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Gao Z, Leng C, Zhao H, Wei X, Shi H, Xiao Z. The Electrical Behaviors of Grain Boundaries in Polycrystalline Optoelectronic Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304855. [PMID: 37572037 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Polycrystalline optoelectronic materials are widely used for photoelectric signal conversion and energy harvesting and play an irreplaceable role in the semiconductor field. As an important factor in determining the optoelectronic properties of polycrystalline materials, grain boundaries (GBs) are the focus of research. Particular emphases are placed on the generation and height of GB barriers, how carriers move at GBs, whether GBs act as carrier transport channels or recombination sites, and how to change the device performance by altering the electrical behaviors of GBs. This review introduces the evolution of GB theory and experimental observation history, classifies GB electrical behaviors from the perspective of carrier dynamics, and summarizes carrier transport state under external conditions such as bias and illumination and the related band bending. Then the carrier scattering at GBs and the electrical differences between GBs and twin boundaries are discussed. Last, the review describes how the electrical behaviors of GBs can be influenced and modified by treatments such as passivation or by consciously adjusting the distribution of grain boundary elements. By studying the carrier dynamics and the relevant electrical behaviors of GBs in polycrystalline materials, researchers can develop optoelectronics with higher performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gao
- Research Center for Quantum Information, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Chongqian Leng
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Hongquan Zhao
- Research Center for Quantum Information, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Xingzhan Wei
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Haofei Shi
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Zeyun Xiao
- Research Center for Quantum Information, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- Research Center for Thin Film Solar Cells, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
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Perera D, Rohrer J. Semi-analytical approach to transport gaps in polycrystalline graphene. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:7709-7713. [PMID: 33928962 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr00186h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Electron transport in graphene is dominated by its Dirac-like charge carriers. Grain boundaries add a geometric aspect to the transport behavior by coupling differently oriented grains. In the phase coherent limit this aspect allows to relate the transport properties to two factors: the electronic structure of individual grains around the Dirac points and the orientation relation of the Dirac cones within the grain boundary Brillouin zone. Based on this picture it is possible to quantify the size and strain modulation of transport gaps without the need for explicit transport calculations within the non-equilibrium Green functions formalism. In this work we present a semi-analytical method that exploits this picture. Our method can explore arbitrary grain misorientations in the presence of an external strain providing valuable information about the electronic properties of individual grain boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delwin Perera
- Fachgebiet Materialmodellierung, Institut für Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 3, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - Jochen Rohrer
- Fachgebiet Materialmodellierung, Institut für Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 3, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
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Computational Atomistic Modeling in Carbon Flatland and Other 2D Nanomaterials. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10051724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
As in many countries, the rise of nanosciences in Belgium has been triggered in the eighties in the one hand, by the development of scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopes offering an unprecedented possibility to visualize and manipulate the atoms, and in the other hand, by the synthesis of nano-objects in particular carbon nanostructures such as fullerene and nanotubes. Concomitantly, the increasing calculating power and the emergence of computing facilities together with the development of DFT-based ab initio softwares have brought to nanosciences field powerful simulation tools to analyse and predict properties of nano-objects. Starting with 0D and 1D nanostructures, the floor is now occupied by the 2D materials with graphene being the bow of this 2D ship. In this review article, some specific examples of 2D systems has been chosen to illustrate how not only density functional theory (DFT) but also tight-binding (TB) techniques can be daily used to investigate theoretically the electronic, phononic, magnetic, and transport properties of these atomically thin layered materials.
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Nguyen VH, Charlier JC. Aharonov-Bohm interferences in polycrystalline graphene. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2020; 2:256-263. [PMID: 36133971 PMCID: PMC9419533 DOI: 10.1039/c9na00542k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferences in the quantum Hall regime can be achieved, provided that electrons are able to transmit between two edge channels in nanostructures. Pioneering approaches include quantum point contacts in 2DEG systems, bipolar graphene p-n junctions, and magnetic field heterostructures. In this work, defect scattering is proposed as an alternative mechanism to achieve AB interferences in polycrystalline graphene. Indeed, due to such scattering, the extended defects across the sample can act as tunneling paths connecting quantum Hall edge channels. Consequently, strong AB oscillations in the conductance are predicted in polycrystalline graphene systems with two parallel grain boundaries. In addition, this general approach is demonstrated to be applicable to nano-systems containing two graphene barriers with functional impurities and perspectively, can also be extended to similar systems of 2D materials beyond graphene.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Hung Nguyen
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) Chemin des étoiles 8 B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
| | - J-C Charlier
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) Chemin des étoiles 8 B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Belgium
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Chun S, Cho SB, Son W, Kim Y, Jung H, Kim YJ, Choi C. Serpentine-pattern effects on the biaxial stretching of percolative graphene nanoflake films. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 31:085303. [PMID: 31769411 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ab5419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Stretchable strain sensors based on percolative arrangements of conducting nanoparticles are essential tools in stretchable electronics and have achieved outstanding performance. Introducing serpentine patterns for strain-sensing materials is a very effective method for enhancing stretchability with a quantified structural resistance through a simple, reliable, and facile approach. Here, we investigate serpentine-pattern effects in the electrical responses to biaxial stretching for percolative graphene-nanoparticle films. Graphene nanoplatelet films are applied to a stretchable substrate using a facile spray-coating technique, for a variety of serpentine pattern shapes, aspect ratios, pattern frequencies, and number of coatings. The electrical responses after applying biaxial stretching (x-axis and y-axis) are measured and analyzed for comparison. The serpentine patterns that would be suitable for stretchable electrodes, sensitive sensors, and highly stretchable sensors are then identified. This work demonstrates the advantage of using serpentine patterns for stretchable strain sensors and offers guidelines for selecting suitable pattern types for strain sensors in stretchable-electronics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungwoo Chun
- Department SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Gyeonggi-do 16419, Republic of Korea. School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Republic of Korea
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Qin Z, Qin G, Hu M. Origin of anisotropic negative Poisson's ratio in graphene. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:10365-10370. [PMID: 29808893 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr00696b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) in auxetic materials is of great interest due to the typically enhanced toughness, shear resistance, and sound and vibration absorption, which enables plenty of novel applications such as aerospace and defense. Insight into the mechanism underlying NPR is significant to the design of auxetic nanomaterials and nanostructures. However, the analysis of NPR in previous studies mainly remains on the level of the evolution of geometry parameters, such as bond length and bond angle, while a thorough and fundamental understanding is lacking. In this paper, we report anisotropic differential NPR in graphene for uniaxial strains applied along both zigzag and armchair directions based on first-principles calculations. The mechanism underlying the emergence of NPR in graphene (evolution of bond length and bond angle) is found to be different from the conclusions from previous classical molecular dynamics simulations with empirical potential. We propose that the decentralized electron localization function (ELF) driven by strain leads to ELF coupling between different types of bonds, which results in the counter-intuitive anomalous increase of the bond angle and thus the emergence of NPR in graphene. Moreover, the NPR phenomenon can be anticipated to emerge in other nanomaterials or nanostructures with a similar honeycomb structure as that of graphene, where the ELF coupling would also be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Qin
- Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science (AICES), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52062, Germany
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Dechamps S, Nguyen VH, Charlier JC. Ab initio quantum transport in polycrystalline graphene. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:7759-7768. [PMID: 29658557 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr00289d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Synthesis techniques such as chemical vapor deposition yield graphene in polycrystalline flakes where single-crystal domains are separated by grain boundaries (GBs) of irregular shape. These structural defects are mostly made up of pentagon-heptagon pairs and represent an important source of scattering, thus strongly affecting electronic mobilities in polycrystalline graphene (PG). In the present article, first-principles simulations are performed to explore charge transport through a GB in PG using the Landauer-Büttiker formalism implemented within the Green's function approach. In ideal GB configurations, electronic transport is found to depend on their topology as already suggested in the literature. However, more realistic GBs constructed out of various carbon rings and with more complex periodicities are also considered, possibly inducing leakage currents. Finally, additional realistic disorder such as vacancies, a larger inter-connectivity region and out-of plane buckling is investigated. For specific energies, charge redistribution effects related to the detailed GB topology are found to substantially alter the transmissions. Altogether, the transport gap is predicted to be inversely proportional to the smallest significant periodic pattern and nearly independent of the interface configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Dechamps
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Chemin des étoiles 8, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Nguyen VH, Dechamps S, Dollfus P, Charlier JC. Valley Filtering and Electronic Optics Using Polycrystalline Graphene. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:247702. [PMID: 28009222 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.247702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this Letter, both the manipulation of valley-polarized currents and the optical-like behaviors of Dirac fermions are theoretically explored in polycrystalline graphene. When strain is applied, the misorientation between two graphene domains separated by a grain boundary can result in a mismatch of their electronic structures. Such a discrepancy manifests itself in a strong breaking of the inversion symmetry, leading to perfect valley polarization in a wide range of transmission directions. In addition, these graphene domains act as different media for electron waves, offering the possibility to modulate and obtain negative refraction indexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Hung Nguyen
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Chemin des étoiles 8, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - S Dechamps
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Chemin des étoiles 8, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - P Dollfus
- Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - J-C Charlier
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Université catholique de Louvain, Chemin des étoiles 8, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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