Timothy Keiper

Robust Manipulation of Magnetism in Dilute Magnetic Semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As by Organic Molecules.

We firstly demonstrated the organic molecular manipulation of the magnetism of (Ga, Mn)As. Mn-doped GaAs thin films with various thicknesses were grown by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy (LT-MBE), and organic charge-transfer molecules were deposited on the surface of (Ga, Mn)As films by either solution-based self-assembly or vacuum thermal evaporation, which led to large carrier density modulation, and significant changes in the Curie temperature (Tc) and magnetization (Ms). Electron donor (acceptor) molecules were found to decrease (increase) both Tc and Ms. Moreover, through proper preparation of the (Ga, Mn)As surface, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) patterns of organic molecules with sub-75 nanometer line width were successfully created via dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). These results could open a new pathway to control nano-scale manipulation of magnetism in DMS, with potential applications in reconfigurable, non-volatile and hybrid molecular nano-spintronics.

Electrical spin injection and detection in silicon nanowires with axial doping gradient

The interest in spin transport in nanoscopic semiconductor channels is driven by both the inevitable miniaturization of spintronics devices toward nanoscale and the rich spin-dependent physics the quantum confinement engenders. For such studies, the all-important issue of the ferromagnet/semiconductor (FM/SC) interface becomes even more critical at nanoscale. Here we elucidate the effects of the FM/SC interface on electrical spin injection and detection at nanoscale dimensions, utilizing a unique type of Si nanowires (NWs) with an inherent axial doping gradient. Two-terminal and nonlocal four-terminal lateral spin-valve measurements were performed using different combinations from a series of FM contacts positioned along the same NW. The data are analyzed with a general model of spin accumulation in a normal channel under electrical spin injection from a FM, which reveals a distinct correlation of decreasing spin-valve signal with increasing injector junction resistance. The observation is attributed to the diminishing contribution of the d-electrons in the FM to the injected current spin polarization with increasing Schottky barrier width. The results demonstrate that there is a window of interface parameters for optimal spin injection efficiency and current spin polarization, which provides important design guidelines for nanospintronic devices with quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor channels.

Modulation of electronic properties of tin oxide nanobelts via thermal control of surface oxygen defects.

Nanomaterials made from binary metal oxides are of increasing interest because of their versatility in applications from flexible electronics to portable chemical and biological sensors. Controlling the electrical properties of these materials is the first step in device implementation. Tin dioxide (SnO2) nanobelts (NB) synthesized by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism have shown much promise in this regard. We explore the modification of devices prepared with single crystalline NBs by thermal annealing in vacuum and oxygen, resulting in a viable field-effect transistor (FET) for numerous applications at ambient temperature. An oxygen annealing step initially increases the device conductance by up to a factor of 105, likely through the modification of the surface defects of the NB, leading to Schottky barrier limited devices. A multi-step annealing procedure leads to further increase of the conductance by approximately 350% and optimization of the electronic properties. The effects of each step is investigated systematically on a single NB. The optimization of the electrical properties of the NBs makes possible the consistent production of channel-limited FETs and control of the device performance. Understanding these improvements on the electrical properties over the as-grown materials provides a pathway to enhance and tailor the functionalities of tin oxide nanostructures for a wide variety of optical, electronic, optoelectronic, and sensing applications that operate at room temperature.

Multiple Schottky Barrier-Limited Field-Effect Transistors on a Single Silicon Nanowire with an Intrinsic Doping Gradient

In comparison to conventional (channel-limited) field-effect transistors (FETs), Schottky barrier-limited FETs possess some unique characteristics which make them attractive candidates for some electronic and sensing applications. Consequently, modulation of the nano Schottky barrier at a metal-semiconductor interface promises higher performance for chemical and biomolecular sensor applications when compared to conventional FETs with ohmic contacts. However, the fabrication and optimization of devices with a combination of ideal ohmic and Schottky contacts as the source and drain, respectively, present many challenges. We address this issue by utilizing Si nanowires (NWs) synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition process which yields a pronounced doping gradient along the length of the NWs. Devices with a series of metal contacts on a single Si NW are fabricated in a single lithography and metallization process. The graded doping profile of the NW is manifested in monotonic increases in the channel and junction resistances and variation of the nature of the contacts from ohmic to Schottky of increasing effective barrier height along the NW. Hence multiple single Schottky junction-limited FETs with extreme asymmetry and high reproducibility are obtained on an individual NW. A definitive correlation between increasing Schottky barrier height and enhanced gate modulation is revealed. Having access to systematically varying Schottky barrier contacts on the same NW device provides an ideal platform for identifying optimal device characteristics for sensing and electronic applications.

Robust manipulation of magnetism in dilute magnetic semiconductor (Ga, Mn)As by organic molecules

We firstly demonstrated the organic molecular manipulation of the magnetism of (Ga, Mn)As. Mn-doped GaAs thin films with various thicknesses were grown by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy (LT-MBE), and organic charge-transfer molecules were deposited on the surface of (Ga, Mn)As films by either solution-based self-assembly or vacuum thermal evaporation, which led to large carrier density modulation, and significant changes in the Curie temperature (T c ) and magnetization (M s ). Electron donor (acceptor) molecules were found to decrease (increase) both T c and M s . Moreover, through proper preparation of the (Ga, Mn)As surface, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) patterns of organic molecules with sub-75 nanometer line width were successfully created via dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). These results could open a new pathway to control nano-scale manipulation of magnetism in DMS, with potential applications in reconfigurable, non-volatile and hybrid molecular nano-spintronics.

New method for effective manipulation of the magnetism in (Ga, Mn)As films by organic molecules

In the case of III-V dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS), the holes from Mn doping are known to mediate the ferromagnetic interaction among the Mn ions. Through modulation of the hole density, electrostatic gating has been shown to significantly alter the magnetic properties of (III, Mn)V films[1-3]. Here we demonstrate the manipulation of the magnetism of DMS (Ga, Mn)As. Mn-doped GaAs thin films with various thicknesses were grown by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy (LT-MBE), and organic charge-transfer molecules were deposited on the surface of (Ga, Mn)As films by either solution-based self-assembly or vacuum thermal evaporation, which led to large carrier density modulation, and significant changes in the Curie temperature (TC) and magnetization (MS). Electron donor (acceptor) molecules were found to decrease (increase) both TC and Ms. Moreover, through proper preparation of the (Ga, Mn)As surface, self-assembled monolayer (SAM) patterns of organic molecules with sub-75 nanometer line width were successfully created via dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). These results could open a new pathway to control nanoscale manipulation of magnetism in DMS, with potential applications in reconfigurable, non-volatile and hybrid molecular nano-spintronics.