Alex Henning

Why Lead Methylammonium Tri-Iodide Perovskite-Based Solar Cells Require a Mesoporous Electron Transporting Scaffold (but Not Necessarily a Hole Conductor)

CH3NH3PbI3-based solar cells were characterized with electron beam-induced current (EBIC) and compared to CH3NH3PbI(3-x)Clx ones. A spatial map of charge separation efficiency in working cells shows p-i-n structures for both thin film cells. Effective diffusion lengths, LD, (from EBIC profile) show that holes are extracted significantly more efficiently than electrons in CH3NH3PbI3, explaining why CH3NH3PbI3-based cells require mesoporous electron conductors, while CH3NH3PbI(3-Clx ones, where LD values are comparable for both charge types, do not.

The electronic structure of metal oxide/organo metal halide perovskite junctions in perovskite based solar cells.

Cross-sections of a hole-conductor-free CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cell were characterized with Kelvin probe force microscopy. A depletion region width of about 45 nm was determined from the measured potential profiles at the interface between CH3NH3PbI3 and nanocrystalline TiO2, whereas a negligible depletion was measured at the CH3NH3PbI3/Al2O3 interface. A complete solar cell can be realized with the CH3NH3PbI3 that functions both as light harvester and hole conductor in combination with a metal oxide. The band diagrams were estimated from the measured potential profile at the interfaces, and are critical findings for a better understanding and further improvement of perovskite based solar cells.

Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes

Summary Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) provide a promising third-generation photovoltaic concept based on the spectral sensitization of a wide-bandgap metal oxide. Although the nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrode of a DSC consists of sintered nanoparticles, there are few studies on the nanoscale properties. We focus on the microscopic work function and surface photovoltage (SPV) determination of TiO2 photoelectrodes using Kelvin probe force microscopy in combination with a tunable illumination system. A comparison of the surface potentials for TiO2 photoelectrodes sensitized with two different dyes, i.e., the standard dye N719 and a copper(I) bis(imine) complex, reveals an inverse orientation of the surface dipole. A higher surface potential was determined for an N719 photoelectrode. The surface potential increase due to the surface dipole correlates with a higher DSC performance. Concluding from this, microscopic surface potential variations, attributed to the complex nanostructure of the photoelectrode, influence the DSC performance. For both bare and sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes, the measurements reveal microscopic inhomogeneities of more than 100 mV in the work function and show recombination time differences at different locations. The bandgap of 3.2 eV, determined by SPV spectroscopy, remained constant throughout the TiO2 layer. The effect of the built-in potential on the DSC performance at the TiO2/SnO2:F interface, investigated on a nanometer scale by KPFM measurements under visible light illumination, has not been resolved so far.

Tunable diameter electrostatically formed nanowire for high sensitivity gas sensing

We report on an electrostatically formed nanowire (EFN)-based sensor with tunable diameters in the range of 16 nm to 46 nm and demonstrate an EFNbased field-effect transistor as a highly sensitive and robust room temperature gas sensor. The device was carefully designed and fabricated using standard integrated processing to achieve the 16 nm EFN that can be used for sensing without any need for surface modification. The effective diameter for the EFN was determined using Kelvin probe force microscopy accompanied by threedimensional electrostatic simulations. We show that the EFN transistor is capable of detecting 100 parts per million of ethanol gas with bare SiO2.

Room Temperature Observation of Quantum Confinement in Single InAs Nanowires

Quantized conductance in nanowires can be observed at low temperature in transport measurements; however, the observation of sub-bands at room temperature is challenging due to temperature broadening. So far, conduction band splitting at room temperature has not been observed in III-V nanowires mainly due to the small energetic separations between the sub-bands. We report on the measurement of conduction sub-bands at room temperature, in single InAs nanowires, using Kelvin probe force microscopy. This method does not rely on charge transport but rather on measurement of the nanowire Fermi level position as carriers are injected into a single nanowire transistor. As there is no charge transport, electron scattering is no longer an issue, allowing the observation of the sub-bands at room temperature. We measure the energy of the sub-bands in nanowires with two different diameters, and obtain excellent agreement with theoretical calculations based on an empirical tight-binding model.

Electrostatic Limit of Detection of Nanowire-Based Sensors

Scanning gate microscopy is used to determine the electrostatic limit of detection (LOD) of a nanowire (NW) based chemical sensor with a precision of sub-elementary charge. The presented method is validated with an electrostatically formed NW whose active area and shape are tunable by biasing a multiple gate field-effect transistor (FET). By using the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as a local top gate, the field effect of adsorbed molecules is emulated. The tip induced charge is quantified with an analytical electrostatic model and it is shown that the NW sensor is sensitive to about an elementary charge and that the measurements with the AFM tip are in agreement with sensing of ethanol vapor. This method is applicable to any FET-based chemical and biological sensor, provides a means to predict the absolute sensor performance limit, and suggests a standardized way to compare LODs and sensitivities of various sensors.

Measurement of the electrostatic edge effect in wurtzite GaN nanowires

The electrostatic effect of the hexagonal corner on the electronic structure in wurtzite GaN nanowires (NWs) was directly measured using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). By correlating electrostatic simulations with the measured potential difference between the nanowire face and the hexagonal vertices, the surface state concentration and band bending of GaN NWs were estimated. The surface band bending is important for an efficient design of high electron mobility transistors and for opto-electronic devices based on GaN NWs. This methodology provides a way to extract NW parameters without making assumptions concerning the electron affinity. We are taking advantage of electrostatic modeling and the high precision that KPFM offers to circumvent a major source of uncertainty in determining the surface band bending.

Multiple State Electrostatically Formed Nanowire Transistors

Electrostatically formed nanowire (EFN)-based transistors have been suggested in the past as gas sensing devices. These transistors are multiple gate transistors in which the source to drain conduction path is determined by the bias applied to the back gate, and two junction-side gates. If a specific bias is applied to the side gates, the conduction band electrons between them are confined to a well-defined area forming a narrow channel-the EFN. By applying a nonsymmetric bias on the side gates, the lateral position of the EFN can be controlled. We propose a novel multiple state EFN transistor (MSET) that utilizes this degree of freedom for the implementation of complete multiplexer functionality in a single device. The basic device functionality was verified through simulation of MSETs with three and four well defined conduction states. The multiplexer functionality allows a very simple implementation of binary and multiple valued logic functions.

Threshold Logic With Electrostatically Formed Nanowires

The modulation of current through an electrostatically formed nanowire (EFN) is controlled by the voltage on the four input gates. The behavior of this multi-gate transistor can be interpreted as a complex four-input switching process, enabling the computation of multiple-input threshold logic functions using a single device. We have therefore created a novel threshold logic family leveraging these unique capabilities that enables the efficient computation of complex logic functions. Experimental and simulation data are provided to demonstrate feasibility and evaluate behavior. This logic family overcomes the challenge posed by the input-output voltage mismatch inherent to EFNs and produces circuits with one-eighth the number of active logic devices and one-quarter the number of transistors required by CMOS.

Control of the Intrinsic Sensor Response to Volatile Organic Compounds with Fringing Electric Fields

The ability to control surface-analyte interaction allows tailoring chemical sensor sensitivity to specific target molecules. By adjusting the bias of the shallow p-n junctions in the electrostatically formed nanowire (EFN) chemical sensor, a multiple gate transistor with an exposed top dielectric layer allows tuning of the fringing electric field strength (from 0.5 × 107 to 2.5 × 107 V/m) above the EFN surface. Herein, we report that the magnitude and distribution of this fringing electric field correlate with the intrinsic sensor response to volatile organic compounds. The local variations of the surface electric field influence the analyte-surface interaction affecting the work function of the sensor surface, assessed by Kelvin probe force microscopy on the nanometer scale. We show that the sensitivity to fixed vapor analyte concentrations can be nullified and even reversed by varying the fringing field strength, and demonstrate selectivity between ethanol and n-butylamine at room temperature using a single transistor without any extrinsic chemical modification of the exposed SiO2 surface. The results imply an electric-field-controlled analyte reaction with a dielectric surface extremely compelling for sensitivity and selectivity enhancement in chemical sensors.