Beyond Janus Geometry: Characterization of Flow Fields Around Nonspherical Photocatalytic Microswimmers

Catalytic microswimmers that move by a phoretic mechanism in response to a self-induced chemical gradient are often obtained by the design of spherical janus microparticles, which suffer from multi-step fabrication and low yields. Approaches such as irregular particle shapes, local excitation or intrinsic asymmetry are on the rise to facilitate manufacturing, but the effects on the generation of motion remain poorly understood. In this work, single crystalline BiVO4 microswimmers are presented that rely on a strict inherent asymmetry of charge-carrier distribution under illumination. The origin of the asymmetrical flow pattern is elucidated becauseof the high spatial resolution of measured flow fields around pinned BiVO4 colloids. As a result the flow from oxidative to reductive particle sides was confirmed. Distribution of oxidation and reduction reactions suggests a dominant self-electrophoretic motion mechanism with a source quadrupole as the origin of the induced flows. It is shown that the symmetry of the flow fields is broken by self-shadowing of the particles and synthetic surface defects that impact the photocatalytic activity of the microswimmers. The results demonstrate the complexity of symmetry breaking in nonspherical microswimmers and are leading the way towards understanding ofpropulsion mechanisms of phoretic colloids of various shapes.

The Quantum Calculation for Valence Band Structure of Strained Zinc-blende GaN Using Six-Band Based k·p Method

The variations of valence band energy with stress effects in zinc-blende GaN are proposed in this paper. The calculations are based on a six-band strain dependent k·p Hamiltonian, and can be self-consistently solved by Schrödinger-Poisson equation. Accurate physical pictures are given for the quantized valence subband structure under biaxial and uniaxial stress in (001) surface along the [110] direction accounting the quantum confinement effect. The warping of the energy profile results in carrier distribution change. This research will be beneficial for improving the hole mobility and the selective of optimum stress for group-III nitride semiconductor based devices.

Near-field optical imaging and spectroscopy of 2D-TMDs

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs) are atomically thin semiconductors with a direct bandgap in monolayer thickness, providing ideal platforms for the development of exciton-based optoelectronic devices. Extensive studies on the spectral characteristics of exciton emission have been performed, but spatially resolved optical studies of 2D-TMDs are also critically important because of large variations in the spatial profiles of exciton emissions due to local defects and charge distributions that are intrinsically nonuniform. Because the spatial resolution of conventional optical microscopy and spectroscopy is fundamentally limited by diffraction, near-field optical imaging using apertured or metallic probes has been used to spectrally map the nanoscale profiles of exciton emissions and to study the effects of nanosize local defects and carrier distribution. While these unique approaches have been frequently used, revealing information on the exciton dynamics of 2D-TMDs that is not normally accessible by conventional far-field spectroscopy, a dedicated review of near-field imaging and spectroscopy studies on 2D-TMDs is not available. This review is intended to provide an overview of the current status of near-field optical research on 2D-TMDs and the future direction with regard to developing nanoscale optical imaging and spectroscopy to investigate the exciton characteristics of 2D-TMDs.

Structural Properties of Thin ZnO Films Deposited by ALD under O-Rich and Zn-Rich Growth Conditions and Their Relationship with Electrical Parameters

The structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO are intimately intertwined. In the present work, the structural and transport properties of 100 nm thick polycrystalline ZnO films obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a growth temperature (Tg) of 100–300 °C were investigated. The electrical properties of the films showed a dependence on the substrate (a-Al2O3 or Si (100)) and a high sensitivity to Tg, related to the deviation of the film stoichiometry as demonstrated by the RT-Hall effect. The average crystallite size increased from 20–30 nm for as grown samples to 80–100 nm after rapid thermal annealing, which affects carrier scattering. The ZnO layers deposited on silicon showed lower strain and dislocation density than on sapphire at the same Tg. The calculated half crystallite size (D/2) was higher than the Debye length (LD) for all as grown and annealed ZnO films, except for annealed ZnO/Si films grown within the ALD window (100–200 °C), indicating different homogeneity of charge carrier distribution for annealed ZnO/Si and ZnO/a-Al2O3 layers. For as grown films the hydrogen impurity concentration detected via secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was 1021 cm−3 and was decreased by two orders of magnitude after annealing, accompanied by a decrease in Urbach energy in the ZnO/a-Al2O3 layers.

Diagnostics of semiconductor structures by electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling technique

The properties of interfaces in the heterostructures which frequently govern their operation are of particular importance for the devices containing heterostructures as active elements. Any further improving of the characteristics of semiconductor devices is impossible without a detail analysis of the processes occurring at the interfaces of heterojunctions. At the same time, the results largely depend on the purity of the starting materials and the technology of layer manufacturing. Moreover, the requirements to the composition and distribution of the impurity steadily get stringent. Therefore, the requirements regarding the methods of the impurity control and carrier distribution also become tougher both in the stage of laboratory development of the structure and in various stages of manufacturing of semiconductor devices. Electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling is distinguished among the methods of electrical diagnostics of semiconductors by the absence of special preparation of the structures and deposition of the contacts to perform measurements, thus providing for gaining information not only about the impurity distribution but also about the distribution of free carriers. The goal of this work is to perform precise measurements of the profiles of free carrier distribution in semiconductor structures of different types, and demonstrate the measuring capabilities of a modern technique for concentration distribution diagnostics, i.e., electrochemical capacitance-voltage profiling. The method allows verification of the layer thickness in semiconductor heterostructures and provide a useful and informative feedback to technologists. To increase the resolution of the method and broad up the range of available test frequencies, a standard electrochemical profiler has been modified. Mapping data for GaAs substrate structure, the profiles of the concentration distribution of the majority charge carriers in SiC structures, GaAs structure with a p – n junction, pHEMT heterostructure, GaN heterostructure with multiple quantum wells, and in a silicon-based solar cell heterostructure are presented. The obtained results can be used to analyze the physical properties and phenomena in semiconductor devices with quantum-sized layers, as well as to improve and refine the parameters of existing electronic devices.