Photoresist Research Articles

Synergistic effect of CTA+ and Br- on defect-free TSV filling by Cu electrodeposition

Suppressing additives for Cu electrodeposition play a critical role in inducing bottom-up filling in micrometer-scale features such as through-silicon vias (TSVs). This study explores the adsorptive behaviors of cetyltrimethylammonium cation (CTA+) and bromide ion (Br-) and their application to defect-free TSV filling. Electrochemical analyses reveal that both CTA+ and Br- suppress Cu electrodeposition, with only CTA+ exhibiting negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior. The addition of Br- to CTA+ enhances the suppression effect while maintaining the NDR behavior of CTA+. TSV filling experiments demonstrate that the NDR behavior of the CTA+ and Br- combination induces the passive-active transition on the sidewalls of TSVs, which is essential for Cu bottom-up filling. The effects of CTA+ and Br- concentrations on the passive-active transition are also investigated, showing that CTA+ determines the height at which the passive-active transition occurs, while Br- enhances suppression to inhibit Cu growth on the sidewalls in the active region. Based on these behaviors, the optimal CTA+-Br- combination leads to successful bottom-up filling in TSVs. The mechanisms of TSV filling with CTA+ and Br- are suggested based on electrochemical analyses and gap-filling results. The active region at the TSV bottom, formed via selective breakdown of suppressing adsorbates, is filled while effectively inhibiting Cu deposition on the sidewalls, followed by filling the remaining portion of TSVs with vertical Cu growth.

Frequency tunable non-invasive microwave blood glucose sensor based on negative impedance circuit

Abstract This article proposes a frequency adjustable non-invasive blood glucose microwave sensor based on negative impedance circuit. Firstly, this article establishes a skin-blood-skin human tissue model for the detection of non-invasive microwave sensors. Compared to traditional passive microwave blood glucose sensors, this design uses a negative impedance compensation circuit (NIC), greatly increasing microwave penetration and improving its detection sensitivity. In addition, this design achieves the goal of adjustable operating frequency by adding an additional dielectric layer at the detection end. This function is of great significance for microwave non-invasive blood glucose sensors. On the one hand, it can adjust to the optimal operating frequency band according to the characteristics of blood glucose changes; On the other hand, it is possible to measure changes in blood glucose concentration at multiple frequency points, thereby increasing the accuracy of detection. The relevant results show that adjusting the frequency band can reach 1–4 GHz, and the specific method of frequency adjustment is provided in the article; Meanwhile, four initial frequency points were selected in the article, at which the results show that the sensitivity reaches 1.356 × 10−3, 3.142 × 10−3, 2.071 × 10−3, 1.903 × 10−3. The above results demonstrate the superiority of our design, and blood glucose sensors based on this principle are expected to break through the limitations of current blood glucose sensors.

Harnessing 3D seismic data for mapping natural CO2 distribution: Paving the way for future CCS/CCUS implementation in the Lower Talang Akar Formation, Jabung Block, South Sumatra Basin

Hydrocarbon reservoirs saturated with CO2 are naturally widespread in the Lower Talang Akar Formation (LTAF) and deposited in the Jabung Block, South Sumatra Basin, Indonesia. The different CO2 saturation contents stored in the reservoirs pose a challenge to planning future carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in the area. This study integrates poststack 3D seismic data and existing wells in the western part of the Jabung Block. It utilizes seismic attribute methods such as sum of negative amplitude, relative impedance, variance, and ant tracking to predict the origin, saturation, and distribution of CO2-saturated hydrocarbon accumulations in the sandstone reservoirs of the LTAF. The results show that CO2 originated from the Betara Deep source rock in the study area's eastern side and migrated to the reservoirs through major northwest–southeast-trending fault zones. The saturation of CO2 in the reservoirs is mainly controlled by the distance from the source and the reservoir depths, faulting, and fracturing intensity. The fields closer to the Betara source rock tend to be filled with higher contents of CO2 saturation. The results provide valuable guidance in CO2 identification and mapping for future CCS and CCUS implementation in the study area.

Light Dependent Negative Differential Resistance and Resistive Switching in Oxide Semiconductors

Light Dependent Negative Differential Resistance and Resistive Switching in Oxide Semiconductors

Additional damping control for multi-terminal AC-DC hybrid system based on reachability analysis

Abstract The application proportion of multi-terminal AC-DC hybrid power distribution systems is constantly increasing. In order to describe the operation status and trajectory of the system and judge whether the system can maintain stable and safe operation, in this paper, the differential algebraic equation is firstly established by mathematical and physical methods for a typical multi-terminal AC-DC hybrid power distribution system. Then, the reachable set in the operation process is analyzed according to the reachability analysis calculation method to judge the stable operation status. An additional damping control method is proposed, which can effectively restrain the negative impedance characteristics of the DC micro-grid and improve the operation stability of the system. Finally, the improvement performance of the control method is verified by combining the reachability analysis results.

A Pilot Protection of Negative Sequence and Additional Network Considering Photovoltaic Integration

Background: Introducing pilot protection in active distribution networks containing PV can improve the reliability and selectivity of protection. However, the basic communication facilities of the existing distribution network make it difficult to meet the requirements of data synchronization, and the PV T-connection to the network leads to sudden changes in the impedance angle. Methods: Therefore, pilot protection of a negative sequence and additional network considering PV is proposed. The scheme is based on the feature that the PV model only outputs positive sequence components after a fault. For asymmetrical faults, the negative sequence impedance detected at both ends of the protection is utilized to construct a comparative negative sequence impedance protection criterion. For symmetrical faults, the voltage characteristics of the faulty additional network are utilized to construct a protection criterion. Results: Finally, an actual distribution network model with PV is constructed in PSCAD to verify the effectiveness and reliability of the protection method. Conclusion: The protection method is selective and reliable and is not affected by high penetration rate and PV fault characteristics.

Research on disturbance influence of goaf residual deformation on simply supported beam bridge

In order to analyze the stability of the bridge above the goaf, the disturbance influence of goaf residual deformation on the bridge is studied. Firstly, an equivalent numerical simulation method of goaf residual deformation evolution process is studied by quantitative analysis the sensitivity of residual subsidence to the rock parameters using the OAT (one-variable-at-a-time). Then, the collaborative deformation of ground, pile, and bridge floor is studied under the condition of a simply-supported beam bridge above the goaf center. Finally, the mechanism of collaborative deformation of ground, pile, and bridge floor is revealed. The results show that the goaf residual deformation process can be obtained by weakening the elastic modulus of fractured rock in the caving zone. At the final residual deformation stage, the subsidence ratio of ground to pile is about 10, and the subsidence ratio of pile to bridge floor is about 2, while the ground horizontal movement ratio of ground to pile is about 7, and the bridge floor horizontal movement can be ignored. The bridge floor is always in the positive curvature influence zone, and the pile has an inhibitory effect on the curvature deformation of the bridge floor. The compression deformation occurs between the piles locations, while the tensile deformation occurs at the pile location. The evolution of negative frictional resistance derived from goaf residual deformation is the main reason for the change in the collaborative deformation law among the ground, pile and bridge floor. This research can provide scientific support and theoretical basis for the design, construction, and protection of the bridge above the goaf center, and can also provide reference for the stability evaluation of bridge above goaf under other conditions.

An octave tuning range quad-core VCO using a multi-mode resonator

This paper presents a novel multi-core multi-mode electric-magnetic (E-M) mixed-coupling voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), achieving wide tuning range and phase noise optimization simultaneously through a multi-core structure. A symmetric multi-mode resonator is proposed to address the issue of differential signal mismatch caused by transformer asymmetry. An inductor ring is used to balance the inductance of each mode and its effect in each mode is analyzed in detail. A symmetrical switch network is employed for mode switching, offering advantages such as reduced parasitics and mismatch. The utilization of a varactor combined with a fixed capacitor enables electrical coupling, ensuring overlapping frequency bands even with variations in process, voltage, and temperature (PVT), and extending the tuning range. Furthermore, a switched resistor array is employed to bias the negative resistance pair and minimize the contribution of 1/f noise upconversion to the phase noise. Designed in a 40-nm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology with a core area of 0.16 mm2, the VCO achieves a simulated continuous tuning range of 81.5%, spanning from 11.1 to 26.4 GHz. Operating at a 1.1 V supply with a power consumption of 16 mW, the phase noise at 12.15 GHz is −118.6 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset, corresponding to a figure-of-merit (FoM) of 188.3 dBc/Hz and a FoMT of −206.3 dBc/Hz.

Electronic transport properties of tetracene molecular junctions formed with different metallic electrodes

Density functional theory in combination with non-equilibrium Green’s function is employed to study the electron transport properties of tetracene-based molecular junctions formed with silver, gold, copper and platinum electrodes. The physical origin of the IV curves is discussed by analyzing their density of states, molecular projected self-consistent Hamiltonian, transmission spectra, conductance trends and HOMO-LUMO gap at different operating voltages. The results indicate that till a low bias voltage of 1.4 V, the tetracene molecule shows metallic behavior with silver and copper electrodes while semi-metallic and non-metallic nature with gold and platinum electrodes respectively is observed. The zero bias conductance is found to be greatest for Ag followed by Cu and Au with the least in Pt. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that negative differential resistance feature is observed in molecular junctions with all the electrodes except Pt, with the highest peak-to-valley current ratio of 1.283 found in Ag-Tetracene-Ag molecular junction.

Layer-Ordered Organooxotin Clusters for Extreme-Ultraviolet Photolithography.

Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography, which enables the high-throughput production of well-defined patterns with critical dimensions on the scale of several nanometers, is essential for the fabrication of a highly integrated semiconductor. The full exploitation of EUV lithographic techniques necessitates the development of photoresist (PR) materials with both high EUV sensitivity and a long shelf-life. However, despite notable advances, the available library of EUV PR materials remains limited. Here we report EUV PRs capable of forming preorganized layers consisting of ladder-structured tetranuclear stannoxanes. Single-crystal X-ray structure analyses reveal a close interlayer distance of 8.5 Å through interdigitation of the pseudoaxial butyl chains. The developed EUV PR materials exhibit high solubility in organic solvents commonly used in semiconductor processing, enabling the preparation of PR solutions with superior wettability and uniform film-forming ability on Si wafer substrates. These PR solutions also demonstrate notable resistance to hydrolytic decomposition for as long as 1 month, indicating a long shelf-life. Our PR materials enabled negative-tone patterning processes that involved a solubility decrease upon irradiation. The presence of chromophoric ligands makes our PR materials compatible with conventional UV photolithography, through photochemical reactions involving carbonyl units. In addition, e-beam and EUV lithography could produce fine line patterns of our PRs, with critical dimensions of 20 and 15 nm, respectively. Our research showcases the potential of layer-ordered organooxotin clusters for EUV PR applications.

Superhydrophobic Waterborne Epoxy Composite Coating with Good Mechanical Properties, Icing Resistance, Self-Cleaning Properties, and Corrosion Resistance.

Epoxy resins with higher corrosion resistance typically employ environmentally harmful organic solvents such as xylene, while the corrosion resistance of waterborne epoxy resins, which are relatively environmentally friendly, is not as good as that of oil-based epoxy resins. In this study, by coating the surface of waterborne epoxy resin with a superhydrophobic zinc oxide coating, the corrosion resistance of waterborne epoxy resin was enhanced. During the initial immersion, its impedance value can reach 1010 Ω·cm2. The superhydrophobic nature of the coating itself also ensures the surface's resistance to immersion, delaying the intrusion of corrosive media into the coating. Furthermore, this coating exhibits good mechanical properties, self-cleaning performance, anti-icing performance, and so on. The introduction of superhydrophobic surfaces greatly optimizes the performance of traditional waterborne epoxy resin coatings, opening up directions for the metal anticorrosion field of coatings. Meanwhile, during the EIS testing of the superhydrophobic coating, we observed the occurrence of negative impedance in the results. After studying, we speculated that this phenomenon might be related to the degree of wetting of the superhydrophobic coating. Based on this conjecture, we can evaluate the basic properties of the superhydrophobic coating through this phenomenon.

Double barrier structure of Mo/AlN/Mo/AlN/Mo multilayer and its resonant tunneling effect

We prepare a symmetrical double barrier structure of Mo/AlN/Mo/AlN/Mo by using the reactive magnetron sputtering on a sapphire substrate and examine its resonant tunneling effect. Characterizations of multilayers demonstrate that the AlN (0002) aligns well along the Mo (110). Direct current-voltage (DC I–V) test finds significant negative differential resistance at room temperature around 0.7 and 0.9 V carrier energy and with peak-to-valley current ratios of about 1.1 and 1.2. The simulation using conventional transfer matrix method suggests good consistence between the designed structure, the quantized energy level and the switching voltage. The large signal DC model also fits the experimental I–V properties. Our work provides a new type of resonant tunneling device in room temperature.

Direct ESI-MS of Ionic Liquids Using High-Pressure Electrospray From Large-Bore Emitters Made of Micropipette Tips.

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of neat undiluted ionic liquid (IL) and the analysis of protein with the doping of IL were performed using high-pressure electrospray. The use of disposable micropipette tips as emitters eased the handling of viscous and easy-to-clog samples and improved the reproducibility of the measurement. A high-pressure operation enabled the stable electrospray of the highly conductive IL from these relatively large bore emitters. The measurement of the current-voltage relationship of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (Emim BF4) revealed an unusual negative differential resistance that has not been seen in the typical atmospheric or high-pressure electrospray. Mass spectrometric analysis of this IL also showed the characteristic response of various ion species with the emitter voltage. When added to the commonly used protein solution, the mass spectrum also showed protein peaks that correspond to the adduction of fluoroboric acid molecules (HBF4).

Electron Transport in a Bipolar Transistor with a Superlattice in the Emitter

A set of transfer and output current-voltage characteristics of a bipolar transistor with a short-period superlattice in the emitter region has been calculated. It is shown that the presence of a superlattice in the tr ansistor structure leads to the fo rmation of a negative differential conductivity region, which makes it possible to implement not only amplification, but also the generation and multiplication of high-frequency oscillations.

Bifurcation Analysis of Electrodynamic Systems Containing Nonlinear Semiconductor Microstructures with Negative Differential Conductivity

Bifurcation Analysis of Electrodynamic Systems Containing Nonlinear Semiconductor Microstructures with Negative Differential Conductivity

Exploring the structural characteristics and electrical conductivity of MnTiO3 across ferroelectric and paraelectric phases

In this study, we present the ceramic's structural, dielectric, and impedance characteristics obtained through the solid-state reaction method synthesis. Initial structural analysis was conducted utilizing X-ray diffraction at room temperature. The XRD results show that MnTiO3 exhibits rhombohedral symmetry. SEM images of MnTiO3 show the presence of both cubic and large agglomerated grains. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the dielectric HN model in controlling the mechanism. The alternating current (ac) conductivity, when examined in relation to frequency, displays a remarkable adherence to the Johnscher's power law. The change in electrical modulus and the width at half maximum (FWHM) of the curve indicate that the as-prepared sample exhibits a non-Debye relaxation mechanism. Both the temperature data and the frequency dependence of the impedance were used to analyze the electrical conductivity of the sample, which showed a negative temperature coefficient resistance (NTCR).

Are There an Infinite Number of Passive Circuit Elements in the World?

We found that a second-order ideal memristor [whose state is the charge, i.e., in ] degenerates into a negative nonlinear resistor with an internal power source. After extending analytically and geographically the above local activity (experimentally verified by the two active higher-integral-order memristors extracted from the famous Hodgkin–Huxley circuit) to other higher-order circuit elements, we concluded that all higher-order passive memory circuit elements do not exist in nature and that the periodic table of the two-terminal passive ideal circuit elements can be dramatically reduced to a reduced table comprising only six passive elements: a resistor, inductor, capacitor, memristor, mem-inductor, and mem-capacitor. Such a bounded table answered an open question asked by Chua 40 years ago: Are there an infinite number of passive circuit elements in the world?

Gallium arsenide octave-bandwidth microwave voltage-controlled oscillator having discrete varicap

Modern reconfigurable communication systems demand microwave voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) possessing an octave-wide bandwidth. Many advanced applications require also a low phase noise and a low current consumption for such VCOs. To meet an octave-bandwidth specification in combination with a low phase noise and a low current consumption it is desirable to implement a microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) technology. In-house gallium arsenide (GaAs) MMIC technology is implemented to build VCOs in this work. At the same time, in order to achieve a high-Q wide frequency tuning range, we implemented also a discrete variable capacitance diode (varicap). The discrete varicap is stacked above MMIC oscillator chip. A vertical design structure of the discrete varicap guarantees a high overlap capacitance ratio (K>20) along with reduced affect of the parasitic reactance. A high overlap capacitance ratio is needed for an octave-wide frequency tuning, while reduced affect of the parasitic reactance increases Q-factor of the VCO resonator. Hence, a sequential integration of the discrete varicap over monolithic oscillator chip resolves referred tough challenges in the design of VCO. Integrated VCO is finally packaged as a surface-mount device (SMD). At that SMD ceramic package is sealed with the metal lid. The oscillator circuitry is based on the conventional negative resistance approach with a positive feedback realized by common-source capacitance. An active element of the oscillator is a pseudomorphic high electron-mobility transistor (pHEMT). The gate length of a transistor is 0.15 µm. The width of the gate varies from 240 µm to 360 µm depending on working frequencies of the VCO. The varicap is built on the GaAs epitaxial heterostructure having customized gradient doping profile with abrupt junction. Nonlinear behavioral model of the varicap is extracted from the diode measurements and is further used for VCO simulation. Two types of VCO have been designed, fabricated and tested. First (second) type of VCO provides a tuning range from 5 to 10 GHz (from 10 GHz to 20 GHz), respectively. The measurement results demonstrate an output power of 3.9 dBm; a current consumption of 30 mA at a supply voltage of 5 V; a phase noise of minus 90 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset (minus 85 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset) for the first (second) type of VCO, respectively.

Insight into the transport of ions from salts of moderated solubility through nanochannels: negative incremental resistance assisted by geometry.

In this study, the transport of salt with moderate solubility through bioinspired solid-state nanochannels was comprehensively investigated. For this purpose, bullet-shaped channels were fabricated and exposed to KClO4, a monovalent salt with moderate solubility. These channels displayed the typical rectifying behavior characteristic of asymmetrical channels but with one remarkable difference, the iontronic output exhibited a negative incremental resistance phenomenon of high gating efficiency when the transmembrane voltage in the open state was increased enough, giving rise to an inactivated state characterized by a low and stable ion current. The behavior is attributed to salt precipitation inside the channel and remarkably, it is not observed in other geometries such as cylindrical or cigar-shaped channels. Considering the central role of the surface in precipitation formation, the influence of several parameters such as electrolyte concentration, pH, and channel size was studied. Under optimized conditions, this system can alternate among three different conductance states (closed, open, and inactivated) and exhibits gating ratios higher than 20. Beyond its potential application in fields related to electronics or sensing, this study provides valuable insight into the fundamental principles behind ion rectifying behavior in solid-state channels and highlights the implications of surface phenomena at the nanoscale.

One-Dimensional van der Waals Heterojunction Comprising Carbon Nanotube Half-Wrapped in Boron Nitride Nanotube: Deep Investigation of Thermal Rectification.

One-dimensional van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures are celebrated for their exceptional thermal management capabilities, garnering significant research interest. Consequently, our research focused on the one-dimensional vdWs heterojunction comprising carbon nanotube half-wrapped in boron nitride nanotube (BNCNT), specifically their thermal rectification (TR) properties. We employed non-equilibrium molecular dynamics to explore the TR mechanism and assess the impacts of temperature, strain, and coupling strength on heat flux and TR ratio. Our findings reveal that the backward heat flux demonstrates greater atomic vibration instability, as indicated by mean square displacement (MSD), compared to forward heat flux. This instability leads to a higher concentration of localized phonons, thereby diminishing the backward heat flux and enhancing TR. Additionally, we utilized MSD to shed light on the negative differential thermal resistance phenomenon and the influence of stress on forward and backward heat fluxes. Remarkably, TR ratios reached 344% at 3% strain and 400% at -1% strain. Calculations of phonon density of states revealed a competitive mechanism between in-plane and out-of-plane phonons coupling in the inner carbon nanotube and an overlap degree of out-of-plane phonon spectra between the inner carbon nanotube and outer boron nitride nanotube. This accounts for the differing trends in forward and backward heat fluxes as coupling strength χ increases, with TR ratios exceeding 1000% at χ = 7.5. This study provides vital insights for advancing one-dimensional vdWs thermal rectifiers.