| NSF Org: |
DMR Division Of Materials Research |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | December 13, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 9, 2023 |
| Award Number: | 1847808 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Paul Lane
plane@nsf.gov (703)292-2453 DMR Division Of Materials Research MPS Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $540,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $540,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2020 = $105,766.00 FY 2021 = $108,350.00 FY 2022 = $111,011.00 FY 2023 = $71,791.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
4200 FIFTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH PA US 15260-0001 (412)624-7400 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
University Club Pittsburgh PA US 15213-2303 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | ELECTRONIC/PHOTONIC MATERIALS |
| Primary Program Source: |
01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002122DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002324DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.049 |
ABSTRACT
The continuous miniaturization of electronics over the past sixty years has yielded devices that are less power hungry; however, due to physical constraints, the geometric scaling approach is nearing an end. New materials and engineering approaches are needed to push electronics towards lower power and higher information density. One such material is the two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor, a sheet-like material that is only a single molecule thick. Ions - like those used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries - can be used to control the amount of charge passing through the 2D material to make the operating process more power efficient. This CAREER research reimagines the role of ions in electronics by developing a completely new type of electrolyte to induce charge in the 2D material. Similar to the 2D semiconductor, this electrolyte is also a single molecule thick, and adds new functionalities, such as information storage. The CAREER project explores this new material for application spaces including logic, memory, security and brain-inspired computing. The postdoctoral scholar, graduate and undergraduate students who work on this research benefit from an interdisciplinary project combining soft matter and electronics with the goal of engineering next generation electronics. The research component provides educational examples to be used in the classroom and in outreach efforts to middle and high school students. For example, to inspire curiosity and exploration, a microscope that attaches to the camera of a smart phone will be used by the students to inspect the electrolytes used in this research.
While the era of geometric device scaling of high-performance electronics is coming to an end, two-dimensional (2D) materials are being explored for their exciting new physics that can impart novel functionalities in application spaces such as information storage, neuromorphic computing, and hardware security. To develop next-generation electronics based on these materials, charges must be reconfigurable and well controlled. Electric double layer (EDL) gating using ions can provide both ultra-high carrier densities and doping that can be reconfigured between p- and n-type in 2D semiconductors. However, conventional electrolytes are not considered an integral and practical component for future electronic devices because their physical properties (e.g., liquid phase, micron-thick, thermally unstable) are incompatible with the materials and processing of integrated circuits. This CAREER project scales a solid-state electrolyte to the single molecule limit for use in non-volatile, low-power, multi-bit information storage. The intellectual merit comprises materials innovations that include the demonstration of a novel class of electrolyte and the use of this electrolyte to store information. Electrolyte scaling will introduce functionality that can be used by the electronic materials community to explore the fundamental properties of 2D semiconductors and to develop electronics with new device characteristics. The broader impacts are (1) the translation of EDL gating from a measurement tool for exploring transport in 2D crystals to an active device component that enables completely new functionalities, and (2) student training at the intersection of physical chemistry, device physics, and engineering. Outreach activities focused on polymer crystallization will inspire meaningful engagement and independent exploration that increases understanding for middle and high school students.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
As information storage demands continue to increase, the motivation for this CAREER award was the development of new materials for next-generation electronics that will require less energy. Towards this goal, a new type of electrolyte at the limit of scaling, called a "monolayer electrolyte," was developed. The monolayer electrolyte is a single molecular layer thick, and when combined with semiconductors that are also a single molecule thick (i.e., two-dimensional crystals), bistable electronic states were demonstrated via toggling the location of ions by an electric field; this mechanism is unique compared to the mechanisms used in conventional flash memory. The monolayer electrolyte can undergo ultrafast (nanosecond) switching that was stable in the absence of a power source. The two states can be maintained for over 6 hours (maximum time measured). The switching could be controlled globally by a backgate, or locally by a mobile top electrode. The mechanism for switching was shown to extend to several types of ions including Li+, Na+ and Ca2+. The best performing electrolytes included perchlorate as the anion. The results show promise for the integration of monolayer electrolytes with other atomic and molecularly thin materials for next-generation, low-power electronics. In addition to the technical discoveries, this award also enabled the delivery of hands-on science outreach and career counseling about chemical engineering to several hundred K-12 students in western Pennsylvania. The award supplied students with handheld microscopes for monitoring polymer electrolyte crystallization in real time. Leave-behind experiments and materials were also provided so that teachers could continue the experiments with future classes. This award supported the doctoral research of two chemical engineering students who also won multiple awards based on their work on this project.
Last Modified: 09/29/2024
Modified by: Susan Fullerton
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