Silicon最新文献

{"title":"A Wafer Microcircuit Defect Extraction Method Based on Weighted Fusion Enhancement and Adaptive Contour Segmentation","authors":"Tao Chen,&nbsp;Xianqi Liao,&nbsp;Duo Zou,&nbsp;Jiao Li,&nbsp;Hong Jiang,&nbsp;Chao Bao","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03775-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03775-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Addressing the challenge of extracting microcircuit defects in wafer images due to low-contrast features, this study presents a defect extraction method combining weighted fusion enhancement and adaptive contour segmentation. The method analyzes wafer microcircuit image patterns and grayscale distribution, deploying a target localization algorithm based on dark-region detection. Adaptive thresholding and region filtering enable precise defect localization. The low-contrast characteristics of wafer defects are addressed through an adaptive fusion enhancement algorithm, weighting local standard deviation enhancement and sigmoid nonlinear stretching enhancement to boost contrast while preserving defect details. Integrating multidimensional defect features, an adaptive active contour model is constructed, segmenting defects via iterative contour evolution. Enhanced defect images achieve edge preservation and sharpness indices of 0.74 and 0.33, respectively, with an average extraction precision of 0.9931. The method effectively mitigates low-contrast interference in non-destructive wafer defect identification.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4233 - 4254"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Triple Metal Gate Work Function Engineering to Enhance the Performance of Junctionless Cylindrical GAA Ge Nanowire MOSFET with High-κ Dielectric for the Upcoming Sub 3 nm Technology Node","authors":"Sanjay,&nbsp;Vibhor Kumar,&nbsp;Anil Vohra","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03781-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03781-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4089 - 4090"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Copper Nanoparticles Immobilized on SBA-15 Hybrid: Sustainable Heterogeneous Nanocatalyst for the Reduction of Functionalized Nitroaromatics and Organic Dyes","authors":"Imane Boudjabi,&nbsp;Aouicha Benmaati,&nbsp;Mohammed Hachemaoui,&nbsp;Bouhadjar Boukoussa,&nbsp;Amina Sardi,&nbsp;Salih Hacini,&nbsp;Issam Ismail,&nbsp;Shashikant P. Patole,&nbsp;Hadjira Habib Zahmani","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03758-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03758-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The development of efficient, reusable, and selective catalysts is paramount for advancing sustainable chemistry in environmental remediation and green synthesis. This work presents a strategy for fabricating highly active copper nanocatalysts by immobilizing ultra-small copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) onto SBA-15 mesoporous silica. For comparison, a non-functionalized control catalyst (SBA-15@Cu) was prepared. The primary support was functionalized with urea (U1) or biuret (U2) ligands, whose strong chelating ability stabilizes the nanoparticles and ensures a homogeneous dispersion of the active metal sites. The hybrid nanomaterials, SBA-15@Cu, SBA-15/U1@Cu, and SBA-15/U2@Cu, were synthesized via an ultrasound-assisted method followed by chemical reduction and were thoroughly characterized using XPS, TEM, SEM, XRF, TGA and XRD. These analyses confirmed the successful functionalization and the formation of well-dispersed CuNPs with an average size of approximately 2 nm. The catalytic performance was evaluated through the sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) reduction of organic pollutants in aqueous medium. For the model reaction involving methylene blue (MB), SBA-15/U1@Cu demonstrated superior activity, achieving complete decolorization in only 9 min. This optimal catalyst also proved effective for reducing other toxic dyes, including Crystal Violet (CV), Orange G (OG), Congo Red (CR), and Eriochrome Black T (EBT). Furthermore, SBA-15/U1@Cu exhibited exceptional activity, selectivity, and fast kinetics in the reduction of various nitroaromatic compounds to their corresponding amines, with yields up to 99%. The catalyst maintained excellent performance over three consecutive cycles, demonstrating good reusability. This study highlights that urea-functionalized SBA-15 is a highly effective support for designing durable and high-performance copper nanocatalysts, offering a promising and sustainable route for pollutant degradation and valuable chemical transformations.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4211 - 4231"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation on Tensile, Hardness, Fatigue and Microstructural Properties of Rice Leaves Extracted SiO2 Reinforced Friction Stir Welded AA6061-10% Al2O3 Metal Matrix Composite","authors":"C. Devanathan,&nbsp;K. Giridharan,&nbsp;D. jayabalakrishnan,&nbsp;B. Prabhu","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03767-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03767-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Advancements in material science have led to significant developments across various sectors, including engineering, infrastructure, automotive, military defense, and aerospace. The present study contributes to these fields by investigating the mechanical and microstructural properties of rice leaf-derived SiO₂ reinforced friction stir welded (FSW) aluminum alloy AA6061-10% Al₂O₃ (alumina) metal matrix composites (MMCs). Biosilica, extracted from rice leaves through a thermochemical method, is incorporated into the FSW zone of the AA6061-10% Al₂O₃ composites using stir casting. The FSW composites are then evaluated according to ASTM standards.The study finds that the addition of 3 wt.% biosilica to the AA6061-10% Al₂O₃ composite (Composite C) significantly enhances mechanical properties compared to the base welded AA6061-10% Al₂O₃ (Composite A). Specifically, Composite C exhibits a 19% increase in tensile strength, a 29% improvement in yield strength, a 35% increase in impact energy, and a 46.15% reduction in elongation. Furthermore, fatigue analysis indicates that Composite C, containing 3 wt.% biosilica, demonstrates a maximum fatigue strength of 172 MPa, which is 29% higher than that of the plain welded FSW MMC.Microstructural analysis reveals that the introduction of 1 and 3 wt.% biosilica particles results in semi-coarse and fine grain boundaries around the welded composite. Additionally, Composite D, which incorporates 5 wt.% biosilica, shows enhanced hardness (120 VHN), likely due to the composite’s increased brittleness and reduced heat generation during processing.These enhanced biosilica-reinforced FSW joints are well suited for lightweight, high-strength applications such as automotive components, aerospace structures, and load-bearing transportation or infrastructure systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4195 - 4210"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modification of the Structural, Surface and Optical Properties of Soda-lime Silica Glass by Audio Frequency Nitrogen Plasma using Different Metal Electrodes","authors":"N. A. Haleem,&nbsp;M. F. Zaki,&nbsp;Sh. I. Elkalashy,&nbsp;A. M. Rashad,&nbsp;A. M. Abd El-Lateef","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03685-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03685-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Audio frequency nitrogen plasma, which includes generating plasma using nitrogen gas excited by audio frequency, has been used in this work. Three different metals (Al, Cu, and W) have been used as an electrode to investigate the alterations in the surface of soda-lime silicate glass (SLSG) samples. To study and compare the effect of these metal electrodes on the surface of the samples, different techniques have been utilized, like FTIR to evaluate the alteration in absorption bands, surface roughness behaviors by roughness tester, contact angles by contact angle goniometer, and the electronic transitions of the soda lime silicate glass using UV/Vis spectroscopy. FTIR spectra reveal that an alteration in the absorption band intensities was observed, indicating chemical modifications of the glass surface as a result of plasma exposure. This change may lead to the formation of new bonds or the alteration of existing ones. The presence of new absorption bands associated with surface species or structural alterations. The presence of new absorption bands associated with surface species or structural alterations. The variations in shifts and intensity variations of the Si–O-Si bands may be caused by the introduction of hydrated species, interactions with the silicate network, and changes in alkali ion concentrations. Then, the amendment of the surface structure and, hence, the kind and extent of the changes observed in the glass surface will depend on the kind of metal used for the electrode. Changes have been noted in surface roughness due to utilizing different metal electrodes as a result of the glass surface being etched, new chemical bonds being formed, and the oxidation process. This is attributable to the interaction between the plasma species and the glass, which can be impacted by the electrode material, determining the roughness parameter results. The contact angles of treated samples are reduced due to the formation of hydrophilic groups and surface hydroxylation, which depends on the type of electrode utilized. The kind of electrode material can create distinct surface qualities by altering the plasma chemistry and contact with the glass, which might vary the degree of surface alteration. UV–visible results displayed a shift in the absorbance edge toward the longer wavelength. This reflects a decrease in the band gap energy, which indicates an enhancement in the electrical conductivity of the samples. The surface amendments lead to changes in the material’s transparency, color degree, and linear refractive index through influencing the glass network and generating new absorption or scattering sites of light.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4181 - 4193"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149022995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon Nanofillers in PVC/PEO/SiC: A Strategic Approach to Multifunctional Materials for Energy Storage and Optical Uses","authors":"A. M. El-Naggar,&nbsp;A. M. Kamal,&nbsp;A. A. Albassam","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03779-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03779-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The strategic incorporation of carbon nanomaterials into polymer blends is a key route to develop advanced multifunctional materials for modern technologies. This work aims to fabricate a novel class of nanocomposite films based on a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) blend loaded with silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles and various carbon-based nanomaterials: multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), carbon nanoparticles (CNP), graphene oxide (GO), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The structural properties of the fillers and the blended polymers were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The impact of these nanofillers on the morphology of the host polymer matrix was also studied. The incorporation of these fillers resulted in significant and tunable enhancements in the material's functional properties. Notably, the films exhibited excellent UV-blocking capability, with the PVC/PEO/SiC/GO composite showing the lowest optical transmittance, making them promising candidates for UV protection and solar cell absorber layers. The PVC/PEO/SiC/GO sample demonstrated the highest performance among the series, achieving a refractive index of ~ 1.77 at 600 nm—a substantial increase compared to the pure blend—along with the greatest optical dielectric constant and enhanced nonlinear optical parameters. Furthermore, a dramatic reduction (quenching) of up to ~ 75% in fluorescence intensity was observed for the filled samples, indicating strong polymer-filler interactions suitable for photocatalytic applications. For energy storage, the PVC/PEO/SiC/MWCNTs nanocomposite exhibited the highest energy density and the greatest capacitance, attributed to the formation of an efficient micro-capacitor network. These results demonstrate that strategic doping of the PVC/PEO/SiC blend with carbon-based nanomaterials yields high-performance, multifunctional materials ideally suited for advanced applications in flexible optoelectronics and energy storage devices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4163 - 4179"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149022996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards High-Performance Dopant-Free Asymmetric Heterocontact Solar Cells with Transition Metal Oxides and Alkali Metal Fluorides","authors":"Irtiza Yousuf,&nbsp;Bisma Bilal","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03777-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03777-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Dopant-free asymmetric heterocontact (DASH) solar cells offer a promising approach to advancing silicon photovoltaic technology by overcoming the limitations of conventional architectures such as HIT, TOPCon, and POLO, which rely on heavy doping, complex fabrication, and toxic gases, creating challenges for scalability and cost-effectiveness. A novel DASH configuration is proposed, integrating transition metal oxides (TMOs), specifically Vanadium oxide (V₂O_x), as the hole transport layer (HTL), and Lithium Fluoride (LiF_x), an alkali metal-based material, as the electron transport layer (ETL). Using AFORS-HET software, the design is rigorously simulated and evaluated based on key performance parameters, including power conversion efficiency (PCE), open-circuit voltage (V_oc), short-circuit current density (J_sc), fill factor (FF), and carrier selectivity. Following a series of optimizations, the proposed DASH cell achieves a PCE of 27.96%, demonstrating superior performance compared to benchmark experimental and simulation-based results reported in the literature. Sensitivity analysis further identifies critical factors such as ITO work function, c-Si doping concentration, and trap densities as key determinants of device performance. These findings indicate that the combination of low-cost, highly efficient dopant-free materials with an optimized heterocontact architecture provides a scalable and commercially viable pathway for next-generation silicon-based solar cells.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4137 - 4161"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanical Behaviour of Concrete Incorporating Cold-bonded Fly Ash And Bottom Ash Aggregates for Sustainable Construction","authors":"P. Selvaprasanth,&nbsp;K. Rajendhiran","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03776-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03776-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The extensive consumption of natural aggregates and the disposal of large volumes of industrial by-products present significant environmental challenges, necessitating sustainable alternatives for concrete construction. One such approach is the use of cold-bonded Fly Ash Aggregate (FAA) and Bottom Ash (BA) as partial replacements for natural aggregates, offering the potential to reduce environmental impact while producing lighter concrete. Cold bonding allows these by-products to be converted into artificial aggregates without energy-intensive thermal processes, supporting resource efficiency and waste utilisation. An experimental investigation was carried out to examine the compressive strength, flexural strength, deflection behaviour, workability, and density of concrete incorporating FAA and BA. The results show that replacing a portion of natural aggregates with FAA leads to a moderate reduction in strength, while still maintaining structural-grade performance. When BA is used together with FAA, changes in flexural behaviour become more pronounced, reflecting the influence of aggregate shape and stiffness. A noticeable reduction in concrete density was also observed, indicating clear potential for lightweight structural applications. At the same time, increased deformability in flexural members highlights the importance of considering serviceability requirements in design. Overall, the findings suggest that cold-bonded FAA–BA concrete can be used effectively in structural and non-structural applications where reduced self-weight and sustainability are important, provided appropriate design checks are applied. The study highlights the practical potential of industrial by-products as alternatives to natural aggregates, contributing to more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible construction practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4123 - 4136"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prediction of Activity Interaction Coefficient of Ca on Al in Silicon-Based Ternary Melt Under Small-Sample Data Based on MIVM Model and Transfer Learning","authors":"Fen Zou,&nbsp;Jijun Wu,&nbsp;Shijian Dong,&nbsp;Kuixian Wei,&nbsp;Zhengjie Chen,&nbsp;Wenhui Ma","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03765-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03765-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Accurate prediction of activity interaction coefficients is essential for optimizing the industrial silicon smelting and purification process. Nevertheless, several challenges persist, including the scarcity of experimental data, the complexity of multi-component interactions, prohibitive experimental costs and extended durations, and a substantial divergence between theoretical and experimental values. In this study, six machine learning models including Linear Regression (LR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLP), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Tabnet, and Tab-Transformer (Tabnet-TF) were used to predict both theoretical and experimental activity interaction coefficients. The study found that XGB exhibited the best performance on the theoretical data, achieving determination coefficient (R²) &gt; 0.98, root mean square error (RMSE) &lt; 0.0082, mean absolute error (MAE) &lt; 0.67, and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) &lt; 0.22. By integrating XGB with a transfer learning approach, pre-training on theoretical data and fine-tuning with sample weighting. The results demonstrate that the model significantly improved prediction accuracy on experimental data, attaining an R² of 0.9960, compared to 0.6937 with the best standalone model. This work presents an efficient strategy for predicting thermodynamic parameters in silicon refining and validates the effectiveness of transfer learning in materials computation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4105 - 4122"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine Learning-Driven Prediction of Thermal Conductivity in Reaction-Bonded Silicon Nitride Ceramics","authors":"Chirayu Mittal,&nbsp;Dimple Pruthi,&nbsp;Saptarshi Chakraborty,&nbsp;Kundan Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s12633-026-03771-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12633-026-03771-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The next generation of power electronic devices will necessitate mechanically robust substrates with excellent thermal conductivity. Silicon nitride will play an indispensable role because of its exceptional thermal and mechanical properties, which are crucial for operating effectively in the complex conditions commonly faced by power electronic devices. In this study, we used machine learning models (XGBoost, Random Forest, and Support Vector Regression) to get an insight into the impact of processing parameters on the thermal conductivity of reaction-bonded sintered silicon nitride. The best coefficient of determination achieved was 0.98 and 0.97 for training and testing data, respectively, using the XGBoost model. The model shows that sintering pressure, particle size, particle purity, and sintering time are significant, as reflected by their high feature importance scores. The present study paves the way for the successful integration of a machine learning approach in predicting the properties of silicon nitride and may be applied to other materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":776,"journal":{"name":"Silicon","volume":"18 13-14","pages":"4091 - 4103"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}