Sodium Niobate Nanowires Embedded PVA-Hydrogel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Versatile Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered CO Gas Sensor.

The surging demand for sustainable energy solutions and adaptable electronic devices has led to the exploration of alternative and advanced power sources. Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs) stand out as a promising technology for efficient energy harvesting, but research on fully flexible and environmental friendly TENGs still remain limited. In this study, an innovative approach is introduced utilizing an ionic-solution modified conductive hydrogel embedded with piezoelectric sodium niobate nanowires-based Triboelectric Nanogenerator (NW-TENG), offering intrinsic advantages to healthcare and wearable devices.

Surface Passivation by Sulfur-Based 2D (TEA)PbI for Stable and Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with superior performance have been recognized as a potential candidate in photovoltaic technologies. However, defects in the active perovskite layer induce nonradiative recombination which restricts the performance and stability of PSCs. The construction of a thiophene-based 2D structure is one of the significant approaches for surface passivation of hybrid PSCs that may combine the benefits of the stability of 2D perovskite with the high performance of three-dimensional (3D) perovskite.

Deep learning approach for inverse design of metasurfaces with a wider shape gamut.

While the large design degrees of freedom (DOFs) give metasurfaces a tremendous versatility, they make the inverse design challenging. Metasurface designers mostly rely on simple shapes and ordered placements, which restricts the achievable performance. We report a deep learning based inverse design flow that enables a fuller exploitation of the meta-atom shape.

Development of Nickel-Based Negative Tone Metal Oxide Cluster Resists for Sub-10 nm Electron Beam and Helium Ion Beam Lithography.

Hybrid metal-organic cluster resist materials, also termed as organo-inorganics, demonstrate their potential for use in next-generation lithography owing to their ability for patterning down to ∼10 nm or below. High-resolution resist patterning is integrally associated with the compatibility of the resist and irradiation of the exposure source. Helium ion beam lithography (HIBL) is an emerging approach for the realization of sub-10 nm patterns at considerably lower line edge/width roughness (LER/LWR) and higher sensitivity as compared to electron beam lithography (EBL).

Polyarylenesulfonium Salt as a Novel and Versatile Nonchemically Amplified Negative Tone Photoresist for High-Resolution Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Applications.

The present report demonstrates the potential of a polyarylenesulfonium polymer, poly[methyl(4-(phenylthio)-phenyl)sulfoniumtrifluoromethanesulfonate] (PAS), as a versatile nonchemically amplified negative tone photoresist for next-generation lithography (NGL) applications starting from i-line (λ ∼ 365 nm) to extreme ultraviolet (EUV, λ ∼ 13.5 nm) lithography. PAS exhibited considerable contrast (γ), 0.

Patterning highly ordered arrays of complex nanofeatures through EUV directed polarity switching of non chemically amplified photoresist.

Given the importance of complex nanofeatures in the filed of micro-/nanoelectronics particularly in the area of high-density magnetic recording, photonic crystals, information storage, micro-lens arrays, tissue engineering and catalysis, the present work demonstrates the development of new methodology for patterning complex nanofeatures using a recently developed non-chemically amplified photoresist (n-CARs) poly(4-(methacryloyloxy)phenyl)dimethylsulfoniumtriflate) (polyMAPDST) with the help of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) as patterning tool. The photosensitivity of polyMAPDST is mainly due to the presence of radiation sensitive trifluoromethanesulfonate unit (triflate group) which undergoes photodegradation upon exposure with EUV photons, and thus brings in polarity change in the polymer structure. Integration of such radiation sensitive unit into polymer network avoids the need of chemical amplification which is otherwise needed for polarity switching in the case of chemically amplified photoresists (CARs).

New polyoxometalates containing hybrid polymers and their potential for nano-patterning.

Two new polyoxometalate (POM)-based hybrid monomers (Bu4 N)5 (H)[P2 V3 W15 O59 {(OCH2 )3 CNHCO(CH3 )CCH2 }] (2) and (S(CH3 )2 C6 H4 OCOC(CH3 )=CH2 )6 [PV  2Mo10 O40 ] (5) were developed by grafting polymerizable organic units covalently or electrostatically onto Wells-Dawson and Keggin-type clusters and were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic techniques including ESI-MS and/or single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Radical initiated polymerization of 2 and 5 with organic monomers (methacryloyloxy)phenyldimethylsulfonium triflate (MAPDST) and/or methylmethacrylate (MMA) yielded a new series of POM/polymer hybrids that were characterized by (1) H, (31) P NMR and IR spectroscopic techniques, gel-permeation chromatography as well as thermal analyses. Preliminary tests were conducted on these POM/polymer hybrids to evaluate their properties as photoresists using electron beam (E-beam)/extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic techniques.

PECVD based silicon oxynitride thin films for nano photonic on chip interconnects applications.

Thin silicon oxynitride (SiO(x)N(y)) films were deposited by low temperature (~300°C) plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD), using SiH(4), N(2)O, NH(3) precursor of the flow rate 25, 100, 30 sccm and subjected to the post deposition annealing (PDA) treatment at 400°C and 600°C for nano optical/photonics on chip interconnects applications. AFM result reveals the variation of roughness from 60.9 Å to 23.

Stability and dewetting of metal nanoparticle filled thin polymer films: control of instability length scale and dynamics.

We investigate the influence of gold nanoparticle addition on the stability, dewetting, and pattern formation in ultrathin polymer-nanoparticle (NP) composite films by examining the length and time scales of instability, morphology, and dynamics of dewetting. For these 10-50 nm thick (h) polystyrene (PS) thin films containing uncapped gold nanoparticles (diameter approximately 3-4 nm), transitions from complete dewetting to arrested dewetting to absolute stability were observed depending on the concentration of the particles. Experiments show the existence of three distinct stability regimes: regime 1, complete dewetting leading to droplet formation for nanoparticle concentration of 2% (w/w) or below; regime 2, partial dewetting leading to formation of arrested holes for NP concentrations in the range of 3-6%; and regime 3, complete inhibition of dewetting for NP concentrations of 7% and above.

Templated one step electrodeposition of high aspect ratio n-type ZnO nanowire arrays.

High aspect ratio Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by template based one-step electrochemical deposition (OSECD) technique. The electro-reduction of hydroxide ions in the presence of Zn(2+) ions within Zn(NO(3))(2) is involved in the growth of ultra thin NWs arrays. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images revealed that the growth rates of different crystal faces, (0 0 0 1) and (0 0 0 1), were different at different deposition potential for the high aspect ratios ZnO NWs arrays.