Silicon nanomembrane phototransistor flipped with multifunctional sensors toward smart digital dust.

The sensing module that converts physical or chemical stimuli into electrical signals is the core of future smart electronics in the post-Moore era. Challenges lie in the realization and integration of different detecting functions on a single chip. We propose a new design of on-chip construction for low-power consumption sensor, which is based on the optoelectronic detection mechanism with external stimuli and compatible with CMOS technology.

Schottky Barrier Modulation in Surface Nanoroughened Silicon Nanomembranes for High-Performance Optoelectronics.

Surface nanostructures of silicon nanomembranes (SiNMs) play a dominant role in modulating their energy band structures and trapping surface charges, thus strongly affecting the Schottky barrier height, the surface resistance, and the optoelectronic response of Schottky-contacted SiNMs. Here, controllable nanoroughening of SiNMs without substantial changes in thickness was realized via a metal-masked chemical-etching approach. The mechanism of surface roughness effect on the electrical characteristics and contact properties of SiNM-based diodes and thin-film transistors was investigated.

Flexible Transient Phototransistors by Use of Wafer-Compatible Transferred Silicon Nanomembranes.

Flexible transient photodetectors, a form of optoelectronic sensors that can be physically self-destroyed in a controllable manner, could be one of the important components for future transient electronic systems. In this work, a scalable, device-first, and bottom-up thinning process enables the fabrication of a flexible transient phototransistor on a wafer-compatible transferred silicon nanomembrane. A gate modulation significantly restrains the dark current to 10 A.

Multifunctional Nanocracks in Silicon Nanomembranes by Notch-Assisted Transfer Printing.

Manipulating nanocracks to produce various nanodevices has attracted increasing interest. Here, based on the mature transfer printing technique, a novel notch-assisted transfer printing technique was engaged to produce nanocracks by simply introducing notch structures into the transferred nanomembranes. Both experiments and finite element simulations were used to elucidate the probability of nanocrack formation during the transfer process, and the results demonstrated that the geometry of nanomembranes played a key role in concentrating stress and producing nanocracks.