Measurement of bulk resistance/resistivity of conducting polymers is very common and an important requirement. Conducting polymers are semiconductors and four probe measurements are needed to avoid errors due to contact resistance and spreading resistances. However, in a device it is convenient to make two probe measurements rather than four probe measurement. It has been shown here that the bu...

We report the use of bilayer graphene as an atomically smooth contact for nanoscale devices. A two-terminal bucky-ball (C60) based molecular memory is fabricated with bilayer graphene as a contact on the polycrystalline nickel electrode. Graphene provides an atomically smooth covering over an otherwise rough metal surface. The use of graphene additionally prohibits the electromigration of nicke...

Ahstraet--ln many cooling situations, permanent attachment of fins to heat dissipating devices is undesirable yet htrge mechanical loads, important in reduction of thermal contact resistance, are not permitted. This work considers the interface between a low-force pressed-on fin and a heat source in boiling heat transfer; the thermal contact resistance and how the interface region may be used t...

We combine first-principles density-functional theory with matrix Green's function calculations to predict the structures and charge transport characteristics of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of four classes of systems in contact with Au(111) electrodes: conjugated polyene chains (n = 4, 8, 12, 16, and 30) thiolated at one or both ends and saturated alkane chains (n = 4, 8, 12, and 16) thiol...

A physically based model has been formulated to represent temperature-dependent specific contact resistance. The new model can generate silicided contact resistance values at high temperatures and is capable of predicting high current behavior of silicided deep submicron devices. Implications for failure analysis of advanced silicided devices are also considered. Using the model, it has been de...

The mechanical response of materials with spatial gradients in composition and structure is of considerable interest in disciplines as diverse as tribology, geology, optoelectronics, biomechanics, fracture mechanics, and nanotechnology. The damage and failure resistance of surfaces to normal and sliding contact or impact can be changed substantially through such gradients. This review assesses ...

Modelling of the current density in elelectroconductive textiles is a complicated problem as they cannot be considered homogenous structures with an isotropic current distribution. This anisotropy is mainly the result of the electrical contact resistance between interlacing yarns comprising the textile. It is difficult to measure the contact resistance directly as it is often nonlinear and depe...

We consider charge relaxation in the mesoscopic equivalent of an RC circuit. For a single-channel, spin-polarized contact, self-consistent scattering theory predicts a universal charge relaxation resistance equal to half a resistance quantum independent of the transmission properties of the contact. This prediction is in good agreement with recent experimental results. We use a tunneling Hamilt...

Good ohmic contacts with low contact resistance, smooth surface morphology, and a well-defined edge profile are essential to ensure optimal device performances for the AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors [HEMTs]. A tantalum [Ta] metal layer and an SiNx thin film were used for the first time as an effective diffusion barrier and encapsulation layer in the standard Ti/Al/metal/Au ohmic m...