JVST A - JVST B

STM on a budget? Researchers from @UNAM_MX and @CEMES_CNRS show you a way to perform better work without the expensive instruments. doi.org/10.1116/5.0336009

Simulations compare field-emitter geometries and reveal that a hexagonal array of HCP tips is the most efficient, scalable emission structure, enabling the highest emission current before breakdown. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005852

A little water makes a big difference💧 Unlock the key to rapid silicon dioxide etching by controlling condensation, pressure, and temperature! doi.org/10.1116/6.0005612

Don't get mixed signals from your XPS measurements! This review from Grzegorz Greczynski at @liu_universitet will help you understand why sample charging happens and how to control it. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005735

Uniformity at scale: Researchers from #RRCAT tackle the challenge of ultra-uniform x-ray mirror coatings—and achieves just 1.87% thickness variation and an incredible 18 nrad slope error across a 300 mm curved surface. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005740

Tune into this: @Princeton researchers fine-tune a foundational machine-learned interatomic potential, enabling molecular dynamics simulations of oxygen plasma oxidation of WS2 at near-DFT accuracy and far less cost than training from scratch! doi.org/10.1116/6.0005737

Robust & reliable electron sources are essential for high-resolution electron microscopy. Now featured on the cover of #JVSTB, this work from @tescan_group & @uniamu explores iridium as a robust field-emission source for electron microscopy. Read more: doi.org/10.1116/6.0005519

What if we told you there were defects hiding in your deposition process; you just weren't quick enough to see them? A faster simulation method from @CAS__Science reveals how tiny pinholes and voids form during thin-film deposition. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005660

Your carrier wafer does more than just carry: how the “hidden” chemistry of plasma etching controls AlN sidewalls, passivation, and pattern profiles; from @UGrenobleAlpes and @CNRS doi.org/10.1116/6.0005683

Nanoscale oxidation can enable engineered interfaces in 2D materials. On this #JVSTA cover, authors from imec & KU Leuven explore oxidation of MOCVD-grown monolayer WS₂, using edge oxidation to create WS₂/WO₃ heterostructures w/ controlled lengths. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005353

From @BrookhavenLab, superconducting PtSi thin films form on Si through sequential Pt and Si diffusions. Authors map the Pt-to-Pt2Si-to-PtSi pathway and identify the step in which interface roughening occurs. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005644

Fast & reliable molecular sensing, coming right up! By stacking magnetic beads & silver nanocubes into a portable nano-sieve, researchers created a powerful platform for stronger, more stable Raman signals—even when detecting multiple molecules at once. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005639

Work smarter, not harder: turn up the temp to cut down on time! 15–30 °C increase in bakeout temp can equal pumping 10× longer; @UCSB authors offer a practical way to optimize vacuum bakeouts while balancing time, thermal budget, & pumping capacity. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005715

Supercharge your plasma activity just by tweaking the plasma's electrical signal! Study shows changing the RF waveform dramatically alters how electrons are heated—& that plasma activity can keep going for tens of nanoseconds after the current reverses. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005607

H₂ can boost SiOCN etching—or shut it down—depending on how it reshapes the plasma & surface chemistry. Authors from @AIST_EN uncover 3 distinct reaction regimes that reveal how to tune H₂ for highly selective SiOCN etching in next-gen 3D logic devices. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005595

What drives etch-rate uniformity? New research in #JVSTA maps fluorine radical density across a plasma reactor—finding a direct correlation with Si etch rates. A powerful diagnostic for optimizing plasma etching! doi.org/10.1116/6.0005596

Small changes, big results: Authors from @NagoyaUniv show how tiny changes in plasma chemistry can dramatically improve etch selectivity - boosting selectivity by up to 4× without sacrificing throughput. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005614

What did @utsystem find when using STM to explore the structures created during the nitridation of copper? These insights will likely aid in understanding an emerging area of catalysis - transition metal nitrides as both catalysts & catalytic supports. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005619

Why isn't #ALEtch widely used in semiconductor manufacturing despite its many advantages? This work from @Samsung discusses the key challenges, recent progress, and future directions for making ALE a practical technology for high-volume manufacturing. doi.org/10.1116/6.0005592

The 1st fabrication of Josephson junctions on MBE-grown Ge quantum wells on float-zone Si substrates - showing that devices can be gate tuned & illustrating the mobility & mean free path of quantum wells. Critical for #quantum info devices everywhere! doi.org/10.1116/6.0005651