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Related Concept Videos

Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

18.5K
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
18.5K
Semiconductors01:22

Semiconductors

746
There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
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Gauss's Law in Dielectrics01:17

Gauss's Law in Dielectrics

4.5K
Consider a polar dielectric placed in an external field. In such a dielectric, opposite charges on adjacent dipoles neutralize each other, such that the net charge within the dielectric is zero. When a polar dielectric is inserted in between the capacitor plates, an electric field is generated due to the presence of net charges near the edge of the dielectric and the metal plates interface. Since the external electrical field merely aligns the dipoles, the dielectric as a whole is neutral. An...
4.5K
Theory of Metallic Conduction01:17

Theory of Metallic Conduction

1.4K
The conduction of free electrons inside a conductor is best described by quantum mechanics. However, a classical model makes predictions close to the results of quantum mechanics. It is called the theory of metallic conduction.
In this theory, Newton's second law of motion is used to determine the acceleration of an electron in the presence of an applied electric field. Then, its velocity is expressed via this acceleration.
An electron moves through the crystal, containing positive ions,...
1.4K
Band Theory02:35

Band Theory

15.3K
When two or more atoms come together to form a molecule, their atomic orbitals combine and molecular orbitals of distinct energies result. In a solid, there are a large number of atoms, and therefore a large number of atomic orbitals that may be combined into molecular orbitals. These groups of molecular orbitals are so closely placed together to form continuous regions of energies, known as the bands.
The energy difference between these bands is known as the band gap.
Conductor, Semiconductor,...
15.3K
Bonding in Metals02:32

Bonding in Metals

47.5K
Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”. 
47.5K

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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals
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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals

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Granular metals with SiNxdielectrics.

Simeon J Gilbert1, Melissa L Meyerson1, Paul G Kotula1

  • 1Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185, United States of America.

Nanotechnology
|July 28, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Granular metal interfaces are critical for electronics. Using silicon nitride (SiN) instead of oxides with molybdenum (Mo) reduces unwanted reactions, enabling new nanostructures for optics and sensing.

Keywords:
STEMXPSelectron tunnelinggranular metalsinterface phenomena

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Processing of Bulk Nanocrystalline Metals at the US Army Research Laboratory
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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Surface Science

Background:

  • Nanoscale interface phenomena, including band bending and secondary phase formation, are vital for optimizing electronic devices.
  • In granular metal (GM) systems, where metal nanoparticles are dispersed in an insulating matrix, interface effects are often overlooked.
  • Commonly used oxide insulators in GMs can lead to undesirable secondary phase formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate silicon nitride (SiN) as an alternative insulating matrix for granular metals, particularly for high-temperature applications.
  • To evaluate the role of secondary phase formation at metal-insulator interfaces in GMs.
  • To compare the interface properties and electrical conductivity of cobalt-silicon nitride (Co-SiN) and molybdenum-silicon nitride (Mo-SiN) GMs.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a combination of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical transport studies.
  • Investigated the formation of metal silicides and nitrides at the nanoscale interfaces.
  • Compared the conductivity of Mo-SiN and Co-SiN granular metal systems.

Main Results:

  • Mo-SiN GMs exhibited significantly reduced metal-silicide formation and orders-of-magnitude lower conductivity compared to Co-SiN GMs in the tunneling-dominated insulating regime.
  • XPS measurements confirmed that metal-silicide and metal-nitride formation are controllable in Mo-SiN systems.
  • Silicon nitride (SiN) proves to be a promising alternative to metal oxides, especially for metals prone to oxidation.

Conclusions:

  • Silicon nitride (SiN) is an effective alternative insulator for granular metals, mitigating secondary phase formation and enabling tunable conductivity.
  • Mo-SiN GMs offer reduced interfacial reactions, making them suitable for applications requiring stable high-temperature performance.
  • The use of SiN opens pathways for creating novel metal-nitride nanostructures for plasmonics, optics, and sensing applications.