Construction of vesicle CdSe nano-semiconductors photocatalysts with improved photocatalytic activity: Enhanced photo induced carriers separation efficiency and mechanism insight.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jiangsu; Ma, Changchang; Huo, Pengwei; Liu, Xinlin; Wei, Maobin; Liu, Yang; Yao, Xin; Ma, Zhongfei; Yan, Yongsheng

2017-10-01

Visible-light-driven photocatalysis as a green technology has attracted a lot of attention due to its potential applications in environmental remediation. Vesicle CdSe nano-semiconductor photocatalyst are successfully prepared by a gas template method and characterized by a variety of methods. The vesicle CdSe nano-semiconductors display enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride, the photodegradation rate of 78.824% was achieved by vesicle CdSe, which exhibited an increase of 31.779% compared to granular CdSe. Such an exceptional photocatalytic capability can be attributed to the unique structure of the vesicle CdSe nano-semiconductor with enhanced light absorption ability and excellent carrier transport capability. Meanwhile, the large surface area of the vesicle CdSe nano-semiconductor can increase the contact probability between catalyst and target and provide more surface-active centers. The photocatalytic mechanisms are analyzed by active species quenching. It indicates that h + and O 2 - are the main active species which play a major role in catalyzing environmental toxic pollutants. Simultaneously, the vesicle CdSe nano-semiconductor had high efficiency and stability. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Advances in Magnetically Separable Photocatalysts: Smart, Recyclable Materials for Water Pollution Mitigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gcina Mamba

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Organic and inorganic compounds utilised at different stages of various industrial processes are lost into effluent water and eventually find their way into fresh water sources where they cause devastating effects on the ecosystem due to their stability, toxicity, and non-biodegradable nature. Semiconductor photocatalysis has been highlighted as a promising technology for the treatment of water laden with organic, inorganic, and microbial pollutants. However, these semiconductor photocatalysts are applied in powdered form, which makes separation and recycling after treatment extremely difficult. This not only leads to loss of the photocatalyst but also to secondary pollution by the photocatalyst particles. The introduction of various magnetic nanoparticles such as magnetite, maghemite, ferrites, etc. into the photocatalyst matrix has recently become an area of intense research because it allows for the easy separation of the photocatalyst from the treated water using an external magnetic field. Herein, we discuss the recent developments in terms of synthesis and photocatalytic properties of magnetically separable nanocomposites towards water treatment. The influence of the magnetic nanoparticles in the optical properties, charge transfer mechanism, and overall photocatalytic activity is deliberated based on selected results. We conclude the review by providing summary remarks on the successes of magnetic photocatalysts and present some of the future challenges regarding the exploitation of these materials in water treatment.

Multifunctional Organic-Semiconductor Interfacial Layers for Solution-Processed Oxide-Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Guhyun; Kim, Keetae; Choi, Byung Doo; Roh, Jeongkyun; Lee, Changhee; Noh, Yong-Young; Seo, SungYong; Kim, Myung-Gil; Kim, Choongik

2017-06-01

The stabilization and control of the electrical properties in solution-processed amorphous-oxide semiconductors (AOSs) is crucial for the realization of cost-effective, high-performance, large-area electronics. In particular, impurity diffusion, electrical instability, and the lack of a general substitutional doping strategy for the active layer hinder the industrial implementation of copper electrodes and the fine tuning of the electrical parameters of AOS-based thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this study, the authors employ a multifunctional organic-semiconductor (OSC) interlayer as a solution-processed thin-film passivation layer and a charge-transfer dopant. As an electrically active impurity blocking layer, the OSC interlayer enhances the electrical stability of AOS TFTs by suppressing the adsorption of environmental gas species and copper-ion diffusion. Moreover, charge transfer between the organic interlayer and the AOS allows the fine tuning of the electrical properties and the passivation of the electrical defects in the AOS TFTs. The development of a multifunctional solution-processed organic interlayer enables the production of low-cost, high-performance oxide semiconductor-based circuits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Photocatalytic semiconductors synthesis, characterization, and environmental applications

CERN Document Server

Hernández-Ramírez, Aracely

2014-01-01

This critical volume examines the different methods used for the synthesis of a great number of photocatalysts, including TiO2, ZnO and other modified semiconductors, as well as characterization techniques used for determining the optical, structural and morphological properties of the semiconducting materials. Additionally, the authors discuss photoelectrochemical methods for determining the light activity of the photocatalytic semiconductors by means of measurement of properties such as band gap energy, flat band potential and kinetics of hole and electron transfer. Photocatalytic Semiconductors: Synthesis, Characterization and Environmental Applications provide an overview of the semiconductor materials from first- to third-generation photocatalysts and their applications in wastewater treatment and water disinfection. The book further presents economic and toxicological aspects in the production and application of photocatalytic materials.

Photocatalytic oxidation of methyl orange in water phase by immobilized TiO{sub 2}-carbon nanotube nanocomposite photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Yinmao [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); School of Sciences/Beijing Key Lab of Plant Resource Research and Development, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048 (China); Tang, Dongyan [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Li, Chensha, E-mail: lichnsa@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2014-03-01

Highlights: • An immobilized photocatalyst with heterostructure of nanophase CNT-TiO{sub 2} was developed. • The unique 3-D network structure of the photocatalyst resulted in high and available surface area. • The nano-photocatalyst exhibited a high photocatalysis performance. • The immobilized nano-photocatalyst possess the merits of powder nano-photocatalyst. • The immobilized nano-photocatalyst adapts the requirement for clean and convenient manipulation. - Abstract: We developed an immobilized carbon nanotube (CNT)–titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) heterostructure material for the photocatalytic oxidation of methyl orange in aqueous phase. The catalyst material was prepared via sol–gel method using multi-walled CNTs grown on graphite substrate as carriers. The multi-walled CNTs were synthesized from thermal decomposing of hydrocarbon gas directly on thin graphite plate, forming immobilized 3-dimensional network of CNTs. The nanophase TiO{sub 2} was synthesized coating on CNTs to form “coral”-shaped nanocomposite 3-dimensional network on graphite substrate, thus bringing effective porous structure and high specific surface area, and possessing the merit of dispersive powder photocatalysts, which is the fully available surface area, while adapting the requirement for clean and convenient manipulation as an immobilized photocatalyst. Moreover, the CNT–TiO{sub 2} heterostructure reduced the electron–hole pair recombination rate and enhanced the photoabsorption and the adsorption ability, resulting in elevating the photocatalysis efficiency. These synergistic effects due to the hybrid nature of the materials and interphase interaction greatly improved the catalytic activity, and demonstrated superior photocatalytic performances. Our work can be a significant inspiration for developing hybrid nano-phase materials to realize sophisticated functions, and bear tremendous significance for the development and applications of semiconductor nano-materials.

Solar energy harvesting by magnetic-semiconductor nanoheterostructure in water treatment technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoodi, Vahid; Bastami, Tahereh Rohani; Ahmadpour, Ali

2018-03-01

Photocatalytic degradation of toxic organic pollutants in the wastewater using dispersed semiconductor nanophotocatalysts has a number of advantages such as high activity, cost effectiveness, and utilization of free solar energy. However, it is difficult to recover and recycle nanophotocatalysts since the fine dispersed nanoparticles are easily suspended in waters. Furthermore, a large amount of photocatalysts will lead to color contamination. Thus, it is necessary to prepare photocatalysts with easy separation for the reusable application. To take advantage of high photocatalysis activity and reusability, magnetic photocatalysts with separation function were utilized. In this review, the photocatalytic principle, structure, and application of the magnetic-semiconductor nanoheterostructure photocatalysts under solar light are evaluated. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Alternative photocatalysts to TiO{sub 2} for the photocatalytic reduction of CO{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikokavoura, Aspasia; Trapalis, Christos, E-mail: c.trapalis@inn.demokritos.gr

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Non TiO{sub 2} containing photocatalysts are intensively studied for CO{sub 2} reduction. • The inorganic and carbon based semiconductors are appropriate for redox reactions. • ZIFs and carbonaceous hybrids exhibited outstanding photocatalytic efficiency. • Highly active photocatalysts for CO{sub 2} conversion to useful materials are needed. - Abstract: The increased concentration of CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere, originating from the burning of fossil fuels in stationary and mobile sources, is referred as the “Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect” and constitutes a major environmental concern. The scientific community is highly concerned about the resulting enhancement of the mean atmospheric temperature, so a vast diversity of methods has been applied. Thermochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical processes, as well as combination of solar electricity generation and water splitting processes have been performed in order to lower the CO{sub 2} atmospheric levels. Photocatalytic methods are environmental friendly and succeed in reducing the atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration and producing fuels or/and useful organic compounds at the same time. The most common photocatalysts for the CO{sub 2} reduction are the inorganic, the carbon based semiconductors and the hybrids based on semiconductors, which combine stability, low cost and appropriate structure in order to accomplish redox reactions. In this review, inorganic semiconductors such as single-metal oxide, mixed-metal oxides, metal oxide composites, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), salt composites, carbon based semiconductors such as graphene based composites, CNT composites, g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} composites and hybrid organic-inorganic materials (ZIFs) were studied. TiO{sub 2} and Ti based photocatalysts are extensively studied and therefore in this review they are not mentioned.

FY1995 studies on surface structures and mechanism of photocatalytic action of semiconductor oxides; 1995 nendo handotai hikari shokubai no hyomen kozo seigyo to sayo kiko kaimei ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

Development of the semiconductor photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide is important for photo-energy conversion and purification of the environment. We make clear that the mechanism of the photocatalysis using a spectroscopic or physico-chemical methods, and we developed the new photocatalyst with the control of the surface area, porosity, infinitesimal content, and surface modification of the catalyst surface. Titanium dioxide thin film photocatalysts were prepared by the dip coating method. Surface structure of the thin film was formed by the aggregated TiO{sub 2} anatase particle, its size was around 5 nm. This thin films effectively oxidazed NO, its photocatalytic activity is higher than that of commercial photocatalyst. Metal oxide anchored TiO{sub 2} photocatalysts (RuO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2}) were prepared by the co-precipitation method. Effective charge separation of the RuO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} were confirmed by the measurement of ESR. The RuO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst successfully reduced CO{sub 2} and preserved its activity for much longer period than metal loaded catalyst. Hybrid photofunctionalized material was prepared by anchoring porphyrin moieties on the titanium dioxide surface. The relative quantum yield of electron transfer from porphyrin to the titanium dioxide conduction band has been markedly increased by water treatment of quanternized porphyrin-titanium dioxide covalently linked systems owing to removal of adsorbed porphyrin domains. (NEDO)

Metal–organic frameworks as heterogeneous photocatalysts : Advantages and challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nasalevich, M.A.; Van der Veen, M.; Kapteijn, F.; Gascon, J.

2014-01-01

The use of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as heterogeneous photocatalysts is critically reviewed. First we revisit the general assumption of MOFs behaving truly as semiconductors, demonstrating that such semiconducting behaviour only occurs in a very limited subset of materials. Further, the main

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-López, Manuel Angel Quevedo

2011-06-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Wondmagegn, Wudyalew T.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Ramí rez-Bon, Rafael; Gnade, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Bi2O3 nanoparticles encapsulated in surface mounted metal-organic framework thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei; Chen, Zhi; Yang, Chengwu; Neumann, Tobias; Kübel, Christian; Wenzel, Wolfgang; Welle, Alexander; Pfleging, Wilhelm; Shekhah, Osama; Wöll, Christof; Redel, Engelbert

2016-03-01

We describe a novel procedure to fabricate a recyclable hybrid-photocatalyst based on Bi2O3@HKUST-1 MOF porous thin films. Bi2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized within HKUST-1 (or Cu3(BTC)2) surface-mounted metal-organic frame-works (SURMOFs) and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Bi2O3 semiconductor NPs (diameter 1-3 nm)/SURMOF heterostructures exhibit superior photo-efficiencies compared to NPs synthesized using conventional routes, as demonstrated via the photodegradation of the nuclear fast red (NFR) dye.We describe a novel procedure to fabricate a recyclable hybrid-photocatalyst based on Bi2O3@HKUST-1 MOF porous thin films. Bi2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized within HKUST-1 (or Cu3(BTC)2) surface-mounted metal-organic frame-works (SURMOFs) and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Bi2O3 semiconductor NPs (diameter 1-3 nm)/SURMOF heterostructures exhibit superior photo-efficiencies compared to NPs synthesized using conventional routes, as demonstrated via the photodegradation of the nuclear fast red (NFR) dye. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr00532b

Plasmonic photocatalyst-like fluorescent proteins for generating reactive oxygen species

Science.gov (United States)

Leem, Jung Woo; Kim, Seong-Ryul; Choi, Kwang-Ho; Kim, Young L.

2018-03-01

The recent advances in photocatalysis have opened a variety of new possibilities for energy and biomedical applications. In particular, plasmonic photocatalysis using hybridization of semiconductor materials and metal nanoparticles has recently facilitated the rapid progress in enhancing photocatalytic efficiency under visible or solar light. One critical underlying aspect of photocatalysis is that it generates and releases reactive oxygen species (ROS) as intermediate or final products upon light excitation or activation. Although plasmonic photocatalysis overcomes the limitation of UV irradiation, synthesized metal/semiconductor nanomaterial photocatalysts often bring up biohazardous and environmental issues. In this respect, this review article is centered in identifying natural photosensitizing organic materials that can generate similar types of ROS as those of plasmonic photocatalysis. In particular, we propose the idea of plasmonic photocatalyst-like fluorescent proteins for ROS generation under visible light irradiation. We recapitulate fluorescent proteins that have Type I and Type II photosensitization properties in a comparable manner to plasmonic photocatalysis. Plasmonic photocatalysis and protein photosensitization have not yet been compared systemically in terms of ROS photogeneration under visible light, although the phototoxicity and cytotoxicity of some fluorescent proteins are well recognized. A comprehensive understanding of plasmonic photocatalyst-like fluorescent proteins and their potential advantages will lead us to explore new environmental, biomedical, and defense applications.

Engineered photocatalysts for detoxification of waste water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majumder, S.A.; Prairie, M.R.; Shelnutt, J.A. [Sandia National Lab., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Khan, S.U.M. [Duquesne Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry] [and others

1996-12-01

This report describes progress on the development of engineered photocatalysts for the detoxification of water polluted with toxic organic compounds and heavy metals. We examined a range of different oxide supports (titania, alumina, magnesia and manganese dioxide) for tin uroporphyrin and investigated the efficacy of a few different porphyrins. A water-soluble octaacetic-acid-tetraphenylporphyrin and its derivatives have been synthesized and characterized in an attempt to design a porphyrin catalyst with a larger binding pocket. We have also investigated photocatalytic processes on both single crystal and powder forms of semiconducting SiC with an ultimate goal of developing a dual-semiconductor system combining TiO{sub 2} and SiC. Mathematical modeling was also performed to identify parameters that can improve the efficiency of SiC-based photocatalytic systems. Although the conceptual TiO{sub 2}/SiC photodiode shows some promises for photoreduction processes, SiC itself was found to be an inefficient photocatalyst when combined with TiO{sub 2}. Alternative semiconductors with bandgap and band potentials similar to SiC should be tested in the future for further development and a practical utilization of the dual photodiode concept.

Applications of confocal laser scanning microscopy in research into organic semiconductor thin films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiek, Manuela; Balzer, Frank

2014-01-01

At the center of opto-electronic devices are thin layers of organic semiconductors, which need to be sandwiched between planar electrodes. With the growing demand for opto-electronic devices now and in the future, new electrode materials are needed to meet the requirements of organic semiconductors...

Optoelectronic properties of transparent p-type semiconductor Cu{sub x}S thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parreira, P.; Valente, J. [ICEMS, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); Lavareda, G. [Departamento de Fisica, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); Nunes, F.T. [Departamento de Ciencia dos Materiais, FCT-UNL, Caparica (Portugal); Amaral, A. [Departamento de Fisica, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); ICEMS, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); Carvalho, C.N. de [Departamento de Ciencia dos Materiais, FCT-UNL, Caparica (Portugal); ICEMS, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal)

2010-07-15

Nowadays, among the available transparent semiconductors for device use, the great majority (if not all) have n-type conductivity. The fabrication of a transparent p-type semiconductor with good optoelectronic properties (comparable to those of n-type: InO{sub x}, ITO, ZnO{sub x} or FTO) would significantly broaden the application field of thin films. However, until now no material has yet presented all the required properties. Cu{sub 2}S is a p-type narrow-band-gap material with an average optical transmittance of about 60% in the visible range for 50 nm thick films. However, due to its high conductivity at room temperature, 10 nm in thickness seems to be appropriate for device use. Cu{sub 2}S thin films with 10 nm in thickness have an optical visible transmittance of about 85% rendering them as very good candidates for transparent p-type semiconductors. In this work Cu{sub x}S thin films were deposited on alkali-free (AF) glass by thermal evaporation. The objective was not only the determination of its optoelectronic properties but also the feasibility of an active layer in a p-type thin film transistor. In our Cu{sub x}S thin films, p-type high conductivity with a total visible transmittance of about 50% have been achieved. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Fiscal 1999 achievement report on the venture business assisting type regional consortium - Minor business creation base type. Development of hypersensitive photocatalyst using oxide semiconductor thin film having nanostructure; 1999 nendo chiiki consortium kenkyu kaihatsu jigyo seika hokokusho. Nano bisai kozo wo yusuru sankabutsu handotai usumaku ni yoru chokokando hikari shokubai no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

The thin film structure of photocatalytic titanium oxide, capable of efficiently decomposing hazardous pollutants or the like, is refined to have a nanometric scale structure for a larger specific surface for the development of a photocatalytic thin film or powder film and for the development of decomposition capable air cleaner using a thus developed photocatalytic film. Described in this report are the results of a study conducted to elucidate the fabrication conditions, nanostructures, and photocatalytic features of titanium oxide thin films formed by spray thermolysis, RF (radio frequency) sputtering, reactive sputtering, and sol-gel process, a study of hazardous pollutant decomposing capability and nanostructure, the establishment of fabrication technologies, and the construction of a prototype air cleaner with the results of the said studies applied thereto. Among the various fabrication methods, the technology involving a hypersensitive thin film photocatalyst was established by combining the reactive sputtering method and the sol-gel method. It was found that the formation of prismatic crystals in the sol-gel method was the most important in achieving high performance in the hypersensitive thin film photocatalyst. (NEDO)

Charge carrier mobility in thin films of organic semiconductors by the gated van der Pauw method

Science.gov (United States)

Rolin, Cedric; Kang, Enpu; Lee, Jeong-Hwan; Borghs, Gustaaf; Heremans, Paul; Genoe, Jan

2017-01-01

Thin film transistors based on high-mobility organic semiconductors are prone to contact problems that complicate the interpretation of their electrical characteristics and the extraction of important material parameters such as the charge carrier mobility. Here we report on the gated van der Pauw method for the simple and accurate determination of the electrical characteristics of thin semiconducting films, independently from contact effects. We test our method on thin films of seven high-mobility organic semiconductors of both polarities: device fabrication is fully compatible with common transistor process flows and device measurements deliver consistent and precise values for the charge carrier mobility and threshold voltage in the high-charge carrier density regime that is representative of transistor operation. The gated van der Pauw method is broadly applicable to thin films of semiconductors and enables a simple and clean parameter extraction independent from contact effects. PMID:28397852

Solution coating of large-area organic semiconductor thin films with aligned single-crystalline domains

KAUST Repository

Diao, Ying

2013-06-02

Solution coating of organic semiconductors offers great potential for achieving low-cost manufacturing of large-area and flexible electronics. However, the rapid coating speed needed for industrial-scale production poses challenges to the control of thin-film morphology. Here, we report an approach - termed fluid-enhanced crystal engineering (FLUENCE) - that allows for a high degree of morphological control of solution-printed thin films. We designed a micropillar-patterned printing blade to induce recirculation in the ink for enhancing crystal growth, and engineered the curvature of the ink meniscus to control crystal nucleation. Using FLUENCE, we demonstrate the fast coating and patterning of millimetre-wide, centimetre-long, highly aligned single-crystalline organic semiconductor thin films. In particular, we fabricated thin films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene having non-equilibrium single-crystalline domains and an unprecedented average and maximum mobilities of 8.1±1.2 cm2 V-1 s -1 and 11 cm2 V-1 s-1. FLUENCE of organic semiconductors with non-equilibrium single-crystalline domains may find use in the fabrication of high-performance, large-area printed electronics. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

P-type thin films transistors with solution-deposited lead sulfide films as semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrillo-Castillo, A.; Salas-Villasenor, A.; Mejia, I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Aguirre-Tostado, S. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, S. C. Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, C.P. 666000 (Mexico); Gnade, B.E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Quevedo-Lopez, M.A., E-mail: mxq071000@utdallas.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States)

2012-01-31

In this paper we demonstrate p-type thin film transistors fabricated with lead sulfide (PbS) as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition methods. Crystallinity and morphology of the resulting PbS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Devices were fabricated using photolithographic processes in a bottom gate configuration with Au as source and drain top contacts. Field effect mobility for as-fabricated devices was {approx} 0.09 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} whereas the mobility for devices annealed at 150 Degree-Sign C/h in forming gas increased up to {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Besides the thermal annealing, the entire fabrications process was maintained below 100 Degree-Sign C. The electrical performance of the PbS-thin film transistors was studied before and after the 150 Degree-Sign C anneal as well as a function of the PbS active layer thicknesses. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thin film transistors with PbS as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photolithography-based thin film transistors with PbS films at low temperatures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron mobility for anneal-PbS devices of {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Highest mobility reported in thin film transistors with PbS as the semiconductor.

Black tungsten nitride as a metallic photocatalyst for overall water splitting operable at up to 765 nm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yu Lei; Li, Yu Hang; Wang, Xue Lu; Chen, Ai Ping; Yang, Hua Gui [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China); Nie, Ting; Gong, Xue Qing [Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Centre for Computational Chemistry and Research Institute of Industrial Catalysis, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai (China); Zheng, Li Rong [Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

2017-06-19

Semiconductor photocatalysts are hardly employed for overall water splitting beyond 700 nm, which is due to both thermodynamic aspects and activation barriers. Metallic materials as photocatalysts are known to overcome this limitation through interband transitions for creating electron-hole pairs; however, the application of metallic photocatalysts for overall water splitting has never been fulfilled. Black tungsten nitride is now employed as a metallic photocatalyst for overall water splitting at wavelengths of up to 765 nm. Experimental and theoretical results together confirm that metallic properties play a substantial role in exhibiting photocatalytic activity under red-light irradiation for tungsten nitride. This work represents the first red-light responsive photocatalyst for overall water splitting, and may open a promising venue in searching of metallic materials as efficient photocatalysts for solar energy utilization. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Determination of the transport levels in thin films of organic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krause, Stefan

2009-07-27

The approach of using the combination of Ultraviolet (UPS) and Inverse Photoemission (IPS) to determine the transport levels in thin films of organic semiconductors is the scope of this work. For this matter all influences on the peak position and width in Photoelectron Spectroscopy are discussed with a special focus on organic semiconductors. Many of these influences are shown with experimental results of the investigation of diindenoperylene on Ag(111). These findings are applied to inorganic semiconductors silicon in order to establish the use of UPS and IPS on a well-understood system. Finally, the method is used to determine the transport level of several organic semiconductors (PTCDA, Alq3, CuPc, DIP, PBI-H4) and the corresponding exciton binding energies are calculated by comparison to optical absorption data. (orig.)

Quantifying resistances across nanoscale low- and high-angle interspherulite boundaries in solution-processed organic semiconductor thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Stephanie S; Mativetsky, Jeffrey M; Loth, Marsha A; Anthony, John E; Loo, Yueh-Lin

2012-11-27

The nanoscale boundaries formed when neighboring spherulites impinge in polycrystalline, solution-processed organic semiconductor thin films act as bottlenecks to charge transport, significantly reducing organic thin-film transistor mobility in devices comprising spherulitic thin films as the active layers. These interspherulite boundaries (ISBs) are structurally complex, with varying angles of molecular orientation mismatch along their lengths. We have successfully engineered exclusively low- and exclusively high-angle ISBs to elucidate how the angle of molecular orientation mismatch at ISBs affects their resistivities in triethylsilylethynyl anthradithiophene thin films. Conductive AFM and four-probe measurements reveal that current flow is unaffected by the presence of low-angle ISBs, whereas current flow is significantly disrupted across high-angle ISBs. In the latter case, we estimate the resistivity to be 22 MΩμm(2)/width of the ISB, only less than a quarter of the resistivity measured across low-angle grain boundaries in thermally evaporated sexithiophene thin films. This discrepancy in resistivities across ISBs in solution-processed organic semiconductor thin films and grain boundaries in thermally evaporated organic semiconductor thin films likely arises from inherent differences in the nature of film formation in the respective systems.

Strain sensitivity of band gaps of Sn-containing semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Hong; Castelli, Ivano Eligio; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer

2015-01-01

Tuning of band gaps of semiconductors is a way to optimize materials for applications within photovoltaics or as photocatalysts. One way to achieve this is through applying strain to the materials. We investigate the effect of strain on a range of Sn-containing semiconductors using density...

Guidelines to Develop Efficient Photocatalysts for Water Splitting

KAUST Repository

Garcia Esparza, Angel T.

2016-04-03

Photocatalytic overall water splitting is the only viable solar-to-fuel conversion technology. The research discloses an investigation process wherein by dissecting the photocatalytic water splitting device, electrocatalysts, and semiconductor photocatalysts can be independently studied, developed and optimized. The assumption of perfect catalysts leads to the realization that semiconductors are the limiting factor in photocatalysis. This dissertation presents a guideline for efficient photocatalysis using semiconductor particles developed from idealized theoretical simulations. No perfect catalysts exist; then the discussion focus on the development of efficient non-noble metal electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from water reduction. Tungsten carbide (WC) is selective for the catalysis of hydrogen without the introduction of the reverse reaction of water formation, which is critical to achieving photocatalytic overall water splitting as demonstrated in this work. Finally, photoelectrochemistry is used to characterize thoroughly Cu-based p-type semiconductors with potential for large-scale manufacture. Artificial photosynthesis may be achieved by following the recommendations herein presented.

Alternative photocatalysts to TiO2 for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2

Science.gov (United States)

Nikokavoura, Aspasia; Trapalis, Christos

2017-01-01

The increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, originating from the burning of fossil fuels in stationary and mobile sources, is referred as the "Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect" and constitutes a major environmental concern. The scientific community is highly concerned about the resulting enhancement of the mean atmospheric temperature, so a vast diversity of methods has been applied. Thermochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical processes, as well as combination of solar electricity generation and water splitting processes have been performed in order to lower the CO2 atmospheric levels. Photocatalytic methods are environmental friendly and succeed in reducing the atmospheric CO2 concentration and producing fuels or/and useful organic compounds at the same time. The most common photocatalysts for the CO2 reduction are the inorganic, the carbon based semiconductors and the hybrids based on semiconductors, which combine stability, low cost and appropriate structure in order to accomplish redox reactions. In this review, inorganic semiconductors such as single-metal oxide, mixed-metal oxides, metal oxide composites, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), salt composites, carbon based semiconductors such as graphene based composites, CNT composites, g-C3N4 composites and hybrid organic-inorganic materials (ZIFs) were studied. TiO2 and Ti based photocatalysts are extensively studied and therefore in this review they are not mentioned.

Structural Design Principle of Small-Molecule Organic Semiconductors for Metal-Free, Visible-Light-Promoted Photocatalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Huang, Wei; Li, Run; Gehrig, Dominik; Blom, Paul W M; Landfester, Katharina; Zhang, Kai A I

2016-08-08

Herein, we report on the structural design principle of small-molecule organic semiconductors as metal-free, pure organic and visible light-active photocatalysts. Two series of electron-donor and acceptor-type organic semiconductor molecules were synthesized to meet crucial requirements, such as 1) absorption range in the visible region, 2) sufficient photoredox potential, and 3) long lifetime of photogenerated excitons. The photocatalytic activity was demonstrated in the intermolecular C-H functionalization of electron-rich heteroaromates with malonate derivatives. A mechanistic study of the light-induced electron transport between the organic photocatalyst, substrate, and the sacrificial agent are described. With their tunable absorption range and defined energy-band structure, the small-molecule organic semiconductors could offer a new class of metal-free and visible light-active photocatalysts for chemical reactions. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Understanding polymorphism in organic semiconductor thin films through nanoconfinement.

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, Ying; Lenn, Kristina M; Lee, Wen-Ya; Blood-Forsythe, Martin A; Xu, Jie; Mao, Yisha; Kim, Yeongin; Reinspach, Julia A; Park, Steve; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán; Xue, Gi; Clancy, Paulette; Bao, Zhenan; Mannsfeld, Stefan C B

2014-12-10

Understanding crystal polymorphism is a long-standing challenge relevant to many fields, such as pharmaceuticals, organic semiconductors, pigments, food, and explosives. Controlling polymorphism of organic semiconductors (OSCs) in thin films is particularly important given that such films form the active layer in most organic electronics devices and that dramatic changes in the electronic properties can be induced even by small changes in the molecular packing. However, there are very few polymorphic OSCs for which the structure-property relationships have been elucidated so far. The major challenges lie in the transient nature of metastable forms and the preparation of phase-pure, highly crystalline thin films for resolving the crystal structures and evaluating the charge transport properties. Here we demonstrate that the nanoconfinement effect combined with the flow-enhanced crystal engineering technique is a powerful and likely material-agnostic method to identify existing polymorphs in OSC materials and to prepare the individual pure forms in thin films at ambient conditions. With this method we prepared high quality crystal polymorphs and resolved crystal structures of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene), including a new polymorph discovered via in situ grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and confirmed by molecular mechanic simulations. We further correlated molecular packing with charge transport properties using quantum chemical calculations and charge carrier mobility measurements. In addition, we applied our methodology to a [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]1benzothiophene (BTBT) derivative and successfully stabilized its metastable form.

Plasma Processing of Metallic and Semiconductor Thin Films in the Fisk Plasma Source

Science.gov (United States)

Lampkin, Gregory; Thomas, Edward, Jr.; Watson, Michael; Wallace, Kent; Chen, Henry; Burger, Arnold

1998-01-01

The use of plasmas to process materials has become widespread throughout the semiconductor industry. Plasmas are used to modify the morphology and chemistry of surfaces. We report on initial plasma processing experiments using the Fisk Plasma Source. Metallic and semiconductor thin films deposited on a silicon substrate have been exposed to argon plasmas. Results of microscopy and chemical analyses of processed materials are presented.

Tantalum-based semiconductors for solar water splitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Jijie; Gong, Jinlong

2014-07-07

Solar energy utilization is one of the most promising solutions for the energy crises. Among all the possible means to make use of solar energy, solar water splitting is remarkable since it can accomplish the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy. The produced hydrogen is clean and sustainable which could be used in various areas. For the past decades, numerous efforts have been put into this research area with many important achievements. Improving the overall efficiency and stability of semiconductor photocatalysts are the research focuses for the solar water splitting. Tantalum-based semiconductors, including tantalum oxide, tantalate and tantalum (oxy)nitride, are among the most important photocatalysts. Tantalum oxide has the band gap energy that is suitable for the overall solar water splitting. The more negative conduction band minimum of tantalum oxide provides photogenerated electrons with higher potential for the hydrogen generation reaction. Tantalates, with tunable compositions, show high activities owning to their layered perovskite structure. (Oxy)nitrides, especially TaON and Ta3N5, have small band gaps to respond to visible-light, whereas they can still realize overall solar water splitting with the proper positions of conduction band minimum and valence band maximum. This review describes recent progress regarding the improvement of photocatalytic activities of tantalum-based semiconductors. Basic concepts and principles of solar water splitting will be discussed in the introduction section, followed by the three main categories regarding to the different types of tantalum-based semiconductors. In each category, synthetic methodologies, influencing factors on the photocatalytic activities, strategies to enhance the efficiencies of photocatalysts and morphology control of tantalum-based materials will be discussed in detail. Future directions to further explore the research area of tantalum-based semiconductors for solar water splitting

Optical approach to thermopower and conductivity measurements in thin-film semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dersch, H.; Amer, N.M.

1984-01-01

An optical beam deflection technique is applied to measure the Joule and Peltier heat generated by electric currents through thin-film semiconductors. The method yields a spatially resolved conductivity profile and allows the determination of Peltier coefficients. Results obtained on doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon films are presented

Laser photo-reflectance characterization of resonant nonlinear electro-refraction in thin semiconductor films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chism, Will; Cartwright, Jason

2012-01-01

Photo-reflectance (PR) measurements provide a non-contact means for the precise characterization of semiconductor electronic properties. In this paper, we investigate the use of a laser beam as the probe beam in the PR setup. In this case it is seen that the nonlinear refraction is responsible for the amplitude change of the reflected probe field, whereas the phase change is due to nonlinear absorption. The open aperture condition may then be used to eliminate the spatial phase at the detector, thereby isolating the electro-refractive contribution to the PR signal. This greatly simplifies the PR analysis and allows absolute measurements of electro-refraction in thin semiconductor films. We report the application of the laser PR technique to characterize physical strain in thin silicon on silicon-germanium films. - Highlights: ► We describe the theory of laser photoreflectance. ► Laser photoreflectance is used to independently characterize nonlinear refraction. ► We report the characterization of strain in thin strained silicon films.

Organic semiconductor growth and morphology considerations for organic thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Virkar, Ajay A; Mannsfeld, Stefan; Bao, Zhenan; Stingelin, Natalie

2010-09-08

Analogous to conventional inorganic semiconductors, the performance of organic semiconductors is directly related to their molecular packing, crystallinity, growth mode, and purity. In order to achieve the best possible performance, it is critical to understand how organic semiconductors nucleate and grow. Clever use of surface and dielectric modification chemistry can allow one to control the growth and morphology, which greatly influence the electrical properties of the organic transistor. In this Review, the nucleation and growth of organic semiconductors on dielectric surfaces is addressed. The first part of the Review concentrates on small-molecule organic semiconductors. The role of deposition conditions on film formation is described. The modification of the dielectric interface using polymers or self-assembled mono-layers and their effect on organic-semiconductor growth and performance is also discussed. The goal of this Review is primarily to discuss the thin-film formation of organic semiconducting species. The patterning of single crystals is discussed, while their nucleation and growth has been described elsewhere (see the Review by Liu et. al).([¹]) The second part of the Review focuses on polymeric semiconductors. The dependence of physico-chemical properties, such as chain length (i.e., molecular weight) of the constituting macromolecule, and the influence of small molecular species on, e.g., melting temperature, as well as routes to induce order in such macromolecules, are described.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides as atomically thin semiconductors: opportunities and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Xidong; Wang, Chen; Pan, Anlian; Yu, Ruqin; Duan, Xiangfeng

2015-12-21

The discovery of graphene has ignited intensive interest in two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs). These 2DLMs represent a new class of nearly ideal 2D material systems for exploring fundamental chemistry and physics at the limit of single-atom thickness, and have the potential to open up totally new technological opportunities beyond the reach of existing materials. In general, there are a wide range of 2DLMs in which the atomic layers are weakly bonded together by van der Waals interactions and can be isolated into single or few-layer nanosheets. The van der Waals interactions between neighboring atomic layers could allow much more flexible integration of distinct materials to nearly arbitrarily combine and control different properties at the atomic scale. The transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) (e.g., MoS2, WSe2) represent a large family of layered materials, many of which exhibit tunable band gaps that can undergo a transition from an indirect band gap in bulk crystals to a direct band gap in monolayer nanosheets. These 2D-TMDs have thus emerged as an exciting class of atomically thin semiconductors for a new generation of electronic and optoelectronic devices. Recent studies have shown exciting potential of these atomically thin semiconductors, including the demonstration of atomically thin transistors, a new design of vertical transistors, as well as new types of optoelectronic devices such as tunable photovoltaic devices and light emitting devices. In parallel, there have also been considerable efforts in developing diverse synthetic approaches for the rational growth of various forms of 2D materials with precisely controlled chemical composition, physical dimension, and heterostructure interface. Here we review the recent efforts, progress, opportunities and challenges in exploring the layered TMDs as a new class of atomically thin semiconductors.

Photoelectrochemical processes in organic semiconductor: Ambipolar perylene diimide thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung Yong; Chung, In Jae

2018-03-01

A thin film of N,N‧-dioctadecyl-3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI-C18) is spin-coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. Using the PTCDI-C18/ITO electrode, we fabricate a photoelectrochemical cell with the ITO/PTCDI-C18/Redox Electrolyte/Pt configuration. The electrochemical properties of this device are investigated as a function of hydroquinone (HQ) concentration, bias voltage, and wavelength of light. Anodic photocurrent is observed at V ≥ -0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl, indicating that the PTCDI-C18 film acts as an n-type semiconductor as usual. However, when benzoquinone (BQ) is inserted into the electrolyte system instead of HQ, cathodic photocurrent is observed at V ≤ 0.0 V, displaying that PTCDI-C18 abnormally serves as a p-type semiconductor. Hence the overall results reveal that the PTCDI-C18 film can be an ambipolar functional semiconductor depending on the redox couple in the appropriate voltage.

Positron Studies of Defects in Thin Films and Semiconductors

OpenAIRE

Edwardson, C J

2013-01-01

Positron studies of defects in thin films and semiconductors are reviewed. The resultsobtained from experimental studies of Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation (DBAR)from variable energies are presented. Normalisation methods for the DBAR parameters S andW have been developed, allowing for direct comparisons of the results for different samplestaken over long periods of time. The evaluation of the P:V parameter, the peak-to-valley ratioin a full annihilation spectrum, has been improv...

The Promoting Role of Different Carbon Allotropes Cocatalysts for Semiconductors in Photocatalytic Energy Generation and Pollutants Degradation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Han

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Semiconductor based photocatalytic process is of great potential for solving the fossil fuels depletion and environmental pollution. Loading cocatalysts for the modification of semiconductors could increase the separation efficiency of the photogenerated hole-electron pairs, enhance the light absorption ability of semiconductors, and thus obtain new composite photocatalysts with high activities. Kinds of carbon allotropes, such as activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon quantum dots have been used as effective cocatalysts to enhance the photocatalytic activities of semiconductors, making them widely used for photocatalytic energy generation, and pollutants degradation. This review focuses on the loading of different carbon allotropes as cocatalysts in photocatalysis, and summarizes the recent progress of carbon materials based photocatalysts, including their synthesis methods, the typical applications, and the activity enhancement mechanism. Moreover, the cocatalytic effect among these carbon cocatalysts is also compared for different applications. We believe that our work can provide enriched information to harvest the excellent special properties of carbon materials as a platform to develop more efficient photocatalysts for solar energy utilization.

Novel organic semiconductors and dielectric materials for high performance and low-voltage organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Myung-Han

Two novel classes of organic semiconductors based on perfluoroarene/arene-modified oligothiophenes and perfluoroacyl/acyl-derivatized quaterthiophens are developed. The frontier molecular orbital energies of these compounds are studied by optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry while solid-state/film properties are investigated by thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) performance parameters are discussed in terms of the interplay between semiconductor molecular energetics and film morphologies/microstructures. For perfluoroarene-thiophene oligomer systems, majority charge carrier type and mobility exhibit a strong correlation with the regiochemistry of perfluoroarene incorporation. In quaterthiophene-based semiconductors, carbonyl-functionalization allows tuning of the majority carrier type from p-type to ambipolar and to n-type. In situ conversion of a p-type semiconducting film to n-type film is also demonstrated. Very thin self-assembled or spin-on organic dielectric films have been integrated into OTFTs to achieve 1 - 2 V operating voltages. These new dielectrics are deposited either by layer-by-layer solution phase deposition of molecular precursors or by spin-coating a mixture of polymer and crosslinker, resulting in smooth and virtually pinhole-free thin films having exceptionally large capacitances (300--700 nF/cm2) and low leakage currents (10 -9 - 10-7 A/cm2). These organic dielectrics are compatible with various vapor- or solution-deposited p- and n-channel organic semiconductors. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that spin-on crosslinked-polymer-blend dielectrics can be employed for large-area/patterned electronics, and complementary inverters. A general approach for probing semiconductor-dielectric interface effects on OTFT performance parameters using bilayer gate dielectrics is presented. Organic semiconductors having p-, n-type, or ambipolar majority charge carriers are grown on

Photoelectrocatrocatalytic hydrolysis of starch by using sprayed ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapkal, R. T.; Shinde, S. S.; Rajpure, K.Y.; Bhosale, C. H.

2013-01-01

Thin films of zinc oxide have been deposited onto glass/FTO substrates at optimized 400 °C by using a chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Deposited films are character photocatalytic activity by using XRD, an SEM, a UV-vis spectrophotometer, and a PEC single-cell reactor. Films are polycrystalline and have a hexagonal (wurtzite) crystal structure with c-axis (002) orientation growth perpendicular to the substrate surface. The observed direct band gap is about 3.22 eV for typical films prepared at 400 °C. The photocatalytic activity of starch with a ZnO photocatalyst has been studied by using a novel photoelectrocatalytic process. (semiconductor materials)

Development of new generation of perovskite based noble metal/semiconductor photocatalysts for visible-light-driven hydrogen production

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Peichuan

In recent decades, semiconductor photocatalysis has attracted a growing attention as a possible alternative to existing methods of hydrogen production, hydrocarbon conversion and organic compound oxidation. Many types of photocatalysts have been developed and tested for photocatalytic applications. However, most of them do not have notable activity in visible light region, which limits their practical applications. Development of photocatalysts, which can be activated by visible light provides a promising way forward to utilize both UV and visible portions of solar spectrum. In this thesis, two main methods to advance visible light driven photocatalysis, such as bandgap modification through doping and co-catalyst development, are investigated. The photocatalysts studied in this thesis included CdS and SrTiO3, which were extensively investigated and characterized. Rhodium doped strontium titanate was synthesized through different preparation methods. The synthesized samples have been investigated by various characterization techniques including XRD, TEM, STEM, XPS and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The effect of preparation conditions, such as doping concentration, calcination temperature and pH have been investigated and optimized. In addition, the photocatalytic activities for hydrogen production of the samples synthesized by different preparation methods were also studied. Among the preparation methods, polymerizable complex (PC) method was found to be the most effective synthesis method for SrTiO3: Rh. The samples prepared by PC method had higher photocatalytic activity as compared to that of samples synthesized by solid state reaction method and hydrothermal method. The reasons might be attributed to more effective doping and higher surface area. The results of this work suggest that PC method can also be applied to develop other perovskite materials for photocatalytic applications. Co-catalyst development for enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen production is also

Blending crystalline/liquid crystalline small molecule semiconductors: A strategy towards high performance organic thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chao; He, Yaowu; Li, Aiyuan; Zhang, Dongwei; Meng, Hong

2016-10-01

Solution processed small molecule polycrystalline thin films often suffer from the problems of inhomogeneity and discontinuity. Here, we describe a strategy to solve these problems through deposition of the active layer from a blended solution of crystalline (2-phenyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene, Ph-BTBT) and liquid crystalline (2-(4-dodecylphenyl) [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene, C12-Ph-BTBT) small molecule semiconductors with the hot spin-coating method. Organic thin film transistors with average hole mobility approaching 1 cm2/V s, much higher than that of single component devices, have been demonstrated, mainly due to the improved uniformity, continuity, crystallinity, and stronger intermolecular π-π stacking in blend thin films. Our results indicate that the crystalline/liquid crystalline semiconductor blend method is an effective way to enhance the performance of organic transistors.

Band-gap engineering and comparative investigation of Ti2Nb10O29 photocatalysts obtained by Various synthetic routes

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Meiling; Zhu, Hekai; Fang, Minghao; Huang, Zhaohui; Liu, Yan'gai; Wu, Xiaowen

2018-03-01

Ti2Nb10O29 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by three different methods. Ti2Nb10O29 fabricated by the solvothermal method (ST-TNO) exhibited unique microspheres compared to the larger irregular particles observed for the samples annealed in air (Air-TNO) and Ar (Ar-TNO). X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) results revealed that a partial reduction process from Ti4+ into Ti3+ occurs in Ar-TNO, because of the introduction of oxygen defects. Ar-TNO exhibited visible-light absorption with a band gap of 2.85 eV, while the absorption edges of Air-TNO and ST-TNO were approximately 400 nm. Under UV light irradiation (λ semiconductors. Moreover, the novel semiconductor photocatalyst can be further applied for constructing the heterojunction and designing the band structure.

Facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis toward strongly coupled TiO2/graphene quantum dots photocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Shixiong; Hou, Jianhua; Lei, Yonggang; Ma, Xiaohua; Lu, Gongxuan

2017-01-01

Highlights: • TiO 2 /GQDs composites were prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. • GQDs were strongly coupled onto the surface of TiO 2 nanoparticles by this method. • The TiO 2 /GQDs showed enhanced light absorption and charge separation efficiency. • The TiO 2 /GQDs exhibited higher photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity than pure TiO 2 . • GQDs play synergistic roles by acting as both photosensitizer and electron acceptor. - Abstract: The coupling of semiconductor photocatalysts with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) has been proven to be an effective strategy to enhance the photocatalytic and photoelectrical conversion performances of the resulted composites; however, the preparation of semiconductor/GQDs composites usually involves several time-inefficient and tedious post-treatment steps. Herein, we present a facile one-step hydrothermal route for the preparation of GQDs coupled TiO 2 (TiO 2 /GQDs) photocatalysts using 1,3,6-trinitropyrene (TNP) as the sole precursor of GQDs. During the hydrothermal process, TNP molecules undergo an intramolecular fusion to form GQDs, which simultaneously decorate on the surface of TiO 2 nanoparticles, leading to a strong surface interaction between the two components. The effective coupling of GQDs on TiO 2 can effectively extend the light absorption of the TiO 2 to visible region and enhance the charge separation efficiency of TiO 2 /GQDs composites as a result of GQDs acting as a photosensitizer and an excellent electron acceptor. These key advances make the TiO 2 /GQDs photocatalyst highly active towards the H 2 evolution reaction, resulting in 7 and 3 times higher H 2 evolution rate and photocurrent response at optimal GQDs content than TiO 2 alone, respectively. This study provides a new methodology for the development of high-performance GQDs modified semiconductor photocatalysts for energy conversion applications.

Metal oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors for flexible electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petti, Luisa; Vogt, Christian; Büthe, Lars; Cantarella, Giuseppe; Tröster, Gerhard [Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (Switzerland); Münzenrieder, Niko [Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich (Switzerland); Sensor Technology Research Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer (United Kingdom); Faber, Hendrik; Bottacchi, Francesca; Anthopoulos, Thomas D. [Department of Physics and Centre for Plastic Electronics, Imperial College London, London (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

The field of flexible electronics has rapidly expanded over the last decades, pioneering novel applications, such as wearable and textile integrated devices, seamless and embedded patch-like systems, soft electronic skins, as well as imperceptible and transient implants. The possibility to revolutionize our daily life with such disruptive appliances has fueled the quest for electronic devices which yield good electrical and mechanical performance and are at the same time light-weight, transparent, conformable, stretchable, and even biodegradable. Flexible metal oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors (TFTs) can fulfill all these requirements and are therefore considered the most promising technology for tomorrow's electronics. This review reflects the establishment of flexible metal oxide semiconductor TFTs, from the development of single devices, large-area circuits, up to entirely integrated systems. First, an introduction on metal oxide semiconductor TFTs is given, where the history of the field is revisited, the TFT configurations and operating principles are presented, and the main issues and technological challenges faced in the area are analyzed. Then, the recent advances achieved for flexible n-type metal oxide semiconductor TFTs manufactured by physical vapor deposition methods and solution-processing techniques are summarized. In particular, the ability of flexible metal oxide semiconductor TFTs to combine low temperature fabrication, high carrier mobility, large frequency operation, extreme mechanical bendability, together with transparency, conformability, stretchability, and water dissolubility is shown. Afterward, a detailed analysis of the most promising metal oxide semiconducting materials developed to realize the state-of-the-art flexible p-type TFTs is given. Next, the recent progresses obtained for flexible metal oxide semiconductor-based electronic circuits, realized with both unipolar and complementary technology, are reported. In

Electrochemically assisted photocatalysis using nanocrystalline semiconductor thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinodgopal, K [Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Indiana (United States); Kamat, Prashant V [Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory, Notre Dame, Indiana (United States)

1995-08-01

The principle and usefulness of electrochemically assisted photocatalysis has been illustrated with the examples of 4-chlorophenol and Acid Orange 7 degradation in aqueous solutions. Thin nanocrystalline semiconductor films coated on a conducting glass surface when employed as a photoelectrode in an electrochemical cell are effective for degradation of organic contaminants. The degradation rate can be greatly improved even in the absence of oxygen by applying an anodic bias to the TiO{sub 2} film electrodes. A ten-fold enhancement in the degradation rate was observed when TiO{sub 2} particles were coupled with SnO{sub 2} nanocrystallites at an applied bias potential of 0.83 V versus SCE

Kinetics of the decoloration of reactive dyes over visible light-irradiated TiO2 semiconductor photocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatterjee, Debabrata; Patnam, Vidya Rupini; Sikdar, Anindita; Joshi, Priyanka; Misra, Rohit; Rao, Nageswara N.

2008-01-01

Photocatalytic decoloration kinetics of triazine (Reactive Red 11, Reactive Red 2, and Reactive Orange 84) and vinylsulfone type (Reactive Orange 16 and Reactive Black 5) of reactive dyes have been studied spectrophotometrically by following the decrease in dye concentration with time. At ambient conditions, over 90-95% decoloration of above dyes have been observed upon prolonged illumination (15 h) of the reacting system with a 150 W xenon lamp. It was found that the decoloration reaction followed first-order kinetics. The values of observed rate constants were found to be dependent of the structure of dyes at low dye concentration, but independent at higher concentration. It also reports for the first time the decoloration of two different dyes together in a binary dye mixture using visible light-irradiated TiO 2 photocatalyst. Rate of decoloration of two different dyes together in a binary dye mixture using visible light-irradiated TiO 2 photocatalyst is governed by the adsorptivity of the particular dye onto the surface of the TiO 2 photocatalyst

Growth Of Organic Semiconductor Thin Films with Multi-Micron Domain Size and Fabrication of Organic Transistors Using a Stencil Nanosieve.

Science.gov (United States)

Fesenko, Pavlo; Flauraud, Valentin; Xie, Shenqi; Kang, Enpu; Uemura, Takafumi; Brugger, Jürgen; Genoe, Jan; Heremans, Paul; Rolin, Cédric

2017-07-19

To grow small molecule semiconductor thin films with domain size larger than modern-day device sizes, we evaporate the material through a dense array of small apertures, called a stencil nanosieve. The aperture size of 0.5 μm results in low nucleation density, whereas the aperture-to-aperture distance of 0.5 μm provides sufficient crosstalk between neighboring apertures through the diffusion of adsorbed molecules. By integrating the nanosieve in the channel area of a thin-film transistor mask, we show a route for patterning both the organic semiconductor and the metal contacts of thin-film transistors using one mask only and without mask realignment.

Particulate Photocatalyst Sheets Based on Carbon Conductor Layer for Efficient Z-Scheme Pure-Water Splitting at Ambient Pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qian; Hisatomi, Takashi; Suzuki, Yohichi; Pan, Zhenhua; Seo, Jeongsuk; Katayama, Masao; Minegishi, Tsutomu; Nishiyama, Hiroshi; Takata, Tsuyoshi; Seki, Kazuhiko; Kudo, Akihiko; Yamada, Taro; Domen, Kazunari

2017-02-01

Development of sunlight-driven water splitting systems with high efficiency, scalability, and cost-competitiveness is a central issue for mass production of solar hydrogen as a renewable and storable energy carrier. Photocatalyst sheets comprising a particulate hydrogen evolution photocatalyst (HEP) and an oxygen evolution photocatalyst (OEP) embedded in a conductive thin film can realize efficient and scalable solar hydrogen production using Z-scheme water splitting. However, the use of expensive precious metal thin films that also promote reverse reactions is a major obstacle to developing a cost-effective process at ambient pressure. In this study, we present a standalone particulate photocatalyst sheet based on an earth-abundant, relatively inert, and conductive carbon film for efficient Z-scheme water splitting at ambient pressure. A SrTiO 3 :La,Rh/C/BiVO 4 :Mo sheet is shown to achieve unassisted pure-water (pH 6.8) splitting with a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency (STH) of 1.2% at 331 K and 10 kPa, while retaining 80% of this efficiency at 91 kPa. The STH value of 1.0% is the highest among Z-scheme pure water splitting operating at ambient pressure. The working mechanism of the photocatalyst sheet is discussed on the basis of band diagram simulation. In addition, the photocatalyst sheet split pure water more efficiently than conventional powder suspension systems and photoelectrochemical parallel cells because H + and OH - concentration overpotentials and an IR drop between the HEP and OEP were effectively suppressed. The proposed carbon-based photocatalyst sheet, which can be used at ambient pressure, is an important alternative to (photo)electrochemical systems for practical solar hydrogen production.

Hydrogen Production via Water Dissociation Using Pt–TiO2 Photocatalysts: An Oxidation–Reduction Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. F. Guayaquil-Sosa

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Several TiO2 based semiconductors with different Pt loadings are prepared using incipient impregnation, wet impregnation and the sol-gel method. These photocatalysts are evaluated in the Photo-CREC-Water II Photoreactor for hydrogen production via water dissociation, using an organic renewable scavenger (ethanol. Results obtained show the influence of the photocatalyst preparation in the production of hydrogen and in the observed quantum yields. Furthermore, it is established that the reaction networks leading to hydrogen production, using various photocatalysts, share common features. This analysis is developed by both identifying and quantifying different chemical species and their changes with irradiation time. Key species in this oxidation–reduction network are hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, methane, ethane, acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide. On this basis, it is shown that under an inert gas atmosphere, ethanol consumption is sub-stoichiometric. This points towards simultaneous ethanol consumption and the formation of the ethanol scavenger.

1D Bi2S3 nanorod/2D e-WS2 nanosheet heterojunction photocatalyst for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Vattikuti, S. V. Prabhakar; Shim, Jaesool; Byon, Chan

2018-02-01

The development of high-activity, long-life, precious-metal-free photocatalysts for redox reactions in photoelectrochemical cells and fuel cells remains challenging. The synthesis of high-activity heterostructured photocatalysts is crucial for efficient energy conversion strategies. Herein, a novel photocatalyst based on 1D Bi2S3 nanorods self-assembled on 2D exfoliated tungsten disulfide (e-WS2) nanosheets has been developed for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye in aqueous solution. We demonstrate a novel and facile hydrothermal method for the synthesis of a Bi2S3 nanorod/e-WS2 nanosheet heterostructure. The photocatalytic properties of the heterostructure under visible light were investigated. Enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the presence of strong surface active sites, as well as the specific morphology of the composite. We also observed the fast transfer of electron-hole pairs at the material interface. This work demonstrates a non-noble semiconductor photocatalyst for the degradation of pollutants and evolution of H2.

A Novel Semiconductor CIGS Photovoltaic Material and Thin-Film ED Technology

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

In order to achieve low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) and thin-film Electro-Deposition (ED) technology is explored. Firstly,the PV materials and technologies is investigated, then the detailed experimental processes of CIGS/Mo/glass structure by using the novel ED technology and the results are reported. These results shows that high quality CIGS polycrystalline thin-films can be obtained by the ED method, in which the polycrystalline CIGS is definitely identified by the (112), (204, 220) characteristic peaks of the tetragonal structure, the continuous CIGS thin-film layers with particle average size of about 2μm of length and around 1.6μm of thickness. The thickness and solargrade quality of CIGS thin-films can be produced with good repeatability. Discussion and analysis on the ED technique, CIGS energy band and sodium (Na) impurity properties, were also performed. The alloy CIGS exhibits not only increasing band-gap with increasing x, but also a change in material properties that is relevant to the device operation. The beneficial impurity Na originating from the low-cost soda-lime glass substrate becomes one prerequisite for high quality CIGS films. These novel material and technology are very useful for low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells and other devices.

ZnIr2O4: An efficient photocatalyst with Rashba splitting

KAUST Repository

Singh, Nirpendra

2013-11-01

Semiconductor-based photocatalysts nowadays are of central interest for the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, the efficiency of the known materials is small for direct utilization of the solar energy. Using first-principles calculations, we show that ZnIr2O4 can overcome this shortage. Modified Becke-Johnson calculations give an indirect band of 2.25 eV, which can be reduced to the visible energy range by S doping. For 25% S doping we find a direct band gap of 1.25 eV and a Rashba spin splitting of 220 meV Å. The valence band edge potential is 2.89 V against the standard hydrogen electrode, which is sufficient for photocatalytic water oxidation and pollutant degradation. The optical absorption of S-doped ZnIr2O4 is strongly enhanced, making the material an efficient photocatalyst for visible light. © 2013 EPLA.

Review of recent developments in amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Joon Seok; Maeng, Wan-Joo; Kim, Hyun-Suk; Park, Jin-Seong

2012-01-01

The present article is a review of the recent progress and major trends in the field of thin-film transistor (TFT) research involving the use of amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS). First, an overview is provided on how electrical performance may be enhanced by the adoption of specific device structures and process schemes, the combination of various oxide semiconductor materials, and the appropriate selection of gate dielectrics and electrode metals in contact with the semiconductor. As metal oxide TFT devices are excellent candidates for switching or driving transistors in next generation active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) or active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, the major parameters of interest in the electrical characteristics involve the field effect mobility (μ FE ), threshold voltage (V th ), and subthreshold swing (SS). A study of the stability of amorphous oxide TFT devices is presented next. Switching or driving transistors in AMLCD or AMOLED displays inevitably involves voltage bias or constant current stress upon prolonged operation, and in this regard many research groups have examined and proposed device degradation mechanisms under various stress conditions. The most recent studies involve stress experiments in the presence of visible light irradiating the semiconductor, and different degradation mechanisms have been proposed with respect to photon radiation. The last part of this review consists of a description of methods other than conventional vacuum deposition techniques regarding the formation of oxide semiconductor films, along with some potential application fields including flexible displays and information storage.

LaF3 thin films as chemically sensitive material for semiconductor sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szeponik, J.; Moritz, W.; Sellam, F.

1991-01-01

A new kind of semiconductor based fluoride sensor was prepared by growing thin polycrystalline LaF 3 films directly on silicon substrates using vacuum vapour deposition technique. The EICS (Electrolyte Ion Conductor Semiconductor) structure was investigated by means of impedance spectroscopy, C-V measurements and exchange measurements with labeled ions ( 18 F). Whereas charge and potential conditions at the LaF 3 /electrolyte interface are governed by the fast fluoride exchange the LaF 3 bulk and the blocked Si/LaF 3 interface determine the electrical behavior. Although the Si/LaF 3 contact is not reversible the potential stability of the EICS structure is surprisingly high. Additional results at epitaxial LaF 3 layers, prepared by MBE, were taken into account for comparision with those at polycrystalline layers. (orig.)

Tuning polymorphism and orientation in organic semiconductor thin films via post-deposition processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiszpanski, Anna M; Baur, Robin M; Kim, Bumjung; Tremblay, Noah J; Nuckolls, Colin; Woll, Arthur R; Loo, Yueh-Lin

2014-11-05

Though both the crystal structure and molecular orientation of organic semiconductors are known to impact charge transport in thin-film devices, separately accessing different polymorphs and varying the out-of-plane molecular orientation is challenging, typically requiring stringent control over film deposition conditions, film thickness, and substrate chemistry. Here we demonstrate independent tuning of the crystalline polymorph and molecular orientation in thin films of contorted hexabenzocoronene, c-HBC, during post-deposition processing without the need to adjust deposition conditions. Three polymorphs are observed, two of which have not been previously reported. Using our ability to independently tune the crystal structure and out-of-plane molecular orientation in thin films of c-HBC, we have decoupled and evaluated the effects that molecular packing and orientation have on device performance in thin-film transistors (TFTs). In the case of TFTs comprising c-HBC, polymorphism and molecular orientation are equally important; independently changing either one affects the field-effect mobility by an order of magnitude.

Anion-induced N-doping of naphthalenediimide polymer semiconductor in organic thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Han, Yang

2018-03-13

Molecular doping is an important strategy to improve the charge transport properties of organic semiconductors in various electronic devices. Compared to p-type dopants, the development of n-type dopants is especially challenging due to poor dopant stability against atmospheric conditions. In this article, we report the n-doping of the milestone naphthalenediimide-based conjugated polymer P(NDI2OD-T2) in organic thin film transistor devices by soluble anion dopants. The addition of the dopants resulted in the formation of stable radical anions in thin films, as confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. By tuning the dopant concentration via simple solution mixing, the transistor parameters could be readily controlled. Hence the contact resistance between the electrodes and the semiconducting polymer could be significantly reduced, which resulted in the transistor behaviour approaching the desirable gate voltage-independent model. Reduced hysteresis was also observed, thanks to the trap filling by the dopant. Under optimal doping concentrations the channel on-current was increased several fold whilst the on/off ratio was simultaneously increased by around one order of magnitude. Hence doping with soluble organic salts appears to be a promising route to improve the charge transport properties of n-type organic semiconductors.

Anion-induced N-doping of naphthalenediimide polymer semiconductor in organic thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Han, Yang; Fei, Zhuping; Lin, Yen-Hung; Martin, Jaime; Tuna, Floriana; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.; Heeney, Martin

2018-01-01

Molecular doping is an important strategy to improve the charge transport properties of organic semiconductors in various electronic devices. Compared to p-type dopants, the development of n-type dopants is especially challenging due to poor dopant stability against atmospheric conditions. In this article, we report the n-doping of the milestone naphthalenediimide-based conjugated polymer P(NDI2OD-T2) in organic thin film transistor devices by soluble anion dopants. The addition of the dopants resulted in the formation of stable radical anions in thin films, as confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. By tuning the dopant concentration via simple solution mixing, the transistor parameters could be readily controlled. Hence the contact resistance between the electrodes and the semiconducting polymer could be significantly reduced, which resulted in the transistor behaviour approaching the desirable gate voltage-independent model. Reduced hysteresis was also observed, thanks to the trap filling by the dopant. Under optimal doping concentrations the channel on-current was increased several fold whilst the on/off ratio was simultaneously increased by around one order of magnitude. Hence doping with soluble organic salts appears to be a promising route to improve the charge transport properties of n-type organic semiconductors.

Re-investigation on reduced graphene oxide/Ag2CO3 composite photocatalyst: An insight into the double-edged sword role of RGO

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenguang; Liu, Yuan; Zhang, Haiyan; Qian, Yannan; Guo, Zuchen

2017-02-01

Coupling graphene or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with semiconductor photocatalysts has previously been proven to be an effective way for enhancing the photocatalytic activity and stability of the photocatalysts. Herein, the Ag2CO3/reduced graphene oxide composite was successfully prepared by a facile chemical precipitation method. The physical and chemical properties of the photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse-reflection spectra. The photocatalytic activity and cycling stability of the photocatalysts were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the RGO indeed improves the photocatalytic activity of Ag2CO3/RGO, which can be attributed to the reduced charge recombination and enhanced dye adsorption as well as the light harvesting by RGO. Nevertheless, it played a negative role to the photocatalytic cycling stability due to the strong aggregation of Ag2CO3 particles brought by the RGO sheets. This work may provide a re-examination of the role of RGO in enhancing the photocatalytic performances of the photocatalysts.

Efficient thin-film stack characterization using parametric sensitivity analysis for spectroscopic ellipsometry in semiconductor device fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Likhachev, D.V.

2015-01-01

During semiconductor device fabrication, control of the layer thicknesses is an important task for in-line metrology since the correct thickness values are essential for proper device performance. At the present time, ellipsometry is widely used for routine process monitoring and process improvement as well as characterization of various materials in the modern nanoelectronic manufacturing. The wide recognition of this technique is based on its non-invasive, non-intrusive and non-destructive nature, high measurement precision, accuracy and speed, and versatility to characterize practically all types of materials used in modern semiconductor industry (dielectrics, semiconductors, metals, polymers, etc.). However, it requires the use of one of the multi-parameter non-linear optimization methods due to its indirect nature. This fact creates a big challenge for analysis of multilayered structures since the number of simultaneously determined model parameters, for instance, thin film thicknesses and model variables related to film optical properties, should be restricted due to parameter cross-correlations. In this paper, we use parametric sensitivity analysis to evaluate the importance of various model parameters and to suggest their optimal search ranges. In this work, the method is applied practically for analysis of a few structures with up to five-layered film stack. It demonstrates an evidence-based improvement in accuracy of multilayered thin-film thickness measurements which suggests that the proposed approach can be useful for industrial applications. - Highlights: • An improved method for multilayered thin-film stack characterization is proposed. • The screening-type technique based on so-called “elementary effects” was employed. • The model parameters were ranked according to relative importance for model output. • The method is tested using two examples of complex thin-film stack characterization. • The approach can be useful in many practical

Efficient thin-film stack characterization using parametric sensitivity analysis for spectroscopic ellipsometry in semiconductor device fabrication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Likhachev, D.V., E-mail: dmitriy.likhachev@globalfoundries.com

2015-08-31

During semiconductor device fabrication, control of the layer thicknesses is an important task for in-line metrology since the correct thickness values are essential for proper device performance. At the present time, ellipsometry is widely used for routine process monitoring and process improvement as well as characterization of various materials in the modern nanoelectronic manufacturing. The wide recognition of this technique is based on its non-invasive, non-intrusive and non-destructive nature, high measurement precision, accuracy and speed, and versatility to characterize practically all types of materials used in modern semiconductor industry (dielectrics, semiconductors, metals, polymers, etc.). However, it requires the use of one of the multi-parameter non-linear optimization methods due to its indirect nature. This fact creates a big challenge for analysis of multilayered structures since the number of simultaneously determined model parameters, for instance, thin film thicknesses and model variables related to film optical properties, should be restricted due to parameter cross-correlations. In this paper, we use parametric sensitivity analysis to evaluate the importance of various model parameters and to suggest their optimal search ranges. In this work, the method is applied practically for analysis of a few structures with up to five-layered film stack. It demonstrates an evidence-based improvement in accuracy of multilayered thin-film thickness measurements which suggests that the proposed approach can be useful for industrial applications. - Highlights: • An improved method for multilayered thin-film stack characterization is proposed. • The screening-type technique based on so-called “elementary effects” was employed. • The model parameters were ranked according to relative importance for model output. • The method is tested using two examples of complex thin-film stack characterization. • The approach can be useful in many practical

PEALD grown high-k ZrO{sub 2} thin films on SiC group IV compound semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khairnar, A. G., E-mail: agkhairnar@gmail.com; Patil, V. S.; Agrawal, K. S.; Salunke, R. S.; Mahajan, A. M., E-mail: ammahajan@nmu.ac.in [North Maharashtra University, Department of Electronics, School of Physical Sciences (India)

2017-01-15

The study of ZrO{sub 2} thin films on SiC group IV compound semiconductor has been studied as a high mobility substrates. The ZrO{sub 2} thin films were deposited using the Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition System. The thickness of the thin films were measured using ellipsometer and found to be 5.47 nm. The deposited ZrO{sub 2} thin films were post deposition annealed in rapid thermal annealing chamber at temperature of 400°Ð¡. The atomic force microscopy and X-гау photoelectron spectroscopy has been carried out to study the surface topography, roughness and chemical composition of thin film, respectively.

Facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis toward strongly coupled TiO{sub 2}/graphene quantum dots photocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Shixiong, E-mail: sxmin@nun.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, 750021, Ningxia Province (China); Hou, Jianhua; Lei, Yonggang; Ma, Xiaohua [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, 750021, Ningxia Province (China); Lu, Gongxuan [State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000 (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • TiO{sub 2}/GQDs composites were prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. • GQDs were strongly coupled onto the surface of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles by this method. • The TiO{sub 2}/GQDs showed enhanced light absorption and charge separation efficiency. • The TiO{sub 2}/GQDs exhibited higher photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution activity than pure TiO{sub 2}. • GQDs play synergistic roles by acting as both photosensitizer and electron acceptor. - Abstract: The coupling of semiconductor photocatalysts with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) has been proven to be an effective strategy to enhance the photocatalytic and photoelectrical conversion performances of the resulted composites; however, the preparation of semiconductor/GQDs composites usually involves several time-inefficient and tedious post-treatment steps. Herein, we present a facile one-step hydrothermal route for the preparation of GQDs coupled TiO{sub 2} (TiO{sub 2}/GQDs) photocatalysts using 1,3,6-trinitropyrene (TNP) as the sole precursor of GQDs. During the hydrothermal process, TNP molecules undergo an intramolecular fusion to form GQDs, which simultaneously decorate on the surface of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, leading to a strong surface interaction between the two components. The effective coupling of GQDs on TiO{sub 2} can effectively extend the light absorption of the TiO{sub 2} to visible region and enhance the charge separation efficiency of TiO{sub 2}/GQDs composites as a result of GQDs acting as a photosensitizer and an excellent electron acceptor. These key advances make the TiO{sub 2}/GQDs photocatalyst highly active towards the H{sub 2} evolution reaction, resulting in 7 and 3 times higher H{sub 2} evolution rate and photocurrent response at optimal GQDs content than TiO{sub 2} alone, respectively. This study provides a new methodology for the development of high-performance GQDs modified semiconductor photocatalysts for energy conversion applications.

Development of Fe/Nb-based solar photocatalysts for water treatment: impact of different synthesis routes on materials properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Marília C M; Amorim, Camila C; Moreira, Regina F P M; Oliveira, Luiz C A; Henriques, Andréia B; Leão, Mônica M D

2018-04-27

Semiconductors based on Fe/Nb oxides can present both solar sensitivity and high catalytic activity. However, there is still a lack regarding the comparison between different routes to produce Fe/Nb-based solar photocatalysts and the evaluation of the impact of the synthesis operating conditions on the material properties. In this work, Fe/Nb 2 O 5 ratio, type of precipitating agent, presence/absence of washing stage, and temperature of calcination were verified to be the most relevant parameters in the synthesis by the co-precipitation method. These factors led to remarkable differences in the properties and performance of the photocatalysts produced by each distinct synthesis route. Composition, iron species present in the materials, crystallinity characteristics, and pH of the catalysts were affected, leading to different photocatalytic activities under UV-Vis light. Due to their characteristics, the synthesized materials are potential photocatalysts for application in solar processes. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Au/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals as an efficient anode photocatalyst in direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Ta; Lin, Yin-Kai; Yang, Ting-Ting; Pu, Ying-Chih; Hsu, Yung-Jung

2013-10-04

Au/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals with controllable shell thicknesses were synthesized using a cysteine-assisted hydrothermal method. Incorporating Au/ZnS nanocrystals into the traditional Pt-catalyzed half-cell reaction led to a 43.3% increase in methanol oxidation current under light illumination, demonstrating their promising potential for metal/semiconductor hybrid nanocrystals as the anode photocatalyst in direct methanol fuel cells.

Potential for photocatalytic degradation of the potassic diclofenac using scandium and silver modified titanium dioxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciola, R.A.; Oliveira, C.T.; Lopes, S.A.; Cavalheiro, A.A.

2011-01-01

The potential for photocatalytic degradation of the potassic diclofenac drug was investigated using titanium dioxide thin films modified with two modifier types, scandium and silver, both prepared by Sol-Gel method. It was demonstrated by UVVis spectroscopy analysis of the solutions containing the drug, under UV-A light irradiation that the degradation efficiency of the titanium dioxide photocatalyst is dependent of the semiconductor nature and that the scandium accelerates the first step of the degradation when compared to the silver. This result seems to be related to the redox potential of the electron-hole pair, once the scandium modifying sample generates a p type semiconductor that reduces the band gap. The extra holes attract more strongly the chorine ion present in diclofenac and leading to the releasing more easily. However, after the first byproducts degradation the following steps are not facilitated, making the silver modifying more advantageous. (author)

Evidence of Plasmonic Induced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production on Pd/TiO2 Upon Deposition on Thin Films of Gold

KAUST Repository

Khan, M. A.

2017-02-28

H2-production from renewables using sunlight is probably the holy grail of modern science and technology. Among the many approaches for increasing reaction rates, by increasing light absorption, plasmonic materials are often invoked. Yet, most plasmonic metals on semiconductors are also good for Schottky barrier formation. In this work, we are presenting evidences of de-coupling the plasmonic from Schottky effects on photoreaction. To conduct this we have systematically changed the under-layer gold film thickness and associated particle size. On top of the thin film layer, we have deposited the exact amount of a prototypical Schottky-based photo-catalyst (Pd/TiO2). We found up to 4 times increase in the H2-production rate at a critical Au film thickness (8 nm-thick). Below this thickness, the plasmonic response is not too strong while above it, the PR decays in favor of the Drude absorption mode. The reaction requires the presence of both UV (to excite the semiconductor) and visible light (to excite Au particles) in order to obtain high hydrogen production, 800 µmol/gCatal.min (probably the highest direct hydrogen (not current) production rate reported on a performing catalyst). The enhancement origin is quantitatively traced to its computed electric field strength (EFS). Adding a dielectric (SiO2) in between the Au thin layer and the catalyst exponentially decreased the reaction rate and EFS, with increasing its thickness. This work indicates the possibility of making an active and stable photo-catalyst from fundamental concepts yet further progress on the structural (technological) front is needed to make a practical catalyst.Graphical abstract

Semiconductor thin films directly from minerals—study of structural, optical, and transport characteristics of Cu2O thin films from malachite mineral and synthetic CuO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasubramaniam, K.R.; Kao, V.M.; Ravichandran, J.; Rossen, P.B.; Siemons, W.; Ager, J.W.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate the proof-of-concept of using an abundantly occurring natural ore, malachite (Cu 2 CO 3 (OH) 2 ) to directly yield the semiconductor Cu 2 O to be used as an active component of a functional thin film based device. Cu 2 O is an archetype hole-conducting semiconductor that possesses several interesting characteristics particularly useful for solar cell applications, including low cost, non-toxicity, good hole mobility, large minority carrier diffusion length, and a direct energy gap ideal for efficient absorption. In this article, we compare the structural, optical, and electrical transport characteristics of Cu 2 O thin films grown from the natural mineral malachite and synthetic CuO targets. Growth from either source material results in single-phase, fully epitaxial cuprous oxide thin films as determined by x-ray diffraction. The films grown from malachite have strong absorption coefficients ( 10 4 cm −1 ), a direct allowed optical bandgap ( 2.4 eV), and majority carrier hole mobilities ( 35 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at room temperature) that compare well with films grown from the synthetic target as well as with previously reported values. Our work demonstrates that minerals could be useful to directly yield the active components in functional devices and suggests a route for the exploration of low cost energy conversion and storage technologies. - Highlights: ► Semiconductor thin films directly from minerals ► Chemistry and structure evolution of the films obtained from mineral target is very similar to that films obtained from high-purity synthetic targets. ► Quite interestingly, transport and optical characteristics are also found to be similar.

Thin film complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device using a single-step deposition of the channel layer

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Caraveo-Frescas, J. A.; Wang, Zhenwei; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Wang, Q. X.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2014-01-01

We report, for the first time, the use of a single step deposition of semiconductor channel layer to simultaneously achieve both n-and p-type transport in transparent oxide thin film transistors (TFTs). This effect is achieved by controlling

Hybrid artificial photosynthetic systems comprising semiconductors as light harvesters and biomimetic complexes as molecular cocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Fuyu; Li, Can

2013-11-19

Solar fuel production through artificial photosynthesis may be a key to generating abundant and clean energy, thus addressing the high energy needs of the world's expanding population. As the crucial components of photosynthesis, the artificial photosynthetic system should be composed of a light harvester (e.g., semiconductor or molecular dye), a reduction cocatalyst (e.g., hydrogenase mimic, noble metal), and an oxidation cocatalyst (e.g., photosystem II mimic for oxygen evolution from water oxidation). Solar fuel production catalyzed by an artificial photosynthetic system starts from the absorption of sunlight by the light harvester, where charge separation takes place, followed by a charge transfer to the reduction and oxidation cocatalysts, where redox reaction processes occur. One of the most challenging problems is to develop an artificial photosynthetic solar fuel production system that is both highly efficient and stable. The assembly of cocatalysts on the semiconductor (light harvester) not only can facilitate the charge separation, but also can lower the activation energy or overpotential for the reactions. An efficient light harvester loaded with suitable reduction and oxidation cocatalysts is the key for high efficiency of artificial photosynthetic systems. In this Account, we describe our strategy of hybrid photocatalysts using semiconductors as light harvesters with biomimetic complexes as molecular cocatalysts to construct efficient and stable artificial photosynthetic systems. We chose semiconductor nanoparticles as light harvesters because of their broad spectral absorption and relatively robust properties compared with a natural photosynthesis system. Using biomimetic complexes as cocatalysts can significantly facilitate charge separation via fast charge transfer from the semiconductor to the molecular cocatalysts and also catalyze the chemical reactions of solar fuel production. The hybrid photocatalysts supply us with a platform to study the

Field emission mechanism from a single-layer ultra-thin semiconductor film cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Zhiqiang; Wang Ruzhi; Yuan Ruiyang; Yang Wei; Wang Bo; Yan Hui

2007-01-01

Field emission (FE) from a single-layer ultra-thin semiconductor film cathode (SUSC) on a metal substrate has been investigated theoretically. The self-consistent quantum FE model is developed by synthetically considering the energy band bending and electron scattering. As a typical example, we calculate the FE properties of ultra-thin AlN film with an adjustable film thickness from 1 to 10 nm. The calculated results show that the FE characteristic is evidently modulated by varying the film thickness, and there is an optimum thickness of about 3 nm. Furthermore, a four-step FE mechanism is suggested such that the distinct FE current of a SUSC is rooted in the thickness sensitivity of its quantum structure, and the optimum FE properties of the SUSC should be attributed to the change in the effective potential combined with the attenuation of electron scattering

Dithienocoronenediimide-based copolymers as novel ambipolar semiconductors for organic thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Usta, Hakan; Newman, Christopher; Chen, Zhihua; Facchetti, Antonio

2012-07-17

A new class of ambipolar donor-acceptor π-conjugated polymers based on a dithienocoronenediimide core is presented. Solution-processed top-gate/bottom-contact thin film transistors (TFTs) exhibit electron and hole mobilities of up to 0.30 cm(2)/V·s and 0.04 cm(2)/V·s, respectively, which are the highest reported to date for an ambipolar polymer in ambient conditions. The polymers presented here are the first examples of coronenediimide-based semiconductors showing high organic TFT performances. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Production of CdTe Semiconductor Thin Films by Electrodeposition Technique for Solar Cell Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet PEKSÖZ

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Electro-deposited cadmium tellurite (CuTe thin film was grown onto ITO-coated glass substrate for 120 seconds at the room temperature and a constant cathodic potential of -0.85 V. Deposition solution was prepared from cadmium chloride (CdCl2, sodium tellurite (Na2TeO3 and pure water. The pH value of the deposition solution was adjusted to 2.0 by adding HCl. The EDX analysis shows that the film has 52% Cd and 48% Te elemental compositions. Film thickness was found to be 140 nm. The CdTe thin film exhibits p-type semiconductor character, and has an energy bandgap of 1.47 eV. 

A Comprehensive Review of Semiconductor Ultraviolet Photodetectors: From Thin Film to One-Dimensional Nanostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liwen Sang

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Ultraviolet (UV photodetectors have drawn extensive attention owing to their applications in industrial, environmental and even biological fields. Compared to UV-enhanced Si photodetectors, a new generation of wide bandgap semiconductors, such as (Al, In GaN, diamond, and SiC, have the advantages of high responsivity, high thermal stability, robust radiation hardness and high response speed. On the other hand, one-dimensional (1D nanostructure semiconductors with a wide bandgap, such as β-Ga2O3, GaN, ZnO, or other metal-oxide nanostructures, also show their potential for high-efficiency UV photodetection. In some cases such as flame detection, high-temperature thermally stable detectors with high performance are required. This article provides a comprehensive review on the state-of-the-art research activities in the UV photodetection field, including not only semiconductor thin films, but also 1D nanostructured materials, which are attracting more and more attention in the detection field. A special focus is given on the thermal stability of the developed devices, which is one of the key characteristics for the real applications.

Nanostructured pyronin Y thin films as a new organic semiconductor: Linear/nonlinear optics, band gap and dielectric properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahran, H.Y. [Metallurgical Lab.1, Nanoscience Laboratory for Environmental and Bio-medical Applications (NLEBA), Semiconductor Lab., Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, 11757 Cairo (Egypt); Advanced Functional Materials & Optoelectronic Laboratory (AFMOL), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha (Saudi Arabia); Yahia, I.S., E-mail: dr_isyahia@yahoo.com [Metallurgical Lab.1, Nanoscience Laboratory for Environmental and Bio-medical Applications (NLEBA), Semiconductor Lab., Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, 11757 Cairo (Egypt); Advanced Functional Materials & Optoelectronic Laboratory (AFMOL), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha (Saudi Arabia); Alamri, F.H. [Advanced Functional Materials & Optoelectronic Laboratory (AFMOL), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha (Saudi Arabia)

2017-05-15

Pyronin Y dye (PY) is a kind of xanthene derivatives. Thin films of pyronin Y were deposited onto highly cleaned glass substrates using low-cost/spin coating technique. The structure properties of pyronin Y thin films with different thicknesses were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM). PY thin films for all the studied thicknesses have an amorphous structure supporting the short range order of the grain size. AFM supports the nanostructure with spherical/clusters morphologies of the investigated thin films. The optical constants of pyronin Y thin films for various thicknesses were studied by using UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometer in the wavelength range 350–2500 nm. The transmittance T(λ), reflectance R(λ) spectral and absorbance (abs(λ)) were obtained for all film thicknesses at room temperature and the normal light incident. These films showed a high transmittance in the wide scale wavelengths. For different thicknesses of the studied thin films, the optical band gaps were determined and their values around 2 eV. Real and imaginary dielectric constants, dissipation factor and the nonlinear optical parameters were calculated in the wavelengths to the range 300–2500 nm. The pyronin Y is a new organic semiconductor with a good optical absorption in UV–vis regions and it is suitable for nonlinear optical applications. - Highlights: • Pyronin Y (PY) nanostructured thin films were deposited by using spin coating technique. • XRD/AFM were used to study the structure of PY films. • The optical band gap was calculated on the basis of Tauc's model. • Linear/nonlinear optical parameters are calculated and interpreted via the applied optical theories. • PY thin films is a new organic semiconductor for its application in optoelectronic devices.

Non-covalent doping of graphitic carbon nitride with ultrathin graphene oxide and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets: an effective binary heterojunction photocatalyst under visible light irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, S W; Yang, L W; Tian, Y; Wei, X L; Ding, J W; Zhong, J X; Chu, Paul K

2014-10-01

A proof of concept integrating binary p-n heterojunctions into a semiconductor hybrid photocatalyst is demonstrated by non-covalent doping of graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with ultrathin GO and MoS2 nanosheets using a facile sonochemical method. In this unique ternary hybrid, the layered MoS2 and GO nanosheets with a large surface area enhance light absorption to generate more photoelectrons. On account of the coupling between MoS2 and GO with g-C3N4, the ternary hybrid possesses binary p-n heterojunctions at the g-C3N4/MoS2 and g-C3N4/GO interfaces. The space charge layers created by the p-n heterojunctions not only enhance photogeneration, but also promote charge separation and transfer of electron-hole pairs. In addition, the ultrathin MoS2 and GO with high mobility act as electron mediators to facilitate separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs at each p-n heterojunction. As a result, the ternary hybrid photocatalyst exhibits improved photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation compared to other reference materials. The results provide new insights into the large-scale production of semiconductor photocatalysts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Semiconductor interfaces of polycrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells. Characterization and modification of electronic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fritsche, J.

2003-01-01

In this thesis for the first time the electronic properties of the semiconductor interfaces in polycrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells, as well as the morphological and electronic properties of the single semiconductor surfaces were systematically characterized by surface-sensitive measuring methods. The morphological surface properties were analyzed by scanning force microscopy. As substrate materials with SnO 2 /ITO covered glass was applied, where the CdS and CdTe layers were deposited. Furthermore the electronic and morphological material properties of differently treated SnO 2 surfaces were characterized. Beside the studies with scanning force microscopy sputtering depth profiles and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were measured

Standard-free electron-probe microanalysis of thin films of HTSC-oxide and semiconductors (h<1μm)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kvardakov, A.M.; Mikhajlova, A.Ya.; San'gin, V.P.; Lazarev, V.B.

1993-01-01

A simplified variant of the standard-free electron-probe microanalysis is elaborated to carry out rapid analysis of chemical composition of >1μm thickness thin films of high-temperature superconductor oxides and semiconductors on alien substrates. The suggested technique has increased the efficiency of search for optimal conditions of preparation YBa 2 Cu 3 O x thin films existing in magnetron and InSb ion-beam techniques of spraying on SrTiO 3 and α-Al 2 O 3 monocrystal base substrates

Dry lithography of large-area, thin-film organic semiconductors using frozen CO(2) resists.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahlke, Matthias E; Mendoza, Hiroshi A; Ashall, Daniel T; Yin, Allen S; Baldo, Marc A

2012-12-04

To address the incompatibility of organic semiconductors with traditional photolithography, an inert, frozen CO(2) resist is demonstrated that forms an in situ shadow mask. Contact with a room-temperature micro-featured stamp is used to pattern the resist. After thin film deposition, the remaining CO(2) is sublimed to lift off unwanted material. Pixel densities of 325 pixels-per-inch are shown. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Three-dimensional minority carrier lifetime mapping of thin film semiconductors for solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hardin, Brian [PLANT PV, Inc., Belmont, CA (United States); Peters, Craig [PLANT PV, Inc., Belmont, CA (United States); Barnard, Edward [PLANT PV, Inc., Belmont, CA (United States)

2015-09-30

This project addresses the difficulty of accurately measuring charge carrier dynamics in novel semiconductor materials for thin film photovoltaic cells. We have developed a two- photon lifetime tomography technique to separate bulk minority carrier lifetime from surface recombination effects and effects of recombination at sub-surface defects. This technique also enables us to characterize how local defects such as grain boundaries– buried below the surface of a sample–affect carrier lifetimes in the active layer, dynamics that have been previously inaccessible. We have applied this newly developed technique to illuminate how CdCl₂ treatment improves CdTe PV efficiency. From striking 3D lifetime tomography maps, a clear, sub- surface understanding emerges of the photophysical changes that occur in CdTe active medium following exposure to CdCl₂, a standard step in the fabrication of high-efficiency CdTe-based solar cells. This work demonstrates a well-defined method to quantify grain-boundary, interface, and bulk recombination in CdTe and other optically-active polycrystalline semiconductor materials; information that can provide critical information to the development of next- generation photovoltaics and many other semiconductor technologies.

Graphene-based heterojunction photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xin; Shen, Rongchen; Ma, Song; Chen, Xiaobo; Xie, Jun

2018-02-01

Due to their unique physicochemical, optical and electrical properties, 2D semimetallic or semiconducting graphene has been extensively utilized to construct highly efficient heterojunction photocatalysts for driving a variety of redox reactions under proper light irradiation. In this review, we carefully addressed the fundamental mechanism of heterogeneous photocatalysis, fundamental properties and advantages of graphene in photocatalysis, and classification and comparison of graphene-based heterojunction photocatalysts. Subsequently, we thoroughly highlighted and discussed various graphene-based heterojunction photocatalysts, including Schottky junctions, Type-II heterojunctions, Z-scheme heterojunctions, Van der Waals heterostructures, in plane heterojunctions and multicomponent heterojunctions. Several important photocatalytic applications, such as photocatalytic water splitting (H2 evolution and overall water splitting), degradation of pollutants, carbon dioxide reduction and bacteria disinfection, are also summarized. Through reviewing the important advances on this topic, it may inspire some new ideas for exploiting highly effective graphene-based heterojunction photocatalysts for a number of applications in photocatlysis and other fields, such as photovoltaic, (photo)electrocatalysis, lithium battery, fuel cell, supercapacitor and adsorption separation.

Preparation and characterization of ZnO transparent semiconductor thin films by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsay, Chien-Yie; Fan, Kai-Shiung; Chen, Sih-Han; Tsai, Chia-Hao

2010-01-01

Transparent semiconductor thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO) were deposited onto alkali-free glass substrates by the sol-gel method and spin-coating technique. In this study, authors investigate the influence of the heating rate of the preheating process (4 or 10 o C/min) on the crystallization, surface morphology, and optical properties of sol-gel derived ZnO thin films. The ZnO sol was synthesized by dissolving zinc acetate dehydrate in ethanol, and then adding monoethanolamine. The as-coated films were preheated at 300 o C for 10 min and annealed at 500 o C for 1 h in air ambiance. Experimental results indicate that the heating rate of the preheating process strongly affected the surface morphology and transparency of ZnO thin film. Specifically, a heating rate of 10 o C/min for the preheating process produces a preferred orientation along the (0 0 2) plane and a high transmittance of 92% at a wavelength of 550 nm. Furthermore, this study reports the fabrication of thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a transparent ZnO active channel layer and evaluates their electrical performance.

XPS and angle resolved XPS, in the semiconductor industry: Characterization and metrology control of ultra-thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brundle, C.R.; Conti, Giuseppina; Mack, Paul

2010-01-01

This review discusses the development of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS, used as a characterization and metrology method for ultra-thin films in the semiconductor wafer processing industry. After a brief explanation of how the relative roles of XPS and Auger electron spectroscopy, AES, have changed over the last 15 years or so in the semiconductor industry, we go into some detail as to what is implied by metrology, as opposed to characterization, for thin films in the industry, and then describe how XPS, and particularly angle resolved XPS, ARXPS, have been implemented as a metrology 'tool' for thickness, chemical composition, and non-destructive depth profiling, of transistor gate oxide material, a key requirement in front-end processing. We take a historical approach, dealing first with the early use for SiO 2 films on Si(1 0 0), then moving to silicon oxynitride, SiO x N y in detail, and finally and briefly HfO 2 -based material, which is used today in the most advanced devices (32 nm node).

Nucleation and strain-stabilization during organic semiconductor thin film deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yang; Wan, Jing; Smilgies, Detlef-M; Bouffard, Nicole; Sun, Richard; Headrick, Randall L

2016-09-07

The nucleation mechanisms during solution deposition of organic semiconductor thin films determine the grain morphology and may influence the crystalline packing in some cases. Here, in-situ optical spectromicroscopy in reflection mode is used to study the growth mechanisms and thermal stability of 6,13-bis(trisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene thin films. The results show that the films form in a supersaturated state before transforming to a solid film. Molecular aggregates corresponding to subcritical nuclei in the crystallization process are inferred from optical spectroscopy measurements of the supersaturated region. Strain-free solid films exhibit a temperature-dependent blue shift of optical absorption peaks due to a continuous thermally driven change of the crystalline packing. As crystalline films are cooled to ambient temperature they become strained although cracking of thicker films is observed, which allows the strain to partially relax. Below a critical thickness, cracking is not observed and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements confirm that the thinnest films are constrained to the lattice constants corresponding to the temperature at which they were deposited. Optical spectroscopy results show that the transition temperature between Form I (room temperature phase) and Form II (high temperature phase) depends on the film thickness, and that Form I can also be strain-stabilized up to 135 °C.

Effects of thickness on the nanocrystalline structure and semiconductor-metal transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Zhenfei; Zhou, Xun; Yan, Dawei; Wang, Du; Li, Zeyu; Yang, Cunbang; Jiang, Yadong

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) thin films were grown on glass substrates by using reactive direct current magnetron sputtering and in situ thermal treatments at low preparation temperatures (≤ 350 °C). The VO 2 thin films were characterized by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The semiconductor-metal transition (SMT) characteristics of the films were investigated by four-point probe resistivity measurements and infrared spectrometer equipped with heating pads. The testing results showed that the crystal structure, morphology, grain size and semiconductor-metal transition temperature (T SMT ) significantly changed as the film thickness decreased. Multilayer structures were observed in the particles of thinner films whose average particle size is much larger than the film thickness and average VO 2 grain size. A competition mechanism between the suppression effect of decreased thickness and coalescence of nanograins was proposed to understand the film growth and the formation of multilayer structure. The value of T SMT was found to decrease as average VO 2 grain size became smaller, and SE results showed that small nanograin size significantly affected the electronic structure of VO 2 film. - Highlights: • Nanocrystalline vanadium dioxide thin films were prepared. • Multilayer structures were observed in the films with large particles. • The transition temperature of the film is correlated with its electronic structure

Origin of Activity and Stability Enhancement for Ag3PO4 Photocatalyst after Calcination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pengyu Dong

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Pristine Ag3PO4 microspheres were synthesized by a co-precipitation method, followed by being calcined at different temperatures to obtain a series of calcined Ag3PO4 photocatalysts. This work aims to investigate the origin of activity and stability enhancement for Ag3PO4 photocatalyst after calcination based on the systematical analyses of the structures, morphologies, chemical states of elements, oxygen defects, optical absorption properties, separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and active species. The results indicate that oxygen vacancies (VO˙˙ are created and metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs are formed by the reaction of partial Ag+ in Ag3PO4 semiconductor with the thermally excited electrons from Ag3PO4 and then deposited on the surface of Ag3PO4 microspheres during the calcination process. Among the calcined Ag3PO4 samples, the Ag3PO4-200 sample exhibits the best photocatalytic activity and greatly enhanced photocatalytic stability for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB solution under visible light irradiation. Oxygen vacancies play a significantly positive role in the enhancement of photocatalytic activity, while metallic Ag has a very important effect on improving the photocatalytic stability. Overall, the present work provides some powerful evidences and a deep understanding on the origin of activity and stability enhancement for the Ag3PO4 photocatalyst after calcination.

Three dimensional strained semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Lars; Conway, Adam; Nikolic, Rebecca J.; Leao, Cedric Rocha; Shao, Qinghui

2016-11-08

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a three dimensional structure comprising a semiconductor material, and at least one thin film in contact with at least one exterior surface of the three dimensional structure for inducing a strain in the structure, the thin film being characterized as providing at least one of: an induced strain of at least 0.05%, and an induced strain in at least 5% of a volume of the three dimensional structure. In another embodiment, a method includes forming a three dimensional structure comprising a semiconductor material, and depositing at least one thin film on at least one surface of the three dimensional structure for inducing a strain in the structure, the thin film being characterized as providing at least one of: an induced strain of at least 0.05%, and an induced strain in at least 5% of a volume of the structure.

Solvent-free, visible-light photocatalytic alcohol oxidations applying an organic photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Obst

2016-11-01

Full Text Available A method for the solvent-free photocatalytic conversion of solid and liquid substrates was developed, using a novel rod mill apparatus. In this setup, thin liquid films are realized which is crucial for an effective photocatalytic conversion due to the low penetration depth of light in heterogeneous systems. Several benzylic alcohols were oxidized with riboflavin tetraacetate as photocatalyst under blue light irradiation of the reaction mixture. The corresponding carbonyl compounds were obtained in moderate to good yields.

Nano-sized quaternary CuGa2In3S8 as an efficient photocatalyst for solar hydrogen production

KAUST Repository

Kandiel, Tarek

2014-09-03

The synthesis of quaternary metal sulfide (QMS) nanocrystals is challenging because of the difficulty to control their stoichiometry and phase structure. Herein, quaternary CuGa2In3S8 photocatalysts with a primary particle size of ≈4nm are synthesized using a facile hot-injection method by fine-tuning the sulfur source injection temperature and aging time. Characterization of the samples reveals that quaternary CuGa2In3S8 nanocrystals exhibit n-type semiconductor characteristics with a transition band gap of ≈1.8eV. Their flatband potential is located at -0.56V versus the standard hydrogen electrode at pH6.0 and is shifted cathodically by 0.75V in solutions with pH values greater than 12.0. Under optimized conditions, the 1.0wt% Ru-loaded CuGa2In3S8 photocatalyst exhibits a photocatalytic H2 evolution response up to 700nm and an apparent quantum efficiency of (6.9±0.5)% at 560nm. These results indicate clearly that QMS nanocrystals have great potential as nano-photocatalysts for solar H2 production. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Transparent Oxide Semiconductors for Emerging Electronics

KAUST Repository

Caraveo-Frescas, Jesus Alfonso

2013-11-01

Transparent oxide electronics have emerged as promising materials to shape the future of electronics. While several n-type oxides have been already studied and demonstrated feasibility to be used as active materials in thin film transistors, high performance p-type oxides have remained elusive. This dissertation is devoted to the study of transparent p-type oxide semiconductor tin monoxide and its use in the fabrication of field effect devices. A complete study on the deposition of tin monoxide thin films by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering is performed. Carrier density, carrier mobility and conductivity are studied over a set of deposition conditions where p-type conduction is observed. Density functional theory simulations are performed in order to elucidate the effect of native defects on carrier mobility. The findings on the electrical properties of SnO thin films are then translated to the fabrication of thin films transistors. The low processing temperature of tin monoxide thin films below 200 oC is shown advantageous for the fabrication of fully transparent and flexible thin film transistors. After careful device engineering, including post deposition annealing temperature, gate dielectric material, semiconductor thickness and source and drain electrodes material, thin film transistors with record device performance are demonstrated, achieving a field effect mobility >6.7 cm2V-1s-1. Device performance is further improved to reach a field effect mobility of 10.8 cm2V-1s-1 in SnO nanowire field effect transistors fabricated from the sputtered SnO thin films and patterned by electron beam lithography. Downscaling device dimension to nano scale is shown beneficial for SnO field effect devices not only by achieving a higher hole mobility but enhancing the overall device performance including better threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and lower number of interfacial defects. Use of p-type semiconductors in nonvolatile memory applications is then

Monolayer CS as a metal-free photocatalyst with high carrier mobility and tunable band structure: a first-principles study

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao-Le; Ye, Xiao-Juan; Liu, Chun-Sheng; Yan, Xiao-Hong

2018-02-01

Producing hydrogen fuel using suitable photocatalysts from water splitting is a feasible method to harvest solar energy. A desired photocatalyst is expected to have suitable band gap, moderate band edge position, and high carrier mobility. By employing first-principles calculations, we explore a α-CS monolayer as a metal-free efficient photocatalyst. The α-CS monolayer shows good energetic, dynamic, and thermal stabilities and is insoluble in water, suggesting its experimental practicability. Monolayer and bilayer α-CS present not only appropriate band gaps for visible and ultraviolet light absorption but also moderate band alignments with water redox potentials in pH neutral water. Remarkably, the α-CS monolayer exhibits high (up to 8453.19 cm2 V-1s-1 for hole) and anisotropic carrier mobility, which is favorable to the migration and separation of photogenerated carriers. In addition, monolayer α-CS experiences an interesting semiconductor-metal transition by applying uniaxial strain and external electric field. Moreover, α-CS under certain strain and electric field is still dynamically stable with the absence of imaginary frequencies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the graphite (0 0 1) surface is a potential substrate for the α-CS growth with the intrinsic properties of α-CS maintaining. Therefore, our results could pave the way for the application of α-CS as a promising photocatalyst.

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Somodi, P K; Twitchett-Harrison, A C; Midgley, P A; Kardynał, B E; Barnes, C H W; Dunin-Borkowski, R E

2013-11-01

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p-n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p-n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photocatalysis of irradiated semiconductor surfaces: Its application to water splitting and some organic reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakata, T

1985-05-01

Hydrogen production from organic compounds and water was investigated using powdered semiconductor photocatalysts. The complete decomposition observed for several organic compounds demonstrated that water is involved in the reactions as an oxidizing agent. Photocatalyses of dyes and semiconductors were found to be applicable to amino acid synthesis. The quantum yields of photocatalytic amino acid synthesis using visible light are about 20%-40% in the absence of a metal catalyst such as platinum. Moreover the reactions are highly selective and depend strongly on the type of semiconductor. This method was applied to the asymmetric synthesis of amino acids using asymmetric catalysts. Rather high optical yields of 50% were achieved for the synthesis of L-phenylalanine.

Effects of thickness on the nanocrystalline structure and semiconductor-metal transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, Zhenfei, E-mail: zhfluo8@yahoo.com [Terahertz Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Zhou, Xun, E-mail: zx_zky@yahoo.com [Terahertz Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Yan, Dawei [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Wang, Du; Li, Zeyu [Terahertz Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Yang, Cunbang [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang Sichuan 621900 (China); Jiang, Yadong [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China)

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) thin films were grown on glass substrates by using reactive direct current magnetron sputtering and in situ thermal treatments at low preparation temperatures (≤ 350 °C). The VO{sub 2} thin films were characterized by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The semiconductor-metal transition (SMT) characteristics of the films were investigated by four-point probe resistivity measurements and infrared spectrometer equipped with heating pads. The testing results showed that the crystal structure, morphology, grain size and semiconductor-metal transition temperature (T{sub SMT}) significantly changed as the film thickness decreased. Multilayer structures were observed in the particles of thinner films whose average particle size is much larger than the film thickness and average VO{sub 2} grain size. A competition mechanism between the suppression effect of decreased thickness and coalescence of nanograins was proposed to understand the film growth and the formation of multilayer structure. The value of T{sub SMT} was found to decrease as average VO{sub 2} grain size became smaller, and SE results showed that small nanograin size significantly affected the electronic structure of VO{sub 2} film. - Highlights: • Nanocrystalline vanadium dioxide thin films were prepared. • Multilayer structures were observed in the films with large particles. • The transition temperature of the film is correlated with its electronic structure.

Growth of crystalline semiconductor materials on crystal surfaces

CERN Document Server

Aleksandrov, L

2013-01-01

Written for physicists, chemists, and engineers specialising in crystal and film growth, semiconductor electronics, and various applications of thin films, this book reviews promising scientific and engineering trends in thin films and thin-films materials science. The first part discusses the physical characteristics of the processes occurring during the deposition and growth of films, the principal methods of obtaining semiconductor films and of reparing substrate surfaces on which crystalline films are grown, and the main applications of films. The second part contains data on epitaxial i

CuS/RGO hybrid photocatalyst for full solar spectrum photoreduction from UV/Vis to near-infrared light.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jie; Liu, Baibai; Ren, Zhenxing; Ni, Mengying; Li, Can; Gong, Yinyan; Qin, Wei; Huang, Yongli; Sun, Chang Q; Liu, Xinjuan

2018-05-01

To make full use of the solar energy, it remains a great challenge for semiconductor photocatalysts to harvest the full solar light spectrum from ultraviolet (UV) to visible even the near infrared (NIR) wavelength. Here we show firstly the CuS/RGO (reduced graphene oxide) hybrid photocatalyst synthesized via a microwave assisted method with full solar light (UV-Vis-NIR) active for efficient Cr(VI) reduction. The CuS/RGO displays high absorption and catalytic activity in the UV, visible and even the NIR light regions. As co-catalyst, RGO can separate and inhibit the recombination of charge carriers, consequently improving the catalytic activity. Only 1wt% RGO emersions can reduce 90% of Cr(VI) under the radiation of light over the full spectrum. Findings may provide a new strategy and substance to expand the utilization range of solar light from UV to visible even the NIR energy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Thin film transistor performance of amorphous indium–zinc oxide semiconductor thin film prepared by ultraviolet photoassisted sol–gel processing

Science.gov (United States)

Kodzasa, Takehito; Nobeshima, Taiki; Kuribara, Kazunori; Yoshida, Manabu

2018-05-01

We have fabricated an amorphous indium–zinc oxide (IZO, In/Zn = 3/1) semiconductor thin-film transistor (AOS-TFT) by the sol–gel technique using ultraviolet (UV) photoirradiation and post-treatment in high-pressure O2 at 200 °C. The obtained TFT showed a hole carrier mobility of 0.02 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 and an on/off current ratio of 106. UV photoirradiation leads to the decomposition of the organic agents and hydroxide group in the IZO gel film. Furthermore, the post-treatment annealing at a high O2 pressure of more than 0.6 MPa leads to the filling of the oxygen vacancies in a poor metal–oxygen network in the IZO film.

High Photoluminescence Quantum Yields in Organic Semiconductor-Perovskite Composite Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Giulia; La-Placa, Maria-Grazia; Sessolo, Michele; Bolink, Henk J

2017-10-09

One of the obstacles towards efficient radiative recombination in hybrid perovskites is a low exciton binding energy, typically in the orders of tens of meV. It has been shown that the use of electron-donor additives can lead to a substantial reduction of the non-radiative recombination in perovskite films. Herein, the approach using small molecules with semiconducting properties, which are candidates to be implemented in future optoelectronic devices, is presented. In particular, highly luminescent perovskite-organic semiconductor composite thin films have been developed, which can be processed from solution in a simple coating step. By tuning the relative concentration of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr 3 ) and 9,9spirobifluoren-2-yl-diphenyl-phosphine oxide (SPPO1), it is possible to achieve photoluminescent quantum yields (PLQYs) as high as 85 %. This is attributed to the dual functions of SPPO1 that limit the grain growth while passivating the perovskite surface. The electroluminescence of these materials was investigated by fabricating multilayer LEDs, where charge injection and transport was found to be severely hindered for the perovskite/SPPO1 material. This was alleviated by partially substituting SPPO1 with a hole-transporting material, 1,3-bis(N-carbazolyl)benzene (mCP), leading to bright electroluminescence. The potential of combining perovskite and organic semiconductors to prepare materials with improved properties opens new avenues for the preparation of simple lightemitting devices using perovskites as the emitter. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Experimental studies on the nonlinear dynamics of ferroelectric thin films and layered ferroelectricum/semiconductor structures in oscillating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barz, Kay

2010-01-01

In this work experimental techniques for characterization of ferroelectric nm-thin films and ferroelectric/semiconductor structures by means of nonlinear phenomena are discussed. The thin film sample is applied in a series resonant circuit. By recording time series data and amplitude-frequency-characteristics (resonance frequency shift), the nonlinear behavior can be analyzed with respect to the theoretical aspects of these effects in the framework of nonlinear dynamics. The evolving ferroelectric hysteresis is represented by the amplitude-frequency-characteristic in a very detailed form. Interpretations are presented on how transient alterations like fatigue or retention loss, affect the amplitude-frequency-characteristics. Time series analysis allows to separate the specific influence of the nonlinear components and their corresponding time constants. The work closes with suggestions for a systematic application of the presented techniques for an extended characterization of ferroelectric thin films. (orig.)

A simplified theoretical guideline for overall water splitting using photocatalyst particles

KAUST Repository

Garcia Esparza, Angel T.

2015-10-02

Particulate photocatalytic water splitting is the most disruptive and competitive solution for the direct production of solar fuels. Despite more than four decades of work in the field of photocatalysis using powdered semiconductors decorated with catalyst particles, there is no clear consensus on the factors limiting the solar-to-hydrogen efficiency (STH). To understand the intrinsic limitations of the system, we numerically simulated simplified two-dimensional photocatalytic models using classical semiconductor device equations. This work presents the sensitivity of quantum efficiency (QE) to the various semiconductor properties, such as absorption properties and carrier mobilities, and to the dispersion of catalyst particles, which create heterojunctions, the driving force for charge separation. As a result, a pinch-off effect was prevalent underneath the hydrogen evolution site, suggesting an undesired energetic barrier for electron diffusion to the catalyst. The simulation using the values reported in the literature revealed that the QE was exclusively governed by recombination in the bulk of the photocatalyst particles, hindering the charge separation efficiency before reaching the catalysts on the surface. Using some of the reported parameters, our simulation shows that a typical defective n-type semiconductor particle (∼100 nm) ideally exhibits a QE of <5% in the visible light range per particle, which reaches only approximately 10% in a slurry after 4 consecutive absorbing units (1.4% STH, from simulated solar irradiation). Although the present model contains rigid limitations, we use these trends as an initial guideline to pursue photocatalysis by a design strategy, which may result in possible alternatives to achieve higher efficiencies. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Solution processable semiconductor thin films: Correlation between morphological, structural, optical and charge transport properties

Science.gov (United States)

Isik, Dilek

This Ph.D. thesis is a result of multidisciplinary research bringing together fundamental concepts in thin film engineering, materials science, materials processing and characterization, electrochemistry, microfabrication, and device physics. Experiments were conducted by tackling scientific problems in the field of thin films and interfaces, with the aim to correlate the morphology, crystalline structure, electronic structure of thin films with the functional properties of the films and the performances of electronic devices based thereon. Furthermore, novel strategies based on interfacial phenomena at electrolyte/thin film interfaces were explored and exploited to control the electrical conductivity of the thin films. Three main chemical systems were the object of the studies performed during this Ph.D., two types of organic semiconductors (azomethine-based oligomers and polymers and soluble pentacene derivatives) and one metal oxide semiconductor (tungsten trioxide, WO3). To explore the morphological properties of the thin films, atomic force microscopy was employed. The morphological properties were further investigated by hyperspectral fluorescence microscopy and tentatively correlated to the charge transport properties of the films. X-ray diffraction (Grazing incidence XRD, GIXRD) was used to investigate the crystallinity of the film and the effect of the heat treatment on such crystallinity, as well as to understand the molecular arrangement of the organic molecules in the thin film. The charge transport properties of the films were evaluated in thin film transistor configuration. For electrolyte gated thin film transistors, time dependent transient measurements were conducted, in parallel to more conventional transistor characterizations, to explore the specific effects played on the gating by the anion and cation constituting the electrolyte. The capacitances of the electrical double layers at the electrolyte/WO3 interface were obtained from

Atomic Layer Deposited Thin Films for Dielectrics, Semiconductor Passivation, and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Runshen

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) utilizes sequential precursor gas pulses to deposit one monolayer or sub-monolayer of material per cycle based on its self-limiting surface reaction, which offers advantages, such as precise thickness control, thickness uniformity, and conformality. ALD is a powerful means of fabricating nanoscale features in future nanoelectronics, such as contemporary sub-45 nm metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors, photovoltaic cells, near- and far-infrared detectors, and intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells. High dielectric constant, kappa, materials have been recognized to be promising candidates to replace traditional SiO2 and SiON, because they enable good scalability of sub-45 nm MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) without inducing additional power consumption and heat dissipation. In addition to high dielectric constant, high-kappa materials must meet a number of other requirements, such as low leakage current, high mobility, good thermal and structure stability with Si to withstand high-temperature source-drain activation annealing. In this thesis, atomic layer deposited Er2O3 doped TiO2 is studied and proposed as a thermally stable amorphous high-kappa dielectric on Si substrate. The stabilization of TiO2 in its amorphous state is found to achieve a high permittivity of 36, a hysteresis voltage of less than 10 mV, and a low leakage current density of 10-8 A/cm-2 at -1 MV/cm. In III-V semiconductors, issues including unsatisfied dangling bonds and native oxides often result in inferior surface quality that yields non-negligible leakage currents and degrades the long-term performance of devices. The traditional means for passivating the surface of III-V semiconductors are based on the use of sulfide solutions; however, that only offers good protection against oxidation for a short-term (i.e., one day). In this work, in order to improve the chemical passivation efficacy of III-V semiconductors

Construction of Z-scheme Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/N-doped graphene photocatalysts with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity by tuning the nitrogen species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Shaoqing [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Key Laboratory of Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Fundamental Science for National Defense, East China Institute of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330013 (China); Meng, Aiyun [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Jiang, Shujuan [Key Laboratory of Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Fundamental Science for National Defense, East China Institute of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330013 (China); Cheng, Bei [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Jiang, Chuanjia, E-mail: jiangcj2016@yahoo.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Z-scheme photocatalyst composed of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and N-doped graphene (NG). • Pyridinic nitrogen species of NG spontaneously promoted plasmonic Ag formation. • Graphitic N of NG facilitated the Z-scheme transfer option and O{sub 2} adsorption. • Z-scheme Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-NG showed high photocatalytic performance. - Abstract: Semiconductor-based photocatalysis has great potential in various environmental and energy applications, and Z-scheme photocatalysts have many advantages over single-component photocatalysts. The construction of a highly efficient Z-scheme photocatalytic system depends on the geometric structure arrangement, microscopic and crystalline form of the stoichiometric species, and it has not been elucidated whether the Z-scheme photocatalysts can be designed by tuning the electronic structures of cocatalysts alone. Here, using N-doped graphene (NG) as cocatalyst, we successfully constructed Z-scheme Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-NG photocatalysts with enhanced activity for the photooxidative degradation of phenol pollutant. It was found that the pyridinic nitrogen species (N{sub p}) of NG could spontaneously reduce Ag{sup +} to produce plasmonic Ag nanoparticles on Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-NG, while the efficiency of the photogenerated charge separation, Z-scheme transfer option, and O{sub 2} adsorption were promoted by the graphitic nitrogen species (N{sub g}). Therefore, the as-designed Z-scheme Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}-NG photocatalysts showed much higher activity than Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and its composites with graphene oxide (GO) or reduced GO as cocatalysts in the photocatalytic degradation of phenol. Hence, our results provide a new strategy for exploring advanced Z-scheme photocatalysts with NG as cocatalyst by rationally tuning the N{sub p} and N{sub g} species.

ZnTe Amorphous Semiconductor Nanowires Array Electrodeposited into Polycarbonate Membrane Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohgai, T; Ikeda, T; Ohta, J

2013-01-01

ZnTe amorphous semiconductor nanowires array was electrodeposited into the nanochannels of ion-track etched polycarbonate membrane thin films from acidic aqueous solution at 313 K. ZnTe electrodeposits with Zn-rich composition was obtained over the wide range of cathode potential from −0.8 V to −1.1 V and the growth rate of ZnTe amorphous nanowires was around 3 nm.sec −1 at the cathode potential of −0.8 V. Cylindrical shape of the nanowires was precisely transferred from the nanochannels and the aspect ratio reached up to ca. 40. ZnTe amorphous phase electrodeposited at 313 K was crystallized by annealing at 683 K and the band gap energy of ZnTe crystalline phase reached up to ca. 2.13 eV.

Development of Visible Light-Responsive Sensitized Photocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donghua Pei

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a review of studies about the visible-light-promoted photodegradation of the contaminants and energy conversion with sensitized photocatalysts. Herein we studied mechanism, physical properties, and synergism effect of the sensitized photocatalysts as well as the method for enhancing the photosensitized effect. According to the reported studies in the literature, inorganic sensitizers, organic dyes, and coordination metal complexes were very effective sensitizers that were studied mostly, of which organic dyes photosensitization is the most widely studied modified method. Photosensitization is an important way to extend the excitation wavelength to the visible range, and therefore sensitized photocatalysts play an important role in the development of visible light-responsive photocatalysts for future industrialized applications. This paper mainly describes the types, modification, photocatalytic performance, application, and the developments of photosensitization for environmental application.

Correlation of Photocatalytic Activity with Band Structure of Low-dimensional Semiconductor Nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Fanke

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation by water splitting is a promising technique to produce clean and renewable solar fuel. The development of effective semiconductor photocatalysts to obtain efficient photocatalytic activity is the key objective. However, two critical reasons prevent wide applications of semiconductor photocatalysts: low light usage efficiency and high rates of charge recombination. In this dissertation, several low-dimensional semiconductors were synthesized with hydrothermal, hydrolysis, and chemical impregnation methods. The band structures of the low-dimensional semiconductor materials were engineered to overcome the above mentioned two shortcomings. In addition, the correlation between the photocatalytic activity of the low-dimensional semiconductor materials and their band structures were studied. First, we studied the effect of oxygen vacancies on the photocatalytic activity of one-dimensional anatase TiO2 nanobelts. Given that the oxygen vacancy plays a significant role in band structure and photocatalytic performance of semiconductors, oxygen vacancies were introduced into the anatase TiO2 nanobelts during reduction in H2 at high temperature. The oxygen vacancies of the TiO2 nanobelts boosted visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activity but weakened ultraviolet-light-responsive photocatalytic activity. As oxygen vacancies are commonly introduced by dopants, these results give insight into why doping is not always beneficial to the overall photocatalytic performance despite increases in absorption. Second, we improved the photocatalytic performance of two-dimensional lanthanum titanate (La2Ti2 O7) nanosheets, which are widely studied as an efficient photocatalyst due to the unique layered crystal structure. Nitrogen was doped into the La2Ti2O7 nanosheets and then Pt nanoparticles were loaded onto the La2Ti2O7 nanosheets. Doping nitrogen narrowed the band gap of the La2Ti 2O7 nanosheets by introducing a continuum of states by the valence

Potential for photocatalytic degradation of the potassic diclofenac using scandium and silver modified titanium dioxide thin films; Potencial de degradacao fotocatalitica do diclofenaco potassico utilizando filmes finos de dioxido de titanio modificado com escandio e prata

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciola, R.A.; Oliveira, C.T.; Lopes, S.A.; Cavalheiro, A.A., E-mail: rafaelciola@hotmail.com [Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Navirai, MS (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas Tecnologicas em Recursos Naturais

2011-07-01

The potential for photocatalytic degradation of the potassic diclofenac drug was investigated using titanium dioxide thin films modified with two modifier types, scandium and silver, both prepared by Sol-Gel method. It was demonstrated by UVVis spectroscopy analysis of the solutions containing the drug, under UV-A light irradiation that the degradation efficiency of the titanium dioxide photocatalyst is dependent of the semiconductor nature and that the scandium accelerates the first step of the degradation when compared to the silver. This result seems to be related to the redox potential of the electron-hole pair, once the scandium modifying sample generates a p type semiconductor that reduces the band gap. The extra holes attract more strongly the chorine ion present in diclofenac and leading to the releasing more easily. However, after the first byproducts degradation the following steps are not facilitated, making the silver modifying more advantageous. (author)

Semiconductor detectors in nuclear and particle physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehak, P.; Gatti, E.

1992-01-01

Semiconductor detectors for elementary particle physics and nuclear physics in the energy range above 1 GeV are briefly reviewed. In these two fields semiconductor detectors are used mainly for the precise position sensing. In a typical experiment, the position of a fast charged particle crossing a relatively thin semiconductor detector is measured. The position resolution achievable by semiconductor detectors is compared with the resolution achievable by gas filled position sensing detectors. Semiconductor detectors are divided into two groups: Classical semiconductor diode detectors and semiconductor memory detectors. Principles of the signal formation and the signal read-out for both groups of detectors are described. New developments of silicon detectors of both groups are reported

Bactericidal performance of visible-light responsive titania photocatalyst with silver nanostructures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Show Wong

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Titania dioxide (TiO(2 photocatalyst is primarily induced by ultraviolet light irradiation. Visible-light responsive anion-doped TiO(2 photocatalysts contain higher quantum efficiency under sunlight and can be used safely in indoor settings without exposing to biohazardous ultraviolet light. The antibacterial efficiency, however, remains to be further improved. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using thermal reduction method, here we synthesized silver-nanostructures coated TiO(2 thin films that contain a high visible-light responsive antibacterial property. Among our tested titania substrates including TiO(2, carbon-doped TiO(2 [TiO(2 (C] and nitrogen-doped TiO(2 [TiO(2 (N], TiO(2 (N showed the best performance after silver coating. The synergistic antibacterial effect results approximately 5 log reductions of surviving bacteria of Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that crystalline silver formed unique wire-like nanostructures on TiO(2 (N substrates, while formed relatively straight and thicker rod-shaped precipitates on the other two titania materials. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggested that proper forms of silver on various titania materials could further influence the bactericidal property.

Micro-patterned ZnO semiconductors for high performance thin film transistors via chemical imprinting with a PDMS stamp.

Science.gov (United States)

Seong, Kieun; Kim, Kyongjun; Park, Si Yun; Kim, Youn Sang

2013-04-07

Chemical imprinting was conducted on ZnO semiconductor films via a chemical reaction at the contact regions between a micro-patterned PDMS stamp and ZnO films. In addition, we applied the chemical imprinting on Li doped ZnO thin films for high performance TFTs fabrication. The representative micro-patterned Li doped ZnO TFTs showed a field effect mobility of 4.2 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) after sintering at 300 °C.

In situ X-ray synchrotron study of organic semiconductor ultra-thin films growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moulin, J.-F.; Dinelli, F.; Massi, M.; Albonetti, C.; Kshirsagar, R.; Biscarini, F.

2006-01-01

In this work we present an X-ray diffraction study of the early stages of growth of an organic semiconductor (sexithiophene, T 6 ) thin film prepared by high vacuum sublimation. Specular reflectometry and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction were used to monitor the formation of T 6 films on silicon oxide. Our results show that T 6 grows as a crystalline layer from the beginning of the evaporation. The reflectometry analysis suggests that, in the range of rates and temperatures studied, the growth is never layer by layer but rather 3D in nature. In-plane GIXD has allowed us to observe for the first time a thin film phase of T 6 formed of molecules standing normal to the substrate and arranged in a compressed unit cell with respect to the bulk, i.e. the unit cell parameters b and c are relatively smaller. We have followed the dynamics of formation of this new phase and identified the threshold of appearance of the bulk phase, which occurs above ∼5-6 monolayers. These results are relevant to the problem of organic thin film transistors, for which we have previously demonstrated experimentally that only the first two monolayers of T 6 films are involved in the electrical transport. The layers above the second one do not effectively contribute to charge mobility, either because they are more 'disordered' or because of a screening of the gate field

Re-investigation on reduced graphene oxide/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} composite photocatalyst: An insight into the double-edged sword role of RGO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Wenguang [School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center 100#, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 (China); Liu, Yuan [School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center 100#, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Zhang, Haiyan, E-mail: hyzhang@gdut.edu.cn [School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center 100#, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Qian, Yannan; Guo, Zuchen [School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center 100#, Guangzhou, 510006 (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Reduced graphene oxide can improve the photocatalytic activity of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. • Reduced graphene oxide plays a negative role to the cycling stability of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. • The mechanism for the morphology change of pure Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/RGO is proposed. - Abstract: Coupling graphene or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with semiconductor photocatalysts has previously been proven to be an effective way for enhancing the photocatalytic activity and stability of the photocatalysts. Herein, the Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/reduced graphene oxide composite was successfully prepared by a facile chemical precipitation method. The physical and chemical properties of the photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse-reflection spectra. The photocatalytic activity and cycling stability of the photocatalysts were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the RGO indeed improves the photocatalytic activity of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/RGO, which can be attributed to the reduced charge recombination and enhanced dye adsorption as well as the light harvesting by RGO. Nevertheless, it played a negative role to the photocatalytic cycling stability due to the strong aggregation of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} particles brought by the RGO sheets. This work may provide a re-examination of the role of RGO in enhancing the photocatalytic performances of the photocatalysts.

Semiconductor detectors in nuclear and particle physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehak, P.; Gatti, E.

1995-01-01

Semiconductor detectors for elementary particle physics and nuclear physics in the energy range above 1 GeV are briefly reviewed. In these two fields semiconductor detectors are used mainly for the precise position sensing. In a typical experiment, the position of a fast charged particle crossing a relatively thin semiconductor detector is measured. The position resolution achievable by semiconductor detectors is compared with the resolution achievable by gas filled position sensing detectors. Semiconductor detectors are divided into two groups; (i) classical semiconductor diode detectors and (ii) semiconductor memory detectors. Principles of the signal formation and the signal read-out for both groups of detectors are described. New developments of silicon detectors of both groups are reported. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Nitrogen doped nanocrystalline semiconductor metal oxide: An efficient UV active photocatalyst for the oxidation of an organic dye using slurry Photoreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, Saranya; Sivasamy, A; Kumar, B Dinesh

2016-12-01

Water pollution is a cause for serious concern in today's world. A major contributor to water pollution is industrial effluents containing dyes and other organic molecules. Waste water treatment has become a priority area in today's applied scientific research as it seeks to minimize the toxicity of the effluents being discharged and increase the possibility of water recycling. An efficient and eco-friendly way of degrading toxic molecules is to use nano metal-oxide photocatalysts. The present study aims at enhancing the photocatalytic activity of a semiconductor metal oxide by doping it with nitrogen. A sol-gel cum combustion method was employed to synthesize the catalyst. The prepared catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, UV-DRS, FESEM and AFM techniques. UV-DRS result showed the catalyst to possess band gap energy of 2.97eV, thus making it active in the UV region of the spectrum. Its photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of a model pollutant-Orange G dye, under UV light irradiation. Preliminary experiments were carried out to study the effects of pH, catalyst dosage and initial dye concentration on the extent of dye degradation. Kinetic studies revealed that the reaction followed pseudo first order kinetics. The effect of electrolytes on catalyst efficiency was also studied. The progress of the reaction was monitored by absorption studies and measuring the reduction in COD. The catalyst thus prepared was seen to have a high photocatalytic efficiency. The use of this catalyst is a promising means of waste water treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toward visible light response: Overall water splitting using heterogeneous photocatalysts

KAUST Repository

Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2011-01-01

Extensive energy conversion of solar energy can only be achieved by large-scale collection of solar flux. The technology that satisfies this requirement must be as simple as possible to reduce capital cost. Overall water splitting by powder-form photocatalysts directly produces a mixture of H 2 and O2 (chemical energy) in a single reactor, which does not require any complicated parabolic mirrors and electronic devices. Because of its simplicity and low capital cost, it has tremendous potential to become the major technology of solar energy conversion. Development of highly efficient photocatalysts is desired. This review addresses why visible light responsive photocatalysts are essential to be developed. The state of the art for the photocatalysts for overall water splitting is briefly described. Moreover, various fundamental aspects for developing efficient photocatalysts, such as particle size of photocatalysts, cocatalysts, and reaction kinetics are discussed. Copyright © 2011 De Gruyter.

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR THIN FILM OF TiO2 ON GRAPHITE SUBSTRATE BY Cu-ELECTRODEPOSITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fitria Rahmawati

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Surface modification of graphite/TiO2 has been done by mean of Cu electrodeposition. This research aims to study the effect of Cu electrodeposition on photocatalytic enhancing of TiO2. Electrodeposition has been done using CuSO4 0,4 M as the electrolyte at controlled current. The XRD pattern of modified TiO2 thin film on graphite substrate exhibited new peaks at 2θ= 43-44o and 2θ= 50-51o that have been identified as Cu with crystal cubic system, face-centered crystal lattice and crystallite size of 26-30 nm. CTABr still remains in the material as impurities. Meanwhile, based on morphological analysis, Cu particles are dissipated in the pore of thin film. Graphite/TiO2/Cu has higher photoconversion efficiency than graphite/TiO2.   Keywords: semiconductor, graphite/TiO2, Cu electrodeposition

Oxidative degradation of salicylic acid by sprayed WO{sub 3} photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohite, S.V.; Rajpure, K.Y., E-mail: rajpure@yahoo.com

2015-10-15

Highlights: • The photoactivity of sprayed WO{sub 3} thin film. • Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid. • Reaction kinetics and mineralization of pollutants by COD. - Abstract: The WO{sub 3} thin films were deposited using spray pyrolysis technique. The prepared WO{sub 3} thin films were characterized using photoelectrochemical (PEC), X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV–vis absorbance spectroscopy techniques. PEC measurements of WO{sub 3} films deposited at different deposition temperatures were carried out to study photoresponse. The maximum photocurrent (I{sub ph} = 261 μA/cm{sup 2}) was observed for the film deposited at the 225 °C. The monoclinic crystal structure of WO{sub 3} has been confirmed from X-ray diffraction studies. AFM studies were used to calculate particle size and average roughness of the films. Optical absorbance was studied to estimate the bandgap energy of WO{sub 3} thin film which was about 2.65 eV. The photoelectrocatalytic activity of WO{sub 3} film was studied by degradation of salicylic acid with reducing concentrations as function of reaction time. The WO{sub 3} photocatalyst degraded salicylic acid to about 67.14% with significant reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) value.

X-ray analysis of spintronic semiconductor and half metal thin film systems; Roentgenstrukturuntersuchungen an spintronischen Halbleiter- und Halbmetall-Duennschichtsystemen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stahl, Andreas

2010-07-01

In this work the structural properties of spintronic semiconductor and halfmetalic thin-film systems were investigated. The layer thicknesses and interface roughnesses of the multi-layer systems were estimated by X-ray reflectivity measurements. The fits were performed using the software Fewlay which uses the Parratt formalism to calculate the reflectivities. The relaxation of the films was analyzed by reciprocal space mapping on preferably highly indexed Bragg reflexes. (orig.)

Fabrication and characterization of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene active semiconductor thin films prepared by flow-coating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohamad, Khairul Anuar; Rusnan, Fara Naila; Seria, Dzulfahmi Mohd Husin; Saad, Ismail; Alias, Afishah [Nano Engineering & Materials (NEMs) Research Group, Faculty of Engineering Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400 Sabah (Malaysia); Katsuhiro, Uesugi; Hisashi, Fukuda [Division of Engineering for Composite Functions, Muroran Institute of Technology 27-1 Mizumoto, Muroran 050-8585 Hokkaido (Japan)

2015-08-28

Investigation on the physical characterization and comparison of organic thin film based on a soluble 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) (TIPS) pentacene is reported. Oriented thin-films of pentacene have been successfully deposited by flow-coating method, in which the chloroform solution is sandwiched between a transparent substrate and a slide glass, followed by slow-drawing of the substrate with respect to the slide glass. Molecular orientation of flow-coated TIPS-pentacene is comparable to that of the thermal-evaporated pentacene thin film by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. XRD results showed that the morphology of flow-coated soluble pentacene is similar to that of the thermal-evaporated pentacene thin films in series of (00l) diffraction peaks where the (001) diffraction peaks are strongest in the nominally out-of-plane intensity and interplanar spacing located at approximately 2θ = 5.33° (d-spacing, d{sub 001} = 16 Å). Following that, ITO/p-TIPS-pentacene/n-ZnO/Au vertical diode was fabricated. The diode exhibited almost linear characteristics at low voltage with nonlinear characteristics at higher voltage which similar to a pn junction behavior. The results indicated that the TIPS-pentacene semiconductor active thin films can be used as a hole injection layer for fabrication of a vertical organic transistor.

Interfaces and thin films physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Equer, B.

1988-01-01

The 1988 progress report of the Interfaces and Thin Film Physics laboratory (Polytechnic School France) is presented. The research program is focused on the thin films and on the interfaces of the amorphous semiconductor materials: silicon and silicon germanium, silicon-carbon and silicon-nitrogen alloys. In particular, the following topics are discussed: the basic processes and the kinetics of the reactive gas deposition, the amorphous materials manufacturing, the physico-chemical characterization of thin films and interfaces and the electron transport in amorphous semiconductors. The construction and optimization of experimental devices, as well as the activities concerning instrumentation, are also described [fr

Ambipolar Small-Molecule:Polymer Blend Semiconductors for Solution-Processable Organic Field-Effect Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Minji; Hwang, Hansu; Park, Won-Tae; Khim, Dongyoon; Yeo, Jun-Seok; Kim, Yunseul; Kim, Yeon-Ju; Noh, Yong-Young; Kim, Dong-Yu

2017-01-25

We report on the fabrication of an organic thin-film semiconductor formed using a blend solution of soluble ambipolar small molecules and an insulating polymer binder that exhibits vertical phase separation and uniform film formation. The semiconductor thin films are produced in a single step from a mixture containing a small molecular semiconductor, namely, quinoidal biselenophene (QBS), and a binder polymer, namely, poly(2-vinylnaphthalene) (PVN). Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on QBS/PVN blend semiconductor are then assembled using top-gate/bottom-contact device configuration, which achieve almost four times higher mobility than the neat QBS semiconductor. Depth profile via secondary ion mass spectrometry and atomic force microscopy images indicate that the QBS domains in the films made from the blend are evenly distributed with a smooth morphology at the bottom of the PVN layer. Bias stress test and variable-temperature measurements on QBS-based OFETs reveal that the QBS/PVN blend semiconductor remarkably reduces the number of trap sites at the gate dielectric/semiconductor interface and the activation energy in the transistor channel. This work provides a one-step solution processing technique, which makes use of soluble ambipolar small molecules to form a thin-film semiconductor for application in high-performance OFETs.

High performance organic field-effect transistors with ultra-thin HfO2 gate insulator deposited directly onto the organic semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, S.; Häusermann, R.; Chiba, D.; Shimamura, K.; Ono, T.; Batlogg, B.

2014-01-01

We have produced stable organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with an ultra-thin HfO 2 gate insulator deposited directly on top of rubrene single crystals by atomic layer deposition (ALD). We find that ALD is a gentle deposition process to grow thin films without damaging rubrene single crystals, as results these devices have a negligibly small threshold voltage and are very stable against gate-bias-stress, and the mobility exceeds 1 cm 2 /V s. Moreover, the devices show very little degradation even when kept in air for more than 2 months. These results demonstrate thin HfO 2 layers deposited by ALD to be well suited as high capacitance gate dielectrics in OFETs operating at small gate voltage. In addition, the dielectric layer acts as an effective passivation layer to protect the organic semiconductor

Surface modification-a novel way of attaching cocatalysts on CdS semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Yu, Weili

2014-08-22

Noble metals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution are widely investigated for semiconductor photocatalytic water splitting. In this paper, we present a novel way to attach not only noble metals, but also transitional metals onto CdS nanocrystals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution performances for each metal were compared and result shows that Pd attached CdS gives the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 250 μmol/h. The amounts of metal ions attached on the surface were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). This work confirms that surface modification is a promising way of attaching cocatalysts onto semiconductor photocatalysts.

Surface modification-a novel way of attaching cocatalysts on CdS semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Yu, Weili; Isimjan, Tayirjan; Lin, Bin; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2014-01-01

Noble metals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution are widely investigated for semiconductor photocatalytic water splitting. In this paper, we present a novel way to attach not only noble metals, but also transitional metals onto CdS nanocrystals as cocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution performances for each metal were compared and result shows that Pd attached CdS gives the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 250 μmol/h. The amounts of metal ions attached on the surface were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). This work confirms that surface modification is a promising way of attaching cocatalysts onto semiconductor photocatalysts.

Construction of an optical semiconductor amplifier starting from a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser; Construccion de un amplificador optico de semiconductor a partir de un laser de semiconductor Fabry-Perot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, E.; Soto, H.; Marquez, H.; Valles V, N. [Departamento de Electronica y Telecomunicaciones, Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada. Km. 107, Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, 22860 Ensenada, Baja California (Mexico)

2000-07-01

A methodology to convert a semiconductor laser Fabry-Perot (SL-FP) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is presented. In order to suppress the cavity resonant an optical thin film coating was deposited on the facets of the SL-FP. The experiment was carried out putting on service a new monitoring technique that consist in the observation of the laser power spectrum during the antireflection coatings deposition. This allows to determine the moment were the facets reflectivity is minimum. The SOA obtained was characterized for different polarization currents. (Author)

Preparation of n-type semiconductor SnO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahal, Achour; Benramache, Said; Benhaoua, Boubaker

2013-01-01

We studied fluorine-doped tin oxide on a glass substrate at 350°C using an ultrasonic spray technique. Tin (II) chloride dehydrate, ammonium fluoride dehydrate, ethanol and NaOH were used as the starting material, dopant source, solvent and stabilizer, respectively. The SnO 2 : F thin films were deposited at 350°C and a pending time of 60 and 90 s. The as-grown films exhibit a hexagonal wurtzite structure and have (101) orientation. The G = 31.82 nm value of the grain size is attained from SnO 2 : F film grown at 90 s, and the transmittance is greater than 80% in the visible region. The optical gap energy is found to measure 4.05 eV for the film prepared at 90 s, and the increase in the electrical conductivity of the film with the temperature of the sample is up to a maximum value of 265.58 (Ω·cm) −1 , with the maximum activation energy value of the films being found to measure 22.85 meV, indicating that the films exhibit an n-type semiconducting nature. (semiconductor materials)

Determination of Insulator-to-Semiconductor Transition in Sol-Gel Oxide Semiconductors Using Derivative Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Woobin; Choi, Seungbeom; Kim, Kyung Tae; Kang, Jingu; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2015-12-23

We report a derivative spectroscopic method for determining insulator-to-semiconductor transition during sol-gel metal-oxide semiconductor formation. When an as-spun sol-gel precursor film is photochemically activated and changes to semiconducting state, the light absorption characteristics of the metal-oxide film is considerable changed particularly in the ultraviolet region. As a result, a peak is generated in the first-order derivatives of light absorption ( A' ) vs. wavelength (λ) plots, and by tracing the peak center shift and peak intensity, transition from insulating-to-semiconducting state of the film can be monitored. The peak generation and peak center shift are described based on photon-energy-dependent absorption coefficient of metal-oxide films. We discuss detailed analysis method for metal-oxide semiconductor films and its application in thin-film transistor fabrication. We believe this derivative spectroscopy based determination can be beneficial for a non-destructive and a rapid monitoring of the insulator-to-semiconductor transition in sol-gel oxide semiconductor formation.

Semiconductor/metal nanocomposites formed by in situ reduction method in multilayer thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Yanli; Wang Enbo; Tian Chungui; Mao Baodong; Wang Chunlei

2009-01-01

A layer-by-layer adsorption and in situ reduction method was adopted for synthesizing semiconductor/metal nanocomposites in multilayer ultra-thin films. Alternate adsorption of ZnO nanoparticles modified with poly(ethyleneimine), hydrogentetrachloroaurate and poly(styrenesulfonate) sodium results in the formation of ZnO/AuCl 4 - -loaded multilayer films. In situ reduction of the incorporated metal ions by heating yields ZnO/Au nanocomposites in the films. UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the components of the composite films. UV-vis spectra indicate regular growth of the films. The electrochemistry behavior of the multilayer films was studied in detail on indium tin oxide electrode. The combined results suggest that the layer-by-layer adsorption and subsequent reduction method used here provides an effective way to synthesize ZnO/Au nanocomposites in the polymer matrix

Semiconductor- to metallic-like behavior in Bi thin films on KCl substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bui, Thanh Nhan; Raskin, Jean-Pierre; Hackens, Benoit

2016-01-01

Bi thin films, with a thickness of 100 nm, are deposited by electron-beam evaporation on a freshly cleaved (100) KCl substrate. The substrate temperature during film growth (T_d_e_p) ranges from room temperature up to 170 °C. Films deposited at room temperature exhibit a maze-like microstructure typical of the rhombohedral (110) texture, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction. For T_d_e_p above 80 °C, a different microstructure appears, characterized by concentric triangular shapes corresponding to the trigonal (111) texture. Temperature dependence of the resistivity shows a transition from a semiconductor-like behavior for films deposited at room temperature to a metallic-like behavior for T_d_e_p above 80 °C. From magnetoresistance measurements between room temperature and 1.6 K, we extract the electron and hole mobilities, concentrations, and mean free paths, which allow to draw a complete picture of the transport properties of both types of films.

Photochemistry at high temperatures - potential of ZnO as a high temperature photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schubnell, M; Beaud, P; Kamber, I [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-06-01

Direct conversion of solar radiation into useful, storeable and transportable chemical products is the primary goal of solar chemistry. In this paper we discuss some fundamental aspects of photochemistry at elevated temperatures. We show that luminescence can serve as an indicator of the potential use of a system as a photoconverter. As an example we present experimental data on the chemical potential and on the lifetime of the excited states of ZnO. The low luminescence quantum yield together with a lifetime of about 200 ps indicate that an efficient photochemical conversion on ZnO is highly improbable. We believe this to be a general feature of chemical systems based on a semiconductor photocatalyst, in particular of photoreactions at a solid/gas interface. (author) 3 figs., 6 refs

Construction of an optical semiconductor amplifier starting from a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, E.; Soto, H.; Marquez, H.; Valles V, N.

2000-01-01

A methodology to convert a semiconductor laser Fabry-Perot (SL-FP) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is presented. In order to suppress the cavity resonant an optical thin film coating was deposited on the facets of the SL-FP. The experiment was carried out putting on service a new monitoring technique that consist in the observation of the laser power spectrum during the antireflection coatings deposition. This allows to determine the moment were the facets reflectivity is minimum. The SOA obtained was characterized for different polarization currents. (Author)

Photosensitive srtuctures on the basis of Pb1-xMnxTe semimagnetic semiconductors thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrabova, M.A.; Kerimova, T.I.; Memishova, R.M.; Nuriyev, I.R.; Ismayilov, T.G.

2010-01-01

Full text : Narrow-band semimagnetic semiconductors (SMS) Pb 1 -xMn x Te are unique materials for infrared optoelectronics. The investigation of Faraday effect in Pb 1 -xMn x Te thin films of SMS is of a special interest. So it can be used at the construction of optic isolators, amplifiers, IR detectors and other equipments. In the given work Pb 1 -xMn x Te thin films (SMS) have been produced, the interband Faraday effect in these semiconductors has been theoretically and experimentally studied. Opportunities of making IR detectors have been studied. Pb 1 -xMn x Te thin films have been grown at BaF 2 substrates by the method of molecular beam condensation. The optimal conditions of producing thin films with high crystallic perfection, electrophysical and optical parameters have been determined. The energy spectrum and wave functions have been theoretically calculated for quantum-sized films of Pb 1 -xMn x Te SMS in the case when the surface of the film is perpendicular to the axis X and the spin-spin exchange interaction occurs between the electrons in the conductivity band (valence band) and the electrons of half-filled d-shells of manganese ions as well as taking into account electron spins and the band nonparabolicity. For the calculation of the spectra and wave functions double-band Kane model has been used. On the basis of the found formulae an analytical equation has been found out for interband Faraday rotation (IFR) depending on the energy of the incident photon, band gap and the film thickness. It has been shown that by the decrease in the band gap the value of the IFR angle increases too. The formula of parabolic approximation has been also obtained. The dependence of IFR angle on photon energy, band gap and the film thickness has been built. It has been specified that the decrease of the film thickness leads to a strong increase of IFR angle. The contribution of nonparabolicity into IFR angle has been established, so taking into consideration the band

Atomic layer deposition: an enabling technology for the growth of functional nanoscale semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Biyikli, Necmi; Haider, Ali

2017-09-01

In this paper, we present the progress in the growth of nanoscale semiconductors grown via atomic layer deposition (ALD). After the adoption by semiconductor chip industry, ALD became a widespread tool to grow functional films and conformal ultra-thin coatings for various applications. Based on self-limiting and ligand-exchange-based surface reactions, ALD enabled the low-temperature growth of nanoscale dielectric, metal, and semiconductor materials. Being able to deposit wafer-scale uniform semiconductor films at relatively low-temperatures, with sub-monolayer thickness control and ultimate conformality, makes ALD attractive for semiconductor device applications. Towards this end, precursors and low-temperature growth recipes are developed to deposit crystalline thin films for compound and elemental semiconductors. Conventional thermal ALD as well as plasma-assisted and radical-enhanced techniques have been exploited to achieve device-compatible film quality. Metal-oxides, III-nitrides, sulfides, and selenides are among the most popular semiconductor material families studied via ALD technology. Besides thin films, ALD can grow nanostructured semiconductors as well using either template-assisted growth methods or bottom-up controlled nucleation mechanisms. Among the demonstrated semiconductor nanostructures are nanoparticles, nano/quantum-dots, nanowires, nanotubes, nanofibers, nanopillars, hollow and core-shell versions of the afore-mentioned nanostructures, and 2D materials including transition metal dichalcogenides and graphene. ALD-grown nanoscale semiconductor materials find applications in a vast amount of applications including functional coatings, catalysis and photocatalysis, renewable energy conversion and storage, chemical sensing, opto-electronics, and flexible electronics. In this review, we give an overview of the current state-of-the-art in ALD-based nanoscale semiconductor research including the already demonstrated and future applications.

Design and operation of a 2-D thin-film semiconductor neutron detector array for use as a beamport monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unruh, Troy C.; Bellinger, Steven L.; Huddleston, David E.; McNeil, Walter J.; Patterson, Eric; Sobering, Tim J.; McGregor, Douglas S.

2009-01-01

Silicon-based diodes coated with a thin film of neutron reactive materials have been shown to produce excellent low-efficiency neutron detectors. This work employs the same technology, but groups 25 equally sized and spaced diodes on a single 29 mm by 29 mm substrate. A 5x5 array was fabricated and coated with a thin film of 6 LiF for use as a low-efficiency neutron beam monitor. The 5x5 neutron detector array is coupled to an array of amplifiers, allowing the response to be interpreted using a LabVIEW FPGA. The 5x5 array has been characterized in a diffracted neutron beam. This work is a part of on-going research to develop various designs of high- and low-efficiency semiconductor neutron detectors.

Thin film complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device using a single-step deposition of the channel layer

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.

2014-04-14

We report, for the first time, the use of a single step deposition of semiconductor channel layer to simultaneously achieve both n-and p-type transport in transparent oxide thin film transistors (TFTs). This effect is achieved by controlling the concentration of hydroxyl groups (OH-groups) in the underlying gate dielectrics. The semiconducting tin oxide layer was deposited at room temperature, and the maximum device fabrication temperature was 350C. Both n and p-type TFTs showed fairly comparable performance. A functional CMOS inverter was fabricated using this novel scheme, indicating the potential use of our approach for various practical applications.

Solid Surfaces, Interfaces and Thin Films

CERN Document Server

Lüth, Hans

2010-01-01

This book emphasises both experimental and theoretical aspects of surface, interface and thin film physics. As in previous editions the preparation of surfaces and thin films, their atomic and morphological, their vibronic and electronic properties as well as fundamentals of adsorption are treated. Because of their importance in modern information technology and nanostructure physics particular emphasis is paid to electronic surface and interface states, semiconductor space charge layers and heterostructures as well as to superconductor/semiconductor interfaces and magnetic thin films. The latter topic was significantly extended in this new edition by more details about the giant magnetoresistance and a section about the spin-transfer torque mechanism including one new problem as exercise. Two new panels about Kerr-effect and spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy were added, too. Furthermore, the meanwhile important group III-nitride surfaces and high-k oxide/semiconductor interfaces are shortly discu...

Evidence of the semiconductor-metal transition in V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films by the pulsed laser photoacoustic method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Pacheco, A.; Acosta-Najarro, D. R.; Cruz-Manjarrez, H.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, L.; Pineda-Santamaria, J. C; Aguilar-Franco, M. [Instituto de Fisica-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico DF (Mexico); Castaneda-Guzman, R. [Laboratorio de Fotofisica y Peliculas Delgadas, CCADET-UNAM, Mexico DF (Mexico)

2013-05-14

In this work, the pulsed photoacoustic technique was used to investigate the semiconductor-metal transition of thin vanadium pentoxide films (V{sub 2}O{sub 5}) under increasing temperature. The V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films were simultaneously deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature, on corning glass and SnO{sub 2}:F/glass substrates, in order to compare the photoacoustic response. The elemental and structural analysis of the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films was performed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The optical transmission and band gap were determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The electrical properties were measured using four-point probe measurements with the Van der Pauw geometry.

Flexible Electronics: Integration Processes for Organic and Inorganic Semiconductor-Based Thin-Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio F. Vidor

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Flexible and transparent electronics have been studied intensively during the last few decades. The technique establishes the possibility of fabricating innovative products, from flexible displays to radio-frequency identification tags. Typically, large-area polymeric substrates such as polypropylene (PP or polyethylene terephthalate (PET are used, which produces new requirements for the integration processes. A key element for flexible and transparent electronics is the thin-film transistor (TFT, as it is responsible for the driving current in memory cells, digital circuits or organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs. In this paper, we discuss some fundamental concepts of TFT technology. Additionally, we present a comparison between the use of the semiconducting organic small-molecule pentacene and inorganic nanoparticle semiconductors in order to integrate TFTs suitable for flexible electronics. Moreover, a technique for integration with a submicron resolution suitable for glass and foil substrates is presented.

The nonlinear carrier transport in a bipolar semiconductor sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konin, A

2008-01-01

A theory of formation of the voltage across a bipolar semiconductor sample due to the current flow accounting for the energy band bending near the semiconductor surfaces is presented. The non-equilibrium space charge layers near the sample surfaces and the boundary conditions in the real metal-semiconductor junction have been taken into account. It is shown that the voltage-current relation of a thin sample at weak injection differs essentially from the classical Ohm's law and becomes nonlinear for certain semiconductor surface parameters. Complex voltage-current relations and the photo-induced electromotive force measurements allow determining the surface recombination rate in the real metal-semiconductor junction and the semiconductor surface potential

Single-layer ZnMN2 (M = Si, Ge, Sn) zinc nitrides as promising photocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Yujie; Luo, Gaixia; Meng, Lijuan; Zhang, Qinfang; Xu, Ning; Zhang, Haiyang; Wu, Xiuqiang; Kong, Fanjie; Wang, Baolin

2018-05-30

Searching for two-dimensional semiconductor materials that are suitable for visible-light photocatalytic water splitting provides a sustainable solution to deal with the future energy crisis and environmental problems. Herein, based on first-principles calculations, single-layer ZnMN2 (M = Si, Ge, Sn) zinc nitrides are proposed as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. Stability analyses show that the single-layer ZnMN2 zinc nitrides exhibit energetic and dynamical stability. The electronic properties reveal that all of the single-layer ZnMN2 zinc nitrides are semiconductors. Interestingly, single-layer ZnSnN2 is a direct band gap semiconductor with a desirable band gap (1.74 eV), and the optical adsorption spectrum confirms its optical absorption in the visible light region. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) calculations show that the catalytic activity for single-layer ZnMN2 (M = Ge, Sn) is better than that of single-layer ZnSiN2. Furthermore, the band gaps and band edge positions for the single-layer ZnMN2 zinc nitrides can be effectively tuned by biaxial strain. Especially, single-layer ZnGeN2 can be effectively tuned to match better with the redox potentials of water and enhance the light absorption in the visible light region at a tensile strain of 5%, which is confirmed by the corresponding optical absorption spectrum. Our results provide guidance for experimental synthesis efforts and future searches for single-layer materials suitable for photocatalytic water splitting.

Architectures for Improved Organic Semiconductor Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Jonathan H.

Advancements in the microelectronics industry have brought increasing performance and decreasing prices to a wide range of users. Conventional silicon-based electronics have followed Moore's law to provide an ever-increasing integrated circuit transistor density, which drives processing power, solid-state memory density, and sensor technologies. As shrinking conventional integrated circuits became more challenging, researchers began exploring electronics with the potential to penetrate new applications with a low price of entry: "Electronics everywhere." The new generation of electronics is thin, light, flexible, and inexpensive. Organic electronics are part of the new generation of thin-film electronics, relying on the synthetic flexibility of carbon molecules to create organic semiconductors, absorbers, and emitters which perform useful tasks. Organic electronics can be fabricated with low energy input on a variety of novel substrates, including inexpensive plastic sheets. The potential ease of synthesis and fabrication of organic-based devices means that organic electronics can be made at very low cost. Successfully demonstrated organic semiconductor devices include photovoltaics, photodetectors, transistors, and light emitting diodes. Several challenges that face organic semiconductor devices are low performance relative to conventional devices, long-term device stability, and development of new organic-compatible processes and materials. While the absorption and emission performance of organic materials in photovoltaics and light emitting diodes is extraordinarily high for thin films, the charge conduction mobilities are generally low. Building highly efficient devices with low-mobility materials is one challenge. Many organic semiconductor films are unstable during fabrication, storage, and operation due to reactions with water, oxygen and hydroxide. A final challenge facing organic electronics is the need for new processes and materials for electrodes

Graphene Modified TiO2 Composite Photocatalysts: Mechanism, Progress and Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Bo; Chen, Haiqun; Peng, Haoping; Wang, Zhengwei; Huang, Weiqiu

2018-01-01

Graphene modified TiO2 composite photocatalysts have drawn increasing attention because of their high performance. Some significant advancements have been achieved with the continuous research, such as the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism that has been revealed. Specific influencing factors have been discovered and potential optimizing methods are proposed. The latest developments in graphene assisted TiO2 composite photocatalysts are abstracted and discussed. Based on the primary reasons behind the observed phenomena of these composite photocatalysts, probable development directions and further optimizing strategies are presented. Moreover, several novel detective technologies—beyond the decomposition test—which can be used to judge the photocatalytic performances of the resulting photocatalysts are listed and analyzed. Although some objectives have been achieved, new challenges still exist and hinder the widespread application of graphene-TiO2 composite photocatalysts, which deserves further study. PMID:29439545

The optical constants of the organic thin films in the case of xanthats adsorption at the surface of semiconductors minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todoran, Radu; Todoran, Daniela

2008-01-01

The paper present the determinations of some kinetic parameters that characterize the kinetics of the adsorption phenomenon of some organic xanthate molecule on the surface of some natural semiconductor mineral (galena, sphalerite) in order to understand the inward mechanism of this phenomenon. Among the methods of inquiry that allow kinetics determination in situ the optical ones were chosen relying on the change of the liquid-mineral semiconductor interface, and permitting continuous inquires without disturbing the inward development of the processes. Into the computation, we took into the consideration the physical values which feature the roughness of the solid surface, the diffusion into liquid media and the energetic non-homogeneities of the surface. The R s /R p =f(θ) characteristic helps us to establish the thickness of the adsorbed layer, as well as to determine the optical parameters of the thin film. the experimental results allow us to get some information on the mineral and mineral-solution of xanthate, as well allow us to get some information on the parameters which, in correlation with other proportions experimentally determined - could had as to estimations of the dynamic of the surface of a semiconductor solid body. (Author)

Pilot-plant evaluation of TiO2 and TiO2-based hybrid photocatalysts for solar treatment of polluted water.

Science.gov (United States)

Andronic, Luminita; Isac, Luminita; Miralles-Cuevas, Sara; Visa, Maria; Oller, Isabel; Duta, Anca; Malato, Sixto

2016-12-15

Materials with photocatalytic and adsorption properties for advanced wastewater treatment targeting reuse were studied. Making use of TiO 2 as a well-known photocatalyst, Cu 2 S as a Vis-active semiconductor, and fly ash as a good adsorbent, dispersed mixtures/composites were prepared to remove pollutants from wastewater. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, band gap energy, point of zero charge (pH pzc ) and BET porosity were used to characterize the substrates. Phenol, imidacloprid and dichloroacetic acid were used as pollutants for photocatalytic activity of the new photocatalysts. Experiments using the new dispersed powders were carried out at laboratory scale in two solar simulators and under natural solar irradiation at the Plataforma Solar de Almería, in a Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC) for a comparative analysis of pollutants removal and mineralization efficiencies, and to identify features that could facilitate photocatalyst separation and reuse. The results show that radiation intensity significantly affects the phenol degradation rate. The composite mixture of TiO 2 and fly ash is 2-3 times less active than sol-gel TiO 2 . Photodegradation kinetic data on the highly active TiO 2 are compared for pollutants elimination. Photodegradation of dichloroacetic acid was fast and complete after 90min in the CPC, while after 150min imidacloprid and phenol removal was 90% and 56% respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pilot-plant evaluation of TiO_2 and TiO_2-based hybrid photocatalysts for solar treatment of polluted water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andronic, Luminita; Isac, Luminita; Miralles-Cuevas, Sara; Visa, Maria; Oller, Isabel; Duta, Anca; Malato, Sixto

2016-01-01

Materials with photocatalytic and adsorption properties for advanced wastewater treatment targeting reuse were studied. Making use of TiO_2 as a well-known photocatalyst, Cu_2S as a Vis-active semiconductor, and fly ash as a good adsorbent, dispersed mixtures/composites were prepared to remove pollutants from wastewater. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, band gap energy, point of zero charge (pH_p_z_c) and BET porosity were used to characterize the substrates. Phenol, imidacloprid and dichloroacetic acid were used as pollutants for photocatalytic activity of the new photocatalysts. Experiments using the new dispersed powders were carried out at laboratory scale in two solar simulators and under natural solar irradiation at the Plataforma Solar de Almería, in a Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC) for a comparative analysis of pollutants removal and mineralization efficiencies, and to identify features that could facilitate photocatalyst separation and reuse. The results show that radiation intensity significantly affects the phenol degradation rate. The composite mixture of TiO_2 and fly ash is 2-3 times less active than sol-gel TiO_2. Photodegradation kinetic data on the highly active TiO_2 are compared for pollutants elimination. Photodegradation of dichloroacetic acid was fast and complete after 90 min in the CPC, while after 150 min imidacloprid and phenol removal was 90% and 56% respectively.

Hydroxyl-dependent Evolution of Oxygen Vacancies Enables the Regeneration of BiOCl photocatalyst

KAUST Repository

Wu, Sujuan

2017-05-02

Photoinduced oxygen vacancies (OVs) are widely investigated as a vital point defect in wide-band-gap semiconductors. Still, the formation mechanism of OVs remains unclear in various materials. To elucidate the formation mechanism of photoinduced OVs in bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl), we synthesized two surface hydroxyl discrete samples in light of the discovery of the significant variance of hydroxyl groups before and after UV light exposure. It is noted that OVs can be obtained easily after UV light irradiation in the sample with surface hydroxyl groups, while variable changes were observed in samples without surface hydroxyls. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the binding energy of Bi-O is drastically influenced by surficial hydroxyl groups, which is intensely correlated to the formation of photoinduced OVs. Moreover, DFT calculations reveal that the adsorbed water molecules are energetically favored to dissociate into separate hydroxyl groups at the OV sites via proton transfer to a neighboring bridging oxygen atom, forming two bridging hydroxyl groups per initial oxygen vacancy. This result is consistent with the experimental observation that the disappearance of photoinduced OVs and the recovery of hydroxyl groups on the surface of BiOCl after exposed to a H2O(g)-rich atmosphere, and finally enables the regeneration of BiOCl photocatalyst. Here, we introduce new insights that the evolution of photoinduced OVs is dependent on surface hydroxyl groups, which will lead to the regeneration of active sites in semiconductors. This work is useful for controllable designs of defective semiconductors for applications in photocatalysis and photovoltaics.

Enhanced electrical properties of oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors with high conductivity thin layer insertion for the channel region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Cam Phu Thi; Raja, Jayapal; Kim, Sunbo; Jang, Kyungsoo; Le, Anh Huy Tuan; Lee, Youn-Jung; Yi, Junsin, E-mail: junsin@skku.edu

2017-02-28

Highlights: • The characteristics of thin film transistors using double active layers are examined. • Electrical characteristics have been improved for the double active layers devices. • The total trap density can be decreased by insert-ion of ultrathin ITO film. - Abstract: This study examined the performance and the stability of indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) by inserting an ultra-thin indium tin oxide (ITO) layer at the active/insulator interface. The electrical properties of the double channel device (ITO thickness of 5 nm) were improved in comparison with the single channel ITZO or ITO devices. The TFT characteristics of the device with an ITO thickness of less than 5 nm were degraded due to the formation of an island-like morphology and the carriers scattering at the active/insulator interface. The 5 nm-thick ITO inserted ITZO TFTs (optimal condition) exhibited a superior field effect mobility (∼95 cm{sup 2}/V·s) compared with the ITZO-only TFTs (∼34 cm{sup 2}/V·s). The best characteristics of the TFT devices with double channel layer are due to the lowest surface roughness (0.14 nm) and contact angle (50.1°) that result in the highest hydrophicility, and the most effective adhesion at the surface. Furthermore, the threshold voltage shifts for the ITO/ITZO double layer device decreased to 0.80 and −2.39 V compared with 6.10 and −6.79 V (for the ITZO only device) under positive and negative bias stress, respectively. The falling rates of E{sub A} were 0.38 eV/V and 0.54 eV/V for the ITZO and ITO/ITZO bi-layer devices, respectively. The faster falling rate of the double channel devices suggests that the trap density, including interface trap and semiconductor bulk trap, can be decreased by the ion insertion of a very thin ITO film into the ITZO/SiO{sub 2} reference device. These results demonstrate that the double active layer TFT can potentially be applied to the flat panel display.

An Unusual Strong Visible-Light Absorption Band in Red Anatase TiO2 Photocatalyst Induced by Atomic Hydrogen-Occupied Oxygen Vacancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yongqiang; Yin, Li-Chang; Gong, Yue; Niu, Ping; Wang, Jian-Qiang; Gu, Lin; Chen, Xingqiu; Liu, Gang; Wang, Lianzhou; Cheng, Hui-Ming

2018-02-01

Increasing visible light absorption of classic wide-bandgap photocatalysts like TiO 2 has long been pursued in order to promote solar energy conversion. Modulating the composition and/or stoichiometry of these photocatalysts is essential to narrow their bandgap for a strong visible-light absorption band. However, the bands obtained so far normally suffer from a low absorbance and/or narrow range. Herein, in contrast to the common tail-like absorption band in hydrogen-free oxygen-deficient TiO 2 , an unusual strong absorption band spanning the full spectrum of visible light is achieved in anatase TiO 2 by intentionally introducing atomic hydrogen-mediated oxygen vacancies. Combining experimental characterizations with theoretical calculations reveals the excitation of a new subvalence band associated with atomic hydrogen filled oxygen vacancies as the origin of such band, which subsequently leads to active photo-electrochemical water oxidation under visible light. These findings could provide a powerful way of tailoring wide-bandgap semiconductors to fully capture solar light. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Application of Photocatalysts and LED Light Sources in Drinking Water Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gopal Achari

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This study investigates a cross-section of TiO2 compositions for which existing evidence suggests the prospect of improved performance compared to standard Degussa P25. In the context of a program aimed toward a 365 nm LED based photo-reactor, the question is whether a distinctly superior photocatalyst composition for drinking water treatment is now available that would shape design choices. An answer was sought by synthesizing several photocatalysts with reported high reactivity in some context in the literature, and by performing photocatalysts reactivity tests using common pollutants of water system including Natural Organic Matter (NOM and Emerging Contaminants (ECs from the pesticide and pharmaceutical classes. 365 nm Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs were used as the irradiation source. Since LEDs are now available in the UV, we did not examine the TiO2 modifications that bring band gap excitation into the region beyond 400 nm. The results suggest that the choice of the photocatalyst should be best made to fit the reactor design and photocatalyst mounting constraints such as mass transport, reactive surface, and light field. No photocatalyst composition overall, superior for all classes emerged.

Dye-sensitized photocatalyst for effective water splitting catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Motonori

2017-12-01

Renewable hydrogen production is a sustainable method for the development of next-generation energy technologies. Utilising solar energy and photocatalysts to split water is an ideal method to produce hydrogen. In this review, the fundamental principles and recent progress of hydrogen production by artificial photosynthesis are reviewed, focusing on hydrogen production from photocatalytic water splitting using organic-inorganic composite-based photocatalysts.

A review on g-C3N4-based photocatalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Jiuqing; Xie, Jun; Chen, Xiaobo; Li, Xin

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: The photocatalytic fundamentals, versatile properties, design strategies and potential applications of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts were systematically summarized and addressed. - Highlights: • The photocatalytic fundamentals of g-C 3 N 4 were systematically summarized. • The versatile properties of g-C 3 N 4 photocatalysts were highlighted. • The different design strategies of g-C 3 N 4 photocatalysts were reviewed. • The important photocatalytic applications of g-C 3 N 4 were also addressed. - Abstract: As one of the most appealing and attractive technologies, heterogeneous photocatalysis has been utilized to directly harvest, convert and store renewable solar energy for producing sustainable and green solar fuels and a broad range of environmental applications. Due to their unique physicochemical, optical and electrical properties, a wide variety of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts have been designed to drive various reduction and oxidation reactions under light irradiation with suitable wavelengths. In this review, we have systematically summarized the photocatalytic fundamentals of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts, including fundamental mechanism of heterogeneous photocatalysis, advantages, challenges and the design considerations of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts. The versatile properties of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts are highlighted, including their crystal structural, surface phisicochemical, stability, optical, adsorption, electrochemical, photoelectrochemical and electronic properties. Various design strategies are also thoroughly reviewed, including band-gap engineering, defect control, dimensionality tuning, pore texture tailoring, surface sensitization, heterojunction construction, co-catalyst and nanocarbon loading. Many important applications are also addressed, such as photocatalytic water splitting (H 2 evolution and overall water splitting), degradation of pollutants, carbon dioxide reduction, selective organic

Processing of semiconductors and thin film solar cells using electroplating

Science.gov (United States)

Madugu, Mohammad Lamido

The global need for a clean, sustainable and affordable source of energy has triggered extensive research especially in renewable energy sources. In this sector, photovoltaic has been identified as a cheapest, clean and reliable source of energy. It would be of interest to obtain photovoltaic material in thin film form by using simple and inexpensive semiconductor growth technique such as electroplating. Using this growth technique, four semiconductor materials were electroplated on glass/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate from aqueous electrolytes. These semiconductors are indium selenide (In[x]Sey), zinc sulphide (ZnS), cadmium sulphide (CdS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe). In[x]Se[y] and ZnS were incorporated as buffer layers while CdS and CdTe layers were utilised as window and absorber layers respectively. All materials were grown using two-electrode (2E) system except for CdTe which was grown using 3E and 2E systems for comparison. To fully optimise the growth conditions, the as-deposited and annealed layers from all the materials were characterised for their structural, morphological, optical, electrical and defects structures using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical absorption (UV-Vis spectroscopy), photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurements, current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V), DC electrical measurements, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. Results show that InxSey and ZnS layers were amorphous in nature and exhibit both n-type and p-type in electrical conduction. CdS layers are n-type in electrical conduction and show hexagonal and cubic phases in both the as-deposited and after annealing process. CdTe layers show cubic phase structure with both n-type and p-type in electrical conduction. CdTe-based solar cell structures with a n-n heterojunction plus large Schottky barrier, as well as multi-layer graded

PHOTOSENSITIVE STRUCTURES ON THE BASIS OF THIN FILMS OF SEMIMAGNETIC SEMICONDUCTORS Pb1-x Mnx Te

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrabova, M.A; Nuriyev, I.R; Ismayilov, T.G; Kerimova, T.I; Mamishova, R.M

2011-01-01

Full text: Narrow-band semimagnetic semiconductors (SMS) Pb1-xMnxTe are unique materials for infrared (IR) optoelectronics.The investigation of Faraday effect in Pb1-xMnxTe thin films of SMS is of a special interest. So it can be used at the construction of optic isolators, amplifiers, IR detectors and other equipments.In the given work Pb1-xMnxTe thin films (SMS) have been produced, the interband Faraday effect in these semiconductors has been theoretically and experimentally studied. Opportunities of making IR detectors have been studied. Pb1-xMnxTe (x=0.005 0.06) thin films have been grown at BaF2 substrates by the method of molecular beam condensation. The optimal conditions of producing thin films with high crystallic perfection, electrophysical and optical parameters have been determined [1]. The energy spectrum and wave functions have been theoretically calculated for quantum-sized films of Pb1-xMnxTe SMS in the case when the surface of the film is perpendicular to the axis X and the spin-spin exchange interaction occurs between the electrons in the conductivity band (valence band) and the electrons of half-filled d-shells of manganese ions as well as taking into account electron spins and the band nonparabolicity. For the calculation of the spectra and wave functions double-band Kane model has been used. On the basis of the found formulae an analytical equation has been found out for interband Faraday rotation (IFR) depending on the energy of the incident photon, band gap and the film thickness. It has been shown that by the decrease in the band gap the value of the IFR angle increases too [2]. The formula of parabolic approximation has been also obtained. The dependence of IFR angle on photon energy, band gap and the film thickness has been built. It has been specified that the decrease of the film thickness leads to a strong increase of IFR angle. The contribution of nonparabolicity into IFR angle has been established, so taking into consideration the

Performance of photocatalyst based carbon nanodots from waste frying oil in water purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aji, Mahardika Prasetya; Wiguna, Pradita Ajeng; Susanto,; Rosita, Nita; Suciningtyas, Siti Aisyah; Sulhadi

2016-01-01

Carbon Nanodots (C-Dots) from waste frying oil could be used as a photocatalyst in water purification with solar light irradiation. Performance of C-Dots as a photocatalyst was tested in the process of water purification with a given synthetic sewage methylene blue. The tested was also conducted by comparing the performance C-Dots made from frying oil, waste fryng oil as a photocatalyst and solution of methylene blue without photocatalyst C-Dots. Performance of C-Dots from waste frying oil were estimated by the results of absorbance spectrum. The results of measurement absorbance spectrum from the process of water purification with photocatalyst C-Dots showed that the highest intensity at a wavelength 664 nm of methylene blue decreased. The test results showed that the performance of photocatalyst C-Dots from waste frying oil was better in water purification. This estimated that number of particles C-dots is more in waste frying oil because have experieced repeated the heating process so that the higher particles concentration make the photocatalyst process more effective. The observation of the performance C-Dots from waste frying oil as a photocatalyst in the water purification processes become important invention for solving the problems of waste and water purification.

Performance of photocatalyst based carbon nanodots from waste frying oil in water purification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aji, Mahardika Prasetya, E-mail: mahardika190@gmail.com; Wiguna, Pradita Ajeng; Susanto,; Rosita, Nita; Suciningtyas, Siti Aisyah; Sulhadi [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Universitas Negeri Semarang, Jalan Raya Sekaran Gunungpati 50229 Indonesia (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

Carbon Nanodots (C-Dots) from waste frying oil could be used as a photocatalyst in water purification with solar light irradiation. Performance of C-Dots as a photocatalyst was tested in the process of water purification with a given synthetic sewage methylene blue. The tested was also conducted by comparing the performance C-Dots made from frying oil, waste fryng oil as a photocatalyst and solution of methylene blue without photocatalyst C-Dots. Performance of C-Dots from waste frying oil were estimated by the results of absorbance spectrum. The results of measurement absorbance spectrum from the process of water purification with photocatalyst C-Dots showed that the highest intensity at a wavelength 664 nm of methylene blue decreased. The test results showed that the performance of photocatalyst C-Dots from waste frying oil was better in water purification. This estimated that number of particles C-dots is more in waste frying oil because have experieced repeated the heating process so that the higher particles concentration make the photocatalyst process more effective. The observation of the performance C-Dots from waste frying oil as a photocatalyst in the water purification processes become important invention for solving the problems of waste and water purification.

Continuous-flow photocatalytic treatment of pharmaceutical micropollutants: Activity, inhibition, and deactivation of TiO2 photocatalysts in wastewater effluent

KAUST Repository

Carbonaro, Sean

2013-01-01

%; sulfamethoxazole=25%). Experiments conducted using pretreated WWE and synthetic WWE mimic solutions indicated that both effluent organic matter and inorganic constituents in WWE contributed to the observed photocatalyst inhibition/deactivation. Analysis of immobilized TiO2 thin films after 4d of continuous treatment of the WWE matrix indicated minor deterioration of the porous film and formation of surface precipitates enriched in Al and Ca. Results demonstrated the marked influence of non-target constituents present in complex matrices on long-term photocatalyst activity and highlighted the need for further study of this important issue to advance the development of practical photocatalytic water treatment technologies. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Weak antilocalization induced by Rashba spin-orbit interaction in layered III-VI compound semiconductor GaSe thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Takasuna, Shoichi; Shiogai, Junichi; Matsuzaka, Shunichiro; Kohda, Makoto; Oyama, Yutaka; Nitta, Junsaku

2017-10-01

Magnetoconductance (MC) at low temperature was measured to investigate spin-related transport affected by spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in III-VI compound n -type GaSe thin films. Results reveal that MC shows weak antilocalization (WAL). Its temperature and gate voltage dependences reveal that the dominant spin relaxation is governed by the D'yakonov-Perel' mechanism associated with the Rashba SOI. The estimated Rashba SOI strength in GaSe is much stronger than that of III-V compound GaAs quantum wells, although the energy gap and spin split-off band in GaSe closely resemble those in GaAs. The angle dependence of WAL amplitude in the in-plane magnetic field direction is almost isotropic. This isotropy indicates that the strength of the Dresselhaus SOI is negligible compared with the Rashba SOI strength. The SOI effect in n -GaSe thin films differs greatly from those of III-V compound semiconductors and transition-metal dichalcogenides.

Chemical bath deposition of thin semiconductor films for use as buffer layers in CuInS2 thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, C.A.

2002-01-01

A CulnS 2 thin film solar cell is a multilayered semiconductor device. The solar cells discussed have a layer sequence Mo/CulnS 2 /buffer/i-ZnO/ZnO:Ga, where a heterojunction establishes between the p-type absorber and the n-type front contact. Conventionally the buffer consists of CdS, deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Apart from providing process oriented benefits the buffer layer functions as a tool for engineering the energy band line-up at the heterojunction interface. Motivated through environmental concern and EU legislation it is felt necessary to substitute this potentially toxic layer by an alternative, Cd-free component. This thesis investigates the suitability of various Zn- and In-compounds, in particular In(OH,O) x S y , as alternative buffer layer materials using CBD. Initial experiments were carried out depositing Zn-based compounds from aqueous solutions. Characterization of the layers, the solution and the processed solar cells was performed. This thesis focuses on the investigation of the CBD process chemistry for the deposition of In-compound thin films. A careful study of the morphology and composition of the deposited thin films was conducted using electron microscopy (SEM, HREM), elastic recoil detection analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical transmission spectroscopy. This allowed conclusions concerning the nucleation and film growth mechanism from the chemical bath. Connections between bath chemistry, different growth phases, layer morphology and solar cell performance were sought and an improved deposition process was developed. As a result, Cd-free CulnS 2 thin film solar cells with efficiencies of up to 10.6%) (total area) could be produced. Overall the substitution of CdS is shown to be possible by different alternative compounds, such as Zn(OH,O) x S y or In(OH,O) x S y . In the case of In(OH,O) x S y , an understanding of the CBD process and the effect of different growth phases on the resulting solar cell

Electrochemical Deposition of CdTe Semiconductor Thin Films for Solar Cell Application Using Two-Electrode and Three-Electrode Configurations: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. K. Echendu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Thin films of CdTe semiconductor were electrochemically deposited using two-electrode and three-electrode configurations in potentiostatic mode for comparison. Cadmium sulphate and tellurium dioxide were used as cadmium and tellurium sources, respectively. The layers obtained using both configurations exhibit similar structural, optical, and electrical properties with no specific dependence on any particular electrode configuration used. These results indicate that electrochemical deposition (electrodeposition of CdTe and semiconductors in general can equally be carried out using two-electrode system as well as the conventional three-electrode system without compromising the essential qualities of the materials produced. The results also highlight the advantages of the two-electrode configuration in process simplification, cost reduction, and removal of a possible impurity source in the growth system, especially as the reference electrode ages.

Semiconductor neutron detectors based on new types of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pochet, T.; Foulon, F.

1993-01-01

Neutron detection in hostile environments such as nuclear reactors has been performed using a new kind of semiconductor detector. So far, crystalline semiconductor detectors are not used in nuclear reactor instrumentation because of their sensitivity to radiation damage. For doses in excess of a few tens of kilo rads, radiation induced lattice defects produce a strong loss in the standard semiconductor detector performances. In the last few years, new semiconductor materials having amorphous or polycrystalline structures such as silicon, silicon carbide or CVD diamond, became available. These semiconductors, produced by Chemical Vapor Deposition, come in the form of thin layers being typically a few tens of micron thick. Their crystalline structure is particularly resistant to radiation damage up to a few Mrads but prevent the material use in spectrometry measurements. Nevertheless, these detectors, working in a counting mode, are suitable for the detection of alpha particles produced by the neutron capture reaction with boron. Such thin film detectors have a very poor sensitivity to γ-ray background. Furthermore, they are easier and cheaper to implement than current neutron gas counters. Preliminary results obtained with diamond and amorphous silicon diodes exposed to α particles are presented. (authors). 7 figs., 3 tabs., 11 refs

Strain-based control of crystal anisotropy for perovskite oxides on semiconductor-based material

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph

2000-01-01

A crystalline structure and a semiconductor device includes a substrate of a semiconductor-based material and a thin film of an anisotropic crystalline material epitaxially arranged upon the surface of the substrate so that the thin film couples to the underlying substrate and so that the geometries of substantially all of the unit cells of the thin film are arranged in a predisposed orientation relative to the substrate surface. The predisposition of the geometries of the unit cells of the thin film is responsible for a predisposed orientation of a directional-dependent quality, such as the dipole moment, of the unit cells. The predisposed orientation of the unit cell geometries are influenced by either a stressed or strained condition of the lattice at the interface between the thin film material and the substrate surface.

Fabrication and Characteristics of Macroporous TiO2 Photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guiyun Yi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Macroporous TiO2 photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile nanocasting method using polystyrene (PS spherical particles as the hard template. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, thermogravimetry-differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and N2-sorption. TEM, SEM, and XRD characterizations confirmed that the macroporous TiO2 photocatalyst is composed of anatase phase. The high specific surface area of 87.85 m2/g can be achieved according to the N2-sorption analysis. Rhodamine B (RhB was chosen as probe molecule to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 catalysts. Compared with the TiO2 materials synthesized in the absence of PS spherical template, the macroporous TiO2 photocatalyst sintered at 500°C exhibits much higher activity on the degradation of RhB under the UV irradiation, which can be assigned to the well-structured macroporosity. The macroporous TiO2 material presents great potential in the fields of environmental remediation and energy conversion and storage.

Graphene and g-C3N4 based photocatalysts for NOx removal: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Nikokavoura, Aspasia; Trapalis, Christos

2018-02-01

NOx liberated into atmosphere from automobile exhausts and fossil fuel combustion, comprise the major air pollutants. They are responsible for serious environmental problems such as acid rain, ozone accumulation, haze and photochemical smog. Besides they contribute to the deterioration of human health by causing decrease of the lung function and respiratory problems. The application of photocatalytic methods in order to mitigate the presence of NOx in the atmosphere is preferable as they are environmentally friendly, mild and low cost. Therefore, in this review, the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 and graphene based composites towards NOx removal was discussed. NOx oxidation to non volatile nitrates on the surface of graphene and g-C3N4 based photocatalysts has attracted much interest during the last years due to their structures with unique features such as large specific surface area, thermal and chemical stability and enhanced visible light utilization. The formation of 2D-2D intimate heterojunctions between graphene or g-C3N4 and other components ensures the enhanced charge transfer, lifetime of electron/hole pairs and thus photocatalytic activity. The increased visible light harvesting also contributes to their usefulness as effective photocatalytic materials. In the present work, the advantages of these novel photocatalysts and the differences/similarities between them were exhaustively highlighted. The role of graphene as catalyst promoter, electron reservoir, support and photosensitizer in its photocatalytic composites was emphasized. The effect of g-C3N4 doping and copolymerization with metals/semiconductors on its photocatalytic activity towards NOx oxidation was thoroughly discussed. Besides, the preparation methods, photocatalytic efficiencies, type of irradiation, utilization of appropriate cocatalysts, and reaction mechanisms during the photocatalytic NOx removal by graphene and g-C3N4 composies, were summarized. It was demonstrated that in the vast

Photocatalytic efficiency of titania photocatalysts in saline waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albrbar Asma Juma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The photocatalytic efficiency of the recently synthesized TiO2 powder, named P160, of the degradation of dye Dye C.I. Reactive orange 16 in natural and artificial seawater was investigated in comparison to its efficiency in deionized water and the efficiency of a standard TiO2 powder Degusa P25. It was shown that the photocatalytic efficiency of P160 was slightly higher than that of P25, probably due to slightly higher specific surface area, higher pore volume and larger pores of the powder P160. The efficiency of both photocatalysts in natural and artificial seawater was significantly lower than that in deionized water. The overall rate of dye degradation for both types of photocatalysts is litle higher in artificial seawater than in natural seawater, which shows the influence of organic compounds naturally present in seawater on the photocatalysts activity. A saturation Langmuir-type relationship between the initial degradation rate and the initial dye concentration indicates that the adsorption plays a role in the photocatalytic reaction. The photodegradation rate constant k, which represents the maximum reaction rate, has similar values for P25 and P160 in all types of water due to the similar properties of the photocatalysts. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br III 45019

Organic semiconductors in sensor applications

CERN Document Server

Malliaras, George; Owens, Róisín

2008-01-01

Organic semiconductors offer unique characteristics such as tunability of electronic properties via chemical synthesis, compatibility with mechanically flexible substrates, low-cost manufacturing, and facile integration with chemical and biological functionalities. These characteristics have prompted the application of organic semiconductors and their devices in physical, chemical, and biological sensors. This book covers this rapidly emerging field by discussing both optical and electrical sensor concepts. Novel transducers based on organic light-emitting diodes and organic thin-film transistors, as well as systems-on-a-chip architectures are presented. Functionalization techniques to enhance specificity are outlined, and models for the sensor response are described.

Nano-/microstructure improved photocatalytic activities of semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tianyi; Zhao, Yong; Jiang, Lei

2013-10-13

Photocatalysis has emerged as a promising technique owing to its valuable applications in environmental purification. With the demand of building effective photocatalyst materials, semiconductor investigation experienced a developing process from simple chemical modification to complicated morphology design. In this review, the general relationship between morphology structures and photocatalytic properties is mainly discussed. Various nano-/microsized structures from zero- to three-dimensional are discussed, and the photocatalytic efficiency correspon- ding to the structures is analysed. The results showed that simple structures can be easily obtained and can facilitate chemical modification, whereas one- or three-dimensional structures can provide structure-enhanced properties such as surface area increase, multiple reflections of UV light, etc. Those principles of structure-related photocatalytic properties will afford basic ideology in designing new photocatalytic materials with more effective catalytic properties.

Sodium beta-alumina thin films as gate dielectrics for AlGaN/GaN metal—insulator—semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Ben-Lang; Chen Chao; Li Yan-Rong; Zhang Wan-Li; Liu Xing-Zhao

2012-01-01

Sodium beta-alumina (SBA) is deposited on AlGaN/GaN by using a co-deposition process with sodium and Al 2 O 3 as the precursors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum reveals that the deposited thin film is amorphous. The binding energy and composition of the deposited thin film, obtained from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement, are consistent with those of SBA. The dielectric constant of the SBA thin film is about 50. Each of the capacitance—voltage characteristics obtained at five different frequencies shows a high-quality interface between SBA and AlGaN. The interface trap density of metal—insulator—semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistor (MISHEMT) is measured to be (3.5∼9.5)×10 10 cm −2 ·eV −1 by the conductance method. The fixed charge density of SBA dielectric is on the order of 2.7×10 12 cm −2 . Compared with the AlGaN/GaN metal—semiconductor heterostructure high-electron-mobility transistor (MESHEMT), the AlGaN/GaN MISHEMT usually has a threshold voltage that shifts negatively. However, the threshold voltage of the AlGaN/GaN MISHEMT using SBA as the gate dielectric shifts positively from −5.5 V to −3.5 V. From XPS results, the surface valence-band maximum (VBM-EF) of AlGaN is found to decrease from 2.56 eV to 2.25 eV after the SBA thin film deposition. The possible reasons why the threshold voltage of AlGaN/GaN MISHEMT with the SBA gate dielectric shifts positively are the influence of SBA on surface valence-band maximum (VBM-EF), the reduction of interface traps and the effects of sodium ions, and/or the fixed charges in SBA on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Layered-Double-Hydroxide Nanosheets as Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysts for Dinitrogen Fixation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yufei; Zhao, Yunxuan; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I N; Zheng, Lirong; Cao, Xingzong; Teng, Fei; Wu, Li-Zhu; Tung, Chen-Ho; O'Hare, Dermot; Zhang, Tierui

2017-11-01

Semiconductor photocatalysis attracts widespread interest in water splitting, CO 2 reduction, and N 2 fixation. N 2 reduction to NH 3 is essential to the chemical industry and to the Earth's nitrogen cycle. Industrially, NH 3 is synthesized by the Haber-Bosch process under extreme conditions (400-500 °C, 200-250 bar), stimulating research into the development of sustainable technologies for NH 3 production. Herein, this study demonstrates that ultrathin layered-double-hydroxide (LDH) photocatalysts, in particular CuCr-LDH nanosheets, possess remarkable photocatalytic activity for the photoreduction of N 2 to NH 3 in water at 25 °C under visible-light irradiation. The excellent activity can be attributed to the severely distorted structure and compressive strain in the LDH nanosheets, which significantly enhances N 2 chemisorption and thereby promotes NH 3 formation. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tethered Transition Metals Promoted Photocatalytic System for Efficient Hydrogen Evolutions

KAUST Repository

Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2015-03-05

The present invention is directed, at least in part, to a process for improving the efficiency of a photocatalyst (a semiconductor photocatalyst) by tethering (depositing) a metal (e.g., metal ions of a late transition metal, such as nickel) to the semiconductor (photocatalyst) surface through the use of an organic ligand. More specifically, 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) functions as an excellent molecular linker (organic ligand) to attach a transition metal complex (e.g., nickel (Ni.sup.2+ ions)) to the semiconductor surface, which can be in the form of a cadmium sulfide surface. The photocatalyst has particular utility in generating hydrogen from H.sub.2S.

Tethered Transition Metals Promoted Photocatalytic System for Efficient Hydrogen Evolutions

KAUST Repository

Takanabe, Kazuhiro; Isimjan, Tayirjan; Yu, Weili; Del Gobbo, Silvano; Xu, Wei

2015-01-01

The present invention is directed, at least in part, to a process for improving the efficiency of a photocatalyst (a semiconductor photocatalyst) by tethering (depositing) a metal (e.g., metal ions of a late transition metal, such as nickel) to the semiconductor (photocatalyst) surface through the use of an organic ligand. More specifically, 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) functions as an excellent molecular linker (organic ligand) to attach a transition metal complex (e.g., nickel (Ni.sup.2+ ions)) to the semiconductor surface, which can be in the form of a cadmium sulfide surface. The photocatalyst has particular utility in generating hydrogen from H.sub.2S.

Pilot-plant evaluation of TiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}-based hybrid photocatalysts for solar treatment of polluted water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andronic, Luminita, E-mail: andronic-luminita@unitbv.ro [Transilvania University of Brasov, Centre of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Romania, Eroilor, 29, 500036, Brasov (Romania); Isac, Luminita [Transilvania University of Brasov, Centre of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Romania, Eroilor, 29, 500036, Brasov (Romania); Miralles-Cuevas, Sara [Laboratory for Environmental Research in Arid Zones, LIMZA, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tarapaca, Arica (Chile); Visa, Maria [Transilvania University of Brasov, Centre of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Romania, Eroilor, 29, 500036, Brasov (Romania); Oller, Isabel [Plataforma Solar de Almería, CIEMAT, P.O. Box 22, 04200 Tabernas, Almería (Spain); CIESOL, Joint Centre of the University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería (Spain); Duta, Anca, E-mail: a.duta@unitbv.ro [Transilvania University of Brasov, Centre of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Romania, Eroilor, 29, 500036, Brasov (Romania); Malato, Sixto [Plataforma Solar de Almería, CIEMAT, P.O. Box 22, 04200 Tabernas, Almería (Spain); CIESOL, Joint Centre of the University of Almería-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería (Spain)

2016-12-15

Materials with photocatalytic and adsorption properties for advanced wastewater treatment targeting reuse were studied. Making use of TiO{sub 2} as a well-known photocatalyst, Cu{sub 2}S as a Vis-active semiconductor, and fly ash as a good adsorbent, dispersed mixtures/composites were prepared to remove pollutants from wastewater. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, band gap energy, point of zero charge (pH{sub pzc}) and BET porosity were used to characterize the substrates. Phenol, imidacloprid and dichloroacetic acid were used as pollutants for photocatalytic activity of the new photocatalysts. Experiments using the new dispersed powders were carried out at laboratory scale in two solar simulators and under natural solar irradiation at the Plataforma Solar de Almería, in a Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC) for a comparative analysis of pollutants removal and mineralization efficiencies, and to identify features that could facilitate photocatalyst separation and reuse. The results show that radiation intensity significantly affects the phenol degradation rate. The composite mixture of TiO{sub 2} and fly ash is 2-3 times less active than sol-gel TiO{sub 2}. Photodegradation kinetic data on the highly active TiO{sub 2} are compared for pollutants elimination. Photodegradation of dichloroacetic acid was fast and complete after 90 min in the CPC, while after 150 min imidacloprid and phenol removal was 90% and 56% respectively.

Synthesis, Analysis, and Testing of BiOBr-Bi2WO6 Photocatalytic Heterojunction Semiconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangchao Meng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In photocatalysis, the recombination of electron-hole pairs is generally regarded as one of its most serious drawbacks. The synthesis of various composites with heterojunction structures has increasingly shed light on preventing this recombination. In this work, a BiOBr-Bi2WO6 photocatalytic heterojunction semiconductor was synthesized by the facile hydrothermal method and applied in the photocatalytic degradation process. It was determined that both reaction time and temperature significantly affected the crystal structure and morphologies of the photocatalysts. BiOBr (50 at%-Bi2WO6 composites were prepared under optimum synthesis conditions (120°C for 6 h and by theoretically analyzing the DRS results, it was determined that they possessed the suitable band gap (2.61 eV to be stimulated by visible-light irradiation. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared photocatalysts were evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB under visible-light irradiation. The experimental conditions, including initial concentration, pH, and catalyst dosage, were explored and the photocatalysts in this system were proven stable enough to be reused for several runs. Moreover, the interpreted mechanism of the heterojunction enhancement effect proved that the synthesis of a heterojunction structure provided an effective method to decrease the recombination rate of the electron-hole pairs, thereby improving the photocatalytic activity.

Generalized bipolariton model. propagation of a ultrashort laser pulse through a thin semiconductor film in the conditions of two-photon generation of biexcitons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igor Beloussov

2013-01-01

A generalized bipolariton model is proposed. Bipolaritons is formed from virtual excitons of four kinds. There exists both attractive and repulsive interaction between these excitons, though only excitons of a specific type can interact with light. A substantial difference between conventional and our models is shown for the case of nonlinear transmission/reflection of ultrashort laser pulses by a thin semiconductor film under two-photon generation of biexcitons. (author)

Laser action on rare earth doped nitride semiconductor thin layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oussif, A.; Diaf, M.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The structure, chemical composition, properties, and their relationships in solids lay the foundation of materials science. Recently, great interest in rare-earth (RE)-doped wide-bandgap semiconductors, which combine the electronic properties of semiconductors with the unique luminescence features of RE ions, is from the fundamental standpoint of structure-composition-properties of solids. At first, a significant amount of work has been reported on the study of infrared emissions from Er 3+- doped semiconductors because Er 3+ exhibits luminescence at 1.54 μm, a wavelength used in optical communications. Since Steckl and Birkhahn first reported visible emission associated with Er from GaN:Er films, the RE-doped semiconductors have received considerable interest for possible application in light emitting devices. Molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) and metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) have been used mainly to grow GaN host films. The RE dopants were typically incorporated into the host films by in situ doping during the growth or by ion implantation after the growth. GaN doped with rare-earth elements (RE) hold significant potential for applications in optical devices, since they show sharp intense luminescence which is only minimally affected by temperature variations. Among the various RE dopants, Eu seems to be the most interesting, since it yields red luminescence 622 nm which has not been realized in commercially available light emitting devices (LEDs) that use InGaN active layers. We have earlier reported single crystalline growth of Eu-doped GaN and nearly temperature independent red luminescence at 622 nm originating from the intra-4f-4f transition of the Eu 3+ ion. The red luminescence was analyzed and determined to be generated through trap-level-mediated energy transfer from the semiconductor host.

2,6-Bis(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl-3,7-dipentadecyltetrathienoacene (DBT-TTAR2 as an Alternative of Highly Soluble p-type Organic Semiconductor for Organic Thin Film Transistor (OTFT Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mery B. Supriadi

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A new compound of organic semiconductor based on tetrathienoacene (TTA derivatives, DBT-TTAR2 was synthesized and characterized. The corporation of dibenzo[b,d]thiophene (DBT group and alkyl substituent in both ends of TTA core have a significant effect on their π-π molecular conjugation length, energy gaps value and solubility properties. DBT-TTAR2 is fabricated as p-type organic semiconductor of organic thin film transistor (OTFT by solution process at Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan. A good optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of DBT-TTAR2 showed that its exhibits a better performance as highly soluble p-type organic semiconductor.

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somodi, P.K.; Twitchett-Harrison, A.C.; Midgley, P.A. [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom); Kardynał, B.E. [Peter Grünberg Institute 9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Barnes, C.H.W. [Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Dunin-Borkowski, R.E., E-mail: rafaldb@gmail.com [Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute 5, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2013-11-15

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p–n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p–n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. - Highlights: • Finite element simulations are performed to calculate electrostatic dopant potentials in TEM specimens that contain p–n junctions. • The effect of the electrical state of the specimen surface on the projected potential is assessed for equipotential specimen surfaces. • The step in projected potential is always found to be lower than the step in potential in the bulk device. • The step in projected potential is least sensitive to surface state energy for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. • The depletion width measured from the projected potential has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness.

Finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in thin semiconductor specimens for electron holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somodi, P.K.; Twitchett-Harrison, A.C.; Midgley, P.A.; Kardynał, B.E.; Barnes, C.H.W.; Dunin-Borkowski, R.E.

2013-01-01

Two-dimensional finite element simulations of electrostatic dopant potentials in parallel-sided semiconductor specimens that contain p–n junctions are used to assess the effect of the electrical state of the surface of a thin specimen on projected potentials measured using off-axis electron holography in the transmission electron microscope. For a specimen that is constrained to have an equipotential surface, the simulations show that the step in the projected potential across a p–n junction is always lower than would be predicted from the properties of the bulk device, but is relatively insensitive to the value of the surface state energy, especially for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. The depletion width measured from the projected potential, however, has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness. The results of the simulations are of broader interest for understanding the influence of surfaces and interfaces on electrostatic potentials in nanoscale semiconductor devices. - Highlights: • Finite element simulations are performed to calculate electrostatic dopant potentials in TEM specimens that contain p–n junctions. • The effect of the electrical state of the specimen surface on the projected potential is assessed for equipotential specimen surfaces. • The step in projected potential is always found to be lower than the step in potential in the bulk device. • The step in projected potential is least sensitive to surface state energy for thicker specimens and higher dopant concentrations. • The depletion width measured from the projected potential has a complicated dependence on specimen thickness

Tungsten oxide thin films grown by thermal evaporation with high resistance to leaching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correa, Diogo S. [Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), RS (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Quimicas, Farmaceuticas e de Alimentos; Pazinato, Julia C.O.; Freitas, Mauricio A. de; Radtke, Claudio; Garcia, Irene T.S., E-mail: irene@iq.ufrgs.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Instituto de Quimica; Dorneles, Lucio S. [Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), RS (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Naturais e Exatas

2014-05-15

Tungsten oxides show different stoichiometries, crystal lattices and morphologies. These characteristics are important mainly when they are used as photocatalysts. In this work tungsten oxide thin films were obtained by thermal evaporation on (100) silicon substrates covered with gold and heated at 350 and 600 °C, with different deposition times. The stoichiometry of the films, morphology, crystal structure and resistance to leaching were characterized through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and O{sup 16} (α,α')O{sup 16} resonant nuclear reaction. Films obtained at higher temperatures show well-defined spherical nanometric structure; they are composed of WO{sub 3.1} and the presence of hydrated tungsten oxide was also observed. The major crystal structure observed is the hexagonal. Thin films obtained through thermal evaporation present resistance to leaching in aqueous media and excellent performance as photocatalysts, evaluated through the degradation of the methyl orange dye. (author)

Nanoscale strontium titanate photocatalysts for overall water splitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Troy K; Browning, Nigel D; Osterloh, Frank E

2012-08-28

SrTiO(3) (STO) is a large band gap (3.2 eV) semiconductor that catalyzes the overall water splitting reaction under UV light irradiation in the presence of a NiO cocatalyst. As we show here, the reactivity persists in nanoscale particles of the material, although the process is less effective at the nanoscale. To reach these conclusions, Bulk STO, 30 ± 5 nm STO, and 6.5 ± 1 nm STO were synthesized by three different methods, their crystal structures verified with XRD and their morphology observed with HRTEM before and after NiO deposition. In connection with NiO, all samples split water into stoichiometric mixtures of H(2) and O(2), but the activity is decreasing from 28 μmol H(2) g(-1) h(-1) (bulk STO), to 19.4 μmol H(2) g(-1) h(-1) (30 nm STO), and 3.0 μmol H(2) g(-1) h(-1) (6.5 nm STO). The reasons for this decrease are an increase of the water oxidation overpotential for the smaller particles and reduced light absorption due to a quantum size effect. Overall, these findings establish the first nanoscale titanate photocatalyst for overall water splitting.

One-dimensional self-confinement promotes polymorph selection in large-area organic semiconductor thin films

KAUST Repository

Giri, Gaurav; Li, Ruipeng; Smilgies, Detlef Matthias; Li, Erqiang; Diao, Ying; Lenn, Kristina M.; Chiu, Melanie; Lin, Debora W.; Allen, Ranulfo A.; Reinspach, Julia A.; Mannsfeld, Stefan C B; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Clancy, Paulette; Bao, Zhenan; Amassian, Aram

2014-01-01

A crystal's structure has significant impact on its resulting biological, physical, optical and electronic properties. In organic electronics, 6,13(bis-triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene), a small-molecule organic semiconductor, adopts metastable polymorphs possessing significantly faster charge transport than the equilibrium crystal when deposited using the solution-shearing method. Here, we use a combination of high-speed polarized optical microscopy, in situ microbeam grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray-scattering and molecular simulations to understand the mechanism behind formation of metastable TIPS-pentacene polymorphs. We observe that thin-film crystallization occurs first at the air-solution interface, and nanoscale vertical spatial confinement of the solution results in formation of metastable polymorphs, a one-dimensional and large-area analogy to crystallization of polymorphs in nanoporous matrices. We demonstrate that metastable polymorphism can be tuned with unprecedented control and produced over large areas by either varying physical confinement conditions or by tuning energetic conditions during crystallization through use of solvent molecules of various sizes. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Studies on applications of functional organic-thin-films for lithography on semiconductor device production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Kazufumi

1988-12-01

This report describes some experimental results of studies in an attempt to contribute to the development of ultra-fine lithography which is used for the manufacture of semiconductor devices with design rule below 0.5 μm, and contains (1) manufacture of the exposure apparatus, (2) establishment of the resist process technology, and (3) preparation of the resist materials. The author designed and manufactured the KrF excimer laser stepper which is supposed to be most promising for practical uses. In the resist processing technology, the water-soluble contrast enhanced lithography (CEL) process was developed and this process has advantages is that high pattern contrast and large focus depth latitude were easily obtained. Finally, for resist materials, use of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films was investigated since the LB technique provides the method to prepare extremely thin organic films which are uniform in molecular level, and the reaction mechanism of the LB films of unsaturated compounds under irradiation with high energy beams was elucidated. (author)

One-dimensional self-confinement promotes polymorph selection in large-area organic semiconductor thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Giri, Gaurav; Li, Ruipeng; Smilgies, Detlef-M; Li, Er Qiang; Diao, Ying; Lenn, Kristina M; Chiu, Melanie; Lin, Debora W; Allen, Ranulfo; Reinspach, Julia; Mannsfeld, Stefan C B; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Clancy, Paulette; Bao, Zhenan; Amassian, Aram

2014-04-16

A crystal's structure has significant impact on its resulting biological, physical, optical and electronic properties. In organic electronics, 6,13(bis-triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene), a small-molecule organic semiconductor, adopts metastable polymorphs possessing significantly faster charge transport than the equilibrium crystal when deposited using the solution-shearing method. Here, we use a combination of high-speed polarized optical microscopy, in situ microbeam grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray-scattering and molecular simulations to understand the mechanism behind formation of metastable TIPS-pentacene polymorphs. We observe that thin-film crystallization occurs first at the air-solution interface, and nanoscale vertical spatial confinement of the solution results in formation of metastable polymorphs, a one-dimensional and large-area analogy to crystallization of polymorphs in nanoporous matrices. We demonstrate that metastable polymorphism can be tuned with unprecedented control and produced over large areas by either varying physical confinement conditions or by tuning energetic conditions during crystallization through use of solvent molecules of various sizes.

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of toluene in static environment employing thin films of nitrogen-doped nano-titanium dioxide

Science.gov (United States)

Kannangara, Yasun Y.; Wijesena, Ruchira; Rajapakse, R. M. G.; de Silva, K. M. Nalin

2018-04-01

Photocatalytic semiconductor thin films have the ability to degrade volatile organic compounds (VOCs) causing numerous health problems. The group of VOCs called "BTEX" is abundant in houses and indoor of automobiles. Anatase phase of TiO2 has a band gap of 3.2 eV and UV radiation is required for photogeneration of electrons and holes in TiO2 particles. This band gap can be decreased significantly when TiO2 is doped with nitrogen (N-TiO2). Dopants like Pd, Cd, and Ag are hazardous to human health but N-doped TiO2 can be used in indoor pollutant remediation. In this research, N-doped TiO2 nano-powder was prepared and characterized using various analytical techniques. N-TiO2 was made in sol-gel method and triethylamine (N(CH2CH3)3) was used as the N-precursor. Modified quartz cell was used to measure the photocatalytic degradation of toluene. N-doped TiO2 nano-powder was illuminated with visible light (xenon lamp 200 W, λ = 330-800 nm, intensity = 1 Sun) to cause the degradation of VOCs present in static air. Photocatalyst was coated on a thin glass plate, using the doctor-blade method, was inserted into a quartz cell containing 2.00 µL of toluene and 35 min was allowed for evaporation/condensation equilibrium and then illuminated for 2 h. Remarkably, the highest value of efficiency 85% was observed in the 1 μm thick N-TiO2 thin film. The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of toluene by N-TiO2 and P25-TiO2 has been compared. Surface topology was studied by varying the thickness of the N-TiO2 thin films. The surface nanostructures were analysed and studied with atomic force microscopy with various thin film thicknesses.

Organic semiconductor rubrene thin films deposited by pulsed laser evaporation of solidified solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Majewska, N.; Gazda, M.; Jendrzejewski, R.; Majumdar, S.; Sawczak, M.; Śliwiński, G.

2017-08-01

Organic semiconductor rubrene (C42H28) belongs to most preferred spintronic materials because of the high charge carrier mobility up to 40 cm2(V·s)-1. However, the fabrication of a defect-free, polycrystalline rubrene for spintronic applications represents a difficult task. We report preparation and properties of rubrene thin films deposited by pulsed laser evaporation of solidified solutions. Samples of rubrene dissolved in aromatic solvents toluene, xylene, dichloromethane and 1,1-dichloroethane (0.23-1% wt) were cooled to temperatures in the range of 16.5-163 K and served as targets. The target ablation was provided by a pulsed 1064 nm or 266 nm laser. For films of thickness up to 100 nm deposited on Si, glass and ITO glass substrates, the Raman and AFM data show presence of the mixed crystalline and amorphous rubrene phases. Agglomerates of rubrene crystals are revealed by SEM observation too, and presence of oxide/peroxide (C42H28O2) in the films is concluded from matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight spectroscopic analysis.

Room temperature deposition of magnetite thin films on organic substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arisi, E.; Bergenti, I.; Cavallini, M.; Murgia, M.; Riminucci, A.; Ruani, G.; Dediu, V.

2007-01-01

We report on the growth of magnetite films directly on thin layers of organic semiconductors by means of an electron beam ablation method. The deposition was performed at room temperature in a reactive plasma atmosphere. Thin films show ferromagnetic (FM) hysteresis loops and coercive fields of hundreds of Oersted. Micro Raman analysis indicates no presence of spurious phases. The morphology of the magnetite film is strongly influenced by the morphology of the underlayer of the organic semiconductor. These results open the way for the application of magnetite thin films in the field of organic spintronics

FDTD simulations of near-field mediated semiconductor molecular optical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Dai; Sakrow, Marcus; Mihaljevic, Josip; Meixner, Alfred J. [Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, Tuebingen (Germany)

2010-07-01

The optical properties of molecules can be dramatically altered when they are in a close proximity of an excited metal antenna. In order to get insight into how the antenna generated near-field influences the optical properties of low quantum yield molecules, we carried out FDTD simulations of a sharp laser-illuminated Au tip approaching to a semiconductor thin film. The time-averaged field distribution between the semiconductor thin film and the tip antenna is calculated regarding to different distances. Our calculation demonstrates that the coupling between the localized plasmon at the tip apex and semiconductor polariton can be achieved building up a distance-dependent high field enhancement. Our experimental results show that such a high field strength enhances not only the excitation process by a factor of 104, but alters the radiative: non-radiative decay rate giving approx. 15 times stronger photoluminescence emission.

Thin Film Photovoltaic/Thermal Solar Panels

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

David JOHNSTON

2008-01-01

A solar panel is described.in which thin films of semiconductor are deposited onto a metal substrate.The semiconductor-metal combination forms a thin film photovoltaic cell,and also acts as a reflector,absorber tandem, which acts as a solar selective surface,thus enhancing the solar thermal performance of the collector plate.The use of thin films reduces the distance heat is required to flow from the absorbing surface to the metal plate and heat exchange conduits.Computer modelling demonstrated that,by suitable choice of materials,photovohaic efficiency call be maintained,with thermal performance slishtly reduced,compared to that for thermal-only panels.By grading the absorber layer-to reduce the band gap in the lower region-the thermal performance can be improved,approaching that for a thermal-only solar panel.

Low-voltage organic electronics based on a gate-tunable injection barrier in vertical graphene-organic semiconductor heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hlaing, Htay; Kim, Chang-Hyun; Carta, Fabio; Nam, Chang-Yong; Barton, Rob A; Petrone, Nicholas; Hone, James; Kymissis, Ioannis

2015-01-14

The vertical integration of graphene with inorganic semiconductors, oxide semiconductors, and newly emerging layered materials has recently been demonstrated as a promising route toward novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we report organic thin film transistors based on vertical heterojunctions of graphene and organic semiconductors. In these thin heterostructure devices, current modulation is accomplished by tuning of the injection barriers at the semiconductor/graphene interface with the application of a gate voltage. N-channel devices fabricated with a thin layer of C60 show a room temperature on/off ratio >10(4) and current density of up to 44 mAcm(-2). Because of the ultrashort channel intrinsic to the vertical structure, the device is fully operational at a driving voltage of 200 mV. A complementary p-channel device is also investigated, and a logic inverter based on two complementary transistors is demonstrated. The vertical integration of graphene with organic semiconductors via simple, scalable, and low-temperature fabrication processes opens up new opportunities to realize flexible, transparent organic electronic, and optoelectronic devices.

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of immobilized composite photocatalyst (titania nanoparticle/activated carbon)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoodi, Niyaz Mohammad; Arami, Mokhtar; Zhang, Jason

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Dyes were decolorized and degraded using novel immobilized composite photocatalyst. → Formate, acetate and oxalate anions were detected as dominant aliphatic intermediates where, they were further oxidized slowly to CO 2 . → Nitrate, chloride and sulfate anions were detected as the photocatalytic mineralization products of dyes. → Novel immobilized composite photocatalyst is the most effective novel immobilized composite photocatalyst to degrade of textile dyes. - Abstract: An immobilized composite photocatalyst, titania (TiO 2 ) nanoparticle/activated carbon (AC), was prepared and its photocatalytic activity on the degradation of textile dyes was tested. AC was prepared using Canola hull. Basic Red 18 (BR18) and Basic Red 46 (BR46) were used as model dyes. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectrophotometry, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ion chromatography (IC) analyses were employed. The effects of reaction parameters such as weight percent (wt.%) of activated carbon, pH, dye concentration and anions (NO 3 - , Cl - , SO 4 2- , HCO 3 - and CO 3 2- ) were investigated on dye degradation. Data showed that dyes were decolorized and degraded using novel immobilized composite photocatalyst. Formate, acetate and oxalate anions were detected as dominant aliphatic intermediates where, they were further oxidized slowly to CO 2 . Nitrate, chloride and sulfate anions were detected as the photocatalytic mineralization products of dyes. Results show that novel immobilized composite photocatalyst with 2 wt.% of AC is the most effective novel immobilized composite photocatalyst to degrade of textile dyes.

Conductive polymer/fullerene blend thin films with honeycomb framework for transparent photovoltaic application

Science.gov (United States)

Cotlet, Mircea; Wang, Hsing-Lin; Tsai, Hsinhan; Xu, Zhihua

2015-04-21

Optoelectronic devices and thin-film semiconductor compositions and methods for making same are disclosed. The methods provide for the synthesis of the disclosed composition. The thin-film semiconductor compositions disclosed herein have a unique configuration that exhibits efficient photo-induced charge transfer and high transparency to visible light.

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Oxide and Chalcogenide-Based Photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Haque, Farjana; Daeneke, Torben; Kalantar-zadeh, Kourosh; Ou, Jian Zhen

2018-06-01

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal oxide and chalcogenide (TMO&C)-based photocatalysts have recently attracted significant attention for addressing the current worldwide challenges of energy shortage and environmental pollution. The ultrahigh surface area and unconventional physiochemical, electronic and optical properties of 2D TMO&Cs have been demonstrated to facilitate photocatalytic applications. This review provides a concise overview of properties, synthesis methods and applications of 2D TMO&C-based photocatalysts. Particular attention is paid on the emerging strategies to improve the abilities of light harvesting and photoinduced charge separation for enhancing photocatalytic performances, which include elemental doping, surface functionalization as well as heterojunctions with semiconducting and conductive materials. The future opportunities regarding the research pathways of 2D TMO&C-based photocatalysts are also presented. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Development of photocatalysts for selective and efficient organic transformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Munir, Shamsa; Dionysiou, Dionysios D; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Shah, Syed Mujtaba; Adhikari, Bimalendu; Shah, Afzal

2015-07-01

One of the main goals of organic chemists is to find easy, environmentally friendly, and cost effective methods for the synthesis of industrially important compounds. Photocatalysts have brought revolution in this regard as they make use of unlimited source of energy (the solar light) to carry out the synthesis of organic compounds having otherwise complex synthetic procedures. However, selectivity of the products has been a major issue since the beginning of photocatalysis. The present article encompasses state of the art accomplishments in harvesting light energy for selective organic transformations using photocatalysts. Several approaches for the development of photocatalysts for selective organic conversions have been critically discussed with the objective of developing efficient, selective, environmental friendly and high yield photocatalytic methodologies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of ionic liquid electrodeposited Cu--Sn--Zn--S--Se thin films and method of making

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Raghu Nath

2016-01-12

A semiconductor thin-film and method for producing a semiconductor thin-films comprising a metallic salt, an ionic compound in a non-aqueous solution mixed with a solvent and processing the stacked layer in chalcogen that results in a CZTS/CZTSS thin films that may be deposited on a substrate is disclosed.

Visible light assisted photoelectrocatalytic degradation of sugarcane factory wastewater by sprayed CZTS thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Hunge, Y. M.; Mahadik, M. A.; Patil, V. L.; Pawar, A. R.; Gadakh, S. R.; Moholkar, A. V.; Patil, P. S.; Bhosale, C. H.

2017-12-01

Highly crystalline Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films have been deposited onto glass and FTO coated glass substrates by simple chemical spray-pyrolysis technique. It is an important material for solar energy conversion through the both photovoltaics and photocatalysis. The effect of substrate temperatures on the physico-chemical properties of the CZTS films is studied. The XRD study shows the formation of single phase CZTS with kesterite structure. FE-SEM analysis reveals nano flakes architecture with pin-hole and crake free surface with more adherent. The film deposited at optimized substrate temperature exhibits optical band gap energy of 1.90 eV, which lies in the visible region of the solar spectrum and useful for photocatalysis application. The photoelectrocatalytic activities of the large surface area (10 × 10 cm2) deposited CZTS thin film photocatalysts were evaluated for the degradation of sugarcane factory wastewater under visible light irradiation. The results show that the CZTS thin film photocatalyst exhibited about 90% degradation of sugar cane factory wastewater. The mineralization of sugarcane factory wastewater is studied by measuring chemical oxygen demand (COD) values.

α-particle shielding of semiconductor device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKeown, P.J.A.; Perry, J.P.; Waddell, J.M.; Barker, K.D.

1981-01-01

Soft errors in semiconductor devices, e.g. random access memories, arising from the bombardment of the device by alpha particles produced by the disintegration of minute traces of uranium or thorium in the packaging materials are prevented by coating the active surface of the semiconductor chip with a thin layer, e.g. 20 to 100 microns of an organic polymeric material, this layer being of sufficient thickness to absorb the particles. Typically, the polymer is a poly-imide formed by u.v. electron-beam or thermal curing of liquid monomer applied to the chip surface. (author)

Preparations and Characterizations of Luminescent Two Dimensional Organic-inorganic Perovskite Semiconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjun Zhang

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This article reviews the synthesis, structural and optical characterizations of some novel luminescent two dimensional organic-inorganic perovskite (2DOIP semiconductors. These 2DOIP semiconductors show a self-assembled nano-layered structure, having the electronic structure of multi-quantum wells. 2DOIP thin layers and nanoparticles have been prepared through different methods. The structures of the 2DOIP semiconductors are characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The optical properties of theb DOIP semiconductors are characterized from absorption and photoluminescence spectra measured at room and low temperatures. Influences of different components, in particular the organic parts, on the structural and optical properties of the 2DOIP semiconductors are discussed.

Structural Characterization of AgGaS2-type Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Production from Water Under Visible Light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sun Hee; Shin, Namsoo; Jang, Jum Suk; Lee, Jae Sung

2007-01-01

Bulky AgGaS2 was synthesized as a p-type semiconductor photocatalyst by a conventional solid state reaction under N2 flow for hydrogen production under visible light. To remove the impurity phase involved in the synthesized material and improve its crystallinity, the material was treated at various temperatures of 873-1123 K under H2S flow. Impurity phases were identified as β-Ga2O3 and Ag9GaS6 with Rietveld analysis of XRD, and the local coordination structure around gallium atom in AgGaS2 was investigated by EXAFS. As the H2S-treatment temperature increased, the contribution from impurity phase was diminished. When the temperature reached 1123 K, the impurity phases were completely removed and the material showed the highest photocatalytic activity

Illuminating Electron Microscopy of Photocatalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavalca, Filippo

Photocatalysts are of fundamental interest for sustainable energy research because of their wide range of applications and great potential for state of the art and future usages [1]. By means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) it is possible to give a deep insight in the structure, composi...

Application of photocatalysts for amenities; Kaiteki kukan no tameno hikari shokubai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sugawara, T. [Akita Univ., Akita (Japan). Mining College

1996-03-01

Catalysts with strong decomposing power are necessary in removing the stink of toilets and diapers, the smoke of cigarettes, lampblack in kitchens and mold in bathrooms etc. One of such catalysts attracting attention is titania (Ti02) photocatalyst. Titania has a strong oxidizing force due to its ability to absorb light with a wavelength under 400nm, and meanwhile this substance itself is chemically stable and tender to environment. In this paper, simultaneously with the introduction of the design examples applying the performance and properties of such catalysts, the evaluation on the performance of utility photocatalysts is described. The examples of using tiles with titania coated on ceramic tiles and the photocatalysts obtained by fixing supermicro-particles of titania catalysts with fluorine resin as a binder to decompose the oil vapor near a ventilation fan above a kitchen range and the tobacco tar whose concentration level is as in a living room are introduced as the design examples of utility photocatalysts. 13 refs., 6 figs.

Crystallization of II-VI semiconductor compounds forming long microcrystalline linear assemblies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelino Becerril

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this work we report the formation of long microcrystalline linear self-assemblies observed during the thin film growth of several II-VI compounds. Polycrystalline CdTe, CdS, CdCO3, and nanocrystalline CdTe:Al thin films were prepared on glass substrates by different deposition techniques. In order to observe these crystalline formations in the polycrystalline materials, the thin film growth was suspended before the grains reached to form a continuous layer. The chains of semiconductor crystals were observed among many isolated and randomly distributed grains. Since CdTe, CdTe:Al, CdS and CdCO3 are not ferroelectric and/or ferromagnetic materials, the relevant problem would be to explain what is the mechanism through which the grains are held together to form linear chains. It is well known that some nanocrystalline materials form rods and wires by means of electrostatic forces. This occurs in polar semiconductors, where it is assumed that the attraction forces between surface polar faces of the small crystals are the responsible for the chains formation. Since there are not too many mechanisms responsible for the attraction we assume that a dipolar interaction is the force that originates the formation of chain-like grain clusters. The study of this property can be useful for the understanding of nucleation processes in the growth of semiconductor thin films.

Enhancement of photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene plastic with CuPc modified TiO2 photocatalyst under solar light irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xu; Li Zongwei; Chen Yi; Shi Liyi; Zhu Yongfa

2008-01-01

Solid-phase photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene (PE) plastic, one of the most common commercial plastic, over copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) modified TiO 2 (TiO 2 /CuPc) photocatalyst was investigated in the ambient air under solar light irradiation. Higher PE weight loss rate, greater texture change; more amount of generated CO 2 , which is the main product of the photocatalytic degradation of the composite PEC plastic can be achieved in the system of PE-(TiO 2 /CuPc) in comparison with PE-TiO 2 system. The CuPc promoted charge separation of TiO 2 and enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of PE based on the analysis of surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). During the photodegradation of PE plastic, the reactive oxygen species generated on TiO 2 or TiO 2 /CuPc particle surfaces play important roles. The present study demonstrates that the combination of polymer plastic with TiO 2 /CuPc composite photocatalyst in the form of thin film is a practical and useful way to photodegrade plastic contaminants under solar light irradiation

Synthesis and characterization of CoOx/BiVO4 photocatalysts for the degradation of propyl paraben.

Science.gov (United States)

Petala, Athanasia; Noe, Antigoni; Frontistis, Zacharias; Drivas, Charalampos; Kennou, Stella; Mantzavinos, Dionissios; Kondarides, Dimitris I

2018-03-13

Cobalt-promoted bismuth vanadate photocatalysts of variable cobalt content (0-1.0 wt.%) were synthesized and characterized with various techniques including BET, XRD, DRS, XPS and TEM. BiVO 4 exists in the monoclinic scheelite structure, while cobalt addition improves the absorbance in the visible region although it does not affect the band gap energy of BiVO 4 . Cobalt exists in the form of well-dispersed Co 3 O 4 nanocrystallites, which are in intimate contact with the much larger BiVO 4 nanoparticles. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of propyl paraben (PP) under simulated solar radiation. The activity of pristine BiVO 4 is significantly improved adding small amounts of cobalt and is maximized for the catalyst containing 0.5 wt.% Co. PP degradation in ultrapure pure water increases with increasing photocatalyst loading (100 mg/L to 1.5 g/L), and decreasing PP concentration (1600-200 μg/L). Experiments in bottled water, as well as in pure water spiked with bicarbonate and chloride ions showed little effect of non-target inorganics on degradation. Conversely, degradation is severely impeded in secondary treated wastewater. The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized catalysts is attributed to efficient electron-hole separation, achieved at the p-n junction formed between the p-type Co 3 O 4 and the n-type BiVO 4 semiconductors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anisotropy-based crystalline oxide-on-semiconductor material

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Rodney Allen; Walker, Frederick Joseph

2000-01-01

A semiconductor structure and device for use in a semiconductor application utilizes a substrate of semiconductor-based material, such as silicon, and a thin film of a crystalline oxide whose unit cells are capable of exhibiting anisotropic behavior overlying the substrate surface. Within the structure, the unit cells of the crystalline oxide are exposed to an in-plane stain which influences the geometric shape of the unit cells and thereby arranges a directional-dependent quality of the unit cells in a predisposed orientation relative to the substrate. This predisposition of the directional-dependent quality of the unit cells enables the device to take beneficial advantage of characteristics of the structure during operation. For example, in the instance in which the crystalline oxide of the structure is a perovskite, a spinel or an oxide of similarly-related cubic structure, the structure can, within an appropriate semiconductor device, exhibit ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, electro-optic, ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, magneto-optic or large dielectric properties that synergistically couple to the underlying semiconductor substrate.

Reduced graphene oxide-TiO2 nanocomposite as a promising visible-light-active photocatalyst for the conversion of carbon dioxide

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Lling-Lling; Ong, Wee-Jun; Chai, Siang-Piao; Mohamed, Abdul Rahman

2013-11-01

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into hydrocarbon fuels such as methane is an attractive strategy for simultaneously harvesting solar energy and capturing this major greenhouse gas. Incessant research interest has been devoted to preparing graphene-based semiconductor nanocomposites as photocatalysts for a variety of applications. In this work, reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-TiO2 hybrid nanocrystals were fabricated through a novel and simple solvothermal synthetic route. Anatase TiO2 particles with an average diameter of 12 nm were uniformly dispersed on the rGO sheet. Slow hydrolysis reaction was successfully attained through the use of ethylene glycol and acetic acid mixed solvents coupled with an additional cooling step. The prepared rGO-TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited superior photocatalytic activity (0.135 μmol gcat -1 h-1) in the reduction of CO2 over graphite oxide and pure anatase. The intimate contact between TiO2 and rGO was proposed to accelerate the transfer of photogenerated electrons on TiO2 to rGO, leading to an effective charge anti-recombination and thus enhancing the photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, our photocatalysts were found to be active even under the irradiation of low-power energy-saving light bulbs, which renders the entire process economically and practically feasible.

RHEED transmission mode and pole figures thin film and nanostructure texture analysis

CERN Document Server

Wang, Gwo-Ching

2014-01-01

This unique book covers the fundamental principle of electron diffraction, basic instrumentation of RHEED, definitions of textures in thin films and nanostructures, mechanisms and control of texture formation, and examples of RHEED transmission mode measurements of texture and texture evolution of thin films and nanostructures. Also presented is a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode called RHEED pole figure technique that can be used to monitor the texture evolution in thin film growth and nanostructures and is not limited to single crystal epitaxial film growth. Details of the construction of RHEED pole figures and the interpretation of observed pole figures are presented.  Materials covered include metals, semiconductors, and thin insulators. This book also: Presents a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode Introduces a variety of textures from metals, semiconductors, compound semiconductors, and their characteristics in RHEED pole figures Provides examples of RHEED measurements o...

Interfacial trap states in junctions of molecular semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlettwein, D.; Oekermann, T.; Jaeger, N.; Armstrong, N.R.; Woehrle, D.

2002-01-01

Interfacial states that were established in contacts of molecular semiconductors with aqueous electrolytes or in contacts with another organic semiconductor as a solid film were analyzed by photoelectrochemical experiments and by photoelectron spectroscopy. A crucial role of such states was indicated in the interfacial charge transfer and recombination kinetics of light-induced charge carriers and also in the energetic alignment in the solid contacts. Unsubstituted zinc-phthalocyanine (PcZn) served as model compound. The role of chemical interactions in the establishment of these interfacial states was investigated by use of different reaction partners, i.e., different redox couples in the electrolyte contacts and molecular semiconductors of different ionization potential in the solid contacts. Implications of these results for the use of organic semiconductor thin films in devices of molecular electronics and of dye molecules in dye-sensitized solar cells were also discussed

Green synthesis of water soluble semiconductor nanocrystals and their applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying

II-VI semiconductor nanomaterials, e.g. CdSe and CdTe, have attracted great attention over the past decades due to their fascinating optical and electrical properties. The research presented here focuses on aqueous semiconductor nanomaterials. The work can be generally divided into three parts: synthesis, property study and application. The synthetic work is devoted to develop new methods to prepare shape- and structure-controlled II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals including nanoparticles and nanowires. CdSe and CdSe CdS semiconductor nanocrystals have been synthesized using sodium citrate as a stabilizer. Upon prolonged illumination with visible light, photoluminescence quantum yield of those quantum dots can be enhanced up to 5000%. The primary reason for luminescence enhancement is considered to be the removing of specific surface states (photocorrosion) and the smoothing of the CdSe core surface (photoannealing). CdTe nanowires are prepared through self-organization of stabilizer-depleted CdTe nanoparticles. The dipolar-dipolar attraction is believed to be the driving force of nanowire formation. The rich surface chemistry of CdTe nanowire is reflected by the formation of silica shell with different morphologies when nanowires with different capping ligands are used. Te and Se nanowires are prepared by chemical decomposition of CdTe and CdSe nanoparticles in presence of an external chemical stimulus, EDTA. These results not only provide a new example of NP→NW transformation, but also lead to a better understanding of the molecular process occurring in the stabilizer-depleted nanoparticles. The applications of those semiconductor materials are primarily based on the construction of nano-structured ultrathin films with desirable functions by using layer-by-layer technique (LBL). We demonstrate that light-induced micro-scale multicolor luminescent patterns can be obtained on photoactivable CdSe/CdS nanoparticles thin films by combining the advantages of LBL as

Optimized nanostructured TiO2 photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Topcu, Selda; Jodhani, Gagan; Gouma, Pelagia

2016-07-01

Titania is the most widely studied photocatalyst. In it’s mixed-phase configuration (anatase-rutile form) -as manifested in the commercially available P25 Degussa material- titania was previously found to exhibit the best photocatalytic properties reported for the pure system. A great deal of published research by various workers in the field have not fully explained the underlying mechanism for the observed behavior of mixed-phase titania photocatalysts. One of the prevalent hypothesis in the literature that is tested in this work involves the presence of small, active clusters of interwoven anatase and rutile crystallites or “catalytic “hot-spots””. Therefore, non-woven nanofibrous mats of titania were produced and upon calcination the mats consisted of nanostructured fibers with different anatase-rutile ratios. By assessing the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of these samples the optimized photocatalyst was determined. This consisted of TiO2 nanostructures annealed at 500˚C with an anatase /rutile content of 90/10. Since the performance of this material exceeded that of P25 complete structural characterization was employed to understand the catalytic mechanism involved. It was determined that the dominant factors controlling the photocatalytic behavior of the titania system are the relative particle size of the different phases of titania and the growth of rutile laths on anatase grains which allow for rapid electron transfer between the two phases. This explains how to optimize the response of the pure system.

The semi-conductor detectors: art state, new concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pochet, T.

1993-01-01

After a brief recall of signal formation principle in a detector and of its different operation modes, the high Z materials as CdTe, HgI 2 , GaAs ,Ge and Si are presented, followed by the new 'thin layer' semiconductors

Electrical properties and transport mechanisms in phase change memory thin films of quasi-binary-line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} chalcogenide semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sherchenkov, A. A. [National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russian Federation); Kozyukhin, S. A., E-mail: sergkoz@igic.ras.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry (Russian Federation); Lazarenko, P. I.; Babich, A. V. [National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russian Federation); Bogoslovskiy, N. A. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation); Sagunova, I. V.; Redichev, E. N. [National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russian Federation)

2017-02-15

The temperature dependences of the resistivity and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of phase change memory thin films based on quasi-binary-line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} chalcogenide semiconductors Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}, GeSb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}, and GeSb{sub 4}Te{sub 7} are investigated. The effect of composition variation along the quasibinary line on the electrical properties and transport mechanisms of the thin films is studied. The existence of three ranges with different I–V characteristics is established. The position and concentration of energy levels controlling carrier transport are estimated. The results obtained show that the electrical properties of the thin films can significantly change during a shift along the quasi-binary line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, which is important for targeted optimization of the phase change memory technology.

One-dimensional self-confinement promotes polymorph selection in large-area organic semiconductor thin films

KAUST Repository

Giri, Gaurav

2014-04-16

A crystal\\'s structure has significant impact on its resulting biological, physical, optical and electronic properties. In organic electronics, 6,13(bis-triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene), a small-molecule organic semiconductor, adopts metastable polymorphs possessing significantly faster charge transport than the equilibrium crystal when deposited using the solution-shearing method. Here, we use a combination of high-speed polarized optical microscopy, in situ microbeam grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray-scattering and molecular simulations to understand the mechanism behind formation of metastable TIPS-pentacene polymorphs. We observe that thin-film crystallization occurs first at the air-solution interface, and nanoscale vertical spatial confinement of the solution results in formation of metastable polymorphs, a one-dimensional and large-area analogy to crystallization of polymorphs in nanoporous matrices. We demonstrate that metastable polymorphism can be tuned with unprecedented control and produced over large areas by either varying physical confinement conditions or by tuning energetic conditions during crystallization through use of solvent molecules of various sizes. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

A review on g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}-based photocatalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, Jiuqing; Xie, Jun [College of Materials and Energy, Key Laboratory of Energy Plants Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biomass Energy of Guangdong Regular Higher Education Institutions, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642 (China); Chen, Xiaobo, E-mail: chenxiaobo@umkc.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110 (United States); Li, Xin, E-mail: Xinliscau@yahoo.com [College of Materials and Energy, Key Laboratory of Energy Plants Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Biomass Energy of Guangdong Regular Higher Education Institutions, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642 (China)

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: The photocatalytic fundamentals, versatile properties, design strategies and potential applications of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}-based photocatalysts were systematically summarized and addressed. - Highlights: • The photocatalytic fundamentals of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} were systematically summarized. • The versatile properties of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} photocatalysts were highlighted. • The different design strategies of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} photocatalysts were reviewed. • The important photocatalytic applications of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} were also addressed. - Abstract: As one of the most appealing and attractive technologies, heterogeneous photocatalysis has been utilized to directly harvest, convert and store renewable solar energy for producing sustainable and green solar fuels and a broad range of environmental applications. Due to their unique physicochemical, optical and electrical properties, a wide variety of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}-based photocatalysts have been designed to drive various reduction and oxidation reactions under light irradiation with suitable wavelengths. In this review, we have systematically summarized the photocatalytic fundamentals of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}-based photocatalysts, including fundamental mechanism of heterogeneous photocatalysis, advantages, challenges and the design considerations of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}-based photocatalysts. The versatile properties of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}-based photocatalysts are highlighted, including their crystal structural, surface phisicochemical, stability, optical, adsorption, electrochemical, photoelectrochemical and electronic properties. Various design strategies are also thoroughly reviewed, including band-gap engineering, defect control, dimensionality tuning, pore texture tailoring, surface sensitization, heterojunction construction, co-catalyst and nanocarbon loading. Many important applications are also addressed, such as photocatalytic water splitting (H{sub 2} evolution and overall water

Pseudomorphic growth of organic semiconductor thin films driven by incommensurate epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sassella, A.; Campione, M.; Raimondo, L.; Borghesi, A.; Bussetti, G.; Cirilli, S.; Violante, A.; Goletti, C.; Chiaradia, P.

2009-01-01

A stable pseudomorphic phase of α-quaterthiophene, a well known organic semiconductor, is obtained by growing films with organic molecular beam epitaxy (OMBE) on a single crystal of another organic semiconductor, namely, tetracene. The structural characteristics of the new phase are investigated by monitoring in situ the OMBE process by reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy; thus assessing that incommensurate epitaxy is in this case, the driving force for tuning the molecular packing in organic molecular films and in turn, their solid state properties

The physics of semiconductors an introduction including nanophysics and applications

CERN Document Server

Grundmann, Marius

2016-01-01

The 3rd edition of this successful textbook contains ample material for a comprehensive upper-level undergraduate or beginning graduate course, guiding readers to the point where they can choose a special topic and begin supervised research. The textbook provides a balance between essential aspects of solid-state and semiconductor physics, on the one hand, and the principles of various semiconductor devices and their applications in electronic and photonic devices, on the other. It highlights many practical aspects of semiconductors such as alloys, strain, heterostructures, nanostructures, that are necessary in modern semiconductor research but typically omitted in textbooks. Coverage also includes additional advanced topics, such as Bragg mirrors, resonators, polarized and magnetic semiconductors, nanowires, quantum dots, multi-junction solar cells, thin film transistors, carbon-based nanostructures and transparent conductive oxides. The text derives explicit formulas for many results to support better under...

Voltage transients in thin-film InSb Hall sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexey Bardin

Full Text Available The work is reached to study temperature transients in thin-film Hall sensors. We experimentally study InSb thin-film Hall sensor. We find transients of voltage with amplitude about 10 μV on the sensor ports after current switching. We demonstrate by direct measurements that the transients is caused by thermo-e.m.f., and both non-stationarity and heterogeneity of temperature in the film. We find significant asymmetry of temperature field for different direction of the current, which is probably related to Peltier effect. The result can be useful for wide range of scientist who works with switching of high density currents in any thin semiconductor films. 2000 MSC: 41A05, 41A10, 65D05, 65D17, Keywords: Thin-films, Semiconductors, Hall sensor, InSb, thermo-e.m.f.

Magnetic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bihler, Christoph

2009-04-15

In this thesis we investigated in detail the properties of Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}As, Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}P, and Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}N dilute magnetic semiconductor thin films with a focus on the magnetic anisotropy and the changes of their properties upon hydrogenation. We applied two complementary spectroscopic techniques to address the position of H in magnetic semiconductors: (i) Electron paramagnetic resonance, which provides direct information on the symmetry of the crystal field of the Mn{sup 2+} atoms and (ii) x-ray absorption fine structure analysis which allows to probe the local crystallographic neighborhood of the absorbing Mn atom via analysing the fine structure at the Mn K absorption edge. Finally, we discussed the obstacles that have to be overcome to achieve Curie temperatures above the current maximum in Ga{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}As of 185 K. Here, we outlined in detail the generic problem of the formation of precipitates at the example of Ge:MN. (orig.)

Semiconductor electrolyte photovoltaic energy converter

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, W. W.; Anderson, L. B.

1975-01-01

Feasibility and practicality of a solar cell consisting of a semiconductor surface in contact with an electrolyte are evaluated. Basic components and processes are detailed for photovoltaic energy conversion at the surface of an n-type semiconductor in contact with an electrolyte which is oxidizing to conduction band electrons. Characteristics of single crystal CdS, GaAs, CdSe, CdTe and thin film CdS in contact with aqueous and methanol based electrolytes are studied and open circuit voltages are measured from Mott-Schottky plots and open circuit photo voltages. Quantum efficiencies for short circuit photo currents of a CdS crystal and a 20 micrometer film are shown together with electrical and photovoltaic properties. Highest photon irradiances are observed with the GaAs cell.

Direct growth of ultra-long platinum nanolawns on a semiconductor photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen In-Gann

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract A template- and surfactant-free process, thermally assisted photoreduction, is developed to prepare vertically grown ultra-long Pt nanowires (NWs (about 30-40 nm in diameter, 5-6 μm in length, and up to 80 NWs/100 μm2 in the wire density on TiO2 coated substrates, including Si wafers and carbon fibers, with the assistance of the photocatalytic ability and semiconductor characteristics of TiO2. A remarkable aspect ratio of up to 200 can be achieved. TEM analytical results suggest that the Pt NWs are single-crystalline with a preferred 〈111〉 growth direction. The precursor adopted and the heat treatment conditions are crucial for the yield of NWs. The photoelectrons supplied by TiO2 gives rise to the formation of nano-sized Pt nuclei from salt melt or solution. The subsequent growth of NWs is supported by the thermal electrons which also generated from TiO2 during the post thermal treatment. The interactions between the ions and the electrons in the Pt/TiO2 junction are discussed in this study.

Supramolecular photocatalyst of RGO-cyclodextrin-TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Jianfeng; Li, Na; Ye, Mingxin

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Supramolecular photocatalyst of RGO-cyclodextrin-TiO 2 was achieved, which showed high photocatalytic activity and adsorption capacity. Highlights: •Supramolecular photocatalyst of RGO-cyclodextrin-TiO 2 was achieved. •β-CD molecules acted as linkers between RGO and monodisperse TiO 2 nanoparticles. •Reduction of GO and preparation of RGO-cyclodextrin-TiO 2 was simultaneous. •The prepared RGO-cyclodextrin-TiO 2 shows high photocatalytic activity and adsorption capacity. -- Abstract: Reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)/titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) supramolecular photocatalyst was synthesized with a one-pot hydrothermal method. The reducing process was accomplished with the attaching of β-CD and generation of TiO 2 . β-CD acted as a linker between RGO and monodisperse TiO 2 nanoparticles. The structure and composition of the hybrid had been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy. The as-prepared RGO-CD-TiO 2 showed significant enhanced performance for phenol and Cr (VI) removal, due to the effective transfer of photo-generated electron from TiO2 to RGO and improved absorbance performance of the hybrid

Single step fabrication method of fullerene/TiO2 composite photocatalyst for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kum, Jong Min; Cho, Sung Oh

2011-01-01

Hydrogen is one of the most promising alternative energy sources. Fossil fuel, which is the most widely used energy source, has two defects. One is CO 2 emission causing global warming. The other is exhaustion. On the other hand, hydrogen emits no CO 2 and can be produced by splitting water which is renewable and easily obtainable source. However, about 95% of hydrogen is derived from fossil fuel. It limits the merits of hydrogen. Hydrogen from fossil fuel is not a renewable energy anymore. To maximize the merits of hydrogen, renewability and no CO 2 emission, unconventional hydrogen production methods without using fossil fuel are required. Photocatalytic water-splitting is one of the unconventional hydrogen production methods. Photocatalytic water-splitting that uses hole/electron pairs of semiconductor is expectable way to produce clean and renewable hydrogen from solar energy. TiO 2 is the semiconductor material which has been most widely used as photocatalyst. TiO 2 shows high photocatalytic reactivity and stability in water. However, its wide band gap only absorbs UV light which is only 5% of sun light. To enhance the visible light responsibility, composition with fullerene based materials has been investigated. 1-2 Methano-fullerene carboxylic acid (FCA) is one of the fullerene based materials. We tried to fabricate FCA/TiO 2 composite using UV assisted single step method. The method not only simplified the fabrication procedures, but enhanced hydrogen production rate

Insulated InP (100) semiconductor by nano nucleus generation in pure water

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorab, Farzaneh; Es'haghi, Zarrin

2018-01-01

Preparation of specified designs on optoelectronic devices such as Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Laser Diodes (LDs) by using insulated thin films is very important. InP as one of those semiconductors which is used as optoelectronic devices, have two different kinds of charge carriers as n-InP and p-InP in the microelectronic industry. The surface preparation of this kind of semiconductor can be accomplished with individually chemical, mechanical, chemo - mechanical and electrochemical methods. But electrochemical method can be suitably replaced instead of the other methods, like CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing), because of the simplicity. In this way, electrochemically formation of insulated thin films by nano nucleus generation on semiconductor (using constant current density of 0.07 mA /cm2) studied in this research. Insulated nano nucleus generation and their growth up to thin film formation on semiconductor single crystal (100), n-InP, inpure water (0.08 µs/cm,25°c) characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Four-point probe and Styloprofilometer techniques. The SEM images show active and passive regions on the n-InP surface and not uniform area on p-InP surface by passing through the passive condition. So the passive regions were nonuniform, and only the active regions were uniform and clean. The various semiconducting behavior in electrochemical condition, studied and compared with structural specification of InP type group (III-V).

Preparation and characterization of antimony barium composite oxide photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Han, X. P.; Yao, B. H.; Pan, Q. H.; Pen, C.; Zhang, C. L.

2018-01-01

In this paper, two kinds of antimony barium composite oxide photocatalysts have been prepared by two methods and characterized by XRD and SEM. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by a photocatalytic reactor and an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The results showed that-BaSb2O5•4H2O, BaSb2O6 two kinds of antimony barium composite oxide photocatalysts were successfully prepared in this experiment and they showed good photocatalytic properties. In addition, BaSb2O6 morphology showed more regular, microstructure and better catalytic performance.

2012 Gordon Research Conference on Defects in Semiconductors - Formal Schedule and Speaker/Poster Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glaser, Evan [Naval Research Lab. (NRL), Washington, DC (United States)

2012-08-17

The meeting shall strive to develop and further the fundamental understanding of defects and their roles in the structural, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of bulk, thin film, and nanoscale semiconductors and device structures. Point and extended defects will be addressed in a broad range of electronic materials of particular current interest, including wide bandgap semiconductors, metal-oxides, carbon-based semiconductors (e.g., diamond, graphene, etc.), organic semiconductors, photovoltaic/solar cell materials, and others of similar interest. This interest includes novel defect detection/imaging techniques and advanced defect computational methods.

Engineering the unique 2D mat of graphene to achieve graphene-TiO2 nanocomposite for photocatalytic selective transformation: what advantage does graphene have over its forebear carbon nanotube?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanhui; Tang, Zi-Rong; Fu, Xianzhi; Xu, Yi-Jun

2011-09-27

Increasing interest has been devoted to synthesizing graphene (GR)-semiconductor nanocomposites as photocatalysts for potential applications, which is very similar to its forebear carbon nanotube (CNT)-semiconductor photocatalysts. Unfortunately, a thoughtful and inevitable comparison between GR- and CNT-semiconductors as photocatalysts is often neglected in literature. This situation may give incomplete or exaggerated information on the contribution role of GR to enhance the semiconductor photocatalytic activity, as compared to CNT. Thus, our knowledge regarding the specific advantage of GR over CNT on how to design more efficient GR-semiconductor nanocomposites and understanding the origin of their enhanced photocatalytic performance is far from satisfactory. By taking the TiO(2) semiconductor as an example, we conceptually demonstrate how to synthesize a more efficient GR-TiO(2) nanocomposite as a visible light photocatalyst toward selective oxidation of alcohols under mild conditions. Comparison between GR-TiO(2) and CNT-TiO(2) discloses the prominent advantage of GR over CNT on both controlling the morphology of GR-TiO(2) nanocomposite and enhancing the photocatalytic activity of TiO(2). This work clearly highlights the importance and necessity for a comparison investigation between GR- and CNT-semiconductors as photocatalysts, which will promote our in-depth fundamental understanding on the analogy and difference between GR and CNT on controlling the morphology of GR (or CNT)-semiconductor nanocomposites and enhancing the photocatalytic performance. Therefore, we appeal the photocatalysis community to pay attention to this respect rather than separately imposing hype on the miracle of GR in much the same way as its carbon forebears, which could significantly advance our rational fabrication of smart GR-semiconductor nanocomposites for artificial photosynthesis. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Metal and metal-free photocatalysts: mechanistic approach and application as photoinitiators of photopolymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques Lalevée

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, the photoredox catalysis is presented as a unique approach in the field of photoinitiators of polymerization. The principal photocatalysts already reported as well as the typical oxidation and reduction agents used in both reductive or oxidative cycles are gathered. The chemical mechanisms associated with various systems are also given. As compared to classical iridium-based photocatalysts which are mainly active upon blue light irradiation, a new photocatalyst Ir(piq2(tmd (also known as bis(1-phenylisoquinolinato-N,C2’iridium(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate is also proposed as an example of green light photocatalyst (toward the long wavelength irradiation. The chemical mechanisms associated with Ir(piq2(tmd are investigated by ESR spin-trapping, laser flash photolysis, steady state photolysis, cyclic voltammetry and luminescence experiments.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Thin Film Growth Techniques for Low-Dimensional Structures

CERN Document Server

Parkin, S; Dobson, P; Neave, J; Arrott, A

1987-01-01

This work represents the account of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Thin Film Growth Techniques for Low Dimensional Structures", held at the University of Sussex, Brighton, England from 15-19 Sept. 1986. The objective of the workshop was to review the problems of the growth and characterisation of thin semiconductor and metal layers. Recent advances in deposition techniques have made it possible to design new material which is based on ultra-thin layers and this is now posing challenges for scientists, technologists and engineers in the assessment and utilisation of such new material. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has become well established as a method for growing thin single crystal layers of semiconductors. Until recently, MBE was confined to the growth of III-V compounds and alloys, but now it is being used for group IV semiconductors and II-VI compounds. Examples of such work are given in this volume. MBE has one major advantage over other crystal growth techniques in that the structure of the growi...

Transparent megahertz circuits from solution-processed composite thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xingqiang; Wan, Da; Wu, Yun; Xiao, Xiangheng; Guo, Shishang; Jiang, Changzhong; Li, Jinchai; Chen, Tangsheng; Duan, Xiangfeng; Fan, Zhiyong; Liao, Lei

2016-04-21

Solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductors have attracted considerable interest in large-area transparent electronics. However, due to its relative low carrier mobility (∼10 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)), the demonstrated circuit performance has been limited to 800 kHz or less. Herein, we report solution-processed high-speed thin-film transistors (TFTs) and integrated circuits with an operation frequency beyond the megahertz region on 4 inch glass. The TFTs can be fabricated from an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide/single-walled carbon nanotube (a-IGZO/SWNT) composite thin film with high yield and high carrier mobility of >70 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). On-chip microwave measurements demonstrate that these TFTs can deliver an unprecedented operation frequency in solution-processed semiconductors, including an extrinsic cut-off frequency (f(T) = 102 MHz) and a maximum oscillation frequency (f(max) = 122 MHz). Ring oscillators further demonstrated an oscillation frequency of 4.13 MHz, for the first time, realizing megahertz circuit operation from solution-processed semiconductors. Our studies represent an important step toward high-speed solution-processed thin film electronics.

Isotopically controlled semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haller, Eugene E.

2006-06-19

The following article is an edited transcript based on the Turnbull Lecture given by Eugene E. Haller at the 2005 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in Boston on November 29, 2005. The David Turnbull Lectureship is awarded to recognize the career of a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to understanding materials phenomena and properties through research, writing, and lecturing, as exemplified by the life work of David Turnbull. Haller was named the 2005 David Turnbull Lecturer for his 'pioneering achievements and leadership in establishing the field of isotopically engineered semiconductors; for outstanding contributions to materials growth, doping and diffusion; and for excellence in lecturing, writing, and fostering international collaborations'. The scientific interest, increased availability, and technological promise of highly enriched isotopes have led to a sharp rise in the number of experimental and theoretical studies with isotopically controlled semiconductor crystals. This article reviews results obtained with isotopically controlled semiconductor bulk and thin-film heterostructures. Isotopic composition affects several properties such as phonon energies, band structure, and lattice constant in subtle, but, for their physical understanding, significant ways. Large isotope-related effects are observed for thermal conductivity in local vibrational modes of impurities and after neutron transmutation doping. Spectacularly sharp photoluminescence lines have been observed in ultrapure, isotopically enriched silicon crystals. Isotope multilayer structures are especially well suited for simultaneous self- and dopant-diffusion studies. The absence of any chemical, mechanical, or electrical driving forces makes possible the study of an ideal random-walk problem. Isotopically controlled semiconductors may find applications in quantum computing, nanoscience, and spintronics.

GeAs and SiAs monolayers: Novel 2D semiconductors with suitable band structures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Liqin; Guo, Yu; Zhao, Jijun

2018-01-01

Two dimensional (2D) materials provide a versatile platform for nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and clean energy conversion. Based on first-principles calculations, we propose a novel kind of 2D materials - GeAs and SiAs monolayers and investigate their atomic structure, thermodynamic stability, and electronic properties. The calculations show that monolayer GeAs and SiAs sheets are energetically and dynamically stable. Their small interlayer cohesion energies (0.191 eV/atom for GeAs and 0.178 eV/atom for SiAs) suggest easy exfoliation from the bulk solids that exist in nature. As 2D semiconductors, GeAs and SiAs monolayers possess band gap of 2.06 eV and 2.50 eV from HSE06 calculations, respectively, while their band gap can be further engineered by the number of layers. The relatively small and anisotropic carrier effective masses imply fast electric transport in these 2D semiconductors. In particular, monolayer SiAs is a direct gap semiconductor and a potential photocatalyst for water splitting. These theoretical results shine light on utilization of monolayer or few-layer GeAs and SiAs materials for the next-generation 2D electronics and optoelectronics with high performance and satisfactory stability.

Atomic layer deposition of perovskite oxides and their epitaxial integration with Si, Ge, and other semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDaniel, Martin D.; Ngo, Thong Q.; Hu, Shen; Ekerdt, John G., E-mail: ekerdt@utexas.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A. [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)

2015-12-15

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a proven technique for the conformal deposition of oxide thin films with nanoscale thickness control. Most successful industrial applications have been with binary oxides, such as Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and HfO{sub 2}. However, there has been much effort to deposit ternary oxides, such as perovskites (ABO{sub 3}), with desirable properties for advanced thin film applications. Distinct challenges are presented by the deposition of multi-component oxides using ALD. This review is intended to highlight the research of the many groups that have deposited perovskite oxides by ALD methods. Several commonalities between the studies are discussed. Special emphasis is put on precursor selection, deposition temperatures, and specific property performance (high-k, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, etc.). Finally, the monolithic integration of perovskite oxides with semiconductors by ALD is reviewed. High-quality epitaxial growth of oxide thin films has traditionally been limited to physical vapor deposition techniques (e.g., molecular beam epitaxy). However, recent studies have demonstrated that epitaxial oxide thin films may be deposited on semiconductor substrates using ALD. This presents an exciting opportunity to integrate functional perovskite oxides for advanced semiconductor applications in a process that is economical and scalable.

Atomic layer deposition of perovskite oxides and their epitaxial integration with Si, Ge, and other semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniel, Martin D.; Ngo, Thong Q.; Hu, Shen; Ekerdt, John G.; Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A.

2015-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a proven technique for the conformal deposition of oxide thin films with nanoscale thickness control. Most successful industrial applications have been with binary oxides, such as Al 2 O 3 and HfO 2 . However, there has been much effort to deposit ternary oxides, such as perovskites (ABO 3 ), with desirable properties for advanced thin film applications. Distinct challenges are presented by the deposition of multi-component oxides using ALD. This review is intended to highlight the research of the many groups that have deposited perovskite oxides by ALD methods. Several commonalities between the studies are discussed. Special emphasis is put on precursor selection, deposition temperatures, and specific property performance (high-k, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, etc.). Finally, the monolithic integration of perovskite oxides with semiconductors by ALD is reviewed. High-quality epitaxial growth of oxide thin films has traditionally been limited to physical vapor deposition techniques (e.g., molecular beam epitaxy). However, recent studies have demonstrated that epitaxial oxide thin films may be deposited on semiconductor substrates using ALD. This presents an exciting opportunity to integrate functional perovskite oxides for advanced semiconductor applications in a process that is economical and scalable

Electronic properties of semiconductor surfaces and metal/semiconductor interfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tallarida, M.

2005-05-15

This thesis reports investigations of the electronic properties of a semiconductor surface (silicon carbide), a reactive metal/semiconductor interface (manganese/silicon) and a non-reactive metal/semiconductor interface (aluminum-magnesium alloy/silicon). The (2 x 1) reconstruction of the 6H-SiC(0001) surface has been obtained by cleaving the sample along the (0001) direction. This reconstruction has not been observed up to now for this compound, and has been compared with those of similar elemental semiconductors of the fourth group of the periodic table. This comparison has been carried out by making use of photoemission spectroscopy, analyzing the core level shifts of both Si 2p and C 1s core levels in terms of charge transfer between atoms of both elements and in different chemical environments. From this comparison, a difference between the reconstruction on the Si-terminated and the C-terminated surface was established, due to the ionic nature of the Si-C bond. The growth of manganese films on Si(111) in the 1-5 ML thickness range has been studied by means of LEED, STM and photoemission spectroscopy. By the complementary use of these surface science techniques, two different phases have been observed for two thickness regimes (<1 ML and >1 ML), which exhibit a different electronic character. The two reconstructions, the (1 x 1)-phase and the ({radical}3 x {radical}3)R30 -phase, are due to silicide formation, as observed in core level spectroscopy. The growth proceeds via island formation in the monolayer regime, while the thicker films show flat layers interrupted by deep holes. On the basis of STM investigations, this growth mode has been attributed to strain due to lattice mismatch between the substrate and the silicide. Co-deposition of Al and Mg onto a Si(111) substrate at low temperature (100K) resulted in the formation of thin alloy films. By varying the relative content of both elements, the thin films exhibited different electronic properties

Diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst: Facile deposition synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Baoying; Huang, Hongwei; Guo, Yuxi; Zhang, Yihe

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A novel diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst has been prepared by a facile one-step deposition process for the first time. • The diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst exhibits much better photocatalytic performance. • This enhancement should be attributed to that diatomite can play as an excellent carrier platform to increase the reactive sites and promote the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. • This work shed new light on facile fabrication of novel composite photocatalyst based on natural mineral. - Abstract: A novel diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst has been prepared by a facile one-step deposition process for the first time. The structure, morphology and optical property of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared BiOI/diatomite photocatalysts was studied by photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) and monitoring photocurrent generation under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The results revealed that BiOI/diatomite composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the pristine BiOI sample. This enhancement should be attributed to that diatomite can play as an excellent carrier platform to increase the reactive sites and promote the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In addition, the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the active species trapping experiments. This work shed new light on facile fabrication of novel composite photocatalyst based on natural mineral.

Diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst: Facile deposition synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Baoying; Huang, Hongwei, E-mail: hhw@cugb.edu.cn; Guo, Yuxi; Zhang, Yihe, E-mail: zyh@cugb.edu.cn

2015-10-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A novel diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst has been prepared by a facile one-step deposition process for the first time. • The diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst exhibits much better photocatalytic performance. • This enhancement should be attributed to that diatomite can play as an excellent carrier platform to increase the reactive sites and promote the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. • This work shed new light on facile fabrication of novel composite photocatalyst based on natural mineral. - Abstract: A novel diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst has been prepared by a facile one-step deposition process for the first time. The structure, morphology and optical property of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared BiOI/diatomite photocatalysts was studied by photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) and monitoring photocurrent generation under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The results revealed that BiOI/diatomite composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the pristine BiOI sample. This enhancement should be attributed to that diatomite can play as an excellent carrier platform to increase the reactive sites and promote the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In addition, the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the active species trapping experiments. This work shed new light on facile fabrication of novel composite photocatalyst based on natural mineral.

Clean graphene electrodes on organic thin-film devices via orthogonal fluorinated chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Jonathan H; Barton, Robert A; Cox, Marshall P; Alexandrou, Konstantinos; Petrone, Nicholas; Olivieri, Giorgia; Yang, Shyuan; Hone, James; Kymissis, Ioannis

2015-04-08

Graphene is a promising flexible, highly transparent, and elementally abundant electrode for organic electronics. Typical methods utilized to transfer large-area films of graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition on metal catalysts are not compatible with organic thin-films, limiting the integration of graphene into organic optoelectronic devices. This article describes a graphene transfer process onto chemically sensitive organic semiconductor thin-films. The process incorporates an elastomeric stamp with a fluorinated polymer release layer that can be removed, post-transfer, via a fluorinated solvent; neither fluorinated material adversely affects the organic semiconductor materials. We used Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to show that chemical vapor deposition graphene can be successfully transferred without inducing defects in the graphene film. To demonstrate our transfer method's compatibility with organic semiconductors, we fabricate three classes of organic thin-film devices: graphene field effect transistors without additional cleaning processes, transparent organic light-emitting diodes, and transparent small-molecule organic photovoltaic devices. These experiments demonstrate the potential of hybrid graphene/organic devices in which graphene is deposited directly onto underlying organic thin-film structures.

A full-sunlight-driven photocatalyst with super long-persistent energy storage ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jie; Liu, Yuan; Zhu, Zhijian; Zhang, Guozhu; Zou, Tao; Zou, Zhijun; Zhang, Shunping; Zeng, Dawen; Xie, Changsheng

2013-01-01

A major drawback of traditional photocatalysts like TiO2 is that they can only work under illumination, and the light has to be UV. As a solution for this limitation, visible-light-driven energy storage photocatalysts have been developed in recent years. However, energy storage photocatalysts that are full-sunlight-driven (UV-visible-NIR) and possess long-lasting energy storage ability are lacking. Here we report, a Pt-loaded and hydrogen-treated WO3 that exhibits a strong absorption at full-sunlight spectrum (300-1,000 nm), and with a super-long energy storage time of more than 300 h to have formaldehyde degraded in dark. In this new material system, the hydrogen treated WO3 functions as the light harvesting material and energy storage material simultaneously, while Pt mainly acts as the cocatalyst to have the energy storage effect displayed. The extraordinary full-spectrum absorption effect and long persistent energy storage ability make the material a potential solar-energy storage and an effective photocatalyst in practice.

TiO2 Based Photocatalyst: From Synthesis and Characterization to Optimization and Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Su, Ren

2012-01-01

TiO2 based photocatalyst has attracted gerat attentions from both fundamental and an applied aspects in water/air purifications and energy production. In this thesis, series of well-defined TiO2 photocatalyst with various parameters (i.e., polymorph composition, shape, impurity concentration, sur...

A Review of Photocatalysts Prepared by Sol-Gel Method for VOCs Removal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Ke Tseng

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The sol-gel process is a wet-chemical technique (chemical solution deposition, which has been widely used in the fields of materials science, ceramic engineering, and especially in the preparation of photocatalysts. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs are prevalent components of indoor air pollution. Among the approaches to remove VOCs from indoor air, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO is regarded as a promising method. This paper is a review of the status of research on the sol-gel method for photocatalyst preparation and for the PCO purification of VOCs. The review and discussion will focus on the preparation and coating of various photocatalysts, operational parameters, and will provide an overview of general PCO models described in the literature.

FY 1998 report on the results of R and D projects by local consortiums for immediate effects. Development of titanium dioxide thin film photocatalysts sensitive to visible light and their applications to cleaning systems; 1998 nendo kashiko kasseina sanka chintan hikari shokubai usumaku no kaihatsu to sono system oyo seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The R and D project has been implemented for developing the thin film-making process techniques which can increase areas of titanium oxide (TiO{sub 2}) photocatalysts sensitive to visible light and their mass production. The fundamental investigations are directed to elucidation of the mechanisms involved in manifestation of activity in visible light of the visible light-sensitive thin film doped with the Cr, V or other ions. The sputtering involving no ion implantation is devised for producing the thin films, to realize the highest visible light sensitivity recorded for the thin TiO{sub 2} film. The sputtering process is investigated in detail for the film-making conditions, e.g., Ar pressure, effects of coexisting O{sub 2} gas, and power gap. The conditions under which the thin film serviceable under commercial conditions can be produced are not established yet, but it is confirmed that the coating film shows superhydrophilicity and photocatalytic activity for, e.g., sterilization, when irradiated with ultraviolet ray. The method has been established for evaluating deodorizing and contamination-preventive functions of the thin films in ultraviolet and visible rays. The project has also confirmed applicability of the techniques to the commercial products, and established the self-cleanable catalyst by combining the oxide catalytic function with the photocatalytic function. (NEDO)

High photoactive and visible-light responsive graphene/titanate nanotubes photocatalysts: preparation and characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Qianqian, Zhai; Tang, Bo; Guoxin, Hu

2011-12-30

A series of graphene/titanate nanotubes (TNTs) photocatalysts using graphene and nanoscale TiO(2) or P25 as original materials were fabricated by hydrothermal method. Both low hydrothermal temperature and proper amount of graphene are propitious to better photoactivity. The photocatalytic activities of these nanocomposites far exceed that of P25, pure TNTs and reported TiO(2)-based nanocomposites for the degradation of Rhodamine-B under visible-light irradiation. These prepared photocatalysts were characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS, BET, FTIR and UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra, and the results indicate that the outstanding photoactivities in visible-light region result from sensitization effect of graphene rather than impurity level in the band gap of TNTs. Furthermore, large BET surface areas of these photocatalysts (almost 10 times larger than that of previously reported graphene/TiO(2) nanoparticles) evidently enhance their absorption abilities and photocatalytic performances (the rate constants of degrading Rhodamine-B are at least 5 times higher than that of previously reported photocatalysts). These photocatalysts show good stability, and their photoactivities do not obviously decrease after four times of repeated uses. A detailed photocatalytic mechanism is suggested, as well. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TiO2 based photo-catalysts prepared by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) on micro-fibrous substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarantopoulos, Ch.

2007-10-01

This thesis deals with micro-fibrous glass substrates functionalized with TiO 2 . The oxide is deposited as a thin film onto the micro fibres by chemical vapour infiltration (CVI), yielding a photo-catalytic material usable for cleaning polluted air. We studied the relation between the structure of the material and its photo-catalytic efficiency. TiO 2 thin films were prepared at low pressure, in a hot-wall CVD reactor, using Ti(O-iPr) 4 as a precursor. They were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, XPS and BET, and by recording the kinetics of decomposition of varied pollutants in solution (orange G, malic acid, imazapyr) and in air (toluene). The conditions favoring the growth of porous films through a columnar growth mode were established by MOCVD-depositing TiO 2 thin films on flat substrates. The subsequent works with micro fibrous thick substrates showed the uniformity of infiltration to be the main factor governing the photo-catalytic efficiency. Operating parameters that optimize infiltration do not yield columnar growth mode. A compromise is necessary. Our photo-catalysts are showing high efficiency comparable, if not higher, to those actually commercialized. These promising results are opening real perspectives for the proposed process. (author)

Layer-by-layer modification of thin-film metal-semiconductor multilayers with ultrashort laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Romashevskiy, S. A.; Tsygankov, P. A.; Ashitkov, S. I.; Agranat, M. B.

2018-05-01

The surface modifications in a multilayer thin-film structure (50-nm alternating layers of Si and Al) induced by a single Gaussian-shaped femtosecond laser pulse (350 fs, 1028 nm) in the air are investigated by means of atomic-force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical microscopy (OM). Depending on the laser fluence, various modifications of nanometer-scale metal and semiconductor layers, including localized formation of silicon/aluminum nanofoams and layer-by-layer removal, are found. While the nanofoams with cell sizes in the range of tens to hundreds of nanometers are produced only in the two top layers, layer-by-layer removal is observed for the four top layers under single pulse irradiation. The 50-nm films of the multilayer structure are found to be separated at their interfaces, resulting in a selective removal of several top layers (up to 4) in the form of step-like (concentric) craters. The observed phenomenon is associated with a thermo-mechanical ablation mechanism that results in splitting off at film-film interface, where the adhesion force is less than the bulk strength of the used materials, revealing linear dependence of threshold fluences on the film thickness.

Effect of Polymer Binders on UV-Responsive Organic Thin-Film Phototransistors with Benzothienobenzothiophene Semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ljubic, Darko; Smithson, Chad S; Wu, Yiliang; Zhu, Shiping

2016-02-17

The influence of polymer binders on the UV response of organic thin-film phototransistors (OTF-PTs) is reported. The active channel of the OTF-PTs was fabricated by blending a UV responsive 2,7-dipenty-[1]benzothieno[2,3-b][1]benzothiophene (C5-BTBT) as small molecule semiconductor and a branched unsaturated polyester (B-upe) as dielectric binder (ratio 1:1). To understand the influence of the polymer composition on the photoelectrical properties and UV response of C5-BTBT, control blends were prepared using common dielectric polymers, namely, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), polycarbonate (PC), and polystyrene (PS), for comparison. Thin-film morphology and nanostructure of the C5-BTBT/polymer blends were investigated by means of optical and atomic force microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction, respectively. Electrical and photoelectrical characteristics of the studied OTF-PTs were evaluated in the dark and under UV illumination with a constant light intensity (P = 3 mW cm(-2), λ = 365 nm), respectively, using two- and three-terminal I-V measurements. Results revealed that the purposely chosen B-upe polymer binder strongly affected the UV response of OTF-PTs. A photocurrent increase of more than 5 orders of magnitude in the subthreshold region was observed with a responsivity as high as 9.7 AW(-1), at VG = 0 V. The photocurrent increase and dramatic shift of VTh,average (∼86 V) were justified by the high number of photogenerated charge carriers upon the high trap density in bulk 8.0 × 10(12) cm(-2) eV(-1) generated by highly dispersed C5-BTBT in B-upe binder. Compared with other devices, the B-upe OTF-PTs had the fastest UV response times (τr1/τr2 = 0.5/6.0) reaching the highest saturated photocurrent (>10(6)), at VG = -5 V and VSD = -60 V. The enhanced UV sensing properties of B-upe based OTF-PTs were attributed to a self-induced thin-film morphology. The enlarged interface facilitated the electron withdrawing/donating functional groups in the polymer chains in

Photocatalytic Degradation of DIPA Using Bimetallic Cu-Ni/TiO2 Photocatalyst under Visible Light Irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Bustam, Mohamad Azmi; Chong, Fai Kait; Man, Zakaria B.; Khan, Muhammad Saqib; Shariff, Azmi M.

2014-01-01

Bimetallic Cu-Ni/TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using wet impregnation (WI) method with TiO2 (Degussa-P25) as support and calcined at different temperatures (180, 200, and 300°C) for the photodegradation of DIPA under visible light. The photocatalysts were characterized using TGA, FESEM, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The results from the photodegradation experiments revealed that the Cu-Ni/TiO2 photocatalysts exhibited much higher photocatalytic activities compared to bare TiO2. It was found that photocatalyst calcined at 200°C had the highest photocatalyst activities with highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (86.82%). According to the structural and surface analysis, the enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to its strong absorption into the visible region and high metal dispersion. PMID:25105158

Photocatalytic Degradation of DIPA Using Bimetallic Cu-Ni/TiO2 Photocatalyst under Visible Light Irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Riaz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Bimetallic Cu-Ni/TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using wet impregnation (WI method with TiO2 (Degussa-P25 as support and calcined at different temperatures (180, 200, and 300°C for the photodegradation of DIPA under visible light. The photocatalysts were characterized using TGA, FESEM, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR and temperature programmed reduction (TPR. The results from the photodegradation experiments revealed that the Cu-Ni/TiO2 photocatalysts exhibited much higher photocatalytic activities compared to bare TiO2. It was found that photocatalyst calcined at 200°C had the highest photocatalyst activities with highest chemical oxygen demand (COD removal (86.82%. According to the structural and surface analysis, the enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to its strong absorption into the visible region and high metal dispersion.

Excitons in atomically thin 2D semiconductors and their applications

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jun; Zhao, Mervin; Wang, Yuan; Zhang, Xiang

2017-06-01

The research on emerging layered two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), reveals unique optical properties generating significant interest. Experimentally, these materials were observed to host extremely strong light-matter interactions as a result of the enhanced excitonic effect in two dimensions. Thus, understanding and manipulating the excitons are crucial to unlocking the potential of 2D materials for future photonic and optoelectronic devices. In this review, we unravel the physical origin of the strong excitonic effect and unique optical selection rules in 2D semiconductors. In addition, control of these excitons by optical, electrical, as well as mechanical means is examined. Finally, the resultant devices such as excitonic light emitting diodes, lasers, optical modulators, and coupling in an optical cavity are overviewed, demonstrating how excitons can shape future 2D optoelectronics.

Semiconductors: Still a Wide Open Frontier for Scientists/Engineers

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, David G.

1997-10-01

A 1995 Business Week article described several features of the explosive use of semiconductor chips today: ``Booming'' personal computer markets are driving high demand for microprocessors and memory chips; (2) New information superhighway markets will `ignite' sales of multimedia and communication chips; and (3) Demand for digital-signal-processing and data-compression chips, which speed up video and graphics, is `red hot.' A Washington Post article by Stan Hinden said that technology is creating an unstoppable demand for electronic elements. This ``digital pervasiveness'' means that a semiconductor chip is going into almost every high-tech product that people buy - cars, televisions, video recorders, telephones, radios, alarm clocks, coffee pots, etc. ``Semiconductors are everywhere.'' Silicon and compound semiconductors are absolutely essential and are pervasive enablers for DoD operations and systems. DoD's Critical Technologies Plan of 1991 says that ``Semiconductor materials and microelectronics are critically important and appropriately lead the list of critical defense technologies.'' These trends continue unabated. This talk describes some of the frontiers of semiconductors today and shows how scientists and engineers can effectively contribute to its advancement. Cooperative, multidisciplinary efforts are increasing. Specific examples will be given for scanning capacitance microscopy and thin-film metrology.

Sonochemical synthesis of solar-light-driven Ago-PbMoO4 photocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyawali, Gobinda; Adhikari, Rajesh; Joshi, Bhupendra; Kim, Tae Ho; Rodríguez-González, Vicente; Lee, Soo Wohn

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Solar light responsive Ag o -PbMoO 4 photocatalyst synthesized by sonochemical method. • UV–vis DRS reveals the strong absorption band due to SPR effect of Ag nanoparticles. • Ag o -PbMoO 4 possess higher photocatalytic activity over PbMoO 4 . • Enhanced photo-activity is explained on the basis of SPR effect of Ag nanoparticle. -- Abstract: Ag o -PbMoO 4 photocatalysts were synthesized by facile sonochemical method with different mol.% of Ag nanoparticles dispersed on the surface of PbMoO 4 . The synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) to investigate the crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, and optical properties of the photocatalyst. Photocatalytic activities of the Ag o -PbMoO 4 samples were evaluated by the degradation of Indigo Carmine (IC) dye under simulated solar light irradiation. It has been observed that the sample containing 0.3 mol.% of Ag showed the best photocatalytic activity as compared to other samples. The results suggest that the dispersion of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of PbMoO 4 significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity of PbMoO 4 . Increase in photocatalytic activity of Ag o -PbMoO 4 photocatalyst has been explained on the basis of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect caused by the silver nanoparticles present in the photocatalyst

Preparation and characterization of visible light-driven AgCl/PPy photocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Shuna; Li Bing; Zhao Chongjun; Xu Yunlong; Qian Xiuzhen; Chen, Guorong

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: AgCl/PPy composite exhibits improved photocatalytic performance and high stability under visible light. Display Omitted Highlights: → AgCl/(PPy) nanocomposites as visible light driven photocatalyst. → Composites exhibited high visible light-driven photocatalytic activity and stability. → Photocatalytic process on MO followed photoreduction mechanisms. → Used photocatalyst can be regenerated in aqueous FeCl 3 solution. - Abstract: Visible light photoactive AgCl/polypyrrole (PPy) composites were prepared via the reaction between excessive Ag + and Cl - ions in the presence of PPy . The AgCl/PPy composites were systematically characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Thermal gravity analysis (TGA). It was found that face-centered cubic AgCl nanocrystallite and 0.2 wt% PPy component existed in the composite and spherical AgCl/PPy nanoparticles were in the range of 200-600 nm. The AgCl/PPy composites showed higher visible light-driven photocatalytic activity and stability than that of AgCl. A photoreduction mechanism was postulated for AgCl/PPy photocatalyst on dye methyl orange (MO). The used AgCl/PPy photocatalyst was facilely regenerated by an oxidation process in aqueous FeCl 3 solution.

Preparation and characterization of visible light-driven AgCl/PPy photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu Shuna; Li Bing [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Zhao Chongjun, E-mail: chongjunzhao@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Xu Yunlong; Qian Xiuzhen; Chen, Guorong [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China)

2011-05-05

Graphical abstract: AgCl/PPy composite exhibits improved photocatalytic performance and high stability under visible light. Display Omitted Highlights: > AgCl/(PPy) nanocomposites as visible light driven photocatalyst. > Composites exhibited high visible light-driven photocatalytic activity and stability. > Photocatalytic process on MO followed photoreduction mechanisms. > Used photocatalyst can be regenerated in aqueous FeCl{sub 3} solution. - Abstract: Visible light photoactive AgCl/polypyrrole (PPy) composites were prepared via the reaction between excessive Ag{sup +} and Cl{sup -} ions in the presence of PPy{sub .} The AgCl/PPy composites were systematically characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Thermal gravity analysis (TGA). It was found that face-centered cubic AgCl nanocrystallite and 0.2 wt% PPy component existed in the composite and spherical AgCl/PPy nanoparticles were in the range of 200-600 nm. The AgCl/PPy composites showed higher visible light-driven photocatalytic activity and stability than that of AgCl. A photoreduction mechanism was postulated for AgCl/PPy photocatalyst on dye methyl orange (MO). The used AgCl/PPy photocatalyst was facilely regenerated by an oxidation process in aqueous FeCl{sub 3} solution.

Urban wastewater treatment by using Ag/ZnO and Pt/TiO2 photocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Murcia Mesa, Julie J; Arias Bolivar, Lizeth G; Sarmiento, Hugo Alfonso Rojas; Martínez, Elsa Giovanna Ávila; Páez, César Jaramillo; Lara, Mayra Anabel; Santos, José Antonio Navío; Del Carmen Hidalgo López, María

2018-03-02

In this study, the treatment of wastewater coming from a river highly polluted with domestic and industrial effluents was evaluated. For this purpose, series of photocatalysts obtained by ZnO and TiO 2 modification were evaluated. The effect of metal addition and Ti precursor (in the case of the titania series) over the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of the materials obtained was also analyzed. The evaluation of the photocatalytic activity showed that semiconductor modification and precursor used in the materials synthesis are important factors influencing the physicochemical and therefore the photocatalytic properties of the materials obtained. The water samples analyzed in the present work were taken from a highly polluted river, and it was found that the effectiveness of the photocatalytic treatment increases when the reaction time increases and for both, wastewater samples and isolated Escherichia coli strain follow the next order Pt/TiO 2 < ZnO. It was also observed that biochemical and chemical demand oxygen and turbidity significantly decrease after treatment, thus indicating that photocatalysis is a non-selective technology, which can lead to recover wastewater containing different pollutants.

OUT Success Stories: Thin-Film PV: Leadership in Materials R and D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitchford, P.

2002-01-01

Photovoltaics (PV) is a modern energy technology that makes use of semiconductor materials to convert sunlight directly to electricity. The idea of thin film technology is to produce truly low-cost PV devices by using pennies worth of active semiconductor materials

Development of Ta3N5 as an Efficient Visible Light-responsive Photocatalyst for Water Oxidation

KAUST Repository

Nurlaela, Ela

2015-09-01

Along with many other solar energy conversion processes, research on photocatalytic water splitting to generate hydrogen and oxygen has experienced rapid major development over the past years. Developing an efficient visible-light-responsive photocatalyst has been one of the targets of such research efforts. In this regard, nitride materials, particularly Ta3N5, have been the subject of investigation due to their promising properties. This dissertation focuses on the fundamental parameters involved in the photocatalytic processes targeting overall water splitting using Ta3N5 as a model photocatalyst. The discussion primarily focuses on relevant parameters that are involved in photon absorption, exciton separation, carrier diffusion, carrier transport, and catalytic efficiency. A collection of theoretical and experimental studies of properties associated with Ta3N5 have been utilized to obtain a comprehensive understanding of this material. The fundamental structural and optoelectronic properties of Ta3N5 have been addressed. From the electronic properties, the dielectric constant and effective masses have been calculated. Because of its high dielectric constant and relatively low effective masses, Ta3N5 is promising for photocatalytic reaction applications. Studies of lattice dynamics, optical properties, and band positions have been able to clearly show that the synthesized Ta3N5 is essentially non-stoichiometric and that a truly pure phase of Ta3N5 has never been achieved, even though XRD has shown a pure phase sample. The photophysical properties of Ta3N5, such as the absorption coefficient, carrier mobility, and carrier lifetime, have been experimentally measured by synthesizing Ta3N5 thin films. Very low kinetic properties with very low transport properties and fast carrier recombination explained why overall water splitting has never been achieved with Ta3N5 as a photocatalyst to date. The extent to which the surface states of Ta3N5 photocatalysts affect

Experimental determination of conduction and valence bands of semiconductor nanoparticles using Kelvin probe force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wen; Chen Yongsheng

2013-01-01

The ability to determine a semiconductor’s band edge positions is important for the design of new photocatalyst materials. In this paper, we introduced an experimental method based on Kelvin probe force microscopy to determine the conduction and valence band edge energies of semiconductor nanomaterials, which has rarely been demonstrated. We tested the method on six semiconductor nanoparticles (α-Fe 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , CuO, TiO 2 , and ZnO) with known electronic structures. The experimentally determined band edge positions for α-Fe 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , and CuO well matched the literature values with no statistical difference. Except CeO 2 , all other metal oxides had a consistent upward bias in the experimental measurements of band edge positions because of the shielding effect of the adsorbed surface water layer. This experimental approach may outstand as a unique alternative way of probing the band edge energy positions of semiconductor materials to complement the current computational methods, which often find limitations in new synthetic or complex materials. Ultimately, this work provides scientific foundation for developing experimental tools to probe nanoscale electronic properties of photocatalytic materials, which will drive breakthroughs in the design of novel photocatalytic systems and advance the fundamental understanding of material properties.

Solar light assisted photocatalysis of water using a zinc oxide semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinde, S. S.; Bhosale, C. H.; Rajpure, K. Y.

2013-01-01

The photocatalytic decomposition of an eco-persistent AO7 dye with sunlight in an oxygenated aqueous suspension has been studied under a nano-crystalline hexagonal ZnO photocatalyst. The effect of substrate temperature on the structural, morphological and photoactive properties has been investigated. The degradation of the AO7 dye is achieved using a photoelectrochemical reactor module equipped with ZnO synthesized electrodes. Kinetic parameters have been investigated in terms of a first order rate equation. The rate constant for this heterogeneous photocatalysis was evaluated as a function of the initial concentration of original species. A substantial reduction in AO7 dye is achieved as analyzed from COD and TOC studies. The mechanism for the degradation could be explained on the basis of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. (semiconductor materials)

Sputtering materials for VLSI and thin film devices

CERN Document Server

Sarkar, Jaydeep

2010-01-01

An important resource for students, engineers and researchers working in the area of thin film deposition using physical vapor deposition (e.g. sputtering) for semiconductor, liquid crystal displays, high density recording media and photovoltaic device (e.g. thin film solar cell) manufacturing. This book also reviews microelectronics industry topics such as history of inventions and technology trends, recent developments in sputtering technologies, manufacturing steps that require sputtering of thin films, the properties of thin films and the role of sputtering target performance on overall p

Structural, optical, and improved photocatalytic properties of CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst nanostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkata Reddy, Ch.; Ravikumar, R.V.S.S.N.; Srinivas, Ganganagunta; Shim, Jaesool; Cho, Migyung

2017-01-01

Highlights: • CdS, SnO_2, and a CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst were synthesized using a two-step technique. • The dislocation density, strain values are higher for CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst. • The CdS/SnO_2 has a higher surface area and smaller crystallite size compared to pristine CdS. • The CdS/SnO_2 catalyst greatly reduced recombination of electron and hole pairs. - Abstract: CdS, SnO_2 and CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst nanostructure were synthesized using a two-step (co-precipitation/hydrothermal) method. The as-prepared materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface analysis (BET), photoluminescence spectra (PL), UV–Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and photocatalytic activity. The band gap energies calculated from the DRS results are 3.30, 2.15, and 2.99 eV for pristine SnO_2, CdS, and the CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst, respectively. The CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst showed more efficient charge carrier separation and improved photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The highest degradation rate constant was achieved for the CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst (0.02434 min"−"1) compared to CdS (0.01381 min"−"1) and SnO_2 (0.00878 min"−"1). The present study provides insights for improving the photocatalytic activity and photo-stability of CdS/SnO_2 hybrid photocatalyst.

Photooxidative desulfurization for diesel using Fe / N - TiO2 photocatalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Saqib; Kait, Chong Fai; Mutalib, Mohd Ibrahim Abdul

2014-10-01

A series of N - TiO2 with different mol% N was synthesized via sol-gel method and characterized using thermal gravimetric analyzer and raman spectroscopy. 0.2 wt% Fe was incorporated onto the calcined (200°C) N - TiO2 followed by calcination at 200°C, 250°C and 300°C. Photooxidative desulfurization was conducted in the presence of 0.2wt% Fe / N - TiO2 with different mol% N with and without oxidant (H2O2). Oxidative desulfurization was only achieved when H2O2 was used while without H2O2 no major effect on the sulfur removal. 0.2Fe -30N - H2O2 photocatalysts showed best performance at all calcination temperatures as compared to other mol% N - H2O2 photocatalysts. 16.45% sulfur removal was achieved using photocatalysts calcined at 300 °C.

Bias-induced migration of ionized donors in amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors with full bottom-gate and partial top-gate structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mallory Mativenga

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Bias-induced charge migration in amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors (TFTs confirmed by overshoots of mobility after bias stressing dual gated TFTs is presented. The overshoots in mobility are reversible and only occur in TFTs with a full bottom-gate (covers the whole channel and partial top-gate (covers only a portion of the channel, indicating a bias-induced uneven distribution of ionized donors: Ionized donors migrate towards the region of the channel that is located underneath the partial top-gate and the decrease in the density of ionized donors in the uncovered portion results in the reversible increase in mobility.

Proceedings of wide band gap semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moustakas, T.D.; Pankove, J.I.; Hamakawa, Y.

1992-01-01

This book contains the proceedings of wide band gap semiconductors. Wide band gap semiconductors are under intense study because of their potential applications in photonic devices in the visible and ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and devices for high temperature, high frequency and high power electronics. Additionally, due to their unique mechanical, thermal, optical, chemical, and electronic properties many wide band gap semiconductors are anticipated to find applications in thermoelectric, electrooptic, piezoelectric and acoustooptic devices as well as protective coatings, hard coatings and heat sinks. Material systems covered in this symposium include diamond, II-VI compounds, III-V nitrides, silicon carbide, boron compounds, amorphous and microcrystalline semiconductors, chalcopyrites, oxides and halides. The various papers addressed recent experimental and theoretical developments. They covered issues related to crystal growth (bulk and thin films), structure and microstructure, defects, doping, optoelectronic properties and device applications. A theoretical session was dedicated to identifying common themes in the heteroepitaxy and the role of defects in doping, compensation and phase stability of this unique class of materials. Important experimental milestones included the demonstrations of bright blue injection luminescence at room temperatures from junctions based on III-V nitrides and a similar result from multiple quantum wells in a ZnSe double heterojunction at liquid nitrogen temperatures

Assessing the antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide thin films using disk diffusion and biofilm reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gittard, Shaun D.; Perfect, John R.; Monteiro-Riviere, Nancy A.; Wei Wei; Jin Chunming; Narayan, Roger J.

2009-01-01

The electronic and chemical properties of semiconductor materials may be useful in preventing growth of microorganisms. In this article, in vitro methods for assessing microbial growth on semiconductor materials will be presented. The structural and biological properties of silicon wafers coated with zinc oxide thin films were evaluated using atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and MTT viability assay. The antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide thin films were established using disk diffusion and CDC Biofilm Reactor studies. Our results suggest that zinc oxide and other semiconductor materials may play a leading role in providing antimicrobial functionality to the next-generation medical devices

Radiation tolerance of amorphous semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolaides, R.V.; DeFeo, S.; Doremus, L.W.

1976-01-01

In an attempt to determine the threshold radiation damage in amorphous semiconductors, radiation tests were performed on amorphous semiconductor thin film materials and on threshold and memory devices. The influence of flash x-rays and neutron radiation upon the switching voltages, on- and off-state characteristics, dielectric response, optical transmission, absorption band edge and photoconductivity were measured prior to, during and following irradiation. These extensive tests showed the high radiation tolerance of amorphous semiconductor materials. Electrical and optical properties, other than photoconductivity, have a neutron radiation tolerance threshold above 10 17 nvt in the steady state and 10 14 nvt in short (50 μsec to 16 msec) pulses. Photoconductivity increases by 1 1 / 2 orders of magnitude at the level of 10 14 nvt (short pulses of 50 μsec). Super flash x-rays up to 5000 rads (Si), 20 nsec, do not initiate switching in off-state samples which are voltage biased up to 90 percent of the threshold voltage. Both memory and threshold amorphous devices are capable of switching on and off during nuclear radiation transients at least as high as 2 x 10 14 nvt in 50 μsec pulses

Microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Ag/AgCl/WO3 photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adhikari, Rajesh; Gyawali, Gobinda; Sekino, Tohru; Wohn Lee, Soo

2013-01-01

Simulated solar light responsive Ag/AgCl/WO 3 composite photocatalyst was synthesized by microwave assisted hydrothermal process. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS), and BET surface area analyzer to investigate the crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, optical properties and surface area of the composite photocatalyst. This photocatalyst exhibited higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B under simulated solar light irradiation. Dye degradation efficiency of composite photocatalyst was found to be increased significantly as compared to that of the commercial WO 3 nanopowder. Increase in photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst was explained on the basis of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect caused by the silver nanoparticles present in the composite photocatalyst. Highlights: ► Successful synthesis of Ag/AgCl/WO 3 nanocomposite. ► Photocatalytic experiment was performed under simulated solar light. ► Nanocomposite photocatalyst was very active as compared to WO 3 commercial powder. ► SPR effect due to Ag nanoparticles enhanced the photocatalytic activity.

Doping of organic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luessem, B.; Riede, M.; Leo, K. [Institut fuer Angewandte Photophysik, TU Dresden (Germany)

2013-01-15

The understanding and applications of organic semiconductors have shown remarkable progress in recent years. This material class has been developed from being a lab curiosity to the basis of first successful products as small organic LED (OLED) displays; other areas of application such as OLED lighting and organic photovoltaics are on the verge of broad commercialization. Organic semiconductors are superior to inorganic ones for low-cost and large-area optoelectronics due to their flexibility, easy deposition, and broad variety, making tailor-made materials possible. However, electrical doping of organic semiconductors, i.e. the controlled adjustment of Fermi level that has been extremely important to the success of inorganic semiconductors, is still in its infancy. This review will discuss recent work on both fundamental principles and applications of doping, focused primarily to doping of evaporated organic layers with molecular dopants. Recently, both p- and n-type molecular dopants have been developed that lead to efficient and stable doping of organic thin films. Due to doping, the conductivity of the doped layers increases several orders of magnitude and allows for quasi-Ohmic contacts between organic layers and metal electrodes. Besides reducing voltage losses, doping thus also gives design freedom in terms of transport layer thickness and electrode choice. The use of doping in applications like OLEDs and organic solar cells is highlighted in this review. Overall, controlled molecular doping can be considered as key enabling technology for many different organic device types that can lead to significant improvements in efficiencies and lifetimes. (Copyright copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Doping of organic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luessem, B.; Riede, M.; Leo, K.

2013-01-01

The understanding and applications of organic semiconductors have shown remarkable progress in recent years. This material class has been developed from being a lab curiosity to the basis of first successful products as small organic LED (OLED) displays; other areas of application such as OLED lighting and organic photovoltaics are on the verge of broad commercialization. Organic semiconductors are superior to inorganic ones for low-cost and large-area optoelectronics due to their flexibility, easy deposition, and broad variety, making tailor-made materials possible. However, electrical doping of organic semiconductors, i.e. the controlled adjustment of Fermi level that has been extremely important to the success of inorganic semiconductors, is still in its infancy. This review will discuss recent work on both fundamental principles and applications of doping, focused primarily to doping of evaporated organic layers with molecular dopants. Recently, both p- and n-type molecular dopants have been developed that lead to efficient and stable doping of organic thin films. Due to doping, the conductivity of the doped layers increases several orders of magnitude and allows for quasi-Ohmic contacts between organic layers and metal electrodes. Besides reducing voltage losses, doping thus also gives design freedom in terms of transport layer thickness and electrode choice. The use of doping in applications like OLEDs and organic solar cells is highlighted in this review. Overall, controlled molecular doping can be considered as key enabling technology for many different organic device types that can lead to significant improvements in efficiencies and lifetimes. (Copyright copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Layered semiconductor neutron detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Samuel S; Perry, Dale L

2013-12-10

Room temperature operating solid state hand held neutron detectors integrate one or more relatively thin layers of a high neutron interaction cross-section element or materials with semiconductor detectors. The high neutron interaction cross-section element (e.g., Gd, B or Li) or materials comprising at least one high neutron interaction cross-section element can be in the form of unstructured layers or micro- or nano-structured arrays. Such architecture provides high efficiency neutron detector devices by capturing substantially more carriers produced from high energy .alpha.-particles or .gamma.-photons generated by neutron interaction.

Broadband absorption of semiconductor nanowire arrays for photovoltaic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Ningfeng; Lin, Chenxi; Povinelli, Michelle L

2012-01-01

We use electromagnetic simulations to carry out a systematic study of broadband absorption in vertically-aligned semiconductor nanowire arrays for photovoltaic applications. We study six semiconductor materials that are commonly used for solar cells. We optimize the structural parameters of each nanowire array to maximize the ultimate efficiency. We plot the maximal ultimate efficiency as a function of height to determine how it approaches the perfect-absorption limit. We further show that the ultimate efficiencies of optimized nanowire arrays exceed those of equal-height thin films for all six materials and over a wide range of heights from 100 nm to 100 µm

Rational design of organic semiconductors for texture control and self-patterning on halogenated surfaces

KAUST Repository

Ward, Jeremy W.

2014-05-15

Understanding the interactions at interfaces between the materials constituting consecutive layers within organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) is vital for optimizing charge injection and transport, tuning thin-film microstructure, and designing new materials. Here, the influence of the interactions at the interface between a halogenated organic semiconductor (OSC) thin film and a halogenated self-assembled monolayer on the formation of the crystalline texture directly affecting the performance of OTFTs is explored. By correlating the results from microbeam grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (μGIWAXS) measurements of structure and texture with OTFT characteristics, two or more interaction paths between the terminating atoms of the semiconductor and the halogenated surface are found to be vital to templating a highly ordered morphology in the first layer. These interactions are effective when the separating distance is lower than 2.5 dw, where dw represents the van der Waals distance. The ability to modulate charge carrier transport by several orders of magnitude by promoting "edge-on" versus "face-on" molecular orientation and crystallographic textures in OSCs is demonstrated. It is found that the "edge-on" self-assembly of molecules forms uniform, (001) lamellar-textured crystallites which promote high charge carrier mobility, and that charge transport suffers as the fraction of the "face-on" oriented crystallites increases. The role of interfacial halogenation in mediating texture formation and the self-patterning of organic semiconductor films, as well as the resulting effects on charge transport in organic thin-film transistors, are explored. The presence of two or more anchoring sites between a halogenated semiconductor and a halogenated self-assembled monolayer, closer than about twice the corresponding van der Waals distance, alter the microstructure and improve electrical properties. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Progress on Crystal Growth of Two-Dimensional Semiconductors for Optoelectronic Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bingqi Sun

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Two-dimensional (2D semiconductors are thought to belong to the most promising candidates for future nanoelectronic applications, due to their unique advantages and capability in continuing the downscaling of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS devices while retaining decent mobility. Recently, optoelectronic devices based on novel synthetic 2D semiconductors have been reported, exhibiting comparable performance to the traditional solid-state devices. This review briefly describes the development of the growth of 2D crystals for applications in optoelectronics, including photodetectors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs, and solar cells. Such atomically thin materials with promising optoelectronic properties are very attractive for future advanced transparent optoelectronics as well as flexible and wearable/portable electronic devices.

Where science fiction meets reality? With oxide semiconductors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fortunato, E.; Martins, R. [CENIMAT/I3N, Departamento de Ciencia dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, CEMOP-UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

2011-09-15

Transparent electronics is today one of the most advanced topics for a wide range of device applications, where the key components are wide band gap semiconductors, where oxides of different origin play an important role, not only as passive components but also as active components similar to what we observe in conventional semiconductors. As passive components they include the use of these materials as dielectrics for a wide range of electronic devices and also as transparent electrical conductors for use in several optoelectronic applications, such as liquid crystal displays, organic light emitting diodes, solar cells, optical sensors etc. As active materials, they exploit the use of truly electronic semiconductors where the main emphasis is being put on transparent thin film transistors, light emitting diodes, lasers, ultraviolet sensors and integrated circuits among others. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

GaN/NbN epitaxial semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Rusen; Khalsa, Guru; Vishwanath, Suresh; Han, Yimo; Wright, John; Rouvimov, Sergei; Katzer, D. Scott; Nepal, Neeraj; Downey, Brian P.; Muller, David A.; Xing, Huili G.; Meyer, David J.; Jena, Debdeep

2018-03-01

Epitaxy is a process by which a thin layer of one crystal is deposited in an ordered fashion onto a substrate crystal. The direct epitaxial growth of semiconductor heterostructures on top of crystalline superconductors has proved challenging. Here, however, we report the successful use of molecular beam epitaxy to grow and integrate niobium nitride (NbN)-based superconductors with the wide-bandgap family of semiconductors—silicon carbide, gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN). We apply molecular beam epitaxy to grow an AlGaN/GaN quantum-well heterostructure directly on top of an ultrathin crystalline NbN superconductor. The resulting high-mobility, two-dimensional electron gas in the semiconductor exhibits quantum oscillations, and thus enables a semiconductor transistor—an electronic gain element—to be grown and fabricated directly on a crystalline superconductor. Using the epitaxial superconductor as the source load of the transistor, we observe in the transistor output characteristics a negative differential resistance—a feature often used in amplifiers and oscillators. Our demonstration of the direct epitaxial growth of high-quality semiconductor heterostructures and devices on crystalline nitride superconductors opens up the possibility of combining the macroscopic quantum effects of superconductors with the electronic, photonic and piezoelectric properties of the group III/nitride semiconductor family.

Synthesis and characterization of Ag/AgBrO{sub 3} photocatalyst with high photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Limin, E-mail: songlmnk@sohu.com [College of Environment and Chemical Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Hollow-Fiber Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, 300387 (China); Li, Tongtong [College of Environment and Chemical Engineering & State Key Laboratory of Hollow-Fiber Membrane Materials and Membrane Processes, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, 300387 (China); Zhang, Shujuan [College of Science, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457 (China)

2016-10-01

A new Ag/AgBrO{sub 3} photocatalyst was prepared by mixing aqueous solutions of AgNO{sub 3} and NaBrO{sub 3}. The catalyst’s structure and performance were investigated with X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The UV–vis absorption spectrum of Ag/AgBrO{sub 3} exhibits a band gap of 3.97 eV. The results show that the Ag/AgBrO{sub 3} semiconductor can be excited by ultraviolet–visible light. The photodegradation of Rhodamine B displayed much higher photocatalytic activity than that of N-doped TiO{sub 2} under the same experimental conditions. Moreover, ·OH and ·O{sub 2}{sup −} generated in the photocatalysis played a key role of the photodegradation of Rhodamine B. - Highlights: • Ag/AgBrO{sub 3} with higher photodegradation ability was synthesized. • ·OH and ·O{sub 2}{sup −} radicals were the main active species in the oxidation of RhB. • The possible reaction mechanism was discussed in details.

High-temperature ferromagnetism in heavily Fe-doped ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Fe)Sb

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tu, Nguyen Thanh; Hai, Pham Nam; Anh, Le Duc; Tanaka, Masaaki

2016-01-01

We show high-temperature ferromagnetism in heavily Fe-doped ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga_1_−_x,Fe_x)Sb (x = 23% and 25%) thin films grown by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy. Magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy and anomalous Hall effect measurements indicate intrinsic ferromagnetism of these samples. The Curie temperature reaches 300 K and 340 K for x = 23% and 25%, respectively, which are the highest values reported so far in intrinsic III-V ferromagnetic semiconductors.

Device and method for luminescence enhancement by resonant energy transfer from an absorptive thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Akselrod, Gleb M.; Bawendi, Moungi G.; Bulovic, Vladimir; Tischler, Jonathan R.; Tisdale, William A.; Walker, Brian J.

2017-12-12

Disclosed are a device and a method for the design and fabrication of the device for enhancing the brightness of luminescent molecules, nanostructures, and thin films. The device includes a mirror, a dielectric medium or spacer, an absorptive layer, and a luminescent layer. The absorptive layer is a continuous thin film of a strongly absorbing organic or inorganic material. The luminescent layer may be a continuous luminescent thin film or an arrangement of isolated luminescent species, e.g., organic or metal-organic dye molecules, semiconductor quantum dots, or other semiconductor nanostructures, supported on top of the absorptive layer.

Strain-tuning of the optical properties of semiconductor nanomaterials by integration onto piezoelectric actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Sánchez, Javier; Trotta, Rinaldo; Mariscal, Antonio; Serna, Rosalía; Piredda, Giovanni; Stroj, Sandra; Edlinger, Johannes; Schimpf, Christian; Aberl, Johannes; Lettner, Thomas; Wildmann, Johannes; Huang, Huiying; Yuan, Xueyong; Ziss, Dorian; Stangl, Julian; Rastelli, Armando

2018-01-01

The tailoring of the physical properties of semiconductor nanomaterials by strain has been gaining increasing attention over the last years for a wide range of applications such as electronics, optoelectronics and photonics. The ability to introduce deliberate strain fields with controlled magnitude and in a reversible manner is essential for fundamental studies of novel materials and may lead to the realization of advanced multi-functional devices. A prominent approach consists in the integration of active nanomaterials, in thin epitaxial films or embedded within carrier nanomembranes, onto Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3-based piezoelectric actuators, which convert electrical signals into mechanical deformation (strain). In this review, we mainly focus on recent advances in strain-tunable properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) embedded in semiconductor nanomembranes and photonic structures. Additionally, recent works on other nanomaterials like rare-earth and metal-ion doped thin films, graphene and MoS2 or WSe2 semiconductor two-dimensional materials are also reviewed. For the sake of completeness, a comprehensive comparison between different procedures employed throughout the literature to fabricate such hybrid piezoelectric-semiconductor devices is presented. It is shown that unprocessed piezoelectric substrates (monolithic actuators) allow to obtain a certain degree of control over the nanomaterials’ emission properties such as their emission energy, fine-structure-splitting in self-assembled InAs QDs and semiconductor 2D materials, upconversion phenomena in BaTiO3 thin films or piezotronic effects in ZnS:Mn films and InAs QDs. Very recently, a novel class of micro-machined piezoelectric actuators have been demonstrated for a full control of in-plane stress fields in nanomembranes, which enables producing energy-tunable sources of polarization-entangled photons in arbitrary QDs. Future research directions and prospects are discussed.

Nanoscale semiconductor Pb{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}Se (x = 0.2) thin films synthesized by electrochemical atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin Shaoxiong; Zhang Xin; Shi Xuezhao; Wei Jinping; Lu Daban; Zhang Yuzhen; Kou Huanhuan [Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Wang Chunming, E-mail: wangcm@lzu.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2011-04-15

In this paper the fabrication and characterization of IV-VI semiconductor Pb{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}Se (x = 0.2) thin films on gold substrate by electrochemical atomic layer deposition (EC-ALD) method at room temperature are reported. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is used to determine approximate deposition potentials for each element. The amperometric I-t technique is used to fabricate the semiconductor alloy. The elements are deposited in the following sequence: (Se/Pb/Se/Pb/Se/Pb/Se/Pb/Se/Sn ...), each period is formed using four ALD cycles of PbSe followed by one cycle of SnSe. Then the deposition manner above is cyclic repeated till a satisfactory film with expected thickness of Pb{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}Se is obtained. The morphology of the deposit is observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern is used to study its crystalline structure; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the deposit indicates an approximate ratio 1.0:0.8:0.2 of Se, Pb and Sn, as the expected stoichiometry for the deposit. Open-circuit potential (OCP) studies indicate a good p-type property, and the good optical activity makes it suitable for fabricating a photoelectric switch.

Resonance generation of photons from vacuum in cavities due to strong periodical changes of conductivity in a thin semiconductor boundary layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodonov, A V; Dodonov, V V

2005-01-01

We study a possibility of photon generation from vacuum in a cavity with an artificial effective time-dependent plasma mirror, which could be created by means of periodical short laser pulses, illuminating a thin semiconductor slab. We take into account two important circumstances: a big imaginary part of the complex time-dependent dielectric permeability inside the slab and a strong dependence of this imaginary part on the distance from the surface of the slab. We find the conditions under which the usual unitary quantization schemes in time-dependent media with real dielectric permeability can be applied to the problem concerned with relatively small (a few per cent) error. We show that, by using a slab with thickness of the order of 1 mm, it is possible to generate a large number of microwave (GHz) photons (up to 10 8 or more) after several thousand picosecond pulses with repetition frequency of the order of 1 GHz, provided that semiconductor materials with high mobility of carriers, high photoabsorption efficiency and small recombination time (less than 1 ns) can be found. We discuss the possible advantages of modes with TM polarization over TE ones, as well as some other important problems to be solved

An overview on cellulose-based material in tailoring bio-hybrid nanostructured photocatalysts for water treatment and renewable energy applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Mohamad Azuwa; Abd Mutalib, Muhazri; Mohd Hir, Zul Adlan; M Zain, M F; Mohamad, Abu Bakar; Jeffery Minggu, Lorna; Awang, Nor Asikin; W Salleh, W N

2017-10-01

A combination between the nanostructured photocatalyst and cellulose-based materials promotes a new functionality of cellulose towards the development of new bio-hybrid materials for various applications especially in water treatment and renewable energy. The excellent compatibility and association between nanostructured photocatalyst and cellulose-based materials was induced by bio-combability and high hydrophilicity of the cellulose components. The electron rich hydroxyl group of celluloses helps to promote superior interaction with photocatalyst. The formation of bio-hybrid nanostructured are attaining huge interest nowadays due to the synergistic properties of individual cellulose-based material and photocatalyst nanoparticles. Therefore, in this review we introduce some cellulose-based material and discusses its compatibility with nanostructured photocatalyst in terms of physical and chemical properties. In addition, we gather information and evidence on the fabrication techniques of cellulose-based hybrid nanostructured photocatalyst and its recent application in the field of water treatment and renewable energy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrowetting on semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Palma, Cesar; Deegan, Robert

2015-01-01

Applying a voltage difference between a conductor and a sessile droplet sitting on a thin dielectric film separating it from the conductor will cause the drop to spread. When the conductor is a good metal, the change of the drop's contact angle due to the voltage is given by the Young-Lippmann (YL) equation. Here, we report experiments with lightly doped, single crystal silicon as the conductive electrode. We derive a modified YL equation that includes effects due to the semiconductor and contact line pinning. We show that light induces a non-reversible wetting transition, and that our model agrees well with our experimental results.

Photocatalytic degradation of aqueous ammonia by using TiO{sub 2}−ZnO/LECA hybrid photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammadi, Zahra; Sharifnia, Shahram, E-mail: sharif@razi.ac.ir; Shavisi, Yaser

2016-12-01

A novel hybrid structure of TiO{sub 2}−ZnO photocatalyst which immobilized on light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) support was applied for efficient removal of ammonia from synthetic wastewater. This photocatalyst was successfully prepared by a simple method and characterized by FESEM, FTIR, UV–vis, and PL techniques. LECA granules were used as support due to their low weight and high porosity surface. Compared with the pure TiO{sub 2} and ZnO, the hybrid photocatalyst had a significant effect on its properties such as photoluminescence and UV visible absorption. The coupled Ti:Zn photocatalyst with molar ratio of 1:2 exhibited the lowest photoluminescence emission intensity and maximum photocatalytic degradation of ammonia in aqueous solution. For evaluating performance of the hybrid photocatalyst, the effect of various parameters such as initial feed concentration, pH of solution, and photocatalyst dosage on the ammonia photodegradation rate were systematically investigated. The optimal pH, catalyst loading, and initial concentration of ammonia were obtained to be ≈ 11, 25 g/L, and 400 mg/L, respectively. Also, in the optimal conditions, 95.2% ammonia removal was achieved during 3 h of UV irradiation. The discussions were based on the mobility and lifetime of the charge carriers generated in the TiO{sub 2}−ZnO composite. - Highlights: • A hybrid structure of TiO{sub 2}−ZnO/LECA was applied for photocatalytic removal of ammonia. • Hybrid photocatalyst had a significant effect on photoluminescence and UV–vis absorption. • Coupled Ti:Zn photocatalyst (molar ratio = 1:2) exhibited max. photocatalytic degradation. • Optimal conditions: pH ≈ 11, catalyst loading = 25 g/L, and initial concentration = 400 mg/L. • In optimal conditions 95.2% ammonia removal was achieved during 3 h of UV irradiation.

Constructing Solid-Gas-Interfacial Fenton Reaction over Alkalinized-C3N4 Photocatalyst To Achieve Apparent Quantum Yield of 49% at 420 nm.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunxiang; Ouyang, Shuxin; Xu, Hua; Wang, Xin; Bi, Yingpu; Zhang, Yuanfang; Ye, Jinhua

2016-10-03

Efficient generation of active oxygen-related radicals plays an essential role in boosting advanced oxidation process. To promote photocatalytic oxidation for gaseous pollutant over g-C 3 N 4 , a solid-gas interfacial Fenton reaction is coupled into alkalinized g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalyst to effectively convert photocatalytic generation of H 2 O 2 into oxygen-related radicals. This system includes light energy as power, alkalinized g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalyst as an in situ and robust H 2 O 2 generator, and surface-decorated Fe 3+ as a trigger of H 2 O 2 conversion, which attains highly efficient and universal activity for photodegradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Taking the photooxidation of isopropanol as model reaction, this system achieves a photoactivity of 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than that of pristine g-C 3 N 4 , which corresponds to a high apparent quantum yield of 49% at around 420 nm. In-situ electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and sacrificial-reagent incorporated photocatalytic characterizations indicate that the notable photoactivity promotion could be ascribed to the collaboration between photocarriers (electrons and holes) and Fenton process to produce abundant and reactive oxygen-related radicals. The strategy of coupling solid-gas interfacial Fenton process into semiconductor-based photocatalysis provides a facile and promising solution to the remediation of air pollution via solar energy.

ULTRATHIN SILICON MEMBRANES TO STUDY SUPERCURRENT TRANSPORT IN CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTORS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VANHUFFELEN, WM; DEBOER, MJ; KLAPWIJK, TM

1991-01-01

We have developed a two-step anisotropic etching process to fabricate thin silicon membranes, used to study supercurrent transport in semiconductor coupled weak links. The process uses a shallow BF2+ implantation, and permits easy control of membrane thickness less-than-or-equal-to 100 nm.

Growth of Wide Band Gap II-VI Compound Semiconductors by Physical Vapor Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ching-Hua; Sha, Yi-Gao

1995-01-01

The studies on the crystal growth and characterization of II-VI wide band gap compound semiconductors, such as ZnTe, CdS, ZnSe and ZnS, have been conducted over the past three decades. The research was not quite as extensive as that on Si, III-V, or even narrow band gap II-VI semiconductors because of the high melting temperatures as well as the specialized applications associated with these wide band gap semiconductors. In the past several years, major advances in the thin film technology such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) and Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) have demonstrated the applications of these materials for the important devices such as light-emitting diode, laser and ultraviolet detectors and the tunability of energy band gap by employing ternary or even quaternary systems of these compounds. At the same time, the development in the crystal growth of bulk materials has not advanced far enough to provide low price, high quality substrates needed for the thin film growth technology.

Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O; Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S

2008-01-01

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process

Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O [Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S [Materials Design and Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2L1 (Canada)], E-mail: lichnsa@163.com

2008-06-21

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

Fe(III/TiO2-Montmorillonite Photocatalyst in Photo-Fenton-Like Degradation of Methylene Blue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Is Fatimah

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A photodegradation process of methylene blue (MB in aqueous solution using Fe(III/TiO2-montmorillonite photocatalyst is presented. The photocatalyst material was prepared using Indonesian natural montmorillonite in TiO2 pillarization process followed by Fe(III ion exchange. Kinetic study on MB degradation was conducted and evaluated by three kinetic models: the pseudo-first- and second-order equations and the Elovich equation. From the results, it is concluded that the degradation under the photo-Fenton-like process utilizing Fe(III/TiO2-montmorillonite photocatalyst conformed to the Elovich kinetic model.

Applications of Nuclear Reaction Analysis for Semiconductor Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Luncun

2003-01-01

Many thin film samples used in the semiconductor industry contain C, N and O. The detection limits and accuracy obtained by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) measurement are limited due to the small cross section values. High energy non-Rutherford backscattering is often used to enhance the sensitivities. But non-Rutherford cross section values are irregular and can not be calculated as normal Rutherford backscattering values. It is also difficult to find an appropriate energy window that for all these elements, and high-energy ions are needed. In this paper, the Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) method is used to simultaneously measure C, N and O. several applications in the semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing areas are presented

All-polymer organic semiconductor laser chips: Parallel fabrication and encapsulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vannahme, Christoph; Klinkhammer, Sönke; Christiansen, Mads Brøkner

2010-01-01

Organic semiconductor lasers are of particular interest as tunable visible laser light sources. For bringing those to market encapsulation is needed to ensure practicable lifetimes. Additionally, fabrication technologies suitable for mass production must be used. We introduce all-polymer chips...... comprising encapsulated distributed feedback organic semiconductor lasers. Several chips are fabricated in parallel by thermal nanoimprint of the feedback grating on 4? wafer scale out of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). The lasers consisting of the organic semiconductor...... tris(8- hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) doped with the laser dye 4-dicyanomethylene-2- methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyril)-4H-pyrane (DCM) are hermetically sealed by thermally bonding a polymer lid. The organic thin film is placed in a basin within the substrate and is not in direct contact to the lid...

Semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This book deals with process and measurement of semiconductor. It contains 20 chapters, which goes as follows; semiconductor industry, introduction of semiconductor manufacturing, yield of semiconductor process, materials, crystal growth and a wafer forming, PN, control pollution, oxidation, photomasking photoresist chemistry, photomasking technologies, diffusion and ion injection, chemical vapor deposition, metallization, wafer test and way of evaluation, semiconductor elements, integrated circuit and semiconductor circuit technology.

Facile synthesis of porous TiO_2 photocatalysts using waste sludge as the template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiaopeng; Huang, Shouqiang; Zhu, Nanwen; Lou, Ziyang; Yuan, Haiping

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Waste sludge is introduced to synthesize the waste sludge templated TiO_2 photocatalyst with porous structure, which possesses better photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO_2. - Highlights: • Waste sludge is introduced to synthesize the TiO_2 photocatalyst. • Waste sludge templated TiO_2 sample possesses porous structure. • Waste sludge templated TiO_2 sample exhibits high photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: A resource utilization method of waste sludge is present by the synthesis of waste sludge templated TiO_2 photocatalysts. The organic materials in waste sludge are used as the pore-forming agents, and the transition metals included in the remaining waste sludge through calcination (WSC) can serve as the dopants for the WSC-TiO_2 (WSCT) photocatalyst. The visible and UV–visible light driven photocatalytic activities of WSCT are much better compared to those of pure TiO_2 and WSC, and it is originated from the higher light absorption property and the efficient electron–hole pair separation provided by waste sludge.

Electroless silver plating of the surface of organic semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Campione, Marcello; Parravicini, Matteo; Moret, Massimo; Papagni, Antonio; Schröter, Bernd; Fritz, Torsten

2011-10-04

The integration of nanoscale processes and devices demands fabrication routes involving rapid, cost-effective steps, preferably carried out under ambient conditions. The realization of the metal/organic semiconductor interface is one of the most demanding steps of device fabrication, since it requires mechanical and/or thermal treatments which increment costs and are often harmful in respect to the active layer. Here, we provide a microscopic analysis of a room temperature, electroless process aimed at the deposition of a nanostructured metallic silver layer with controlled coverage atop the surface of single crystals and thin films of organic semiconductors. This process relies on the reaction of aqueous AgF solutions with the nonwettable crystalline surface of donor-type organic semiconductors. It is observed that the formation of a uniform layer of silver nanoparticles can be accomplished within 20 min contact time. The electrical characterization of two-terminal devices performed before and after the aforementioned treatment shows that the metal deposition process is associated with a redox reaction causing the p-doping of the semiconductor. © 2011 American Chemical Society

ZnO Film Photocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bosi Yin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We have synthesized high-quality, nanoscale ultrathin ZnO films at relatively low temperature using a facile and effective hydrothermal approach. ZnO films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra (PL, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The products demonstrated 95% photodegradation efficiency with Congo red (CR after 40 min irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation experiments of methyl orange (MO and eosin red also were carried out. The results indicate that the as-obtained ZnO films might be promising candidates as the excellent photocatalysts for elimination of waste water.

High-temperature ferromagnetism in heavily Fe-doped ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Fe)Sb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu, Nguyen Thanh [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Department of Physics, Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy, 280, An Duong Vuong Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City 748242 (Viet Nam); Hai, Pham Nam [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-0033 (Japan); Center for Spintronics Research Network (CSRN), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Anh, Le Duc [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Tanaka, Masaaki [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Center for Spintronics Research Network (CSRN), The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2016-05-09

We show high-temperature ferromagnetism in heavily Fe-doped ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga{sub 1−x},Fe{sub x})Sb (x = 23% and 25%) thin films grown by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy. Magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy and anomalous Hall effect measurements indicate intrinsic ferromagnetism of these samples. The Curie temperature reaches 300 K and 340 K for x = 23% and 25%, respectively, which are the highest values reported so far in intrinsic III-V ferromagnetic semiconductors.

Toward continuous-wave operation of organic semiconductor lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Sandanayaka, Atula S. D.; Matsushima, Toshinori; Bencheikh, Fatima; Yoshida, Kou; Inoue, Munetomo; Fujihara, Takashi; Goushi, Kenichi; Ribierre, Jean-Charles; Adachi, Chihaya

2017-01-01

The demonstration of continuous-wave lasing from organic semiconductor films is highly desirable for practical applications in the areas of spectroscopy, data communication, and sensing, but it still remains a challenging objective. We report low-threshold surface-emitting organic distributed feedback lasers operating in the quasi–continuous-wave regime at 80 MHz as well as under long-pulse photoexcitation of 30 ms. This outstanding performance was achieved using an organic semiconductor thin film with high optical gain, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and no triplet absorption losses at the lasing wavelength combined with a mixed-order distributed feedback grating to achieve a low lasing threshold. A simple encapsulation technique greatly reduced the laser-induced thermal degradation and suppressed the ablation of the gain medium otherwise taking place under intense continuous-wave photoexcitation. Overall, this study provides evidence that the development of a continuous-wave organic semiconductor laser technology is possible via the engineering of the gain medium and the device architecture. PMID:28508042

CCST [Center for Compound Semiconductor Technology] research briefs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zipperian, T.E.; Voelker, E.R.

1989-12-01

This paper discusses the following topics: theoretical predictions of valence and conduction band offsets in III-V semiconductors; reflectance modulation of a semiconductor superlattice optical mirror; magnetoquantum oscillations of the phonon-drag thermoelectric power in quantum wells; correlation between photoluminescence line shape and device performance of p-channel strained-layer materials; control of threading dislocations in heteroepitaxial structures; improved growth of CdTe on GaAs by patterning; role of structure threading dislocations in relaxation of highly strained single-quantum-well structures; InAlAs growth optimization using reflection mass spectrometry; nonvolatile charge storage in III-V heterostructures; optically triggered thyristor switches; InAsSb strained-layer superlattice infrared detectors with high detectivities; resonant periodic gain surface-emitting semiconductor lasers; performance advantages of strained-quantum-well lasers in AlGaAs/InGaAs; optical integrated circuit for phased-array radar antenna control; and deposition and novel device fabrication from Tl 2 Ca 2 Ba 2 Cu 3 O y thin films

Quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical etching of semiconductor nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Arthur J.; Tsao, Jeffrey Y.; Wierer, Jr., Jonathan J.; Xiao, Xiaoyin; Wang, George T.

2016-03-01

Quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical (QSC-PEC) etching provides a new route to the precision fabrication of epitaxial semiconductor nanostructures in the sub-10-nm size regime. For example, quantum dots (QDs) can be QSC-PEC-etched from epitaxial InGaN thin films using narrowband laser photoexcitation, and the QD sizes (and hence bandgaps and photoluminescence wavelengths) are determined by the photoexcitation wavelength.

Tethering metal ions to photocatalyst particulate surfaces by bifunctional molecular linkers for efficient hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Yu, Weili

2014-08-19

A simple and versatile method for the preparation of photocatalyst particulates modified with effective cocatalysts is presented; the method involves the sequential soaking of photocatalyst particulates in solutions containing bifunctional organic linkers and metal ions. The modification of the particulate surfaces is a universal and reproducible method because the molecular linkers utilize strong covalent bonds, which in turn result in modified monolayer with a small but controlled quantity of metals. The photocatalysis results indicated that the CdS with likely photochemically reduced Pd and Ni, which were initially immobilized via ethanedithiol (EDT) as a linker, were highly efficient for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from Na2S-Na2SO3-containing aqueous solutions. The method developed in this study opens a new synthesis route for the preparation of effective photocatalysts with various combinations of bifunctional linkers, metals, and photocatalyst particulate materials. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tethering metal ions to photocatalyst particulate surfaces by bifunctional molecular linkers for efficient hydrogen evolution

KAUST Repository

Yu, Weili; Isimjan, Tayirjan T.; Del Gobbo, Silvano; Anjum, Dalaver Hussain; Abdel-Azeim, Safwat; Cavallo, Luigi; Garcia Esparza, Angel T.; Domen, Kazunari; Xu, Wei; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2014-01-01

A simple and versatile method for the preparation of photocatalyst particulates modified with effective cocatalysts is presented; the method involves the sequential soaking of photocatalyst particulates in solutions containing bifunctional organic linkers and metal ions. The modification of the particulate surfaces is a universal and reproducible method because the molecular linkers utilize strong covalent bonds, which in turn result in modified monolayer with a small but controlled quantity of metals. The photocatalysis results indicated that the CdS with likely photochemically reduced Pd and Ni, which were initially immobilized via ethanedithiol (EDT) as a linker, were highly efficient for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from Na2S-Na2SO3-containing aqueous solutions. The method developed in this study opens a new synthesis route for the preparation of effective photocatalysts with various combinations of bifunctional linkers, metals, and photocatalyst particulate materials. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural, optical, and improved photocatalytic properties of CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst nanostructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkata Reddy, Ch., E-mail: cvrphy@gmail.com [School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ravikumar, R.V.S.S.N. [Department of Physics, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar 522510 (India); Srinivas, Ganganagunta [Engineering Department, lbra College of Technology, lbra 400 (Oman); Shim, Jaesool, E-mail: jshim@ynu.ac.kr [School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Migyung, E-mail: mgcho@tu.ac.kr [Department of Game Engineering, Tongmyong University, Busan 608-711 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-07-15

Highlights: • CdS, SnO{sub 2}, and a CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst were synthesized using a two-step technique. • The dislocation density, strain values are higher for CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst. • The CdS/SnO{sub 2} has a higher surface area and smaller crystallite size compared to pristine CdS. • The CdS/SnO{sub 2} catalyst greatly reduced recombination of electron and hole pairs. - Abstract: CdS, SnO{sub 2} and CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst nanostructure were synthesized using a two-step (co-precipitation/hydrothermal) method. The as-prepared materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface analysis (BET), photoluminescence spectra (PL), UV–Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and photocatalytic activity. The band gap energies calculated from the DRS results are 3.30, 2.15, and 2.99 eV for pristine SnO{sub 2}, CdS, and the CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst, respectively. The CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst showed more efficient charge carrier separation and improved photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The highest degradation rate constant was achieved for the CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst (0.02434 min{sup −1}) compared to CdS (0.01381 min{sup −1}) and SnO{sub 2} (0.00878 min{sup −1}). The present study provides insights for improving the photocatalytic activity and photo-stability of CdS/SnO{sub 2} hybrid photocatalyst.

High-Performance Single-Crystalline Perovskite Thin-Film Photodetector

KAUST Repository

Yang, Zhenqian; Deng, Yuhao; Zhang, Xiaowei; Wang, Suo; Chen, Huazhou; Yang, Sui; Khurgin, Jacob; Fang, Nicholas X.; Zhang, Xiang; Ma, Renmin

2018-01-01

The best performing modern optoelectronic devices rely on single-crystalline thin-film (SC-TF) semiconductors grown epitaxially. The emerging halide perovskites, which can be synthesized via low-cost solution-based methods, have achieved substantial

Optical properties of hybrid semiconductor-metal structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreilkamp, L.E.; Pohl, M.; Akimov, I.A.; Yakovlev, D.R.; Bayer, M. [Experimentelle Physik 2, Technische Universitaet Dortmund, 44221 Dortmund (Germany); Belotelov, V.I.; Zvezdin, A.K. [A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119992 Moscow (Russian Federation); Karczewski, G.; Wojtowicz, T. [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02668 Warsaw (Poland); Rudzinski, A.; Kahl, M. [Raith GmbH, Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 8, 44263 Dortmund (Germany)

2012-07-01

We study the optical properties of hybrid nanostructures comprising a semiconductor CdTe quantum well (QW) separated by a thin CdMgTe cap layer of 40 nm from a patterned gold film. The CdTe/CdMgTe QW structure with a well width of 10nm was grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The one-dimensional periodic gold films on top were made using e-beam lithography and lift-off process. The investigated structures can be considered as plasmonic crystals because the metal films attached to the semiconductor are patterned with a period in the range from 475 to 600 nm, which is comparable to the surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) wavelength. Angle dependent reflection spectra at room temperature clearly show plasmonic resonances. PL spectra taken at low temperatures of about 10 K under below- and above-barrier illumination show significant modifications compared to the unstructured QW sample. The number of emission lines and their position shift change depending on the excitation energy. The role of exciton-SPP coupling and Schottky barrier at the semiconductor-metal interface are discussed.

A novel method for simultaneous observations of plasma ion and electron temperatures using a semiconductor-detector array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, T.; Numakura, T.; Kohagura, J.; Hirata, M.; Minami, R.; Watanabe, H.; Sasuga, T.; Nishizawa, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Nagashima, S.; Nakashima, Y.; Ogura, K.; Tamano, T.; Yatsu, K.; Miyoshi, S.

2002-01-01

A new method for a simultaneous observation of both plasma ion and electron temperatures is proposed using one semiconductor-detector array alone. This method will provide a new application of semiconductor-detector arrays for monitoring the key parameter set of nuclear-fusion triple product (i.e., ion temperatures, densities, and confinement time) as well as for clarifying physics mechanisms of energy transport between plasma ions and electrons under various plasma confining conditions. This method is developed on the basis of an alternative 'positive' use of a semiconductor 'dead layer'; that is, an SiO 2 layer is employed as a reliable ultra-thin energy analysis filter for low-energy charge-exchanged neutral particles from plasmas ranging in ion temperatures from 0.1 to several tens of kilo-electron-volts. Using recent fabrication techniques for the thin and uniform SiO 2 layers of the order of tens to hundreds of angstrom, our computer simulation and its experimental verification show the availability of such semiconductors for distinguishing neutral particles (for ion temperatures) from X-rays (for electron temperatures). These are simultaneously emitted from the plasmas into semiconductor detectors; however, we employ their quite different penetration lengths and the resultant different deposition depths and profiles in semiconductor materials. As a result, their output signals are distinguishable for these two different and fundamental species of plasmas

Photochemistry Aspects of the Laser Pyrolysis Addressing the Preparation of Oxide Semiconductor Photocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Alexandrescu

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The laser pyrolysis is a powerful and a versatile tool for the gas-phase synthesis of nanoparticles. In this paper, some fundamental and applicative characteristics of this technique are outlined and recent results obtained in the preparation of gamma iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3 and titania (TiO2 semiconductor nanostructures are illustrated. Nanosized iron oxide particles (4 to 9 nm diameter values have been directly synthesized by the laser-induced pyrolysis of a mixture containing iron pentacarbonyl/air (as oxidizer/ethylene (as sensitizer. Temperature-dependent Mossbauer spectroscopy shows that mainly maghemite is present in the sample obtained at higher laser power. The use of selected Fe2O3 samples for the preparation of water-dispersed magnetic nanofluids is also discussed. TiO2 nanoparticles comprising a mixture of anatase and rutile phases were synthesized via the laser pyrolysis of TiCl4- (vapors based gas-phase mixtures. High precursor concentration of the oxidizer was found to favor the prevalent anatase phase (about 90% in the titania nanopowders.

Schottky contact analysis of photovoltaic chalcopyrite thin film absorbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlenker, E.; Mertens, V.; Parisi, J.; Reineke-Koch, R.; Koentges, M.

2007-01-01

Current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements serve to analyze thermally evaporated Al Schottky contacts on Cu(In, Ga)Se 2 based photovoltaic thin film devices, either taken as grown or etched in a bromine-methanol solution. The characteristics of the Schottky contacts on the as-grown films give evidence for some dielectric layer developing between the metal and the semiconductor. Etching the semiconductor surface prior to evaporation of the Al front contact yields a pure metal-semiconductor behavior, including effects that can be attributed to an additional diode at the Mo contact. Simulations confirm the experimental results

Incorporation of N–ZnO/CdS/Graphene oxide composite photocatalyst for enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huo, Pengwei, E-mail: huopw1@163.com [School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Zhou, Mingjun; Tang, Yanfeng [School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Liu, Xinlin [School of Energy & Power Engineering Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Ma, Changchang; Yu, Longbao [School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Yan, Yongsheng, E-mail: yys@mail.ujs.edu.cn [School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, 212013 (China); Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 (China)

2016-06-15

N–ZnO/CdS/Graphene oxide (GO) composite photocatalysts have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The as-prepared composite photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–vis DRS), thermogravimetry (TG) and photoluminescence (PL). The as-prepared photocatalysts exhibited strong visible light photocatalytic activity toward to degradation of antibiotics under ambient conditions. Particularly, the N–ZnO/CdS/GO composite photocatalysts showed the higher photocatalytic degradation rate (86%) of ciprofloxacin CIP under visible light irradiation than the pure photocatalysts. Compared with degradation of different antibiotics (tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) and levofloxacin (LEV)), the N–ZnO/CdS/GO composite photocatalysts also exhibited high photocatalytic activities. According to the experiments, the role of GO in the composite photocatalysts acted as an electron conductor, and also enhanced the separation rate of electrons and holes which greatly improved the photocatalytic activity. Lastly, the mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic degradation of CIP was also discussed. - Highlights: • N–ZnO/CdS/GO composite was synthesized by the hydrothermal processes. • N–ZnO/CdS composites prevent pure CdS or ZnO from photocorrosion. • N–ZnO/CdS/GO shows the remarkable photocatalytic activity and stability.

Influence of temperature on thermoelectric properties of Fe{sub x}Co{sub 1−x}S{sub 2} thin films: A semiconductor to semimetal conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clamagirand, J.M.; Ares, J.R., E-mail: joser.ares@uam.es; Flores, E.; Diaz-Chao, P.; Leardini, F.; Ferrer, I.J.; Sánchez, C.

2016-02-01

In this work, we investigate the thermoelectric properties of p and n-type thin films obtained by cobalt doping of FeS{sub 2}. Films were synthesized by direct sulfuration of Co–Fe thin bilayers at 300 °C. It is found that at room temperature (RT), the Seebeck coefficient is reduced from 80 μV/K to − 70 μV/K when Co concentration is increased and the electrical resistivity of the films is decreased two orders of magnitude. X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements point out that Co is replacing Fe into the pyrite lattice and, subsequently is promoting a semiconductor to semimetal conversion. The influence of temperature on transport properties of different Fe{sub x}Co{sub 1−x}S{sub 2} films has been investigated. Whereas the Seebeck coefficient is hardly modified, the film resistivity is drastically decreased when temperature increases what has been attributed to the thermal activation of electrical carriers. The influence of Co doping on the band scheme of FeS{sub 2} is shown. To this aim, donor and acceptor states are included into its forbidden gap. Whereas the band scheme of FeS{sub 2} exhibits an acceptor level with an E = 0.11 ± 0.03 eV above the top of the valence band due to iron vacancies, a wide donor level close to the bottom of the conduction band (E = 0.08 ± 0.05 eV) is created by the progressive replacement of iron by cobalt into the FeS{sub 2} lattice. - Highlights: • Thermoelectric properties of pyrite and Co-doped pyrite thin films were measured. • Whereas ρ decreases, S remains practically unaltered on increasing temperature (RT-300 °C). • On increasing Co-concentration, films exhibit a p semiconductor to n type semimetal conversion. • Donor states close to the botton of the conduction band are created by Co doping. • Energy of the donor level decreases and gets wider due to Co-concentration.

Heterogenous integration of a thin-film GaAs photodetector and a microfluidic device on a silicon substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Fuchuan; Xiao, Jing; Udawala, Fidaali; Seo, Sang-Woo

2011-01-01

In this paper, heterogeneous integration of a III–V semiconductor thin-film photodetector (PD) with a microfluidic device is demonstrated on a SiO 2 –Si substrate. Thin-film format of optical devices provides an intimate integration of optical functions with microfluidic devices. As a demonstration of a multi-material and functional system, the biphasic flow structure in the polymeric microfluidic channels was co-integrated with a III–V semiconductor thin-film PD. The fluorescent drops formed in the microfluidic device are successfully detected with an integrated thin-film PD on a silicon substrate. The proposed three-dimensional integration structure is an alternative approach to combine optical functions with microfluidic functions on silicon-based electronic functions.

Research Progress on Visible-light Responding ZnO-based Nanocomposite Photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHAO Yan-ru

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this review, different types and properties, photocatalysis and functional mechanism of ZnO-based nanocomposite were summarized. Besides, the research advances were discussed in applications of visible-light responding ZnO-based nanocomposite in fields of degradation of organic pollutants,photocatalytic hydrogen production and antibacterial agents, and the way of thinking and suggestions for further research on ZnO-based nanocomposite photocatalyst were put forward. With the developing of basic research and application, ZnO-based nanocomposite photocatalyst will be widely used in the fields of high efficiency catalyst, environmental purification, solar energy conversion and so on.

Transmission electron microscopy characterization of photocatalysts for water splitting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavalca, Filippo; Laursen, Anders Bo; Dahl, Søren

, it is necessary to understand the fundamentals of their reaction mechanisms, chemical behavior, structure and morphology before, during and after reaction using in situ investigations. Here, we focus on the in situ characterization of photocatalysts [1] in an environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM......) [2]. Such fundamental insight can be used for further material optimization with respect to performance and stability [3]. In this work, we combine conventional TEM analysis of photocatalysts with environmental TEM (ETEM) and photoactivation using light. A novel type of TEM specimen holder...... that enables in situ illumination is developed to study light-induced phenomena in photoactive materials at the nanoscale under working conditions. Our experiments are aimed at exposing a specimen to light and detecting resulting microstructural and chemical changes using in situ TEM techniques...

Optical, Electrical and Photocatalytic Properties of the Ternary Semiconductors ZnxCd1-xS, CuxCd1-xS and CuxZn1-xS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Andrea Mayén-Hernández

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of vacuum annealing at different temperatures on the optical, electrical and photocatalytic properties of polycrystalline and amorphous thin films of the ternary semiconductor alloys ZnxCd1-xS, CuxCd1-xS and CuxZn1-xS were investigated in stacks of binary semiconductors obtained by chemical bath deposition. The electrical properties were measured at room temperature using a four-contact probe in the Van der Pauw configuration. The energy band gap of the films varied from 2.30 to 2.85 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor thin films was evaluated by the degradation of an aqueous methylene blue solution. The thin film of ZnxCd1-xS annealed under vacuum at 300°C exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity.

Silver loaded WO3−x/TiO2 composite multifunctional thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunnill, Charles W.; Noimark, Sacha; Parkin, Ivan P.

2012-01-01

Multifunctional WO 3−x –TiO 2 composite thin films have been prepared by sol–gel synthesis and shown to be good visible light photocatalysts whilst retaining a desirable underlying blue colouration. The WO 3−x –TiO 2 composite thin films were further enhanced using silver nanoparticles synthesised in-situ on the surface from the photo-degradation of silver nitrate solution. Thin films were characterised using X-ray diffraction, Raman, Scanning electron microscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy and shown to photo degrade stearic acid, using white light λ = 420–800 nm. - Highlights: ► WO 3−X TiO 2 composite thin films were synthesised by sol–gel methods. ► Blue tinted glass is desirable for the value added glass industry. ► Silver nanoparticle island formation enhances the activity of the films. ► Blue tinted “value added” coated glass is now possible.

Dual-sided microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors (DSMSNDs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fronk, Ryan G.; Bellinger, Steven L.; Henson, Luke C.; Ochs, Taylor R.; Smith, Colten T.; Kenneth Shultis, J.; McGregor, Douglas S.

2015-01-01

Microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors (MSNDs) have in recent years received much interest as high-efficiency replacements for thin-film-coated thermal neutron detectors. The basic device structure of the MSND involves micro-sized trenches that are etched into a vertically-oriented pvn-junction diode that are backfilled with a neutron converting material. Neutrons absorbed within the converting material induce fission of the parent nucleus, producing a pair of energetic charged-particle reaction products that can be counted by the diode. The MSND deep-etched microstructures produce good neutron-absorption and reaction-product counting efficiencies, offering a 10× improvement in intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency over thin-film-coated devices. Performance of present-day MSNDs are nearing theoretical limits; streaming paths between the conversion-material backfilled trenches, allow a considerable fraction of neutrons to pass undetected through the device. Dual-sided microstructured semiconductor neutron detectors (DSMSNDs) have been developed that utilize a complementary second set of trenches on the back-side of the device to count streaming neutrons. DSMSND devices are theoretically capable of greater than 80% intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency for a 1-mm thick device. The first such prototype DSMSNDs, presented here, have achieved 29.48±0.29% nearly 2× better than MSNDs with similar microstructure dimensions.

A photocatalyst-enzyme coupled artificial photosynthesis system for solar energy in production of formic acid from CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Rajesh K; Baeg, Jin-Ook; Oh, Gyu Hwan; Park, No-Joong; Kong, Ki-jeong; Kim, Jinheung; Hwang, Dong Won; Biswas, Soumya K

2012-07-18

The photocatalyst-enzyme coupled system for artificial photosynthesis process is one of the most promising methods of solar energy conversion for the synthesis of organic chemicals or fuel. Here we report the synthesis of a novel graphene-based visible light active photocatalyst which covalently bonded the chromophore, such as multianthraquinone substituted porphyrin with the chemically converted graphene as a photocatalyst of the artificial photosynthesis system for an efficient photosynthetic production of formic acid from CO(2). The results not only show a benchmark example of the graphene-based material used as a photocatalyst in general artificial photosynthesis but also the benchmark example of the selective production system of solar chemicals/solar fuel directly from CO(2).

Thin pentacene layer under pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srnanek, R.; Jakabovic, J.; Kovac, J.; Donoval, D.; Dobrocka, E.

2011-01-01

Organic semiconductors have got a lot of interest during the last years, due to their usability for organic thin film transistor. Pentacene, C 22 H 14 , is one of leading candidates for this purpose. While we obtain the published data about pressure-induced phase transition only on single crystal of pentacene we present pressure-induced phase transition in pentacene thin layers for the first time. Changes in the pentacene structure, caused by the pressure, were detected by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Applying the defined pressure to the pentacene layer it can be transformed from thin phase to bulk phase. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was found as useful method for detection of changes and phases identification in the pentacene layer induced by mechanical pressure. Such a pressure-induced transformation of pentacene thin layers was observed and identified for the first time. (authors)

High-Performance Single-Crystalline Perovskite Thin-Film Photodetector

KAUST Repository

Yang, Zhenqian

2018-01-10

The best performing modern optoelectronic devices rely on single-crystalline thin-film (SC-TF) semiconductors grown epitaxially. The emerging halide perovskites, which can be synthesized via low-cost solution-based methods, have achieved substantial success in various optoelectronic devices including solar cells, lasers, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. However, to date, the performance of these perovskite devices based on polycrystalline thin-film active layers lags behind the epitaxially grown semiconductor devices. Here, a photodetector based on SC-TF perovskite active layer is reported with a record performance of a 50 million gain, 70 GHz gain-bandwidth product, and a 100-photon level detection limit at 180 Hz modulation bandwidth, which as far as we know are the highest values among all the reported perovskite photodetectors. The superior performance of the device originates from replacing polycrystalline thin film by a thickness-optimized SC-TF with much higher mobility and longer recombination time. The results indicate that high-performance perovskite devices based on SC-TF may become competitive in modern optoelectronics.

Crystal Structure, Optical, and Electrical Properties of SnSe and SnS Semiconductor Thin Films Prepared by Vacuum Evaporation Techniques for Solar Cell Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ariswan; Sutrisno, H.; Prasetyawati, R.

2017-05-01

Thin films of SnSe and SnS semiconductors had been prepared by vacuum evaporation techniques. All prepared samples were characterized on their structure, optical, and electrical properties in order to know their application in technology. The crystal structure of SnSe and SnS was determined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) instrument. The morphology and chemical composition were obtained by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive of X-Ray Analysis (EDAX). The optical property such as band gap was determined by DR-UV-Vis (Diffuse Reflectance-Ultra Violet-Visible) spectroscopy, while the electrical properties were determined by measuring the conductivity by four probes method. The characterization results indicated that both SnSe and SnS thin films were polycrystalline. SnSe crystallized in an orthorhombic crystal system with the lattice parameters of a = 11.47 Å, b = 4.152 Å and c = 4.439 Å, while SnS had an orthorhombic crystal system with lattice parameters of a = 4.317 Å, b = 11.647 Å and c = 3.981 Å. Band gaps (Eg) of SnSe and SnS were 1.63 eV and 1.35 eV, respectively. Chemical compositions of both thin films were non-stoichiometric. Molar ratio of Sn : S was close to ideal which was 1 : 0.96, while molar ratio of Sn : S was 1 : 0.84. The surface morphology described the arrangement of the grains on the surface of the thin film with sizes ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 microns. Color similarity on the surface of the SEM images proved a homogenous thin layer.

Metal-semiconductor transition at a comparable resistivity level and positive magnetoresistance in Mn3Mn1-x Pd x N thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, T.; Ji, G. P.; Cao, Z. X.; Ji, A. L.

2018-02-01

Thin films of antiperovskite Mn3Mn1-x Pd x N with x up to 0.36 were grown by reactive magnetron co-sputtering method. All the deposits exhibit a [1 0 0] preferential orientation, with the lattice constant slightly enlarged in samples with ever more Pd atoms partially substituting the MnI atoms in Mn3MnN matrix. The replacement of MnI atoms in antiperovskite structure by Pd atoms, besides reducing the saturation magnetization, also invokes a metal-semiconductor transition which occurs remarkably at a comparable resistivity level. Moreover, a positive magnetoresistance was observed in samples of a high Pd content. These tunable electrical and magnetic properties of ternary antiperovskite compounds might promise some ingenious applications in electronic industry.

Superconducting detectors for semiconductor quantum photonics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reithmaier, Guenther M.

2015-01-01

In this thesis we present the first successful on-chip detection of quantum light, thereby demonstrating the monolithic integration of superconducting single photon detectors with individually addressable semiconductor quantum dots in a prototypical quantum photonic circuit. Therefore, we optimized both the deposition of high quality superconducting NbN thin films on GaAs substrates and the fabrication of superconducting detectors and successfully integrated these novel devices with GaAs/AlGaAs ridge waveguides loaded with self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots.

One dimensional CdS nanowire@TiO2 nanoparticles core-shell as high performance photocatalyst for fast degradation of dye pollutants under visible and sunlight irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabzadeh, Abbas; Salimi, Abdollah

2016-10-01

In this study, one-dimensional CdS nanowires@TiO2 nanoparticles core-shell structures (1D CdS NWs@TiO2 NPs) were synthesized by a facile wet chemical-solvothermal method. The different aspects of the properties of CdS NWs@TiO2 NPs were surveyed by using a comprehensive range of characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and amperometry. The as-prepared nanostructure was applied as an effective photocatalyst for degradation of methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible and sunlight irradiation. The results indicated significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity of CdS NWs@TiO2 NPs for degradation of MO, MB and Rh B compared to CdS NWs. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the enhanced sunlight absorbance and the efficient charge separation of the formed heterostructure between CdS NWs and TiO2. The results showed that MO, Rh B and MB were almost completely degraded after 2, 2 and 3min of exposure to sunlight, respectively; while under visible light irradiation (3W blue LED lamp) the dyes were decomposed with less half degradation rate. The catalytic activity was retained even after three degradation cycles of organic dyes, demonstrating that the proposed nanocomposite can be effectively used as efficient photocatalyst for removal of environmental pollutions caused by organic dyes under sunlight irradiation and it could be an important addition to the field of wastewater treatment. We hope the present study may open a new window of such 1-D semiconductor nanocomposites to be used as visible light photocatalysts in the promising field of organic dyes degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nonequilibrium carrier dynamics in transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Steinhoff, A.; Florian, M.; Rösner, M.; Lorke, M.; Wehling, T. O.; Gies, C.; Jahnke, F.

2016-09-01

When exploring new materials for their potential in (opto)electronic device applications, it is important to understand the role of various carrier interaction and scattering processes. In atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors, the Coulomb interaction is known to be much stronger than in quantum wells of conventional semiconductors like GaAs, as witnessed by the 50 times larger exciton binding energy. The question arises, whether this directly translates into equivalently faster carrier-carrier Coulomb scattering of excited carriers. Here we show that a combination of ab initio band-structure and many-body theory predicts Coulomb-mediated carrier relaxation on a sub-100 fs time scale for a wide range of excitation densities, which is less than an order of magnitude faster than in quantum wells.

Solvent vapor annealing of an insoluble molecular semiconductor

KAUST Repository

Amassian, Aram

2010-01-01

Solvent vapor annealing has been proposed as a low-cost, highly versatile, and room-temperature alternative to thermal annealing of organic semiconductors and devices. In this article, we investigate the solvent vapor annealing process of a model insoluble molecular semiconductor thin film - pentacene on SiO 2 exposed to acetone vapor - using a combination of optical reflectance and two-dimensional grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements performed in situ, during processing. These measurements provide valuable and new insight into the solvent vapor annealing process; they demonstrate that solvent molecules interact mainly with the surface of the film to induce a solid-solid transition without noticeable swelling, dissolving or melting of the molecular material. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Facile fabrication of CuPp–TiO2 mesoporous composite: An excellent and robust heterostructure photocatalyst for 4-nitrophenol degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Mi-Mi; Wang, Chen; Li, Jun; Yuan, Lin; Sun, Wan-Jun

2015-01-01

superficial area and the mesoporous structure of CuPp–TiO 2 . The experiment of photodegradation 4-nitrophenol indicate that the CuPp–TiO 2 reveals superior photocatalytic activity and wonderful cycling performance with the photocatalytic efficiency of 86.69% even after six cycles. The Cu(II) porphyrins in the CuPp–TiO 2 can act as a small-band-gap semiconductor to absorb visible light, prolonging the separation time of electron–hole. On the basis of above properties, the CuPp–TiO 2 is prominent photocatalyst

Titanium-dioxide nanotube p-n homojunction diode

Science.gov (United States)

Alivov, Yahya; Ding, Yuchen; Singh, Vivek; Nagpal, Prashant

2014-12-01

Application of semiconductors in functional optoelectronic devices requires precise control over their doping and formation of junction between p- and n-doped semiconductors. While doped thin films have led to several semiconductor devices, need for high-surface area nanostructured devices for photovoltaic, photoelectrochemical, and photocatalytic applications has been hindered by lack of desired doping in nanostructures. Here, we show titanium-dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes doped with nitrogen (N) and niobium (Nb) as acceptors and donors, respectively, and formation of TiO2 nanotubes p-n homojunction. This TiO2:N/TiO2:Nb homojunction showed distinct diode-like behaviour with rectification ratio of 1115 at ±5 V and exhibited good photoresponse for ultraviolet light (λ = 365 nm) with sensitivity of 0.19 A/W at reverse bias of -5 V. These results can have important implications for development of nanostructured metal-oxide solar-cells, photodiodes, LED's, photocatalysts, and photoelectrochemical devices.

Titanium-dioxide nanotube p-n homojunction diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alivov, Yahya, E-mail: y.alivov@colorado.edu, E-mail: pnagpal@colorado.edu; Ding, Yuchen; Singh, Vivek [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80303 (United States); Nagpal, Prashant, E-mail: y.alivov@colorado.edu, E-mail: pnagpal@colorado.edu [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80303 (United States); Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80303 (United States); Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 2445 Kittredge Loop, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States)

2014-12-29

Application of semiconductors in functional optoelectronic devices requires precise control over their doping and formation of junction between p- and n-doped semiconductors. While doped thin films have led to several semiconductor devices, need for high-surface area nanostructured devices for photovoltaic, photoelectrochemical, and photocatalytic applications has been hindered by lack of desired doping in nanostructures. Here, we show titanium-dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanotubes doped with nitrogen (N) and niobium (Nb) as acceptors and donors, respectively, and formation of TiO{sub 2} nanotubes p-n homojunction. This TiO{sub 2}:N/TiO{sub 2}:Nb homojunction showed distinct diode-like behaviour with rectification ratio of 1115 at ±5 V and exhibited good photoresponse for ultraviolet light (λ = 365 nm) with sensitivity of 0.19 A/W at reverse bias of −5 V. These results can have important implications for development of nanostructured metal-oxide solar-cells, photodiodes, LED's, photocatalysts, and photoelectrochemical devices.

Reduced graphene oxide wrapped Cu2O supported on C3N4: An efficient visible light responsive semiconductor photocatalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Ganesh Babu, S.; Vinoth, R.; Surya Narayana, P.; Bahnemann, Detlef; Neppolian, B.

2015-10-01

Herein, Cu2O spheres were prepared and encapsulated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The Cu2O-rGO-C3N4 composite covered the whole solar spectrum with significant absorption intensity. rGO wrapped Cu2O loading caused a red shift in the absorption with respect to considering the absorption of bare C3N4. The photoluminescence study confirms that rGO exploited as an electron transport layer at the interface of Cu2O and C3N4 heterojunction. Utmost, ˜2 fold synergistic effect was achieved with Cu2O-rGO-C3N4 for the photocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in comparison with Cu2O-rGO and C3N4. The Cu2O-rGO-C3N4 photocatalyst was reused for four times without loss in its activity.

Rational design of organic semiconductors for texture control and self-patterning on halogenated surfaces

KAUST Repository

Ward, Jeremy W.; Li, Ruipeng; Obaid, Abdulmalik; Payne, Marcia M.; Smilgies, Detlef Matthias; Anthony, John Edward; Amassian, Aram; Jurchescu, Oana D.

2014-01-01

new materials. Here, the influence of the interactions at the interface between a halogenated organic semiconductor (OSC) thin film and a halogenated self-assembled monolayer on the formation of the crystalline texture directly affecting

Preparation And Characterization of Cu-Fe/ TiO2 Photocatalyst for Visible Light Deep Desulfurization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayyiratul Fatimah Mohd Zaid; Kait, C.F.; Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib

2016-01-01

A photooxidative system for deep desulfurization of model diesel fuel was explored. Nanoparticles of anatase titania (TiO 2 ) were synthesized via sol-gel hydrothermal method. The TiO 2 was further modified with bimetallic Cu-Fe using wet-impregnation method followed by calcination process in order to extend the activity region of the photocatalyst to visible-light. A series of bimetallic 2.2 wt % Cu-Fe/ TiO 2 photocatalysts with different Cu:Fe mass compositions were characterized for their physical, chemical and optical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy (DR-UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The performance of the photocatalysts was evaluated for photooxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the sulfur species from model oil in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, H 2 O 2 under 500 W visible light illumination. The highest sulfur conversion of 82.36 % was observed for photocatalyst with 10:1Cu:Fe mass composition. (author)

Easily recycled Bi2O3 photocatalyst coatings prepared via ball milling followed by calcination

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Lijun; Hu, Xumin; Hao, Liang

2017-06-01

Bi2O3 photocatalyst coatings derived from Bi coatings were first prepared by a two-step method, namely ball milling followed by the calcination process. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and UV-Vis spectra, respectively. The results showed that monoclinic Bi2O3 coatings were obtained after sintering Bi coatings at 673 or 773 K, while monoclinic and triclinic mixed phase Bi2O3 coatings were obtained at 873 or 973 K. The topographies of the samples were observably different, which varied from flower-like, irregular, polygonal to nanosized particles with the increase in calcination temperature. Photodegradation of malachite green under simulated solar irradiation for 180 min showed that the largest degradation efficiency of 86.2% was achieved over Bi2O3 photocatalyst coatings sintered at 873 K. The Bi2O3 photocatalyst coatings, encapsulated with Al2O3 ball with an average diameter around 1 mm, are quite easily recycled, which provides an alternative visible light-driven photocatalyst suitable for practical water treatment application.

(ZnO) m pellets as cause of variability in thin film transistor

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) is a novel amorphous oxide semiconductor, which recently has received much attention for thin film transistors (TFTs) in flat panel displays. Published literature reports significant variations in the properties of thin films and TFTs prepared from IGZO even though the reported process ...

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of SrTiO3 photocatalyst by topotactic preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jiafeng; Huang, Xianshan; Liu, Yi; Wu, Jianguang; Ji, Yuexia

2016-11-01

Novel SrTiO3 (ST) photocatalysts with different shapes such as plates, rods and cubes were successfully synthesized based on a topotactic approach. The rod-like ST particles formed in situ at the plates show superior photocatalytic activities towards the decomposition of Rhodamine B than the plate-like and the cubic particles under visible-light irradiation, which could be attributed to the crystal orientation exposing highly active sites accompanied by the crystallite growth in molten salt. The results reveal an effective approach for fabrication of novel photocatalysts of perovskite structure with enhanced photocatalytic activities.

Porous-ZnO-Nanobelt Film as Recyclable Photocatalysts with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Min

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this article, the porous-ZnO-nanobelt film was synthesized by oxidizing the ZnSe-nanobelt film in air. The experiment results show that the porous-ZnO-nanobelt film possesses enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with the ZnO-nanobelt film, and can be used as recyclable photocatalysts. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the porous-ZnO-nanobelt film is attributed to the increased surface area. Therefore, turning the 1D-nanostructure film into porous one may be a feasible approach to meet the demand of photocatalyst application.

Influence of semiconductor/metal interface geometry in an EMR sensor

KAUST Repository

Sun, Jian

2013-02-01

The extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) is well known to be strongly dependent on geometric parameters. While the influence of the aspect ratios of the metal and semiconductor areas has been thoroughly investigated, the geometry of the semiconductor/metal interface has been neglected so far. However, from a fabrication point of view, this part plays a crucial role. In this paper, the performance of a bar-type hybrid EMR sensor is investigated by means of finite element method and experiments with respect to the hybrid interface geometry. A 3-D model has been developed, which simulates the EMR effect in case of fields in different directions. The semiconductor/metal interface has been investigated in terms of different layer thicknesses and overlaps. The results show that those parameters can cause a change in the output sensitivity of 2%-10%. In order to maintain a high sensitivity and keep the fabrication relatively simple and at low cost, a device with a thin metal shunt having a large overlap on the top of the semiconductor bar would provide the best solution. © 2001-2012 IEEE.

Ambiguous Role of Growth-Induced Defects on the Semiconductor-to-Metal Characteristics in Epitaxial VO2/TiO2 Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Mihailescu, Cristian N; Symeou, Elli; Svoukis, Efthymios; Negrea, Raluca F; Ghica, Corneliu; Teodorescu, Valentin; Tanase, Liviu C; Negrila, Catalin; Giapintzakis, John

2018-04-25

Controlling the semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature in epitaxial VO 2 thin films remains an unresolved question both at the fundamental as well as the application level. Within the scope of this work, the effects of growth temperature on the structure, chemical composition, interface coherency and electrical characteristics of rutile VO 2 epitaxial thin films grown on TiO 2 substrates are investigated. It is hereby deduced that the transition temperature is lower than the bulk value of 340 K. However, it is found to approach this value as a function of increased growth temperature even though it is accompanied by a contraction along the V 4+ -V 4+ bond direction, the crystallographic c-axis lattice parameter. Additionally, it is demonstrated that films grown at low substrate temperatures exhibit a relaxed state and a strongly reduced transition temperature. It is suggested that, besides thermal and epitaxial strain, growth-induced defects may strongly affect the electronic phase transition. The results of this work reveal the difficulty in extracting the intrinsic material response to strain, when the exact contribution of all strain sources cannot be effectively determined. The findings also bear implications on the limitations in obtaining the recently predicted novel semi-Dirac point phase in VO 2 /TiO 2 multilayer structures.

Photocatalytic Hybrid Semiconductor-Metal Nanoparticles; from Synergistic Properties to Emerging Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Waiskopf, Nir; Ben-Shahar, Yuval; Banin, Uri

2018-04-14

Hybrid semiconductor-metal nanoparticles (HNPs) manifest unique combined and often synergetic properties stemming from the materials combination. These structures exhibit spatial charge separation across the semiconductor-metal junction upon light absorption, enabling their use as photocatalysts. So far, the main impetus of photocatalysis research in HNPs addresses their functionality in solar fuel generation. Recently, it was discovered that HNPs are functional in efficient photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This has opened the path for their implementation in diverse biomedical and industrial applications where high spatially temporally resolved ROS formation is essential. Here, the latest studies on the synergistic characteristics of HNPs are summarized, including their optical, electrical, and chemical properties and their photocatalytic function in the field of solar fuel generation is briefly discussed. Recent studies are then focused concerning photocatalytic ROS formation with HNPs under aerobic conditions. The emergent applications of this capacity are then highlighted, including light-induced modulation of enzymatic activity, photodynamic therapy, antifouling, wound healing, and as novel photoinitiators for 3D-printing. The superb photophysical and photocatalytic properties of HNPs offer already clear advantages for their utility in scenarios requiring on-demand light-induced radical formation and the full potential of HNPs in this context is yet to be revealed. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Testing methods for antimicrobial activity of TiO2 photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markov Siniša L.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, a lot of commercial TiO2 photocatalyst products have been developed and extensively studied for prospective and safe antimicrobial application in daily life, medicine, laboratories, food and pharmaceutical industry, waste water treatments and in development of new self-cleaning and antimicrobial materials, surfaces and paints. This paper reviews the studies published worldwide on killing microorganisms, methods for testing the antimicrobial activity, light sources and intensities, as well as calculation methods usually used when evaluating the antimicrobial properties of the TiO2-based products. Additionally, some strengths and weaknesses of the available methods for testing the antimicrobial activity of TiO2 photocatalyst products have been pointed out.[Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III45008

Silver loaded WO{sub 3-x}/TiO{sub 2} composite multifunctional thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunnill, Charles W.; Noimark, Sacha; Parkin, Ivan P., E-mail: I.P.Parkin@ucl.ac.uk

2012-06-30

Multifunctional WO{sub 3-x}-TiO{sub 2} composite thin films have been prepared by sol-gel synthesis and shown to be good visible light photocatalysts whilst retaining a desirable underlying blue colouration. The WO{sub 3-x}-TiO{sub 2} composite thin films were further enhanced using silver nanoparticles synthesised in-situ on the surface from the photo-degradation of silver nitrate solution. Thin films were characterised using X-ray diffraction, Raman, Scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy and shown to photo degrade stearic acid, using white light {lambda} = 420-800 nm. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer WO{sub 3-X} TiO{sub 2} composite thin films were synthesised by sol-gel methods. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Blue tinted glass is desirable for the value added glass industry. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Silver nanoparticle island formation enhances the activity of the films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Blue tinted 'value added' coated glass is now possible.

Visible light photoreduction of CO.sub.2 using heterostructured catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Matranga, Christopher; Thompson, Robert L; Wang, Congjun

2015-03-24

The method provides for use of sensitized photocatalyst for the photocatalytic reduction of CO.sub.2 under visible light illumination. The photosensitized catalyst is comprised of a wide band gap semiconductor material, a transition metal co-catalyst, and a semiconductor sensitizer. The semiconductor sensitizer is photoexcited by visible light and forms a Type II band alignment with the wide band gap semiconductor material. The wide band gap semiconductor material and the semiconductor sensitizer may be a plurality of particles, and the particle diameters may be selected to accomplish desired band widths and optimize charge injection under visible light illumination by utilizing quantum size effects. In a particular embodiment, CO.sub.2 is reduced under visible light illumination using a CdSe/Pt/TiO2 sensitized photocatalyst with H.sub.2O as a hydrogen source.

Method for making graded I-III-VI.sub.2 semiconductors and solar cell obtained thereby

Science.gov (United States)

Devaney, Walter E.

1987-08-04

Improved cell photovoltaic conversion efficiencies are obtained by the simultaneous elemental reactive evaporation process of Mickelsen and Chen for making semiconductors by closer control of the evaporation rates and substrate temperature during formation of the near contact, bulk, and near junction regions of a graded I-III-VI.sub.2, thin film, semiconductor, such as CuInSe.sub.2 /(Zn,Cd)S or another I-III-VI.sub.2 /II-VI heterojunction.

A high-performance doped photocatalysts for inactivation of total coliforms in superficial waters using different sources of radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Claro, Elis Marina Turini; Bidoia, Ederio Dino; de Moraes, Peterson Bueno

2016-07-15

Photocatalytic water treatment has a currently elevated electricity demand and maintenance costs, but the photocatalytic water treatment may also assist in overcoming the limitations and drawbacks of conventional water treatment processes. Among the Advanced Oxidation Processes, heterogeneous photocatalysis is one of the most widely and efficiently used processes to degrade and/or remove a wide range of polluting compounds. The goal of this work was to find out a highly efficient photocatalytic disinfection process in superficial water with different doped photocatalysts and using three sources of radiation: mercury vapor lamp, solar simulator and UV-A LED. Three doped photocatalysts were prepared, SiZnO, NSiZnO and FNSiZnO. The inactivation efficiency of each synthesized photocatalysts was compared to a TiO2 P25 (Degussa(®)) 0.5 g L(-1) control. Photolysis inactivation efficiency was 85% with UV-A LED, which is considered very high, demanding low electricity consumption in the process, whereas mercury vapor lamp and solar simulator yielded 19% and 13% inactivation efficiency, respectively. The best conditions were found with photocatalysts SiZnO, FNSiZnO and NSiZnO irradiated with UV-A LED, where efficiency exceeded 95% that matched inactivation of coliforms using the same irradiation and photocatalyst TiO2. All photocatalysts showed photocatalytic activity with all three radiation sources able to inactivate total coliforms from river water. The use of UV-A LED as the light source without photocatalyst is very promising, allowing the creation of cost-effective and highly efficient water treatment plants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

One-pot solvothermal synthesis of highly efficient, daylight active and recyclable Ag/AgBr coupled photocatalysts with synergistic dual photoexcitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Caihong; Ai, Lunhong; Li, Lili; Jiang, Jing

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Ag/AgBr photocatalysts were controllably synthesized by solvothermal process. • Ag/AgBr composites showed excellent daylight driven photocatalytic activity. • The remarkable activity is attributed to the synergistic dual photoexcitation. -- Abstract: Efficient light harvesting has been considered to be critical for manipulating the photocatalytic behavior of photocatalysts, because it directly determines the generation of reactive redox charge carriers involved in photoreaction process. In this study, we present a successful example on efficient conversion of solar energy by Ag/AgBr coupled photocatalysts that hold unique synergistic dual photoexcitation. A series of Ag/AgBr coupled photocatalysts were controllably synthesized by an easily manipulated mild solvothermal process. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared Ag/AgBr coupled photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The results showed the solvothermal reaction time played key role for control of crystalline structure, morphology, composition, and visible light absorption ability of the resulting photocatalysts. The as-prepared Ag/AgBr coupled photocatalysts exhibited remarkable photocatalytic performance and good reusability for decomposing organic dyes in aqueous solution under the irradiation of commercial 20 W cool daylight fluorescent lamp, owing to the synergistic dual photoexcitation cooperating between plasmonic Ag nanoparticles and narrow-band-gap AgBr

Magneto-Optical Thin Films for On-Chip Monolithic Integration of Non-Reciprocal Photonic Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Lei; Hu, Juejun; Jiang, Peng; Kim, Hyun Suk; Kim, Dong Hun; Onbasli, Mehmet Cengiz; Dionne, Gerald F; Ross, Caroline A

2013-11-08

Achieving monolithic integration of nonreciprocal photonic devices on semiconductor substrates has been long sought by the photonics research society. One way to achieve this goal is to deposit high quality magneto-optical oxide thin films on a semiconductor substrate. In this paper, we review our recent research activity on magneto-optical oxide thin films toward the goal of monolithic integration of nonreciprocal photonic devices on silicon. We demonstrate high Faraday rotation at telecommunication wavelengths in several novel magnetooptical oxide thin films including Co substituted CeO₂ -δ , Co- or Fe-substituted SrTiO 3- δ , as well as polycrystalline garnets on silicon. Figures of merit of 3~4 deg/dB and 21 deg/dB are achieved in epitaxial Sr(Ti 0.2 Ga 0.4 Fe 0.4 )O 3- δ and polycrystalline (CeY₂)Fe₅O 12 films, respectively. We also demonstrate an optical isolator on silicon, based on a racetrack resonator using polycrystalline (CeY₂)Fe₅O 12 /silicon strip-loaded waveguides. Our work demonstrates that physical vapor deposited magneto-optical oxide thin films on silicon can achieve high Faraday rotation, low optical loss and high magneto-optical figure of merit, therefore enabling novel high-performance non-reciprocal photonic devices monolithically integrated on semiconductor substrates.

Polymer and Polymer Gel of Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Teppei Shimakawa; Naoki Yoshimoto; Jun-ichi Hanna

2004-01-01

It prepared a polymer and polymer gel of a liquid crystalline (LC) semiconductor having a 2-phenylnaphthalene moiety and studied their charge carrier transport properties by the time-of-flight technique. It is found that polyacrylate having the mesogenic core moiety of 2-phenylnaphtalene (PNP-acrylate) exhibited a comparable mobility of 10-4cm2/Vs in smectic A phase to those in smectic A (SmA) phase of small molecular liquid crystals with the same core moiety, e.g., 6-(4'-octylphenyl)- 2-dodecyloxynaphthalene (8-PNP-O12), and an enhanced mobility up to 10-3cm2/Vs in the LC-glassy phase at room temperature, when mixed with a small amount of 8-PNP-O12. On the other hand, the polymer gel consisting of 20 wt %-hexamethylenediacrylate (HDA)-based cross-linked polymer and 8-PNP-O12 exhibited no degraded mobility when cross-linked at the mesophase. These results indicate that the polymer and polymer composite of liquid crystalline semiconductors provide us with an easy way to realize a quality organic semiconductor thin film for the immediate device applications.

Wrinkle-free atomically thin CdS nanosheets for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Ziwei; Li, Junnan; Zhou, Kebin

2018-05-01

Two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets of atomic thickness have attracted extensive research interest recently. In this work, atomically thin (0.7 nm) flat CdS (F-CdS) nanosheets of several tens of micrometers in lateral size were synthesized by a solvent-thermal method. The as-synthesized F-CdS could maintain flat morphology well in solution, while irreversible wrinkles could be generated after drying, forming wrinkled CdS (W-CdS) samples. It was revealed that the formation of wrinkles could reduce light absorbance, narrow the band gap, move down the conduction band position and accelerate electron–hole recombination. As photocatalysts, the F-CdS achieved a photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 138.7 mmol g‑1 h‑1 without any co-catalyst under visible light, which was much higher than that of the W-CdS sample (with an H2 evolution rate of only 52.8 mmol g‑1 h‑1). This work demonstrates that great attention should be paid to the wrinkles in 2D materials as photocatalysts.

Diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst: Facile deposition synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Baoying; Huang, Hongwei; Guo, Yuxi; Zhang, Yihe

2015-10-01

A novel diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst has been prepared by a facile one-step deposition process for the first time. The structure, morphology and optical property of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared BiOI/diatomite photocatalysts was studied by photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) and monitoring photocurrent generation under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The results revealed that BiOI/diatomite composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the pristine BiOI sample. This enhancement should be attributed to that diatomite can play as an excellent carrier platform to increase the reactive sites and promote the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In addition, the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the active species trapping experiments. This work shed new light on facile fabrication of novel composite photocatalyst based on natural mineral.

Reduced graphene oxide wrapped Cu2O supported on C3N4: An efficient visible light responsive semiconductor photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ganesh Babu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Herein, Cu2O spheres were prepared and encapsulated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO. The Cu2O–rGO–C3N4 composite covered the whole solar spectrum with significant absorption intensity. rGO wrapped Cu2O loading caused a red shift in the absorption with respect to considering the absorption of bare C3N4. The photoluminescence study confirms that rGO exploited as an electron transport layer at the interface of Cu2O and C3N4 heterojunction. Utmost, ∼2 fold synergistic effect was achieved with Cu2O–rGO–C3N4 for the photocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in comparison with Cu2O–rGO and C3N4. The Cu2O–rGO–C3N4 photocatalyst was reused for four times without loss in its activity.

Smooth Growth of Organic Semiconductor Films on Graphene for High-Efficiency Electronics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hlawacek, G.; Khokhar, F.S.; van Gastel, Raoul; Poelsema, Bene; Teichert, Christian

2011-01-01

High-quality thin films of conjugated molecules with smooth interfaces are important to assist the advent of organic electronics. Here, we report on the layer-by-layer growth of the organic semiconductor molecule p-sexiphenyl (6P) on the transparent electrode material graphene. Low energy electron

Various types of semiconductor photocatalysts modified by CdTe QDs and Pt NPs for toluene photooxidation in the gas phase under visible light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchelek, M. [Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk Wita Stwosza 63, 80-952 Gdansk (Poland); Grabowska, E., E-mail: ewelina.grabowska@ug.edu.pl [Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk Wita Stwosza 63, 80-952 Gdansk (Poland); Klimczuk, T. [Department of Solid State Physics, Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Gdansk University of Technology, G. Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk (Poland); Lisowski, W. [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44-52, 01-224 Warsaw (Poland); Zaleska-Medynska, A. [Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk Wita Stwosza 63, 80-952 Gdansk (Poland)

2017-01-30

Highlights: • Novel semiconductors decorated by CdTe QDs and/or Pt NPs were synthesized. • Photodeposition and radiolysis is an effective method to obtaining Pt NPs. • CdTe decorated samples were prepared by absorption of QDs on matrix surface. • KTaO{sub 3}/CdTe-Pt{sub (R)} showed highest photocatalytic performance. • The enhanced performance was associated with electron trap mechanism. - Abstract: A novel synthesis process was used to prepare TiO{sub 2} microspheres, TiO{sub 2} P-25, SrTiO{sub 3} and KTaO{sub 3} decorated by CdTe QDs and/or Pt NPs. The effect of semiconductor matrix, presence of CdTe QDs and/or Pt NPs on the semiconductor surface as well as deposition technique of Pt NPs (photodeposition or radiolysis) on the photocatalytic activity were investigated. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence spectrometry (PL), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectra, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and BET surface area analysis. The photocatalytic decomposition of toluene in gas phase, activated by light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with the CdTe/Pt nanoparticles-modified TiO{sub 2} microspheres, P25, SrTiO{sub 3} and KTaO{sub 3} semiconductors was investigated under UV–vis and visible irradiation.The results showed that the photoactivity depends on semiconductor matrix. The highest photoactivity under Vis light was observed for KTaO{sub 3}/CdTe-Pt{sub (R)} sample (56% of toluene was decompose after 30 min of irradiation). The efficiency of the most active sample was 3 times higher than result for P25 and two times higher than for unmodified KTaO{sub 3}.

The effect of Se/Te ratio on transient absorption behavior and nonlinear absorption properties of CuIn0.7Ga0.3(Se1-xTex)2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) amorphous semiconductor thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Karatay, Ahmet; Küçüköz, Betül; Çankaya, Güven; Ates, Aytunc; Elmali, Ayhan

2017-11-01

The characterization of the CuInSe2 (CIS), CuInGaSe (CIGS) and CuGaSe2 (CGS) based semiconductor thin films are very important role for solar cell and various nonlinear optical applications. In this paper, the amorphous CuIn0.7Ga0.3(Se1-xTex)2 semiconductor thin films (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were prepared with 60 nm thicknesses by using vacuum evaporation technique. The nonlinear absorption properties and ultrafast transient characteristics were investigated by using open aperture Z-scan and ultrafast pump-probe techniques. The energy bandgap values were calculated by using linear absorption spectra. The bandgap values are found to be varying from 0.67 eV to 1.25 eV for CuIn0.7Ga0.3Te2, CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se1.6Te0.4, CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se0.4Te1.6 and CuIn0.7Ga0.3Se2 thin films. The energy bandgap values decrease with increasing telluride (Te) doping ratio in mixed CuIn0.7Ga0.3(Se1-xTex)2 films. This affects nonlinear characteristics and ultrafast dynamics of amorphous thin films. Ultrafast pump-probe experiments indicated that decreasing of bandgap values with increasing the Te amount switches from the excited state absorption signals to ultrafast bleaching signals. Open aperture Z-scan experiments show that nonlinear absorption properties enhance with decreasing bandgaps values for 65 ps pulse duration at 1064 nm. Highest nonlinear absorption coefficient was found for CuIn0.7Ga0.3Te2 thin film due to having the smallest energy bandgap.

Single filament semiconductor laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botez, D.

1980-01-01

A semiconductor laser comprising: a body of semiconductor material including a substrate having a surface and a pair of spaced, substantially parallel dove-tailed shaped grooves in said surface, said body having a pair of end surfaces between which said grooves extend, said end surfaces being reflective to light with at least one of said end surfaces being partially transparent to light a first epitaxial layer over said surface of the substrate and the surfaces of the grooves, said first epitaxial layer having a flat surface portion over the portion of the substrate surface between the grooves, a thin second epitaxial layer over said first epitaxial layer, a third epitaxial layer over said second epitaxial layer, said first and third epitaxial layers being of opposite conductivity types and the second epitaxial layer being the active recombination region of the laser with the light being generated therein in the vicinity of the portion which is over the flat surface portion of the first epitaxial layer, and a pair of contacts on said body with one contact being over said third epitaxial body and the other being on said substrate

Animal Bone Supported SnO2 as Recyclable Photocatalyst for Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yun; Wang, Hui; Cao, Mengdie; Zhang, Yichi; Cao, Feifei; Zheng, Xinsheng; Hu, Jinfei; Dong, Jiangshan; Xiao, Zhidong

2015-09-01

SnO2 nanoparticles supported on an animal bone which serves as inexpensive and environment-friendly natural products were developed by a facile hydrothermal approach. As a promising photocatalyst, the novel SnO2/porcine bone material exhibited high photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye under UV-Vis irradiation. About 97.3% of RhB can be effectively decomposed by the catalysis with the SnO2/porcine bone in 90 min, while only 51.5% of RhB can be degraded by pure SnO2 nanoparticles. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity was incremental with the increase of cycle times in previous five cycles. It is mainly because the photocatalyst which has been used for several times possesses a stronger ability of light absorption and utilization compared to the fresh catalyst according to the results of the characterization and relative experiments. It is noteworthy that the animal bone support can improve the activity for the photocatalyst, which would provide further impetus to alternate synthesis strategies for photocatalysts and make the photocatalysis process faster, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly.

Binary copper oxide semiconductors: From materials towards devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, B.K.; Polity, A.; Reppin, D.; Becker, M.; Hering, P.; Klar, P.J.; Sander, T.; Reindl, C.; Benz, J.; Eickhoff, M.; Heiliger, C.; Heinemann, M. [1. Physics Institute, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen (Germany); Blaesing, J.; Krost, A. [Institute of Experimental Physics (IEP), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany); Shokovets, S. [Institute of Physics, Ilmenau University of Technology (Germany); Mueller, C.; Ronning, C. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany)

2012-08-15

Copper-oxide compound semiconductors provide a unique possibility to tune the optical and electronic properties from insulating to metallic conduction, from bandgap energies of 2.1 eV to the infrared at 1.40 eV, i.e., right into the middle of the efficiency maximum for solar-cell applications. Three distinctly different phases, Cu{sub 2}O, Cu{sub 4}O{sub 3}, and CuO, of this binary semiconductor can be prepared by thin-film deposition techniques, which differ in the oxidation state of copper. Their material properties as far as they are known by experiment or predicted by theory are reviewed. They are supplemented by new experimental results from thin-film growth and characterization, both will be critically discussed and summarized. With respect to devices the focus is on solar-cell performances based on Cu{sub 2}O. It is demonstrated by photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that the heterojunction system p-Cu{sub 2}O/n-AlGaN is much more promising for the application as efficient solar cells than that of p-Cu{sub 2}O/n-ZnO heterojunction devices that have been favored up to now. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

a Brief Survey on Basic Properties of Thin Films for Device Application

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, M. C.; Shekhawat, M. S.

Thin film materials are the key elements of continued technological advances made in the fields of optoelectronic, photonic and magnetic devices. Thin film studies have directly or indirectly advanced many new areas of research in solid state physics and chemistry which are based on phenomena uniquely characteristic of the thickness, geometry and structure of the film. The processing of materials into thin films allows easy integration into various types of devices. Thin films are extremely thermally stable and reasonably hard, but they are fragile. On the other hand organic materials have reasonable thermal stability and are tough, but are soft. Thin film mechanical properties can be measured by tensile testing of freestanding films and by the micro beam cantilever deflection technique, but the easiest way is by means of nanoindentation. Optical experiments provide a good way of examining the properties of semiconductors. Particularly measuring the absorption coefficient for various energies gives information about the band gaps of the material. Thin film materials have been used in semiconductor devices, wireless communications, telecommunications, integrated circuits, rectifiers, transistors, solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photoconductors and light crystal displays, lithography, micro- electromechanical systems (MEMS) and multifunctional emerging coatings, as well as other emerging cutting technologies.

Photooxidation of organic wastes using semiconductor nanoclusters. 1998 annual progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilcoxon, J.P.

1998-01-01

'This report summarizes work after 1.5 years of a 3-year project. The authors efforts have focused on demonstration of photocatalysis of organic pollutants using nanosize MoS 2 . They investigated the effects of (1) bandgap, valence and conduction band energies; (2) surface modification of MoS 2 by deposition of metal and metal oxide islands to enhance electron transfer; and (3) use of semi-conductor semi-conductor composites to achieve improved charge separation and thus photooxidation of pollutants. They synthesized and studied nanosize MoS 2 of three different sizes and associated bandgaps and studied photoredox reactions of nanosize MoS 2 dispersed in solution and supported on a macroscopic powder. The latter would be the method of choice for use as a practical photocatalyst for water purification. As they emphasized in the original proposal, MoS 2 in nanosize form can be tuned to absorb various amounts of the solar spectrum. They discovered there is an optimal choice of absorbance characteristics and valence and conduction band levels which allow the rapid photo-oxidation of a chosen organic molecule. The advantages of having a photostable material with a tunable bandgap were demonstrated in an experiment where phenol destruction with visible (> 450 nm) light occurred at a dramatically faster rate with nanoscale MoS 2 catalysts compared to the best available previous material TiO 2 . This was the first demonstration of rapid photooxidation of an organic molecule using a completely photostable catalyst and only visible light. The possibility of transferring electrons or holes between nanoscale MoS 2 and other semiconductor materials in order to increase electron/hole lifetimes were explored. It was shown that small amounts ( 2 deposited on to TiO 2 can lead to significant (∼2) enhancements of phenol destruction rates. A number of different chemicals were photocatalyzed sucessfully to CO 2 , but most of the work centered on the destruction of phenol. This

Phenol Removal by a Novel Non-Photo-Dependent Semiconductor Catalyst in a Pilot-Scaled Study: Effects of Initial Phenol Concentration, Light, and Catalyst Loading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A novel non-photo-dependent semiconductor catalyst (CT was employed to degrade phenol in the present pilot-scaled study. Effect of operational parameters such as phenol initial concentration, light area, and catalyst loading on phenol degradation, was compared between CT catalyst and the conventional photocatalyst titanium dioxide. CT catalyst excelled titanium dioxide in treating and mineralizing low-level phenol, under both mild UV radiation and thunder conditions of nonphoton. The result suggested that CT catalyst could be applied in circumstances when light is not easily accessible in pollutant-carrying media (e.g., particles, cloudy water, and colored water.

Effect of titanium oxide-polystyrene nanocomposite dielectrics on morphology and thin film transistor performance for organic and polymeric semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Della Pelle, Andrea M. [LGS Innovations, 15 Vreeland Rd., Florham Park, NJ 07932 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Maliakal, Ashok, E-mail: maliakal@lgsinnovations.com [LGS Innovations, 15 Vreeland Rd., Florham Park, NJ 07932 (United States); Sidorenko, Alexander [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd St., Philadelphia, PA 191034 (United States); Thayumanavan, S. [Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2012-07-31

Previous studies have shown that organic thin film transistors with pentacene deposited on gate dielectrics composed of a blend of high K titanium oxide-polystyrene core-shell nanocomposite (TiO{sub 2}-PS) with polystyrene (PS) perform with an order of magnitude increase in saturation mobility for TiO{sub 2}-PS (K = 8) as compared to PS devices (K = 2.5). The current study finds that this performance enhancement can be translated to alternative small single crystal organics such as {alpha}-sexithiophene ({alpha}-6T) (enhancement factor for field effect mobility ranging from 30-100 Multiplication-Sign higher on TiO{sub 2}-PS/PS blended dielectrics as compared to homogenous PS dielectrics). Interestingly however, in the case of semicrystalline polymers such as (poly-3-hexylthiophene) P3HT, this dramatic enhancement is not observed, possibly due to the difference in processing conditions used to fabricate these devices (film transfer as opposed to thermal evaporation). The morphology for {alpha}-sexithiophene ({alpha}-6T) grown by thermal evaporation on TiO{sub 2}-PS/PS blended dielectrics parallels that observed in pentacene devices. Smaller grain size is observed for films grown on dielectrics with higher TiO{sub 2}-PS content. In the case of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) devices, constructed via film transfer, morphological differences exist for the P3HT on different substrates, as discerned by atomic force microscopy studies. However, these devices only exhibit a modest (2 Multiplication-Sign ) increase in mobility with increasing TiO{sub 2}-PS content in the films. After annealing of the transferred P3HT thin film transistor (TFT) devices, no appreciable enhancement in mobility is observed across the different blended dielectrics. Overall the results support the hypothesis that nucleation rate is responsible for changes in film morphology and device performance in thermally evaporated small molecule crystalline organic semiconductor TFTs. The increased nucleation

Effect of titanium oxide–polystyrene nanocomposite dielectrics on morphology and thin film transistor performance for organic and polymeric semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Della Pelle, Andrea M.; Maliakal, Ashok; Sidorenko, Alexander; Thayumanavan, S.

2012-01-01

Previous studies have shown that organic thin film transistors with pentacene deposited on gate dielectrics composed of a blend of high K titanium oxide–polystyrene core–shell nanocomposite (TiO 2 –PS) with polystyrene (PS) perform with an order of magnitude increase in saturation mobility for TiO 2 –PS (K = 8) as compared to PS devices (K = 2.5). The current study finds that this performance enhancement can be translated to alternative small single crystal organics such as α-sexithiophene (α-6T) (enhancement factor for field effect mobility ranging from 30-100× higher on TiO 2 –PS/PS blended dielectrics as compared to homogenous PS dielectrics). Interestingly however, in the case of semicrystalline polymers such as (poly-3-hexylthiophene) P3HT, this dramatic enhancement is not observed, possibly due to the difference in processing conditions used to fabricate these devices (film transfer as opposed to thermal evaporation). The morphology for α-sexithiophene (α-6T) grown by thermal evaporation on TiO 2 –PS/PS blended dielectrics parallels that observed in pentacene devices. Smaller grain size is observed for films grown on dielectrics with higher TiO 2 –PS content. In the case of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) devices, constructed via film transfer, morphological differences exist for the P3HT on different substrates, as discerned by atomic force microscopy studies. However, these devices only exhibit a modest (2×) increase in mobility with increasing TiO 2 –PS content in the films. After annealing of the transferred P3HT thin film transistor (TFT) devices, no appreciable enhancement in mobility is observed across the different blended dielectrics. Overall the results support the hypothesis that nucleation rate is responsible for changes in film morphology and device performance in thermally evaporated small molecule crystalline organic semiconductor TFTs. The increased nucleation rate produces organic polycrystalline films with small grain

Black Phosphorus: Critical Review and Potential for Water Splitting Photocatalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae Hyung Lee

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A century after its first synthesis in 1914, black phosphorus has been attracting significant attention as a promising two-dimensional material in recent years due to its unique properties. Nowadays, with the development of its exfoliation method, there are extensive applications of black phosphorus in transistors, batteries and optoelectronics. Though, because of its hardship in mass production and stability problems, the potential of the black phosphorus in various fields is left unexplored. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of crystal structure, electronic, optical properties and synthesis of black phosphorus. Recent research works about the applications of black phosphorus is summarized. Among them, the possibility of black phosphorous as a solar water splitting photocatalyst is mainly discussed and the feasible novel structure of photocatalysts based on black phosphorous is proposed.

Recent advances in visible-light-responsive photocatalysts for hydrogen production and solar energy conversion--from semiconducting TiO2 to MOF/PCP photocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Horiuchi, Yu; Toyao, Takashi; Takeuchi, Masato; Matsuoka, Masaya; Anpo, Masakazu

2013-08-28

The present perspective describes recent advances in visible-light-responsive photocatalysts intended to develop novel and efficient solar energy conversion technologies, including water splitting and photofuel cells. Water splitting is recognized as one of the most promising techniques to convert solar energy as a clean and abundant energy resource into chemical energy in the form of hydrogen. In recent years, increasing concern is directed to not only the development of new photocatalytic materials but also the importance of technologies to produce hydrogen and oxygen separately. Photofuel cells can convert solar energy into electrical energy by decomposing bio-related compounds and livestock waste as fuels. The advances of photocatalysts enabling these solar energy conversion technologies have been going on since the discovery of semiconducting titanium dioxide materials and have extended to organic-inorganic hybrid materials, such as metal-organic frameworks and porous coordination polymers (MOF/PCP).

Metal/Semiconductor and Transparent Conductor/Semiconductor Heterojunctions in High Efficient Photoelectric Devices: Progress and Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Melvin David Kumar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Metal/semiconductor and transparent conductive oxide (TCO/semiconductor heterojunctions have emerged as an effective modality in the fabrication of photoelectric devices. This review is following a recent shift toward the engineering of TCO layers and structured Si substrates, incorporating metal nanoparticles for the development of next-generation photoelectric devices. Beneficial progress which helps to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost, has been sequenced based on efficient technologies involved in making novel substrates, TCO layers, and electrodes. The electrical and optical properties of indium tin oxide (ITO and aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO thin films can be enhanced by structuring the surface of TCO layers. The TCO layers embedded with Ag nanoparticles are used to enhance the plasmonic light trapping effect in order to increase the energy harvesting nature of photoelectric devices. Si nanopillar structures which are fabricated by photolithography-free technique are used to increase light-active surface region. The importance of the structure and area of front electrodes and the effect of temperature at the junction are the value added discussions in this review.

Instrumentation for characterizing materials and composed semiconductors for ionizing radiation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paschoal, Arquimedes J.A.; Leite, Adolfo M.B.; Nazzre, Fabio V.B.; Santos, Luiz A.P.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this work is the development of instrumentation for characterizing some type of ionizing radiation detectors. Those detectors are being manufactured by the Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory at CRCN/Recife and can be used both on photon beam and with particles. Such detectors consist of semiconductor material in the form of films generated by oxide growing or by means of semiconductor material deposition in a substrate. Those materials can be made of metals, semi-metals, composites or semiconductor polymers. Prior to expose those detectors to ionizing radiation, it must be physically and electrically characterized. In this intention it was developed an electromechanical system. An electrical circuit was built to measure the signal from the detector and another circuit to control the movement of four probes (4-points technique) by using a stepper motor and the micro stepping technique avoiding damage to the detector. This system can be of interest to researchers that work with a sort of semiconductor materials in the form of thin film and in nanotechnological processes aiming the design of radiation ionizing detectors. (author)

Properties of Spray Pyrolysied Copper Oxide Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Roy

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Copper oxide (CuO thin films were deposited on well cleaned glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique (SPT from cupric acetate (Cu(CH3COO2.H2O precursor solutions of 0.05 – 0.15 M molar concentrations (MC at a substrate temperature of 350 °C and at an air pressure of 1 bar. Effect of varying MC on the surface morphology, structural optical and electrical properties of CuO thin films were investigated. XRD patterns of the prepared films revealed the formation of CuO thin films having monoclinic structure with the main CuO (111 orientation and crystalline size ranging from 8.02 to 9.05 nm was observed. The optical transmission of the film was found to decrease with the increase of MC. The optical band gap of the thin films for 0.10 M was fond to be 1.60 eV. The room temperature electrical resistivity varies from 31 and 24 ohm.cm for the films grown with MC of 0.05 and 0.10 M respectively. The change in resistivity of the films was studied with respect to the change in temperature was shown that semiconductor nature is present. This information is expected to underlie the successful development of CuO films for solar windows and other semi-conductor applications including gas sensors.

Hydrogen production from water splitting over Eosin Y-sensitized mesoporous-assembled perovskite titanate nanocrystal photocatalysts under visible light irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puangpetch, Tarawipa [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Technology, Silpakorn University, Nakhon Pathom 73000 (Thailand); Sommakettarin, Pichayaon [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, Soi Chula 12, Phyathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Chavadej, Sumaeth; Sreethawong, Thammanoon [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, Soi Chula 12, Phyathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Center for Petroleum, Petrochemicals, and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2010-11-15

The photocatalytic water splitting is a promising process for producing H{sub 2} from two abundant renewable sources of water and solar light, with the aid of a suitable photocatalyst. In this work, a combination of sensitizer addition and noble metal loading was employed to modify perovskite photocatalysts in order to achieve the enhancement of photocatalytic H{sub 2} production under visible light irradiation. The dependence of the H{sub 2} production on type of mesoporous-assembled perovskite titanate nanocrystal photocatalysts (MgTiO{sub 3}, CaTiO{sub 3}, and SrTiO{sub 3}), calcination temperature of photocatalyst, Pt loading, type and concentration of electron donor (diethanolamine, DEA; and triethanolamine, TEA), concentration of sensitizer (Eosin Y, E.Y.), photocatalyst dosage, and initial solution pH, was systematically studied. The experimental results showed that the 0.5 wt.% Pt-loaded mesoporous-assembled SrTiO{sub 3} nanocrystal synthesized by a single-step sol-gel method and calcined at 650 C exhibited the highest photocatalytic H{sub 2} production activity from a 15 vol% DEA aqueous solution with dissolved 0.5 mM E.Y. Moreover, the optimum photocatalyst dosage and initial solution pH for the maximum photocatalytic H{sub 2} production activity were found to be 6 g/l and 11.6, respectively. (author)

A Ti-doped γ-Fe2O3/SDS nano-photocatalyst as an efficient adsorbent for removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirbagheri, Naghmeh Sadat; Sabbaghi, Samad

2018-05-01

Synthetic dyes are among the most important environmental pollutants in wastewaters. Consequently, elimination of the synthetic dyes from wastewaters using non-toxic materials and eco-friendly technologies has been of considerable interests. In this study, magnetically separable Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 photocatalysts were synthesized for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from a dye-contaminated aqueous solution (as a model of dye-polluted wastewaters). Compared to the pristine γ-Fe 2 O 3 , the 1.78 v% Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 significantly increased the adsorption of MB by 57% in the dark condition as a result of the improved BET surface area in this photocatalyst. Moreover, the contact time required for the photocatalytic degradation of MB by the 1.78 v% Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 decreased due to the higher concentration of charge carriers in this photocatalyst than that of the pristine γ-Fe 2 O 3 . The effect of different experimental parameters on the adsorption property and photocatalytic activity of the 1.78 v% Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 photocatalyst showed that the solution pH had a remarkable influence on the removal performance of this photocatalyst. Surface treatment of the 1.78 v% Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) resulted in the formation of a negatively charged Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 /SDS photocatalyst, which showed a higher tendency for the adsorption and removal of MB than the untreated photocatalyst. Moreover, the MB removal efficiency of this photocatalyst was among the best performances that have been reported for the γ-Fe 2 O 3 -based photocatalysts. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by various techniques, and a plausible mechanism for the removal of MB from aqueous solutions by the Ti-doped γ-Fe 2 O 3 /SDS photocatalyst was purposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resource recovery from urban stock, the example of cadmium and tellurium from thin film module recycling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simon, F.-G., E-mail: franz-georg.simon@bam.de [BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Division 4.3 Contaminant Transfer and Environmental Technologies, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Holm, O.; Berger, W. [BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Division 4.3 Contaminant Transfer and Environmental Technologies, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany)

2013-04-15

Highlights: ► The semiconductor layer on thin-film photovoltaic modules can be removed from the glass-plate by vacuum blast cleaning. ► The separation of blasting agent and semiconductor can be performed using flotation with a valuable yield of 55%. ► PV modules are a promising source for the recovery of tellurium in the future. - Abstract: Raw material supply is essential for all industrial activities. The use of secondary raw material gains more importance since ore grade in primary production is decreasing. Meanwhile urban stock contains considerable amounts of various elements. Photovoltaic (PV) generating systems are part of the urban stock and recycling technologies for PV thin film modules with CdTe as semiconductor are needed because cadmium could cause hazardous environmental impact and tellurium is a scarce element where future supply might be constrained. The paper describes a sequence of mechanical processing techniques for end-of-life PV thin film modules consisting of sandblasting and flotation. Separation of the semiconductor material from the glass surface was possible, however, enrichment and yield of valuables in the flotation step were non-satisfying. Nevertheless, recovery of valuable metals from urban stock is a viable method for the extension of the availability of limited natural resources.

Resource recovery from urban stock, the example of cadmium and tellurium from thin film module recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, F.-G.; Holm, O.; Berger, W.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The semiconductor layer on thin-film photovoltaic modules can be removed from the glass-plate by vacuum blast cleaning. ► The separation of blasting agent and semiconductor can be performed using flotation with a valuable yield of 55%. ► PV modules are a promising source for the recovery of tellurium in the future. - Abstract: Raw material supply is essential for all industrial activities. The use of secondary raw material gains more importance since ore grade in primary production is decreasing. Meanwhile urban stock contains considerable amounts of various elements. Photovoltaic (PV) generating systems are part of the urban stock and recycling technologies for PV thin film modules with CdTe as semiconductor are needed because cadmium could cause hazardous environmental impact and tellurium is a scarce element where future supply might be constrained. The paper describes a sequence of mechanical processing techniques for end-of-life PV thin film modules consisting of sandblasting and flotation. Separation of the semiconductor material from the glass surface was possible, however, enrichment and yield of valuables in the flotation step were non-satisfying. Nevertheless, recovery of valuable metals from urban stock is a viable method for the extension of the availability of limited natural resources

Liquid Crystalline Semiconductors Materials, properties and applications

CERN Document Server

Kelly, Stephen; O'Neill, Mary

2013-01-01

This is an exciting stage in the development of organic electronics. It is no longer an area of purely academic interest as increasingly real applications are being developed, some of which are beginning to come on-stream. Areas that have already been commercially developed or which are under intensive development include organic light emitting diodes (for flat panel displays and solid state lighting), organic photovoltaic cells, organic thin film transistors (for smart tags and flat panel displays) and sensors. Within the family of organic electronic materials, liquid crystals are relative newcomers. The first electronically conducting liquid crystals were reported in 1988 but already a substantial literature has developed. The advantage of liquid crystalline semiconductors is that they have the easy processability of amorphous and polymeric semiconductors but they usually have higher charge carrier mobilities. Their mobilities do not reach the levels seen in crystalline organics but they circumvent all of t...

Laser-Printed Organic Thin-Film Transistors

KAUST Repository

Diemer, Peter J.

2017-09-20

Solution deposition of organic optoelectronic materials enables fast roll-to-roll manufacturing of photonic and electronic devices on any type of substrate and at low cost. But controlling the film microstructure when it crystallizes from solution can be challenging. This represents a major limitation of this technology, since the microstructure, in turn, governs the charge transport properties of the material. Further, the solvents typically used are hazardous, which precludes their incorporation in large-scale manufacturing processes. Here, the first ever organic thin-film transistor fabricated with an electrophotographic laser printing process using a standard office laser printer is reported. This completely solvent-free additive manufacturing method allows for simultaneous deposition, purification, and patterning of the organic semiconductor layer. Laser-printed transistors using triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene as the semiconductor layer are realized on flexible substrates and characterized, making this a successful first demonstration of the potential of laser printing of organic semiconductors.

Charge Saturation and Intrinsic Doping in Electrolyte-Gated Organic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Atallah, Timothy L; Gustafsson, Martin V; Schmidt, Elliot; Frisbie, C Daniel; Zhu, X-Y

2015-12-03

Electrolyte gating enables low voltage operation of organic thin film transistors, but little is known about the nature of the electrolyte/organic interface. Here we apply charge-modulation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, in conjunction with electrical measurements, on a model electrolyte gated organic semiconductor interface: single crystal rubrene/ion-gel. We provide spectroscopic signature for free-hole like carriers in the organic semiconductor and unambiguously show the presence of a high density of intrinsic doping of the free holes upon formation of the rubrene/ion-gel interface, without gate bias (Vg = 0 V). We explain this intrinsic doping as resulting from a thermodynamic driving force for the stabilization of free holes in the organic semiconductor by anions in the ion-gel. Spectroscopy also reveals the saturation of free-hole like carrier density at the rubrene/ion-gel interface at Vg < -0.5 V, which is commensurate with the negative transconductance seen in transistor measurements.

Quantum confined laser devices optical gain and recombination in semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Blood, Peter

2015-01-01

The semiconductor laser, invented over 50 years ago, has had an enormous impact on the digital technologies that now dominate so many applications in business, commerce and the home. The laser is used in all types of optical fibre communication networks that enable the operation of the internet, e-mail, voice and skype transmission. Approximately one billion are produced each year for a market valued at around $5 billion. Nearly all semiconductor lasers now use extremely thin layers of light emitting materials (quantum well lasers). Increasingly smaller nanostructures are used in the form of quantum dots. The impact of the semiconductor laser is surprising in the light of the complexity of the physical processes that determine the operation of every device. This text takes the reader from the fundamental optical gain and carrier recombination processes in quantum wells and quantum dots, through descriptions of common device structures to an understanding of their operating characteristics. It has a consistent...

Thin film heterojunction photovoltaic cells and methods of making the same

Science.gov (United States)

Basol, Bulent M.; Tseng, Eric S.; Rod, Robert L.

1983-06-14

A method of fabricating a thin film heterojunction photovoltaic cell which comprises depositing a film of a near intrinsic or n-type semiconductor compound formed of at least one of the metal elements of Class II B of the Periodic Table of Elements and at least tellurium and then heating said film at a temperature between about 250.degree. C. and 500.degree. C. for a time sufficient to convert said film to a suitably low resistivity p-type semiconductor compound. Such film may be deposited initially on the surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate. Alternatively, there may be deposited on the converted film a layer of n-type semiconductor compound different from the film semiconductor compound. The resulting photovoltaic cell exhibits a substantially increased power output over similar cells not subjected to the method of the present invention.

Structural, morphological and local electric properties of TiO2 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyoergy, E; Pino, A Perez del; Sauthier, G; Figueras, A; Alsina, F; Pascual, J

2007-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films were synthesized on (1 0 0) Si substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. A frequency quadrupled Nd : YAG (λ = 266 nm, τ FWHM ≅ 5 ns, ν = 10 Hz) laser source was used for the irradiations of metallic Ti targets. The experiments were performed in controlled oxygen atmosphere. Crystallinity, surface morphology and local electric properties of the obtained oxide thin films were investigated by x-ray diffractometry, micro-Raman spectroscopy and current sensing atomic force microscopy. An inter-relation was found between the surface morphology, the crystalline structure and the nano-scale electric properties which open the possibility of synthesizing by the PLD technique TiO 2 thin films with tunable functional properties for future applications such as photocatalysts, gas sensors or solar energy converters

An Enthusiastic Glance in to the Visible Responsive Photocatalysts for Energy Production and Pollutant Removal, with Special Emphasis on Titania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Padikkaparambil Silija

2012-01-01

Full Text Available As a consequence of the rapid growth of industry, major problems are created related to energy and environment. Sunlight being one of the most potential alternative source of energy, the development of efficient solar-energy storage systems is an important subject in the fields of science and technology. Here we have reviewed and summarized some of the recent reports on visible responsive photocatalysts. In this review, the influence of various metal oxide photocatalysts on energy production and pollutant removal are presented with special emphasis on titania based photocatalysts. The photoactivity of titania for various pollutant degradation, modified titania (TiO2 systems, their physical and chemical characteristics, and so forth, are described in detail at this juncture. Different methods used to enhance the visible light absorption of TiO2, like doping with metals and nonmetals, coupling with other metal oxides, and so forth, have been discussed. Various applications of photocatalysts including photocatalytic treatment of waste water, pesticide degradation and water splitting to produce hydrogen are summarized. The development of photocatalysts that function under visible light for the efficient utilization of sunlight is an area of current interest and thus the different methods of preparation for the visible active photocatalysts are also explored.

Enhanced Solar-to-Hydrogen Generation with Broadband Epsilon-Near-Zero Nanostructured Photocatalysts

KAUST Repository

Tian, Yi

2017-05-08

The direct conversion of solar energy into fuels or feedstock is an attractive approach to address increasing demand of renewable energy sources. Photocatalytic systems relying on the direct photoexcitation of metals have been explored to this end, a strategy that exploits the decay of plasmonic resonances into hot carriers. An efficient hot carrier generation and collection requires, ideally, their generation to be enclosed within few tens of nanometers at the metal interface, but it is challenging to achieve this across the broadband solar spectrum. Here the authors demonstrate a new photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution based on metal epsilon-near-zero metamaterials. The authors have designed these to achieve broadband strong light confinement at the metal interface across the entire solar spectrum. Using electron energy loss spectroscopy, the authors prove that hot carriers are generated in a broadband fashion within 10 nm in this system. The resulting photocatalyst achieves a hydrogen production rate of 9.5 µmol h-1  cm-2 that exceeds, by a factor of 3.2, that of the best previously reported plasmonic-based photocatalysts for the dissociation of H2 with 50 h stable operation.

Determination of bulk and interface density of states in metal oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors by using capacitance-voltage characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xixiong; Deng, Wanling; Fang, Jielin; Ma, Xiaoyu; Huang, Junkai

2017-10-01

A physical-based straightforward extraction technique for interface and bulk density of states in metal oxide semiconductor thin film transistors (TFTs) is proposed by using the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics. The interface trap density distribution with energy has been extracted from the analysis of capacitance-voltage characteristics. Using the obtained interface state distribution, the bulk trap density has been determined. With this method, for the interface trap density, it is found that deep state density nearing the mid-gap is approximately constant and tail states density increases exponentially with energy; for the bulk trap density, it is a superposition of exponential deep states and exponential tail states. The validity of the extraction is verified by comparisons with the measured current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and the simulation results by the technology computer-aided design (TCAD) model. This extraction method uses non-numerical iteration which is simple, fast and accurate. Therefore, it is very useful for TFT device characterization.

Amorphous Hafnium-Indium-Zinc Oxide Semiconductor Thin Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng-Po Chang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We reported on the performance and electrical properties of co-sputtering-processed amorphous hafnium-indium-zinc oxide (α-HfIZO thin film transistors (TFTs. Co-sputtering-processed α-HfIZO thin films have shown an amorphous phase in nature. We could modulate the In, Hf, and Zn components by changing the co-sputtering power. Additionally, the chemical composition of α-HfIZO had a significant effect on reliability, hysteresis, field-effect mobility (μFE, carrier concentration, and subthreshold swing (S of the device. Our results indicated that we could successfully and easily fabricate α-HfIZO TFTs with excellent performance by the co-sputtering process. Co-sputtering-processed α-HfIZO TFTs were fabricated with an on/off current ratio of ~106, higher mobility, and a subthreshold slope as steep as 0.55 V/dec.

Exciton-polaron quenching in organic thin-film transistors studied by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Baunegaard With; Leißner, Till; Osadnik, Andreas

Organic semiconductors show great potential in electronic and optical applications. However, a major challenge is the degradation of the semiconductor materials that cause a reduction in device performance. Here, we present our investigations of Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFT) based...... that correlates with the local charge density indicates a pronounced exciton quenching by the injected charges. Subsequent FLIM measurements on previously biased OTFT devices show a general decrease in fluorescence lifetime suggesting degradation of the organic semiconductor. This is correlated with the results...

Critical role of the semiconductor-electrolyte interface in photocatalytic performance for water-splitting reactions using Ta3N5 particles

KAUST Repository

Nurlaela, Ela

2014-08-26

Distinct photocatalytic performance was observed when Ta3N 5 was synthesized from commercially available Ta2O 5 or from Ta2O5 prepared from TaCl5 via the sol-gel route. With respect to photocatalytic O2 evolution with Ag+ as a sacrificial reagent, the Ta3N5 produced from commercial Ta2O5 exhibited higher activity than the Ta3N5 produced via the sol-gel route. When the Ta3N5 photocatalysts were decorated with Pt nanoparticles in a similar manner, the Ta3N5 from the sol-gel route exhibited higher photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity from a 10% aqueous methanol solution than Ta3N5 prepared from commercial Ta2O5 where no hydrogen can be detected. Detailed surface and bulk characterizations were conducted to obtain fundamental insight into the resulting photocatalytic activities. The characterization techniques, including XRD, elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and surface-area measurements, revealed only negligible differences between these two photocatalysts. Our thorough characterization of the surface properties demonstrated that the very thin outermost layer of Ta3N5, with a thickness of a few nanometers, consists of either the reduced state of tantalum (TaN) or an amorphous phase. The extent of this surface layer was likely dependent on the nature of precursor oxide surfaces. DFT calculations based on partially oxidized Ta3N4.83O0.17 and N deficient Ta3N4.83 consisting of reduced Ta species well described the optoelectrochemical properties obtained from the experiments. Electrochemical and Mott-Schottky analyses demonstrated that the surface layer drastically affects the energetic picture at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface, which can consequently affect the photocatalytic performance. Chemical etching of the surface of Ta3N5 particles to remove this surface layer unites the photocatalytic properties with the photocatalytic performance of these two materials. Mott-Schottky plots of these chemically etched Ta3N5 materials

Interpreting anomalies observed in oxide semiconductor TFTs under negative and positive bias stress

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jin, J.W.; Nathan, A.; Barquinha, P.; Pereira, L.; Fortunato, E.; Martins, R.; Cobb, B.

2016-01-01

Oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors can show anomalous behavior under bias stress. Two types of anomalies are discussed in this paper. The first is the shift in threshold voltage (VTH) in a direction opposite to the applied bias stress, and highly dependent on gate dielectric material. We

Preparation and characterization of vanadium oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monfort, O.; Plesch, G. [Comenius University of Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Inorganic Chemistry, 84215 Bratislava (Slovakia); Roch, T. [Comenius University of Bratislava, Faculty of Mathematics Physics and Informatics, Department of Experimental Physics, 84248 Bratislava (Slovakia)

2013-04-16

The thermotropic VO{sub 2} films have many applications, since they exhibit semiconductor-conductor switching properties at temperature around 70 grad C. Vanadium oxide thin films were prepared via sol-gel method. Spin coater was used to depose these films on Si/SiO{sub 2} and lime glass substrates. Thin films of V{sub 2}O{sub 5} can be reduced to metastable VO{sub 2} thin films at the temperature of 450 grad C under the pressure of 10{sup -2} Pa. These films are then converted to thermotropic VO{sub 2} at 700 grad C in argon under normal pressure. (authors)

Magneto-Optical Thin Films for On-Chip Monolithic Integration of Non-Reciprocal Photonic Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Cengiz Onbasli

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Achieving monolithic integration of nonreciprocal photonic devices on semiconductor substrates has been long sought by the photonics research society. One way to achieve this goal is to deposit high quality magneto-optical oxide thin films on a semiconductor substrate. In this paper, we review our recent research activity on magneto-optical oxide thin films toward the goal of monolithic integration of nonreciprocal photonic devices on silicon. We demonstrate high Faraday rotation at telecommunication wavelengths in several novel magnetooptical oxide thin films including Co substituted CeO2−δ, Co- or Fe-substituted SrTiO3−δ, as well as polycrystalline garnets on silicon. Figures of merit of 3~4 deg/dB and 21 deg/dB are achieved in epitaxial Sr(Ti0.2Ga0.4Fe0.4O3−δ and polycrystalline (CeY2Fe5O12 films, respectively. We also demonstrate an optical isolator on silicon, based on a racetrack resonator using polycrystalline (CeY2Fe5O12/silicon strip-loaded waveguides. Our work demonstrates that physical vapor deposited magneto-optical oxide thin films on silicon can achieve high Faraday rotation, low optical loss and high magneto-optical figure of merit, therefore enabling novel high-performance non-reciprocal photonic devices monolithically integrated on semiconductor substrates.

Silicon-integrated thin-film structure for electro-optic applications

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick Joseph

2000-01-01

A crystalline thin-film structure suited for use in any of an number of electro-optic applications, such as a phase modulator or a component of an interferometer, includes a semiconductor substrate of silicon and a ferroelectric, optically-clear thin film of the perovskite BaTiO.sub.3 overlying the surface of the silicon substrate. The BaTiO.sub.3 thin film is characterized in that substantially all of the dipole moments associated with the ferroelectric film are arranged substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate to enhance the electro-optic qualities of the film.

Advanced nanoporous TiO2 photocatalysts by hydrogen plasma for efficient solar-light photocatalytic application

Science.gov (United States)

An, Ha-Rim; Park, So Young; Kim, Hyeran; Lee, Che Yoon; Choi, Saehae; Lee, Soon Chang; Seo, Soonjoo; Park, Edmond Changkyun; Oh, You-Kwan; Song, Chan-Geun; Won, Jonghan; Kim, Youn Jung; Lee, Jouhahn; Lee, Hyun Uk; Lee, Young-Chul

2016-01-01

We report an effect involving hydrogen (H2)-plasma-treated nanoporous TiO2(H-TiO2) photocatalysts that improve photocatalytic performance under solar-light illumination. H-TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by application of hydrogen plasma of assynthesized TiO2(a-TiO2) without annealing process. Compared with the a-TiO2, the H-TiO2 exhibited high anatase/brookite bicrystallinity and a porous structure. Our study demonstrated that H2 plasma is a simple strategy to fabricate H-TiO2 covering a large surface area that offers many active sites for the extension of the adsorption spectra from ultraviolet (UV) to visible range. Notably, the H-TiO2 showed strong ·OH free-radical generation on the TiO2 surface under both UV- and visible-light irradiation with a large responsive surface area, which enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. Under solar-light irradiation, the optimized H-TiO2 120(H2-plasma treatment time: 120 min) photocatalysts showed unprecedentedly excellent removal capability for phenol (Ph), reactive black 5(RB 5), rhodamine B (Rho B) and methylene blue (MB) — approximately four-times higher than those of the other photocatalysts (a-TiO2 and P25) — resulting in complete purification of the water. Such well-purified water (>90%) can utilize culturing of cervical cancer cells (HeLa), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) while showing minimal cytotoxicity. Significantly, H-TiO2 photocatalysts can be mass-produced and easily processed at room temperature. We believe this novel method can find important environmental and biomedical applications. PMID:27406992

Optimizing the deposition of hydrogen evolution sites on suspended semiconductor particles using on-line photocatalytic reforming of aqueous methanol solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Busser, G Wilma; Mei, Bastian; Muhler, Martin

2012-11-01

The deposition of hydrogen evolution sites on photocatalysts is a crucial step in the multistep process of synthesizing a catalyst that is active for overall photocatalytic water splitting. An alternative approach to conventional photodeposition was developed, applying the photocatalytic reforming of aqueous methanol solutions to deposit metal particles on semiconductor materials such as Ga₂O₃ and (Ga₀.₆ Zn₀.₄)(N₀.₆O₀.₄). The method allows optimizing the loading of the co-catalysts based on the stepwise addition of their precursors and the continuous online monitoring of the evolved hydrogen. Moreover, a synergetic effect between different co-catalysts can be directly established. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Exciton fission in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinhoff, A; Florian, M; Rösner, M; Schönhoff, G; Wehling, T O; Jahnke, F

2017-10-27

When electron-hole pairs are excited in a semiconductor, it is a priori not clear if they form a plasma of unbound fermionic particles or a gas of composite bosons called excitons. Usually, the exciton phase is associated with low temperatures. In atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors, excitons are particularly important even at room temperature due to strong Coulomb interaction and a large exciton density of states. Using state-of-the-art many-body theory, we show that the thermodynamic fission-fusion balance of excitons and electron-hole plasma can be efficiently tuned via the dielectric environment as well as charge carrier doping. We propose the observation of these effects by studying exciton satellites in photoemission and tunneling spectroscopy, which present direct solid-state counterparts of high-energy collider experiments on the induced fission of composite particles.

Heterostructured Fe3O4/Bi2O2CO3 photocatalyst: Synthesis, characterization and application in recyclable photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Gangqiang; Hojamberdiev, Mirabbos; Katsumata, Ken-ichi; Cai, Xu; Matsushita, Nobuhiro; Okada, Kiyoshi; Liu, Peng; Zhou, Jianping

2013-01-01

Heterostructured Fe 3 O 4 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 photocatalyst was synthesized by a two-step method. First, Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles with the size of ca. 10 nm were synthesized by chemical method at room temperature and then heterostructured Fe 3 O 4 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 photocatalyst was synthesized by hydrothermal method at 180 °C for 24 h with the addition of 10 wt% Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles into the precursor suspension of Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 . The pH value of synthesis suspension was adjusted to 4 and 6 with the addition of 2 M NaOH aqueous solution. By controlling the pH of synthesis suspension at 4 and 6, sphere- and flower-like Fe 3 O 4 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 photocatalysts were obtained, respectively. Both photocatalysts demonstrate superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra of the photocatalysts confirm that all the heterostructured photocatalysts are responsive to visible light. The photocatalytic activity of the heterostructured photocatalysts was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution over the photocatalysts under visible light irradiation. The heterostructured photocatalysts prepared in this study exhibit highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB and MO, and they can be easily recovered by applying an external magnetic field. - Highlights: • Sphere- and flower-like Fe 3 O 4 /Bi 2 O 2 CO 3 was synthesized by hydrothermal method. • Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles with the size of ca. 10 nm were synthesized by chemical method. • Photocatalysts demonstrate superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. • Photocatalysts exhibit highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity. • Photocatalysts can be easily recovered by applying an external magnetic field

Comparison of modification strategies towards enhanced charge carrier separation and photocatalytic degradation activity of metal oxide semiconductors (TiO2, WO3 and ZnO)

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, S. Girish; Rao, K. S. R. Koteswara

2017-01-01

Metal oxide semiconductors (TiO2, WO3 and ZnO) finds unparalleled opportunity in wastewater purification under UV/visible light, largely encouraged by their divergent admirable features like stability, non-toxicity, ease of preparation, suitable band edge positions and facile generation of active oxygen species in the aqueous medium. However, the perennial failings of these photocatalysts emanates from the stumbling blocks like rapid charge carrier recombination and meager visible light response. In this review, tailoring the surface-bulk electronic structure through the calibrated and veritable approaches such as impurity doping, deposition with noble metals, sensitizing with other compounds (dyes, polymers, inorganic complexes and simple chelating ligands), hydrogenation process (annealing under hydrogen atmosphere), electronic integration with other semiconductors, modifying with carbon nanostructures, designing with exposed facets and tailoring with hierarchical morphologies to overcome their critical drawbacks are summarized. Taking into account the materials intrinsic properties, the pros and cons together with similarities and striking differences for each strategy in specific to TiO2, WO3 & ZnO are highlighted. These subtlety enunciates the primacy for improving the structure-electronic properties of metal oxides and credence to its fore in the practical applications. Future research must focus on comparing the performances of ZnO, TiO2 and WO3 in parallel to get insight into their photocatalytic behaviors. Such comparisons not only reveal the changed surface-electronic structure upon various modifications, but also shed light on charge carrier dynamics, free radical generation, structural stability and compatibility for photocatalytic reactions. It is envisioned that these cardinal tactics have profound implications and can be replicated to other semiconductor photocatalysts like CeO2, In2O3, Bi2O3, Fe2O3, BiVO4, AgX, BiOX (X = Cl, Br & I), Bi2WO6, Bi2MoO6

Organic Semiconductor Photovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Sariciftci, Niyazi Serdar

2005-03-01

Recent developments on organic photovoltaic elements are reviewed. Semiconducting conjugated polymers and molecules as well as nanocrystalline inorganic semiconductors are used in composite thin films. The photophysics of such photoactive devices is based on the photoinduced charge transfer from donor type semiconducting molecules onto acceptor type molecules such as Buckminsterfullerene, C60 and/or nanoparticles. Similar to the first steps in natural photosynthesis, this photoinduced electron transfer leads to a number of potentially interesting applications which include sensitization of the photoconductivity and photovoltaic phenomena. Examples of photovoltaic architectures are discussed with their potential in terrestrial solar energy conversion. Several materials are introduced and discussed for their photovoltaic activities. Furthermore, nanomorphology has been investigated with AFM, SEM and TEM. The morphology/property relationship for a given photoactive system is found to be a major effect.

Design and exploration of semiconductors from first principles: A review of recent advances

Science.gov (United States)

Oba, Fumiyasu; Kumagai, Yu

2018-06-01

GaO2; perovskite oxides such as SrTiO3 and BaSnO3; and organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites, represented by CH3NH3PbI3. Moreover, the deployment of first-principles calculations allows us to predict the crystal structure, stability, and properties of as-yet-unreported materials. Promising materials have been explored via high-throughput screening within either publicly available computational databases or unexplored composition and structure space. Reported examples include the identification of nitride semiconductors, TCOs, solar cell photoabsorber materials, and photocatalysts, some of which have been experimentally verified. Machine learning in combination with first-principles calculations has emerged recently as a technique to accelerate and enhance in silico screening. A blend of computation and experimentation with data science toward the development of materials is often referred to as materials informatics and is currently attracting growing interest.

Illuminating Electron Microscopy of Photocatalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavalca, Filippo

.1% of the surface of the planet with a device that converts solar energy into a useable form at 10% efficiency would give more than the present worldwide consumption of fossil energy. Photocatalysts are of fundamental interest for sustainable energy research because they provide a viable route for converting solar...... energy into chemical bonds. By means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) it is possible to gain insight in the fundamentals of their reaction mechanisms, chemical behaviour, structure and morphology before, during and after reaction using in situ investigations. In particular, the environmental TEM...... the microscope that allows electron microscopy under nonconventional TEM conditions and new kinds of in situ spectroscopy....

Surface and Interface Engineering of Organometallic and Two Dimensional Semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jun Hong

For over half a century, inorganic Si and III-V materials have led the modern semiconductor industry, expanding to logic transistor and optoelectronic applications. However, these inorganic materials have faced two different fundamental limitations, flexibility for wearable applications and scaling limitation as logic transistors. As a result, the organic and two dimensional have been studied intentionally for various fields. In the present dissertation, three different studies will be presented with followed order; (1) the chemical response of organic semiconductor in NO2 exposure. (2) The surface and stability of WSe2 in ambient air. (3) Deposition of dielectric on two dimensional materials using organometallic seeding layer. The organic molecules rely on the van der Waals interaction during growth of thin films, contrast to covalent bond inorganic semiconductors. Therefore, the morphology and electronic property at surface of organic semiconductor in micro scale is more sensitive to change in gaseous conditions. In addition, metal phthalocyanine, which is one of organic semiconductor materials, change their electronic property as reaction with gaseous analytes, suggesting as potential chemical sensing platforms. In the present part, the growth behavior of metal phthalocyanine and surface response to gaseous condition will be elucidated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In second part, the surface of layered transition metal dichalcogenides and their chemical response to exposure ambient air will be investigated, using STM. Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted widespread attention in the scientific community for electronic device applications because improved electrostatic gate control and suppression of short channel leakage resulted from their atomic thin body. To fabricate the transistor based on TMDs, TMDs should be exposed to ambient conditions, while the effect of air exposure has not been understood fully. In this part

Highly efficient dual cocatalyst-modified TiO2 photocatalyst: RGO as electron-transfer mediator and MoSx as H2-evolution active site

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ying; Li, Yongan; Wang, Ping; Wang, Xuefei; Yu, Huogen

2018-02-01

The rapid interfacial charge transfer and interfacial catalytic reaction are highly desirable to improve the photocatalytic H2-evolution performance of semiconductor photocatalysts. To achieve the goal, in the paper, MoSx-rGO/TiO2 was synthesized by a facilely two-step photocatalytic reduction approach including reducing GO/TiO2 to rGO/TiO2 and then reducing ammonium tetrathiomolybdate ((NH4)2MoS4) to form amorphous MoSx on the rGO surface. In the case, the rGO nanosheets as an electron mediator caused rapid transportation of photogenerated electrons from the conduction band (CB) of TiO2, while amorphous MoSx served as an effective active site for the following interfacial reduction reaction for H2 evolution. The photocatalytic results indicated that the H2-evolution rate of synthesized MoSx-rGO/TiO2 was 206.6 μmol h-1, which was obviously higher than that of TiO2 (6.9 μmol h-1), rGO/TiO2 (31.8 μmol h-1) and MoSx/TiO2 (150.1 μmol h-1) due to the rapid interfacial charge transfer and interfacial catalytic reaction. Considering the present mild and green approach, the obtained MoSx-rGO/TiO2 could be regarded as a potential photocatalyst for the practical application. In addition, this work also could provide some new insights for the smart design and preparation of inexpensive and high-efficiency photocatalytic materials.

Rapid thermally annealed plasma deposited SiNx:H thin films: Application to metal-insulator-semiconductor structures with Si, In0.53Ga0.47As, and InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martil, I.; Prado, A. del; San Andres, E.; Gonzalez Diaz, G.; Martinez, F.L.

2003-01-01

We present in this article a comprehensive study of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) effects on the physical properties of SiN x :H thin films deposited by the electron cyclotron resonance plasma method. Films of different as-deposited compositions (defined in this article as the nitrogen to silicon ratio, x=N/Si) were analyzed: from Si-rich (x=0.97) to N-rich (x=1.6) films. The evolution of the composition, bonding configuration, and paramagnetic defects with the annealing temperature are explained by means of different network bond reactions that take place depending on the as-deposited film composition. All the analyzed films release hydrogen, while Si-rich and near-stoichiometric (x=1.43) ones also lose nitrogen upon annealing. These films were used to make Al/SiN x :H/semiconductor devices with Si, In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As, and InP. After RTA treatments, the electrical properties of the three different SiN x :H/semiconductor interfaces can be explained, noting the microstructural modifications that SiN x :H experiences upon annealing

An Ultrathin Single Crystalline Relaxor Ferroelectric Integrated on a High Mobility Semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moghadam, Reza M. [Department; Xiao, Zhiyong [Department; Ahmadi-Majlan, Kamyar [Department; Grimley, Everett D. [Department; Bowden, Mark [Environmental; amp, Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States; Ong, Phuong-Vu [Physical; amp, Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States; Chambers, Scott A. [Physical; amp, Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States; Lebeau, James M. [Department; Hong, Xia [Department; Sushko, Peter V. [Physical; amp, Computational Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States; Ngai, Joseph H. [Department

2017-09-13

The epitaxial growth of multifunctional oxides on semiconductors has opened a pathway to introduce new functionalities to semiconductor device technologies. In particular, ferroelectric materials integrated on semiconductors could lead to low-power field-effect devices that can be used for logic or memory. Essential to realizing such field-effect devices is the development of ferroelectric metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, in which the polarization of a ferroelectric gate is coupled to the surface potential of a semiconducting channel. Here we demonstrate that ferroelectric MOS capacitors can be realized using single crystalline SrZrxTi1-xO3 (x= 0.7) that has been epitaxially grown on Ge. We find that the ferroelectric properties of SrZrxTi1-xO3 are exceptionally robust, as gate layers as thin as 5 nm give rise to hysteretic capacitance-voltage characteristics that are 2 V in width. The development of ferroelectric MOS capacitors with gate thicknesses that are technologically relevant opens a pathway to realize scalable ferroelectric field-effect devices.

Electric Transport Phenomena of Nanocomposite Organic Polymer Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Jira, Nicholas C.; Sabirianov, Ildar; Ilie, Carolina C.

We discuss herein the nanocomposite organic thin film diodes for the use of plasmonic solar cells. This experimental work follows the theoretical calculations done for plasmonic solar cells using the MNPBEM toolbox for MatLab. These calculations include dispersion curves and amount of light scattering cross sections for different metallic nanoparticles. This study gives us clear ideas on what to expect from different metals, allowing us to make the best choice on what to use to obtain the best results. One specific technique for light trapping in thin films solar cells utilizes metal nanoparticles on the surface of the semiconductor. The characteristics of the metal, semiconductor interface allows for light to be guided in between them causing it to be scattered, allowing for more chances of absorption. The samples were fabricated using organic thin films made from polymers and metallic nanoparticles, more specifically Poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) copolymer and silver or gold nanoparticles. The two fabrication methods applied include spin coating and Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The transport properties are obtained by analyzing the I-V curves. We will also discuss the resistance, resistivity, conductance, density of charge carriers. SUNY Oswego SCAC Grant.

Electrothermal Simulation of Large-Area Semiconductor Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C Kirsch

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The lateral charge transport in thin-film semiconductor devices is affected by the sheet resistance of the various layers. This may lead to a non-uniform current distribution across a large-area device resulting in inhomogeneous luminance, for example, as observed in organic light-emitting diodes (Neyts et al., 2006. The resistive loss in electrical energy is converted into thermal energy via Joule heating, which results in a temperature increase inside the device. On the other hand, the charge transport properties of the device materials are also temperature-dependent, such that we are facing a two-way coupled electrothermal problem. It has been demonstrated that adding thermal effects to an electrical model significantly changes the results (Slawinski et al., 2011. We present a mathematical model for the steady-state distribution of the electric potential and of the temperature across one electrode of a large-area semiconductor device, as well as numerical solutions obtained using the finite element method.

Crystallographic structure and grain size of polycrystalline Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} nanoparticles and thin films studied with XRD and SEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zutz, Folker; Chory, Christine; Riedel, Ingo; Parisi, Juergen [Thin Film Photovoltaics, Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg (Germany)

2011-07-01

Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) is a compound semiconductor with an absorption coefficient of >10{sup 4} cm{sup -1} and energy gap of about 1.5 eV. Because CZTS is comprised of abundant and non-toxic precursor elements the semiconductor represents an attractive material for low-cost thin film solar cells. CZTS nanoparticles (NP) were prepared in a low-temperature colloidal synthesis yielding high amounts per synthesis cycle. For thin film deposition the NPs were converted to an ink which can be processed to thin films via printing techniques. Finally, the thin films were annealed in argon atmosphere at different temperatures in order to control the growth of microcrystallites. The photoelectrical quality of the semiconductor sensitively depends on the relative concentrations of the precursor elements (band gap, crystallographic phases) and the average grain size (charge transport). We report on structural investigations (X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy) of CZTS dried powders and thin films processed from inks with varying chemical compositions. Further, the evolution of the grain size was studied as function of the annealing temperature.

Metal oxide semiconductors for dye degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adhikari, Sangeeta; Sarkar, Debasish

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hydrothermal synthesis of monoclinic and hexagonal WO 3 nanostructures. • Nanocuboid and nanofiber growth using different structure directing agents. • WO 3 –ZnO nanocomposites for dye degradation under UV and visible light. • High photocatalytic efficiency is achieved by 10 wt% monoclinic WO 3 . • WO 3 assists to trap hole in UV and arrests electron in visible light irradiation. - Abstract: Organic contaminants are a growing threat to the environment that widely demands their degradation by high efficient photocatalysts. Thus, the proposed research work primely focuses on the efficient degradation of methyl orange using designed WO 3 –ZnO photocatalysts under both UV and visible light irradiation. Two different sets of WO 3 nanostructures namely, monoclinic WO 3 (m-WO 3 ) and hexagonal WO 3 (h-WO 3 ) synthesizes in presence of a different structure directing agents. A specific dispersion technique allows the intimate contact of as-synthesized WO 3 and ultra-violet active commercial ZnO photocatalyst in different weight variations. ZnO nanocrystal in presence of an optimum 10 wt% m-WO 3 shows a high degree of photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible light irradiation compared to counterpart h-WO 3 . Symmetrical monoclinic WO 3 assists to trap hole in UV, but electron arresting mechanism predominates in visible irradiation. Coupling of monoclinic nanocuboid WO 3 with ZnO proves to be a promising photocatalyst in both wavelengths.

Ion beam-based characterization of multicomponent oxide thin films and thin film layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauss, A.R.; Rangaswamy, M.; Lin, Yuping; Gruen, D.M.; Schultz, J.A.; Schmidt, H.K.; Chang, R.P.H.

1992-01-01

Fabrication of thin film layered structures of multi-component materials such as high temperature superconductors, ferroelectric and electro-optic materials, and alloy semiconductors, and the development of hybrid materials requires understanding of film growth and interface properties. For High Temperature Superconductors, the superconducting coherence length is extremely short (5--15 Angstrom), and fabrication of reliable devices will require control of film properties at extremely sharp interfaces; it will be necessary to verify the integrity of thin layers and layered structure devices over thicknesses comparable to the atomic layer spacing. Analytical techniques which probe the first 1--2 atomic layers are therefore necessary for in-situ characterization of relevant thin film growth processes. However, most surface-analytical techniques are sensitive to a region within 10--40 Angstrom of the surface and are physically incompatible with thin film deposition and are typically restricted to ultra high vacuum conditions. A review of ion beam-based analytical methods for the characterization of thin film and multi-layered thin film structures incorporating layers of multicomponent oxides is presented. Particular attention will be paid to the use of time-of-flight techniques based on the use of 1- 15 key ion beams which show potential for use as nondestructive, real-time, in-situ surface diagnostics for the growth of multicomponent metal and metal oxide thin films

Semiconductor apparatus and method of fabrication for a semiconductor apparatus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

The invention relates to a semiconductor apparatus (1) and a method of fabrication for a semiconductor apparatus (1), wherein the semiconductor apparatus (1) comprises a semiconductor layer (2) and a passivation layer (3), arranged on a surface of the semiconductor layer (2), for passivating the

Sol–gel deposited ceria thin films as gate dielectric for CMOS ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sol–gel deposited ceria thin films as gate dielectric for CMOS technology. ANIL G KHAIRNAR ... The semiconductor roadmap following Moore's law is responsible for ..... The financial support from University Grants Commi- ssion (UGC), New ...

Defects and diffusion in semiconductors XII

CERN Document Server

Fisher, David J

2010-01-01

This twelfth volume in the series covering the latest results in the field includes abstracts of papers which have appeared since the publication of Annual Retrospective XI (Volume 282). As well as the 565 semiconductor-related abstracts, the issue includes - in line with the policy of including original papers on all of the major material groups: ""Study of Conduction Mechanism in Amorphous Se85-xTe15Bix Thin Films"" (A.Sharma and P.B.Barman), ""Structure and Optical Properties of Magnetron-Sputtered SiOx Layers with Silicon Nanoparticles"" (L.Khomenkova, N.Korsunska, T.Stara, Y.Goldstein, J.

Electron microscopy of Mg/TiO2 photocatalyst morphology for deep desulfurization of diesel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Yee Cia; Kait, Chong Fai; Fatimah, Hayyiratul; Wilfred, Cecilia

2015-01-01

A series of Mg/TiO 2 photocatalysts were prepared and characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The average particle sizes of the photocatalysts were ranging from 25.7 to 35.8 nm. Incorporation of Mg on TiO 2 did not lead to any surface lattice distortion to TiO 2 . HRTEM data indicated the presence of MgO and Mg(OH) 2 mixture at low Mg loading while at higher Mg loading, the presence of lamellar Mg-oxyhydroxide intermediates and Mg(OH) 2

Programmable and coherent crystallization of semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Yu, Liyang

2017-03-04

The functional properties and technological utility of polycrystalline materials are largely determined by the structure, geometry, and spatial distribution of their multitude of crystals. However, crystallization is seeded through stochastic and incoherent nucleation events, limiting the ability to control or pattern the microstructure, texture, and functional properties of polycrystalline materials. We present a universal approach that can program the microstructure of materials through the coherent seeding of otherwise stochastic homogeneous nucleation events. The method relies on creating topographic variations to seed nucleation and growth at designated locations while delaying nucleation elsewhere. Each seed can thus produce a coherent growth front of crystallization with a geometry designated by the shape and arrangement of seeds. Periodic and aperiodic crystalline arrays of functional materials, such as semiconductors, can thus be created on demand and with unprecedented sophistication and ease by patterning the location and shape of the seeds. This approach is used to demonstrate printed arrays of organic thin-film transistors with remarkable performance and reproducibility owing to their demonstrated spatial control over the microstructure of organic and inorganic polycrystalline semiconductors.

Electrodeposited ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} onto TiO{sub 2} thin films for semiconductor-sensitized photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assaker, Ibtissem Ben, E-mail: ibtissem.ben-assaker@laposte.net [Laboratoire Photovoltaïque, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Energie Technopole borj cedria, Bp 95, Hammamm lif 2050 (Tunisia); Gannouni, Mounir; Naceur, Jamila Ben [Laboratoire Photovoltaïque, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Energie Technopole borj cedria, Bp 95, Hammamm lif 2050 (Tunisia); Almessiere, Munirah Abdullah; Al-Otaibi, Amal Lafy; Ghrib, Taher [Laboratory of Physical Alloys (LPA), College of Science, University of Dammam (Saudi Arabia); Shen, Shouwen [Advanced Analysis Unit, Technical Service Division Research & Development Center Saudi Aramco, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Chtourou, Radhouane [Laboratoire Photovoltaïque, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Energie Technopole borj cedria, Bp 95, Hammamm lif 2050 (Tunisia)

2015-10-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} thin films was grown using electrodeposition route onto TiO{sub 2}/ITO coated glass substrate. • Study of the heterostructure ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} thin films. • Photocatalytic activity of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} heterostructure under visible light irradiation. • High performance of Photoelectrochemical properties in the presence of the junction ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2}. - Abstract: In this study, ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} heterostructure was successfully synthesized on ITO-coated glass substrates via a facile two-step process from aqueous solution. First, TiO{sub 2} thin film was prepared by sol–gel and deposited onto ITO coated glass substrate by spin-coating method. Then the zinc indium sulfide semiconductor was fabricated via electrodeposition technique onto TiO{sub 2}/ITO coated glass electrode. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirm that the heterostructure is mixed of both Anatase TiO{sub 2} and Rhombohedric ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the morphology change with the deposition of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} over TiO{sub 2} thin film and a total coverage of the electrode surface was obtained. Optical absorption spectroscopy study of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} heterostructure exhibits a remarkable red-shift compared to the TiO{sub 2} and ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} achieve the best efficiency of visible light absorption. Therefore, it is expected to apply to visible-light photocatalysis and solar cells. To investigate the effect of the heterojunction on the photocatalytic activity of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} thin films, photodegradation of methylene blue in the presence of ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4} was performed. ZnIn{sub 2}S{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} heterostructure exhibited strong photocatalytic activity, and the degradation of methylene blue eached 91% after irradiation only for 4 h. Also, the study of the photocurrent density produced

The optical properties of plasma polymerized polyaniline thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goktas, Hilal, E-mail: hilal_goktas@yahoo.com [Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Physics Department, 17020 Canakkale (Turkey); Demircioglu, Zahide; Sel, Kivanc [Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Physics Department, 17020 Canakkale (Turkey); Gunes, Taylan [Yalova University, Energy Systems Engineering Department, 77100 Yalova (Turkey); Kaya, Ismet [Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Chemistry Department, 17020 Canakkale (Turkey)

2013-12-02

We report herein the characterizations of polyaniline thin films synthesized using double discharge plasma system. Quartz glass substrates were coated at a pressure of 80 Pa, 19.0 kV pulsed and 1.5 kV dc potential. The substrates were located at different regions in the reactor to evaluate the influence of the position on the morphological and molecular structure of the obtained thin films. The molecular structure of the thin films was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV–visible photospectrometers (UV–vis), and the morphological studies were carried out by scanning electron microscope. The FTIR and UV–vis data revealed that the molecular structures of the synthesized thin films were in the form of leuocoemeraldine and exhibited similar structures with the films produced via chemical or electrochemical methods. The optical energy band gap values of the as-grown samples ranged from 2.5 to 3.1 eV, which indicated that these materials have potential applications in semiconductor devices. The refractive index in the transparent region (from 650 to 1000 nm) steadily decreased from 1.9 to 1.4 and the extinction coefficient was found to be on order of 10{sup −4}. The synthesized thin films showed various degrees of granular morphologies depending on the location of the substrate in the reactor. - Highlights: • Polyaniline thin films were synthesized for the first time via double discharge plasma system. • The films have similar structure to that of the chemically synthesized films. • The morphology of the films could be tuned by this technique. • These materials would have potential applications at semiconductor devices.

Thermal and Optical Modulation of the Carrier Mobility in OTFTs Based on an Azo-anthracene Liquid Crystal Organic Semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yantong; Li, Chao; Xu, Xiuru; Liu, Ming; He, Yaowu; Murtaza, Imran; Zhang, Dongwei; Yao, Chao; Wang, Yongfeng; Meng, Hong

2017-03-01

One of the most striking features of organic semiconductors compared with their corresponding inorganic counterparts is their molecular diversity. The major challenge in organic semiconductor material technology is creating molecular structural motifs to develop multifunctional materials in order to achieve the desired functionalities yet to optimize the specific device performance. Azo-compounds, because of their special photoresponsive property, have attracted extensive interest in photonic and optoelectronic applications; if incorporated wisely in the organic semiconductor groups, they can be innovatively utilized in advanced smart electronic applications, where thermal and photo modulation is applied to tune the electronic properties. On the basis of this aspiration, a novel azo-functionalized liquid crystal semiconductor material, (E)-1-(4-(anthracen-2-yl)phenyl)-2-(4-(decyloxy)phenyl)diazene (APDPD), is designed and synthesized for application in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The UV-vis spectra of APDPD exhibit reversible photoisomerizaton upon photoexcitation, and the thin films of APDPD show a long-range orientational order based on its liquid crystal phase. The performance of OTFTs based on this material as well as the effects of thermal treatment and UV-irradiation on mobility are investigated. The molecular structure, stability of the material, and morphology of the thin films are characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), UV-vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This study reveals that our new material has the potential to be applied in optical sensors, memories, logic circuits, and functional switches.

Structural properties and sensing performance of high-k Nd2TiO5 thin layer-based electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor for pH detection and urea biosensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Tung-Ming; Lin, Jian-Chi; Wu, Min-Hsien; Lai, Chao-Sung

2009-05-15

For high sensitive pH sensing, an electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) device with Nd(2)TiO(5) thin layers fabricated on Si substrates by means of reactive sputtering and the subsequent post-deposition annealing (PDA) treatment was proposed. In this work, the effect of thermal annealing (600, 700, 800, and 900 degrees C) on the structural characteristics of Nd(2)TiO(5) thin layer was investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The observed structural properties were then correlated with the resulting pH sensing performances. For enzymatic field-effect-transistors-based urea biosensing, a hybrid configuration of the proposed Nd(2)TiO(5) thin layer with urease-immobilized alginate film attached was established. Within the experimental conditions investigated, the EIS device with the Nd(2)TiO(5) thin layer annealed at 800 degrees C exhibited a higher pH detection sensitivity of 57.2 mV/pH, a lower hysteresis voltage of 2.33 mV, and a lower drift rate of 1.80 mV/h compared to those at other annealing temperatures. These results are attributed to the formation of a thinner low-k interfacial layer at the oxide/Si interface and the higher surface roughness occurred at this annealing temperature. Furthermore, the presented urea biosensor was also proved to be able to detect urea with good linearity (R(2)=0.99) and reasonable sensitivity of 9.52 mV/mM in the urea concentration range of 3-40 mM. As a whole, the present work has provided some fundamental data for the use of Nd(2)TiO(5) thin layer for EIS-based pH detection and the extended application for biosensing.

Exploring graphene field effect transistor devices to improve spectral resolution of semiconductor radiation detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, Richard Karl [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Howell, Stephen Wayne [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Martin, Jeffrey B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hamilton, Allister B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2013-12-01

Graphene, a planar, atomically thin form of carbon, has unique electrical and material properties that could enable new high performance semiconductor devices. Graphene could be of specific interest in the development of room-temperature, high-resolution semiconductor radiation spectrometers. Incorporating graphene into a field-effect transistor architecture could provide an extremely high sensitivity readout mechanism for sensing charge carriers in a semiconductor detector, thus enabling the fabrication of a sensitive radiation sensor. In addition, the field effect transistor architecture allows us to sense only a single charge carrier type, such as electrons. This is an advantage for room-temperature semiconductor radiation detectors, which often suffer from significant hole trapping. Here we report on initial efforts towards device fabrication and proof-of-concept testing. This work investigates the use of graphene transferred onto silicon and silicon carbide, and the response of these fabricated graphene field effect transistor devices to stimuli such as light and alpha radiation.

Establishing efficient cobalt based catalytic sites for oxygen evolution on a Ta3N5 photocatalyst

KAUST Repository

Nurlaela, Ela; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Llorens, Isabelle; Hazemann, Jean-louis; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2015-01-01

In a photocatalytic suspension system with a powder semiconductor, the interface between the photocatalyst semiconductor and catalyst should be constructed to minimize resistance for charge transfer of excited carriers. This study demonstrates an in-depth understanding of pretreatment effects on the photocatalytic O2 evolution reaction (OER) activity of visible-light-responsive Ta3N5 decorated with CoOx nanoparticles. The CoOx/Ta3N5 sample was synthesized by impregnation followed by sequential heat treat-ments under NH3 flow and air flow at various temperatures. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and X-ray photoelectron spec-troscopy (XPS), were used to clarify the state and role of cobalt. No improvement in photocatalytic activity for OER over the bare Ta3N5 was observed for the as-impregnated CoOx/Ta3N5, likely because of insufficient contact between CoOx and Ta3N5. When the sample was treated in NH3 at high temperature, a substantial improvement in the photocatalytic activity was observed. After NH3 treatment at 700 °C, the Co0-CoOx core-shell agglomerated cobalt structure was identified by XAS and STEM. No metallic cobalt species was evident after the photocatalytic OER, indicating that the metallic cobalt itself is not essential for the reaction. Accordingly, mild oxidation (200 °C) of the NH3-treated CoOx/Ta3N5 sample enhanced photocatalytic OER activity. Oxidation at higher temperatures drastically eliminated the photocatalytic activity, most likely because of unfavorable Ta3N5 oxidation. These results suggest that the intimate contact between cobalt species and Ta3N5 facilitated at high temperature is beneficial to enhancing hole transport and that the cobalt oxide provides electrocatalytic sites for OER.

Establishing efficient cobalt based catalytic sites for oxygen evolution on a Ta3N5 photocatalyst

KAUST Repository

Nurlaela, Ela

2015-08-05

In a photocatalytic suspension system with a powder semiconductor, the interface between the photocatalyst semiconductor and catalyst should be constructed to minimize resistance for charge transfer of excited carriers. This study demonstrates an in-depth understanding of pretreatment effects on the photocatalytic O2 evolution reaction (OER) activity of visible-light-responsive Ta3N5 decorated with CoOx nanoparticles. The CoOx/Ta3N5 sample was synthesized by impregnation followed by sequential heat treat-ments under NH3 flow and air flow at various temperatures. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and X-ray photoelectron spec-troscopy (XPS), were used to clarify the state and role of cobalt. No improvement in photocatalytic activity for OER over the bare Ta3N5 was observed for the as-impregnated CoOx/Ta3N5, likely because of insufficient contact between CoOx and Ta3N5. When the sample was treated in NH3 at high temperature, a substantial improvement in the photocatalytic activity was observed. After NH3 treatment at 700 °C, the Co0-CoOx core-shell agglomerated cobalt structure was identified by XAS and STEM. No metallic cobalt species was evident after the photocatalytic OER, indicating that the metallic cobalt itself is not essential for the reaction. Accordingly, mild oxidation (200 °C) of the NH3-treated CoOx/Ta3N5 sample enhanced photocatalytic OER activity. Oxidation at higher temperatures drastically eliminated the photocatalytic activity, most likely because of unfavorable Ta3N5 oxidation. These results suggest that the intimate contact between cobalt species and Ta3N5 facilitated at high temperature is beneficial to enhancing hole transport and that the cobalt oxide provides electrocatalytic sites for OER.

Grain Boundary Induced Bias Instability in Soluble Acene-Based Thin-Film Transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Ky V.; Payne, Marcia M.; Anthony, John E.; Lee, Jung Hun; Song, Eunjoo; Kang, Boseok; Cho, Kilwon; Lee, Wi Hyoung

2016-01-01

Since the grain boundaries (GBs) within the semiconductor layer of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have a strong influence on device performance, a substantial number of studies have been devoted to controlling the crystallization characteristics of organic semiconductors. We studied the intrinsic effects of GBs within 5,11-bis(triethylsilylethynyl) anthradithiophene (TES-ADT) thin films on the electrical properties of OFETs. The GB density was easily changed by controlling nulceation event in TES-ADT thin films. When the mixing time was increased, the number of aggregates in as-spun TES-ADT thin films were increased and subsequent exposure of the films to 1,2-dichloroethane vapor led to a significant increase in the number of nuleation sites, thereby increasing the GB density of TES-ADT spherulites. The density of GBs strongly influences the angular spread and crystallographic orientation of TES-ADT spherulites. Accordingly, the FETs with higher GB densities showed much poorer electrical characteristics than devices with lower GB density. Especially, GBs provide charge trapping sites which are responsible for bias-stress driven electrical instability. Dielectric surface treatment with a polystyrene brush layer clarified the GB-induced charge trapping by reducing charge trapping at the semiconductor-dielectric interface. Our study provides an understanding on GB induced bias instability for the development of high performance OFETs. PMID:27615358

Current status and prospect on photo-catalyst application in environmental problems; Kankyo mondai ni okeru hikari shokubai oyo no ganjo to tenbo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, T. [Toto Ltd., Kitakyushu (Japan)

1995-09-30

This paper summarizes application of photo-catalysts in environmental problems. The paper lists examples of the application in residential environments. Photo-catalytic decomposition is possible by using ultraviolet rays contained in room illumination if the bacterial presence is sparse. The examples thereof may be cited as follows: if colon bacilli are suspended on a tile with TiO2 photo-catalyst sintered in it and exposed to room illumination, the bacteria are disinfected; using photo-catalysts in a bathroom suppresses deposition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; a photo-catalyst tile (TiO2 loaded with Cu) and light irradiation reduce intensity of tobacco smoke odor; and adsorbents may be used simultaneously if intermediate products are odor generating substances. The examples of applying photo-catalysts to regional environments may be quoted as follows: growth of algae in a Petri dish is suppressed by presence of Cu loaded TiO2 under room illumination; this leads to an expectation on its effect in a relatively clean water environment; glass beads loaded with a TiO2 photo-catalyst placed in a gold fish breeding tank reduces turbidity, the number of colon bacilluses, and COD value; and the mortality in gold fish shows no change. With an objective of application to exterior building materials, photo-catalyst applied tiles were left outdoors for 160 days. Nitric acid ions were detected that are thought to have been generated by decomposition of microorganisms that have deposited on the tiles. 6 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Synthesis and characterization of three-dimensional transition metal ions doped zinc oxide based dilute magnetic semiconductor thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Samanta, Kousik

Dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS), especially 3d-transition metal (TM) doped ZnO based DMS materials are the most promising candidates for optoelectronics and spintronics applications; e.g. in spin light emitting diode (SLED), spin transistors, and spin field effect transistors (SFET), etc. In the present dissertation, thin films of Zn1-xTMxO (TM = Co2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+) were grown on (0001) oriented Al2O3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The films were highly c-axis oriented, nearly single crystalline, and defects free for a limited concentration of the dilution of transition metal ions. In particular, we have obtained single crystalline phases of Zn1-xTMxO thin films for up to 10, 3, and 5 stoichiometric percentages of Co2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ respectively. Raman micro-probe system was used to understand the structural and lattice dynamical properties at different physical conditions. The confinement of optical phonons in the disorder lattice was explained by alloy potential fluctuation (APF) using a spatial correlation (SC) model. The detailed analysis of the optical phonon behavior in disorder lattice confirmed the substitution of the transition metal ions in Zn 2+ site of the ZnO host lattice. The secondary phases of ZnCo 2O4, CuO, and ZnMn2O4 were detected in higher Co, Cu, and Mn doped ZnO thin films respectively; where as, XRD did not detect these secondary phases in the same samples. Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed in Co2+ and Cu2+ ions doped ZnO thin films with maximum saturation magnetization (Ms) of 1.0 and 0.76 muB respectively. The origin of the observed ferromagnetism in Zn1-xCoxO thin films was tested by the controlled introduction of shallow donors (Al) in Zn0.9-x Co0.1O:Alx (x = 0.005 and 0.01) thin films. The saturation magnetization for the 10% Co-doped ZnO (1.0 muB /Co) at 300K reduced (˜0.25 muB/Co) due to Al doping. The observed ferromagnetism and the reduction due to Al doping can be explained by the Bound

Thin Film Solar Cells and their Optical Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanislav Jurecka

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In this work we report on the optical parameters of the semiconductor thin film for solar cell applications determination. The method is based on the dynamical modeling of the spectral reflectance function combined with the stochastic optimization of the initial reflectance model estimation. The spectral dependency of the thin film optical parameters computations is based on the optical transitions modeling. The combination of the dynamical modeling and the stochastic optimization of the initial theoretical model estimation enable comfortable analysis of the spectral dependencies of the optical parameters and incorporation of the microstructure effects on the solar cell properties. The results of the optical parameters ofthe i-a-Si thin film determination are presented.

New type ternary NiAlCe layered double hydroxide photocatalyst for efficient visible-light photoreduction of CO2 into CH4

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ji; (Bill Yang, Y. J.

2018-02-01

New type of ternary NiAlCe layered double hydroxide photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal reaction. The obtained photocatalyst shows efficient visible-light activity for CO2 reduction to CH4. We have investigated the optimal Ce content in the catalyst and analyzed the mechanism by materials characterization. Additionally, a novel alkali etching method was used to construct the porous structure. The effect of the porosity and morphologies on the activity is investigated. It is found that the ternary NiAlCe layered double hydroxide photocatalyst with porosity showing the best photocatalytic activity among all the samples. Based on the characterization and first principle calculation, the detailed photocatalytic mechanism of the ternary NiAlCe layered double hydroxide photocatalyst is deduced.

Voltage transients in thin-film InSb Hall sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Bardin, Alexey; Ignatjev, Vyacheslav; Orlov, Andrey; Perchenko, Sergey

The work is reached to study temperature transients in thin-film Hall sensors. We experimentally study InSb thin-film Hall sensor. We find transients of voltage with amplitude about 10 μ V on the sensor ports after current switching. We demonstrate by direct measurements that the transients is caused by thermo-e.m.f., and both non-stationarity and heterogeneity of temperature in the film. We find significant asymmetry of temperature field for different direction of the current, which is probably related to Peltier effect. The result can be useful for wide range of scientist who works with switching of high density currents in any thin semiconductor films.

Progress in Thin Film Solar Cells Based on Cu2ZnSnS4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongxia Wang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The research in thin film solar cells has been dominated by light absorber materials based on CdTe and Cu(In,GaSe2 (CIGS in the last several decades. The concerns of environment impact of cadmium and the limited availability of indium in those materials have driven the research towards developing new substitute light absorbers made from earth abundant, environment benign materials. Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS semiconductor material has emerged as one of the most promising candidates for this aim and has attracted considerable interest recently. Significant progress in this relatively new research area has been achieved in the last three years. Over 130 papers on CZTS have been published since 2007, and the majority of them are on the preparation of CZTS thin films by different methods. This paper, will review the wide range of techniques that have been used to deposit CZTS semiconductor thin films. The performance of the thin film solar cells using the CZTS material will also be discussed.

Au/BiOCl heterojunction within mesoporous silica shell as stable plasmonic photocatalyst for efficient organic pollutants decomposition under visible light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Xiaoqing; Zhu, Xiaohui; Li, Renhong; Chen, Wenxing

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A heterojunction of Au/BiOCl was fabricated within the mesoporous silica shell. • The compact contact between Au and BiOCl enables electrons back flow from Au to BiOCl. • Au/BiOCl@mSiO 2 plasmonic photocatalyst shows efficient visible light photoactivity. • Hydroxyl radicals are the main oxidants in formaldehyde and Rhodamine B decomposition. - Abstract: A new mesoporous silica protected plasmonic photocatalyst, Au/BiOCl@mSiO 2 , was prepared by a modified AcHE method and a subsequent UV light induced photodeposition process. The surfactant-free heterojunction allows the electrons spontaneously flow from Au to nearby BiOCl surface, leading to the accumulation of positive charges on Au surface, and negative charges on Bi species under visible light. Au/BiOCl@mSiO 2 exhibits high visible light photocatalytic efficiency in complete oxidation of aqueous formaldehyde and Rhodamin B. We showed that a positive relationship exists between the LSPR effect and rate enhancements, and leads to a hypothesis that the metallic Au LSPR enhances the photocatalytic rates on nearby semiconductors by transferring energetic electrons to BiOCl and increasing the steady-state concentration of active ·OH species by a multi-electron reduction of molecular oxygen. The ·OH species is the main oxidant in photocatalytic transformations, whose intensity is greatly enhanced in the dye-involving systems due to the synergetic effect between LSPR and dye sensitization processes. In addition, the mesoporous SiO 2 shell not only inhibits the over growth of BiOCl nanocrystals within the silica frameworks, but also protects the dissolution of chloride or Au species into aqueous solution, which ultimately makes the Au/BiOCl@mSiO 2 catalysts rather stable during photocatalysis.

Stability of alginate-titanium dioxide based photocatalyst beads for water treatment application under UV irradiation

OpenAIRE

WENG HOONG LAM

2017-01-01

Immobilizing TiO2 photocatalyst in alginate beads has been considered to be a green approach for the separation and recycling of the photocatalyst in UV water treatment. However, the feasibility of using alginate beads in industry is largely dependent on their photo-stability during operation. This study aimed to provide a better understanding on the degradation of alginate/TiO2 beads under UV irradiation and to improve beads stability. The beads stability can be improved by increasing the al...

New Icosahedral Boron Carbide Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Echeverria Mora, Elena Maria

Novel semiconductor boron carbide films and boron carbide films doped with aromatic compounds have been investigated and characterized. Most of these semiconductors were formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The aromatic compound additives used, in this thesis, were pyridine (Py), aniline, and diaminobenzene (DAB). As one of the key parameters for semiconducting device functionality is the metal contact and, therefore, the chemical interactions or band bending that may occur at the metal/semiconductor interface, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy has been used to investigate the interaction of gold (Au) with these novel boron carbide-based semiconductors. Both n- and p-type films have been tested and pure boron carbide devices are compared to those containing aromatic compounds. The results show that boron carbide seems to behave differently from other semiconductors, opening a way for new analysis and approaches in device's functionality. By studying the electrical and optical properties of these films, it has been found that samples containing the aromatic compound exhibit an improvement in the electron-hole separation and charge extraction, as well as a decrease in the band gap. The hole carrier lifetimes for each sample were extracted from the capacitance-voltage, C(V), and current-voltage, I(V), curves. Additionally, devices, with boron carbide with the addition of pyridine, exhibited better collection of neutron capture generated pulses at ZERO applied bias, compared to the pure boron carbide samples. This is consistent with the longer carrier lifetimes estimated for these films. The I-V curves, as a function of external magnetic field, of the pure boron carbide films and films containing DAB demonstrate that significant room temperature negative magneto-resistance (> 100% for pure samples, and > 50% for samples containing DAB) is possible in the resulting dielectric thin films. Inclusion of DAB is not essential for significant negative magneto

Highly efficient visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaiwichian, Saranyoo [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai50200 (Thailand); Inceesungvorn, Burapat [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Wetchakun, Khatcharin [Program of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University, Ubon Ratchathani 34000 (Thailand); Phanichphant, Sukon [Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Kangwansupamonkon, Wiyong [National Nanotechnology Center, Thailand Science Park, Phahonyotin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Phathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Wetchakun, Natda, E-mail: natda_we@yahoo.com [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai50200 (Thailand)

2014-06-01

Highlights: • Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts were obtained using hydrothermal method. • Physicochemical properties played a significant role on photocatalytic efficiency. • Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterogeneous structures were greatly enhanced for degradation of MB. • A tentative mechanism of charge transfer process in MB degradation was proposed. - Abstract: The Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Physical properties of the heterojunction photocatalyst samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The XRD results indicated that BiVO{sub 4} retain monoclinic and tetragonal structures, while Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} presented as orthorhombic structure. The Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) adsorption–desorption of nitrogen gas for specific surface area determination at the temperature of liquid nitrogen was performed on all samples. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–vis DRS) were used to identify the absorption range and band gap energy of the heterojunction photocatalysts. The photocatalytic performance of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}/BiVO{sub 4} heterojunction photocatalysts was studied via the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that the heterojunction photocatalyst at 0.5:0.5 mole ratio of Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}:BiVO{sub 4} shows the highest photocatalytic activity.

Structural and optical studies of local disorder sensitivity in natural organic-inorganic self-assembled semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vijaya Prakash, G; Pradeesh, K [Nanophotonics Lab, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi (India); Ratnani, R; Saraswat, K [Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, MDS University, Ajmer (India); Light, M E [School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton (United Kingdom); Baumberg, J J, E-mail: prakash@physics.iitd.ac.i [Nanophotonic Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 OHE (United Kingdom)

2009-09-21

The structural and optical spectra of two related lead iodide (PbI) based self-assembled hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductors are compared. During the synthesis, depending on the bridging of organic moiety intercalated between the PbI two-dimensional planes, different crystal structures are produced. These entirely different networks show different structural and optical features, including excitonic bandgaps. In particular, the modified organic environment of the excitons is sensitive to the local disorder both in single crystal and thin film forms. Such information is vital for incorporating these semiconductors into photonic device architectures.

Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Dong Wook; Baek, Jong-Beom

2016-04-20

Photocatalytic hydrogen (H2 ) generation in a water splitting process has recently attracted tremendous interest because it allows the direct conversion of clean and unlimited solar energy into the ideal energy resource of H2 . For efficient photocatalytic H2 generation, the role of the photocatalyst is critical. With increasing demand for more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective photocatalysts, various types of semiconductor photocatalysts have been intensively developed. In particular, on the basis of its superior catalytic and tunable electronic properties, nitrogen-doped graphene is a potential candidate for a high-performance photocatalyst. Nitrogen-doped graphene also offers additional advantages originating from its unique two-dimensional sp(2) -hybridized carbon network including a large specific surface area and exceptional charge transport properties. It has been reported that nitrogen-doped graphene can play diverse but positive functions including photo-induced charge acceptor/meditator, light absorber from UV to visible light, n-type semiconductor, and giant molecular photocatalyst. Herein, we summarize the recent progress and general aspects of nitrogen-doped graphene as a photocatalyst for photocatalytic H2 generation. In addition, challenges and future perspectives in this field are also discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solar energy conversion by photocatalytic overall water splitting

KAUST Repository

Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2015-07-04

Summary: Solar energy is abundant and renewable energy: however, extensive conversion of the solar energy can only be achieved by large-scale collection of solar flux. The technology that satisfies this requirement must be as simple as possible to reduce capital cost. Overall water splitting (OWS) by powder-form photocatalysts directly produces H2 as a chemical energy in a single reactor, which does not require any complicated parabolic mirrors and electronic devices. Because of its simplicity and low capital cost, it has tremendous potential to become the major technology of solar energy conversion. To achieve the OWS efficiently, the development of efficient photocatalysts is mandatory. The OWS hotocatalysis involves the electrocatalys is for both water reduction and oxidation on the surafce of photocatalysts, which is driven by particular semiconductors that absorb photons to generate excited carriers. Such photocatalysts must be designed to maximize the charge separation efficiency at the catalyst-semiconductor and semiconductor-electrolyte interface. In addition the low-overpotential electrocatalyts towards water redox reactions should be insensitive to the back-reaction of the produced H2 and O2 that produces H2O. In this presentation, some recent progress on the topic of the OWS in our group will be discussed.

Excited State Dynamics and Semiconductor-to-Metallic Phase Transition of VO2 Thin Film

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Liu, Huimin

2004-01-01

.... Vanadium dioxide shows an ultrafast, passive phase transition (PT) from a monoclinic semiconductor phase to a metallic tetragonal rutile structure when the sample temperature is above 68 degrees C...

Amorphous semiconductors for particle detection: Physical and technical limits and possibilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Equer, B.; Karar, A.

1989-01-01

Amorphous silicon is used, at an industrial level, in at least three different fields of application: photovoltaic cells, flat TV screens and line scanners for image processing. In the last two cases, thin film transistors (TFT) are produced with the same technology. Particle detection with amorphous silicon has been demonstrated, but present performances are limited to ionizing particles. In this paper, we discuss the physical basis of amorphous semiconductors and the possible future development that can be expected on the basis of the existing technology. It is concluded that substitution of amorphous for crystalline silicon brings no clear advantage, if possible at all. Positive assets are to be found in using specific properties of thin layers: large area structures like arrays of photodiodes with associated readout are in the state of the art; vertical structures alternating layers of differently doped materials and/or of different semiconductors can be produced by the same technique. The development of large area pixel detectors is technically feasible but requires a very large effort. A joint development effort with industries involved in X-ray detection and 2D photodetectors might be the most appropriate solution. (orig.)

Microwave-assisted in situ synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-BiVO4 composite photocatalysts and their enhanced photocatalytic performance for the degradation of ciprofloxacin.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yan; Sun, Shaofang; Song, Yang; Yan, Xu; Guan, Weisheng; Liu, Xinlin; Shi, Weidong

2013-04-15

To improve the photodegradation efficiency for ciprofloxacin (CIP), a new-type microwave-assisted in situ growth method is developed for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) -BiVO4 composite photocatalysts. The as-produced RGO-BiVO4 composite photocatalysts show extremely high enhancement of CIP degradation ratio over the pure BiVO4 photocatalyst under visible light. Specially, the 2 wt% RGO-BiVO4 composite photocatalyst exhibits the highest CIP degradation ratio (68.2%) in 60 min, which is over 3 times than that (22.7%) of the pure BiVO4 particles. The enhancement of photocatalytic activities of RGO-BiVO4 photocatalysts can be attributed to the effective separation of electron-hole pairs rather than the improvement of light absorption. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Band-engineering of TiO2 as a wide-band gap semiconductor using organic chromophore dyes

Science.gov (United States)

Wahyuningsih, S.; Kartini, I.; Ramelan, A. H.; Saputri, L. N. M. Z.; Munawaroh, H.

2017-07-01

Bond-engineering as applied to semiconductor materials refers to the manipulation of the energy bands in order to control charge transfer processes in a device. When the device in question is a photoelectrochemical cell, the charges affected by drift become the focus of the study. The ideal band gap of semiconductors for enhancement of photocatalyst activity can be lowered to match with visible light absorption and the location of conduction Band (CB) should be raised to meet the reducing capacity. Otherwise, by the addition of the chromofor organic dyes, the wide-band gab can be influences by interacation resulting between TiO2 surface and the dyes. We have done the impruvisation wide-band gap of TiO2 by the addition of organic chromophore dye, and the addition of transition metal dopand. The TiO2 morphology influence the light absorption as well as the surface modification. The organic chromophore dye was syntesized by formation complexes compound of Co(PAR)(SiPA)(PAR)= 4-(2-piridylazoresorcinol), SiPA = Silyl propil amine). The result showed that the chromophore groups adsorbed onto TiO2 surface can increase the visible light absorption of wide-band gab semiconductor. Initial absorption of a chromophore will affect light penetration into the material surfaces. The use of photonic material as a solar cell shows this phenomenon clearly from the IPCE (incident photon to current conversion efficiency) measurement data. Organic chromophore dyes of Co(PAR)(SiPA) exhibited the long wavelength absorption character compared to the N719 dye (from Dyesol).

Metal oxide semiconductors for dye degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adhikari, Sangeeta; Sarkar, Debasish, E-mail: dsarkar@nitrkl.ac.in

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Hydrothermal synthesis of monoclinic and hexagonal WO{sub 3} nanostructures. • Nanocuboid and nanofiber growth using different structure directing agents. • WO{sub 3}–ZnO nanocomposites for dye degradation under UV and visible light. • High photocatalytic efficiency is achieved by 10 wt% monoclinic WO{sub 3}. • WO{sub 3} assists to trap hole in UV and arrests electron in visible light irradiation. - Abstract: Organic contaminants are a growing threat to the environment that widely demands their degradation by high efficient photocatalysts. Thus, the proposed research work primely focuses on the efficient degradation of methyl orange using designed WO{sub 3}–ZnO photocatalysts under both UV and visible light irradiation. Two different sets of WO{sub 3} nanostructures namely, monoclinic WO{sub 3} (m-WO{sub 3}) and hexagonal WO{sub 3} (h-WO{sub 3}) synthesizes in presence of a different structure directing agents. A specific dispersion technique allows the intimate contact of as-synthesized WO{sub 3} and ultra-violet active commercial ZnO photocatalyst in different weight variations. ZnO nanocrystal in presence of an optimum 10 wt% m-WO{sub 3} shows a high degree of photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible light irradiation compared to counterpart h-WO{sub 3}. Symmetrical monoclinic WO{sub 3} assists to trap hole in UV, but electron arresting mechanism predominates in visible irradiation. Coupling of monoclinic nanocuboid WO{sub 3} with ZnO proves to be a promising photocatalyst in both wavelengths.

Semiconductor Manufacturing equipment introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Im, Jong Sun

2001-02-01

This book deals with semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It is comprised of nine chapters, which are manufacturing process of semiconductor device, history of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, kinds and role of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, construction and method of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, introduction of various semiconductor manufacturing equipment, spots of semiconductor manufacturing, technical elements of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, road map of technology of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the 21st century.

Optical characterization of a-Si:H thin films grown by Hg-Photo-CVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barhdadi, A.; Karbal, S.; M'Gafad, N.; Benmakhlouf, A.; Chafik El Idrissi, M.; Aka, B.M.

2006-08-01

Mercury-Sensitized Photo-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (Hg-Photo-CVD) technique opens new possibilities for reducing thin film growth temperature and producing novel semiconductor materials suitable for the future generation of high efficiency thin film solar cells onto low cost flexible plastic substrates. This paper provides some experimental data resulting from the optical characterization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films grown by this deposition technique. Experiments have been performed on both as-deposited layers and thermal annealed ones. (author) [fr

Geometric shape control of thin film ferroelectrics and resulting structures

Science.gov (United States)

McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.

2000-01-01

A monolithic crystalline structure and a method of making involves a semiconductor substrate, such as silicon, and a ferroelectric film, such as BaTiO.sub.3, overlying the surface of the substrate wherein the atomic layers of the ferroelectric film directly overlie the surface of the substrate. By controlling the geometry of the ferroelectric thin film, either during build-up of the thin film or through appropriate treatment of the thin film adjacent the boundary thereof, the in-plane tensile strain within the ferroelectric film is relieved to the extent necessary to permit the ferroelectric film to be poled out-of-plane, thereby effecting in-plane switching of the polarization of the underlying substrate material. The method of the invention includes the steps involved in effecting a discontinuity of the mechanical restraint at the boundary of the ferroelectric film atop the semiconductor substrate by, for example, either removing material from a ferroelectric film which has already been built upon the substrate, building up a ferroelectric film upon the substrate in a mesa-shaped geometry or inducing the discontinuity at the boundary by ion beam deposition techniques.

Simulation of magnetic tunnel junction in ferromagnetic/insulator/semiconductor structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kostrov, Alexander I.; Stempitsky, Viktor R.; Kazimirchik, Vladimir N.

2008-07-01

In this work, we present a physical model and electrical macromodel for simulation of Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) effect based on Ferromagnetic/Insulator/Semiconductor (FIS) nanostructure. A modified Brinkman model has been proposed by including the voltage-dependent density of states of the ferromagnetic electrodes in order to explain the bias dependence magnitoresistance. The model takes into account injection of carriers in the semiconductor and Shottky barrier, electron tunneling through thin insulator and spin-transfer torque writing approach in memory cell. These very promising features should constitute the third generation of Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). Besides, the model can efficiently be used to design magnetic CMOS circuits. The behavioral macro-model has been developed by means of Verilog-AMS language and implemented on the Cadence Virtuoso platform with Spectre simulator.

Broadband terahertz generation using the semiconductor-metal transition in VO2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas A. Charipar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of broadband terahertz emitters based on the semiconductor-metal transition in thin film VO2 (vanadium dioxide. With the appropriate geometry, picosecond electrical pulses are generated by illuminating 120 nm thick VO2 with 280 fs pulses from a femtosecond laser. These ultrafast electrical pulses are used to drive a simple dipole antenna, generating broadband terahertz radiation.

Structure-Composition-Property Relationships of Complex Bismuth Oxide Based Photocatalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogt, Thomas [Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry

2014-01-08

Development of a new family of up- and down-conversion materials based on oxtfluorides that can potentially increase photocatalytic activities of photocatalysts such as bismuth oxides and can also be used as phosphors in Al_1-xGa_xN-based devices and solar devices.

Non-linear optics of nano-scale pentacene thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Yahia, I. S.; Alfaify, S.; Jilani, Asim; Abdel-wahab, M. Sh.; Al-Ghamdi, Attieh A.; Abutalib, M. M.; Al-Bassam, A.; El-Naggar, A. M.

2016-07-01

We have found the new ways to investigate the linear/non-linear optical properties of nanostructure pentacene thin film deposited by thermal evaporation technique. Pentacene is the key material in organic semiconductor technology. The existence of nano-structured thin film was confirmed by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The wavelength-dependent transmittance and reflectance were calculated to observe the optical behavior of the pentacene thin film. It has been observed the anomalous dispersion at wavelength λ 800. The non-linear refractive index of the deposited films was investigated. The linear optical susceptibility of pentacene thin film was calculated, and we observed the non-linear optical susceptibility of pentacene thin film at about 6 × 10-13 esu. The advantage of this work is to use of spectroscopic method to calculate the liner and non-liner optical response of pentacene thin films rather than expensive Z-scan. The calculated optical behavior of the pentacene thin films could be used in the organic thin films base advanced optoelectronic devices such as telecommunications devices.

Dark Current And Voltage Measurements Of Metal-Organic-Semiconductor (M-Or-S) Diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adianto

1996-01-01

. Some Metal-Organic-Semiconductor (M-Or-S) thin film diodes, constructed with an organic polymer (polymerized toluene) as an active component has been successfully fabricated. The thin film M-Or-S diodes were fabricated on an n-type silicon with resistivity of 250-500 Ocm and p type silicon with resistivity of 10-20 Ocm as a substrate with polymerized toluene used as insulator. When deposited on silicon wafers with electrode of evaporated Ni on the n-type silicon and evaporated Au as the electrode on the polymerized toluene film, the electronic devices of Metal-Organic- Semiconductor (M-Or-S) type can be produced with one of its characteristics is that their light sensitivity. A plasma ion deposition system was constructed and used to deposit organic monomeric substance (toluene) that functioned as an isolator between semiconductor and the evaporated metal electrodes. The current-voltage measurements for different configurations of M-Or-S devices were carried out to determine the current-voltage (1-V) characteristics for M-Or-S devices with different materials and thicknesses. In addition to the 1-V measurement mentioned before, 1-V measurements of the devices were also carried out by using a curve tracer oscilloscope, and the picture of the effective parameters of each of the device could be taken by using a polaroid camera. Since the devices are very sensitive to light, the devices were all tested in a black-box which was covered by a black cloth to make sure that there was no light coming through. The experimental results for p- and n-type silicon substrates showed that an M-Or-S diode with n-type gave a higher breakdown voltage than that p- type silicon. In addition, the reverse bias breakdown voltage increased as the thickness of the thin film increased in the range of 50 -2500 V/μm

Adsorption and photocatalytic activity of electron-irradiated polystyrene nanosphere multi-layer film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Sung Oh; Yoo, Seung Hwa; Kim, Jea Joon; Kum, Jong Min

2012-01-01

Photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous organic pollutant on semiconductor materials has been widely studied as a simple and clean process for organic pollutant removal. The reaction mechanism have been revealed and some fundamental requirements should be satisfied for high photocatalytic activity, such as high chemical, thermal stability in water, intense light absorption, efficient charge separation, large surface area, high pollutant adsorption ability, etc. However, until now on, no single material fulfills all these requirements. Therefore, lots of efforts have been made to enhance the activity of photocatalysts by several approaches. By controlling the band-gap of photocatalyst or combining with narrow band-gap semiconductor, the light absorption can expand to the visible-light spectrum region that increases the charge-carrier generation. By adopting nanostructured morphologies, large surface area can provide huge amount of surface reaction sites and reduce the charge-carrier recombination before it reaches these sites. Also, several reports have shown that, by increasing the adsorption of pollutant on the photocatalyst surface, synergistic enhancement can occur in the photocatalytic activity. Along with these fundamental requirements, photocatalysts should be non-toxic, abundant, and easily synthesizable for economical and eco-friendly applications. During a few decades, various inorganic semiconductors, especially, metal oxides (TiO 2 , ZnO 2 , WO 3 , etc), metal sulfides (CdS, PbS, etc), and dye molecules with a metal core (Ru-, Ir- based single-molecules) have been widely studied as a photocatalyst. However, even though lots of studies have been made, issues related to the potential threat against human health by using these kinds of metal-containing inorganic semiconductors are still under dispute. Recently, metal-free organic photocatalyst (g-C 3 N 4 , C 3 N 3 S 3 ) have been synthesized, and showed outstanding photocatalytic activities for H 2

Transparent field-effect transistors based on AlN-gate dielectric and IGZO-channel semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besleaga, C.; Stan, G.E.; Pintilie, I.; Barquinha, P.; Fortunato, E.; Martins, R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • TFTs based on IGZO channel semiconductor and AlN gate dielectric were fabricated. • AlN films – a viable and cheap gate dielectric alternative for transparent TFTs. • Influence of gate dielectric layer thickness on TFTs electrical characteristics. • No degradation of AlN gate dielectric was observed during devices stress testing. - Abstract: The degradation of thin-film transistors (TFTs) caused by the self-heating effect constitutes a problem to be solved for the next generation of displays. Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a viable alternative for gate dielectric of TFTs due to its good thermal conductivity, matching coefficient of thermal expansion to indium–gallium–zinc-oxide, and excellent stability at high temperatures. Here, AlN thin films of different thicknesses were fabricated by a low temperature reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering process, using a low cost, metallic Al target. Their electrical properties have been thoroughly assessed. Furthermore, the 200 nm and 500 nm thick AlN layers have been integrated as gate-dielectric in transparent TFTs with indium–gallium–zinc-oxide as channel semiconductor. Our study emphasizes the potential of AlN thin films for transparent electronics, whilst the functionality of the fabricated field-effect transistors is explored and discussed.

Transparent field-effect transistors based on AlN-gate dielectric and IGZO-channel semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Besleaga, C.; Stan, G.E.; Pintilie, I. [National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor, 077125 Magurele-Ilfov (Romania); Barquinha, P.; Fortunato, E. [CENIMAT/I3N, Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and CEMOP-UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Martins, R., E-mail: rm@uninova.pt [CENIMAT/I3N, Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and CEMOP-UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • TFTs based on IGZO channel semiconductor and AlN gate dielectric were fabricated. • AlN films – a viable and cheap gate dielectric alternative for transparent TFTs. • Influence of gate dielectric layer thickness on TFTs electrical characteristics. • No degradation of AlN gate dielectric was observed during devices stress testing. - Abstract: The degradation of thin-film transistors (TFTs) caused by the self-heating effect constitutes a problem to be solved for the next generation of displays. Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a viable alternative for gate dielectric of TFTs due to its good thermal conductivity, matching coefficient of thermal expansion to indium–gallium–zinc-oxide, and excellent stability at high temperatures. Here, AlN thin films of different thicknesses were fabricated by a low temperature reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering process, using a low cost, metallic Al target. Their electrical properties have been thoroughly assessed. Furthermore, the 200 nm and 500 nm thick AlN layers have been integrated as gate-dielectric in transparent TFTs with indium–gallium–zinc-oxide as channel semiconductor. Our study emphasizes the potential of AlN thin films for transparent electronics, whilst the functionality of the fabricated field-effect transistors is explored and discussed.

Two-arm semiconductor spectrometer for charged particles for the investigation of absorption by nuclei of stopped negative pions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gornov, M.G.; Gurov, Yu.B.; Lukin, A.S.; Morokhov, P.V.; Pechkurov, V.A.; Pichugin, A.P.; Saveliev, V.I.; Shafigullin, R.R.; Sergeev, F.M.; Khomutov, A.A.; Oganesian, K.O.; Osipenko, B.P.; Sandukovsky, V.G.

1984-01-01

A two-arm semiconductor spectrometer for the detection of secondary charged particles, such as p, d, t, 3 He, 4 He and of their correlations in the process of stopped pion absorption by nuclei is described. The spectrometer consists of two telescopes of Si-detectors with a sensitive surface of 800 mm 2 , two semiconductor detectors as monitors and the 'live' target, a silicon surface barrier detector. The number of semiconductor detectors is 19. A technique for pion stop selection in thin targets is described. The problem of particle identification and of measurements of their energy with the help of a multicrystal semiconductor telescope is discussed. The technique provides an absolute normalization of spectra. The 'alive' target helps to obtain more information on the process of pion absorption by Si-nuclei. (orig.)

Hydrogen evolution from water splitting on nanocomposite photocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenfeng Shangguan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The photocatalytic production of H2 in one step is potentially one of the most promising ways for the conversion and storage of solar energy. The paper overviews our recent studies on the photocatalysts splitting water into hydrogen under irradiation. The attention was mainly focused on the promotion effects of nanosized modifications in the interlayer and surface of photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution with visible light. The photocatalytic activity depended significantly on modification techniques, such as loading, proton exchange, and intercalation. The formation of a "nest" on the particle surface promoted a uniform distribution and strong combination of the nanosized particles on the surface of catalysts. By the methods of intercalation and pillaring as well as by selecting both host and guest, a large variety of molecular designed host–guest systems were obtained. Cadmium sulfide (CdS-intercalated composites showed higher activity and stability. This activity of K4Ce2M10O30 (M=Ta, Nb evolving H2 under visible light irradiation was enhanced by the incorporation of Pt, RuO2 and NiO as co-catalysts. Especially, the nanosized NiOx (Ni–NiO double-layer structure greatly prompted the photocatalytic H2 evolution significantly.

Photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole in aqueous solution using a floating TiO2-expanded perlite photocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Długosz, Maciej; Żmudzki, Paweł; Kwiecień, Anna; Szczubiałka, Krzysztof; Krzek, Jan; Nowakowska, Maria

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Sulfamethoxazole was degraded using a floating photocatalyst under UV irradiation. • The photocatalyst was obtained by supporting TiO 2 onto expanded perlite. • The mechanism of sulfamethoxazole photodegradation in water was proposed. • The photodegradation rate of sulfamethoxazole is greater at higher pH. - Abstract: Photocatalytic degradation of an antibiotic, sulfamethoxazole (SMX), in aqueous solution using a novel floating TiO 2 -expanded perlite photocatalyst (EP-TiO 2 -773) and radiation from the near UV spectral range was studied. The process is important considering that SMX is known to be a widespread and highly persistent pollutant of water resources. SMX degradation was described using a pseudo-first-order kinetic equation according to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. The products of the SMX photocatalytic degradation were identified. The effect of pH on the kinetics and mechanism of SMX photocatalytic degradation was explained

Polymer/metal oxide hybrid dielectrics for low voltage field-effect transistors with solution-processed, high-mobility semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Held, Martin; Schießl, Stefan P.; Gannott, Florentina [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen D-91058 (Germany); Institute for Physical Chemistry, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg D-69120 (Germany); Miehler, Dominik [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen D-91058 (Germany); Zaumseil, Jana, E-mail: zaumseil@uni-heidelberg.de [Institute for Physical Chemistry, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg D-69120 (Germany)

2015-08-24

Transistors for future flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display backplanes should operate at low voltages and be able to sustain high currents over long times without degradation. Hence, high capacitance dielectrics with low surface trap densities are required that are compatible with solution-processable high-mobility semiconductors. Here, we combine poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and atomic layer deposition hafnium oxide (HfO{sub x}) into a bilayer hybrid dielectric for field-effect transistors with a donor-acceptor polymer (DPPT-TT) or single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as the semiconductor and demonstrate substantially improved device performances for both. The ultra-thin PMMA layer ensures a low density of trap states at the semiconductor-dielectric interface while the metal oxide layer provides high capacitance, low gate leakage and superior barrier properties. Transistors with these thin (≤70 nm), high capacitance (100–300 nF/cm{sup 2}) hybrid dielectrics enable low operating voltages (<5 V), balanced charge carrier mobilities and low threshold voltages. Moreover, the hybrid layers substantially improve the bias stress stability of the transistors compared to those with pure PMMA and HfO{sub x} dielectrics.

Photoinduced Glycerol Oxidation over Plasmonic Au and AuM (M = Pt, Pd and Bi) Nanoparticle-Decorated TiO2 Photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Jedsukontorn, Trin; Saito, Nagahiro; Hunsom, Mali

2018-01-01

In this study, sol-immobilization was used to prepare gold nanoparticle (Au NP)-decorated titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts at different Au weight % (wt. %) loading (Aux/TiO2, where x is the Au wt. %) and Au–M NP-decorated TiO2 photocatalysts (Au3M3/TiO2), where M is bismuth (Bi), platinum (Pt) or palladium (Pd) at 3 wt. %. The Aux/TiO2 photocatalysts exhibited a stronger visible light absorption than the parent TiO2 due to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect. Increasing the Au content from 1 wt. % to 7 wt. % led to increased visible light absorption due to the increasing presence of defective structures that were capable of enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared catalyst. The addition of Pt and Pd coupled with the Au3/TiO2 to form Au3M3/TiO2 improved the photocatalytic activity of the Au3/TiO2 photocatalyst by maximizing their light-absorption property. The Au3/TiO2, Au3Pt3/TiO2 and Au3Pd3/TiO2 photocatalysts promoted the formation of glyceraldehyde from glycerol as the principle product, while Au3Bi3/TiO2 facilitated glycolaldehyde formation as the major product. Among all the prepared photocatalysts, Au3Pd3/TiO2 exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity with a 98.75% glycerol conversion at 24 h of reaction time. PMID:29690645

Fast optical detecting media based on semiconductor nanostructures for recording images obtained using charges of free photocarriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasherininov, P. G.; Tomasov, A. A.; Beregulin, E. V.

2011-01-01

Available published data on the properties of optical recording media based on semiconductor structures are reviewed. The principles of operation, structure, parameters, and the range of application for optical recording media based on MIS structures formed of photorefractive crystals with a thick layer of insulator and MIS structures with a liquid crystal as the insulator (the MIS LC modulators), as well as the effect of optical bistability in semiconductor structures (semiconductor MIS structures with nanodimensionally thin insulator (TI) layer, M(TI)S nanostructures). Special attention is paid to recording media based on the M(TI)S nanostructures promising for fast processing of highly informative images and to fabrication of optoelectronic correlators of images for noncoherent light.

H2O2 rejuvenation-mediated synthesis of stable mixed-morphology Ag3PO4 photocatalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Agbe

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Ag3PO4 photocatalyst has attracted interest of the scientific community in recent times due to its reported high efficiency for water oxidation and dye degradation. However, Ag3PO4 photo-corrodes if electron accepter such as AgNO3 is not used as scavenger. Synthesis of efficient Ag3PO4 followed by a simple protocol for regeneration of the photocatalyst is therefore a prerequisite for practical application. Herein, we present a facile method for the synthesis of a highly efficient Ag3PO4, whose photocatalytic efficiency was demonstrated using 3 different organic dyes: Methylene Blue (MB, Methyl orange (MO and Rhodamine B (RhB organic dyes for degradation tests. Approximately, 19 % of Ag3PO4 is converted to Ag0 after 4.30 hours of continuous UV-Vis irradiation in presence of MB organic dye. We have shown that the Ag/Ag3PO4 composite can be rejuvenated by a simple chemical oxidation step after several cycles of photocatalysis tests. At an optimal pH of 6.5, a mixture of cubic, rhombic dodecahedron, nanosphere and nanocrystals morphologies of the photocatalyst was formed. H2O2 served as the chemical oxidant to re-insert the surface metallic Ag into the Ag3PO4 photocatalyst but also as the agent that can control morphology of the regenerated as-prepared photocatalyst without the need for any other morphology controlling Agent (MCA. Surprisingly, the as- regenerated Ag3PO4 was found to have higher photocatalytic reactivity than the freshly made material and superior at least 17 times in comparison with the conventional Degussa TiO2, and some of TiO2 composites tested in this work. Keywords: Materials chemistry, Materials science, Engineering

Fabrication of BiOBr nanosheets@TiO{sub 2} nanobelts p–n junction photocatalysts for enhanced visible-light activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Yang [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Huang, Xiang [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); School of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000 (China); Tan, Xin [School of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000 (China); Yu, Tao, E-mail: yutao@tju.edu.cn [School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072 (China); Li, Xiangli [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Yang, Libin [College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin 300457 (China); Wang, Shucong [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2016-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • BiOBr nanosheets@TiO{sub 2} nanobelts p–n junction photocatalysts have been synthesized. • The p–n junction photocatalysts improved water splitting and dye degradation activity. • BiOBr amount in the BiOBr@TiO{sub 2} photocatalysts was investigated. - Abstract: The construction of p–n junction structure is a smart strategy for improving the photocatalytic activity, since p–n junctions can inhibit the recombination of photo-induced charges. Herein, BiOBr nanosheets@TiO{sub 2} nanobelts p–n junction photocatalysts were prepared by assembling BiOBr nanosheets on the surface of TiO{sub 2} nanobelts via a hydrothermal route followed by a co-precipitation process. BiOBr@TiO{sub 2} p–n junction photocatalysts exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity in photocatalytic H{sub 2} production over water splitting and photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. Mott–Schottky plots confirmed the formation of p–n junctions in the interface of BiOBr and TiO{sub 2}. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the 1D nanostructure and the formation of p–n junctions. This work shows a potential application of low cost BiOBr as a substitute for noble metals in photocatalytic H{sub 2} production under visible light irradiation.

Improving the photocatalytic performance of graphene-TiO2 nanocomposites via a combined strategy of decreasing defects of graphene and increasing interfacial contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanhui; Zhang, Nan; Tang, Zi-Rong; Xu, Yi-Jun

2012-07-07

Incessant interest has been shown in the synthesis of graphene (GR)-semiconductor nanocomposites as photocatalysts aiming to utilize the excellent electron conductivity of GR to lengthen the lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers in the semiconductor and, hence, improve the photoactivity. However, research works focused on investigating how to make sufficient use of the unique electron conductivity of GR to design a more efficient GR-semiconductor photocatalyst have been quite lacking. Here, we show a proof-of-concept study on improving the photocatalytic performance of GR-TiO(2) nanocomposites via a combined strategy of decreasing defects of GR and improving the interfacial contact between GR and the semiconductor TiO(2). The GR-TiO(2) nanocomposite fabricated by this approach is able to make more sufficient use of the electron conductivity of GR, by which the lifetime and transfer of photoexcited charge carriers of GR-TiO(2) upon visible light irradiation will be improved more efficiently. This in turn leads to the enhancement of visible-light-driven photoactivity of GR-TiO(2) toward selective transformation of alcohols to corresponding aldehydes using molecular oxygen as a benign oxidant under ambient conditions. It is anticipated that our current work would inform ongoing efforts to exploit the rational design of smart, more efficient GR-semiconductor photocatalysts for conversion of solar to chemical energy by heterogeneous photocatalysis.

Barrier height enhancement of metal/semiconductor contact by an enzyme biofilm interlayer

Science.gov (United States)

Ocak, Yusuf Selim; Gul Guven, Reyhan; Tombak, Ahmet; Kilicoglu, Tahsin; Guven, Kemal; Dogru, Mehmet

2013-06-01

A metal/interlayer/semiconductor (Al/enzyme/p-Si) MIS device was fabricated using α-amylase enzyme as a thin biofilm interlayer. It was observed that the device showed an excellent rectifying behavior and the barrier height value of 0.78 eV for Al/α-amylase/p-Si was meaningfully larger than the one of 0.58 eV for conventional Al/p-Si metal/semiconductor (MS) contact. Enhancement of the interfacial potential barrier of Al/p-Si MS diode was realized using enzyme interlayer by influencing the space charge region of Si semiconductor. The electrical properties of the structure were executed by the help of current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements. The photovoltaic properties of the structure were executed under a solar simulator with AM1.5 global filter between 40 and 100 mW/cm2 illumination conditions. It was also reported that the α-amylase enzyme produced from Bacillus licheniformis had a 3.65 eV band gap value obtained from optical method.

Photoelectrocatrocatalytic hydrolysis of starch by using sprayed ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Sapkal, R. T.; Shinde, S. S.; Rajpure, K. Y.; Bhosale, C. H.

2013-05-01

Thin films of zinc oxide have been deposited onto glass/FTO substrates at optimized 400 °C by using a chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Deposited films are character photocatalytic activity by using XRD, an SEM, a UV-vis spectrophotometer, and a PEC single-cell reactor. Films are polycrystalline and have a hexagonal (wurtzite) crystal structure with c-axis (002) orientation growth perpendicular to the substrate surface. The observed direct band gap is about 3.22 eV for typical films prepared at 400 °C. The photocatalytic activity of starch with a ZnO photocatalyst has been studied by using a novel photoelectrocatalytic process.

Solution coating of large-area organic semiconductor thin films with aligned single-crystalline domains

KAUST Repository

Diao, Ying; Tee, Benjamin C-K.; Giri, Gaurav; Xu, Jie; Kim, Do Hwan; Becerril, Hector A.; Stoltenberg, Randall M.; Lee, Tae Hoon; Xue, Gi; Mannsfeld, Stefan C. B.; Bao, Zhenan

2013-01-01

Solution coating of organic semiconductors offers great potential for achieving low-cost manufacturing of large-area and flexible electronics. However, the rapid coating speed needed for industrial-scale production poses challenges to the control

Photocatalytic hydrogen production using visible-light-responsive Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} photocatalyst supported on monodisperse spherical SiO{sub 2} particulates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiaoming [Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 KAUST, Thuwal 23955-6900 (Saudi Arabia); School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063 (China); Zhao, Lan [Advanced Nanofabrication, Imaging and Characterization Core Lab, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 KAUST, Thuwal 23955-6900 (Saudi Arabia); Domen, Kazunari [Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Takanabe, Kazuhiro, E-mail: kazuhiro.takanabe@kaust.edu.sa [Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 KAUST, Thuwal 23955-6900 (Saudi Arabia)

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: A simple and effective sol–gel process followed by nitridation in an NH{sub 3} flow has been developed to deposit Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} semiconductor photocatalyst layers onto monodisperse spherical SiO{sub 2} particles. The obtained Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/SiO{sub 2} particles maintain an original spherical morphology of SiO{sub 2} and a sub-micrometer size with a narrow size distribution and without aggregation. The presence of SiO{sub 2} support shows at least no detrimental effects on photocatalytic activity, but tunes the secondary particle size to control dispersibility of the photocatalyst in the solution. - Highlights: • Fine nanoparticles of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} were immobilized on the surfaces of SiO{sub 2} giving SiO{sub 2}@Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} core–shell spheres successfully produced H{sub 2} from methanol solution under visible light. • The presence of support (SiO{sub 2}) ensures the dispersion of the particulate in solution maintaining high photocatalytic activity of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}. • The obtained supported photocatalyst gives uniform size distribution and control the degree of dispersibility in the solution, which may control nature of light absorption and reflection of the photoreactor. - Abstract: Fine nanoparticles of Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5} (10–20 nm) were synthesized on the surfaces of SiO{sub 2} spheres with a diameter of ∼550 nm. A sol–gel method was used to modify the surface of SiO{sub 2} with Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} from TaCl{sub 5} dissolved in ethanol in the presence of citric acid and polyethylene glycol. The resulting oxide composites were treated in an NH{sub 3} flow at 1123 K to form core–shell structured Ta{sub 3}N{sub 5}/SiO{sub 2} sub-microspheres. The obtained samples were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and

A microprocessor based on a two-dimensional semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Wachter, Stefan; Polyushkin, Dmitry K.; Bethge, Ole; Mueller, Thomas

2017-04-01

The advent of microcomputers in the 1970s has dramatically changed our society. Since then, microprocessors have been made almost exclusively from silicon, but the ever-increasing demand for higher integration density and speed, lower power consumption and better integrability with everyday goods has prompted the search for alternatives. Germanium and III-V compound semiconductors are being considered promising candidates for future high-performance processor generations and chips based on thin-film plastic technology or carbon nanotubes could allow for embedding electronic intelligence into arbitrary objects for the Internet-of-Things. Here, we present a 1-bit implementation of a microprocessor using a two-dimensional semiconductor--molybdenum disulfide. The device can execute user-defined programs stored in an external memory, perform logical operations and communicate with its periphery. Our 1-bit design is readily scalable to multi-bit data. The device consists of 115 transistors and constitutes the most complex circuitry so far made from a two-dimensional material.

A chemical bath deposition route to facet-controlled Ag{sub 3}PO{sub 4} thin films with improved visible light photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)