Ali Afzali-Ardakani

Behavior of a chemically doped graphene junction

Polyethylene imine and diazonium salts are used as complementary molecular dopants to engineer a doping profile in a graphene transistor. Electronic transport in this device reveals the presence of two distinct resistance maxima, alluding to neutrality point separation and subsequent formation of a spatially abrupt junction. Carrier mobility in this device is not significantly affected by molecular doping or junction formation, and carrier transmission is found to scale inversely with the effective channel length of the device. Chemical dilutions are used to modify the dopant concentration and, in effect, alter the properties of the junction.

Selective placement of carbon nanotubes on oxide surfaces

We describe a method to selectively position carbon nanotubes on Al2O3 and HfO2 surfaces. The method exploits the selective binding of alkylphosphonic acids to oxide surfaces with large isoelectric points (i.e. basic rather than acidic surfaces). We have patterned oxide surfaces with acids using both microcontact printing and conventional lithography. With proper choice of the functional end group (e.g., -CH3 or -NH2), nanotube adhesion to the surface can be either prevented or enhanced.

Network morphology of polymer stabilized liquid crystals

Monomer solubility is identified as the primary factor determining network morphology in polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal textures. Poorly soluble monomers form coarse structures composed of discrete, oblong grains, whereas soluble monomers yield smooth, continuous polymer networks. A crossover from smooth to grainy structure is observed as a function of monomer concentration. The grainy structure results from precipitation polymerization and the observed behavior is well described by the Flory–Huggins theory of polymer solubility.Monomer solubility is identified as the primary factor determining network morphology in polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal textures. Poorly soluble monomers form coarse structures composed of discrete, oblong grains, whereas soluble monomers yield smooth, continuous polymer networks. A crossover from smooth to grainy structure is observed as a function of monomer concentration. The grainy structure results from precipitation polymerization and the observed behavior is well described by the Flory–Huggins theory of polymer solubility.

Electrochemical Protection of Thin Film Electrodes in Solid State Nanopores

Solid state nanopores are a core element of next-generation single molecule tools in the field of nano-biotechnology. Thin film electrodes integrated into a pore can interact with charges and fields within the pore. In order to keep the nanopore open and thus functional electrochemically induced surface alteration of electrode surfaces and bubble formation inside the pore have to be eliminated. This paper provides electrochemical analyses of nanopores drilled into TiN membranes which in turn were employed as thin film electrodes. We studied physical pore integrity and the occurrence of water decomposition yielding bubble formation inside pores by applying voltages between -4.5 and +4.5 V to membranes in various protection stages continuously for up to 24 h. During potential application pores were exposed to selected electrolyte-solvent systems. We have investigated and successfully eliminated electrochemical pore oxidation and reduction as well as water decomposition inside nanopores of various diameters ranging from 3.5 to 25 nm in 50 nm thick TiN membranes by passivating the nanopores with a plasma-oxidized layer and using a 90% solution of glycerol in water as KCl solvent. Nanopore ionic conductances were measured before and after voltage application in order to test for changes in pore diameter due to electrochemical oxidation or reduction. TEM imaging was used to confirm these observations. While non-passivated pores were electrochemically oxidized, neither electrochemical oxidation nor reduction was observed for passivated pores. Bubble formation through water decomposition could be detected in non-passivated pores in KCl/water solutions but was not observed in 90% glycerol solutions. The use of a protective self-assembled monolayer of hexadecylphosphonic acid (HDPA) was also investigated.

trans-trans-2,5-Bis-[2-5-(2,2′-bithienyl)ethenyl]thiophene: synthesis, characterization, thin film deposition and fabrication of organic field-effect transistors

Abstract trans-trans -2,5-Bis-[2-5-(2,2′-bithienyl)ethenyl]thiophene (BTET) was synthesized and then purified in a gradient sublimation system. It was characterized using IR, UV—Vis and mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. BTET films were deposited with molecular beam deposition (MBD) or spin-coating from solution. Insulated-gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) devices based on such films were used to study their electrical transport properties. A field-effect mobility of 0.01 cm 2 V −1 s −1 was measured from films deposited with MBD, while the mobility of the spin-coated films was slightly above 0.001 cm 2 V −1 s −1 .

Electrochemical Characterization of Thin Film Electrodes Toward Developing a DNA Transistor

The DNA-Transistor is a device designed to control the translocation of single-stranded DNA through a solid-state nanopore. Functionality of the device is enabled by three electrodes exposed to the DNA-containing electrolyte solution within the pore and the application of a dynamic electrostatic potential well between the electrodes to temporarily trap a DNA molecule. Optimizing the surface chemistry and electrochemical behavior of the device is a necessary (but by no means sufficient) step toward the development of a functional device. In particular, effects to be eliminated are (i) electrochemically induced surface alteration through corrosion or reduction of the electrode surface and (ii) formation of hydrogen or oxygen bubbles inside the pore through water decomposition. Even though our motivation is to solve problems encountered in DNA transistor technology, in this paper we report on generic surface chemistry results. We investigated a variety of electrode-electrolyte-solvent systems with respect to their capability of suppressing water decomposition and maintaining surface integrity. We employed cyclic voltammetry and long-term amperometry as electrochemical test schemes, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning, as well as transmission electron microscopy as analytical tools. Characterized electrode materials include thin films of Ru, Pt, nonstoichiometric TiN, and nonstoichiometric TiN carrying a custom-developed titanium oxide layer, as well as custom-oxidized nonstoichiometric TiN coated with a monolayer of hexadecylphosphonic acid (HDPA). We used distilled water as well as aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-300) and glycerol as solvents. One millimolar KCl was employed as electrolyte in all solutions. Our results show that the HDPA-coated custom-developed titanium oxide layer effectively passivates the underlying TiN layer, eliminating any surface alterations through corrosion or reduction within a voltage window from -2 V to +2 V. Furthermore, we demonstrated that, by coating the custom-oxidized TiN samples with HDPA and increasing the concentration of PEG-300 or glycerol in aqueous 1 mM KCl solutions, water decomposition was suppressed within the same voltage window. Water dissociation was not detected when combining custom-oxidized HDPA-coated TiN electrodes with an aqueous 1 mM KCl-glycerol solution at a glycerol concentration of at least 90%. These results are applicable to any system that requires nanoelectrodes placed in aqueous solution at voltages that can activate electrochemical processes.

Network Morphology and Switching Transitions in Polymer Stabilized Cholesteric Textures

Abstract We study the fundamental properties of polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT) liquid crystal cells by (1) characterizing the polymerization process within the liquid crystal medium and, (2) identifying the effects of the resulting polymer network on the switching transition of the cholesteric. We show that monomer solubility is the primary factor determining network morphology-poorly soluble monomers yield coarse structures composed of discrete particles, whereas soluble monomers yield smooth, highly interconnected networks. Following network formation, we use confocal microscopy to obtain in situ images of both the polymer network and the liquid crystal domain structure as the cells are switched between the planar and focal conic textures.

Acid generation efficiency: EUV photons versus photoelectrons

EUV photoacid generation efficiency has been described primarily in terms of the EUV photon absorption by the PAG or the resist matrix and the production of low energy photoelectrons, which are reported as being ultimately responsible for the high quantum efficiencies reported in EUV resists (<1). Such observation led to a number of recent studies on PAGs with variable electron affinity (EA) and reduction potential (Ered) presumably conducive to a differential EUV photoelectron harvesting efficiency. However, such studies either did not disclose the PAG chemical structures, replaced the EUV source with an e-beam source, or lacked a fundamental discussion of the underlying physical mechanisms behind EUV PAG decomposition. In this work, we report the EUV photospeed of a methacrylatebased resist formulated with a battery of openly disclosed isostructural sulfonium PAGs covering a wide range of EA’s and Ered’s, to unveil any preferential photoelectron scavenging effect. In parallel, several iodonium PAGs are also tested in order to compare the direct EUV photon absorption route to the photoelectron-based decomposition path. Contrarily to what has been widely reported, we have found no direct correlation whatsoever between photospeed and the calculated EA’s or experimental Ered’s for the isostructural sulfonium PAGs studied. Instead, we found that iodonium PAGs make more efficient use of the available EUV power due to their higher photoabsorption cross-section. Additionally, we determined a cation size effect for both PAG groups, which is able to further modulate the acid generation efficiency. Finally, we present a formal explanation for the unselective response towards photoelectron harvesting based on the stabilization of the PAG cation by bulky substituent groups, the spatial and temporal range of the transient photoelectron and the differences in electron transfer processes for the different systems studied.

Thin-film heterojunction field-effect transistors for ultimate voltage scaling and low-temperature large-area fabrication of active-matrix backplanes

Thin-Film heterojunction field-effect transistor (HJFET) devices with crystalline Si (c-Si) channels and gate regions comprised of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) or organic materials are demonstrated. The HJFET devices are processed at 200°C and room temperature, respectively; and exhibit operation voltages below 1V, subthreshold slopes in the range of 70-100mV/dec and off-currents as low as 25 fA/μm. The HJFET devices are proposed for use in active matrix backplanes comprised of low-temperature poly-Si (LTPS) as the c-Si substrate. Compared to conventional LTPS devices which require process temperatures up to 600°C and complex fabrication steps, the HJFET devices offer lower process temperature, simpler fabrication steps and lower operation voltages without compromising leakage or stability.