Shinya Aikawa

Strong Enhancement of Raman Scattering from a Bulk-Inactive Vibrational Mode in Few-Layer MoTe2

Two-dimensional layered crystals could show phonon properties that are markedly distinct from those of their bulk counterparts, because of the loss of periodicities along the c-axis directions. Here we investigate the phonon properties of bulk and atomically thin α-MoTe2 using Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectrum of α-MoTe2 shows a prominent peak of the in-plane E(1)2g mode, with its frequency upshifting with decreasing thickness down to the atomic scale, similar to other dichalcogenides. Furthermore, we find large enhancement of the Raman scattering from the out-of-plane B(1)2g mode in the atomically thin layers. The B(1)2g mode is Raman inactive in the bulk, but is observed to become active in the few-layer films. The intensity ratio of the B(1)2g to E(1)2g peaks evolves significantly with decreasing thickness, in contrast with other dichalcogenides. Our observations point to strong effects of dimensionality on the phonon properties of MoTe2.

Self-limiting layer-by-layer oxidation of atomically thin WSe2.

Growth of a uniform oxide film with a tunable thickness on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides is of great importance for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here we demonstrate homogeneous surface oxidation of atomically thin WSe2 with a self-limiting thickness from single- to trilayers. Exposure to ozone (O3) below 100 °C leads to the lateral growth of tungsten oxide selectively along selenium zigzag-edge orientations on WSe2. With further O3 exposure, the oxide regions coalesce and oxidation terminates leaving a uniform thickness oxide film on top of unoxidized WSe2. At higher temperatures, oxidation evolves in the layer-by-layer regime up to trilayers. The oxide films formed on WSe2 are nearly atomically flat. Using photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy, we find that the underlying single-layer WSe2 is decoupled from the top oxide but hole-doped. Our findings offer a new strategy for creating atomically thin heterostructures of semiconductors and insulating oxides with potential for applications in electronic devices.

Effects of dopants in InOx-based amorphous oxide semiconductors for thin-film transistor applications

Amorphous metal oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated using InOx-based semiconductors doped with TiO2, WO3, or SiO2. Even at low-dopant densities, the electrical properties of the film strongly depend on the dopant used. We found that this dependence could be reasonably explained by differences in the bond-dissociation energy of the dopants. By incorporating a dopant with a higher bond-dissociation energy, the film became less sensitive to the partial pressure of oxygen used during sputtering and remained electrically stable upon thermal annealing. Thus, choosing a dopant with an appropriate bond-dissociation energy is important when fabricating stable metal-oxide TFTs for flat-panel displays.

Stable amorphous In2O3-based thin-film transistors by incorporating SiO2 to suppress oxygen vacancies

Incorporating SiO2 into amorphous In2O3-based thin films is found to suppress the formation of unstable oxygen vacancies. The SiO2 incorporated thin film transistors exhibited reliable device characteristics after being annealed at 250 °C. Increasing the SiO2 content of the sputtering target decreased the sensitivity of the subthreshold swing and turn-on voltage of the device to the sputtering conditions used to deposit the amorphous oxide, making them more stable against electrical and thermal stresses. The increased activation energy of the charge carriers in the current off region indicated a smaller density of states at the conduction-band tail, supporting stable transistor operations.

Thin-film transistors fabricated by low-temperature process based on Ga- and Zn-free amorphous oxide semiconductor

We propose the use of indium tungsten oxide (IWO) as a channel material for thin-film transistors (TFTs). In the present study, an IWO film was deposited at room temperature by means of DC magnetron sputtering and then annealed at 100 °C in N2 prior to formation of Au source and drain electrodes. Analysis using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the film remained amorphous even after the post-deposition annealing treatment. TFTs fabricated using a Si substrate as a back-gate electrode showed good performance, with a saturation field-effect mobility of 19.3 cm2 · V−1 · s−1, an on/off current ratio of 8.9 × 109.

Low-temperature processable amorphous In-W-O thin-film transistors with high mobility and stability

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a high stability and a high field-effect mobility have been achieved using W-doped indium oxide semiconductors in a low-temperature process (∼150 °C). By incorporating WO3 into indium oxide, TFTs that were highly stable under a negative bias stress were reproducibly achieved without high-temperature annealing, and the degradation of the field-effect mobility was not pronounced. This may be due to the efficient suppression of the excess oxygen vacancies in the film by the high dissociation energy of the bond between oxygen and W atoms and to the different charge states of W ions.

Deformable transparent all-carbon-nanotube transistors

We fabricated polymer-laminated, transparent, all-carbon-nanotube field-effect transistors (CNT-FETs), making use of the flexible yet robust nature of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). All components of the FET (active channel, electrodes, dielectric layer, and substrate) consist of carbon-based materials. The use of a plastic substrate that is considerably thinner than those used in other flexible CNT-FETs allowed our devices to be highly deformable without degradation of electrical properties. Using this approach, flexible, transparent CNT-FET devices able to withstand a 1 mm bending radius were realized.

Dopant selection for control of charge carrier density and mobility in amorphous indium oxide thin-film transistors: Comparison between Si- and W-dopants

The dependence of oxygen vacancy suppression on dopant species in amorphous indium oxide (a-InOx) thin film transistors (TFTs) is reported. In a-InOx TFTs incorporating equivalent atom densities of Si- and W-dopants, absorption of oxygen in the host a-InOx matrix was found to depend on difference of Gibbs free energy of the dopants for oxidation. For fully oxidized films, the extracted channel conductivity was higher in the a-InOx TFTs containing dopants of small ionic radius. This can be explained by a reduction in the ionic scattering cross sectional area caused by charge screening effects.

Highly Stable and Tunable n-Type Graphene Field-Effect Transistors with Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films

The intrinsic p-type behavior of graphene field-effect transistors (FETs) under ambient conditions poses a fundamental challenge for the assembly of complex electronic devices, such as integrated circuits. In this work, we present a protocol for tunable n-type doping of graphene FETs via poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) coating. Using graphene grown by alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition, functionalization of the surface by this hydroxyl anion-rich polymer results in an evolution of the FETs from p-type to ambipolar or n-type even under ambient air conditions. The doping level of graphene is strongly related to the PVA film coating parameters, such as solution concentration, hardening temperature, and hardening time. This PVA coating proves to be a simple and stable approach to tuning the Dirac point and doping level of graphene, which is highly desirable and of great significance for the future of graphene-based electronic devices.

Reduction of the interfacial trap density of indium-oxide thin film transistors by incorporation of hafnium and annealing process

The stable operation of transistors under a positive bias stress (PBS) is achieved using Hf incorporated into InOx-based thin films processed at relatively low temperatures (150 to 250 °C). The mobilities of the Hf-InOx thin-film transistors (TFTs) are higher than 8 cm2/Vs. The TFTs not only have negligible degradation in the mobility and a small shift in the threshold voltage under PBS for 60 h, but they are also thermally stable at 85 °C in air, without the need for a passivation layer. The Hf-InOx TFT can be stable even annealed at 150 °C for positive bias temperature stability (PBTS). A higher stability is achieved by annealing the TFTs at 250 °C, originating from a reduction in the trap density at the Hf-InOx/gate insulator interface. The knowledge obtained here will aid in the realization of stable TFTs processed at low temperatures.