Yttrium offers exceptional intrinsic extreme ultraviolet (EUV) transmittance and emissivity for next-generation pellicles. However, its severe oxidation susceptibility limits its practical implementation. In this study, we demonstrate that amorphous carbon (a-C) capping layers effectively preserve metallic Y, whereas plasma-enhanced atomic-layer-deposited SiNx causes catastrophic oxidation. Our standalone a-C/Y/a-C film achieves 86.8

ABSTRACT The fabrication of protective layers on graphite faces a fundamental dilemma because high‐quality, dense films are required to withstand the harsh plasma environments of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) applications, yet forming such robust coatings without damaging the graphite remains highly challenging. In this study, uniform and dense SiNx ultrathin films for the EUV pellicle are formed on graphite using mild, plasma‐sequence‐engineered atomic layer deposition, without any damage to graphite. Si2Cl6 is used as the precursor, NH3 plasma as the prime reactant, and sequential N2 plasma as a promoting reactant. The SiNx film fabricated using NH3 plasma, followed by N2 plasma, exhibits a mass density of 3.07 g/cm3, close to the bulk density, with low O and H concentrations. The film exhibits an improved wet‐etching resistance against 30 wt.% KOH for 16 h and 250 W H2 plasma for 5 min, mimicking the EUVL environment. Therefore, the optimized SiNx ultrathin film (5 nm) formed on graphite effectively protects graphite against H2 plasma for high‐performance EUV pellicles. Furthermore, the mass spectra of the byproducts, such as HCl, reveal the reason for the densification by N2 plasma, while the correlation between film properties and etch resistances is statistically validated through a permutation test.

Nanometer-thick membranes, including extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles, require temporary protection during wet-based Si bulk etching. This sacrificial layer must shield the target membrane from the Si etchant and be removable after membrane fabrication. Here, sputtered Cu is introduced as a sacrificial protection layer for Mo₂C-based membrane fabrication. Cu exhibited strong resistance to a 30 wt

Freestanding multilayer nanomembranes serve as essential components in emerging applications, including absorber membranes for infrared (IR) bolometers, extreme ultraviolet pellicles, and X-ray/electron transmission windows. Owing to their extremely low heat...

Metal‐phenolic networks (MPNs) integrated with functionalized cellulose nanofibers present a promising platform for stabilizing oxidation‐sensitive compounds. Here, a novel antioxidant pickering emulsion system utilizing MPN‐decorated carboxyl‐functionalized pulp cellulose nanofibers (MPN‐PCNF) is demonstrated. The system exhibits exceptional interfacial stability through synergistic effects of MPN coating and alkyl functionalization, validated by DLVO theoretical modeling and rheological characterization. MPN‐PCNF demonstrates remarkable antioxidant efficacy, achieving 94% α‐tocopherol retention over 50 days and 80% reduction in cellular reactive oxygen species. In reconstructed human skin models, the system significantly attenuates UV‐induced oxidative stress, evidenced by preserved stratum corneum integrity and suppressed matrix metalloproteinase‐1 expression. This biocompatible platform represents a versatile solution for protecting oxidation‐sensitive compounds across pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic antioxidant systems.

Graphite is a promising candidate for next-generation extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles due to its high emissivity (>0.3), robust mechanical properties, and ability to achieve high EUV transmission with ultra-thin films (similar to 30 nm). Traditional chemical vapor deposition methods face challenges like thickness control and transfer-induced damage. To overcome these challenges, we introduced a low-temperature (similar to 500 degrees C) metal induced crystallization of amorphous carbon (MICA) for a direct synthesis of uniform graphite on a substrate. We successfully fabricated a 15-nm graphite layer on an 8-inch SiNx/Si wafer through annealing an amorphous carbon (a-C)/Ni bilayer at 500 degrees C for 1 h. To evaluate the mechanism governing the uniform growth in MICA, we systematically investigated the microstructure evolution of graphite at various annealing temperatures and in various thickness combination of a-C and Ni. Our findings revealed dominantly nucleating graphite at the interface of Ni and a-C. The vertical growth of graphite was controlled by the thickness of Ni. For evaluation of EUV characteristics, the SiNx layer under the graphite was dry etched to make a 15-nm thick graphite membrane, which exhibited an EUV transmittance of 91.56 % and an emissivity of 0.37. Our findings substantiate the feasibility of low-temperature MICA as a promising synthesis method for pellicles.

With the increase in the demand for wearable devices, temperature-sensing capability is an essential function for flexible and transparent applications. Particularly, the long-term stability of a device is highly desirable for use in daily life. In this study, a flexible and transparent self-powered temperature sensor with remarkable air stability was developed by employing a one-atom-thick monolayer graphene encapsulated with an extremely thin metal oxide layer. Graphene thermocouples were constructed by inducing p- and n-type doping on a high-quality monolayer graphene placed on a transparent polymer film. The entire graphene film was treated by a modulated oxygen plasma, which induced p-type doping with minimal defects on graphene. Half of the graphene was coated with polyethylenimine to form n-type graphene. The graphene p-n junction was encapsulated with a 14-nm-thick ultrathin Al2 O3 using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The graphene thermocouple exhibited a high Seebeck coefficient of 81.6 +/- 2.4 mu V/K, high linearity with a coefficient of determination of 0.999, rapid response with a time constant of 0.59 s, low thermal hysteresis, and wide operating temperature range. Owing to the ALD-Al2 O3 layer, the graphene thermocouple exhibited exceptional air stability, maintaining the Seebeck coefficient for 1028 days. Furthermore, the ultimate thinness of the graphene thermocouple rendered it with an extreme optical transmittance of 94.8 % at a wavelength of 550 nm and a small critical bending radius of 5.71 mm. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

This study presents a comprehensive investigation of yttria (Y2O3) thin films deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) and their plasma resistance characteristics. A liquid precursor, Y(EtCp)2(iPr-amd), and various reactants (H2O, O3, and O2 plasma) were used for the ALD process. We examined the structural and compositional characteristics before and after reactive ion etching through x-ray diffractometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy, high angle annular dark-field-STEM energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. Our findings revealed that the choice of reactant influences film composition and crystal phase. The O3 and O2 plasma produced cubic Y2O3 films, while H2O generated a dual-phase of monoclinic and cubic Y2O3. Notably, ALD-deposited Y2O3 films demonstrated superior plasma resistance compared to the sputtered films. In contrast to previous studies on Y2O3 coatings, which were primarily concerned with etching mechanisms related to surface topography and porosity, our analysis using AFM and x-ray reflectivity demonstrates that Y2O3 thin films deposited by ALD with O3 and O2 plasma reactant exhibit very low surface roughness and high density. To verify the variations in etch rate, XPS depth profile analysis was performed for the Y2O3 thin films after etching. Through the analysis, we propose that the removal of uniform and high-density Y2O3 films with CF4-based plasma is influenced primarily by the depth of fluorine interaction. This study will contribute to extending the lifetime of etching equipment parts and increasing device production yield by improving their plasma resistance and particle generation.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) on powder materials is often limited to achieve uniform and conformal thin films because of the insufficient precursor adsorption by a very large surface area of powder materials. To minimize the amount of precursor consumed while securing the adsorption time of the precursor on the powder surface, we introduced a stop-valve mode during the precursor pulse step. Briefly, we investigated a rotary-type ALD system capable of coating Al2O3 thin films on 3D structures with diverse microparticle shapes, and optimized the operating parameters, which were found to be a stop valve time, trimethylaluminum pulse time, water vapor pulse time, and temperature of 20, 0.2, 0.2 s, and 150 degrees C, respectively, yielding an average growth rate of 1.3 & Aring;/ cycle and refractive index of 1.64. This method surpasses normal ALD in controlling Al2O3 thin film deposition on 3D substrates with high specific surface areas, as verified by surface and microscopic analyses. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the ALD process with stop valve mode, a comparative analysis of materials deposited versus those coated with normal ALD was carried out. Crucially, the capacity retention of Si alloy powder-based secondary battery anodes coated using ALD with the stop valve mode was approximately 24 % higher than bare anodes and 7 % higher than those coated with normal ALD.

This study reports a hybrid extracellular vesicle (EV)/liposome system developed through vesicular membrane fusion between anti-inflammatory Hydrangea macrophylla leaf EVs (HML-EVs) and terpinen-4-ol/azelamide monoethanolamine-loaded liposomes. Successful liposomal fusion between HML-EVs and terpinen-4-ol/ azelamide monoethanolamine-loaded-liposome membranes, confirmed using the two-color fluorescence resonance energy transfer mechanism, enabled the scaled production of a stable hybrid HML-EV/liposome dispersion at a length scale of 100-200 nm. We show that the hybrid EV/liposome significantly inhibits apoptosis by nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production. Furthermore, HML-EV/liposomes can inhibit the synthesis of protease-activated receptor-2, interleukin-6, c-Jun, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin, thus exhibiting antiinflammatory performance. These findings highlight that the hybrid EV/liposome system established in this study alleviates skin irritation and improves skin anti-inflammation.

The semiconductor industry increasingly relies on high aspect ratio etching facilitated by Amorphous Carbon Layer (ACL) masks for advanced 3D-NAND and DRAM technologies. However, carbon contamination in ACL deposition chambers necessitates effective fluorine-based plasma cleaning. This study employs a high-temperature inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ToF-MS) to analyze gas species variations under different process conditions. We applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) to identify key gas species, and used the First-Order Plus Dead Time (FOPDT) model to quantify dynamic changes in gas signals. Our analysis revealed the formation of COF3 at high gas temperatures and plasma power levels, indicating the presence of additional reaction pathways under these conditions. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of high-temperature plasma interactions and suggests new strategies for optimizing ACL processes in semiconductor manufacturing.

Tannic acid (TA) possesses a notable ability to adhere to proline-rich proteins that make up skin cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the skin tissue. Drug carriers with this specific adhesion ability exhibit improved drug delivery efficiency on the skin. Taking advantage of this, this study presents skin-adhesive TA-conjugated lipid nanovesicles (TANVs) for enhanced transdermal antioxidant delivery. We found that TANVs exhibited selective intermolecular interactions with keratinocyte proline-rich proteins (KPRPs) and collagen that makes up skin cells by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions, further enabling the strong bonding to macroscopic skin itself and ECM. We used vitamin E (α-tocopherol), which is known to effectively reduce oxidative stress but has limited skin penetration, as a drug to verify improved in vitro delivery and therapeutic efficacy. The evaluation revealed that the antioxidant-loaded TANVs exerted excellent scavenging effects against reactive oxygen species induced by ultraviolet light or peroxides in the skin, thereby enabling the development of an active drug delivery system for dermal therapy.

We report a metal coordination-driven sol-gel transition system where cellulose nanofibrils are enveloped by a rationally designed metal-organic membrane (MOM) in an aqueous medium. Specifically, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized bacterial cellulose (TOBC) is encapsulated within an MOM comprising Zn2+ and the chelator phytic acid (PA), denoted TOBCMOM. Using the DLVO theory, we elucidate how tuning the metal ion valence in TOBCMOM modulates the sol-gel transition by controlling interfibrillar attractive forces. Notably, TOBCMOM fluids exhibit relaxation times consistent with the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts (KWW) function. Significantly, we demonstrate reversible, sustainable sol-gel transitions in TOBCMOM under stepwise mechanical strain. This facile approach enables rheological tailoring of aqueous media, promising for the development of advanced stimuli-responsive smart fluids for applications in cosmetics, food science, and pharmaceutical formulations.

An adhesive tissue sealant that enables rapid formation of new granulation tissue while leading to additional synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) to promote tissue regeneration is strongly required in the clinical field. This study presents an all-in-one wound care hydrogel sealant that generates cohesion in response to pH change while adhering stably to tissue. To fulfill this, we employ an injectable boronic acid-conjugated alginate (Al-BA) aqueous sol phase that turns into a soft viscoelastic hydrogel gel phase at physiological pH conditions, thus filling in wounds of any size or depth. Positively charged bacterial cellulose nanofibers ((+)BCNF) are incorporated to reinforce this gel. Compared to the only Al-BA adhesive, the resulting Al-BA/(+)BCNF adhesive hydrogel exhibits substantial adhesion strength while retaining the wound closure even with external mechanical perturbation such as stretching, bending and twisting. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo wound healing evaluations revealed that fibrous (+)BCNF provides favorable microenvironment for cell migration and proliferation similar to collagen fibers, promoting wound healing and skin regeneration.

Hydroxy acids (HAs) play a pivotal role in skincare formulations that address dry skin, acne, and signs of aging by modulating skin keratinization. The effectiveness of HAs depends on precise application, concentration, and adaptability to individual skin types. The effect of HAs on the skin must be monitored to ensure safe, effective, and personalized skincare. This review highlights current sensor technologies for HA treatment of the skin, including measurements of pH, skin hydration, pigmentation, and transepidermal water loss. In addition, we explored key sensing elements related to HA application, such as Ca2+ concentration in the epidermis, hyaluronic acid levels, and glucose in the interstitial fluid, as well as the HA concentration in biofluids. We also highlighted the role of advanced sensor technologies in improving HA treatment and provided guidance to dermatologists and researchers regarding the use of cutting-edge methods. Finally, we discussed the emerging trends and prospects of sensor technologies, highlighting the synergy between artificial intelligence and multimodal sensing for the realization of smart, personalized at-home skincare solutions.

A widely used component of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the molecular hole-transport material (HTM) spiro-OMeTAD. This organic solid needs to be p-doped to acquire sufficient hole conductivity. However, the conventional doping method using LiTFSI in the air is slow, sensitive to the environment, and may lead to the deterioration of the PSCs by unintended oxidation or dopant migration. It is thus highly desirable to develop fast doping approaches that avoid exposing the PSC to ambient air and easy-to-move dopant ions. We report here that light absorption by spiro-OMeTAD itself triggers redox photochemistry that has so far been ignored. Strikingly, we found that Y(III) or La(III)-tBP complexes catalyze the symmetry-breaking charge separation of photo-excited spiro-OMeTAD, resulting in the efficient p-doping of the HTM. Using this photo-redox process, we realize PSCs with superior stability over cells using conventional doping that show no degradation under continuous illumination over 1,000 h.

The level of collagen production critically determines skin wound contraction. If an intelligent skin drug delivery technology that enables collagen production in a specific wound skin area is developed, a breakthrough in wound healing treatment would be expected. However, such an intelligent drug delivery technology has not yet been developed as much as in the field of anticancer therapy. In this study, we propose a smart drug delivery system using polymeric nanovehicles (PNVs), in which the periphery is conjugated with a fibroblast-targeting collagen-derived peptide, KTTKS (Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser). We showed that surface engineering of PNVs with simultaneous PEGylation and peptide patching improved the dispersibility of PNVs, while promoting selective cellular uptake to fibroblasts via PAR-2 receptor-mediated endocytosis. In vitro collagen production and in vivo wound healing assays revealed that curcumin-loaded fibroblast-targeting PNVs significantly enhanced collagen production and wound healing activities, thus promising effective skin tissue regeneration.

Graphite is highly noteworthy for next-generation pellicles due to its high emissivity (>0.3), and Young's modulus (4.1 GPa) which provides high thermal and mechanical stability. The widely used graphite synthesis is chemical vapor deposition on thick metal catalyst, which involves several disadvantages such as hard to control of thickness uniformity and damage during wet-transfer processes. To overcome these problems, we propose a direct synthesis of graphite film(< 30 nm) on insulating substrate at low temperature about 500°C starting from the amorphous carbon (a-C) on catalyst metal film, which is named as graphite-metal induced crystallization of a-C (G-MICA). We finally demonstrate the formation of a graphite with uniform thickness below 30 nm on 8-inch SiNx/Si wafer with an annealing at 500°C for 1 h. In order to reveal the origin of thickness uniformity of G-MICA, we closely observe the microstructure evolution of graphite as a function of annealing temperature (400~800°C) and time (0.25~180 min) using Cs corrected transmission electron microscopy. We believe that the nucleation of graphite starts to form at the interface between Ni and a-C and so vertical growth of graphite is limited by the thickness of Ni, which is somewhat differ from previously reports. To evaluate EUV characteristic, we removed the SiNx layer under the graphite through dry etching as thin as possible and made it in the form of a membrane. The G-MICA pellicle with thickness of 18 nm showed EUV transmittance of 88%, and emissivity of 0.3. Therefore, we confirmed the possibility of low-temperature G-MICA as a pellicle synthesis.

We report here thermally stable HTM for perovskite solar cell (PSC) which is based on Nanographene(NG) with functional substitution groups (coded NG-HTMs) to enhance its hole mobility and thermal property. Hole mobility of NG-HTM is optimized by changing functional groups and enhanced from 5.68x10-3 cm2V-1s-1 to 9.51x10-3 cm2V-1s-1 which shows much higher than spiro-MeOTAD (4.69x10-4 cm2V-1s-1). However, interface problem was detected when NG-HTM was applied to NIP perovskite solar cell due to interface property which originated from new chemical structure of NG-HTMs. NG-selective pi-interface modifier (pi-IM) which induces strong pi-pi interaction between perovskite and NG core significantly enhances charge extraction efficiency from perovskite layer. Therefore, power conversion efficiency (PCE) is significantly improved from 9.8% (stabilized PCE, w/o pi-IM) to 23.06% (w/ pi-IM) which shows higher than the spiro-MeOTAD-based device (20.56% (w/o pi-IM) and 19.38% (w/ pi-IM). In DSC measurement, our optimized NG-HTM shows 137.6 oC of Tg with very weak endothermic signal (6.00 mu W/mg), while the spiro-MeOTAD shows clear endothermic signal (153.75 mu W/mg) at 75.3 oC. Therefore, NG-HTM based device maintains 83.6% of initial PCE after 350 h at 75oC + 1000 h at 85 oC which is significant improvement compared to completely degraded spiro-MeOTAD device (which maintains 24.5% of initial PCE). These findings highlight the importance of core structure and proper substitution groups to design for new HTM and molecular-level design of interfacial modifier for highly efficient and stable PSCs.