either by reducing the temperature or increasing the magnetic field, increases the AMR, we find that in LSMO films the AMR dependence on magnetization displays nonmonotonic behavior which becomes particularly pronounced in lightly doped compounds. We believe that this behavior is related to the inhomogeneity exhibited by these materials.

Electrical properties and interfacial structure of epitaxial LaAlO3 on Si (001)

The dielectric and structural properties of LaAlO3 make it an attractive epitaxial gate oxide for nanometer-scale field effect transistors. However, the growth of epitaxial LaAlO3 directly on Si has not been possible to date. In order to achieve LaAlO3 epitaxy, we use a SrTiO3 template layer whose thickness minimizes elastic strain and atomic-level buckling at the interface. We find that LaAlO3 grown on this template layer is crystalline and initially strained, but relaxes to its bulk lattice constant within 7 unit cells. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy studies of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3/Si structure show no evidence of an amorphous SiO2 layer. Capacitance-voltage measurements on thin films of epitaxial LaAlO3/SrTiO3/Si with LaAlO3 thicknesses between 13 and 110 nm show a dielectric constant for the LaAlO3 layer of 24, the same value as for the bulk. After a post-deposition low temperature anneal, these oxide heterostructures show no Fermi level pin...

Growth and Novel Applications of Epitaxial Oxide Thin Films

This chapter addresses key developments in the ability to grow epitaxial oxide films and provides examples of possible applications of these structures.