Using scalable computer vision to automate high-throughput semiconductor characterization


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Siemenn A. E., Aissi E., Sheng F., Tiihonen A., KAVAK H., Das B., ...More

Nature Communications, vol.15, no.1, 2024 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 15 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1038/s41467-024-48768-2
  • Journal Name: Nature Communications
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Geobase, INSPEC, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Çukurova University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

High-throughput materials synthesis methods, crucial for discovering novel functional materials, face a bottleneck in property characterization. These high-throughput synthesis tools produce 104 samples per hour using ink-based deposition while most characterization methods are either slow (conventional rates of 101 samples per hour) or rigid (e.g., designed for standard thin films), resulting in a bottleneck. To address this, we propose automated characterization (autocharacterization) tools that leverage adaptive computer vision for an 85x faster throughput compared to non-automated workflows. Our tools include a generalizable composition mapping tool and two scalable autocharacterization algorithms that: (1) autonomously compute the band gaps of 200 compositions in 6 minutes, and (2) autonomously compute the environmental stability of 200 compositions in 20 minutes, achieving 98.5% and 96.9% accuracy, respectively, when benchmarked against domain expert manual evaluation. These tools, demonstrated on the formamidinium (FA) and methylammonium (MA) mixed-cation perovskite system FA1−xMAxPbI3, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, significantly accelerate the characterization process, synchronizing it closer to the rate of high-throughput synthesis.