Journal of Semiconductors (半导体学报 - 中国科学院半导体研究所) | SinoTechIntel Research Archive

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Published Research PapersFiltered: Year 2026 • Vol. 32 • 6

Showing 10 of 120 peer-reviewed papers with full Graphical Abstracts.

Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020050• Jan 15, 2026

Crystallization-sequence engineering enables organic solar cell modules with efficiencies exceeding 18%

Authors: CAI Yunhao, HUANG Hui

Organic solar cells (OSCs) offer mechanical flexibility, low density, and solution processability, enabling wearable electronics, portable energy systems, and building-integrated photovoltaics. Despite laboratory power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 20%, scaling to large-area modules remains impeded by the thickness constraint of the photoactive layer. High-performance bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices typically require active layers of 80–120 nm to ensure efficient exciton dissociation and charge extraction. Such thin films are incompatible with industrially relevant coating methods (blade coating, slot-die coating, printing) because minor thickness variations generate pinholes, shunts, and nonuniform electric fields, reducing manufacturing yield and operational reliability. Increasing thickness enhances light harvesting and processing tolerance but conventionally causes sharp PCE losses due to limited carrier mobility, trap-assisted recombination, and uncontrolled phase separation that disrupts percolation networks and vertical composition profiles. This fundamental contradiction between scalable fabrication and efficient operation demands kinetic control over film formation. The final BHJ morphology is governed not only by thermodynamics but also by the kinetic pathway during solvent removal. In conventional blends, donor and acceptor solidify simultaneously, freezing suboptimal morphologies, especially in thick films. Crystallization-sequence engineering—manipulating the temporal order of crystallization and phase separation—offers a route to reshape the internal structure. The referenced study (Chen et al., Nat. Mater. 2025, 24(3): 444) demonstrates that such manipulation yields OSCs with 20.82% efficiency and high tolerance to active layer thickness, and the present work extends this strategy to modules exceeding 18% efficiency, bridging the gap between laboratory performance and industrial-scale manufacturing.

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Crystallization-sequence engineering enables organic solar cell modules with efficiencies exceeding 18%

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020035• Jan 15, 2026

Zigzag domain walls unravel the polarization switching puzzle in wurtzite ferroelectrics

Authors: Hang Zang, Zhiming Shi, Xiaojuan Sun, Dabing Li

The discovery of robust ferroelectricity in scandium-doped aluminum nitride (Al1−xScxN) has generated significant interest due to its full compatibility with CMOS fabrication processes, positioning it as a promising candidate for next-generation non-volatile memories, high-frequency filters, and piezoelectric sensors. However, the fundamental mechanism of polarization switching in wurtzite ferroelectrics has remained unresolved. Recent scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) studies observed broad, diffuse interfacial regions during switching, leading to the hypothesis of a transient nonpolar intermediate phase. This model, however, failed to account for the high coercive fields and macroscopic switching kinetics observed experimentally. In a recent study, researchers integrated advanced thin-film fabrication, tailored electrical characterization, and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations powered by a deep neural network-based interatomic potential to resolve this long-standing puzzle. Their findings demonstrate that the broad transitional regions are not a new phase but a projection artifact. The study reveals that 180° domain walls in AlScN, specifically inversion domain boundaries (IDB*), are intrinsically three-dimensional and adopt a zigzag morphology. Because STEM images are two-dimensional projections of a three-dimensional volume, the zigzag wall meanders through the sample thickness, causing overlapping metal-polar and nitrogen-polar domains to be captured simultaneously. This superposition creates the illusion of a diffuse transition region. By comparing simulated projections with high-resolution STEM data, the authors proved that the zigzag IDB* model consistently explains all experimental observations without invoking a nonpolar state. The work combines macroscopic measurements with atomic-scale validation, showing that AlScN switching follows nucleation-limited switching kinetics rather than the classical Kolmogorov–Avrami–Ishibashi model, and resolves the characteristic four- and eight-membered bond rings of the IDB* core with a Peierls-like distortion. These findings provide a unified framework for polarization switching in wurtzite ferroelectrics, with direct implications for the design of high-performance AlScN-based devices.

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Zigzag domain walls unravel the polarization switching puzzle in wurtzite ferroelectrics

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/25120027• Jan 15, 2026

A 2 mm × 2 mm Battery-Free Neural Interface Achieving 72-Channel Wireless Simultaneous Recording by Dual Overlapped On-Chip Antennas

Authors: SHEN Yili, ZHANG Yunshan, YANG Changgui, LUO Yuxuan, ZHAO Bo

Battery-free neural implants leveraging wireless power transfer (WPT) enable miniaturization but face a fundamental bottleneck: transmitting massive parallel neural data over a power-constrained backscatter link. Active radios achieve high data rates (e.g., 20.48 Mbps for 4 channels) but consume excessive power (655 µW) and require separate antennas, enlarging implant volume (3.4 cm³). Passive backscatter radios using a single power coil eliminate active transmitters but are limited to ~2 Mbps due to the trade-off between WPT efficiency and coil Q-factor. This work introduces dual overlapped on-chip antennas that decouple power harvesting from high-rate backscatter communication, enabling simultaneous 72-channel recording within a 2 mm × 2 mm die. An orthogonal coding and sampling technique reduces per-channel power and area. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS, the chip achieves an 18 Mbps backscatter data rate, with measured per-channel area and power of 0.06 mm² and 10.32 µW, respectively. The dual-antenna topology mitigates backscatter-induced WPT degradation, demonstrating a viable path for high-density, battery-free neural interfaces.

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A 2 mm × 2 mm Battery-Free Neural Interface Achieving 72-Channel Wireless Simultaneous Recording by Dual Overlapped On-Chip Antennas

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020045• Jan 15, 2026

Crystallization suppression of mixed-halide intermediates for perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 tandem solar cells with improved efficiency

Authors: LI Manya, JING Linjing, TAN Hairen

Wide-bandgap (WBG) mixed-halide perovskites are essential for all-thin-film perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) tandem photovoltaics, yet their scalable fabrication in ambient air is limited by uncontrolled crystallization kinetics. The disparate solubilities of bromide and iodide precursors, coupled with rapid solvent evaporation and moisture-induced nucleation, drive phase segregation, high defect densities, and pinhole formation, ultimately degrading open-circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF). Zhang et al. (Nat Energy, 2026, 11: 547) demonstrate that substituting N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) with 2-pyrrolidinone (PDI) fundamentally alters the phase transition pathway. In situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) reveals that NMP-processed films crystallize through a solvent-coordinated intermediate (PbI2-NMP, ~8.55°), imposing a high-energy crystalline-to-crystalline transformation that leaves residual PbI2 (12.72°) and moisture-induced δ-phase (11.71°). PDI, by contrast, suppresses intermediate crystallization, enabling a direct, low-barrier transition to the perovskite phase. This strategy yields WBG perovskite films with improved phase purity and reduced non-radiative recombination, translating to enhanced tandem device performance. The work establishes solvent coordination strength as a critical design parameter for scalable, high-efficiency all-thin-film tandems, with direct implications for flexible and lightweight photovoltaic applications ranging from building-integrated photovoltaics to aerospace power systems.

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Crystallization suppression of mixed-halide intermediates for perovskite/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 tandem solar cells with improved efficiency

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020007• Jan 15, 2026

Exciplex-Enabled Fully Stretchable OLEDs Achieve a Record External Quantum Efficiency of 17%

Authors: WANG Meng, LI Liang

Fully stretchable organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have long been constrained by an external quantum efficiency (EQE) ceiling of approximately 10%, primarily due to insulating elastomer matrices that impede exciton energy transfer and charge transport, and stretchable electrodes with insufficient electrical properties and poor interfacial contact. This work reports an exciplex-enabled strategy that overcomes these limitations by integrating a stretchable exciplex-assisted phosphorescent (ExciPh) emitting layer with work-function-tunable MXene-contact stretchable electrodes (MCSEs). The ExciPh layer, comprising a TCTA:TPBi exciplex cohost dispersed in a thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) elastomer, facilitates triplet exciton reverse intersystem crossing within a charge-transfer state, followed by long-range Förster resonance energy transfer to the phosphorescent emitter bis(2-phenylpyridine) (Ir(ppy)2acac). This elastomer-tolerant triplet-recycling pathway preserves efficient triplet harvesting despite the insulating PU matrix. The heavy-metal iridium center provides strong spin–orbit coupling, maintaining stable spin-mixing rates and photoluminescence under 50% tensile strain. The resulting fully stretchable OLED achieves a record EQE of 17% while retaining excellent mechanical stability, and a non-stretchable control device reaches 21.7% EQE, validating the effectiveness of the ExciPh approach. These results establish a viable route to high-efficiency, mechanically deformable OLEDs for on-skin applications.

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Exciplex-Enabled Fully Stretchable OLEDs Achieve a Record External Quantum Efficiency of 17%

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020017• Jan 15, 2026

One-dimensional domain walls: A new dimension for ferroelectric nanoelectronics

Authors: LI Zepeng, YUE Wenjing, LI Yang

Ferroelectric domain walls (DWs) constitute mobile, reconfigurable interfaces that underpin the paradigm of domain-wall nanoelectronics, yet their intrinsic two-dimensionality in perovskite ferroelectrics imposes a persistent scaling bottleneck. Charged domain walls (CDWs), essential for conductive channels, suffer from structural broadening driven by diffuse space-charge screening, with widths typically expanding to several nanometers (e.g., ~7 nm in PZT), thereby limiting integration density. This work reports the experimental realization of one-dimensional (1D) CDWs in fluorite-structured ferroelectric ZrO2, achieved via multislice electron ptychography at sub-angstrom resolution. The unique subcell architecture—stacked 2D polar layers separated by nonpolar spacers—confines topological defects to a 1D geometry, enabling atomic-scale confinement of head-to-head and tail-to-tail CDWs. Macroscopic verification using Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 heterostructures and AC impedance spectroscopy demonstrates room-temperature oxygen ion conductivity exceeding 10^-6 S/cm, surpassing conventional yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid electrolytes. This ionic conductivity, coupled with suppressed lattice damage during cycling due to dimensional confinement, positions 1D CDWs as promising candidates for multilevel memory, memristive devices, and neuromorphic computing architectures requiring coupled ionic-electronic transport.

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One-dimensional domain walls: A new dimension for ferroelectric nanoelectronics

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020057• Jan 15, 2026

Large-scale integrated photonic accelerators for ultralow-latency and universal AI computing

Authors: MENG Xiangyan, LI Junshen, FEI Kangwei, WANG Yu, LI Wei, SHI Nuannuan, LI Ming

Integrated silicon photonics has emerged as a transformative technology for post-Moore computing, offering high bandwidth, ultralow latency, and low energy consumption that surpass traditional electronic architectures. As AI models grow in complexity, the demand for high-speed, energy-efficient computing has intensified research into photonic accelerators. Matrix multiply-accumulate (MAC) operations, central to deep learning and combinatorial optimization, are particularly amenable to photonic implementation because light enables parallel multiplication and accumulation with minimal data movement. However, practical deployment has been hindered by challenges in large-scale integration, electro-optical co-packaging, analog computation accuracy, and compatibility with mainstream AI models. Two recent Nature studies have achieved pivotal breakthroughs: a 64×64 photonic arithmetic computing engine (PACE) with over 16,000 monolithically integrated photonic components, and a universal photonic AI accelerator. PACE employs a 2.5D hybrid packaging approach, cointegrating a 65-nm silicon photonics PIC and a 28-nm CMOS EIC via flip-chip bonding, achieving a minimum bump pitch of 100 μm and parasitic capacitance of 40–60 fF. Its incoherent optical computing architecture eliminates cross-channel interference and enables high-precision calibration. These works validate photonic accelerators as competitive alternatives to electronic AI chips, marking a critical step toward commercialization.

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Large-scale integrated photonic accelerators for ultralow-latency and universal AI computing

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020013• Jan 15, 2026

Re-benchmarking Polarization in Wurtzite Nitride Semiconductors

Authors: Ping Wang, Haotian Ye, Rui Wang, Tao Wang, Fang Liu, Zhaoying Chen, Ding Wang, Bo Shen, Xinqiang Wang

Polarization is a defining lever of wurtzite (WZ) III-nitrides, enabling two-dimensional electron and hole gases, polarization doping, and electrostatic control in GaN-based power, RF, and optoelectronic devices. Recent advances, especially ferroelectric nitrides, have pushed polarization to unprecedented magnitudes, elevating it from a static constant to an engineering knob. However, the field has long suffered from ambiguity in polarization magnitude, orientation, and mapping to crystal polarity due to inconsistent sign conventions and reference choices. This mini-review highlights recent progress that rethinks and unifies polarization in wurtzite III-nitrides. It discusses how experimental re-benchmarking of giant polarization is reshaping understanding and enabling predictive polarization engineering. Key issues include the dependence of polarization sign on coordinate choice and magnitude on reference structure, as exemplified by Bernardini et al.'s 1997 predictions (values below 0.1 C/m², downward orientation for metal-polar) and Dreyer et al.'s 2016 refinements. The review emphasizes that consistent benchmarking under a unified convention makes interface bound charge density a quantitative design knob rather than an adjustable fitting parameter, benefiting classical HEMTs, N-polar stacks, polarization-doped structures, and ferroelectric nitride integration. A pragmatic roadmap is proposed: reports should state polarity, sign convention, and reference explicitly to ensure portability and falsifiability.

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Re-benchmarking Polarization in Wurtzite Nitride Semiconductors

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26041001• Jan 15, 2026

Preface to Focus Topic on Integrated Circuits, Technologies and Applications (ICTA) 2025

Authors: Yan Lu, Sai-Weng Sin

This Special Topic of the Journal of Semiconductors (JoS) features expanded versions of key articles presented at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Integrated Circuits Technologies and Applications (ICTA), held in Macao, China, from October 22 to 24, 2025. IEEE ICTA is an IEEE flagship conference in the field of integrated circuits (IC) in China, providing a platform for sharing state-of-the-art techniques from experts. Among 146 papers presented, the Technical Program Committee and Award Committee selected three high-quality articles covering RF, medical neural interface, and vision sensing ICs. The first article, from Zhejiang University, introduces a fractional-N dual-path SPD/PFD PLL with a complementary digital-to-time converter (DTC) pair for DTC range reduction and INL cancellation. Fabricated in 7 nm FinFET, it achieves 118 fs RMS jitter and -247.5 dB figure-of-merit. The second article, also from Zhejiang University, presents a battery-free neural interface with dual-overlapped on-chip antennas, enabling high-data-rate backscatter for 72-channel simultaneous recording. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS, the chip integrates 72 channels within 2 mm × 2 mm and achieves 18 Mbps backscatter data rate. The third article, from Southern University of Science and Technology, describes a cascadable stereo matching processor with scalable semi-global matching (SSGM) algorithm, achieving speedups of 178× and 97× over CPU and Edge GPU, respectively. Implemented in 40-nm CMOS, it operates at 160 MHz, processing 80 frames per second with energy efficiency of 7.9 pJ/pixel and core area of 6.04 mm².

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Preface to Focus Topic on Integrated Circuits, Technologies and Applications (ICTA) 2025

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Original ResearchVol. 32, Issue 6 • pp. 100-112DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020003• Jan 15, 2026

Material Platforms for Solid-State Single-Photon Sources: Wide Bandgap Semiconductors

Authors: MENG Junhua, SHI Yiming, ZHANG Xingwang

Single-photon sources are indispensable for scalable quantum information technologies, including quantum communication, key distribution, computing, and sensing. Optically active point defects in solid-state materials, known as color centers, are promising candidates for next-generation single-photon emitters (SPEs) due to their atom-like properties, enabling high efficiency, purity, and indistinguishability, while their solid-state nature facilitates integration into scalable quantum photonic devices. Among these, color centers in wide-bandgap semiconductors are particularly attractive for their stable operation at room temperature or higher and wide spectral tunability. Their compatibility with mature semiconductor technology allows direct integration into practical optoelectronic systems. Recent progress has realized defect-based SPEs in diamond, silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), zinc oxide (ZnO), and beta-phase gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3). This mini-review summarizes recent advances in SPEs based on wide-bandgap semiconductors, highlighting their potential for integrated quantum photonic circuits. Key platforms include diamond, hosting nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers and group-IV impurity-based defects (SiV, GeV, SnV, PbV) with narrow emission lines and nanosecond lifetimes; Si3N4, where native defects in nitrogen-rich films exhibit linearly polarized emission at 567–670 nm with saturated room-temperature single-photon intensity of 5×10^5 cps; and h-BN, with an ultrawide bandgap of ~6 eV, enabling ultrabright, polarized single-photon emission at room temperature, with carbon-related defects (VBCN−) identified as visible quantum emitters. Challenges remain in structural identification and spectral uniformity, but controlled synthesis and strain engineering offer pathways to scalable quantum photonics.

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Material Platforms for Solid-State Single-Photon Sources: Wide Bandgap Semiconductors

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