Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics
Abstract Electron avalanche breakdown plays a pivotal role in determining the efficiency and reliability of semiconductors and insulators in micro-nanoelectronics and power systems. However, it still remains challenging to understand and control this transient non-equilibrium process. Here, we propo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61866-z |
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| author | Jian Wang Zhong-Hui Shen Wei Li Run-Lin Liu Yu-Lin Duan Yang Shen Han-Xing Liu Ce-Wen Nan |
| author_facet | Jian Wang Zhong-Hui Shen Wei Li Run-Lin Liu Yu-Lin Duan Yang Shen Han-Xing Liu Ce-Wen Nan |
| author_sort | Jian Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Electron avalanche breakdown plays a pivotal role in determining the efficiency and reliability of semiconductors and insulators in micro-nanoelectronics and power systems. However, it still remains challenging to understand and control this transient non-equilibrium process. Here, we propose and demonstrate an atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown model to investigate the dynamic behaviors of excited electrons under extremely high electric fields in various dielectrics ranging from simple oxides to perovskites. Using high-throughput calculations, we establish the relationship maps between ionization energy, bond energy, electron mean free path and breakdown strength, and then excavate their mathematical expressions. On this basis, a high-entropy strategy in BaTiO3-based dielectrics with controllable lattice distortion is well designed to regulate the electron avalanche process, which successfully achieves a ~ 250% improvement in the breakdown strength by preventing electrons from acquiring sufficient energy. The atomic-scale understanding of electron avalanche breakdown process provides more refined guidance for atom/defect engineering to break the universal rule of inverse relation between breakdown strength and permittivity in dielectrics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62a038efaa3442caa9fe7469eac7326e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-62a038efaa3442caa9fe7469eac7326e2025-08-20T04:03:00ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-61866-zDynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectricsJian Wang0Zhong-Hui Shen1Wei Li2Run-Lin Liu3Yu-Lin Duan4Yang Shen5Han-Xing Liu6Ce-Wen Nan7State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of TechnologySchool of Materials and Microelectronics, Wuhan University of TechnologySchool of Materials and Microelectronics, Wuhan University of TechnologySchool of Materials and Microelectronics, Wuhan University of TechnologySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Tsinghua UniversityState Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of TechnologySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Tsinghua UniversityAbstract Electron avalanche breakdown plays a pivotal role in determining the efficiency and reliability of semiconductors and insulators in micro-nanoelectronics and power systems. However, it still remains challenging to understand and control this transient non-equilibrium process. Here, we propose and demonstrate an atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown model to investigate the dynamic behaviors of excited electrons under extremely high electric fields in various dielectrics ranging from simple oxides to perovskites. Using high-throughput calculations, we establish the relationship maps between ionization energy, bond energy, electron mean free path and breakdown strength, and then excavate their mathematical expressions. On this basis, a high-entropy strategy in BaTiO3-based dielectrics with controllable lattice distortion is well designed to regulate the electron avalanche process, which successfully achieves a ~ 250% improvement in the breakdown strength by preventing electrons from acquiring sufficient energy. The atomic-scale understanding of electron avalanche breakdown process provides more refined guidance for atom/defect engineering to break the universal rule of inverse relation between breakdown strength and permittivity in dielectrics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61866-z |
| spellingShingle | Jian Wang Zhong-Hui Shen Wei Li Run-Lin Liu Yu-Lin Duan Yang Shen Han-Xing Liu Ce-Wen Nan Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics Nature Communications |
| title | Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics |
| title_full | Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics |
| title_short | Dynamic atomic-scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics |
| title_sort | dynamic atomic scale electron avalanche breakdown in solid dielectrics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61866-z |
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