Current Dependence Research Articles

Prevalence of mental illness and associated factors among the elderly in Ogun East Senatorial District, Nigeria

Abstract Background: Mental health problems are common in the elderly; they often go unnoticed, ignored, untreated, or considered part of normal aging. About a quarter of the Nigerian population have mental health problems, out of which 3.26% are elderly. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, types, and factors associated with mental illnesses among the elderly. Materials and Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional survey of the elderly. Four hundred and two elderly people were selected by a multistage sampling technique and were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Data analysis was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0. Descriptive statistics were summarized using proportion and presented in frequency tables. Bivariate analyses were done using the Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses. The level of significance was set at a 95% confidence interval with P < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of mental illness among the elderly respondents was 35.8%. Of all the mental illnesses, generalized anxiety disorder ranked the highest (15.4%), followed by current alcohol dependence (14.9%). The factors found to be associated with mental illness in the elderly included monogamous family type (odds ratio [OR] = 0.211, P = 0.034) and monthly income <50,000 Naira (OR = 85.108, P = 0.003). Conclusion: This study revealed that the prevalence of mental illness was high among the community-dwelling elderly respondents of Ogun East Senatorial District. The determinants of mental illness among the elderly were monthly income of <50,000 naira, while monogamous family type was found to be protective of mental illness in the elderly.

Impacts of single Shockley-type stacking faults on current conduction in 4H-SiC PiN diodes

The impacts of single Shockley-type stacking faults (1SSFs) on the electrical characteristics of 4H-SiC PiN diodes were examined by fabricating the PiN diodes containing the 1SSF monolayer in the active area with a covering ratio of unity and evaluating the forward current–voltage (I–V) characteristics at various temperatures from 296 to 523 K. The measured I–V characteristics were compared with the previous results for Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) containing the 1SSF monolayer. Based on the comparison, we clarified the similarity and differences between the impacts of the 1SSFs on the unipolar and bipolar conductions. The forward current conduction of the PiN diodes is limited by the 1SSF similar to that of the SBDs, while the forward current in the PiN diodes exceeds that in the SBDs at elevated temperatures. The difference was attributed to the contribution of hole and recombination currents, the insights into which were obtained by analyzing several experimental results, including dependences of the forward current on the temperature and thickness of the blocking-voltage layer. A simulation analysis was also conducted by adopting the model proposed in the previous study.

The Influence of Rapid Heat Treatment During the Formation of Aluminum-Polysilicon Contacts on the Electrical Parameters of CMOS Microcircuits

The influence of rapid heat treatment (450 °C, 7 s) on the electrical parameters of CMOS integrated circuits during the formation of ohmic contact between aluminum metallization and polysilicon is considered. The following volt-ampere characteristics of the dependence of drain current on voltage were chosen as the analyzed parameters of n- and p-channel transistors: at the gate when diode-connected; on the drain at different gate voltages; on the drain in the channel breakdown mode without applying potential to the gate. A comparison of these parameters was carried out with respect to microcircuits manufactured using standard technology (450 °C, 20 min) to form these contacts. Analysis of the results showed that the use of rapid heat treatment to form an ohmic aluminum-polysilicon contact can significantly improve the above characteristics of n-MOS and p-MOS transistors. From the current-voltage characteristics of n- and p-channel transistors it follows that in the region of gate voltages greater than 0.65 V, the drain current after long-term heat treatment is higher than after quick heat treatment. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of the drain current versus the drain voltage showed that the drain current when using long-term heat treatment is significantly higher than after rapid heat treatment. In this case, for long-term heat treatment, there is a decrease in the channel breakdown voltage only for n-channel transistors and an increase in the drain current in the region of more than 5 V for both n- and p-channel transistors. Such improvements occur by eliminating the formation of polysilicon conglomerates in the aluminum contact, significantly reducing the epitaxial recrystallization of silicon doped with aluminum on the silicon surface, as well as reducing the microrelief of the interface of this contact and reducing the growth in the size of contact windows due to the lateral interaction of aluminum with polysilicon.

I-V Characteristics of Polycrystalline CAZTSe Heterojunction Solar Cells at Different Ag Content and Annealing Temperatures

Since the polycrystalline (Cu1-xAgx)2ZnSnSe4 (CAZTSe) demonstrated good optical absorption performance in the visible region, the focus of the present study is to grow the polycrystalline (Cu1-xAgx)2ZnSnSe4 thin films deposited by thermal evaporation method on silicon substrates with 800 nm thickness and 0.53 nm/sec deposition rate as a function of Ag content (0.0,0.1,0.2) and annealing temperature at 373 K, 473 K. From I-V measurements of Al/n-CdS/p-CAZTSe/n-Si(111)/Al heterojunction solar cells under dark and illumination conditions, we observed that the forward bias current changes roughly exponentially with bias voltage and the ideality factor and saturation current dependence on both x content and different temperatures (Ta).

A Machine Learning Assisted Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Biosensor to Detect Urea Based on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Functionalized with Copper Oxide Micro-Flowers.

Detecting urea is crucial for diagnosing related health conditions and ensuring timely medical intervention. The addition of machine learning (ML) technologies has completely changed the field of biochemical sensing, providing enhanced accuracy and reliability. In the present work, an ML-assisted screen-printed, flexible, electrochemical, non-enzymatic biosensor was proposed to quantify urea concentrations. For the detection of urea, the biosensor was modified with a multi-walled carbon nanotube-zinc oxide (MWCNT-ZnO) nanocomposite functionalized with copper oxide (CuO) micro-flowers (MFs). Further, the CuO-MFs were synthesized using a standard sol-gel approach, and the obtained particles were subjected to various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The sensor's performance for urea detection was evaluated by assessing the dependence of peak currents on analyte concentration using cyclic voltammetry (CV) at different scan rates of 50, 75, and 100 mV/s. The designed non-enzymatic biosensor showed an acceptable linear range of operation of 0.5-8 mM, and the limit of detection (LoD) observed was 78.479 nM, which is well aligned with the urea concentration found in human blood and exhibits a good sensitivity of 117.98 mA mM-1 cm-2. Additionally, different regression-based ML models were applied to determine CV parameters to predict urea concentrations experimentally. ML significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of screen-printed biosensors, enabling accurate predictions of urea levels. Finally, the combination of ML and biosensor design emphasizes not only the high sensitivity and accuracy of the sensor but also its potential for complex non-enzymatic urea detection applications. Future advancements in accurate biochemical sensing technologies are made possible by this strong and dependable methodology.

Transport of non-equilibrium quasiparticle excitations in superconducting aluminum

The electron transport of non-equilibrium quasiparticles injected into superconducting aluminum from a normal metal has been experimentally studied at ultralow temperatures. We studied hybrid nanostructures in the form of a T-shaped normal metal electrode (copper) – a dielectric tunnel layer (aluminum oxide) – a superconducting fork (aluminum), which can be considered as a solid-state analogues of a two-beam optical interferometer. At fixed bias voltages larger than the superconducting gap, a non-monotonic dependence of the tunnel current on perpendicular magnetic field is observed. The effect is interpreted as the presence of a coherent component of the quasiparticle current.

Solid-State Nanopore-Based Nanosystem for Registration of Enzymatic Activity of a Single Molecule of Cytochrome P450 BM3.

Experimental methods of single-molecule enzymology allow scientists to determine physicochemical properties of distinct single molecules of various enzymes and to perform direct monitoring of functioning of enzymes at different steps of their catalytic cycle. The approach based on the use of solid-state nanopores is a promising tool for studying the functioning of single-enzyme molecules. Herein, this approach is employed for monitoring the functioning of cytochrome P450 BM3, which represents a very convenient model of cytochrome P450-containing monooxygenase systems. A nanopore of ~5 nm in diameter has been formed in a 40 nm-thick silicon nitride chip by electron beam drilling (EBD), and a single molecule of the BM3 enzyme has been entrapped in the pore. The functioning of the enzyme molecule has been monitored by recording the time dependence of the ion current through the nanopore during the reaction of laurate hydroxylation. In our experiments, the enzyme molecule has been found to be active for 1500 s. The results of our research can be further used in the development of highly sensitive detectors for single-molecule studies in enzymology.

REBCO tapes for applications in ultra-high fields: critical current surface and scaling relations

Abstract REBa2Cu3O7−x (REBCO) tapes produced by leading manufacturers were tested at UNIGE to characterize the dependence of the critical current on temperature, field intensity and orientation. This measurement campaign was carried out in the frame of international collaborations having the common goal of developing technology for ultra-high field magnets in the 30–50 T range. The examined samples differ in many respects, e.g. processing methods, thickness of the superconducting layer, Rare Earth element in REBCO, and type of artificial pinning centers (3D nanoparticles vs extended 1D nanorods). We measured the transport critical current of full-width tapes at 4.2 K and 20 K in magnetic fields up to 19 T and at various orientations of the field with respect to the tape surface. Additionally, magnetic characterization was conducted over a wider temperature range (4.2–77 K). The highly engineered vortex pinning results in outstanding critical current performance for all examined tapes: the non-copper critical current density, i.e. the critical current divided by the wire cross-section area minus the Cu area, ranges between 1500 and 2000 A mm−2 at 4.2 K, 19 T and close to 1000 A mm−2 at 20 K, 19 T in the perpendicular field orientation. We obtained scaling expressions for the critical current surface based on the analysis of the pinning-force curves but the pinning-force shape parameters were found to vary from one manufacturer to another. The results presented in this work may offer valuable information not only to magnet designers but also to manufacturers looking to optimize their tapes and achieve better performance.

Voltage-Driven Molecular Photoelectrocatalysis of Water Oxidation.

Molecular photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis have been widely used to conduct oxidation-reduction processes ranging from fuel generation to electroorganic synthesis. We recently showed that an electrostatic potential drop across the double layer contributes to the driving force for electron transfer (ET) between a dissolved reactant and a molecular catalyst immobilized directly on the electrode surface. In this article, we report voltage-driven molecular photoelectrocatalysis with a prevalent homogeneous water oxidation catalyst, (bpy)Cu (II), which was covalently attached to the carbon surface and exhibited photocatalytic activity. The strong potential dependence of the photooxidation current suggests that the electrostatic potential drop across the double layer contributes to the driving force for ET between a water molecule and the excited state of surface-bound (bpy)Cu (II). Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) was used to analyze the products and determine the faradaic efficiencies for the generation of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Unlike electrocatalytic water oxidation by (bpy)Cu (II) in the dark, which produces only O2, the voltage-driven photooxidation includes an additional 2e- pathway generating H2O2. DFT calculations show that the applied voltage and the presence of light can alter the activation energy for the rate-determining water nucleophilic attack steps, thereby increasing the reaction rate of photo-oxidation of water and opening the 2e- pathway. These results suggest a new route for designing next-generation hybrid molecular photo(electro)catalysts for water oxidation and other processes.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Elimination Voltammetry with Linear Scan

Electrochemical methods have undergone many important developments initiated by efforts to increase the sensitivity, selectivity, and stability (S&S&S) and to understand the underlying electrode processes. To meet these goals, there are hardware solutions with applications of new technologies and materials, and software solutions utilizing existing instrumentation. The article presents a viable, easy-to-implement software solution to the main shortcomings of linear sweep voltammetry (low sensitivity, high share of the capacitive component of the current, and the problem of overlapping signals) in the form of elimination voltammetry with a linear scan (EVLS). Based on the different dependences of the individual currents that make up the total voltammetric current (diffusion, charging, kinetics, and various irreversible components) on the scan rate, EVLS can eliminate or preserve particular current components. Increased sensitivity and selectivity can be expected especially in the case of a fully adsorbed electroactive particle subjected to an irreversible electrode process when the elimination of kinetic and capacitive current while preserving the diffusion current provides a theoretically confirmed peak-counter peak signal. EVLS is applicable for testing changes in the polarized electrode/electrolyte interface using EVLS functions eliminating the diffusion component of the current and preserving the kinetic and capacitive currents, which should ensure zero current conduction for a purely diffusion-controlled Nernstian-type reversible process. We point out the strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses of EVLS. Nevertheless, EVLS offers a new tool that contributes to a better understanding of electrochemical processes and their mechanisms.

Nonequilibrium probability currents in optically-driven colloidal suspensions

In the absence of directional motion it is often hard to recognize athermal fluctuations. Probability currents provide such a measure in terms of the rate at which they enclose area in the reduced phase space. We measure this area enclosing rate for trapped colloidal particles, where only one particle is driven. By combining experiment, theory, and simulation, we single out the effect of the different time scales in the system on the measured probability currents. In this controlled experimental setup, particles interact hydrodynamically. These interactions lead to a strong spatial dependence of the probability currents and to a local influence of athermal agitation. In a multiple-particle system, we show that even when the driving acts only on one particle, probability currents occur between other, non-driven particles. This may have significant implications for the interpretation of fluctuations in biological systems containing elastic networks in addition to a suspending fluid.

A comprehensive study of gate-induced drain leakage current and electrical characteristics in nanosheet field-effect transistors due to variation in structural parameters and ambient temperature

Abstract IIn this paper, two substrate optimization approaches of triple stacked Nanosheet FET (SNSHFET), namely optimization of buried oxide and selective deposition of punch through stopper (PTS) substrate, have been examined and simulations have been carried out using Technology Computer-Aided (TCAD) software. A comprehensive study of leakage current and key electrical characteristics (I¬ON, VT, SS, DIBL) have also been extracted based on variation in temperature from 298 K to 450 K, sheet width, fin pitch, substrate width, and source/drain doping, as well as different substrates. When the ambient temperature of SNSHFET is varied from 298 K to 450 K, the gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) current increases and degrades the VT and ION/IOFF ratio. GIDL current also increases with increased doping of the source and drain. Also, the impact of ultra-thin body substrate in SNSHFET is studied for the reduction in GIDL current and optimization in the performance. It is observed that a reduction in the substrate width and the nanosheet width decreases the GIDL current, while variation in Inter-fin pitch has no significant impact on the GIDL current and other electrical characteristics. The band-to-band tunneling rate and electric field profiles are observed at the channel-drain and gate-substrate overlap region for understanding the physical insights of leakage current in the SNSHFET. This work also answers the dependency of GIDL current on the gate and drain voltage supply respectively. In addition to that, how GIDL current responds to the variation in the source-drain doping and with different PTS doping has been explained. The 3 nm-based SNSHFET is designed and its electrical and GIDL characteristics are compared with novel devices like Forksheet FET and Complementary FET.

Numerical simulations of a low-pressure electrodeless ion source intended for air-breathing electric propulsion

Abstract Air breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) systems offer a promising solution to extend the lifetime of very low earth orbit (VLEO) missions by using residual atmospheric particles as propellants. Such systems would operate in very low-pressure environments where plasma ignition and confinement prove challenging. In this contribution, we present results of a global plasma model (GPM) of a plasma ignited in a very low-pressure air mixture. The results are validated against experimental measurements acquired using a laboratory electrodeless ion source utilizing a resonator for plasma ignition. The device is specifically designed to operate within low-pressure environments as it holds potential applications in ABEP systems for VLEO missions. Parametric studies are carried out via GPM to investigate the resonant behavior and its implications. The potential of the model serving as a predictive tool is assessed through experimental validation against measured data, mainly investigating the extracted ion current dependency on operational pressure and external magnetic field strength. The verified model is further utilized to extrapolate additional information about the resonant plasma such as ion composition or a degree of ionization.

An Algorithm to Retrieve Range Ocean Current Speed under Tropical Cyclone Conditions from Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar Measurements Based on XGBoost

In this study, a novel algorithm to retrieve the current speed along the range direction under extreme sea states is developed from C-band synthetic aperture radar imagery. To this aim, a Sentinel-1 (S-1) dual-polarized synthetic aperture radar (SAR) dataset consisting of 2300 images is collected during 200 tropical cyclones (TCs). The dataset is complemented with collocated wave simulations from the Wavewatch-III (WW3) model and reanalysis currents from the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). The corresponding TC winds are officially released by IFRMER, while the Stokes drift following the wave propagation direction is estimated from the waves simulated by WW3. In this study, first the dependence of wind, Stokes drift, and range current on the Doppler centroid anomaly is investigated, and then the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine learning model is trained on 87% of the S-1 dataset for range current retrieval purposes. The rest of the dataset is used for testing the retrieval algorithm, showing a root mean square error (RMSE) and a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.11 m/s and 0.97, respectively, with the HYCOM outputs. A validation against measurements collected from two high-frequency (HF) phased-array radars is also performed, resulting in an RMSE and r of 0.12 m/s and 0.75, respectively. Those validation results are better than the 0.22 m/s RMSE and 0.28 r achieved by the empirical CDOP model. Hence, the experimental results confirm the soundness of the XGBoost, exhibiting a certain improvement over the empirical model.

Recall of Flavor at First E-cigarette Use and Its Association with E-cigarette Progression: The Mediating Effects of First Sensory Experience

To test whether the association between flavor at first vape and continued use is mediated through subjective experience at first vape. In a 2020 cross-sectional survey, 955 young adult ever-vapers recalled their first flavor vaped, subjective experiences at first use, current vaping behavior, nicotine dependence, and quit attempts. A latent class model grouped first-use subjective experiences into classes. Two-part negative binomial hurdle models for each vaping behavior evaluated whether the association of first flavor used with vaping outcomes was mediated by positive experience. Four latent classes (positive, positive and negative, negative, and minimal experience) were further reduced to "any positive experience" (only positive, positive and negative) vs "no positive experience" (negative or minimal). Class membership mediated the association of first flavor used (mint/menthol/ice [ie, "cooling"] or sweet vs other) with each vaping outcome. For example, cooling flavor (vs. other) was associated with positive class membership (OR=3.5; 95% CI: 1.5, 8.1), which was then associated with any past 30-day vaping (OR=3.9; 95% CI: 2.7, 5.8) and greater number of vaping days among current vapers (RR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.7) in the two-part hurdle model. Similar results were observed for nicotine dependence and quit attempts, and for sweet (vs other) flavor for any dependence or quit attempts, but not number of dependence symptoms or quit attempts. Use of a cooling or sweet flavor at first use was associated with having a positive first vaping sensory experience, and then greater likelihood as a young adult of reporting past 30-day vaping, more vaping days, and greater risk for nicotine dependence, suggesting a key mediating role of first use experience.

Investigating the effect of rolling deformation on the electro-mechanical limits of Nb3Sn wires produced by RRP® and PIT technologies

Future high-field magnets for particle accelerators hinge on the crucial development of advanced Nb3Sn wires engineered to withstand the large stresses generated during magnet assembly and operation. The superconducting properties of Nb3Sn enable the design of compact accelerator-quality magnets above 10 T, but at the same time the brittleness and strain sensitivity of the material impose careful consideration of the mechanical limits. In addition, accelerator magnets are wound using Rutherford cables and the cabling process generates deformations in the wire that can affect its electro-mechanical performance. This paper reports on the impact of the rolling deformation on the transverse stress tolerance of high-performance restacked-rod-process (RRP®) and powder-in-tube (PIT) Nb3Sn wires. Rolling deformation was used to mimic the effect of cabling on the wire shape. Deformed samples were compared to reference round wires in term of stress dependence and irreversible limit (σ irr) of the critical current (I c) under transverse compressive loads up to 240 MPa. Experiments were performed at 4.2 K, 19 T, on resin-impregnated single wires that imitate the operating conditions in a Rutherford cable of an accelerator magnet. The results show that rolling deformation has a detrimental effect on the initial I c of PIT wires, but it does not influence the behavior of the wire under stresses above 70 MPa. On the other hand, the deformation of RRP® wires leads to an improved σ irr without affecting the initial I c. Additionally, a 2D-mechanical finite element method model of the RRP® wire was developed to investigate the impact of the wire geometry on the plastic deformation of the copper matrix, which induces residual stresses on Nb3Sn and is the main cause for the permanent reduction of I c. Based on the model results, an alternative layout of the wire was proposed that improves its stress tolerance without affecting its electrical transport properties.

Electrochemical Quantification of Tobramycin Retention in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa as Antimicrobial Susceptibility Indicator

The emergence and spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed into one of the most challenging threats to public health. Antibiotic susceptibility tests (ASTs) for bacterial infections are now essential, because they provide guidance for physicians in the selection of antibiotics, to which bacteria will respond. Most current AST methods require long periods of time, because of bacterial growth and incubation, leading to a prolonged and overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Thus, there is a growing demand for methods and technologies that enable rapid antibiotic susceptibility assessment. Due to advantages related to cost-effectiveness, rapid response time and high sensitivity,electrochemical detection methods are promising analytical tools that can successfully quantify antibiotic uptake and retention in clinically relevant bacterial strains. This study presents the electroanalytical quantification of tobramycin (TOB) retention in susceptible and resistant bacterial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The electrochemical behavior of TOB was characterized by voltammetry, identifying redox potentials, the current dependence on pH conditions, and the detection limit at unmodified glassy carbon electrodes. The presented methodology was able to distinguish between susceptible and resistant bacterial strains, and is also capable of identifying varying degrees of resistance against TOB. The presented approach detects the immediate interaction of bacteria with an antibiotic, without the need of complex and cost-intense equipment related to genomic testing methods

(Keynote) Unified Quantum Theory of Electrochemical Kinetics Based on Coupled Ion-Electron Transfer

A general theory of coupled ion–electron transfer (CIET) is presented, which unifies quantum kinetics of electron transfer (ET) with classical kinetics of bond-breaking ion transfer (IT) in a general framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics [1]. In the limit of large reorganization energy, the theory predicts Marcus kinetics of “electron-coupled ion transfer” (ECIT). In the limit of large ion-transfer energies, the theory predicts generalized Butler–Volmer kinetics of “ion-coupled electron transfer” (ICET), where the charge transfer coefficient and exchange current are connected to microscopic properties of the electrode/electrolyte interface. In the ICET regime, the reductive and oxidative branches of Tafel’s law are predicted to hold over a wide but finite range of overpotentials, bounded by the ion-transfer energies for oxidation and reduction, respectively. The probability distribution of transferring electron energies in CIET smoothly interpolates between a shifted Gaussian distribution for ECIT (as in the Gerischer–Marcus theory of ET) to an asymmetric, fat-tailed Meixner distribution centered at the Fermi level for ICET. The latter may help interpret asymmetric line shapes in x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) for oxidized metal surfaces in terms of shake-up relaxation of the ionized atom and its image polaron by ICET. In the limit of large overpotentials, the theory predicts a transition to inverted Marcus ECIT, leading to a universal reaction-limited current for metal electrodes, dominated by barrierless quantum transitions. Uniformly valid, closed-form asymptotic approximations are derived that smoothly transition between the limiting rate expressions for ICET and ECIT for metal electrodes, using simple but accurate mathematical functions. The theory is applied to lithium intercalation in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and found to provide a consistent description of the observed current dependence on overpotential, temperature and concentration, learned from x-ray images [2]. CIET theory thus provides a critical bridge between quantum electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering.[1] M. Z. Bazant, Unified quantum theory of electrochemical kinetics by coupled ion-electron transfer, Faraday Discussions 246, 60-124 (2023).[2] H. Zhao, H. D. Deng, A. E. Cohen, J. Lim, Y. Li, D. Fraggedakis, B. Jiang, B. D. Storey, W. C. Chueh, R. D. Braatz, and M. Z. Bazant, Learning heterogeneous reaction kinetics from X-ray movies pixel-by-pixel, Nature 621, 289-294 (2023). Figure 1

Origin of exponentially large increase in the leakage current in alumina films depending on the ALD synthesis temperature

Amorphous aluminum oxide a-Al2O3 deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is widely used in nonvolatile memory devices. In this paper, the leakage current dependence on the ALD synthesis temperature is investigated by six charge transport models: Schottky effect, thermally assisted tunneling at a contact, Frenkel effect, Hill-Adachi model of overlapping Coulomb potentials, Makram-Ebeid and Lannoo multiphonon isolated trap ionization model, and Nasyrov–Gritsenko model of phonon-assisted tunneling between neighboring traps. It is shown that the leakage current exponentially increases with the ALD synthesis temperature, which is related to the increase in trap concentration.

Interactions between polymer molecules and hydrodynamic responses in multi-ion induced charge electroosmosis

Induced charge electroosmosis (ICEO) can assist lab-on-a-chip devices and macromolecular separation involving interface, multi-ion species, and solution properties. To supplement the mechanistic insights into the ICEO phenomenon in complex electrochemical scenarios, we numerically address electrokinetic ion transport–fluid flow coupling regulated by multi-ion species and polymer macromolecular rheology around a polarized cylinder. The physics of the ICEO are analysed from multiple perspectives, including the azimuthal velocity, flow type, energy distribution, interfacial ion transport, and electroelastic instability. The main findings are as follows: (1) Deviations under neutral pH conditions (multi-ion species) cause flow field asymmetry and alter the input energy distribution (PE) in the tight double layer. Polymers greatly modify the interfacial force features in ion-enriched regions, as identified by the first stress difference (N1). (2) The kinetic energy vs. viscosity ratio (β) represents the nonlinear enhancement curve Ek=0.011*exp(β/0.64)-0.0138 due to the weakened effective viscosity Rvis. In addition, shear thinning notably lifts the charge density and salt concentration at the cylinder surface, which boosts the PE. (3) Quadrupolar vortex modes impact the positive correlation between β and the ion current (Jtotal) at different pH levels, resulting in less ion current dependence for small β. A low enhancement efficiency occurs at 10-4 ≤ α (molecular anisotropy) ≤ 0.1, whereas a high efficiency exists at α > 0.1. Electroelastic instabilities are confirmed by the spatiotemporal evolution of the velocity fluctuation, with a broadband structural power-law decline in the power spectral density. These results allow microdevice mixing manipulation and disclose non-Newtonian barrier of electrokinetic dynamics.