The modification of dielectric surface with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) such as octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) is a widely used method to tune the electrical property of diverse electronic devices based on organic semiconductors, graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and so forth. The surface roughness of self-assembled OTS monolayer is a key factor in determining its effect on device performance, but the preparation of an ultrasmooth OTS monolayer is a technologically challenging task. In this work, an ultrasmooth OTS monolayer is prepared via a facile peeling method, which may serve as a postremedy strategy to remove the protuberant aggregates. Such a method has not been reported before. With organic semiconductors as a testing model, ultrasmooth OTS may significantly improve the charge mobility of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). P-type dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) OFET with an ultrasmooth OTS monolayer yields good reproducibility and unprecendented maximum mobility of 8.16 cm2 V–1 s–1, which is remarkably superior to that of the OFET with a pristine OTS monolayer. This work develops a simple method to resolve the common and significant problem of the quality of OTS modification, which would be highly promising for electronic applications as well as other fields such as surface and interface engineering.

BiVO4 products doped with different proportions of erbium were prepared by a hydrothermal reaction with varied reaction time. X-ray diffraction reveals the phase transformation from the tetragonal zircon BiVO4 to the monoclinic scheelite phases with increasing reaction time even without Er3+ doping. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the morphology of the samples transforms from an irregular structure to rod-like shapes accompanied with the crystalline phase transformation. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and transmission electron microscope indicate that a core–shell structure may form in the meantime. Photocatalytic performance tests have been performed and the mechanism of the improved photocatalytic performance is discussed. In the end, the formation mechanism of the core–shell structure samples and effect of the Er3+ in the crystalline phase transformation are further discussed.

An assay for the detection of DNA hybridization was developed using Ellipsometric Scanner (ES) as a detection method. The different deposition trends of Au nanoparticle on glutaraldehyde-covered Si substrate caused by the different electrostatic properties of Au nanoparticles after interaction with ssDNA and dsDNA respectively can be observed by measuring the ellipsometric parameter y. At the same time, the average height of the y with respect to the cross-sectional contour c can be described by y = 0.0920 + 2.43c in the range of 5.4 to 27 nM (r = 0.943, c is target concentration, the unit is μM). This assay using ES imaging could successfully detect the total amounts of the target as low as 5.4 fmol. The proposed assay system has the advantage of allowing label-free detection, high sensitivity, and operational simplicity.Highlights► An assay for the detection of DNA hybridization was developed using Ellipsometric Scanner (ES) as a detection method. ► This assay using ES imaging could successfully detect the total amounts of the target as low as 5.4 fmol. ► The proposed assay system has the advantage of allowing label-free detection, high sensitivity, and operational simplicity.

ZnO-based thick film varistors have been fabricated by Y2O3 doping and low-temperature sintering, of which the sample with the best electrical properties has a high potential gradient value of 3159.4 V/mm. The effects of Y2O3 doping concentration and sintering temperature on the potential gradient of the samples were systematically investigated. The results show that the sample with the best electrical properties can be obtained by doping 0.08 mol% Y2O3 and sintering at 725°C. Under these optimum preparation conditions, the leakage current and the nonlinear coefficient are found to be 36.4 μA and 13.1. The sample with the best electrical properties has a grain size of 1.290 μm, a single grain boundary voltage of 4.08 V, a barrier height of 0.81 eV, and a depletion layer width of 10.2 nm, which are determined by thermionic emission. Small grain size with good grain boundary characteristics is beneficial to improve the electrical properties of varistors and promote the potential gradient.

The effects of ZnO sensing film thickness on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) curve have been investigated. ZnO sensing films with the thickness of 20 nm, 30 nm, 200 nm, 220 nm and 240 nm have been deposited onto Ag/glass substrates by radio frequency magnetron (RF) sputtering and thermally treated at 300 °C in air for 1 h. The surface morphology of the sample was inspected using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The refractive index of the ZnO films was extracted by using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Theoretical analysis of the sensitivity of the SPR sensors with different ZnO sensing film thickness is discussed, and the experimental results are in agreement with the calculated value. Also, the theoretical calculation of the effects of ZnO film thickness on the SPR curves in the presence of different analytes are presented and studied. It is demonstrated that SPR sensors with angular interrogation may attain higher sensitivity and can detect higher surface environment refractive index with proper ZnO sensing film thickness.

ZnO-based varistor ceramics were prepared at sintering temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1,300 °C, by subjecting the mixed oxide powders to high-energy ball milling (HEBM) for 0, 5, 10 and 20 h, respectively. Varistor ceramics prepared by HEBM featured denser body, better electrical properties sintered at low-temperature than at traditional high-temperature. The high density is due to the refinement of the crystalline grains, the enhanced stored energy in the powders coming from lattice distortion and defects as well as the promotion of liquid-phase sintering. Good electrical properties is attributed to proper microstructure formed at low-temperature and improved grain boundary characteristics resulting from HEBM. With increasing sintering temperatures, the electrical properties and density became worse due to the decrease in amount of Bi-rich phase. Temperature increased up to 1,200 °C or above, the Bi-rich phase vanished and the ceramics exhibited very low nonlinear coefficient.