We report a comprehensive ferroelectric domain study of free-standing PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 (PZT) membranes. These were 50 nm epitaxial PZT thin films deposited on Sr3Al2O6 (SAO) buffered LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates using off-axis RF magnetron sputtering. The as-deposited thin films are monocrystalline with no impurity phases, as confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies show smooth surfaces with the (Root Mean Square) RMS roughness of 0.3 nm. We then immerse the samples in water to dissolve the SAO buffer layer and transfer the suspended oxide membranes onto different conductive substrates, including Au and LSMO/STO. The RMS roughness of the PZT membranes increased to 0.8 nm after transfer, while XRD studies show they maintain the crystallinity. Piezo-response force microscopy (PFM) measurements revealed a uniform polarization down state for both samples, while the switching field of the PZT membranes transferred on Au is slightly higher than that transferred on LSMO/STO. We also systematically discuss the effect of the bottom electrode type on the domain wall roughness and creep behaviors of PZT membranes.

Organic electronics is a field that has had many new developments over the years. Organic electronics allow for the creation of flexible and even stretchy electronics. They also have many applications in fields such as medicine and materials. For example, an organic semiconductor can detect chemical changes in a person's body from the charges molecules produce. The research will focus on learning the fundamental mechanics of organic semiconductors and organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Different concepts related to electricity and the flow of current will be reviewed and similar experiments and research done by other scientists in the same field will be summarized. After gaining a better understanding of how organic semiconductors work, new OFETs will be designed based on the semiconductor pentacene. The influence of the thickness of the pentacene layer on the device performance will also be analyzed. A paper detailing the results and lessons learned throughout the summer will be prepared. Expected results of the research is gaining experience working with organic semiconductors and performing scientific analysis on them. In conclusion, a better understanding of organic semiconductors and OFETs will be gained.

The potential applications of atomically thin, two-dimensional materials such as indium selenide (InSe) in the field of conversion photovoltaic technology have shown promise in next-generation solar energy-efficient devices. To reach the goal of photovoltaic devices the quality of InSe monolayers needs to be considered which depends on the type of processes that have been followed in its creation and subsequent annealing treatments that have been applied. Obtaining monolayers of InSe of the highest possible quality provide higher carrier mobility for a desired photovoltaic performance. Each atomically thin sheet of InSe is composed of four monatomic layers in the Se-In-In-Se sequence, in such a way that each two-dimensional sheet exhibits a hexagonal structure and the links between them are covalent which could lead to further investigation of transport properties and scattering mechanisms of high-mobility atomically thin, two-dimensional materials. Furthermore, InSe encapsulated by hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) addresses the issues of intrinsic doping in silicon dioxide (SiO2) by exhibiting enhanced mobility and reduces the carrier inhomogeneity. The scarcity of experimental data suggests that features of InSe are limited due to degradation in ambient conditions, probably due to chemical reactions such as oxygen and water in the air which leads to the biggest obstacle to practical applications. In this study, we desire to create a photovoltaic device in an inherited atmosphere such as a glovebox to observe high carrier mobility in InSe that could lead to potential applications in diverse areas such as photo-electricity, catalysts, and transistors.