Top-gate field-effect transistor based on monolayer WS2 with an ion-gel gate dielectric

A top-gate field-effect transistor (FET), based on monolayer (ML) tungsten disulfide (WS2), and with an ion-gel dielectric was developed. The high electrical contact resistance of the Schottky contacts at the n-type transition metal dichalcogenides/metal electrode interfaces often adversely affects the device performance. We report the contact resistance and Schottky barrier height of an FET with Au electrodes. The FET is based on ML WS2 that was synthesised using chemical vapour deposition and was assessed using the transfer-length method and low-temperature measurements. Raman and photoluminescence spectra were recorded to determine the optical properties of the WS2 layers. The ML WS2 FET with an ion-gel top gate dielectric exhibits n-type behaviour, with a mobility, on/off ratio of 1.97 cm2/V·s, 1.51×105, respectively.

Методики исследования электрического контактного сопротивления в структуре металлическая пленка--полупроводник

The electrical contact resistance significantly affects the efficiency of thermoelements. In the case of high doped thermoelectric materials, the tunneling mechanism of conductivity prevails at metal-semiconductor interface, which makes it possible to obtain a contact resistance of less than 10-8 Ohm•m2. Low resistance values significantly complicate its experimental determination. Work present three techniques and a measuring stand for the investigation of contact resistance. The techniques are based on the measurement of the total electrical resistance, which consists of transient contact resistance and the resistance of the thermoelectric material with its subsequent exclusion. The developed techniques differ in the arrangement of the investigated contacts on the samples, in the methods of measurement and processing of the obtained results, and make it possible to determine the specific contact resistance of the order of 10-10 Ohm•m2.

On the Use of Carbon Cables from Plastic Solvent Combinations of Polystyrene and Toluene in Carbon Nanotube Synthesis

For every three people on the planet, there are approximately two Tonnes (Te) of plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the coaddition of solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas at a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.37% to 14.31%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased following the addition of polystyrene, we conclude that carbon from PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid-washed Bucky papers produced from each loading ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, materials with different loadings were mixed to create the six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf3; the cable achieved up- and down- link speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, i.e., comparable to Cu wire with the same dimensions (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for a use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the aircraft. Due to their lightweight nature, the CNT wires decreased the CO2 footprint by 21 kTonnes (kTe) over the aircraft’s lifespan.

Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes via Liquid Injection Chemical Vapour Deposition as a Vector for the Chemical Recycling of Waste Composite Carbon Sources

For every three people on the planet there is approximately two Tonne (Te) of available plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the co-addition to solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas in a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.3% to 14.2%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased with respect to polystyrene addition, we conclude that carbon from the PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid washed Bucky papers produced from each loading, ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, the materials with different loading were mixed to create six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf to give uplink and downlink speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, comparable to Cu wire of identical dimension (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for the use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the craft. Due to their lightweight nature the CNT wires decreased the CO2 footprint by 21 kTonne (kTe) over the aircraft lifespan.

Overcoming Asymmetric Contact Resistances in Al-Contacted Mg2(Si,Sn) Thermoelectric Legs

Thermoelectric generators are a reliable and environmentally friendly source of electrical energy. A crucial step for their development is the maximization of their efficiency. The efficiency of a TEG is inversely related to its electrical contact resistance, which it is therefore essential to minimize. In this paper, we investigate the contacting of an Al electrode on Mg2(Si,Sn) thermoelectric material and find that samples can show highly asymmetric electrical contact resistivities on both sides of a leg (e.g., 10 µΩ·cm2 and 200 µΩ·cm2). Differential contacting experiments allow one to identify the oxide layer on the Al foil as well as the dicing of the pellets into legs are identified as the main origins of this behavior. In order to avoid any oxidation of the foil, a thin layer of Zn is sputtered after etching the Al surface; this method proves itself effective in keeping the contact resistivities of both interfaces equally low (<10 µΩ·cm2) after dicing. A slight gradient is observed in the n-type leg’s Seebeck coefficient after the contacting with the Zn-coated electrode and the role of Zn in this change is confirmed by comparing the experimental results to hybrid-density functional calculations of Zn point defects.

Simulation and experimental investigation of contact spot temperature for electrical contact components

The contact spot temperature of electrical contact components substantially affects the reliability and electrical life of any electrical connections within the electrical engineering. In this paper, finite element model of typical spring structure components is built by using COMSOL Multiphysics software. Furthermore, the transient process of contact temperature is simulated by taking account of film resistance on the contact surface. Moreover, a test rig is introduced that makes it possible to measure the electrical contact resistance and temperature within the electrical contact components simultaneously. Finally, correlation between contact resistance and contact spot temperature with different contact force and current levels are investigated explicitly.

New Methodologies Indicating Adhesive Wear in Load Step Tests on the Translatory Oscillation Tribometer

When looking in detail at analyses of the tribological load-carrying capacity of lubricants, it becomes apparent that an exclusive evaluation of the evolution of the coefficient of friction alone cannot provide any sufficient criteria for determining the occurrence of adhesive failure. For this reason, extending the knowledge base by combining several criteria in order to draw a clearer picture of adhesive wear mechanisms is urgently required. This can be achieved by combining the evolution of coefficient of friction with stroke signals and/or the electrical contact resistance and/or contact temperature and/or acoustic emission and/or stroke zero position, frictional power input and further derived parameters.