Akiyoshi Nakata

Contactless analysis of electric dipoles at high-k/SiO2 interfaces by surface-charge-switched electron spectroscopy

The continuous development of silicon devices has been supported by fundamental understanding of the two interfaces that predict the device properties: high-dielectric oxide (high-k)/SiO2 and SiO2/Si. In the absence of metal electrode fabrication, it is challenging to use spectroscopic approaches to deduce the electric dipoles in these interfaces for the prediction of electrical characteristics such as the leakage current and threshold voltage. Here, we propose a method to analyze the permanent dipole at the high-k/SiO2 interface by surface-charge-switched electron spectroscopy (SuCSES). An electron flood gun was used to switch the electrical polarity at the insulating surface to extract the interface-dipole contribution from the macroscopic dielectric polarization in the high-k/SiO2/Si stack structure. TaO3− nanosheet (TaNS) crystallites, which are a family of high-k tantalate materials deposited on the SiO2/Si substrates, were annealed to prepare a nanoscale model interface. The properties of this inter...

In situ Zn/ZnO mapping elucidating for “shape change” of zinc electrode

For the use of the zinc anode in secondary batteries, it is necessary to solve the “shape change” deterioration issue in that zinc species agglomerate in the center of the electrode to fade the available capacity. The local chemical compositions of the zinc electrodes during “shape change” were precisely analyzed using the synchrotron X-ray diffraction mapping analysis of practical zinc-nickel cells in a non-destructive manner. The in situ Zn/ZnO mapping shows that metallic Zn deposition chiefly occurs in the periphery of ZnO while ZnO are left in the center of electrode like a hill on charging. On discharging, the ZnO hill grows to the perpendicular direction on the electrode while metallic zinc is oxidized and dissolved. These findings allow us to propose a mechanism for the shape change; thus dissolved zincate species are decomposed on the ZnO hill during discharging to be accumulated in the center of the electrode. It is suggested that suppressing zincate dissolution and non-uniform zinc deposition sl...