Residual Resistivity Research Articles

Thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of single copper nanowires.

Copper nano-interconnects are ubiquitous in semiconductor devices. The electrical and thermal properties of copper nanowires (CuNWs) profoundly affect the performance of electronics. In contrast to the intensively studied electrical properties of CuNWs, the thermal conductivities of CuNWs have seldom been examined. In this study, the electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of single CuNWs were investigated. The Bloch-Grüneisen formula was introduced to determine the mechanisms responsible for the obtained electrical resistivity of the CuNWs. High residual resistivity was found, which indicated strong structural scattering on the electron transport resulting from defect scattering and boundary scatterings at the copper-copper oxide interface and grain boundaries. The mean structural scattering distance was employed to appreciate the degree of structural scattering in the CuNWs. The residual resistivity and electron-phonon coupling parameter were found to increase with the degree of structural scattering. Moreover, the unified thermal resistivity was introduced to illustrate the mechanisms responsible for the CuNWs' thermal conductivities. Similarly, large values of residual unified thermal resistivity and electron-phonon-induced unified thermal resistivity were found. The obtained unified thermal resistivities of the CuNWs could also be qualitatively explained by the degree of structural scattering in the CuNWs. The results suggested that structural scattering was predominant in the electrical current transport and heat transfer in the nanowires. This study revealed the mechanisms of electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of CuNWs, and the insights could assist in improving the design of semiconductor architectures.

Residual resistivity as an independent indicator of resonant levels in semiconductors.

Distortion of the density of states induced by specific impurities, a mechanism known as resonant level (RL), is an efficient strategy to enhance the thermoelectric performances of metals and semiconductors. So far, experimental signatures identifying the resonant nature of an impurity have relied on the so-called Ioffe-Pisarenko plot that enables visualizing the induced thermopower enhancement at specific carrier concentrations. However, this method cannot solely discern RL from other possible band-structure-related sources of thermopower enhancement such as band-shape modifications or band convergence. An independent method of resolving this problem is proposed here. A detailed theoretical and experimental analysis of the low-temperature electrical resistivity ρ0 and carrier mobility μ0 of the resonant-level system SnTe doped with In is presented as a function of the impurity concentration x. By comparing to non-resonant cases of SnTe doped with I, Mn, and Ga, we demonstrate that the construction of residual resistivity ρ0(x) and residual mobility μ0(x) plots allows to distinguish between resonant and non-resonant impurities, even when some of them induce similar thermopower enhancements. This methodology is further confirmed by analyses performed for Na- and Tl-doped PbTe, illustrating how the combination of transport measurements at low temperatures can be used to determine the resonant nature of an impurity.

Electronic, magnetic and galvanomagnetic properties of Co-based Heusler alloys: Possible states of a half-metallic ferromagnet and spin gapless semiconductor

Parameters of the energy gap and, consequently, electronic, magnetic and galvanomagnetic properties in different X2YZ Heusler alloys can vary quite strongly. In particular, half-metallic ferromagnets (HMFs) and spin gapless semiconductors (SGSs) with almost 100% spin polarization of charge carriers are promising materials for spintronics. The changes in the electrical, magnetic and galvanomagnetic properties of the Co2YSi (Y = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe) and Co2MnZ Heusler alloys (Z = Al, Si, Ga, Ge) in possible HMF- and/or SGS-states were followed and their interconnection was established. Significant changes in the values of the magnetization and residual resistivity were found. At the same time, the correlations between the changes in these electronic and magnetic characteristics depending on the number of valence electrons and spin polarization are observed.

Features of the electroresistivity, magnetic and galvanomagnetic characteristics in Co2MeSi Heusler alloys

The electro- and magneto-transport as well as magnetic properties of Co2MeSi (Me = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) Heusler alloys were studied. The electroresistivity was measured from 4.2 to 300 K, the galvanomagnetic properties (magnetoresistivity and Hall effect) were measured at T = 4.2 K in magnetic fields of up to 100 kOe, and the magnetization at T = 4.2 and 300 K in fields of up to 70 kOe. The normal and anomalous Hall coefficients, saturation magnetization, residual resistivity, current carrier concentration, coefficients at linear contributions into the electroresistivity and magnetoresistivity were obtained. It was shown that on the one hand, there is quite clear correlation between the electronic and magnetic characteristics of Heusler alloys studied, and the spin polarization coefficients of current carriers, taken from well know literature data, on the other hand. The obtained results can be used for creation of new materials for spintronics.

Synthesis of Narrow SnTe Nanowires Using Alloy Nanoparticles

Topological crystalline insulator tin telluride (SnTe) provides a rich playground to examine interactions of correlated electronic states, such as ferroelectricity, topological surface states, and superconductivity. Making SnTe into nanowires further induces novel electronic states due to one-dimensional (1D) confinement effects. Thus, for transport measurements, SnTe nanowires must be made narrow in their diameters to ensure the 1D confinement and phase coherence of the topological surface electrons. This study reports a facile growth method to produce narrow SnTe nanowires with a high yield using alloy nanoparticles as growth catalysts. The average diameter of the SnTe nanowires grown using the alloy nanoparticles is 85 nm, nearly a factor of three reduction from the previous average diameter of 240 nm using gold nanoparticles as growth catalysts. Transport measurements reveal the effect of the nanowire diameter on the residual resistance ratio and magnetoresistance. Particularly, the ferroelectric transition temperature for SnTe is observed to change systematically with the nanowire diameter. In situ cryogenic cooling of narrow SnTe nanowires in a transmission electron microscope directly reveals the cubic to rhombohedral structural transition, which is associated with the ferroelectric transition. Thus, these narrow SnTe nanowires represent a model system to study electronic states arising from the 1D confinement, such as 1D topological superconductivity as well as a potential multi-band superconductivity.

Peculiarities of the electronic and magnetic characteristics in Co2 YSi (Y = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) Heusler alloys close to the half-metallic ferromagnets and spin gapless semiconductors

The Hall Effect and magnetization of Heusler alloys Co2YSi (Y = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) were measured at T = 4.2 K and 300 K in magnetic fields of up to 100 kOe as well as the temperature dependence of the electroresistivity from 4.2 to 300 K. The normal and anomalous Hall coefficients, saturation magnetization, residual resistivity, type and concentration of current carriers and their mobility were obtained. It was demonstrated that there is a clear correlation between the electronic and magnetic parameters obtained, depending on the number of valence electrons z, at the transition from Co2TiSi (z=26) to Co2NiSi (z=32). The observed peculiarities of electronic and magnetic parameters may be due to the appearance of the states of the half-metallic ferromagnet and/or spin gapless semiconductor.

Получение чистых сплавов никеля, легированных серой и фосфором

A procedure for alloying nickel with sulfur and phosphorus by diffusion and homogenizing annealing is described using the example of pure nickel (RRR at 600). A scheme of the installation for alloying from the gas phase is described. The possibility of uniform alloying with sulfur and phosphorus of samples and material in the form of plates or foils with a thickness of 0.2 mm or thinner at a concentration ranging between 0.001 and 0.08) at. % is shown. Diffusion annealing is carried out after heating and pumping out in a high vacuum and without contamination, in a quartz volume containing sulfur or phosphorus vapors at a temperature of 1100 to 1200 °C. By choosing the ratio of the masses of the alloyed material and the corresponding filling of sulfur or phosphorus, it is possible to predict in advance the resulting concentration of impurities with a sufficient time of annealing. The impurity concentration is uniform in volume within ten percent. Modeling and control annealings with the measurement of the residual resistivity of the control samples allows you to evaluate the results obtained.

Unconventional Bulk Superconductivity in YFe_{2}Ge_{2} Single Crystals.

Sharp superconducting transition anomalies observed in a new generation of single crystals establish that bulk superconductivity is intrinsic to high purity YFe_{2}Ge_{2}. Low temperature heat capacity measurements suggest a disorder and field dependent residual Sommerfeld coefficient, consistent with disorder-induced in-gap states as expected for a sign-changing order parameter. The sevenfold reduction in disorder scattering in these new crystals to residual resistivities ≃0.45 μΩ cm was achieved using a new liquid transport growth technique, paving the way for multiprobe experiments investigating the normal and superconducting states of YFe_{2}Ge_{2}.

Synthesis and characterization of Eu- and La-doped CuS nanoparticles and their effects on the electrical properties of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oδ superconductor

Undoped, Eu- and La-doped CuS nanoparticles stabilized by l-cysteine were synthesized by a low-temperature soft aqueous route. Their structural properties were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, their morphological properties were scrutinized using scanning electron microscopy, their microstructural properties were carried out using transmission electron microscopy, their optical properties were examined using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and their electrical properties were studied using complex impedance spectroscopy. It was found that Cu0.99La0.01S nanoparticles exhibit the smallest particle size, the highest optical bandgap, the highest values of electrical conductivity and dielectric constant, and the lowest values of dielectric loss tangent when compared with CuS and Cu0.99Eu0.01S nanoparticles. To investigate the effect of the as-synthesized nanoparticles on the superconducting properties of bismuth-based compound ((Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oδ), its structural properties were examined by X-ray powder diffraction, its transport properties were analyzed by the standard four-probe technique, its intrinsic properties were investigated using the Aslamazov–Larkin approach and its pinning properties were studied using the thermally activated flux flow model. It was found that Cu0.99La0.01S added sample exhibits the highest Bi-2223 phase concentration, the lowest residual resistivity, the highest critical transition temperature, the lowest value of coherence length, the highest values of penetration depth, upper critical magnetic field and critical current density, the narrowest shift of the zero-resistivity temperature, the highest effective pinning energies and the highest global critical current densities, when compared with pure, CuS and Cu0.99Eu0.01S added samples.

Subterahertz Momentum Drag and Violation of Matthiessen's Rule in an Ultraclean Ferromagnetic SrRuO_{3} Metallic Thin Film.

SrRuO_{3}, a ferromagnet with an approximately 160K Curie temperature, exhibits a T^{2}-dependent dc resistivity below ≈30 K. Nevertheless, previous optical studies in the infrared and terahertz range show non-Drude dynamics at low temperatures, which seem to contradict Fermi-liquid predictions. In this work, we measure the low-frequency THz range response of thin films with residual resistivity ratios, ρ_{300K}/ρ_{4K}≈74. At temperatures below 30K, we find both a sharp zero frequency mode which has a width narrower than k_{B}T/ℏ as well as a broader zero frequency Lorentzian that has at least an order of magnitude larger scattering. Both features have temperature dependences consistent with a Fermi liquid with the wider feature explicitly showing a T^{2} scaling. Above 30K, there is a crossover to a regime described by a single Drude peak that we believe arises from strong interband electron-electron scattering. Such two channel Drude transport sheds light on reports of the violation of Matthiessen's rule and extreme sensitivity to disorder in metallic ruthenates.

Molecular beam epitaxy of the half-Heusler antiferromagnet CuMnSb

We report the growth of CuMnSb thin films by molecular beam epitaxy on InAs (001) substrates. The CuMnSb layers are compressively strained (0.6 %) due to lattice mismatch. The thin films have a $\ensuremath{\omega}$ full width at half-maximum of 7.7 arcsec according to high resolution x-ray diffraction, and a root-mean-square roughness of 0.14 nm as determined by atomic force microscopy. Magnetic and electrical properties are found to be consistent with reported values from bulk samples. We find a N\'eel temperature of 62 K, a Curie-Weiss temperature of \ensuremath{-}65 K, and an effective moment of $5.9\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}/\mathrm{f}.\mathrm{u}.$ Transport measurements confirm the antiferromagnetic transition and show a residual resistivity at 4 K of $35\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}$\textohm{} cm.

Influence of Cr-substitution on the structural, magnetic, electron transport, and mechanical properties of Fe3−xCrxGe Heusler alloys

We performed combined experimental and theoretical studies of the effect of Cr substitution for Fe on the structural, magnetic, transport, electronic, and mechanical properties of Fe3-xCrxGe (0⩽x⩽1) intermetallic alloys. Single phase microstructures are observed for x⩽0.70. Higher Cr concentrations x>0.70 are multi-phased. A hexagonal D019 structure is found for all Cr concentrations, with the lattice parameters increasing systematically with an increasing Cr content. All the alloys in the series are found to be ferromagnets with large magnetization values of about 6 μB/f.u. and high Curie temperature above room temperature. The low-temperature saturation magnetic moments agree fairly well with our theoretical results and also obey the Slater-Pauling rule. The density functional theory calculation reveals that Cr substitution energetically favours one of the Fe sites in Fe3Ge. The electrical resistivity measured over the temperature range from 5 K to 400 K shows metallic behavior, with a residual resistivity ratio that decreases with Cr content. Vicker’s hardness values are observed to increase with increasing Cr content to approximately 5 GPa.

Effect of controlled pointlike disorder induced by 2.5-MeV electron irradiation on the nematic resistivity anisotropy of hole-doped (Ba,K)Fe2As2

In-plane anisotropy of electrical resistivity was studied in samples of the hole-doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ in the composition range $0.21 \leq x \leq 0.26$ where anisotropy changes sign. Low-temperature ($\sim$20~K) irradiation with relativistic 2.5 MeV electrons was used to control the level of disorder and residual resistivity of the samples. Modification of the stress-detwinning technique enabled measurements of the same samples before and after irradiation, leading to conclusion of anisotropic character of predominantly inelastic scattering processes. Our main finding is that the resistivity anisotropy is of the same sign irrespective of residual resistivity, and remains the same in the orthorhombic $C_2$ phase above the re-entrant tetragonal transition. Unusual $T$-linear dependence of the anisotropy $\Delta \rho \equiv \rho_a(T)-\rho_b(T)$ is found in pristine samples with $x=$0.213 and $x=$0.219, without similar signatures in either $\rho_a(T)$ or $\rho_b(T)$. We show that this feature can be reproduced by a phenomenological model of R.~M.~Fernandes {\it et al.} Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 107},217002 (2011). We speculate that onset of fluctuations of nematic order on approaching the instability towards the re-entrant tetragonal phase contributes to this unusual dependence.

Intrinsic Bulk Quantum Oscillations in a Bulk Unconventional Insulator SmB6.

SummaryThe finding of bulk quantum oscillations in the Kondo insulator SmB6 proved a considerable surprise. Subsequent measurements of bulk quantum oscillations in other correlated insulators including YbB12 lent support to our discovery of a class of bulk unconventional insulators that host bulk quantum oscillations. Here we perform a series of experiments to examine evidence for the intrinsic character of bulk quantum oscillations in floating zone-grown single crystals of SmB6 that have been the subject of our quantum oscillation studies. We present results of thermodynamic, transport, and composition analysis experiments on pristine floating zone-grown single crystals of SmB6 and compare quantum oscillations with metallic LaB6 and elemental aluminum. These results establish the intrinsic origin of quantum oscillations from the insulating bulk of floating zone-grown SmB6. The similarity of the Fermi surface in insulating SmB6 with the conduction-electron Fermi surface in metallic hexaborides is at the heart of a theoretical mystery.

Large magnetoresistance and quantum oscillations of a ternary boride MoAlB single crystal

We report transport properties in a ternary compound MoAlB single crystal. It shows a metallic behavior with a residual resistivity ratio of $\ensuremath{\rho}$(300 K)/$\ensuremath{\rho}$(2 K)=40. After applied magnetic fields, the resistivity shows a quick upturn and saturates to a plateau as the temperature decreasing. At 2 K, the magnetoresistance (MR) increases quadratically with the magnetic field and reaches up to $1650%$ ($B=14$ T) without saturation. The two-band fitting of the Hall conductivity suggests that the unsaturated large quadratic MR in MoAlB was originated from the carriers' compensation with high mobility (${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{h}=7104\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{V}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}=1432\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{V}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$). The angle dependence of the ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xx}$ shows significant anisotropy. Furthermore, pronounced Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations are observed in both magnetoresistivity and Hall resistivity. We analyzed these quantum oscillations carefully and revealed several small Fermi surfaces with the light cyclotron masses in MoAlB. The angle dependence of SdH oscillations reveals quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surface structure in MoAlB.

Proximity effect in [Nb(1.5 nm)/Fe(x)]10/Nb(50 nm) superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures.

We have investigated the structural, magnetic and superconduction properties of [Nb(1.5 nm)/Fe(x)]10 superlattices deposited on a thick Nb(50 nm) layer. Our investigation showed that the Nb(50 nm) layer grows epitaxially at 800 °C on the Al2O3(1−102) substrate. Samples grown at this condition possess a high residual resistivity ratio of 15–20. By using neutron reflectometry we show that Fe/Nb superlattices with x < 4 nm form a depth-modulated FeNb alloy with concentration of iron varying between 60% and 90%. This alloy has weak ferromagnetic properties. The proximity of this weak ferromagnetic layer to a thick superconductor leads to an intermediate phase that is characterized by a suppressed but still finite resistance of structure in a temperature interval of about 1 K below the superconducting transition of thick Nb. By increasing the thickness of the Fe layer to x = 4 nm the intermediate phase disappears. We attribute the intermediate state to proximity induced non-homogeneous superconductivity in the structure.

Compressively Stressed Silicon Nanoclusters as an Antifracture Mechanism for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

Silicon has been considered a good candidate for replacing the commonly used carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high specific capacity, which can be up to 11 times higher than that of carbon. However, the desirable advantage that silicon brings to battery performance is currently overshadowed by its stress-induced performance loss and high electronic resistivity. The induced stress arises from two sources, namely, the deposition process (i.e., residual stress) during fabrication and the volume expansion (i.e., mechanical stress) associated with the lithiation/delithiation process. Of the two, residual stress has largely been ignored, underestimated, or considered to have a negligible effect without any rigorous evidence being put forward. In this contribution, we produced silicon thin films having a wide range of residual stress and resistivity using a physical vapor deposition technique, magnetron sputtering. Three pairs of silicon thin-film anodes were utilized to study the effect of residual stress on the electrochemical and cyclability performance as anodes for LIBs. Each set consisted of a pair of films having essentially the same resistivity, density, thickness, and oxidation amount but distinctly different residual stresses. The comparison was evaluated by conducting charge/discharge cycling and cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments. In contrast to the fixed belief within the literature, higher compressive residual-stress films showed better electrochemical and cycle performance compared to lower residual-stress films. The results, herein, present an informed understanding of the role that residual stress plays, which will help researchers improve the development of silicon-based thin-film anodes.

Strain relaxation induced transverse resistivity anomalies in SrRuO3 thin films

Here, we report a magnetotransport study of high-quality $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ thin films with high residual resistivity ratios grown by reactive oxide molecular-beam epitaxy. The transverse resistivity exhibits clear anomalies which are typically believed to be signatures of the topological Hall effect and the presence of magnetic skyrmions. By systematically investigating these anomalies as a function of temperature, field, film thickness, and excitation currents we verify that these anomalies originate from a two-channel anomalous Hall effect arising from magnetic inhomogeneities in the samples and not from an intrinsic topological Hall effect. Using a combination of magnetic circular dichroism, scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and magnetotransport, we discover that strain relaxation effects in the films are the origin of these inhomogeneities. Our results shed light on the recently reported Hall effect anomalies in $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ru}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ thin films and heterostructures and provide an approach to determine whether such anomalies arise from an intrinsic topological Hall effect or from extrinsic mechanisms.

Conceptual Design of the Capture Superconducting Solenoid for Experimental Muon Source

The experimental muon source (EMuS) project foreseen for muon science and neutrino physics is utilizing a superconducting solenoid for muon and pion capture, and is proposed at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). For the optimal particles collection efficiencies, an adiabatic magnetic field from 5 to 2.2 T along the central axis of the solenoid is generated by the solenoid. The superconducting solenoid is composed of four windings and an iron yoke. The iron yoke is arranged for flux returning and magnetic field shielding. Two conductor options for the windings, the aluminum stabilized NbTi Rutherford cable and the NbTi monolith wire are compared from the mechanical structure and radiation performance. The results of the mechanical analysis from ANSYS show that the excitation stress is suitable. But the results of the radiation analysis from FLUKA Monte-Carlo show that the recovery of the Residual Resistivity Ratios (RRRs) is necessary for the stabilizers of the superconductor. The recovery cycle of the aluminum stabilizer and the monolith wire solenoids are three months and one year, respectively. However, the RRR of copper for the monolith wire solenoid will be less than 50, after 12 years continuous running, which is shorter than the EMuS lifetime of 30 years. Therefore, the aluminum stabilized NbTi Rutherford cables are chosen to fabricate the windings.

Investigation on Temperature Dependent Inductance (TDI) of a planar Multi-Layer Inductor (MLI) down to 4.2 K.

This paper presents an investigation of the temperature dependence characteristics specific to cryogenic planar Multi-Layer Inductors (MLIs). This paper establishes that the inductance of a planar MLI at a specific frequency varies with temperature when the sensor is cooled down to 4.2 K while providing a detailed analysis of various possible factors that might contribute to the variation in the sensor performance, such as the thermal deformation and the variation in the properties of sensor materials, using a combination of experiments and simulations. By calculating the interlayer capacitance, we have attempted to adopt a novel approach in the investigation of the effects of thermal deformation on the sensor. In order to arrive at that, the relative permittivity of the base material (G10CR-FR4) at cryogenic temperatures was obtained through experiments. The ANSYS static structural package was used for modeling thermally induced deformations, after which the deformed capacitance and inductance were obtained using Ansoft MAXWELL. From the analysis, we have concluded that the variation in the inductance of the sensor has a direct correlation with the electrical resistivity (hence the residual resistivity ratio) of the coil material. The number of inductor layers and the area of the component layer will also determine the temperature dependence phenomenon. These conclusions are not obvious from the established inductance models.