WG3 Towards Application

Pryds

Nini Pryds

Workgroup Leader

Workgroup Leader: Nini Pryds

WG3 Towards Applications (TA) is in charge of pursuing the second TECHNOLOGY Objective “To single out the most promising applications of TMOs to nanoelectronics, microactuation/microsensing and energy conversion and to coordinate fabrication and testing of devices performed at a prototype level”. WG3 will benefit from the technological progresses in sample fabrication fostered WG2 and by the advancement of knowledge fostered by WG1. Furthermore, it will strongly interact with the Management WG and with WG2 for establishing a contact with EU corporations and for editing and publishing the technological roadmap of transition-oxide-based electronics. The specific scientific activities fostered within this WG are divided in three tasks.

Hans-Bosker

Hans Boschker

Task Leader (MPI Stuttgart, DE)

WG3-T1 “Nanoelectronics”

Task Leader: Hans Boschker (MPI Stuttgart, DE)

The goal of this Task is to foster and coordinate the European research on unconventional nanoelectronic devices based on Transition Metal Oxides. This WG activity will be focused three main topics, namely: (a) development of novel nanopatterning and nanomanipulation techniques or optimization of existing techniques for oxide nanodevices; (b) design and realization of devices with new functionalities on nanometric scale; (c) design and realization of nanometric devices for non-charge based electronics. As a target of the present Task, the Action aims to compare the potential of different approaches and to identify the most promising solution offered by TMO technology with the same family of devices, e.g: Memories – compare the potential, at a prototype level, of redox based resistive switching devices, tunnel electroresistance devices, all-oxide magnetic tunnel junctions. Three terminal field effect devices – compare the potential, at a prototype level, of Mott-transition based field effect transistors, MOSFETs with ultrahigh-k dieletric barrier, FETs acting on oxide 2DEGS, reconfigurable nanodevices (sketchFETS) based on oxide 2DEGs, oxide-based Datta Das transistors.

Alessia-Sambri

Alessia Sambri

Task Leader (University of Naples ``Federico II``, IT)

WG3-T2 “Microactuation and microsensing”

Task Leader: Alessia Sambri (University of Naples “Federico II”, IT)

The aim of this Task is to foster and coordinate the research on piezoelectric micro-electronic-mechanical-systems for microactuation (e.g. inkjet-printing, microfluidics), and microsensing (e.g. pressure sensors, chemical sensors, acceleration sensors). The peculiarity of our approach lie in the fact that all devices will be based on epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (abbreviated as epi-PZT) thin films. The use of such films will result in the desired stable functionality, necessary for device applications, without PZT film preconditioning. In order to explore the novel functionalities of epi-piezo-MEMS, an unprecedented control on crystallinity and defect structure of epi-PZT films is needed. In tight synergy with the Tasks of the WG2, the Action will push towards the growth of 1) suitable buffer layers for epitaxial growth and optimized piezo properties and 2) epitaxial piezoelectric films on commercial substrates (Si and Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI)) with a quality comparable to state-of-the-art epitaxial films grown on single crystalline oxide substrates. Next steps are to establish patterning and processing conditions within and beyond the constraints of current fabrication technologies, and to characterize the structural and piezoelectric properties, as a prerequisite for delivering novel device concepts for actuation and sensing applications.

Arie-zaban

Arie Zaban

Task Leader (University of Bar-Illan, IL)

WG3-T3 “Energy conversion”

Task Leader: Arie Zaban (University of Bar-Illan, IL)

The goal of this WG is to initiate new strategic direction in the area of materials-by-design of functional nanostructures, where engineering of the interfaces is the key to novel applications within energy conversion. We are now once more in the midst of a revolution, this time arising from interfaces and heterostructures of oxide materials. Such materials exhibit a wide range of phenomena, including magnetism, superconductivity, ionic conduction and ferroelectricity, and they find use in a large number of renewable energy applications such as photovoltaics, water-splitting, batteries, fuel cells, information storage and LEDs. Common to all these popular high-tech devices, that have created lots of jobs and had a major impact on our society, is that the fundamental understanding of the heterostructures and the properties of the material interfaces is essential for the capability to engineer, convert and apply them in devices. The goal is to unravel the underlying physics of interfaces and heterostructures, to model, design and realize new ones, and to develop their potential into novel nanoscale devices for energy conversion. This will be the major topic of this work plan.