Modified Transmission Line Method Research Articles

Low resistance epitaxial edge contacts to buried nanometer thick conductive layers of BaSnO3

As the size of the semiconductor device decreases, the importance of the low resistance contacts to devices cannot be overstated. Here, we studied the contact resistance to buried nanometer thick δ-doped Ba1-xLaxSnO3 (BLSO) layers. We have used epitaxial 4% (x = 0.04) BLSO as a contact material, which has additional advantages of forming Ohmic contacts to BaSnO3 and providing thermal stability even at high temperatures. The contact resistance was measured by a modified transmission line method designed to eliminate the contribution from the resistance of the contact material. The upper bound for the contact resistance to a 12 nm thick δ-doped 1% BLSO conductive layer was measured to be 1.25 × 10−1or 2.87 × 10−7 Ω cm2. Our results show that it is possible to provide low resistance epitaxial edge contacts to an embedded nanometer-thick BLSO conductive layer using an ion-milling process. Our low resistance contact method can be easily extended to a two-dimensional electron gas at the oxide interfaces such as LaInO3/BaSnO3.

PCPDTBT copolymer based high performance organic phototransistors utilizing improved chain alignment

Abstract In this article, we report single component thin film based organic phototransistors (OPTs) developed using the novel ribbon-floating film transfer method (ribbon-FTM). A low band-gap copolymer, poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) has been employed to develop the photoactive thin films of the devices. The fabricated polymer films were highly anisotropic in nature. To investigate the effect of film anisotropy on the device performance, organic field effect transistors (OFETs) were fabricated in two configurations namely, parallel and perpendicular, wherein the polymeric chains were oriented in line and orthogonal to the transistor channel direction, respectively. Notable differences in charge carrier mobility and device on-off ratios were observed among the two sets of devices. An on-off ratio of 4.1 × 103 and an average mobility of 0.001 cm2/V were observed in case of the perpendicular oriented OFETs which were increased to 105 and 0.003 cm2/V for the parallel oriented OFETs. A probe into the contact resistance at the respective metal/polymer interfaces of the devices was carried out using the modified transmission line method (MTLM). 4 times lower contact resistance was observed in the parallel OFET which was anticipated to be responsible for its superior performance. Further, the fabricated devices were illuminated with monochromatic red light (Pin = 0.4 mW/cm2) to observe their performance as phototransistors. Appreciable values of photosensitivity (2 × 104) and photoresponsivity (17.6 A/W) were obtained for the parallel OPTs which were found to be much higher than those of the previously reported thin film based OPTs employing other materials fabricated through conventional film coating techniques. The results presented in this report are of key significance towards the development of highly sensitive and cost-effective phototransistors which can be used in opto-sensing and imaging applications.

Wireless control of induced radiofrequency currents in active implantable medical devices during MRI.

To introduce a prototype active implantable medical device (AIMD) for which the induced radiofrequency currents can be controlled wirelessly. The modified transmission line method is used to formulate how the lead-case impedance of an AIMD affects the temperature rise around the electrode. A prototype AIMD is designed with the aim of controlling the unwanted temperature rise around its electrode during an MRI examination by altering the impedance between the lead and the case of the implant. MRI experiments were conducted with this prototype implant, which also has a built-in temperature sensor at its electrode. During the experiment, the implant's lead-case impedance was controlled using Bluetooth communication with a remote computer, and the lead tip temperature was recorded. Ten different lead-case impedance values and their corresponding tip temperature rises were examined during MRI experiments. The experimental results confirmed that the tip temperature rise can be controlled by varying the lead-case impedance wirelessly. The feedback from the temperature at the AIMD tip, together with variable lead-case impedance, enables control of the safety profile of the AIMD during an MRI examination.

A method for direct contact resistance evaluation in low voltage coplanar organic field-effect transistors

In this paper, a method for the extrapolation of contact resistance in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) from a single transfer characteristic curve in the linear regime is proposed. The method, namely DIrect Contact Resistance Extrapolation (DICRE), is based on the idea of making the current dependent only on contact resistance by setting the device in large over-threshold conditions. Constant contact resistance with respect to gate-to-source voltage is considered as an acceptable approximation, as confirmed by other examples in the literature. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by extrapolating the contact resistance of two different OFET structures (self-aligned and not self-aligned) and comparing the results with standard reference techniques, namely the Modified Transmission Line Method (M-TLM) and the Y function method. The results demonstrate that the DICRE method can be applied to low voltage devices without any damage to the gate insulator, even if the applied gate-to-source voltage drop is well beyond the values normally employed for transistor operation. The proposed method allows extrapolating a value of contact resistance comparable with the ones derived by TLM, with restrained variability. Moreover, the capability of properly recognizing the differences in contact resistance values between OFET structures with different features in terms of source/drain-gate overlap is reported. Finally, the possibility of correctly deriving the contact resistance dependence on drain-to-source voltage using DICRE is discussed.

Fast blood-flow simulation for large arterial trees containing thousands of vessels

Blood flow modelling has previously been successfully carried out in arterial trees to study pulse wave propagation using nonlinear or linear flow solvers. However, the number of vessels used in the simulations seldom grows over a few hundred. The aim of this work is to present a computationally efficient solver coupled with highly detailed arterial trees containing thousands of vessels. The core of the solver is based on a modified transmission line method, which exploits the analogy between electrical current in finite-length conductors and blood flow in vessels. The viscoelastic behaviour of the arterial-wall is taken into account using a complex elastic modulus. The flow is solved vessel by vessel in the frequency domain and the calculated output pressure is then used as an input boundary condition for daughter vessels. The computational results yield pulsatile blood pressure and flow rate for every segment in the tree. This solver is coupled with large arterial trees generated from a three-dimensional constrained constructive optimisation algorithm. The tree contains thousands of blood vessels with radii spanning ~1 mm in the root artery to ~30 μm in leaf vessels. The computation takes seconds to complete for a vasculature of 2048 vessels and less than 2 min for a vasculature of 4096 vessels on a desktop computer.

Transient Electromagnetic Field Coupling to Buried Thin Wire Configurations: Antenna Model versus Transmission Line Approach in the Time Domain

The paper examines the antenna model for the transient analysis of electromagnetic field coupling to straight wire configurations buried in a lossy half-space. The wire antenna theory (AT) model is implemented directly in the time domain and it is based on the corresponding space-time Pocklington integrodifferential equation. The solution of the Pocklington equation is carried out analytically. The obtained results are compared against the results calculated via the transmission line (TL) approach. The TL approach is based on the telegrapher’s equations, which are solved using the modified transmission line method (MTLM) and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) technique, respectively. Some illustrative computational examples for buried straight wire scatterer and horizontal grounding electrode are given throughout this work.

Modeling of electrodes and implantable pulse generator cases for the analysis of implant tip heating under MR imaging.

The authors' purpose is to model the case of an implantable pulse generator (IPG) and the electrode of an active implantable medical device using lumped circuit elements in order to analyze their effect on radio frequency induced tissue heating problem during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. In this study, IPG case and electrode are modeled with a voltage source and impedance. Values of these parameters are found using the modified transmission line method (MoTLiM) and the method of moments (MoM) simulations. Once the parameter values of an electrode/IPG case model are determined, they can be connected to any lead, and tip heating can be analyzed. To validate these models, both MoM simulations and MR experiments were used. The induced currents on the leads with the IPG case or electrode connections were solved using the proposed models and the MoTLiM. These results were compared with the MoM simulations. In addition, an electrode was connected to a lead via an inductor. The dissipated power on the electrode was calculated using the MoTLiM by changing the inductance and the results were compared with the specific absorption rate results that were obtained using MoM. Then, MRI experiments were conducted to test the IPG case and the electrode models. To test the IPG case, a bare lead was connected to the case and placed inside a uniform phantom. During a MRI scan, the temperature rise at the lead was measured by changing the lead length. The power at the lead tip for the same scenario was also calculated using the IPG case model and MoTLiM. Then, an electrode was connected to a lead via an inductor and placed inside a uniform phantom. During a MRI scan, the temperature rise at the electrode was measured by changing the inductance and compared with the dissipated power on the electrode resistance. The induced currents on leads with the IPG case or electrode connection were solved for using the combination of the MoTLiM and the proposed lumped circuit models. These results were compared with those from the MoM simulations. The mean square error was less than 9%. During the MRI experiments, when the IPG case was introduced, the resonance lengths were calculated to have an error less than 13%. Also the change in tip temperature rise at resonance lengths was predicted with less than 4% error. For the electrode experiments, the value of the matching impedance was predicted with an error less than 1%. Electrical models for the IPG case and electrode are suggested, and the method is proposed to determine the parameter values. The concept of matching of the electrode to the lead is clarified using the defined electrode impedance and the lead Thevenin impedance. The effect of the IPG case and electrode on tip heating can be predicted using the proposed theory. With these models, understanding the tissue heating due to the implants becomes easier. Also, these models are beneficial for implant safety testers and designers. Using these models, worst case conditions can be determined and the corresponding implant test experiments can be planned.

Computer numerical control vertical machining centre feed drive modelling using the transmission line technique

This study presents a novel application of the Transmission Line Matrix Method (TLM) for the modelling of the dynamic behaviour of non-linear hybrid systems for computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool drives. The application of the TLM technique implies the dividing of the ball-screw shaft into a number of identical elements in order to achieve the synchronisation of events in the simulation, and to provide an acceptable resolution according to the maximum frequency of interest. This entails the use of a high performance computing system with due consideration to the small time steps being applied in the simulation. Generally, the analysis of torsion and axial dynamic effects on a shaft implies the development of independent simulated models. This study presents a new procedure for the modelling of a ball-screw shaft by the synchronisation of the axial and torsion dynamics into the same model. The model parameters were obtained with equipments such as laser interferometer, ball bar, electronic levels, signal acquisition systems, etc. The MTLM models for single and two-axis configurations have been simulated and matches well with the measured responses of machines. The new modelling approach designated the Modified Transmission Line Method (MTLM) extends the TLM approach retaining all its inherent qualities but gives improved convergence and processing speeds. Further work since, not the subject of this paper, have identified its potential for real-time application.

Modified transmission-line method for evaluation of the contact resistance: Effect of channel-length-dependent threshold voltage

A modified transmission-line method (TLM) for organic field-effect transistors (OFET) contact resistance extraction is proposed. It is shown that the standard TLM approach can provide even the apparent negative contact resistance due to assumption of linear channel-length-dependence of the channel resistance and constant threshold voltage. This can be corrected by the modified TLM, where effect of channel-length-dependent threshold voltage is included with taking into account the dielectric nature of the active layer of OFETs. Obtained results illustrate the need of the threshold voltage discussion for contact resistance evaluation and demonstrate modified TLM approach as more reliable extraction method.

Silicon CMOS Ohmic Contact Technology for Contacting III-V Compound Materials

Silicon (Si)-encapsulated III-V compound (III-V) device layers enable Si-complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) friendly ohmic contact formation to III-V compound devices, allowing for the ultimate seamless planar integration of III-V and Si CMOS devices in a common fabrication infrastructure. A method of making ohmic contacts to buried III-V films using silicide metallurgies has been established. NiSi/Si/III-V dual heterojunction contact structures are found to be optimal for integration. These structures allow contact resistivities to be controlled by Si/III-V interfaces and eliminate interactions between the buried III-V device and metal layers. Using a modified transmission line method (TLM) test structure fabricated using standard CMOS processing techniques, the specific contact resistivities of Si/GaAs and Si/InxGa1-xAs interfaces are extracted. The relationship between specific contact resistivity and heterojuntion barrier width is considered. Among the structures tested in this work, p-type Si/GaAs and n-type Si/InxGa1-xAs yielded the lowest contact resistivities. Using the p-type Si/GaAs interface, a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs laser with NiSi top contact is demonstrated, confirming the feasibility of NiSi/Si/III-V contact structures for III-V devices.

THIN FILM THERMOELECTRIC CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES

The key thin film thermoelectric characterization techniques are described. Due to the small dimensions, a careful examination of electrical and thermal paths in the device is necessary. We describe both in-plane and cross-plane measurement methodologies. Sample requirements for four-probe and van der Pauw methods for in-plane electrical conductivity measurement are discussed. The in-plane Seebeck coefficient is characterized under a temperature gradient which generates a voltage. Precise measurements of temperature and voltage at the same location in the sample are very important. For the cross-plane electrical conductivity, the modified transmission line method is evaluated. To eliminate parasitic contact and substrate resistances, several samples with varying thicknesses are required. Two approaches, a DC method and the 3ω method, are described in detail for the cross-plane Seebeck coefficient characterization. Next, we focus on the transient Harman method to directly measure the cross-plane thermoelectric figure of merit of a thin film. The device requirements for reducing parasitic heat losses and current nonuniformity are presented. Thermoreflectance imaging can be used together with transient Harman in order to extract electrical and thermal conductivities and the Seebeck coefficient simultaneously. Finally, Z-meters are described for directly determining the figure of merit and efficiency of a thermoelectric element or module under a large temperature gradient. Recent developments have significantly reduced thermal and electrical parasitics, as well as radiation heat loss in the system, enabling ZT measurement of legs as thin as one hundred microns.

THIN FILM THERMOELECTRIC CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES

The key thin film thermoelectric characterization techniques are described. Because of the small dimensions, a careful examination of electrical and thermal paths in the device is necessary. We describe both in-plane and cross-plane measurement methodologies. Sample requirements for four-probe and van der Pauw methods for in-plane electrical conductivity measurement are discussed. The in-plane Seebeck coefficient is characterized under a temperature gradient that generates a voltage. Precise measurements of temperature and voltage at the same location in the sample are very important. For the cross-plane electrical conductivity, the modified transmission line method is evaluated. To eliminate parasitic contact and substrate resistances, several samples with varying thicknesses are required. Two approaches, a DC method and the 3ω method, are described in detail for the cross-plane Seebeck coefficient characterization. Next, we focus on the transient Harman method to directly measure the cross-plane thermoelectric figure of merit of a thin film. The device requirements for reducing parasitic heat losses and current nonuniformity are presented. Thermoreflectance imaging can be used together with transient Harman in order to extract electrical and thermal conductivities and the Seebeck coefficient simultaneously. Finally, Z-meters are described for directly determining the figure of merit and efficiency of a thermoelectric element or module under a large temperature gradient. Recent developments have significantly reduced thermal and electrical parasitics, as well as radiation heat loss in the system, enabling ZT measurement of legs as thin as one hundred microns.

Extraction of the contact resistance from the saturation region of rubrene single-crystal transistors

A modified transmission-line method (TLM) is proposed to extract the contact resistance from the transistor saturation region. The conventional TLM requires a linear current–voltage characteristic, and this requirement strongly limits its application. In this study, we focused on the pinch-off point of the output characteristics and analyzed the contact resistance using nonlinear output curves. We applied the modified TLM to both p- and n-type rubrene single-crystal transistors and compared the mobility differences in terms of both the intrinsic bandwidth and the extrinsic carrier trap density.

Modeling of radio‐frequency induced currents on lead wires during MR imaging using a modified transmission line method

Metallic implants may cause serious tissue heating during magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This heating occurs due to the induced currents caused by the radio-frequency (RF) field. Much work has been done to date to understand the relationship between the RF field and the induced currents. Most of these studies, however, were based purely on experimental or numerical methods. This study has three main purposes: (1) to define the RF heating properties of an implant lead using two parameters; (2) to develop an analytical formulation that directly explains the relationship between RF fields and induced currents; and (3) to form a basis for analysis of complex cases. In this study, a lumped element model of the transmission line was modified to model leads of implants inside the body. Using this model, leads are defined using two parameters: impedance per unit length, Z, and effective wavenumber along the lead, k(t). These two parameters were obtained by using methods that are similar to the transmission line theory. As long as these parameters are known for a lead, currents induced in the lead can be obtained no matter how complex the lead geometry is. The currents induced in bare wire, lossy wire, and insulated wire were calculated using this new method which is called the modified transmission line method or MoTLiM. First, the calculated induced currents under uniform electric field distribution were solved and compared with method-of-moments (MoM) calculations. In addition, MoTLiM results were compared with those of phantom experiments. For experimental verification, the flip angle distortion due to the induced currents was used. The flip angle distribution around a wire was both measured by using flip angle imaging methods and calculated using current distribution obtained from the MoTLiM. Finally, these results were compared and an error analysis was carried out. Bare perfect electric, bare lossy, and insulated perfect electric conductor wires under uniform and linearly varying electric field exposure were solved, both for 1.5 T and 3 T scanners, using both the MoTLiM and MoM. The results are in agreement within 10% mean-square error. The flip angle distribution that was obtained from experiments was compared along the azimuthal paths with different distances from the wire. The highest mean-square error was 20% among compared cases. A novel method was developed to define the RF heating properties of implant leads with two parameters and analyze the induced currents on implant leads that are exposed to electromagnetic fields in a lossy medium during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Some simple cases are examined to explain the MoTLiM and a basis is formed for the analysis of complex cases. The method presented shows the direct relationship between the incident RF field and the induced currents. In addition, the MoTLiM reveals the RF heating properties of the implant leads in terms of the physical features of the lead and electrical properties of the medium.

Modified transmission-line method for contact resistance extraction in organic field-effect transistors

A modified transmission-line method (TLM) for organic transistors contact resistance extraction is proposed. It is shown that the issues of conventional TLM reside in the channel resistance scattering due to parameter variations. These difficulties are overcome in the modified TLM, in which the linear regression slope is directly controlled by the contact resistance rather than by the channel resistance as in conventional TLM. Much smaller transistor-to-transistor dispersion of contact resistance results in a more stable and more reliable extraction method. Moreover, an error study by simulation has been carried out, confirming the greater accuracy of the modified TLM.

Measurements of anisotropic thermoelectric properties in superlattices

Thermoelectric properties, i.e., thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and the Seebeck coefficient, have been measured in the directions parallel (in-plane) and perpendicular to the interface of an n-type Si(80 Å)/Ge(20 Å) superlattice. A two-wire 3ω method is employed to measure the in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities. The cross-plane Seebeck coefficient is deduced by using a differential measurement between the superlattice and reference samples and the cross-plane electrical conductivity is determined through a modified transmission-line method. The in-plane thermal conductivity of the Si/Ge superlattice is 5–6 times higher than the cross-plane one, and the electrical conductivity shows a similar anisotropy. The anisotropy of the Seebeck coefficients is smaller in comparison to electrical and thermal conductivities in the temperature range from 150 to 300 K. However, the cross-plane Seebeck coefficient rises faster with increasing temperature than that of the in-plane direction.

Performance of Pd–Ge based ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs

The performance of Pd–Ge based ohmic contacts, with and without Ti–Pt or Ti–Pt–Au capping layers, has been investigated. The contacts were deposited by electron beam evaporation, then characterized electrically using a modified transmission line method (TLM) and structurally using both cross-section and plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Although both capped and non-capped contact structures underwent the same phase transformations during annealing, capped contacts had significantly better contact resistances (a minimum value of 4×10-7 Ω cm2 was achieved) – almost three orders of magnitude better. The superior performance is attributed to the capping layers providing protection for the Pd–Ge layers during contact processing, where the metallization was exposed to a CF4–O2 plasma, oxyen descumming, organic solvents and deionized water. Non-capped contacts exhibited PdGe decomposition and oxidation of exposed Ge. Long-term reliability testing of capped contacts showed virtually no change in contact resistance at 235°C (1350 h) and a sevenfold increase after ageing at 290°C for 370 h. There were no phase changes during ageing; the increase in contact resistance was attributed to interdiffusion between Ge and GaAs.