| NSF Org: |
CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 29, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 29, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1930809 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Tom Kuech
CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2023 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $196,623.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $196,623.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
874 TRADITIONS WAY TALLAHASSEE FL US 32306-0001 (850)644-5260 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Keen Building Tallahassee FL US 32306-1400 |
| 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): | AM-Advanced Manufacturing |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| 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): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
Advances in modern electronics have been largely driven by the success in fabricating and packaging microscopic devices into integrated circuits. The recent emergence of two-dimensional nanomaterials enables unique and superior electronic and optoelectronic circuit functionalities, which are promising for the next-generation microelectronics beyond silicon. A key challenge to realizing this vision is the lack of manufacturing approaches that are capable of integrating and producing two-dimensional nanomaterial-based microelectronics at a large scale. This award addresses this challenge through fundamental research on a photo-patternable medium, which can lead to scalable manufacturing of reconfigurable microelectronic devices. The photo-patterning method is applicable to various two-dimensional materials for versatile circuit functionalities. Reconfigurable microelectronics is a key component enabling advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things. This project enhances U.S. competitiveness in these critical areas and advances national prosperity and security. Undergraduate and graduate students and senior researchers benefit from this project through multidisciplinary laboratory research, and the general public benefits through multifaceted outreach activities.
This project investigates a novel manufacturing approach, based on switchable non-volatile ferroelectric gating, to define fundamental electronic elements (e.g. p-n junctions) and to fabricate functional electronic devices (e.g. logic gates and photodiode arrays) in a wide range of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. This approach centers on photo-patterning the ferroelectric phase regions in In2Se3 thin films, a scalable process that is compatible with established photolithography procedures. Additional benefits of this approach include circuit reconfigurability, maintaining the material lattice pristineness as no defects or dopants are introduced for the p-n junction formations, and compatibility with chemically sensitive materials such as the halide perovskites. This project addresses a key scientific issue central to the successful implementation of this approach, particularly the photon-induced phase transition kinetics in In2Se3 as the fundamental mechanism underlying the photo-patterning process. The mechanistic insight obtained provides an important guide for optimizing the process parameters. In addition, the effects of the ferroelectric gating are studied with a focus on verifying and understanding the resulting p-n junction characteristics, such as the barrier height and the space-charge region width, which are critical to device prototyping. The project is a collaboration between experts in synthesis and characterization of In2Se3 and halide perovskite thin films and involves the study of the photo-patterning process and the ferroelectric gating effects on different 2D nanomaterial systems, demonstrating the versatility of this scalable approach in manufacturing reconfigurable microelectronic devices and circuits.
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.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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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.
Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have emerged as a promising class of semiconductors with exceptional optical and electrical properties. They are recognized as a cost-effective alternative to conventional semiconductors for optoelectronic applications. Among them, 2D hybrid perovskites stand out due to their unique layered crystal structures and inherent quantum confinement, exhibiting distinct optoelectrical behaviors when integrated into devices like solar cells.
In this project, the team focused on studying the electrical properties of 2D hybrid perovskites and made significant discoveries regarding the unusual electronic landscapes near the edges of these low-dimensional crystals. The built-in electric potential facilitated strong exciton dissociation and efficient charge transport along the crystal edges. The findings shed light on critical questions regarding their optical and electrical behaviors observed in the 2D hybrid perovskites. The results not only elucidated part of the mechanism behind the excellent performance of perovskite-based light-to-electrical-current devices but also suggested new strategies for materials engineering in 2D hybrid perovskites. The outcome could impact future development of perovskite-based optoelectronic technologies.
The efforts on experimental characterizations led to the development of research tools. The scanning photocurrent microscope implemented for the project can be used to study a larger variety of semiconducting materials, especially the ones with correlated optical and electrical responses. The theoretical model developed for this project also addressed a long-standing challenge that restricted the microscopic technique in quantifying charge carrier diffusion coefficient.
The project provided research and training opportunities to 5 graduate and undergraduate students. 60% of them are from underrepresented groups. One has graduated with a PhD in physics, and two with B.S. in physics. They are either pursing research careers in high-tech industries or advanced degrees in STEM fields. A larger body of undergraduate and graduate students benefited from this project by taking courses with updated materials. Progress at the forefront of materials research was incorporated in the courses, allowing the enrolled students to learn the state-of-the-art development and techniques in the related fields.
The results of the project have been disseminated to the research communities through three research articles and six invited presentations. Furthermore, outreach activities targeting K-12 students were conducted, including scientific demonstrations related to the project's subject matter, emphasizing the significance of fundamental materials research to a broader audience.
Last Modified: 04/08/2024
Modified by: Hanwei Gao
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