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Maruvada A, Shubhakar K, Raghavan N, Pey KL, O'Shea SJ. Dielectric breakdown of 2D muscovite mica. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14076. [PMID: 35982110 PMCID: PMC9388672 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18320-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Localized electrical breakdown (BD) measurements are performed on 2D muscovite mica flakes of ~ 2 to 15 nm thickness using Conduction Atomic Force Microscopy (CAFM). To obtain robust BD data by CAFM, the probed locations are spaced sufficiently far apart (> 1 µm) to avoid mutual interference and the maximum current is set to a low value (< 1 nA) to ensure severe damage does not occur to the sample. The analyses reveals that 2D muscovite mica has high electrical breakdown strength (12 MV/cm or more) and low leakage current, comparable to 2D hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) of similar thickness. However, a significant difference compared to h-BN is the very low current necessary to avoid catastrophic damage during the BD event, even for very thin (2-3 nm) flakes. Further, for mica the BD transient always appear to be very abrupt, and no progressive BD process was definitively observed. These marked differences between mica and h-BN are attributed to the poor thermal conductivity of mica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirudh Maruvada
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Kalya Shubhakar
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Nagarajan Raghavan
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Kin Leong Pey
- Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Sean J O'Shea
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science Technology and Research, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore, 138634, Singapore.
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He Y, She D, Liu Z, Wang X, Zhong L, Wang C, Wang G, Mao SX. Atomistic observation on diffusion-mediated friction between single-asperity contacts. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:173-180. [PMID: 34621059 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01091-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The field of nanotribology has long suffered from the inability to directly observe what takes place at a sliding interface. Although techniques based on atomic force microscopy have identified many friction phenomena at the nanoscale, many interpretative pitfalls still result from the indirect or ex situ characterization of contacting surfaces. Here we combined in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements to provide direct real-time observations of atomic-scale interfacial structure during frictional processes and discovered the formation of a loosely packed interfacial layer between two metallic asperities that enabled a low friction under tensile stress. This finding is corroborated by molecular dynamic simulations. The loosely packed interfacial layer became an ordered layer at equilibrium distances under compressive stress, which led to a transition from a low-friction to a dissipative high-friction motion. This work directly unveils a unique role of atomic diffusion in the friction of metallic contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang He
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dingshun She
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenyu Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Li Zhong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Chongmin Wang
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
| | - Guofeng Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Scott X Mao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Hou K, Chen S, Zhou C, Nguyen LL, Dananjaya PA, Duchamp M, Bazan GC, Lew WS, Leong WL. Operando Direct Observation of Filament Formation in Resistive Switching Devices Enabled by a Topological Transformation Molecule. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:9262-9269. [PMID: 34719932 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Conductive filaments (CFs) play a critical role in the mechanism of resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) devices. However, in situ detection and visualization of the precise location of CFs are still key challenges. We demonstrate for the first time the use of a π-conjugated molecule which can transform between its twisted and planar states upon localized Joule heating generated within filament regions, thus reflecting the locations of the underlying CFs. Customized patterns of CFs were induced and observed by the π-conjugated molecule layer, which confirmed the hypothesis. Additionally, statistical studies on filaments distribution were conducted to study the effect of device sizes and bottom electrode heights, which serves to enhance the understanding of switching behavior and their variability at device level. Therefore, this approach has great potential in aiding the development of ReRAM technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunqi Hou
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Shuai Chen
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Depertment of Chemistry, National University of Singapore 3 Science Drive 3, 117543 Singapore
| | - Linh Lan Nguyen
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore
| | - Putu Andhita Dananjaya
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Martial Duchamp
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore
| | - Guillermo C Bazan
- Depertment of Chemistry, National University of Singapore 3 Science Drive 3, 117543 Singapore
| | - Wen Siang Lew
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University 21 Nanyang Link, 637371 Singapore
| | - Wei Lin Leong
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore
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