Convergence may refer to:.
Contamination of polyvinyl acetal (PVAc) brushes by dissolved metal ions, either from chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) or post-CMP cleaning, introduces significant challenges to device yield as semiconductor technology nodes continue to shrink to 10 nm and below. This study comprehensively investigates the chemical adsorption of cobalt (Co2+) ions and their impact on the attachment of colloidal silica (silica) to PVAc brushes under various pH conditions. The adsorption of Co2+ ions is significantly influenced by several factors, including concentration, solution pH, cobalt species (ions and hydroxides), particle size distribution (PSD), and surface charge. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis revealed that silica loading peaked at neutral pH (1006 ppb), while lower loadings were observed under acidic (522 ppb) and alkaline (213 ppb) conditions in the presence of Co2+ ions. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses further demonstrate that Co2+ ions and silica adsorption mainly occurred through chemisorption. A density functional theory (DFT) approach was employed to optimize molecular structures and frontier orbitals, revealing that [Co(H2O)(6)](2+) exhibits higher reactivity compared to PVAc and silica molecules. Interaction energies (E-int) revealed that PVAc binding to unmodified silica involves weaker hydrogen bonding (E-int = 0.113 eV), whereas binding to Co2+ ions-modified silica involves stronger coordinate bonding (E-int = -8.097 eV). Overall, these results highlight the critical role of Co2+ ions in enhancing silica loading onto PVAc brushes in metal post-CMP cleaning processes.
Luminescence-based gas indicators, which detect gases by monitoring luminescence modulation, have attracted increasing interest due to advancement in technologies of LED and detectors. These indicators provide intuitive visual confirmation of gas presence. In this study, we focused on Eu3+-doped Bi2MoO6 (BMO:Eu) nanophosphors for the luminescent-based gas detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). BMO:Eu nanophosphors were synthesized using a hydrothermal method to achieve nanoscale morphology, which enhances gas adsorption capacity through an increased surface area. The synthesized BMO:Eu exhibited characteristic red luminescence originating from Eu3+ ions. Upon exposure to 500 ppm of H2S, the red luminescence intensity decreased by approximately 42%, and the extent of quenching showed clear dependence on the H2S concentration (10-500 ppm), indicating that BMO:Eu can quantitatively detect H2S. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed lattice expansion after exposure to H2S, while diffuse reflectance spectra showed a reduction in reflectance in the visible range. Density functional theory calculations indicated that reduced reflectance was due primarily to the reduction of Bi3+ and Mo6+ in BMO:Eu, rather than oxygen substitution by sulfur. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Bi2+ and Mo5+ species, elucidating that the observed luminescence quenching was due to these reduction processes. Moreover, in situ photoluminescence lifetime measurements showed a decrease in lifetime from 0.76 (before exposure) to 0.62 ms (after exposure), demonstrating that quenching occurred via the formation of nonradiative recombination centers.
Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are gaining attention as next-generation energy storage solutions due to their affordability and intrinsic safety. However, their broader adoption is limited by the difficulty in designing high-capacity electrode materials. In this study, a NiV2O6-V2CT x nanohybrid is introduced as a zinc-supplied cathode for AZIBs. The nanohybrid is synthesized via a simple hydrothermal synthesis process, where nonoriented NiV2O6 nanobelts grow directly on the layered V2CT x MXene sheets, forming a highly stable composite with excellent potential as a cathode material. Electrochemical studies reveal that the NiV2O6-V2CT x nanohybrid delivers high cycling stability, impressive reversible zinc storage capacity, and superior rate performance. It achieves a specific capacity of 388 mA h g-1 at 0.1C and maintains 89.2% of its initial capacity even after 1000 cycles at 0.5C. These studies highlight the significance of microstructure engineering in electrode materials for achieving high-performance AZIBs.
