Over 15 MA/cm2 of critical current density in 4.8 µm thick, Zr-doped (Gd,Y)Ba2Cu3Ox superconductor at 30 K, 3T.

An Advanced MOCVD (A-MOCVD) reactor was used to deposit 4.8 µm thick (Gd,Y)BaCuO tapes with 15 mol% Zr addition in a single pass. A record-high critical current density (J c ) of 15.11 MA/cm2 has been measured over a bridge at 30 K, 3T, corresponding to an equivalent (I c ) value of 8705 A/12 mm width. This corresponds to a lift factor in critical current of ~11 which is the highest ever reported to the best of author's knowledge. The measured critical current densities at 3T (B||c) and 30, 40 and 50 K, respectively, are 15.11, 9.70 and 6.26 MA/cm2, corresponding to equivalent Ic values of 8705, 5586 and 3606 A/12 mm and engineering current densities (J e ) of 7068, 4535 and 2928 A/mm2. The engineering current density (J e ) at 40 K, 3T is 7 times higher than that of the commercial HTS tapes available with 7.5 mol% Zr addition. Such record-high performance in thick films (>1 µm) is a clear demonstration that growing thick REBCO films with high critical current density (J c ) is possible, contrary to the usual findings of strong J c degradation with film thickness. This achievement was possible due to a combination of strong temperature control and uniform laminar flow achieved in the A-MOCVD system, coupled with optimization of BaZrO3 nanorod growth parameters.

High-Performance Flexible Thin-Film Transistors Based on Single-Crystal-like Silicon Epitaxially Grown on Metal Tape by Roll-to-Roll Continuous Deposition Process.

Single-crystal-like silicon (Si) thin films on bendable and scalable substrates via direct deposition are a promising material platform for high-performance and cost-effective devices of flexible electronics. However, due to the thick and unintentionally highly doped semiconductor layer, the operation of transistors has been hampered. We report the first demonstration of high-performance flexible thin-film transistors (TFTs) using single-crystal-like Si thin films with a field-effect mobility of ∼200 cm2/V·s and saturation current, I/lW > 50 µA/µm, which are orders-of-magnitude higher than the device characteristics of conventional flexible TFTs. The Si thin films with a (001) plane grown on a metal tape by a "seed and epitaxy" technique show nearly single-crystalline properties characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The realization of flexible and high-performance Si TFTs can establish a new pathway for extended applications of flexible electronics such as amplification and digital circuits, more than currently dominant display switches.

Semifluorinated Alkylphosphonic Acids Form High-Quality Self-Assembled Monolayers on Ag-Coated Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Tapes and Enable Filamentization of the Tapes by Microcontact Printing.

A custom-designed semifluorinated phosphonic acid, (9,9,10,10,11,11,12,12,13,13,14,14,15,15,16,16,16-heptadecafluorohexadecyl)phosphonic acid (F8H8PA), and a normal hexadecylphosphonic acid (H16PA) were synthesized and used to generate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on commercially available yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) tapes. In this study, we wished to evaluate the effectiveness of these monolayer films as coatings for selectively etching YBCO. Initial films formed by solution deposition and manual stamping using a non-patterned polydimethylsiloxane stamp allowed for a comparison of the film-formation characteristics. The resulting monolayers were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle goniometry, and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). To prepare line-patterned (filamentized) YBCO tapes, standard microcontact printing (µ-CP) procedures were used. The stamped patterns on the YBCO tapes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after etching to confirm the effectiveness of the patterning process on the YBCO surface and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to obtain the atomic composition of the exposed interface.

Light-induced covalent immobilization of monolayers of magnetic nanoparticles on hydrogen-terminated silicon.

Specifically tailored ω-alkenyl-1-carboxylic acids were synthesized for use as surfactants in the single-step preparation of manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs). Monodisperse manganese ferrite NPs terminated with ω-alkenyl moieties were prepared via a one-pot reaction at high temperature without the need of ligand exchange. Using this approach, simple adjustment of the rate of heating allowed precise tuning of the size of the nanoparticles, which were characterized in bulk form by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These surfactant-coated magnetic nanoparticles were then deposited onto hydrogen-terminated silicon(111) wafers and covalently anchored to the surface by UV-initiated covalent bonding. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the UV treatment led to covalent immobilization of the NPs on the silicon surface with a consistent packing density across the surface. The magnetic properties of the stable, surface-bound nanoparticle arrays were characterized using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The materials and methods described here are being developed for use in bit-patterned ultrahigh density magnetic recording media and nanoscale biomagnetic sensing.