Thin film metal-oxides

CERN Document Server

Ramanathan, Shriram

2009-01-01

Presents an account of the fundamental structure-property relations in oxide thin films. This title discusses the functional properties of thin film oxides in the context of applications in the electronics and renewable energy technologies.

Iridium Oxide-reduced Graphene Oxide Nanohybrid Thin Film Modified Screen-printed Electrodes as Disposable Electrochemical Paper Microfluidic pH Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jiang; Kwak, Tae-Joon; Zhang, Xiaodong; McClain, Robert; Chang, Woo-Jin; Gunasekaran, Sundaram

2016-11-22

A facile, controllable, inexpensive and green electrochemical synthesis of IrO2-graphene nanohybrid thin films is developed to fabricate an easy-to-use integrated paper microfluidic electrochemical pH sensor for resource-limited settings. Taking advantages from both pH meters and strips, the pH sensing platform is composed of hydrophobic barrier-patterned paper micropad (µPAD) using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), screen-printed electrode (SPE) modified with IrO2-graphene films and molded acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic holder. Repetitive cathodic potential cycling was employed for graphene oxide (GO) reduction which can completely remove electrochemically unstable oxygenated groups and generate a 2D defect-free homogeneous graphene thin film with excellent stability and electronic properties. A uniform and smooth IrO2 film in nanoscale grain size is anodically electrodeposited onto the graphene film, without any observable cracks. The resulting IrO2-RGO electrode showed slightly super-Nernstian responses from pH 2-12 in Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffers with good linearity, small hysteresis, low response time and reproducibility in different buffers, as well as low sensitivities to different interfering ionic species and dissolved oxygen. A simple portable digital pH meter is fabricated, whose signal is measured with a multimeter, using high input-impedance operational amplifier and consumer batteries. The pH values measured with the portable electrochemical paper-microfluidic pH sensors were consistent with those measured using a commercial laboratory pH meter with a glass electrode.

Annealing Effect on the Photoelectrochemical Properties of BiVO_4 Thin Film Electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Nur Farhana Mohd Nasir; Mohd Asri Mat Teridi; Mehdi Ebadi; Sagu, J.S.

2015-01-01

Monoclinic bismuth vanadate (BiVO_4) thin film electrodes were fabricated on fluorine-doped tin oxide via aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). Annealing and without annealing effect of thin films were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) and current voltage measurement. All BiVO_4 thin films showed an anodic photocurrent. The sample of BiVO_4 annealed at 400 degree Celsius exhibited the highest photocurrent density of 0.44 mAcm"-"2 vs. Ag/ AgCl at 1.23 V. (author)

PZT Thin-Film Micro Probe Device with Dual Top Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Chuan

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin-film actuators have been studied intensively for years because of their potential applications in many fields. In this dissertation, a PZT thin-film micro probe device is designed, fabricated, studied, and proven to be acceptable as an intracochlear acoustic actuator. The micro probe device takes the form of a cantilever with a PZT thin-film diaphragm at the tip of the probe. The tip portion of the probe will be implanted in cochlea later in animal tests to prove its feasibility in hearing rehabilitation. The contribution of the dissertation is three-fold. First, a dual top electrodes design, consisting of a center electrode and an outer electrode, is developed to improve actuation displacement of the PZT thin-film diaphragm. The improvement by the dual top electrodes design is studied via a finite element model. When the dimensions of the dual electrodes are optimized, the displacement of the PZT thin-film diaphragm increases about 30%. A PZT thin-film diaphragm with dual top electrodes is fabricated to prove the concept, and experimental results confirm the predictions from the finite element analyses. Moreover, the dual electrode design can accommodate presence of significant residual stresses in the PZT thin-film diaphragm by changing the phase difference between the two electrodes. Second, a PZT thin-film micro probe device is fabricated and tested. The fabrication process consists of PZT thin-film deposition and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). The uniqueness of the fabrication process is an automatic dicing mechanism that allows a large number of probes to be released easily from the wafer. Moreover, the fabrication is very efficient, because the DRIE process will form the PZT thin-film diaphragm and the special dicing mechanism simultaneously. After the probes are fabricated, they are tested with various possible implantation depths (i.e., boundary conditions). Experimental results show that future implantation depths

Characteristics of sputtered Al-doped ZnO films for transparent electrodes of organic thin-film transistor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Yong Seob; Kim, Han-Ki

2011-01-01

Aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) thin-films were deposited with various RF powers at room temperature by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. The electrical properties of the AZO film were improved with the increasing RF power. These results can be explained by the improvement of the crystallinity in the AZO film. We fabricated the organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) of the bottom gate structure using pentacene active and poly-4-vinyl phenol gate dielectric layers on the indium tin oxide gate electrode, and estimated the device properties of the OTFTs including drain current-drain voltage (I D -V D ), drain current-gate voltage (I D -V G ), threshold voltage (V T ), on/off ratio and field effect mobility. The AZO film that grown at 160 W RF power exhibited low resistivity (1.54 x 10 -3 Ω.cm), high crystallinity and uniform surface morphology. The pentacene thin-film transistor using the AZO film that's fabricated at 160 W RF power exhibited good device performance such as the mobility of 0.94 cm 2 /V s and the on/off ratio of ∼ 10 5 . Consequently, the performance of the OTFT such as larger field-effect carrier mobility was determined the conductivity of the AZO source/drain (S/D) electrode. AZO films prepared at room temperature by the sputtering method are suitable for the S/D electrodes in the OTFTs.

Preparation and characterization of flexible asymmetric supercapacitors based on transition-metal-oxide nanowire/single-walled carbon nanotube hybrid thin-film electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Po-Chiang; Shen, Guozhen; Shi, Yi; Chen, Haitian; Zhou, Chongwu

2010-08-24

In the work described in this paper, we have successfully fabricated flexible asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) based on transition-metal-oxide nanowire/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) hybrid thin-film electrodes. These hybrid nanostructured films, with advantages of mechanical flexibility, uniform layered structures, and mesoporous surface morphology, were produced by using a filtration method. Here, manganese dioxide nanowire/SWNT hybrid films worked as the positive electrode, and indium oxide nanowire/SWNT hybrid films served as the negative electrode in a designed ASC. In our design, charges can be stored not only via electrochemical double-layer capacitance from SWNT films but also through a reversible faradic process from transition-metal-oxide nanowires. In addition, to obtain stable electrochemical behavior during charging/discharging cycles in a 2 V potential window, the mass balance between two electrodes has been optimized. Our optimized hybrid nanostructured ASCs exhibited a superior device performance with specific capacitance of 184 F/g, energy density of 25.5 Wh/kg, and columbic efficiency of approximately 90%. In addition, our ASCs exhibited a power density of 50.3 kW/kg, which is 10-fold higher than obtained in early reported ASC work. The high-performance hybrid nanostructured ASCs can find applications in conformal electrics, portable electronics, and electrical vehicles.

Optically Transparent Thin-Film Electrode Chip for Spectroelectrochemical Sensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Branch, Shirmir D.; Lines, Amanda M.; Lynch, John A.; Bello, Job M.; Heineman, William R.; Bryan, Samuel A.

2017-07-03

The electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical applications of an optically transparent thin film electrode chip are investigated. The working electrode is composed of indium tin oxide (ITO); the counter and quasi-reference electrodes are composed of platinum. The stability of the platinum quasi-reference electrode is modified by coating it with a planar, solid state Ag/AgCl layer. The Ag/AgCl reference is characterized with scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Open circuit potential measurements indicate that the potential of the planar Ag/AgCl electrode varies a maximum of 20 mV over four days. Cyclic voltammetry measurements show that the electrode chip is comparable to a standard electrochemical cell. Randles-Sevcik analysis of 10 mM K3[Fe(CN)6] in 0.1 M KCl using the electrode chip shows a diffusion coefficient of 1.59 × 10-6 cm2/s, in comparison to the standard electrochemical cell value of 2.38 × 10-6 cm2/s. By using the electrode chip in an optically transparent thin layer electrode (OTTLE), the spectroelectrochemical modulation of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ florescence was demonstrated, achieving a detection limit of 36 nM.

Nanoporous cerium oxide thin film for glucose biosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Shibu; Arya, Sunil K; Singh, S P; Sreenivas, K; Malhotra, B D; Gupta, Vinay

2009-03-15

Nanoporous cerium oxide (CeO(2)) thin film deposited onto platinum (Pt) coated glass plate using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been utilized for immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx). Atomic force microscopy studies reveal the formation of nanoporous surface morphology of CeO(2) thin film. Response studies carried out using differential pulsed voltammetry (DPV) and optical measurements show that the GOx/CeO(2)/Pt bio-electrode shows linearity in the range of 25-300 mg/dl of glucose concentration. The low value of Michaelis-Menten constant (1.01 mM) indicates enhanced enzyme affinity of GOx to glucose. The observed results show promising application of the nanoporous CeO(2) thin film for glucose sensing application without any surface functionalization or mediator.

Thin film bismuth iron oxides useful for piezoelectric devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zeches, Robert J.; Martin, Lane W.; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy

2016-05-31

The present invention provides for a composition comprising a thin film of BiFeO.sub.3 having a thickness ranging from 20 nm to 300 nm, a first electrode in contact with the BiFeO.sub.3 thin film, and a second electrode in contact with the BiFeO.sub.3 thin film; wherein the first and second electrodes are in electrical communication. The composition is free or essentially free of lead (Pb). The BFO thin film is has the piezoelectric property of changing its volume and/or shape when an electric field is applied to the BFO thin film.

Process development of ITO source/drain electrode for the top-gate indium-gallium-zinc oxide transparent thin-film transistor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheong, Woo-Seok; Yoon, Young-sun; Shin, Jae-Heon; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Chu, Hye Yong

2009-01-01

Indium-tin oxide (ITO) has been widely used as electrodes for LCDs and OLEDs. The applications are expanding to the transparent thin-film transistors (TTFT S ) for the versatile circuits or transparent displays. This paper is related with optimization of ITO source and drain electrode for TTFTs on glass substrates. For example, un-etched ITO remnants, which frequently found in the wet etching process, often originate from unsuitable ITO formation processes. In order to improve them, an ion beam deposition method is introduced, which uses for forming a seed layer before the main ITO deposition. We confirm that ITO films with seed layers are effective to obtain clean and smooth glass surfaces without un-etched ITO remnants, resulting in a good long-run electrical stability of the top-gate indium-gallium-zinc oxide-TTFT.

Transparent conductive oxides for thin-film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Löffler, J.

2005-01-01

This thesis describes research on thin-film silicon solar cells with focus on the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for such devices. In addition to the formation of a transparent and electrically conductive front electrode for the solar cell allowing photocurrent collection with low ohmic losses,

Effect of Source/Drain Electrodes on the Electrical Properties of Silicon–Tin Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianzhe Liu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Ultra-high definition displays have become a trend for the current flat plane displays. In this study, the contact properties of amorphous silicon–tin oxide thin-film transistors (a-STO TFTs employed with source/drain (S/D electrodes were analyzed. Ohmic contact with a good device performance was achieved when a-STO was matched with indium-tin-oxide (ITO or Mo electrodes. The acceptor-like densities of trap states (DOS of a-STO TFTs were further investigated by using low-frequency capacitance–voltage (C–V characteristics to understand the impact of the electrode on the device performance. The reason of the distinct electrical performances of the devices with ITO and Mo contacts was attributed to different DOS caused by the generation of local defect states near the electrodes, which distorted the electric field distribution and formed an electrical potential barrier hindering the flow of electrons. It is of significant importance for circuit designers to design reliable integrated circuits with SnO2-based devices applied in flat panel displays.

Comparison of lead zirconate titanate thin films on ruthenium oxide and platinum electrodes

OpenAIRE

Bursill, Les A.; Reaney, Ian M.; Vijay, Dilip P.; Desu, Seshu B.

1994-01-01

High-resolution and bright- and dark-field transmission electron microscopy are used to characterize and compare the interface structures and microstructure of PZT/RuO2/SiO2/Si and PZT/Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si ferroelectric thin films, with a view to understanding the improved fatigue characteristics of PZT thin films with RuO2 electrodes. The RuO2/PZT interface consists of a curved pseudoperiodic minimal surface. The interface is chemically sharp with virtually no intermixing of RuO2 and PZT, as eviden...

Influence of thin film thickness of working electrodes on photovoltaic characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Yeong-Lin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the study of the influence of thin film thickness of working electrodes on the photovoltaic characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells. Titanium dioxide (TiO2 thin films, with the thickness from 7.67 to 24.3 μm, were used to fabricate the working electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs. A TiO2 film was coated on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO conductive glass substrate and then sintered in a high-temperature furnace. On the other hand, platinum (Pt solution was coated onto an FTO substrate for the fabrication of the counter electrode of a DSSC. The working electrode immersed in a dye, the counter electrode, and the electrolyte were assembled to complete a sandwich-structure DSSC. The material analysis of the TiO2 films of DSSCs was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis spectroscopy, while the photovoltaic characteristics of DSSCs were measured by an AM-1.5 sunlight simulator. The light transmittance characteristics of the TiO2 working electrode depend on the TiO2 film thickness. The thin film thickness of the working electrode also affects the light absorption of a dye and results in the photovoltaic characteristics of the DSSC, including open-circuited voltage (VOC, short-circuited current density (JSC, fill factor, and photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

Transparent indium zinc oxide thin films used in photovoltaic cells based on polymer blends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besleaga, Cristina; Ion, L.; Ghenescu, Veta; Socol, G.; Radu, A.; Arghir, Iulia; Florica, Camelia; Antohe, S.

2012-01-01

Indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin films were obtained using pulsed laser deposition. The samples were prepared by ablation of targets with In concentrations, In/(In + Zn), of 80 at.%, at low substrate temperatures under reactive atmosphere. IZO films were used as transparent electrodes in polymer-based – poly(3-hexylthiophene) and 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 1:1 blend – photovoltaic cells. The action spectra measurements revealed that IZO-based photovoltaic structures have performances comparable with those using indium–tin–oxide as transparent electrode. - Highlights: ► Indium zinc oxide films were grown by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. ► The films had large free carrier density and reasonably high mobility. ► These films fit for transparent electrodes in polymer-based photovoltaic cells.

Comparison of lead zirconate titanate thin films on ruthenium oxide and platinum electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bursill, L.A.; Reaney, I.M.

1994-01-01

High-resolution and bright- and dark-field transmission electron microscopy are used to characterize and compare the interface structures and microstructure of PZT/RuO 2 /SiO 2 /Si and PZT/Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si ferroelectric thin films, with a view to understanding the improved fatigue characteristics of PZT thin films with RuO 2 electrodes. The RuO 2 /PZT interface consists of a curved pseudoperiodic minimal surface. The interface is chemically sharp with virtually no intermixing of RuO 2 and PZT, as evidenced by the atomic resolution images as well as energy dispersive X-ray analysis. A nanocrystalline pyrochlore phase Pb 2 ZrTiO 7-x (x ≠ 1) was found on the top surface of the PZT layer. The PZT/Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si thin film was well-crystallized and showed sharp interfaces throughout. Possible reasons for the improved fatigue characteristics of PZT/RuO 2 /SiO 2 /Si thin films are discussed. 13 refs; 7 figs

Comparison of lead zirconate titanate thin films on ruthenium oxide and platinum electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bursill, L A; Reaney, I M

1994-12-31

High-resolution and bright- and dark-field transmission electron microscopy are used to characterize and compare the interface structures and microstructure of PZT/RuO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si and PZT/Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si ferroelectric thin films, with a view to understanding the improved fatigue characteristics of PZT thin films with RuO{sub 2} electrodes. The RuO{sub 2}/PZT interface consists of a curved pseudoperiodic minimal surface. The interface is chemically sharp with virtually no intermixing of RuO{sub 2} and PZT, as evidenced by the atomic resolution images as well as energy dispersive X-ray analysis. A nanocrystalline pyrochlore phase Pb{sub 2}ZrTiO{sub 7-x} (x {ne} 1) was found on the top surface of the PZT layer. The PZT/Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si thin film was well-crystallized and showed sharp interfaces throughout. Possible reasons for the improved fatigue characteristics of PZT/RuO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si thin films are discussed. 13 refs; 7 figs.

An investigation of room temperature ''oxidized'' thin films of A1 for photovoltaic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adegboyega, G.A.

1985-12-01

Sheet resistance and transmittance changes of thin films of A1 evaporated in high vacuum were measured during sorption of oxygen at room atmosphere. An increase of both sheet resistance and transmittance with a tendency to saturation has been observed. Evaluation of various thicknesses of the films for possible use as transparent electrode material for photovoltaic applications shows that for very thin films ( = 200 A) the ''oxidized'' films are superior. (author)

Chemically fabricated LiFePO{sub 4} thin film electrode for transparent batteries and electrochromic devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Béléké, Alexis B. [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, M.H. Wong Building, 3610 rue University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2 (Canada); Faure, Cyril [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Röder, Manuel [Center for Applied Electrochemistry, Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research, Neunerplatz 2, 97083 Würzburg (Germany); Hovington, Pierre [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Posset, Uwe [Center for Applied Electrochemistry, Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research, Neunerplatz 2, 97083 Würzburg (Germany); Guerfi, Abdelbast [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada); Zaghib, Karim, E-mail: zaghib.karim@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec, 1800 Boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC J3X 1S3 (Canada)

2016-12-15

Graphical abstract: Simplified diagram of the novel sol-gel approach of preparation of colorless and transparent LiFePO{sub 4} thin film electrode. - Highlights: • Novel sol-gel synthesis of colorless LFP thin film electrode for transparent Li-ion battery. • High performance of the electrode at various current densities: 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 μA/cm{sup 2}. • LFP nanoparticles exhibit an excellent electro-activity. • Colorless LFP thin film shows a transmittance above 80% versus FTO. • Higher transmittance of LFP electrode a potential candidate for electrochromic devices. - Abstract: We report a new sol-gel approach of synthesis of LiFePO{sub 4} (LFP) thin film and its application as cathode materials for transparent Li-ion battery in half-cell configuration. LFP thin films were obtained from an alcoholic colloidal suspension of iron acetylacetonate (Fe(AcAc){sub 3}) and aqueous lithium dihydrogen phosphate (LiH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}) deposited on fluorine tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate, followed by heating at 450 °C under nitrogen gas for 1 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the LFP films have an orthorhombic crystal system with space group Pnma (62). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows spherical LFP nanoparticles aggregates homogenously deposited all over the surface of FTO substrate containing 3-D open pores. The electrochemical behaviors of thin film vs Li/Li{sup +} cell were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. The cycle life was evaluated by running 1000 cycles of charge-discharge at a current density of 20 μA/cm{sup 2}. The transmission spectra reveal 85–90% of transparency versus FTO as reference, which makes it a potential candidate as a complementary electrode in electrochromic devices (ECDs).

Vacuum-Assisted Low-Temperature Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide Thin-Film Electrodes for High-Performance Transparent and Flexible All-Solid-State Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Aytug, Tolga; Rager, Matthew S; Higgins, Wesley; Brown, Forrest G; Veith, Gabriel M; Rouleau, Christopher M; Wang, Hui; Hood, Zachary D; Mahurin, Shannon M; Mayes, Richard T; Joshi, Pooran C; Kuruganti, Teja

2018-04-04

Simple and easily integrated design of flexible and transparent electrode materials affixed to polymer-based substrates hold great promise to have a revolutionary impact on the functionality and performance of energy storage devices for many future consumer electronics. Among these applications are touch sensors, roll-up displays, photovoltaic cells, health monitors, wireless sensors, and wearable communication devices. Here, we report an environmentally friendly, simple, and versatile approach to produce optically transparent and mechanically flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor devices. These supercapacitors were constructed on tin-doped indium oxide coated polyethylene terephthalate substrates by intercalation of a polymer-based gel electrolyte between two reduced graphene oxide (rGO) thin-film electrodes. The rGO electrodes were fabricated simply by drop-casting of graphene oxide (GO) films, followed by a novel low-temperature (≤250 °C) vacuum-assisted annealing approach for the in situ reduction of GO to rGO. A trade-off between the optical transparency and electrochemical performance is determined by the concentration of the GO in the initial dispersion, whereby the highest capacitance (∼650 μF cm -2 ) occurs at a relatively lower optical transmittance (24%). Notably, the all-solid-state supercapacitors demonstrated excellent mechanical flexibility with a capacity retention rate above 90% under various bending angles and cycles. These attributes underscore the potential of the present approach to provide a path toward the realization of thin-film-based supercapacitors as flexible and transparent energy storage devices for a variety of practical applications.

Transparent conductive zinc oxide basics and applications in thin film solar cells

CERN Document Server

Klein, Andreas; Rech, Bernd

2008-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) belongs to the class of transparent conducting oxides which can be used as transparent electrodes in electronic devices or heated windows. In this book the material properties of, the deposition technologies for, and applications of zinc oxide in thin film solar cells are described in a comprehensive manner. Structural, morphological, optical and electronic properties of ZnO are treated in this review. The editors and authors of this book are specialists in deposition, analysis and fabrication of thin-film solar cells and especially of ZnO. This book is intended as an overview and a data collection for students, engineers and scientist.

Titanyl phthalocyanine ambipolar thin film transistors making use of carbon nanotube electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Coppedè, Nicola; Valitova, Irina; Mahvash, Farzaneh; Tarabella, Giuseppe; Ranzieri, Paolo; Iannotta, Salvatore; Santato, Clara; Martel, Richard; Cicoira, Fabio

2014-12-01

The capability of efficiently injecting charge carriers into organic films and finely tuning their morphology and structure is crucial to improve the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). In this work, we investigate OTFTs employing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the source-drain electrodes and, as the organic semiconductor, thin films of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SuMBD). While CNT electrodes have shown an unprecedented ability to improve charge injection in OTFTs, SuMBD is an effective technique to tune film morphology and structure. Varying the substrate temperature during deposition, we were able to grow both amorphous (low substrate temperature) and polycrystalline (high substrate temperature) films of TiOPc. Regardless of the film morphology and structure, CNT electrodes led to superior charge injection and transport performance with respect to benchmark Au electrodes. Vacuum annealing of polycrystalline TiOPc films with CNT electrodes yielded ambipolar OTFTs.

Rough Electrode Creates Excess Capacitance in Thin-Film Capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Torabi, Solmaz; Cherry, Megan; Duijnstee, Elisabeth A; Le Corre, Vincent M; Qiu, Li; Hummelen, Jan C; Palasantzas, George; Koster, L Jan Anton

2017-08-16

The parallel-plate capacitor equation is widely used in contemporary material research for nanoscale applications and nanoelectronics. To apply this equation, flat and smooth electrodes are assumed for a capacitor. This essential assumption is often violated for thin-film capacitors because the formation of nanoscale roughness at the electrode interface is very probable for thin films grown via common deposition methods. In this work, we experimentally and theoretically show that the electrical capacitance of thin-film capacitors with realistic interface roughness is significantly larger than the value predicted by the parallel-plate capacitor equation. The degree of the deviation depends on the strength of the roughness, which is described by three roughness parameters for a self-affine fractal surface. By applying an extended parallel-plate capacitor equation that includes the roughness parameters of the electrode, we are able to calculate the excess capacitance of the electrode with weak roughness. Moreover, we introduce the roughness parameter limits for which the simple parallel-plate capacitor equation is sufficiently accurate for capacitors with one rough electrode. Our results imply that the interface roughness beyond the proposed limits cannot be dismissed unless the independence of the capacitance from the interface roughness is experimentally demonstrated. The practical protocols suggested in our work for the reliable use of the parallel-plate capacitor equation can be applied as general guidelines in various fields of interest.

Oxidation of ruthenium thin films using atomic oxygen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCoy, A.P.; Bogan, J.; Brady, A.; Hughes, G.

2015-12-31

In this study, the use of atomic oxygen to oxidise ruthenium thin films is assessed. Atomic layer deposited (ALD) ruthenium thin films (~ 3 nm) were exposed to varying amounts of atomic oxygen and the results were compared to the impact of exposures to molecular oxygen. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies reveal substantial oxidation of metallic ruthenium films to RuO{sub 2} at exposures as low as ~ 10{sup 2} L at 575 K when atomic oxygen was used. Higher exposures of molecular oxygen resulted in no metal oxidation highlighting the benefits of using atomic oxygen to form RuO{sub 2}. Additionally, the partial oxidation of these ruthenium films occurred at temperatures as low as 293 K (room temperature) in an atomic oxygen environment. - Highlights: • X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the oxidation of Ru thin films • Oxidation of Ru thin films using atomic oxygen • Comparison between atomic oxygen and molecular oxygen treatments on Ru thin films • Fully oxidised RuO{sub 2} thin films formed with low exposures to atomic oxygen.

Titanyl phthalocyanine ambipolar thin film transistors making use of carbon nanotube electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coppedè, Nicola; Tarabella, Giuseppe; Ranzieri, Paolo; Iannotta, Salvatore; Valitova, Irina; Cicoira, Fabio; Mahvash, Farzaneh; Santato, Clara; Martel, Richard

2014-01-01

The capability of efficiently injecting charge carriers into organic films and finely tuning their morphology and structure is crucial to improve the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). In this work, we investigate OTFTs employing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the source-drain electrodes and, as the organic semiconductor, thin films of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SuMBD). While CNT electrodes have shown an unprecedented ability to improve charge injection in OTFTs, SuMBD is an effective technique to tune film morphology and structure. Varying the substrate temperature during deposition, we were able to grow both amorphous (low substrate temperature) and polycrystalline (high substrate temperature) films of TiOPc. Regardless of the film morphology and structure, CNT electrodes led to superior charge injection and transport performance with respect to benchmark Au electrodes. Vacuum annealing of polycrystalline TiOPc films with CNT electrodes yielded ambipolar OTFTs. (paper)

Performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell with thin film catalyst electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chun, Young Gab; Kim, Chang Soo; Peck, Dong Hyun; Shin, Dong Ryul [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-03-15

In order to develop a kW-class polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), several electrodes have been fabricated by different catalyst layer preparation procedures and evaluated based on the cell performance. Conventional carbon paper and carbon cloth electrodes were fabricated using a ptfe-bonded Pt/C electrol catalyst by coating and rolling methods. Thin-film catalyst/ionomer composite layers were also formed on the membrane by direct coating and transfer printing techniques. The performance evaluation with catalyst layer preparation methods was carried out using a large or small electrode single cell. Conventional and thin film membrane and electrode assemblies (MEAs) with small electrode area showed a performance of 350 and 650 mA/cm{sup 2} at 0.6 V, respectively. The performance of direct coated thin film catalyst layer with 300 cm{sup 2} MEAs was higher than those of the conventional and transfer printing technique MEAs. The influence of some characteristic parameters of the thin film electrode on electrochemical performance was examined. Various other aspects of overall operation of PEMFC stacks were also discussed. (orig.)

Investigation of nanoporous platinum thin films fabricated by reactive sputtering: Application as micro-SOFC electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, WooChul; Kim, Jae Jin; Tuller, Harry L.

2015-02-01

Highly porous Pt thin films, with nano-scale porosity, were fabricated by reactive sputtering. The strategy involved deposition of thin film PtOx at room temperature, followed by the subsequent decomposition of the oxide by rapid heat treatment. The resulting films exhibited percolating Pt networks infiltrated with interconnected nanosized pores, critical for superior solid oxide fuel cell cathode performance. This approach is particularly attractive for micro-fabricated solid oxide fuel cells, since it enables fabrication of the entire cell stack (anode/electrolyte/cathode) within the sputtering chamber, without breaking vacuum. In this work, the morphological, crystallographic and chemical properties of the porous electrode were systematically varied by control of deposition conditions. Oxygen reduction reaction kinetics were investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, demonstrating the critical role of nano-pores in achieving satisfactory micro-SOFC cathode performance.

Mechanistic interaction study of thin oxide dielectric with conducting organic electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Himani; Sethi, Kanika; Raj, P. Markondeya; Gerhardt, R.A.; Tummala, Rao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Thin film-oxide dielectric-organic electrode interface studies for investigating the leakage mechanism. ► XPS to elucidate chemical-structural changes on dielectric oxide surface. ► Correlates structural characterization data with capacitor leakage current and impedance spectroscopy characteristics. - Abstract: This paper aims at understanding the interaction of intrinsic conducting polymer, PEDT, with ALD-deposited Al 2 O 3 and thermally oxidized Ta 2 O 5 dielectrics, and the underlying mechanisms for increase in leakage currents in PEDT-based capacitors. Conducting polymers offer several advantages as electrodes for high surface area capacitors because of their lower resistance, self-healing and enhanced conformality. However, capacitors with in situ polymerized PEDT show poor electrical properties that are attributed to the interfacial interaction between the organic electrode and the oxide dielectric. This study focuses on characterizing these interactions. A combination of compositional, structural and electrical characterization techniques was applied to polymer-solid-state-capacitor to understand the interfacial chemical behavior and dielectric property deterioration of alumina and tantalum-oxide films. XPS and impedance studies were employed to understand the stiochiometric and compositional changes that occur in the dielectric film on interaction with in situ deposited PEDT. Based on the observations from several complimentary techniques, it is concluded that tantalum-pentoxide has more resistance towards chemical interaction with in situ polymerized PEDT. The thermally oxidized Ta 2 O 5 -PEDT system showed leakage current of 280 nA μF −1 at 3 V with a breakdown voltage of 30 V. On the other hand, Al 2 O 3 -PEDT capacitor showed leakage current of 50 μA μF −1 and a breakdown voltage of 40 V. The study reports direct evidence for the mechanism of resistivity drop in alumina dielectric with in situ polymerized PEDT electrode.

Amperometric Noise at Thin Film Band Electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Simon T.; Heien, Michael L.; Taboryski, Rafael

2012-01-01

Background current noise is often a significant limitation when using constant-potential amperometry for biosensor application such as amperometric recordings of transmitter release from single cells through exocytosis. In this paper, we fabricated thin-film electrodes of gold and conductive...

A nanogravimmetric investigation of the charging processes on ruthenium oxide thin films and their effect on methanol oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, M.C.; Cogo, L.; Tanimoto, S.T.; Calegaro, M.L.; Bulhoes, L.O.S

2006-01-01

The charging processes and methanol oxidation that occur during the oxidation-reduction cycles in a ruthenium oxide thin film electrode (deposited by the sol-gel method on Pt covered quartz crystals) were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance techniques. The ruthenium oxide rutile phase structure was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The results obtained during the charging of rutile ruthenium oxide films indicate that in the anodic sweep the transition from Ru(II) to Ru(VI) occurs followed by proton de-intercalation. In the cathodic sweep, electron injection occurs followed by proton intercalation, leading to Ru(II). The proton intercalation/de-intercalation processes can be inferred from the mass/charge relationship which gives a slope close to 1 g mol -1 (multiplied by the Faraday constant) corresponding to the molar mass of hydrogen. From the chronoamperometric measurements, charge and mass saturation of the RuO 2 thin films was observed (440 ng cm -2 ) during the charging processes, which is related to the total number of active sites in these films. Using the electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance technique to study the methanol oxidation reaction at these films was possible to demonstrate that bulk oxidation occurs without the formation of strongly adsorbed intermediates such as CO ads , demonstrating that Pt electrodes modified by ruthenium oxide particles can be promising catalysts for the methanol oxidation as already shown in the literature

Modified lead titanate thin films for pyroelectric infrared detectors on gold electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Moinuddin; Butler, Donald P.

2015-07-01

Pyroelectric infrared detectors provide the advantage of both a wide spectral response and dynamic range, which also has enabled systems to be developed with reduced size, weight and power consumption. This paper demonstrates the deposition of lead zirconium titanate (PZT) and lead calcium titanate (PCT) thin films for uncooled pyroelectric detectors with the utilization of gold electrodes. The modified lead titanate thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on gold electrodes. The PZT and PCT thins films deposited and annealed at temperatures of 650 °C and 550 °C respectively demonstrated the best pyroelectric performance in this work. The thin films displayed a pyroelectric effect that increased with temperature. Poling of the thin films was carried out for a fixed time periods and fixed dc bias voltages at elevated temperature in order to increase the pyroelectric coefficient by establishing a spontaneous polarization of the thin films. Poling caused the pyroelectric current to increase one order of magnitude.

Photoinduced hydrophobic surface of graphene oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaoyan; Song Peng; Cui Xiaoli

2012-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) thin films were deposited on transparent conducting oxide substrates and glass slides by spin coating method at room temperature. The wettability of GO thin films before and after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation was characterized with water contact angles, which increased from 27.3° to 57.6° after 3 h of irradiation, indicating a photo-induced hydrophobic surface. The UV–vis absorption spectra, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and conductivity measurements of GO films before and after UV irradiation were taken to study the mechanism of photoinduced hydrophobic surface of GO thin films. It is demonstrated that the photoinduced hydrophobic surface is ascribed to the elimination of oxygen-containing functional groups on GO molecules. This work provides a simple strategy to control the wettability properties of GO thin films by UV irradiation. - Highlights: ► Photoinduced hydrophobic surface of graphene oxide thin films has been demonstrated. ► Elimination of oxygen-containing functional groups in graphene oxide achieved by UV irradiation. ► We provide novel strategy to control surface wettability of GO thin films by UV irradiation.

Preparation of Aluminum Nanomesh Thin Films from an Anodic Aluminum Oxide Template as Transparent Conductive Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yiwen; Chen, Yulong; Qiu, Mingxia; Yu, Hongyu; Zhang, Xinhai; Sun, Xiao Wei; Chen, Rui

2016-02-01

We have employed anodic aluminum oxide as a template to prepare ultrathin, transparent, and conducting Al films with a unique nanomesh structure for transparent conductive electrodes. The anodic aluminum oxide template is obtained through direct anodization of a sputtered Al layer on a glass substrate, and subsequent wet etching creates the nanomesh metallic film. The optical and conductive properties are greatly influenced by experimental conditions. By tuning the anodizing time, transparent electrodes with appropriate optical transmittance and sheet resistance have been obtained. The results demonstrate that our proposed strategy can serve as a potential method to fabricate low-cost TCEs to replace conventional indium tin oxide materials.

Catalytic EC′ reaction at a thin film modified electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerbino, Leandro; Baruzzi, Ana M.; Iglesias, Rodrigo A.

2013-01-01

Numerical simulations of cyclic voltammograms corresponding to a catalytic EC′ reaction taking place at a thin film modified electrode are performed by way of finite difference method. Besides considering the chemical kinetic occurring inside the thin film, the model takes into account the different diffusion coefficients for each species at each of the involved phases, i.e. the thin film layer and bulk solution. The theoretical formulation is given in terms of dimensionless model parameters but a brief discussion of each of these parameters and their relationship to experimental variables is presented. Special emphasis is given to the use of working curve characteristics to quantify diffusion coefficient, homogeneous kinetic constant and thickness of the thin layer in a real system. Validation of the model is made by comparison of experimental results corresponding to the electron charge transfer of Ru(NH 3 ) 6 3+ /Ru(NH 3 ) 6 2+ hemi-couple at a thin film of a cross-linked chitosan film containing an immobilized redox dye

Facile green synthesis of silver nanodendrite/cellulose acetate thin film electrodes for flexible supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Devarayan, Kesavan; Park, Jiyoung; Kim, Hak-Yong; Kim, Byoung-Suhk

2017-05-01

In this study, we present a highly efficient and economical solution called as 'in situ hydrogenation' for preparation of highly conductive thin film electrode based on silver nanodendrites. The silver nanodendrite (AgND)/cellulose acetate (CA) thin film electrodes exhibited sheet resistance ranging from 0.32ohm/sq to 122.1ohm/sq which could be controlled by changing the concentration of both silver and polymer. In addition, these electrodes exhibited outstanding toughness during the bending test. Further, these thin film electrodes have great potential for scale-up with an average weight of 3mg/cm 2 and can be also combined with active nanomaterials such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to fabricate AgND/CA/MWCNTs thin film for high-performance flexible supercapacitor electrode. The AgND/CA/MWCNTs electrodes exhibited a maximum specific capacitance of 237F/g at a current density of 0.3A/g. After 1000 cycles, the AgND/MWCNT/CA exhibited a decrease of 16.0% of specific capacitance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In and Ga Codoped ZnO Film as a Front Electrode for Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duy Phong Pham

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Doped ZnO thin films have attracted much attention in the research community as front-contact transparent conducting electrodes in thin film silicon solar cells. The prerequisite in both low resistivity and high transmittance in visible and near-infrared region for hydrogenated microcrystalline or amorphous/microcrystalline tandem thin film silicon solar cells has promoted further improvements of this material. In this work, we propose the combination of major Ga and minor In impurities codoped in ZnO film (IGZO to improve the film optoelectronic properties. A wide range of Ga and In contents in sputtering targets was explored to find optimum optical and electrical properties of deposited films. The results show that an appropriate combination of In and Ga atoms in ZnO material, followed by in-air thermal annealing process, can enhance the crystallization, conductivity, and transmittance of IGZO thin films, which can be well used as front-contact electrodes in thin film silicon solar cells.

Nanostructured tungsten trioxide thin films synthesized for photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Tao; Chong, Meng Nan; Chan, Eng Seng

2014-11-01

The recent developments of nanostructured WO3 thin films synthesized through the electrochemical route of electrochemical anodization and cathodic electrodeposition for the application in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting are reviewed. The key fundamental reaction mechanisms of electrochemical anodization and cathodic electrodeposition methods for synthesizing nanostructured WO3 thin films are explained. In addition, the effects of metal oxide precursors, electrode substrates, applied potentials and current densities, and annealing temperatures on size, composition, and thickness of the electrochemically synthesized nanostructured WO3 thin films are elucidated in detail. Finally, a summary is given for the general evaluation practices used to calculate the energy conversion efficiency of nanostructured WO3 thin films and a recommendation is provided to standardize the presentation of research results in the field to allow for easy comparison of reported PEC efficiencies in the near future. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pulsed laser deposition of transparent conductive oxide thin films on flexible substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Socol, G.; Socol, M.; Stefan, N.; Axente, E.; Popescu-Pelin, G.; Craciun, D.; Duta, L.; Mihailescu, C.N.; Mihailescu, I.N.; Stanculescu, A.; Visan, D.; Sava, V.; Galca, A.C.; Luculescu, C.R.; Craciun, V.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► TCO thin films were grown by PLD on PET substrate at low temperature. ► We found that the quality of TCO on PET substrate depends on the target–substrate distance. ► TCO with high transparency (>95%) and reduced electrical resistivity (∼5 × 10 −4 Ω cm) were obtained. ► Optimized TCO films deposited on PET were free of any cracks. - Abstract: The influence of target–substrate distance during pulsed laser deposition of indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates was investigated. It was found that the properties of such flexible transparent conductive oxide (TCO)/PET electrodes critically depend on this parameter. The TCO films that were deposited at distances of 6 and 8 cm exhibited an optical transmittance higher than 90% in the visible range and electrical resistivities around 5 × 10 −4 Ω cm. In addition to these excellent electrical and optical characteristics the films grown at 8 cm distance were homogenous, smooth, adherent, and without cracks or any other extended defects, being suitable for opto-electronic device applications.

Pulsed laser deposition of transparent conductive oxide thin films on flexible substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Socol, G.; Socol, M.; Stefan, N.; Axente, E.; Popescu-Pelin, G.; Craciun, D.; Duta, L.; Mihailescu, C. N.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Stanculescu, A.; Visan, D.; Sava, V.; Galca, A. C.; Luculescu, C. R.; Craciun, V.

2012-11-01

The influence of target-substrate distance during pulsed laser deposition of indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films grown on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates was investigated. It was found that the properties of such flexible transparent conductive oxide (TCO)/PET electrodes critically depend on this parameter. The TCO films that were deposited at distances of 6 and 8 cm exhibited an optical transmittance higher than 90% in the visible range and electrical resistivities around 5 × 10-4 Ω cm. In addition to these excellent electrical and optical characteristics the films grown at 8 cm distance were homogenous, smooth, adherent, and without cracks or any other extended defects, being suitable for opto-electronic device applications.

All-organic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal light-valves integrated with electroactive anthraquinone-2-sulfonate-doped polypyrrole thin films as driving electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Pen-Cheng; Yu, Jing-Yu; Li, Kuan-Hsun

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Fabrication of flexible semi-transparent all-polymer electrodes under ambient conditions without using a CVD system. → Characterization of the above electrodes based on anthraquinone-2-sulfonate-doped polypyrrole thin films. → Demonstration of all-organic liquid crystal light-valves with polypyrrole thin films as the driving electrodes. - Abstract: All-organic PDLC (polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) light-valves using all-polymer conductive substrates containing thin films of polypyrrole doped with anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQSA - ) as the driving electrodes were fabricated in this study. The all-polymer conductive substrates were prepared under ambient conditions by in situ depositing polypyrrole thin films on blank flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET, substrates from aqueous media in which oxidative polymerization of pyrrole was taking place. The obtained flexible all-polymer conductive substrates were semi-transparent with cohesive coatings of AQSA - doped polypyrrole thin films (thickness ∼55 nm). The all-polymer flexible conductive substrates had sheet resistivity ∼40 kΩ □ -1 and T% transparency against air ∼78% at 600 nm. The light-valves fabricated using the above all-polymer conductive substrates showed ∼50% transparency against air at 600 nm when 4 V μm -1 electric field was applied.

A photoelectrochemical (PEC) study on graphene oxide based hematite thin films heterojunction (R-GO/Fe2O3)

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Poonam; Zachariah, Michael; Ehrman, Sheryl; Shrivastava, Rohit; Dass, Sahab; Satsangi, Vibha; Michael Zachariah, Sheryl Ehrman Collaboration; Rohit Shrivastava, Sahab Dass Collaboration; Vibha R Satsangi, Poonam Sharma Team

2013-03-01

Graphene has an excellent electronic conductivity, a high theoretical surface area of 2630 m2/g and excellent mechanical properties and, thus, is a promising component for high-performance electrode materials. Following this, GO has been used to modify the PEC response of photoactive material hematite thin films in PEC cell. A reduced graphene oxide/iron oxide (R-GO/Fe2O3) thin film structure has been successfully prepared on ITO by directly growing iron oxide particles on the thermally reduced graphene oxide sheets prepared from suspension of exfoliated graphene oxide. R-GO/Fe2O3 thin films were tested in PEC cell and offered ten times higher photocurrent density than pristine Fe2O3 thin film sample. XRD, SEM, EDS, UV-Vis, Mott-Schottky and Raman studies were carried out to study spectro-electrochemical properties. Enhanced PEC performance of these photoelectrodes was attributed to its porous morphology, improved conductivity upon favorable carrier transfer across the oxides interface.

Zinc oxide-potassium ferricyanide composite thin film matrix for biosensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Shibu [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Arya, Sunil K. [Department of Science and Technology Centre on Biomolecular Electronics, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India); Singh, S.P. [Department of Engineering Science and Materials, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR 00680 (United States); Sreenivas, K. [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Malhotra, B.D. [Department of Science and Technology Centre on Biomolecular Electronics, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India); Gupta, Vinay, E-mail: vgupta@physics.du.ac.in [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2009-10-27

Thin film of zinc oxide-potassium ferricyanide (ZnO-KFCN) composite has been deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated corning glass using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The composite thin film electrode has been exploited for amperometric biosensing in a mediator-free electrolyte. The composite matrix has the advantages of high iso-electric point of ZnO along with enhanced electron communication due to the presence of a redox species in the matrix itself. Glucose oxidase (GOx) has been chosen as the model enzyme for studying the application of the developed matrix to biosensing. The sensing response of the bio-electrode, GOx/ZnO-KFCN/ITO/glass, towards glucose was studied using cylic voltammetry (CV) and photometric assay. The bio-electrode exhibits good linearity from 2.78 mM to 11.11 mM glucose concentration. The low value of Michaelis-Menten constant (1.69 mM) indicates an enhanced affinity of the immobilized enzyme towards its substrate. A quassireversible system is obtained with the composite matrix. The results confirm promising application of the ZnO-KFCN composite matrix for amperometric biosensing applications in a mediator-less electrolyte that could lead to the realization of an integrated lab-on-chip device.

Zinc oxide-potassium ferricyanide composite thin film matrix for biosensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, Shibu; Arya, Sunil K.; Singh, S.P.; Sreenivas, K.; Malhotra, B.D.; Gupta, Vinay

2009-01-01

Thin film of zinc oxide-potassium ferricyanide (ZnO-KFCN) composite has been deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated corning glass using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The composite thin film electrode has been exploited for amperometric biosensing in a mediator-free electrolyte. The composite matrix has the advantages of high iso-electric point of ZnO along with enhanced electron communication due to the presence of a redox species in the matrix itself. Glucose oxidase (GOx) has been chosen as the model enzyme for studying the application of the developed matrix to biosensing. The sensing response of the bio-electrode, GOx/ZnO-KFCN/ITO/glass, towards glucose was studied using cylic voltammetry (CV) and photometric assay. The bio-electrode exhibits good linearity from 2.78 mM to 11.11 mM glucose concentration. The low value of Michaelis-Menten constant (1.69 mM) indicates an enhanced affinity of the immobilized enzyme towards its substrate. A quassireversible system is obtained with the composite matrix. The results confirm promising application of the ZnO-KFCN composite matrix for amperometric biosensing applications in a mediator-less electrolyte that could lead to the realization of an integrated lab-on-chip device.

Title: Using Alignment and 2D Network Simulations to Study Charge Transport Through Doped ZnO Nanowire Thin Film Electrodes

KAUST Repository

Phadke, Sujay

2011-09-30

Factors affecting charge transport through ZnO nanowire mat films were studied by aligning ZnO nanowires on substrates and coupling experimental measurements with 2D nanowire network simulations. Gallium doped ZnO nanowires were aligned on thermally oxidized silicon wafer by shearing a nanowire dispersion in ethanol. Sheet resistances of nanowire thin films that had current flowing parallel to nanowire alignment direction were compared to thin films that had current flowing perpendicular to nanowire alignment direction. Perpendicular devices showed ∼5 fold greater sheet resistance than parallel devices supporting the hypothesis that aligning nanowires would increase conductivity of ZnO nanowire electrodes. 2-D nanowire network simulations of thin films showed that the device sheet resistance was dominated by inter-wire contact resistance. For a given resistivity of ZnO nanowires, the thin film electrodes would have the lowest possible sheet resistance if the inter-wire contact resistance was one order of magnitude lower than the single nanowire resistance. Simulations suggest that the conductivity of such thin film devices could be further enhanced by using longer nanowires. Solution processed Gallium doped ZnO nanowires are aligned on substrates using an innovative shear coating technique. Nanowire alignment has shown improvement in ZnO nanowire transparent electrode conductivity. 2D network simulations in conjunction with electrical measurements have revealed different regimes of operation of nanowire thin films and provided a guideline for improving electrical performance of nanowire electrodes. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Unidirectional oxide hetero-interface thin-film diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Youngmin; Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon; Lim, Keon-Hee; Kim, Youn Sang

2015-01-01

The unidirectional thin-film diode based on oxide hetero-interface, which is well compatible with conventional thin-film fabrication process, is presented. With the metal anode/electron-transporting oxide (ETO)/electron-injecting oxide (EIO)/metal cathode structure, it exhibits that electrical currents ohmically flow at the ETO/EIO hetero-interfaces for only positive voltages showing current density (J)-rectifying ratio of ∼10 5 at 5 V. The electrical properties (ex, current levels, and working device yields) of the thin-film diode (TFD) are systematically controlled by changing oxide layer thickness. Moreover, we show that the oxide hetero-interface TFD clearly rectifies an AC input within frequency (f) range of 10 2  Hz < f < 10 6  Hz, providing a high feasibility for practical applications

Unidirectional oxide hetero-interface thin-film diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Youngmin; Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon; Lim, Keon-Hee [Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Youn Sang, E-mail: younskim@snu.ac.kr [Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Gyeonggi-do 443-270 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-05

The unidirectional thin-film diode based on oxide hetero-interface, which is well compatible with conventional thin-film fabrication process, is presented. With the metal anode/electron-transporting oxide (ETO)/electron-injecting oxide (EIO)/metal cathode structure, it exhibits that electrical currents ohmically flow at the ETO/EIO hetero-interfaces for only positive voltages showing current density (J)-rectifying ratio of ∼10{sup 5} at 5 V. The electrical properties (ex, current levels, and working device yields) of the thin-film diode (TFD) are systematically controlled by changing oxide layer thickness. Moreover, we show that the oxide hetero-interface TFD clearly rectifies an AC input within frequency (f) range of 10{sup 2} Hz < f < 10{sup 6} Hz, providing a high feasibility for practical applications.

Characterization of ultrasonic spray pyrolysed ruthenium oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, P.S.; Ennaoui, E.A.; Lokhande, C.D.; Mueller, M.; Giersig, M.; Diesner, K.; Tributsch, H. [Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin GmbH (Germany). Bereich Physikalische Chemie

1997-11-21

The ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) technique was employed to deposit ruthenium oxide thin films. The films were prepared at 190 C substrate temperature and further annealed at 350 C for 30 min in air. The films were 0.22 {mu} thick and black grey in color. The structural, compositional and optical properties of ruthenium oxide thin films are reported. Contactless transient photoconductivity measurement was carried out to calculate the decay time of excess charge carriers in ruthenium oxide thin films. (orig.) 28 refs.

Low Temperature Synthesis of Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Transparent Conducting Thin Film by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Eun-Byul; Choi, Jae-Seok; Jung, Hyunsung; Choi, Sung-Churl; Kim, Chang-Yeoul

2016-02-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is widely used for the application of flat panel display like liquid crystal displays and plasma display panel. It is also applied in the field of touch panel, solar cell electrode, low-emissivity glass, defrost window, and anti-static material. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis of ethanol-added FTO precursor solutions. FTO thin film by spray pyrolysis is very much investigated and normally formed at high temperature, about 500 degrees C. However, these days, flexible electronics draw many attentions in the field of IT industry and the research for flexible transparent conducting thin film is also required. In the industrial field, indium-tin oxide (ITO) film on polymer substrate is widely used for touch panel and displays. In this study, we investigated the possibility of FTO thin film formation at relatively low temperature of 250 degrees C. We found out that the control of volume of input precursor and exhaust gases could make it possible to form FTO thin film with a relatively low electrical resistance, less than 100 Ohm/sq and high optical transmittance about 88%.

Characterizations of photoconductivity of graphene oxide thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiang-Kuo Chang-Jian

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Characterizations of photoresponse of a graphene oxide (GO thin film to a near infrared laser light were studied. Results showed the photocurrent in the GO thin film was cathodic, always flowing in an opposite direction to the initial current generated by the preset bias voltage that shows a fundamental discrepancy from the photocurrent in the reduced graphene oxide thin film. Light illumination on the GO thin film thus results in more free electrons that offset the initial current. By examining GO thin films reduced at different temperatures, the critical temperature for reversing the photocurrent from cathodic to anodic was found around 187°C. The dynamic photoresponse for the GO thin film was further characterized through the response time constants within the laser on and off durations, denoted as τon and τoff, respectively. τon for the GO thin film was comparable to the other carbon-based thin films such as carbon nanotubes and graphenes. τoff was, however, much larger than that of the other's. This discrepancy was attributable to the retardation of exciton recombination rate thanks to the existing oxygen functional groups and defects in the GO thin films.

Investigation of ferromagnetism in oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hildebrandt, Erwin; Kurian, Jose; Krockenberger, Yoshiharu; Alff, Lambert [Institut fuer Materialwissenschaft, TU Darmstadt (Germany); Suter, Andreas [PSI, Villingen (Switzerland); Wilhelm, Fabrice; Rogalev, Andrei [ESRF, Grenoble (France)

2008-07-01

Oxygen deficient thin films of hafnium oxide were grown on single crystal r-cut and c-cut sapphire by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. RF-activated oxygen was used for the in situ oxidation of hafnium oxide thin films. Oxidation conditions were varied substantially in order to create oxygen deficiency in hafnium oxide films intentionally. The films were characterized by X-ray and magnetic measurements. X-ray diffraction studies show an increase in lattice parameter with increasing oxygen deficiency. Oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films also showed a decreasing bandgap with increase in oxygen deficiency. The magnetisation studies carried out with SQUID did not show any sign of ferromagnetism in the whole oxygen deficiency range. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements also confirmed the absence of ferromagnetism in oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films.

Transparent and conductive electrodes by large-scale nano-structuring of noble metal thin-films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linnet, Jes; Runge Walther, Anders; Wolff, Christian

2018-01-01

grid, and nano-wire thin-films. The indium and carbon films do not match the chemical stability nor the electrical performance of the noble metals, and many metal films are not uniform in material distribution leading to significant surface roughness and randomized transmission haze. We demonstrate...... solution-processed masks for physical vapor-deposited metal electrodes consisting of hexagonally ordered aperture arrays with scalable aperture-size and spacing in an otherwise homogeneous noble metal thin-film that may exhibit better electrical performance than carbon nanotube-based thin-films...... for equivalent optical transparency. The fabricated electrodes are characterized optically and electrically by measuring transmittance and sheet resistance. The presented methods yield large-scale reproducible results. Experimentally realized thin-films with very low sheet resistance, Rsh = 2.01 ± 0.14 Ω...

Microwave-assisted low temperature fabrication of ZnO thin film electrodes for solar energy harvesting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nirmal Peiris, T.A.; Sagu, Jagdeep S.; Hazim Yusof, Y.; Upul Wijayantha, K.G., E-mail: U.Wijayantha@lboro.ac.uk

2015-09-01

Metallic Zn thin films were electrodeposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates and oxidized under air by conventional radiant and microwave post-annealing methods to obtain ZnO thin film electrodes. The temperature of each post-annealing method was varied systematically and the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of electrodes was evaluated. The best photocurrent density achieved by the conventional radiant annealing method at 425 °C for 15 min was 93 μA cm{sup −2} at 1.23 V vs. NHE and the electrode showed an incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 28.2%. X-ray diffractogram of this electrode showed that the oxidation of Zn to ZnO was not completed during the radiant annealing process as evident by the presence of metallic Zn in the electrode. For the electrode oxidized from Zn to ZnO under microwave irradiation, a photocurrent of 130 μA cm{sup −2} at 1.23 V vs. NHE and IPCE of 35.6% was observed after annealing for just 3 min, during which the temperature reached 250 °C. The photocurrent was 40% higher for the microwave annealed sample; this increase was attributed to higher surface area by preserving the nanostructure, confirmed by SEM surface topographical analysis, and better conversion yields to crystalline ZnO. Overall, it was demonstrated that oxidation of Zn to ZnO can be accomplished by microwave annealing five times faster than that of conventional annealing, thus resulting in a ~ 75% power saving. This study shows that microwave processing of materials offers significant economic and performance advantages for industrial scale up. - Highlights: • Conversion of Zn to ZnO by microwave and radiant annealing was conducted. • Microwave conversion was 5 times faster compared to radiant annealing. • Photoelectrochemical performance of microwave annealed ZnO was 40% higher. • Microwave annealing results in a 75% energy saving.

Wet-Chemical Surface Texturing of Sputter-Deposited ZnO:Al Films as Front Electrode for Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xia Yan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs play a major role as the front electrodes of thin-film silicon (Si solar cells, as they can provide optical scattering and hence improved photon absorption inside the devices. In this paper we report on the surface texturing of aluminium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al or AZO films for improved light trapping in thin-film Si solar cells. The AZO films are deposited onto soda-lime glass sheets via pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. Several promising AZO texturing methods are investigated using diluted hydrochloric (HCl and hydrofluoric acid (HF, through a two-step etching process. The developed texturing procedure combines the advantages of the HCl-induced craters and the smaller and jagged—but laterally more uniform—features created by HF etching. In the two-step process, the second etching step further enhances the optical haze, while simultaneously improving the uniformity of the texture features created by the HCl etch. The resulting AZO films show large haze values of above 40%, good scattering into large angles, and a surface angle distribution that is centred at around 30°, which is known from the literature to provide efficient light trapping for thin-film Si solar cells.

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

Electrochemical Water Oxidation by a Catalyst-Modified Metal-Organic Framework Thin Film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Shaoyang; Pineda-Galvan, Yuliana; Maza, William A.; Epley, Charity C.; Zhu, Jie; Kessinger, Matthew C.; Pushkar, Yulia; Morris, Amanda J. (VP); (Purdue)

2016-12-15

Water oxidation, a key component in artificial photosynthesis, requires high overpotentials and exhibits slow reaction kinetics that necessitates the use of stable and efficient heterogeneous water-oxidation catalysts (WOCs). Here, we report the synthesis of UiO-67 metal–organic framework (MOF) thin films doped with [Ru(tpy)(dcbpy)OH2]2+ (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, dcbpy=5,5'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) on conducting surfaces and their propensity for electrochemical water oxidation. The electrocatalyst oxidized water with a turnover frequency (TOF) of (0.2±0.1) s-1 at 1.71 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) in buffered solution (pH~7) and exhibited structural and electrochemical stability. The electroactive sites were distributed throughout the MOF thin film on the basis of scan-ratedependent voltammetry studies. This work demonstrates a promising way to immobilize large concentrations of electroactive WOCs into a highly robust MOF scaffold and paves the way for future photoelectrochemical water-splitting systems.

Design and characterization of Ga-doped indium tin oxide films for pixel electrode in liquid crystal display

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, J.H.; Kang, S.H.; Oh, H.S.; Yu, T.H.; Sohn, I.S.

2013-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films doped with various metal atoms were investigated in terms of phase transition behavior and electro-optical properties for the purpose of upgrading ITO and indium zinc oxide (IZO) films, commonly used for pixel electrodes in flat panel displays. We explored Ce, Mg, Zn, and Ga atoms as dopants to ITO by the co-sputtering technique, and Ga-doped ITO films (In:Sn:Ga = 87.4:6.7:5.9 at.%) showed the phase transition behavior at 210 °C within 20 min with high visible transmittance of 91% and low resistivity of 0.22 mΩ cm. The film also showed etching rate similar to amorphous ITO, and no etching residue on glass surfaces. These results were confirmed with the film formed from a single Ga-doped ITO target with slightly different compositions (In:Sn:Ga = 87:9:4 at.%). Compared to the ITO target, Ga-doped ITO target left 1/4 less nodules on the target surface after sputtering. These results suggest that Ga-doped ITO films could be an excellent alternative to ITO and IZO for pixel electrodes in thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). - Highlights: ► We report Ga-doped In–Sn–O films for a pixel electrode in liquid crystal display. ► Ga-doped In–Sn–O films show phase transition behavior at 210 °C. ► Ga-doped In–Sn–O films show high wet etchability and low resistivity

Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J. M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J. A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R. P. H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-11-01

The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 °C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlOx, while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al2O3-rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlOx interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 °C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlOx layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high dielectric constant (280), low

Materials science and integration bases for fabrication of (BaxSr1-x)TiO3 thin film capacitors with layered Cu-based electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, W.; Kabius, B.; Hiller, J.M.; Saha, S.; Carlisle, J.A.; Auciello, O.; Chang, R.P.H.; Ramesh, R.

2003-01-01

The synthesis and fundamental material properties of layered TiAl/Cu/Ta electrodes were investigated to achieve the integration of Cu electrodes with high-dielectric constant (κ) oxide thin films for application to the fabrication of high-frequency devices. The Ta layer is an excellent diffusion barrier to inhibit deleterious Cu diffusion into the Si substrate, while the TiAl layer provides an excellent barrier against oxygen diffusion into the Cu layer to inhibit Cu oxidation during the growth of the high-κ layer in an oxygen atmosphere. Polycrystalline (Ba x Sr 1-x )TiO 3 (BST) thin films were grown on the Cu-based bottom electrode by rf magnetron sputtering at temperatures in the range 400-600 deg. C in oxygen, to investigate the performance of BST/Cu-based capacitors. Characterization of the Cu-based layered structure using surface analytical methods showed that two amorphous oxide layers were formed on both sides of the TiAl barrier, such that the oxide layer on the free surface of the TiAl layer correlates with TiAlO x , while the oxide layer at the TiAl/Cu interface is an Al 2 O 3 -rich layer. This double amorphous barrier layer structure effectively prevents oxygen penetration towards the underlying Cu and Ta layers. The TiAlO x interfacial layer, which has a relatively low dielectric constant compared with BST, reduced the total capacitance of the BST thin film capacitors. In addition, the layered electrode-oxide interface roughening observed during the growth of BST films at high temperature, due to copper grain growth, resulted in large dielectric loss on the fabricated BST capacitors. These problems were solved by growing the BST layer at 450 deg. C followed by a rapid thermal annealing at 700 deg. C. This process significantly reduced the thickness of the TiAlO x layer and interface roughness resulting in BST capacitors exhibiting properties suitable for the fabrication of high-performance high-frequency devices. In summary, relatively high

Dataset on electro-optically tunable smart-supercapacitors based on oxygen-excess nanograin tungsten oxide thin film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akbar I. Inamdar

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The dataset presented here is related to the research article entitled “Highly Efficient Electro-optically Tunable Smart-supercapacitors Using an Oxygen-excess Nanograin Tungsten Oxide Thin Film” (Akbar et al., 2017 [9] where we have presented a nanograin WO3 film as a bifunctional electrode for smart supercapacitor devices. In this article we provide additional information concerning nanograin tungsten oxide thin films such as atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Moreover, their electrochemical properties such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical supercapacitor properties, and electrochromic properties including coloration efficiency, optical modulation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are presented.

Thin metal electrodes for semitransparent organic photovoltaics

KAUST Repository

Lee, Kyusung

2013-08-01

We demonstrate semitransparent organic photovoltaics (OPVs) based on thin metal electrodes and polymer photoactive layers consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester. The power conversion efficiency of a semitransparent OPV device comprising a 15-nm silver (Ag) rear electrode is 1.98% under AM 1.5-G illumination through the indium-tin-oxide side of the front anode at 100 mW/cm2 with 15.6% average transmittance of the entire cell in the visible wavelength range. As its thickness increases, a thin Ag electrode mainly influences the enhancement of the short circuit current density and fill factor. Its relatively low absorption intensity makes a Ag thin film a viable option for semitransparent electrodes compatible with organic layers. © 2013 ETRI.

Micromachined Dense Palladium Electrodes for Thin-film Solid Acid Fuel Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Unnikrishnan, S.

2009-01-01

This thesis paves the way towards the microfabrication of a solid acid electrolyte based fuel cell (µSAFC), which has a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consisting of a thin-film of water soluble electrolyte encapsulated between two dense palladium electrode membranes. This project work

High mobility transparent conducting oxides for thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calnan, S.; Tiwari, A.N.

2010-01-01

A special class of transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with high mobility of > 65 cm 2 V -1 s -1 allows film resistivity in the low 10 -4 Ω cm range and a high transparency of > 80% over a wide spectrum, from 300 nm to beyond 1500 nm. This exceptional coincidence of desirable optical and electrical properties provides opportunities to improve the performance of opto-electronic devices and opens possibilities for new applications. Strategies to attain high mobility (HM) TCO materials as well as the current status of such materials based on indium and cadmium containing oxides are presented. Various concepts used to understand the underlying mechanisms for high mobility in HMTCO films are discussed. Examples of HMTCO layers used as transparent electrodes in thin film solar cells are used to illustrate possible improvements in solar cell performance. Finally, challenges and prospects for further development of HMTCO materials are discussed.

Electrode patterning of ITO thin films by high repetition rate fiber laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, H.K.; Hsu, W.C.

2014-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films are deposited on glass substrates using a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. As-deposited ITO thin film was 100 nm in thickness and a transmittance of ITO film on glass substrate was 79% at 550 nm. Conductive electrodes are then patterned on the ITO films using a high repetition rate fiber laser system followed by a wet chemical etching process. The electrical, optical and structural properties of the patterned samples are evaluated by means of a four-point probe technique, spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the samples annealed with a pulse repetition rate of 150 kHz or 400 kHz have a low sheet resistivity of 21 Ω/□ and a high optical transmittance of 90%. In addition, it is shown that a higher pulse repetition rate reduces both the residual stress and the surface roughness of the patterned specimens. Therefore, the present results suggest that a pulse repetition rate of 400 kHz represents the optimal processing condition for the patterning of crack-free ITO-coated glass substrates with good electrical and optical properties.

Electrode patterning of ITO thin films by high repetition rate fiber laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, H.K., E-mail: HKLin@mail.npust.edu.tw; Hsu, W.C.

2014-07-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films are deposited on glass substrates using a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. As-deposited ITO thin film was 100 nm in thickness and a transmittance of ITO film on glass substrate was 79% at 550 nm. Conductive electrodes are then patterned on the ITO films using a high repetition rate fiber laser system followed by a wet chemical etching process. The electrical, optical and structural properties of the patterned samples are evaluated by means of a four-point probe technique, spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the samples annealed with a pulse repetition rate of 150 kHz or 400 kHz have a low sheet resistivity of 21 Ω/□ and a high optical transmittance of 90%. In addition, it is shown that a higher pulse repetition rate reduces both the residual stress and the surface roughness of the patterned specimens. Therefore, the present results suggest that a pulse repetition rate of 400 kHz represents the optimal processing condition for the patterning of crack-free ITO-coated glass substrates with good electrical and optical properties.

Preparation of TiO2-based nanotubes/nanoparticles composite thin film electrodes for their electron transport properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Wanyu; Fu, Wuyou; Chen, Jingkuo; Li, Huayang; Bala, Hari; Wang, Xiaodong; Sun, Guang; Cao, Jianliang; Zhang, Zhanying

2015-01-01

The composite thin film electrodes were prepared with one-dimensional (1D) TiO 2 -B nanotubes (NTs) and zero-dimensional TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) based on different weight ratios. The electron transport properties of the NTs/NPs composite thin film electrodes applied for dye-sensitized solar cells had been investigated systematically. The results indicated that although the amount of dye adsorption decreased slightly, the devices with the NTs/NPs composite thin film electrodes could obtain higher open-circuit voltage and overall conversion efficiency compared to devices with pure TiO 2 NPs electrodes by rational tuning the weight ratio of TiO 2 -B NTs and TiO 2 NPs. When the weight ratio of TiO 2 -B NTs in the NTs/NPs composite thin film electrodes increased, the density of states and recombination rate decreased. The 1D structure of TiO 2 -B NTs can provide direct paths for electron transport, resulting in higher electron lifetime, electron diffusion coefficient and electron diffusion length. The composite thin film electrodes possess the merits of the rapid electron transport of TiO 2 -B NTs and the high surface area of TiO 2 NPs, which has great applied potential in the field of photovoltaic devices. - Highlights: • The composite thin film electrodes (CTFEs) were prepared with nanotubes and nanoparticles. • The CTFEs possess the rapid electron transport and high surface area. • The CTFEs exhibit lower recombination rate and longer electron life time. • The CTFEs have great applied potential in the field of photovoltaic devices

Electrochemical deposition of molybdenum sulfide thin films on conductive plastic substrates as platinum-free flexible counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Chao-Kuang; Hsieh, Chien-Kuo, E-mail: jack_hsieh@mail.mcut.edu.tw

2015-06-01

In this study, pulsed electrochemical deposition (pulsed ECD) was used to deposit molybdenum sulfide (MoS{sub x}) thin films on indium tin oxide/polyethylene naphthalate (ITO/PEN) substrates as flexible counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The surface morphologies and elemental distributions of the prepared MoS{sub x} thin films were examined using field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The chemical states and crystallinities of the prepared MoS{sub x} thin films were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The optical transmission (T (%)) properties of the prepared MoS{sub x} samples were determined by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Tafel-polarization measurements were performed to analyze the electrochemical properties and catalytic activities of the thin films for redox reactions. The FE-SEM results showed that the MoS{sub x} thin films were deposited uniformly on the ITO/PEN flexible substrates via the pulsed ECD method. The CV and Tafel-polarization curve measurements demonstrated that the deposited MoS{sub x} thin films exhibited excellent performances for the reduction of triiodide ions. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of the DSSC produced with the pulsed ECD MoS{sub x} thin-film CE was examined by a solar simulator. In combination with a dye-sensitized TiO{sub 2} working electrode and an iodine-based electrolyte, the DSSC with the MoS{sub x} flexible CE showed a PCE of 4.39% under an illumination of AM 1.5 (100 mW cm{sup −2}). Thus, we report that the MoS{sub x} thin films are active catalysts for triiodide reduction. The MoS{sub x} thin films are prepared at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and in a simple and rapid manner. This is an important practical contribution to the production of flexible low-cost thin-film CEs based on plastic substrates. The MoS{sub x

Induced nano-scale self-formed metal-oxide interlayer in amorphous silicon tin oxide thin film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xianzhe; Xu, Hua; Ning, Honglong; Lu, Kuankuan; Zhang, Hongke; Zhang, Xiaochen; Yao, Rihui; Fang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Xubing; Peng, Junbiao

2018-03-07

Amorphous Silicon-Tin-Oxide thin film transistors (a-STO TFTs) with Mo source/drain electrodes were fabricated. The introduction of a ~8 nm MoO x interlayer between Mo electrodes and a-STO improved the electron injection in a-STO TFT. Mo adjacent to the a-STO semiconductor mainly gets oxygen atoms from the oxygen-rich surface of a-STO film to form MoO x interlayer. The self-formed MoO x interlayer acting as an efficient interface modification layer could conduce to the stepwise internal transport barrier formation while blocking Mo atoms diffuse into a-STO layer, which would contribute to the formation of ohmic contact between Mo and a-STO film. It can effectively improve device performance, reduce cost and save energy for the realization of large-area display with high resolution in future.

PEDOT as a Flexible Organic Electrode for a Thin Film Acoustic Energy Harvester.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Younghoon; Na, Jongbeom; Park, Chihyun; Shin, Haijin; Kim, Eunkyoung

2015-08-05

An efficient thin film acoustic energy harvester was explored using flexible poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films as electrodes in an all-organic triboelectric generator (AO-TEG). A thin film AO-TEG structured as PEDOT/Kapton//PET/PEDOT was prepared by the solution casting polymerization(SCP) on the dielectric polymer films. As-prepared AO-TEG showed high flexibility and durability due to the strong adhesion between the electrodes and the dielectric polymer. The short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and maximum power density (Pw) reached 50 mA/m(2), 700 V, and 12.9 W/m(2) respectively. The output current density decreased with the increase in the electrode resistance (Re), but the energy loss in the organic electrodes was negligible. The AO-TEG could light up 180 LEDs instantaneously upon touching of the AO-TEG with a palm (∼120 N). With the flexible structure, the AO-TEG was worn as clothes and generated electricity to light LEDs upon regular human movement. Furthermore, the AO-TEG was applicable as a thin film acoustic energy harvester, which used music to generate electricity enough for powering of 5 LEDs. An AO-TEG with a PEDOT electrode (Re = 200 Ω) showed instantaneous peak-to-peak voltage generation of 11 V under a sound pressure level (SPL) of 90-100 dB. The harvested acoustic energy through the AO-TEG was 350 μJ from the 4 min playing of the same single song. This is the first demonstration of a flexible triboelectric generator (TEG) using an organic electrode for harvesting acoustic energy from ambient environment.

Examining the validity of Stoney-equation for in-situ stress measurements in thin film electrodes using a large-deformation finite-element procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jici; Wei, Yujie; Cheng, Yang-Tse

2018-05-01

During the lithiation and delithiation of a thin film electrode, stress in the electrode is deduced from the curvature change of the film using the Stoney equation. The accuracy of such a measurement is conditioned on the assumptions that (a) the mechanical properties of the electrode remain unchanged during lithiation and (b) small deformation holds. Here, we demonstrate that the change in elastic properties can influence the measurement of the stress in thin film electrodes. We consider the coupling between diffusion and deformation during lithiation and delithiation of thin film electrodes and implement the constitutive behavior in a finite-deformation finite element procedure. We demonstrate that both the variation in elastic properties in thin film electrodes and finite-deformation during lithiation and delithiation would challenge the applicability of the Stoney-equation for in-situ stress measurements of thin film electrodes.

Structure and properties of PZT thin films on strontium ruthenate and calcium ruthenate electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, T.-J.; Tsai, D.-S.

2004-01-01

PZT thin films have been prepared via metalorganic CVD (MOCVD) on four substrates of conducting oxides of ruthenates, SrRuO 3 /Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si(1 0 0), SrRuO 3 /SiO 2 /Si(1 0 0), CaRuO 3 /Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si(1 0 0), CaRuO 3 /SiO 2 /Si(1 0 0). The conducting ruthenate layers were also grown using MOCVD. Ferroelectric properties of polarization fatigue and leakage current density are measured. The internal strain of PZT thin crystal which is mainly constrained by the bottom electrode seems to be the decisive factor in ferroelectric properties. The internal strain of PZT is represented by its tetragonality ratio. The PZT thin film in the capacitor Au/PZT/SrRuO 3 /Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si, with the largest tetragonality ratio 1.026, exhibits an optimum combination of large polarization, less fatigue, and low leakage current density. Both SrRuO 3 and CaRuO 3 are good diffusion barriers to prevent interdiffusion of cations between the ferroelectric and the electrode. The slightly higher intermixing at the CaRuO 3 -to-Pt/Ti interface is owing to the high annealing temperature needed in CaRuO 3 synthesis

Nano-sized copper tungstate thin films as positive electrodes for rechargeable Li batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chilin; Fu Zhengwen

2008-01-01

Nano-sized CuWO 4 thin films have been fabricated by radio-frequency (R.F.) sputtering deposition, and are used as positive electrode with both LiClO 4 liquid electrolyte and LiPON solid electrolyte in rechargeable lithium batteries. An initial discharge capacity of 192 and 210 mAh/g is obtainable for CuWO 4 film electrode with and without coated LiPON in liquid electrolyte, respectively. An all-solid-state cell with Li/LiPON/CuWO 4 layers shows a high-volume rate capacity of 145 μAh/cm 2 μm in first discharge, and overcomes the unfavorable electrochemical degradation observed in liquid electrolyte system. A two-step reactive mechanism is investigated by both transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction techniques. Apart from the extrusion and injection of Cu 2+ /Cu 0 , additional capacity can be achieved by the reversible reactivity of (WO 4 ) 2- framework. The chemical diffusion coefficients of Li intercalation/deintercalation are estimated by cyclic voltammetry. Nano-CuWO 4 thin film is expected to be a promising positive electrode material for high-performance rechargeable thin-film lithium batteries

Synthesis of layered birnessite-type manganese oxide thin films on plastic substrates by chemical bath deposition for flexible transparent supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu Yu; Zhu Hongwei; Wang Jun [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Chen Zhenxing, E-mail: chenzx65@mail.sysu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China)

2011-10-20

Highlights: > Layered birnessite-type MnO{sub 2} thin films are fabricated on ITO/PET substrates through a facile chemical bath deposition at room temperature. > The transmittance of the MnO{sub 2} thin films at 550 nm is up to 77.4%. > MnO{sub 2} thin films exhibit a special capacitance of 229.2 F g{sup -1} and 9.2 mF cm{sup -2}. > MnO{sub 2} thin films show a capacitance retention ratio of 83% after 1000 CV cycles. > MnO{sub 2} thin film electrodes show great mechanical flexibility and electrochemical stability even after 200 tensile and compressive bending cycles. - Abstract: Layered birnessite-type manganese oxide thin films are successfully fabricated on indium tin oxide coated polyethylene terephthalate substrates for flexible transparent supercapacitors by a facile, effective and inexpensive chemical bath deposition technology from an alkaline KMnO{sub 4} aqueous solution at room temperature. The effects of deposition conditions, including KMnO{sub 4} concentration, initial molar ratio of NH{sub 3}.H{sub 2}O and KMnO{sub 4}, bath temperature, and reaction time, on the electrochemical properties of MnO{sub 2} thin films are investigated. Layered birnessite-type MnO{sub 2} thin films deposited under optimum conditions display three-dimensional porous morphology, high hydrophilicity, and a transmittance of 77.4% at 550 nm. A special capacitance of 229.2 F g{sup -1} and a capacitance retention ratio of 83% are obtained from the films after 1000 cycles at 10 mV s{sup -1} in 1 M Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Compressive and tensile bending tests show that as-prepared MnO{sub 2} thin film electrodes possess excellent mechanical flexibility and electrochemical stability.

Polarization Induced Changes in LSM Thin Film Electrode Composition Observed by In Operando Raman Spectroscopy and TOF-SIMS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McIntyre, Melissa D.; Walker, Robert; Traulsen, Marie Lund

2015-01-01

an applied potential.1-3 The presented work explores the polarisation induced changes in LSM electrode composition by utilizing in operando Raman spectroscopy and post mortem ToF-SIMS depth profiling on LSM thin film model electrodes fabricated by pulsed laser deposition on YSZ substrates with a thin (200 nm...... recorded through the LSM thin film electrodes and revealed distinct compositional changes throughout the electrodes (Figure 2). The electrode elements and impurities separated into distinct layers that were more pronounced for the stronger applied polarisations. The mechanism behind this separation...

Thermal stability of pulsed laser deposited iridium oxide thin films at low oxygen atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Yansheng; Wang, Chuanbin; Shen, Qiang; Zhang, Lianmeng

2013-11-01

Iridium oxide (IrO2) thin films have been regarded as a leading candidate for bottom electrode and diffusion barrier of ferroelectric capacitors, some process related issues need to be considered before integrating ferroelectric capacitors into memory cells. This paper presents the thermal stability of pulsed laser deposited IrO2 thin films at low oxygen atmosphere. Emphasis was given on the effect of post-deposition annealing temperature at different oxygen pressure (PO2) on the crystal structure, surface morphology, electrical resistivity, carrier concentration and mobility of IrO2 thin films. The results showed that the thermal stability of IrO2 thin films was strongly dependent on the oxygen pressure and annealing temperature. IrO2 thin films can stably exist below 923 K at PO2 = 1 Pa, which had a higher stability than the previous reported results. The surface morphology of IrO2 thin films depended on PO2 and annealing temperature, showing a flat and uniform surface for the annealed films. Electrical properties were found to be sensitive to both the annealing temperature and oxygen pressure. The room-temperature resistivity of IrO2 thin films with a value of 49-58 μΩ cm increased with annealing temperature at PO2 = 1 Pa. The thermal stability of IrO2 thin films as a function of oxygen pressure and annealing temperature was almost consistent with thermodynamic calculation.

Influence of Oxygen Concentration on the Performance of Ultra-Thin RF Magnetron Sputter Deposited Indium Tin Oxide Films as a Top Electrode for Photovoltaic Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jephias Gwamuri

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The opportunity for substantial efficiency enhancements of thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H solar photovoltaic (PV cells using plasmonic absorbers requires ultra-thin transparent conducting oxide top electrodes with low resistivity and high transmittances in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Fabricating ultra-thin indium tin oxide (ITO films (sub-50 nm using conventional methods has presented a number of challenges; however, a novel method involving chemical shaving of thicker (greater than 80 nm RF sputter deposited high-quality ITO films has been demonstrated. This study investigates the effect of oxygen concentration on the etch rates of RF sputter deposited ITO films to provide a detailed understanding of the interaction of all critical experimental parameters to help create even thinner layers to allow for more finely tune plasmonic resonances. ITO films were deposited on silicon substrates with a 98-nm, thermally grown oxide using RF magnetron sputtering with oxygen concentrations of 0, 0.4 and 1.0 sccm and annealed at 300 °C air ambient. Then the films were etched using a combination of water and hydrochloric and nitric acids for 1, 3, 5 and 8 min at room temperature. In-between each etching process cycle, the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, 4-point probe (electrical conductivity, and variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. All the films were polycrystalline in nature and highly oriented along the (222 reflection. Ultra-thin ITO films with record low resistivity values (as low as 5.83 × 10−4 Ω·cm were obtained and high optical transparency is exhibited in the 300–1000 nm wavelength region for all the ITO films. The etch rate, preferred crystal lattice growth plane, d-spacing and lattice distortion were also observed to be highly dependent on the nature of growth environment for RF sputter deposited ITO films. The structural, electrical

Wake-up effects in Si-doped hafnium oxide ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Dayu; Xu, Jin; Li, Qing; Guan, Yan; Cao, Fei; Dong, Xianlin; Müller, Johannes; Schenk, Tony; Schröder, Uwe

2013-01-01

Hafnium oxide based ferroelectric thin films have shown potential as a promising alternative material for non-volatile memory applications. This work reports the switching stability of a Si-doped HfO 2 film under bipolar pulsed-field operation. High field cycling causes a “wake-up” in virgin “pinched” polarization hysteresis loops, demonstrated by an enhancement in remanent polarization and a shift of negative coercive voltage. The rate of wake-up is accelerated by either reducing the frequency or increasing the amplitude of the cycling field. We suggest de-pinning of domains due to reduction of the defect concentration at bottom electrode interface as origin of the wake-up

Valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shijing; Zhang Boping; Zhao Cuihua; Li Songjie; Zhang Meixia; Yan Liping

2011-01-01

The cobalt oxide (CoO and Co 3 O 4 ) thin films were successfully prepared using a spin-coating technique by a chemical solution method with CH 3 OCH 2 CH 2 OH and Co(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O as starting materials. The grayish cobalt oxide films had uniform crystalline grains with less than 50 nm in diameter. The phase structure is able to tailor by controlling the annealing atmosphere and temperature, in which Co 3 O 4 thin film was obtained by annealing in air at 300-600, and N 2 at 300, and transferred to CoO thin film by raising annealing temperature in N 2 . The fitted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the Co2p electrons are distinguishable from different valence states of cobalt oxide especially for their satellite structure. The valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere contributes to the tailored optical absorption property.

A Solid-State Thin-Film Ag/AgCl Reference Electrode Coated with Graphene Oxide and Its Use in a pH Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae Yong Kim

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we describe a novel solid-state thin-film Ag/AgCl reference electrode (SSRE that was coated with a protective layer of graphene oxide (GO. This layer was prepared by drop casting a solution of GO on the Ag/AgCl thin film. The potential differences exhibited by the SSRE were less than 2 mV for 26 days. The cyclic voltammograms of the SSRE were almost similar to those of a commercial reference electrode, while the diffusion coefficient of Fe(CN63− as calculated from the cathodic peaks of the SSRE was 6.48 × 10−6 cm2/s. The SSRE was used in conjunction with a laboratory-made working electrode to determine its suitability for practical use. The average pH sensitivity of this combined sensor was 58.5 mV/pH in the acid-to-base direction; the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.99. In addition, an integrated pH sensor that included the SSRE was packaged in a secure digital (SD card and tested. The average sensitivity of the chip was 56.8 mV/pH, with the correlation coefficient being greater than 0.99. In addition, a pH sensing test was also performed by using a laboratory-made potentiometer, which showed a sensitivity of 55.4 mV/pH, with the correlation coefficient being greater than 0.99.

A solid-state thin-film Ag/AgCl reference electrode coated with graphene oxide and its use in a pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Yong; Hong, Sung A; Yang, Sung

2015-03-17

In this study, we describe a novel solid-state thin-film Ag/AgCl reference electrode (SSRE) that was coated with a protective layer of graphene oxide (GO). This layer was prepared by drop casting a solution of GO on the Ag/AgCl thin film. The potential differences exhibited by the SSRE were less than 2 mV for 26 days. The cyclic voltammograms of the SSRE were almost similar to those of a commercial reference electrode, while the diffusion coefficient of Fe(CN)63- as calculated from the cathodic peaks of the SSRE was 6.48 × 10-6 cm2/s. The SSRE was used in conjunction with a laboratory-made working electrode to determine its suitability for practical use. The average pH sensitivity of this combined sensor was 58.5 mV/pH in the acid-to-base direction; the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.99. In addition, an integrated pH sensor that included the SSRE was packaged in a secure digital (SD) card and tested. The average sensitivity of the chip was 56.8 mV/pH, with the correlation coefficient being greater than 0.99. In addition, a pH sensing test was also performed by using a laboratory-made potentiometer, which showed a sensitivity of 55.4 mV/pH, with the correlation coefficient being greater than 0.99.

Effect of top electrode material on radiation-induced degradation of ferroelectric thin film structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brewer, Steven J.; Bassiri-Gharb, Nazanin [G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Deng, Carmen Z.; Callaway, Connor P. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Paul, McKinley K. [G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Woodward Academy, College Park, Georgia 30337 (United States); Fisher, Kenzie J. [G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332 (United States); Riverwood International Charter School, Atlanta, Georgia 30328 (United States); Guerrier, Jonathon E.; Jones, Jacob L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Rudy, Ryan Q.; Polcawich, Ronald G. [Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland 20783 (United States); Glaser, Evan R.; Cress, Cory D. [Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

2016-07-14

The effects of gamma irradiation on the dielectric and piezoelectric responses of Pb[Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48}]O{sub 3} (PZT) thin film stacks were investigated for structures with conductive oxide (IrO{sub 2}) and metallic (Pt) top electrodes. The samples showed, generally, degradation of various key dielectric, ferroelectric, and electromechanical responses when exposed to 2.5 Mrad (Si) {sup 60}Co gamma radiation. However, the low-field, relative dielectric permittivity, ε{sub r}, remained largely unaffected by irradiation in samples with both types of electrodes. Samples with Pt top electrodes showed substantial degradation of the remanent polarization and overall piezoelectric response, as well as pinching of the polarization hysteresis curves and creation of multiple peaks in the permittivity-electric field curves post irradiation. The samples with oxide electrodes, however, were largely impervious to the same radiation dose, with less than 5% change in any of the functional characteristics. The results suggest a radiation-induced change in the defect population or defect energy in PZT with metallic top electrodes, which substantially affects motion of internal interfaces such as domain walls. Additionally, the differences observed for stacks with different electrode materials implicate the ferroelectric–electrode interface as either the predominant source of radiation-induced effects (Pt electrodes) or the site of healing for radiation-induced defects (IrO{sub 2} electrodes).

Enhancement of photocurrents due to the oxidation of water and organic compounds at BiZn2VO6 particulate thin film electrodes by treatment with a TiCl4 solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Haimei; Imanishi, Akihito; Yang Wensheng; Nakato, Yoshihiro

2010-01-01

Photocurrents due to water oxidation at BiZn 2 VO 6 (E g 2.4 eV) particulate thin film electrodes were largely enhanced by pre-treatment with an aqueous TiCl 4 solution. Photocurrents for BiZn 2 VO 6 electrodes with no TiCl 4 treatment were also enhanced by the addition of organic compounds such as methanol and trimethyl amine to the aqueous electrolyte. Interestingly, such enhanced photocurrents by organic compounds were further enhanced by the TiCl 4 pre-treatment. EDAX and SEM investigations showed the formation of a flock-like TiO 2 overlayer on BiZn 2 VO 6 particles after the TiCl 4 treatment. The photocurrent enhancement by the TiCl 4 pre-treatment is thus mainly attributed to the necking effect of the flock-like TiO 2 overlayer, which facilitates the transport of photogenerated electrons within the BiZn 2 VO 6 particulate thin film electrode.

Plasma-treated Langmuir-Blodgett reduced graphene oxide thin film for applications in biophotovoltaics

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Siti Aisyah; Jaafar, Muhammad Musoddiq; Ng, Fong-Lee; Phang, Siew-Moi; Kumar, G. Ghana; Majid, Wan Haliza Abd; Periasamy, Vengadesh

2018-01-01

The surface optimization and structural characteristics of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) reduced graphene oxide thin (rGO) film treated by argon plasma treatment were studied. In this work, six times deposition of rGO was deposited on a clean glass substrate using the LB method. Plasma technique involving a variation of plasma power, i.e., 20, 60, 100 and 140 W was exposed to the LB-rGO thin films under argon ambience. The plasma treatment generally improves the wettability or hydrophilicity of the film surface compared to without treatment. Maximum wettability was observed at a plasma power of 20 W, while also increasing the adhesion of the rGO film with the glass substrate. The multilayer films fabricated were characterized by means of spectroscopic, structural and electrical studies. The treatment of rGO with argon plasma was found to have improved its biocompatibility, and thus its performance as an electrode for biophotovoltaic devices has been shown to be enhanced considerably.

Magnetron sputtered TiN thin films toward enhanced performance supercapacitor electrodes

KAUST Repository

Wei, Binbin

2018-04-09

Supercapacitors as a new type of energy storage devices bridging the gap between conventional capacitors and batteries have aroused widespread concern. Herein, binder-free titanium nitride (TiN) thin film electrodes for supercapacitors prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering technology are reported. The effect of N2 content on the supercapacitor performance is evaluated. A highest specific capacitance of 27.3 mF cm−2 at a current density of 1.0 mA cm−2, together with excellent cycling performance (98.2% capacitance retention after 20,000 cycles at 2.0 mA cm−2) is achieved in a 0.5 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. More importantly, a symmetric supercapacitor device assembled on the basis of TiN thin films can deliver a maximum energy density of 17.6 mWh cm−3 at a current density of 0.2 mA cm−2 and a maximum power density of 10.8 W cm−3 at a current density of 2 mA cm−2 with remarkable cycling stability. As a consequence, TiN thin films demonstrate great potential as promising supercapacitor electrode materials.

Magnetron sputtered TiN thin films toward enhanced performance supercapacitor electrodes

KAUST Repository

Wei, Binbin; Liang, Hanfeng; Zhang, Dongfang; Qi, Zhengbing; Shen, Hao; Wang, Zhoucheng

2018-01-01

Supercapacitors as a new type of energy storage devices bridging the gap between conventional capacitors and batteries have aroused widespread concern. Herein, binder-free titanium nitride (TiN) thin film electrodes for supercapacitors prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering technology are reported. The effect of N2 content on the supercapacitor performance is evaluated. A highest specific capacitance of 27.3 mF cm−2 at a current density of 1.0 mA cm−2, together with excellent cycling performance (98.2% capacitance retention after 20,000 cycles at 2.0 mA cm−2) is achieved in a 0.5 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. More importantly, a symmetric supercapacitor device assembled on the basis of TiN thin films can deliver a maximum energy density of 17.6 mWh cm−3 at a current density of 0.2 mA cm−2 and a maximum power density of 10.8 W cm−3 at a current density of 2 mA cm−2 with remarkable cycling stability. As a consequence, TiN thin films demonstrate great potential as promising supercapacitor electrode materials.

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)

Pulsed voltage deposited lead selenide thin film as efficient counter electrode for quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Bin Bin [Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province & School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062 (China); Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Industry, Shaanxi Institute of Technology, Xi’an 710300 (China); Wang, Ye Feng [Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province & School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062 (China); Wang, Xue Qing [Faculty of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Zeng, Jing Hui, E-mail: jhzeng@ustc.edu [Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science of Shaanxi Province & School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062 (China)

2016-04-30

Highlights: • PbSe thin film is deposited on FTO glass by a pulse voltage electrodeposition method. • The thin film is used as counter electrode (CE) in quantum dot-sensitized solar cell. • Superior electrocatalytic activity and stability in the polysulfide electrolyte is received. • The narrow band gap characteristics and p-type conductivity enhances the cell efficiency. • An efficiency of 4.67% is received for the CdS/CdSe co-sensitized solar cells. - Abstract: Lead selenide (PbSe) thin films were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass by a facile one-step pulse voltage electrodeposition method, and used as counter electrode (CE) in CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). A power conversion efficiency of 4.67% is received for the CdS/CdSe co-sensitized solar cells, which is much better than that of 2.39% received using Pt CEs. The enhanced performance is attributed to the extended absorption in the near infrared region, superior electrocatalytic activity and p-type conductivity with a reflection of the incident light at the back electrode in addition. The physical and chemical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), reflectance spectra, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel polarization measurements. The present work provides a facile pathway to an efficient CE in the QDSSCs.

Valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Shijing [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhang Boping, E-mail: bpzhang@ustb.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhao Cuihua; Li Songjie; Zhang Meixia; Yan Liping [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China)

2011-02-01

The cobalt oxide (CoO and Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}) thin films were successfully prepared using a spin-coating technique by a chemical solution method with CH{sub 3}OCH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OH and Co(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}.6H{sub 2}O as starting materials. The grayish cobalt oxide films had uniform crystalline grains with less than 50 nm in diameter. The phase structure is able to tailor by controlling the annealing atmosphere and temperature, in which Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} thin film was obtained by annealing in air at 300-600, and N{sub 2} at 300, and transferred to CoO thin film by raising annealing temperature in N{sub 2}. The fitted X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the Co2p electrons are distinguishable from different valence states of cobalt oxide especially for their satellite structure. The valence control of cobalt oxide thin films by annealing atmosphere contributes to the tailored optical absorption property.

Morphology dependent dye-sensitized solar cell properties of nanocrystalline zinc oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, S.K., E-mail: sanjeevlrs732000@yahoo.co.in [Department of Information and Communication, Cheju Halla College, Jeju City 690 708 (Korea, Republic of); Inamdar, A.I.; Im, Hyunsik [Department of Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul 100 715 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, B.G. [Department of Information and Communication, Cheju Halla College, Jeju City 690 708 (Korea, Republic of); Patil, P.S. [Thin Film Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004 (India)

2011-02-03

Research highlights: > Nano-crystalline zinc oxide thin films were electrosynthesized from an aqueous zinc acetate [Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}.2H{sub 2}O] solution onto FTO coated conducting glass substrates using two different electrochemical routes, namely (i) without an organic surfactant and (ii) with an organic surfactant, viz. PVA (poly-vinyl alcohol) or SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate). > The reproducibility of the catalytic activity of the SDS and PVA surfactants in the modification of the morphologies was observed. > Vertically aligned nest-like and compact structures were observed from the SDS and PVA mediated films, respectively, while the grain size in the ZnO thin films without an organic surfactant was observed to be {approx}150 nm. > The dye sensitized ZnO electrodes displayed excellent properties in the conversion process from light to electricity. The efficiencies of the surfactant mediated nanocrystalline ZnO thin films, viz. ZnO:SDS and ZnO:PVA, sensitized with ruthenium-II (N3) dye were observed to be 0.49% and 0.27%, respectively. - Abstract: Nano-crystalline zinc oxide thin films were electrosynthesized with an aqueous zinc acetate [Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}.2H{sub 2}O] solution on to FTO coated glass substrates. Two different electrochemical baths were used, namely (i) without an organic surfactant and (ii) with an organic surfactant, viz. PVA (poly-vinyl alcohol) and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate). The organic surfactants played an important role in modifying the surface morphology, which influenced the size of the crystallites and dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) properties. The vertically aligned thin and compact hexagonal crystallites were observed with SDS mediated films, while the grain size in the films without an organic surfactant was observed to be {approx}150 nm. The conversion efficiencies of the ZnO:SDS:Dye and ZnO:PVA:Dye thin films were observed to be 0.49% and 0.27%, respectively.

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.

Electrode size and boundary condition independent measurement of the effective piezoelectric coefficient of thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Stewart

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The determination of the piezoelectric coefficient of thin films using interferometry is hindered by bending contributions. Using finite element analysis (FEA simulations, we show that the Lefki and Dormans approximations using either single or double-beam measurements cannot be used with finite top electrode sizes. We introduce a novel method for characterising piezoelectric thin films which uses a differential measurement over the discontinuity at the electrode edge as an internal reference, thereby eliminating bending contributions. This step height is shown to be electrode size and boundary condition independent. An analytical expression is derived which gives good agreement with FEA predictions of the step height.

Rhenium Alloys as Ductile Substrates for Diamond Thin-Film Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, Jeffrey M; Martin, Heidi B

2014-02-01

Molybdenum-rhenium (Mo/Re) and tungsten-rhenium (W/Re) alloys were investigated as substrates for thin-film, polycrystalline boron-doped diamond electrodes. Traditional, carbide-forming metal substrates adhere strongly to diamond but lose their ductility during exposure to the high-temperature (1000°C) diamond, chemical vapor deposition environment. Boron-doped semi-metallic diamond was selectively deposited for up to 20 hours on one end of Mo/Re (47.5/52.5 wt.%) and W/Re (75/25 wt.%) alloy wires. Conformal diamond films on the alloys displayed grain sizes and Raman signatures similar to films grown on tungsten; in all cases, the morphology and Raman spectra were consistent with well-faceted, microcrystalline diamond with minimal sp 2 carbon content. Cyclic voltammograms of dopamine in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) showed the wide window and low baseline current of high-quality diamond electrodes. In addition, the films showed consistently well-defined, dopamine electrochemical redox activity. The Mo/Re substrate regions that were uncoated but still exposed to the diamond-growth environment remained substantially more flexible than tungsten in a bend-to-fracture rotation test, bending to the test maximum of 90° and not fracturing. The W/Re substrates fractured after a 27° bend, and the tungsten fractured after a 21° bend. Brittle, transgranular cleavage fracture surfaces were observed for tungsten and W/Re. A tension-induced fracture of the Mo/Re after the prior bend test showed a dimple fracture with a visible ductile core. Overall, the Mo/Re and W/Re alloys were suitable substrates for diamond growth. The Mo/Re alloy remained significantly more ductile than traditional tungsten substrates after diamond growth, and thus may be an attractive metal substrate for more ductile, thin-film diamond electrodes.

Atomic layer deposition of absorbing thin films on nanostructured electrodes for short-wavelength infrared photosensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Jixian; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Fan, Fengjia; Sargent, Edward H.; Kinge, Sachin

2015-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), prized for its high-quality thin-film formation in the absence of high temperature or high vacuum, has become an industry standard for the large-area deposition of a wide array of oxide materials. Recently, it has shown promise in the formation of nanocrystalline sulfide films. Here, we demonstrate the viability of ALD lead sulfide for photodetection. Leveraging the conformal capabilities of ALD, we enhance the absorption without compromising the extraction efficiency in the absorbing layer by utilizing a ZnO nanowire electrode. The nanowires are first coated with a thin shunt-preventing TiO 2 layer, followed by an infrared-active ALD PbS layer for photosensing. The ALD PbS photodetector exhibits a peak responsivity of 10 −2  A W −1 and a shot-derived specific detectivity of 3 × 10 9  Jones at 1530 nm wavelength

Direct imprinting of indium-tin-oxide precursor gel and simultaneous formation of channel and source/drain in thin-film transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Haga, Ken-ichi; Kamiya, Yuusuke; Tokumitsu, Eisuke

2018-02-01

We report on a new fabrication process for thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a new structure and a new operation principle. In this process, both the channel and electrode (source/drain) are formed simultaneously, using the same oxide material, using a single nano-rheology printing (n-RP) process, without any conventional lithography process. N-RP is a direct thermal imprint technique and deforms oxide precursor gel. To reduce the source/drain resistance, the material common to the channel and electrode is conductive indium-tin-oxide (ITO). The gate insulator is made of a ferroelectric material, whose high charge density can deplete the channel of the thin ITO film, which realizes the proposed operation principle. First, we have examined the n-RP conditions required for the channel and source/drain patterning, and found that the patterning properties are strongly affected by the cooling rate before separating the mold. Second, we have fabricated the TFTs as proposed and confirmed their TFT operation.

Thermal oxidation of Ni films for p-type thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Jie; Wang, Xinghui; Zhang, Qing; Li, Jingqi; Zhang, Xixiang

2013-01-01

p-Type nanocrystal NiO-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated by simply oxidizing thin Ni films at temperatures as low as 400 °C. The highest field-effect mobility in a linear region and the current on-off ratio are found to be 5.2 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2.2 × 103, respectively. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electrical performances of the TFTs with "top contact" and "bottom contact" channels suggest that the upper parts of the Ni films are clearly oxidized. In contrast, the lower parts in contact with the gate dielectric are partially oxidized to form a quasi-discontinuous Ni layer, which does not fully shield the gate electric field, but still conduct the source and drain current. This simple method for producing p-type TFTs may be promising for the next-generation oxide-based electronic applications. © 2013 the Owner Societies.

Intrinsic stress of bismuth oxide thin films: effect of vapour chopping and air ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, R B; Puri, R K; Puri, V

2008-01-01

Bismuth oxide thin films of thickness 1000 A 0 have been prepared by thermal oxidation (in air) of vacuum evaporated bismuth thin films (on glass substrate) at different oxidation temperatures and duration. Both the vapour chopped and nonchopped bismuth oxide thin films showed polycrystalline and polymorphic structure. The monoclinic bismuth oxide was found to be predominant in both the cases. The effect of vapour chopping and air exposure for 40 days on the intrinsic stress of bismuth oxide thin films has been studied. The vapour chopped films showed low (3.92 - 4.80 x 10 9 N/m 2 ) intrinsic stress than those of nonchopped bismuth oxide thin films (5.77 - 6.74 x 10 9 N/m 2 ). Intrinsic stress was found to increase due to air ageing. The effect of air ageing on the vapour chopped films was found low. The vapour chopped films showed higher packing density. Higher the packing density, lower the film will age. The process of chopping vapour flow creates films with less inhomogenety i.e. a low concentration of flaws and non-planar defects which results in lower intrinsic stress

Preferential growth and enhanced dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Xiaohong; Ren Yinjuan; Zhang Caiyun; Zhu Jiliang; Zhu Jianguo; Xiao Dingquan; Defaÿ, Emmanuel; Aïd, Marc

2013-01-01

Ba 0.7 Sr 0.3 TiO 3 (BST) thin films, about 100 nm in thickness, were prepared on unannealed and 700 °C-preannealed Pt bottom electrodes by the ion beam sputtering and post-deposition annealing method. It was found that the preannealed Pt layer has a more compact structure, making it not only a bottom electrode but also a good template for high-quality BST thin film growth. The BST films deposited on preannealed Pt bottom electrodes showed (0 0 l)-preferred orientation, dense and uniform microstructure with no intermediate phase formed at the film/electrode interface, and thus enhanced dielectric properties. As a result, the typical relative dielectric constant and tunability (under a dc electric field of 1 MV cm −1 ) reach 180 and 50.1%, respectively, for the BST thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrodes, which are significantly higher than those (166 and 41.3%, respectively) for the BST thin films deposited on unannealed Pt bottom electrodes. (paper)

Preferential growth and enhanced dielectric properties of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xiaohong; Defaÿ, Emmanuel; Aïd, Marc; Ren, Yinjuan; Zhang, Caiyun; Zhu, Jiliang; Zhu, Jianguo; Xiao, Dingquan

2013-03-01

Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BST) thin films, about 100 nm in thickness, were prepared on unannealed and 700 °C-preannealed Pt bottom electrodes by the ion beam sputtering and post-deposition annealing method. It was found that the preannealed Pt layer has a more compact structure, making it not only a bottom electrode but also a good template for high-quality BST thin film growth. The BST films deposited on preannealed Pt bottom electrodes showed (0 0 l)-preferred orientation, dense and uniform microstructure with no intermediate phase formed at the film/electrode interface, and thus enhanced dielectric properties. As a result, the typical relative dielectric constant and tunability (under a dc electric field of 1 MV cm-1) reach 180 and 50.1%, respectively, for the BST thin films with preannealed Pt bottom electrodes, which are significantly higher than those (166 and 41.3%, respectively) for the BST thin films deposited on unannealed Pt bottom electrodes.

Fluorine-doped tin oxide surfaces modified by self-assembled alkanethiols for thin-film devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, A.C.T.; Gomes, D.J.C.; Silva, J.R.; Silva, G.B., E-mail: george@cpd.ufmt.br

2013-08-15

In this work, we have investigated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) from alkanethiols on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) surfaces, which were used as an anode for thin-film devices prepared from the conductive copolymer so-called sulfonated poly(thiophene-3-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethoxy]-2,5-diyl) (S-P3MEET). The assembled monolayers were characterized by using wetting contact angle, atomic force microscopy, and electrical measurements. The results indicated that dodecanethiol molecules, CH{sub 3}(CH{sub 2}){sub 11}SH, were well assembled on the FTO surfaces. In addition, it was found similar values of wetting contact angle for dodecanethiol assembled on both FTO and Au surfaces. Concerning the thin-film device, current–voltage analysis revealed a hysteresis. This behavior was associated to a charge-trapping effect and also to structural changes of the SAMs. Finally, charge injection capability of tin oxide electrodes can be improved by using SAMs and then this approach can plays an important role in molecular-scale electronic devices.

Thermal oxidation of Zr–Cu–Al–Ni amorphous metal thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oleksak, R.P.; Hostetler, E.B.; Flynn, B.T.; McGlone, J.M.; Landau, N.P.; Wager, J.F.; Stickle, W.F.; Herman, G.S.

2015-01-01

The initial stages of thermal oxidation for Zr–Cu–Al–Ni amorphous metal thin films were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The as-deposited films had oxygen incorporated during sputter deposition, which helped to stabilize the amorphous phase. After annealing in air at 300 °C for short times (5 min) this oxygen was found to segregate to the surface or buried interface. Annealing at 300 °C for longer times leads to significant composition variation in both vertical and lateral directions, and formation of a surface oxide layer that consists primarily of Zr and Al oxides. Surface oxide formation was initially limited by back-diffusion of Cu and Ni ( 30 min). The oxidation properties are largely consistent with previous observations of Zr–Cu–Al–Ni metallic glasses, however some discrepancies were observed which could be explained by the unique sample geometry of the amorphous metal thin films. - Highlights: • Thermal oxidation of amorphous Zr–Cu–Al–Ni thin films was investigated. • Significant short-range inhomogeneities were observed in the amorphous films. • An accumulation of Cu and Ni occurs at the oxide/metal interface. • Diffusion of Zr was found to limit oxide film growth.

Investigation of interaction between silver oxide electrode and separator hydrated cellulose film in silver-cadmium accumulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molotkova, E.N.; Yarochkina, E.N.

1975-01-01

Oxidation-reduction interaction of the oxysilver electrode with hydrocellulose film during storing charged silver-cadmium accumulators. It was demonstrated that accumulator electric characteristics durinq storing are linearly depending on the capacity of this hydrocellulose film to interact with silver oxide: the more silver is absorbed by film the quicker is the decreasing of the electromotive force and capacity of the accumulators. Preservation of the silver electrode capacity in the silver-cadmium accumulators is determined first of all by hydrocellulose separation film properties and especially by film layer adjacent to positive electrode. The more inert film layer is, regarding to silver oxide in the electrolite, the slower is dissolution of the electrode and also decompousing speed of AgO, the longer is the accumulator preservation time

Amorphous semiconducting and conducting transparent metal oxide thin films and production thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, John; Van Hest, Marinus Franciscus Antonius Maria; Ginley, David; Taylor, Matthew; Neuman, George A.; Luten, Henry A.; Forgette, Jeffrey A.; Anderson, John S.

2010-07-13

Metal oxide thin films and production thereof are disclosed. An exemplary method of producing a metal oxide thin film may comprise introducing at least two metallic elements and oxygen into a process chamber to form a metal oxide. The method may also comprise depositing the metal oxide on a substrate in the process chamber. The method may also comprise simultaneously controlling a ratio of the at least two metallic elements and a stoichiometry of the oxygen during deposition. Exemplary amorphous metal oxide thin films produced according to the methods herein may exhibit highly transparent properties, highly conductive properties, and/or other opto-electronic properties.

Probing-models for interdigitated electrode systems with ferroelectric thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Cuong H.; Nigon, Robin; Raeder, Trygve M.; Hanke, Ulrik; Halvorsen, Einar; Muralt, Paul

2018-05-01

In this paper, a new method to characterize ferroelectric thin films with interdigitated electrodes is presented. To obtain accurate properties, all parasitic contributions should be subtracted from the measurement results and accurate models for the ferroelectric film are required. Hence, we introduce a phenomenological model for the parasitic capacitance. Moreover, two common analytical models based on conformal transformations are compared and used to calculate the capacitance and the electric field. With a thin film approximation, new simplified electric field and capacitance formulas are derived. By using these formulas, more consistent CV, PV and stress-field loops for samples with different geometries are obtained. In addition, an inhomogeneous distribution of the permittivity due to the non-uniform electric field is modelled by finite element simulation in an iterative way. We observed that this inhomogeneous distribution can be treated as a homogeneous one with an effective value of the permittivity.

Altering properties of cerium oxide thin films by Rh doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ševčíková, Klára; Nehasil, Václav; Vorokhta, Mykhailo; Haviar, Stanislav; Matolín, Vladimír

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Thin films of ceria doped by rhodium deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. • Concentration of rhodium has great impact on properties of Rh–CeO x thin films. • Intensive oxygen migration in films with low concentration of rhodium. • Oxygen migration suppressed in films with high amount of Rh dopants. - Abstract: Ceria containing highly dispersed ions of rhodium is a promising material for catalytic applications. The Rh–CeO x thin films with different concentrations of rhodium were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and were studied by soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, Temperature programmed reaction and X-ray powder diffraction techniques. The sputtered films consist of rhodium–cerium mixed oxide where cerium exhibits a mixed valency of Ce 4+ and Ce 3+ and rhodium occurs in two oxidation states, Rh 3+ and Rh n+ . We show that the concentration of rhodium has a great influence on the chemical composition, structure and reducibility of the Rh–CeO x thin films. The films with low concentrations of rhodium are polycrystalline, while the films with higher amount of Rh dopants are amorphous. The morphology of the films strongly influences the mobility of oxygen in the material. Therefore, varying the concentration of rhodium in Rh–CeO x thin films leads to preparing materials with different properties

Influence of annealing on texture properties of cerium oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arunkumar, P.; Suresh Babu, K.; Ramaseshan, R.; Dash, S.

2013-01-01

Future power demand needs an energy source with higher efficiency, better power density, clean energy and fuel flexibility. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is one of the potential sources for future needs. Though the polymer and direct methanol based electrolyte are much suitable, for versatile applications (portable devices) they are having major challenges such as design, platinum based catalyst, lower power density and fuel flexibility (free from hydrocarbons). However, in SOFC the high operating temperature is the only major issue. Operating temperature of SOFC could be reduced by proper selection of electrolyte material which should have minimum ionic conductivity of 0.1 Scm -1 at reduced activation energy. This can be achieved by thin film based doped cerium oxide electrolyte for SOFC, leads to Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (ITSOFC). In the present work, we focus on the synthesis of cerium oxide and 20 mol % samarium doped cerium oxide (SDC) nanoparticles by co-precipitation method and to synthesis thin films of the same. Pellets of those powders were heat treated at different temperatures and used as targets for e-beam evaporation to fabricate thin film based electrolyte. Stoichiometry of both powders and thin films were confirmed by XRF and EPMA. GIXRD profiles of ceria and SDC thin films are shown below and a preferred orientation effect is observed in SDC films. In SDC films the X-ray peaks have a shift towards lower angles, due to the difference in ionic radii of Ce 4+ and Sm 3+ . The band gap of CeO 2 (2.88 eV) from optical absorption technique indicates the presence of Ce 3+ with Ce 4+ , indirectly shows the concentration of oxygen vacancies which is required for the thin film electrolyte

Organic photovoltaics using thin gold film as an alternative anode to indium tin oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haldar, Amrita; Yambem, Soniya D.; Liao, Kang-Shyang; Alley, Nigel J.; Dillon, Eoghan P.; Barron, Andrew R.; Curran, Seamus A.

2011-01-01

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is the most commonly used anode as a transparent electrode and more recently as an anode for organic photovoltaics (OPVs). However, there are significant drawbacks in using ITO which include high material costs, mechanical instability including brittleness and poor electrical properties which limit its use in low-cost flexible devices. We present initial results of poly(3-hexylthiophene): phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester OPVs showing that an efficiency of 1.9% (short-circuit current 7.01 mA/cm 2 , open-circuit voltage 0.55 V, fill factor 0.49) can be attained using an ultra thin film of gold coated glass as the device anode. The initial I-V characteristics demonstrate that using high work function metals when the thin film is kept ultra thin can be used as a replacement to ITO due to their greater stability and better morphological control.

DC magnetron sputtering prepared Ag-C thin film anode for thin film lithium ion microbatteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y.; Tu, J.P.; Shi, D.Q.; Huang, X.H.; Wu, H.M.; Yuan, Y.F.; Zhao, X.B.

2007-01-01

An Ag-C thin film was prepared by DC magnetron co-sputtering, using pure silver and graphite as the targets. The microstructure and morphology of the deposited thin film were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical performances of the Ag-C thin film anode were investigated by means of discharge/charge and cyclic voltammogram (CV) tests in model cells. The electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) characteristics and the chemical diffusion coefficient, D Li of the Ag-C thin film electrode at different discharging states were discussed. It was believed that the excellent cycling performance of the Ag-C electrode was ascribed to the good conductivity of silver and the volume stability of the thin film

Structural and dielectric characterization of sputtered Tantalum Titanium Oxide thin films for high temperature capacitor applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rouahi, A., E-mail: rouahi_ahlem@yahoo.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, G2Elab, F-38000 (France); Laboratoire Matériaux Organisation et Propriétés (LMOP), Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Challali, F. [Laboratoire des Sciences des Procédés et des Matériaux (LSPM)-CNRS-UPR3407, Université Paris13, 99 Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, 93430, Villetaneuse (France); Dakhlaoui, I. [Laboratoire Matériaux Organisation et Propriétés (LMOP), Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Vallée, C. [CNRS, LTM, CEA-LETI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Salimy, S. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN) UMR CNRS 6502, Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, B.P. 32229, 44322, Nantes, Cedex 3 (France); Jomni, F.; Yangui, B. [Laboratoire Matériaux Organisation et Propriétés (LMOP), Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis (Tunisia); Besland, M.P.; Goullet, A. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN) UMR CNRS 6502, Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, B.P. 32229, 44322, Nantes, Cedex 3 (France); Sylvestre, A. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, G2Elab, F-38000 (France)

2016-05-01

In this study, the dielectric properties of metal-oxide-metal capacitors based on Tantalum Titanium Oxide (TiTaO) thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on aluminum bottom electrode are investigated. The structure of the films was characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of TiTaO thin films were studied by complex impedance spectroscopy over a wide frequency range (10{sup -2} - to 10{sup 5} Hz) and temperatures in -50 °C to 325 °C range. The contributions of different phases, phases’ boundaries and conductivity effect were highlighted by Cole – Cole diagram (ε” versus ε’). Two relaxation processes have been identified in the electric modulus plot. A first relaxation process appears at low temperature with activation energy of 0.37 eV and it is related to the motion of Ti{sup 4+} (Skanavi’s model). A second relaxation process at high temperature is related to Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars relaxation with activation energy of 0.41 eV. - Highlights: • Titanium Tantalum Oxide thin films are grown on Aluminum substrate. • The existence of phases was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. • Conductivity effect appears in Cole-Cole plot. • At low temperatures, a relaxation phenomenon obeys to Skanavi’s model. • Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars polarization is processed at high temperatures.

Atomic layer deposition of absorbing thin films on nanostructured electrodes for short-wavelength infrared photosensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Jixian; Sutherland, Brandon R.; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Fan, Fengjia; Sargent, Edward H., E-mail: ted.sargent@utoronto.ca [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King' s College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4 (Canada); Kinge, Sachin [Advanced Technology, Materials and Research, Research and Development, Hoge Wei 33- Toyota Technical Centre, B-1930 Zaventem (Belgium)

2015-10-12

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), prized for its high-quality thin-film formation in the absence of high temperature or high vacuum, has become an industry standard for the large-area deposition of a wide array of oxide materials. Recently, it has shown promise in the formation of nanocrystalline sulfide films. Here, we demonstrate the viability of ALD lead sulfide for photodetection. Leveraging the conformal capabilities of ALD, we enhance the absorption without compromising the extraction efficiency in the absorbing layer by utilizing a ZnO nanowire electrode. The nanowires are first coated with a thin shunt-preventing TiO{sub 2} layer, followed by an infrared-active ALD PbS layer for photosensing. The ALD PbS photodetector exhibits a peak responsivity of 10{sup −2} A W{sup −1} and a shot-derived specific detectivity of 3 × 10{sup 9} Jones at 1530 nm wavelength.

Electrochemical Characterization of Nanoporous Nickel Oxide Thin Films Spray-Deposited onto Indium-Doped Tin Oxide for Solar Conversion Scopes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Awais

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nonstoichiometric nickel oxide (NiOx has been deposited as thin film utilizing indium-doped tin oxide as transparent and electrically conductive substrate. Spray deposition of a suspension of NiOx nanoparticles in alcoholic medium allowed the preparation of uniform NiOx coatings. Sintering of the coatings was conducted at temperatures below 500°C for few minutes. This scalable procedure allowed the attainment of NiOx films with mesoporous morphology and reticulated structure. The electrochemical characterization showed that NiOx electrodes possess large surface area (about 1000 times larger than their geometrical area. Due to the openness of the NiOx morphology, the underlying conductive substrate can be contacted by the electrolyte and undergo redox processes within the potential range in which NiOx is electroactive. This requires careful control of the conditions of polarization in order to prevent the simultaneous occurrence of reduction/oxidation processes in both components of the multilayered electrode. The combination of the open structure with optical transparency and elevated electroactivity in organic electrolytes motivated us to analyze the potential of the spray-deposited NiOx films as semiconducting cathodes of dye-sensitized solar cells of p-type when erythrosine B was the sensitizer.

Surface and sub-surface thermal oxidation of thin ruthenium films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coloma Ribera, R.; van de Kruijs, Robbert Wilhelmus Elisabeth; Kokke, S.; Zoethout, E.; Yakshin, Andrey; Bijkerk, Frederik

2014-01-01

A mixed 2D (film) and 3D (nano-column) growth of ruthenium oxide has been experimentally observed for thermally oxidized polycrystalline ruthenium thin films. Furthermore, in situ x-ray reflectivity upon annealing allowed the detection of 2D film growth as two separate layers consisting of low

Tracking metal ions with polypyrrole thin films adhesively bonded to diazonium-modified flexible ITO electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Momath; Diaw, Abdou K D; Gningue-Sall, Diariatou; Aaron, Jean-Jacques; Oturan, Mehmet A; Chehimi, Mohamed M

2018-05-09

Adhesively bonded polypyrrole thin films doped with benzene sulfonic acid (BSA) were electrodeposited on aminobenzenediazonium-modified flexible ITO electrodes and further employed for the detection of Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ metal ions in aqueous medium. The aminophenyl (AP) adhesive layer was grafted to ITO by electroreduction of the in situ generated parent diazonium compound. Polypyrrole (PPy) thin films exhibited remarkable adhesion to aminophenyl (ITO-AP). The strongly adherent polypyrrole films exhibited excellent electroactivity in the doped state with BSA which itself served to chelate the metal ions in aqueous medium. The surface of the resulting, modified flexible electrode was characterized by XPS, SEM, and electrochemical methods. The ITO-AP-PPy electrodes were then used for the simultaneous detection of Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Pb 2+ by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The detection limits were 11.1, 8.95, and 0.99 nM for Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Pb 2+ , respectively. In addition, the modified electrodes displayed a good reproducibility, making them suitable for the determination of heavy metals in real wastewater samples.

Polymer thin film as coating layer to prevent corrosion of metal/metal oxide film

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Suman; Kundu, Sarathi

2018-04-01

Thin film of polymer is used as coating layer and the corrosion of metal/metal oxide layer is studied with the variation of the thickness of the coating layer. The thin layer of polystyrene is fabricated using spin coating method on copper oxide (CuO) film which is deposited on glass substrate using DC magnetron sputtering technique. Thickness of the polystyrene and the CuO layers are determined using X-ray reflectivity (XRR) technique. CuO thin films coated with the polystyrene layer are exposed to acetic acid (2.5 v/v% aqueous CH3COOH solution) environments and are subsequently analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface morphology of the film before and after interaction with the acidic environment is determined using AFM. Results obtained from the XRR and UV-Vis spectroscopy confirm that the thin film of polystyrene acts as an anticorrosion coating layer and the strength of the coating depends upon the polymer layer thickness at a constant acid concentration.

Surface and sub-surface thermal oxidation of thin ruthenium films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coloma Ribera, R.; Kruijs, R. W. E. van de; Yakshin, A. E.; Bijkerk, F. [MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Kokke, S.; Zoethout, E. [FOM Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), P.O. Box 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein (Netherlands)

2014-09-29

A mixed 2D (film) and 3D (nano-column) growth of ruthenium oxide has been experimentally observed for thermally oxidized polycrystalline ruthenium thin films. Furthermore, in situ x-ray reflectivity upon annealing allowed the detection of 2D film growth as two separate layers consisting of low density and high density oxides. Nano-columns grow at the surface of the low density oxide layer, with the growth rate being limited by diffusion of ruthenium through the formed oxide film. Simultaneously, with the growth of the columns, sub-surface high density oxide continues to grow limited by diffusion of oxygen or ruthenium through the oxide film.

Transparent and Flexible Zinc Tin Oxide Thin Film Transistors and Inverters using Low-pressure Oxygen Annealing Process

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kimoon; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Kim, Jiwan; Oh, Min Suk

2018-05-01

We report on the transparent and flexible enhancement-load inverters which consist of zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin film transistors (TFTs) fabricated at low process temperature. To control the electrical characteristics of oxide TFTs by oxygen vacancies, we applied low-pressure oxygen rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process to our devices. When we annealed the ZTO TFTs in oxygen ambient of 2 Torr, they showed better electrical characteristics than those of the devices annealed in the air ambient of 760 Torr. To realize oxide thin film transistor and simple inverter circuits on flexible substrate, we annealed the devices in O2 of 2 Torr at 150° C and could achieve the decent electrical properties. When we used transparent conductive oxide electrodes such as indium zinc oxide (IZO) and indium tin oxide (ITO), our transparent and flexible inverter showed the total transmittance of 68% in the visible range and the voltage gain of 5. And the transition voltage in voltage transfer curve was located well within the range of operation voltage.

Thin film ionic conductors based on cerium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haridoss, P.; Hellstrom, E.; Garzon, F.H.; Brown, D.R.; Hawley, M.

1994-01-01

Fluorite and perovskite structure cerium oxide based ceramics are a class of materials that may exhibit good oxygen ion and/or protonic conductivity. The authors have successfully deposited thin films of these materials on a variety of substrates. Interesting orientation relationships were noticed between cerium oxide films and strontium titanate bi-crystal substrates. Near lattice site coincidence theory has been used to study these relationships

Effect of thermal annealing on the properties of transparent conductive In–Ga–Zn oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Ling [Key Laboratory of Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049, China and School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Fan, Lina; Li, Yanhuai; Song, Zhongxiao; Ma, Fei, E-mail: mafei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: chlliu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Liu, Chunliang, E-mail: mafei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: chlliu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2014-03-15

Amorphous In–Ga–Zn oxide (IGZO) thin films were prepared using radio frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Upon thermal annealing at temperatures even up to 500 °C, the amorphous characteristics were still maintained, but the electronic properties could be considerably enhanced. This could be ascribed to the increased optical band gap and the increased oxygen vacancies, as corroborated by the microstructure characterizations. In addition, the surface became smoother upon thermal annealing, guaranteeing good interface contact between electrode and a-IGZO. The optical transmittance at 400–800 nm exceeded 90% for all samples. All in all, thermal annealing at appropriate temperatures is expected to improve the performances of relevant a-IGZO thin film transistors.

Structural and optical properties of electrodeposited molybdenum oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, R.S.; Uplane, M.D.; Patil, P.S.

2006-01-01

Electrosynthesis of Mo(IV) oxide thin films on F-doped SnO 2 conducting glass (10-20/Ω/□) substrates were carried from aqueous alkaline solution of ammonium molybdate at room temperature. The physical characterization of as-deposited films carried by thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA), infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the formation of hydrous and amorphous MoO 2 . Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a smooth but cracked surface with multi-layered growth. Annealing of these films in dry argon at 450 deg. C for 1 h resulted into polycrystalline MoO 2 with crystallites aligned perpendicular to the substrate. Optical absorption study indicated a direct band gap of 2.83 eV. The band gap variation consistent with Moss rule and band gap narrowing upon crystallization was observed. Structure tailoring of as-deposited thin films by thermal oxidation in ambient air to obtain electrochromic Mo(VI) oxide thin films was exploited for the first time by this novel route. The results of this study will be reported elsewhere

Tantalum oxide thin films as protective coatings for sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Carsten; Reus, Roger De; Bouwstra, Siebe

1999-01-01

Reactively sputtered tantalum oxide thin films have been investigated as protective coatings for aggressive media exposed sensors. Tantalum oxide is shown to be chemically very robust. The etch rate in aqueous potassium hydroxide with pH 11 at 140°C is lower than 0.008 Å h-l. Etching in liquids...... with pH values in the range from pH 2 to 11 have generally given etch rates below 0.04 Å h-l. On the other hand patterning is possible in hydrofluoric acid. Further, the passivation behaviour of amorphous tantalum oxide and polycrystalline Ta2O5 is different in buffered hydrofluoric acid. By ex situ...... annealing O2 in the residual thin-film stress can be altered from compressive to tensile and annealing at 450°C for 30 minutes gives a stress-free film. The step coverage of the sputter deposited amorphous tantalum oxide is reasonable, but metallization lines are hard to cover. Sputtered tantalum oxide...

Tantalum oxide thin films as protective coatings for sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Carsten; Reus, Roger De; Bouwstra, Siebe

1999-01-01

Reactively sputtered tantalum oxide thin-films have been investigated as protective coating for aggressive media exposed sensors. Tantalum oxide is shown to be chemically very robust. The etch rate in aqueous potassium hydroxide with pH 11 at 140°C is lower than 0.008 Å/h. Etching in liquids with p......H values in the range from pH 2-11 have generally given etch rates below 0.04 Å/h. On the other hand patterning is possible in hydrofluoric acid. Further, the passivation behaviour of amorphous tantalum oxide and polycrystalline Ta2O5 is different in buffered hydrofluoric acid. By ex-situ annealing in O2...... the residual thin-film stress can be altered from compressive to tensile and annealing at 450°C for 30 minutes gives a stress-free film. The step coverage of the sputter deposited amorphous tantalum oxide is reasonable, but metallisation lines are hard to cover. Sputtered tantalum oxide exhibits high...

An anode with aluminum doped on zinc oxide thin films for organic light emitting devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Denghui; Deng Zhenbo; Xu Ying; Xiao Jing; Liang Chunjun; Pei Zhiliang; Sun Chao

2005-01-01

Doped zinc oxides are attractive alternative materials as transparent conducting electrode because they are nontoxic and inexpensive compared with indium tin oxide (ITO). Transparent conducting aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering method. Films were deposited at a substrate temperature of 150-bar o C in 0.03 Pa of oxygen pressure. The electrical and optical properties of the film with the Al-doping amount of 2 wt% in the target were investigated. For the 300-nm thick AZO film deposited using a ZnO target with an Al content of 2 wt%, the lowest electrical resistivity was 4x10 -4 Ωcm and the average transmission in the visible range 400-700 nm was more than 90%. The AZO film was used as an anode contact to fabricate organic light-emitting diodes. The device performance was measured and the current efficiency of 2.9 cd/A was measured at a current density of 100 mA/cm 2

Ultrahigh PEMFC performance of a thin-film, dual-electrode assembly with tailored electrode morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Chi-Young; Kim, Tae-Hyun; Yi, Sung-Chul

2014-02-01

A dual-electrode membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells with enhanced polarization under zero relative humidity (RH) is fabricated by introducing a phase-separated morphology in an agglomerated catalyst layer of Pt/C (platinum on carbon black) and Nafion. In the catalyst layer, a sufficient level of phase separation is achieved by dispersing the Pt catalyst and the Nafion dispersion in a mixed-solvent system (propane-1,2,3-triol/1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone).The high polymer chain mobility results in improved water uptake and regular pore-size distribution with small pore diameters. The electrochemical performance of the dual-film electrode assembly with different levels of phase separation is compared to conventional electrode assemblies. As a result, good performance at 0 % RH is obtained because self-humidification is dramatically improved by attaching this dense and phase-separated catalytic overlayer onto the conventional catalyst layer. A MEA prepared using the thin-film, dual-layered electrode exhibits 39-fold increased RH stability and 28-fold improved start-up recovery time during the on-off operation relative to the conventional device. We demonstrate the successful operation of the dual-layered electrode comprised of discriminatively phase-separated agglomerates with an ultrahigh zero RH fuel-cell performance reaching over 95 % performance of a fully humidified MEA. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microstructure of thin film platinum electrodes on yttrium stabilized zirconia prepared by sputter deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toghan, Arafat, E-mail: arafat.toghan@pci.uni-hannover.de [Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, Callinstrasse 3-3a, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Khodari, M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, 83523 (Egypt); Steinbach, F.; Imbihl, R. [Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, Callinstrasse 3-3a, D-30167 Hannover (Germany)

2011-09-01

(111) oriented thin film Pt electrodes were prepared on single crystals of yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) by sputter deposition of platinum. The electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and by profilometry. SEM images of the as-sputtered platinum film show a compact amorphous Pt film covering uniformly the substrate. Upon annealing at 1123 K, gaps and pores at the interface develop leading to a partial dewetting of the Pt film. Increasing the annealing temperature to 1373 K transforms the polycrystalline Pt film into single crystalline grains exhibiting a (111) orientation towards the substrate.

Thickness dependence of the switching voltage in all-oxide ferroelectric thin-film capacitors prepared by pulsed laser deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cillessen, J.F.M.; Prins, M.W.J.; Wolf, R.M.

1997-01-01

Thin-film ferroelectric capacitors consisting of PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 sandwiched between La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 electrodes have been deposited using pulsed laser deposition. The combination of oxidic perovskite-type materials results in capacitors with a coercive field (Ec) which is comparable with values for

Ready fabrication of thin-film electrodes from building nanocrystals for micro-supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zheng; Weng, Ding; Wang, Xiaolei; Cheng, Yanhua; Wang, Ge; Lu, Yunfeng

2012-04-18

Thin-film pseudocapacitor electrodes with ultrafast lithium storage kinetics, high capacitance and excellent cycling stability were fabricated from monodispersed TiO(2) building nanocrystals, providing a novel approach towards next-generation micro-supercapacitor applications. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Determination of oxygen diffusion kinetics during thin film ruthenium oxidation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coloma Ribera, R.; van de Kruijs, Robbert Wilhelmus Elisabeth; Yakshin, Andrey; Bijkerk, Frederik

2015-01-01

In situ X-ray reflectivity was used to reveal oxygen diffusion kinetics for thermal oxidation of polycrystalline ruthenium thin films and accurate determination of activation energies for this process. Diffusion rates in nanometer thin RuO2 films were found to show Arrhenius behaviour. However, a

Inhibitory Effect Evaluation of Glycerol-Iron Oxide Thin Films on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. L. Popa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of glycerol- iron oxide thin films on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. Our results suggest that glycerol-iron oxide thin films could be used in the future for various biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The glycerol-iron oxide thin films have been deposited by spin coating method on a silicon (111 substrate. The structural properties have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM. The XRD investigations of the prepared thin films demonstrate that the crystal structure of glycerol-iron oxide nanoparticles was not changed after spin coating deposition. On the other hand, the SEM micrographs suggest that the size of the glycerol-iron oxide microspheres increased with the increase of glycerol exhibiting narrow size distributions. The qualitative depth profile of glycerol-iron oxide thin films was identified by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES. The GDOES spectra revealed the presence of the main elements: Fe, O, C, H, and Si. The antimicrobial activity of glycerol-iron oxide thin films was evaluated by measuring the zone of inhibition. After 18 hours of incubation at 37°C, the diameters of the zones of complete inhibition have been measured obtaining values around 25 mm.

Chemical synthesis of α-La{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin film as an advanced electrode material for supercapacitor application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, S.J.; Kumbhar, V.S.; Patil, B.H.; Bulakhe, R.N.; Lokhande, C.D., E-mail: l_chandrakant@yahoo.com

2014-10-25

Highlights: • The simple, chemical method used for synthesis of lanthanum sulphide thin films. • The lanthanum sulphide thin film surface exhibited porous microstructure. • The lanthanum sulphide thin film electrode is used for supercapacitor application. - Abstract: α-La{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films have been synthesized for the first time by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method and used for supercapacitor application. These films are characterized for crystal structure, surface morphology and wettability studies using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform-Raman (FT-Raman) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact angle measurements. The electrochemical supercapacitive performance of α-La{sub 2}S{sub 3} electrode is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. From the electrochemical study, it is seen that α-La{sub 2}S{sub 3} electrode delivers high specific capacitance of 256 F g{sup −1} at scan rate of 5 mV s{sup −1} with cycling stability of 85% over 1000 cycles. Such La{sub 2}S{sub 3} electrode has great application in supercapacitor device for energy storage.

Thermoluminescent response of aluminium oxide thin films subject to gamma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arrieta, A.; Escobar A, L.; Camps, E.; Villagran, E.; Gonzalez, P.R

2006-07-01

The thermoluminescent (TL) properties of amorphous aluminium oxide thin films (thicknesses as low as 0.3 {mu}m) subjected to gamma (Co-60) irradiation are reported. Aluminium oxide thin films were prepared by laser ablation from an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} target using a Nd: YAG laser with emission at the fundamental line. The films were exposed to gamma radiation (Co-60) in order to study their TL response. Thermoluminescence glow curves exhibited two peaks at 110 and 176 C. The high temperature peak shows good stability and 30% fading in the first 5 days after irradiation. A linear relationship between absorbed dose and the thermoluminescent response for doses span from 150 mGy to 100 Gy was observed. These results suggest that aluminium oxide thin films are suitable for detection and monitoring of gamma radiation. (Author)

Picosecond laser registration of interference pattern by oxidation of thin Cr films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veiko, Vadim; Yarchuk, Michail [ITMO University, Kronverksky Ave. 49, St. Petersburg, 197101 (Russian Federation); Zakoldaev, Roman, E-mail: zakoldaev@gmail.com [ITMO University, Kronverksky Ave. 49, St. Petersburg, 197101 (Russian Federation); Gedvilas, Mindaugas; Račiukaitis, Gediminas [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanoriu Ave. 231, LT-02300, Vilnius (Lithuania); Kuzivanov, Michail; Baranov, Alexander [ITMO University, Kronverksky Ave. 49, St. Petersburg, 197101 (Russian Federation)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • Periodical patterning of thin films was achieved by combining two technologies. • Selective chemical etching was combined with laser-induced oxidation. • Formation of the protective oxide layer prevented of chromium film from etching. • 1D binary grating with the chromium stripe width of 750 nm was fabricated. - Abstract: The laser oxidation of thin metallic films followed by its selective chemical etching is a promising method for the formation of binary metal structures on the glass substrates. It is important to confirm that even a single ultrashort laser pulse irradiation is able to create the protective oxide layer that makes possible to imprint the thermochemical image. Results of the thermo-chemical treatment of thin chromium films irradiated by picosecond laser pulse utilizing two and four beam interference combined with the chemical etching are presented. The spatial resolution of this method can be high enough due to thermo-chemical sharpening and can be close to the diffraction limit. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was applied for characterization of the chemical composition of the protective oxide layers formed under atmospheric conditions on the surface of thin chromium films.

Indium-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films as Effective Anodes of Organic Photovoltaic Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziyang Hu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Indium-doped zinc oxide (IZO thin films were prepared by low-cost ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP. Both a low resistivity (3.13×10−3 Ω cm and an average direct transmittance (400∼1500 nm about 80% of the IZO films were achieved. The IZO films were investigated as anodes in bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaic (OPV devices based on poly(3-hexylthiophene and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester. The device fabricated on IZO film-coated glass substrate showed an open circuit voltage of 0.56 V, a short circuit current of 8.49 mA cm-2, a fill factor of 0.40, and a power conversion efficiency of 1.91%, demonstrating that the IZO films prepared by USP technique are promising low In content and transparent electrode candidates of low-cost OPV devices.

Hybrid dextran-iron oxide thin films deposited by laser techniques for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Predoi, D.; Ciobanu, C.S.; Radu, M.; Costache, M.; Dinischiotu, A.; Popescu, C.; Axente, E.; Mihailescu, I.N.; Gyorgy, E.

2012-01-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by chemical co-precipitation method. The nanoparticles were mixed with dextran in distilled water. The obtained solutions were frozen in liquid nitrogen and used as targets during matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation for the growth of hybrid, iron oxide nanoparticles-dextran thin films. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction investigations revealed that the obtained films preserve the structure and composition of the initial, non-irradiated iron oxide-dextran composite material. The biocompatibility of the iron oxide-dextran thin films was demonstrated by 3-(4.5 dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2.5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide-based colorimetric assay, using human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells. - Highlights: ► Hybrid, dextran-iron oxide nanoparticles and thin films. ► Laser immobilization. ► Biocompatibility of dextran-iron oxide nanoparticles.

Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Na; Chen, Fei; Shen, Qiang; Wang, Chuanbin; Zhang, Lianmeng

2013-03-01

A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

Fabrication of ATO/Graphene Multi-layered Transparent Conducting Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Na; Chen Fei; Shen Qiang; Wang Chuanbin; Zhang Lianmeng

2013-01-01

A novel transparent conducting oxide based on the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films has been developed to satisfy the application of transparent conductive electrode in solar cells. The ATO thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition method with high quality, namely the sheet resistance of 49.5 Ω/sq and average transmittance of 81.9 %. The prepared graphene sheet is well reduced and shows atomically thin, spotty distributed appearance on the top of the ATO thin films. The XRD and optical micrographs are used to confirm the successfully preparation of the ATO/graphene multi-layered thin films. The Hall measurements and UV-Vis spectrophotometer are conducted to evaluate the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the innovative structure. It is found that graphene can improve the electrical properties of the ATO thin films with little influence on the optical transmittance.

Investigations on the effects of electrode materials on the device characteristics of ferroelectric memory thin film transistors fabricated on flexible substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ji-Hee; Yun, Da-Jeong; Seo, Gi-Ho; Kim, Seong-Min; Yoon, Myung-Han; Yoon, Sung-Min

2018-03-01

For flexible memory device applications, we propose memory thin-film transistors using an organic ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] gate insulator and an amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) active channel. The effects of electrode materials and their deposition methods on the characteristics of memory devices exploiting the ferroelectric field effect were investigated for the proposed ferroelectric memory thin-film transistors (Fe-MTFTs) at flat and bending states. It was found that the plasma-induced sputtering deposition and mechanical brittleness of the indium-tin oxide (ITO) markedly degraded the ferroelectric-field-effect-driven memory window and bending characteristics of the Fe-MTFTs. The replacement of ITO electrodes with metal aluminum (Al) electrodes prepared by plasma-free thermal evaporation greatly enhanced the memory device characteristics even under bending conditions owing to their mechanical ductility. Furthermore, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was introduced to achieve robust bending performance under extreme mechanical stress. The Fe-MTFTs using PEDOT:PSS source/drain electrodes were successfully fabricated and showed the potential for use as flexible memory devices. The suitable choice of electrode materials employed for the Fe-MTFTs is concluded to be one of the most important control parameters for highly functional flexible Fe-MTFTs.

Work function measurements of copper nanoparticle intercalated polyaniline nanocomposite thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, U. V.; Ramgir, Niranjan S.; Bhogale, A.; Debnath, A. K.; Muthe, K. P.; Gadkari, S. C.; Kothari, D. C.

2017-05-01

The nature of contact between the electrode and the sensing material plays a crucial role in governing the sensing mechanism. Thin films of polyaniline (PANI) and copper-polyaniline nanocomposite (NC) have been deposited at room temperatures by in-situ oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of Cu nanoparticles. For sensing applications a thin film Au (gold) ˜100 nm is deposited and used as a conducting electrode. To understand the nature of contact (i.e., ohmic or Schottky) the work function of the conducting polyaniline and nanocomposite films were measured using Kelvin Probe method. I-V characteristics of PANI and NC films investigated at room temperatures further corroborates and confirms the formation of Ohmic contact as evident from work function measurements.

Hydrothermally formed three-dimensional nanoporous Ni(OH)2 thin-film supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Li, Lei; Ruan, Gedeng; Fei, Huilong; Xiang, Changsheng; Fan, Xiujun; Tour, James M

2014-09-23

A three-dimensional nanoporous Ni(OH)2 thin-film was hydrothermally converted from an anodically formed porous layer of nickel fluoride/oxide. The nanoporous Ni(OH)2 thin-films can be used as additive-free electrodes for energy storage. The nanoporous layer delivers a high capacitance of 1765 F g(-1) under three electrode testing. After assembly with porous activated carbon in asymmetric supercapacitor configurations, the devices deliver superior supercapacitive performances with capacitance of 192 F g(-1), energy density of 68 Wh kg(-1), and power density of 44 kW kg(-1). The wide working potential window (up to 1.6 V in 6 M aq KOH) and stable cyclability (∼90% capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles) make the thin-film ideal for practical supercapacitor devices.

Tungsten oxide proton conducting films for low-voltage transparent oxide-based thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hongliang; Wan, Qing; Wan, Changjin; Wu, Guodong; Zhu, Liqiang

2013-01-01

Tungsten oxide (WO x ) electrolyte films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering showed a high room temperature proton conductivity of 1.38 × 10 −4 S/cm with a relative humidity of 60%. Low-voltage transparent W-doped indium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors gated by WO x -based electrolytes were self-assembled on glass substrates by one mask diffraction method. Enhancement mode operation with a large current on/off ratio of 4.7 × 10 6 , a low subthreshold swing of 108 mV/decade, and a high field-effect mobility 42.6 cm 2 /V s was realized. Our results demonstrated that WO x -based proton conducting films were promising gate dielectric candidates for portable low-voltage oxide-based devices.

Co-sputtered ZnO:Si thin films as transparent conductive oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faure, C. [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France); Clatot, J. [LRCS, 33 Rue St Leu, F-80039 Amiens (France); Teule-Gay, L.; Campet, G. [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France); Labrugere, C. [CeCaMA, Universite de Bordeaux, ICMCB, 87 avenue du Dr. A. Schweitzer, Pessac, F-33608 (France); Nistor, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasmas and Radiation Physics, L22, PO Box MG-36, 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Rougier, A., E-mail: rougier@icmcb-bordeaux.cnrs.fr [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France)

2012-12-01

Silicon doped Zinc Oxide thin films, so-called SZO, were deposited at room temperature on glass and plastic substrates by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO{sub 2} targets. The influence of the SiO{sub 2} target power supply (from 30 to 75 W) on the SZO thin film composition and crystallinity is discussed. Si/Zn atomic ratio, determined by X-ray microprobe, increases from 1.2 to 8.2 at.%. For Si/Zn ratio equal and lower than 3.9%, SZO (S{sub 3.9}ZO) thin films exhibit the Wurzite structure with the (0 0 2) preferred orientation. Larger Si content leads to a decrease in crystallinity. With Si addition, the resistivity decreases down to 3.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} Ohm-Sign {center_dot}cm for SZO thin film containing 3.9 at.% of Si prior to an increase. The mean transmittance of S{sub 3.9}ZO thin film on glass substrate approaches 80% (it is about 90% for the film itself) in the visible range (from 400 to 750 nm). Co-sputtered SZO thin films are suitable candidates for large area transparent conductive oxides. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si doped ZnO thin films by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO{sub 2} targets. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Minimum of resistivity for Si doped ZnO thin films containing 3.9% of Si. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si and O environments by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Investigations of Si Thin Films as Anode of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Qingliu [Department of Chemical; Shi, Bing; Bareño, Javier; Liu, Yuzi; Maroni, Victor A.; Zhai, Dengyun; Dees, Dennis W.; Lu, Wenquan

2018-01-22

Amorphous silicon thin films having various thicknesses were investigated as a negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. Electrochemical characterization of the 20 nm thick thin silicon film revealed a very low first cycle Coulombic efficiency, which can be attributed to the silicon oxide layer formed on both the surface of the as-deposited Si thin film and the interface between the Si and the substrate. Among the investigated films, the 100 nm Si thin film demonstrated the best performance in terms of first cycle efficiency and cycle life. Observations from scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the generation of cracks was inevitable in the cycled Si thin films, even as the thickness of the film was as little as 20 nm, which was not predicted by previous modeling work. However, the cycling performance of the 20 and 100 nm silicon thin films was not detrimentally affected by these cracks. The poor capacity retention of the 1 mu m silicon thin film was attributed to the delamination.

Hybrid dextran-iron oxide thin films deposited by laser techniques for biomedical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Predoi, D.; Ciobanu, C.S. [National Institute for Physics of Materials, P.O. Box MG 07, Bucharest, Magurele (Romania); Radu, M.; Costache, M.; Dinischiotu, A. [Molecular Biology Center, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, 76201, Bucharest 5 (Romania); Popescu, C.; Axente, E.; Mihailescu, I.N. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiations Physics, P. O. Box MG 36, 77125 Bucharest (Romania); Gyorgy, E., E-mail: egyorgy@cin2.es [National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiations Physics, P. O. Box MG 36, 77125 Bucharest (Romania); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Centre d' Investigacions en Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia (CSIC-CIN2), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain)

2012-02-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by chemical co-precipitation method. The nanoparticles were mixed with dextran in distilled water. The obtained solutions were frozen in liquid nitrogen and used as targets during matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation for the growth of hybrid, iron oxide nanoparticles-dextran thin films. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction investigations revealed that the obtained films preserve the structure and composition of the initial, non-irradiated iron oxide-dextran composite material. The biocompatibility of the iron oxide-dextran thin films was demonstrated by 3-(4.5 dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2.5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide-based colorimetric assay, using human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hybrid, dextran-iron oxide nanoparticles and thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Laser immobilization. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Biocompatibility of dextran-iron oxide nanoparticles.

Determination of oxygen diffusion kinetics during thin film ruthenium oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coloma Ribera, R., E-mail: r.colomaribera@utwente.nl; Kruijs, R. W. E. van de; Yakshin, A. E.; Bijkerk, F. [MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2015-08-07

In situ X-ray reflectivity was used to reveal oxygen diffusion kinetics for thermal oxidation of polycrystalline ruthenium thin films and accurate determination of activation energies for this process. Diffusion rates in nanometer thin RuO{sub 2} films were found to show Arrhenius behaviour. However, a gradual decrease in diffusion rates was observed with oxide growth, with the activation energy increasing from about 2.1 to 2.4 eV. Further exploration of the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor for diffusion process revealed that oxidation of polycrystalline ruthenium joins the class of materials that obey the Meyer-Neldel rule.

Ceramic Composite Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Ruoff, Rodney S. (Inventor); Stankovich, Sasha (Inventor); Dikin, Dmitriy A. (Inventor); Nguyen, SonBinh T. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A ceramic composite thin film or layer includes individual graphene oxide and/or electrically conductive graphene sheets dispersed in a ceramic (e.g. silica) matrix. The thin film or layer can be electrically conductive film or layer depending the amount of graphene sheets present. The composite films or layers are transparent, chemically inert and compatible with both glass and hydrophilic SiOx/silicon substrates. The composite film or layer can be produced by making a suspension of graphene oxide sheet fragments, introducing a silica-precursor or silica to the suspension to form a sol, depositing the sol on a substrate as thin film or layer, at least partially reducing the graphene oxide sheets to conductive graphene sheets, and thermally consolidating the thin film or layer to form a silica matrix in which the graphene oxide and/or graphene sheets are dispersed.

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.

Thin films of lithium manganese oxide spinel as cathode materials for secondary lithium batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shui, J.L.; Jiang, G.S.; Xie, S.; Chen, C.H.

2004-01-01

The miniaturization of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries requires high quality thin-film electrodes. Electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) technique was used to fabricate LiMn 2 O 4 thin-film electrodes with three different morphologies: sponge-like porous, fractal-like porous, and dense structures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the structures of the electrodes. These electrodes were made into coin cells against metallic lithium for electrochemical characterization. Galvanostatic cycling of the cells revealed different rate capability for the cells with LiMn 2 O 4 electrodes of different morphologies. It is found that the cells with LiMn 2 O 4 electrodes of porous, especially the sponge-like porous, morphology better rate capability than those with dense LiMn 2 O 4 electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study indicates that the large surface area of the porous electrodes should be attributed to the smaller interfacial resistance and better rate capability

Strain-induced phenomenon in complex oxide thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Haislmaier, Ryan

Complex oxide materials wield an immense spectrum of functional properties such as ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, magnetoelectricity, optoelectricity, optomechanical, magnetoresistance, superconductivity, etc. The rich coupling between charge, spin, strain, and orbital degrees of freedom makes this material class extremely desirable and relevant for next generation electronic devices and technologies which are trending towards nanoscale dimensions. Development of complex oxide thin film materials is essential for realizing their integration into nanoscale electronic devices, where theoretically predicted multifunctional capabilities of oxides could add tremendous value. Employing thin film growth strategies such as epitaxial strain and heterostructure interface engineering can greatly enhance and even unlock novel material properties in complex oxides, which will be the main focus of this work. However, physically incorporating oxide materials into devices remains a challenge. While advancements in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of thin film oxide materials has led to the ability to grow oxide materials with atomic layer precision, there are still major limitations such as controlling stoichiometric compositions during growth as well as creating abrupt interfaces in multi-component layered oxide structures. The work done in this thesis addresses ways to overcome these limitations in order to harness intrinsic material phenomena. The development of adsorption-controlled stoichiometric growth windows of CaTiO3 and SrTiO3 thin film materials grown by hybrid MBE where Ti is supplied using metal-organic titanium tetraisopropoxide material is thoroughly outlined. These growth windows enable superior epitaxial strain-induced ferroelectric and dielectric properties to be accessed as demonstrated by chemical, structural, electrical, and optical characterization techniques. For tensile strained CaTiO3 and compressive strained SrTiO 3 films, the critical effects of

Zinc-oxide nanorod / copper-oxide thin-film heterojunction for a nitrogen-monoxide gas sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Hwansu; Kim, Hyojin; Kim, Dojin

2014-01-01

A novel p - n oxide heterojunction structure was fabricated by employing n-type zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown on an indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrate by using the hydrothermal method and a p-type copper-oxide (CuO) thin film deposited onto the ZnO nanorod array by using the sputtering method. The crystallinities and microstructures of the heterojunction materials were examined by using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The observed current - voltage characteristics of the p - n oxide heterojunction showed a nonlinear diode-like rectifying behavior. The effects of an oxidizing or electron acceptor gas, such as nitrogen monoxide (NO), on the ZnO nanorod/CuO thin-film heterojunction were investigated to determine the potential applications of the fabricated material for use in gas sensors. The forward current of the p - n heterojunction was remarkably reduced when NO gas was introduced into dry air at temperatures from 100 to 250 .deg. C. The NO gas response of the oxide heterojunction reached a maximum value at an operating temperature of 180 .deg. C and linearly increased as the NO gas concentration was increased from 5 to 30 ppm. The sensitivity value was observed to be as high as 170% at 180 .deg. C when biased at 2 V in the presence of 20-ppm NO. The ZnO nanorod/CuO thin-film heterojunction also exhibited a stable and repeatable response to NO gas. The experimental results suggest that the ZnO nanorod/CuO thin-film heterojunction structure may be a novel candidate for gas sensors.

Zinc-oxide nanorod / copper-oxide thin-film heterojunction for a nitrogen-monoxide gas sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Hwansu; Kim, Hyojin; Kim, Dojin [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-11-15

A novel p - n oxide heterojunction structure was fabricated by employing n-type zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown on an indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrate by using the hydrothermal method and a p-type copper-oxide (CuO) thin film deposited onto the ZnO nanorod array by using the sputtering method. The crystallinities and microstructures of the heterojunction materials were examined by using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The observed current - voltage characteristics of the p - n oxide heterojunction showed a nonlinear diode-like rectifying behavior. The effects of an oxidizing or electron acceptor gas, such as nitrogen monoxide (NO), on the ZnO nanorod/CuO thin-film heterojunction were investigated to determine the potential applications of the fabricated material for use in gas sensors. The forward current of the p - n heterojunction was remarkably reduced when NO gas was introduced into dry air at temperatures from 100 to 250 .deg. C. The NO gas response of the oxide heterojunction reached a maximum value at an operating temperature of 180 .deg. C and linearly increased as the NO gas concentration was increased from 5 to 30 ppm. The sensitivity value was observed to be as high as 170% at 180 .deg. C when biased at 2 V in the presence of 20-ppm NO. The ZnO nanorod/CuO thin-film heterojunction also exhibited a stable and repeatable response to NO gas. The experimental results suggest that the ZnO nanorod/CuO thin-film heterojunction structure may be a novel candidate for gas sensors.

Demonstration of high-performance p-type tin oxide thin-film transistors using argon-plasma surface treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Sang-Dae; Kwon, Soo-Hun; Jeong, Hwan-Seok; Kwon, Hyuck-In

2017-07-01

In this work, we investigated the effects of low-temperature argon (Ar)-plasma surface treatments on the physical and chemical structures of p-type tin oxide thin-films and the electrical performance of p-type tin oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). From the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement, we found that SnO was the dominant phase in the deposited tin oxide thin-film, and the Ar-plasma treatment partially transformed the tin oxide phase from SnO to SnO2 by oxidation. The resistivity of the tin oxide thin-film increased with the plasma-treatment time because of the reduced hole concentration. In addition, the root-mean-square roughness of the tin oxide thin-film decreased as the plasma-treatment time increased. The p-type oxide TFT with an Ar-plasma-treated tin oxide thin-film exhibited excellent electrical performance with a high current on-off ratio (5.2 × 106) and a low off-current (1.2 × 10-12 A), which demonstrates that the low-temperature Ar-plasma treatment is a simple and effective method for improving the electrical performance of p-type tin oxide TFTs.

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.

Silicon-based thin films as bottom electrodes in chalcogenide nonvolatile memories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung-Yun [IT Convergence and Components Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: seungyun@etri.re.kr; Yoon, Sung-Min; Choi, Kyu-Jeong; Lee, Nam-Yeal; Park, Young-Sam; Ryu, Sang-Ouk; Yu, Byoung-Gon; Kim, Sang-Hoon; Lee, Sang-Heung [IT Convergence and Components Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-350 (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-31

The effect of the electrical resistivity of a silicon-germanium (SiGe) thin film on the phase transition in a GeSbTe (GST) chalcogenide alloy and the manufacturing aspect of the fabrication process of a chalcogenide memory device employing the SiGe film as bottom electrodes were investigated. While p-type SiGe bottom electrodes were formed using in situ doping techniques, n-type ones could be made in a different manner where phosphorus atoms diffused from highly doped silicon underlayers to undoped SiGe films. The p-n heterojunction did not form between the p-type GST and n-type SiGe layers, and the semiconduction type of the SiGe alloys did not influence the memory device switching. It was confirmed that an optimum resistivity value existed for memory operation in spite of proportionality of Joule heating to electrical resistivity. The very high resistivity of the SiGe film had no effect on the reduction of reset current, which might result from the resistance decrease of the SiGe alloy at high temperatures.

Effect of multi-layered bottom electrodes on the orientation of strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhaskaran, M. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)], E-mail: madhu.bhaskaran@gmail.com; Sriram, S. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia); Mitchell, D.R.G.; Short, K.T. [Institute of Materials Engineering, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), PMB 1, Menai, New South Wales 2234 (Australia); Holland, A.S. [Microelectronics and Materials Technology Centre, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)

2008-09-30

This article discusses the results from X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of piezoelectric strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate (PSZT) thin films deposited on multi-layer coatings on silicon. The films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on a metal coated substrate. The aim was to exploit the pronounced piezoelectric effect that is theoretically expected normal to the substrate. This work highlighted the influence that the bottom electrode architecture exerts on the final crystalline orientation of the deposited thin films. A number of bottom electrode architectures were used, with the uppermost metal layer on which PSZT was deposited being gold or platinum. The XRD analysis revealed that the unit cell of the PSZT thin films deposited on gold and on platinum were deformed, relative to expected unit cell dimensions. Experimental results have been used to estimate the unit cell parameters. The XRD results were then indexed based on these unit cell parameters. The choice and the thickness of the intermediate adhesion layers influenced the relative intensity, and in some cases, the presence of perovskite peaks. In some cases, undesirable reactions between the bottom electrode layers were observed, and layer architectures to overcome these reactions are also discussed.

Morphology selection for cupric oxide thin films by electrodeposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhanasekaran, V; Mahalingam, T; Chandramohan, R

2011-10-01

Polycrystalline cupric oxide thin films were deposited using alkaline solution bath employing cathodic electrodeposition method. The thin films were electrodeposited at various solution pH. The surface morphology and elemental analyzes of the films were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, respectively. SEM studies revealed that the surface morphology could be tailored suitably by adjusting the pH value during deposition. Mesh average on multiple lattice mode atomic force microscopy image was obtained and reported. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The origin of local strain in highly epitaxial oxide thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chunrui; Liu, Ming; Chen, Chonglin; Lin, Yuan; Li, Yanrong; Horwitz, J S; Jiang, Jiechao; Meletis, E I; Zhang, Qingyu

2013-10-31

The ability to control the microstructures and physical properties of hetero-epitaxial functional oxide thin films and artificial structures is a long-sought goal in functional materials research. Normally, only the lattice misfit between the film and the substrate is considered to govern the physical properties of the epitaxial films. In fact, the mismatch of film unit cell arrangement and the Surface-Step-Terrace (SST) dimension of the substrate, named as "SST residual matching", is another key factor that significantly influence the properties of the epitaxial film. The nature of strong local strain induced from both lattice mismatch and the SST residual matching on ferroelectric (Ba,Sr)TiO3 and ferromagnetic (La,Ca)MnO3 thin films are systematically investigated and it is demonstrated that this combined effect has a dramatic impact on the physical properties of highly epitaxial oxide thin films. A giant anomalous magnetoresistance effect (~10(10)) was achieved from the as-designed vicinal surfaces.

A comparative study of the adsorption and oxidation of L-alanine and L-serine on Au(1 0 0), Au(1 1 1) and gold thin film electrodes in acid media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandoval, Andrea P.; Orts, José Manuel; Rodes, Antonio; Feliu, Juan M.

2013-01-01

The adsorption and oxidation of L-alanine and L-serine at Au(1 1 1) and Au(1 0 0) single crystal and evaporated thin-film electrodes with preferential (1 1 1) orientation was studied in perchloric acid solutions. For this purpose, cyclic voltammetry experiments were combined with external reflection infrared spectroscopy (gold single crystals) and surface-enhanced infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy under attenuated total reflection conditions (ATR-SEIRAS) (gold thin films). In addition, theoretical harmonic vibrational frequencies, obtained from B3LYP/LANL2DZ, 6-31+G(d) calculations for the zwitterionic species adsorbed on Au clusters with (1 1 1) orientation, were used to interpret the experimental spectra. The optimized geometry obtained from DFT calculations for the corresponding zwitterion plus a water molecule, under the application of an external electric field of 0.01 a.u. corresponds to a bidentate asymmetrical bridge adsorption configuration. The absence of an adsorbate band for the asymmetric OCO stretching in the experimental infrared spectra confirms the bidentate bonding of the adsorbed zwitterion through the oxygen atoms of the carboxylate group irrespective of the crystallographic orientation of the electrode surface, the adsorbate coverage and the electrode potential. In addition to typical interfacial water bands associated to perchlorate anions, which are co-adsorbed in order to compensate the positive charge of the ammonium group, the ATR-SEIRA spectra also show bands around 2950 cm −1 that can be related to the formation of hydrogen bonds between interfacial water and the ammonium group of the adsorbed zwitterion. The voltammetric experiments have shown that, as in the case of platinum electrodes, L-serine oxidizes at lower potentials than L-alanine. Under these conditions, the in situ infrared experiments show the formation of carbon dioxide and adsorbed cyanide as oxidation products of L-serine. In the case of L-alanine, only

Porous Zinc Oxide Thin Films: Synthesis Approaches and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Laurenti

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Zinc oxide (ZnO thin films have been widely investigated due to their multifunctional properties, i.e., catalytic, semiconducting and optical. They have found practical use in a wide number of application fields. However, the presence of a compact micro/nanostructure has often limited the resulting material properties. Moreover, with the advent of low-dimensional ZnO nanostructures featuring unique physical and chemical properties, the interest in studying ZnO thin films diminished more and more. Therefore, the possibility to combine at the same time the advantages of thin-film based synthesis technologies together with a high surface area and a porous structure might represent a powerful solution to prepare ZnO thin films with unprecedented physical and chemical characteristics that may find use in novel application fields. Within this scope, this review offers an overview on the most successful synthesis methods that are able to produce ZnO thin films with both framework and textural porosities. Moreover, we discuss the related applications, mainly focused on photocatalytic degradation of dyes, gas sensor fabrication and photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Optimisation of chemical solution deposition of indium tin oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sunde, Tor Olav Løveng; Einarsrud, Mari-Ann; Grande, Tor, E-mail: grande@ntnu.no

2014-12-31

An environmentally friendly aqueous sol–gel process has been optimised to deposit indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films, aiming to improve the film properties and reduce the deposition costs. It was demonstrated how parameters such as cation concentration and viscosity could be applied to modify the physical properties of the sol and thereby reduce the need for multiple coatings to yield films with sufficient conductivity. The conductivity of the thin films was enhanced by adjusting the heat treatment temperature and atmosphere. Both increasing the heat treatment temperature of the films from 530 to 800 °C and annealing in reducing atmosphere significantly improved the electrical conductivity, and conductivities close to the state of the art sputtered ITO films were obtained. A pronounced decreased conductivity was observed after exposing the thin films to air and the thermal reduction and ageing of the film was studied by in situ conductivity measurements. - Highlights: • Spin coating of indium tin oxide using an aqueous solution was optimised. • The conductivity was enhanced by thermal annealing in reducing atmosphere. • The conductivity of is comparable to the conductivity of sputtered films. • A relaxation process in the reduced thin film was observed after exposure in air.

Chemical solution deposition of functional oxide thin films

CERN Document Server

Schneller, Theodor; Kosec, Marija

2014-01-01

Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) is a highly-flexible and inexpensive technique for the fabrication of functional oxide thin films. Featuring nearly 400 illustrations, this text covers all aspects of the technique.

Selective metallization of amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistor by using helium plasma treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hun; Lee, Su Jeong; Porte, Yoann; Myoung, Jae-Min

2018-03-01

In this study, the effects of helium (He) plasma treatment on amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been investigated. The He plasma treatment induced a dramatic decrease of the resistivity in a-IGZO thin films from 1.25 × 106 to 5.93 mΩ cm. After 5 min He plasma treatment, the a-IGZO films showed an increase in carrier concentration to 6.70 × 1019 cm-3 combined with a high hall mobility of 15.7 cm2 V-1 s-1. The conductivity improvement was linked to the formation of oxygen vacancies during the He plasma treatment, which was observed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The a-IGZO films did not appear to be damaged on the surface following the plasma treatment and showed a high transmittance of about 88.3% at a wavelength of 550 nm. The He plasma-treated a-IGZO films were used as source/drain (S/D) electrodes in a-IGZO TFTs. The devices demonstrated promising characteristics, on pair with TFTs using Al electrodes, with a threshold voltage (V T) of -1.97 V, sub-threshold slope (SS) of 0.52 V/decade, saturation mobility (μ sat) of 8.75 cm2 V-1 s-1, and on/off current ratio (I on/I off) of 2.66 × 108.

Mechanical measurements on lithium phosphorous oxynitride coated silicon thin film electrodes for lithium-ion batteries during lithiation and delithiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Obeidi, Ahmed, E-mail: alobeidi@mit.edu; Thompson, Carl V., E-mail: reiner.moenig@kit.edu, E-mail: cthomp@mit.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Kramer, Dominik, E-mail: dominik.kramer@kit.edu; Mönig, Reiner, E-mail: reiner.moenig@kit.edu, E-mail: cthomp@mit.edu [Institute for Applied Materials, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Helmholtz Institute Ulm for Electrochemical Energy Storage (HIU), Helmholtzstraße 11, 89081 Ulm (Germany); Boles, Steven T., E-mail: steven.t.boles@polyu.edu.hk [Institute for Applied Materials, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom (Hong Kong)

2016-08-15

The development of large stresses during lithiation and delithiation drives mechanical and chemical degradation processes (cracking and electrolyte decomposition) in thin film silicon anodes that complicate the study of normal electrochemical and mechanical processes. To reduce these effects, lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON) coatings were applied to silicon thin film electrodes. Applying a LiPON coating has two purposes. First, the coating acts as a stable artificial solid electrolyte interphase. Second, it limits mechanical degradation by retaining the electrode's planar morphology during cycling. The development of stress in LiPON-coated electrodes was monitored using substrate curvature measurements. LiPON-coated electrodes displayed highly reproducible cycle-to-cycle behavior, unlike uncoated electrodes which had poorer coulombic efficiency and exhibited a continual loss in stress magnitude with continued cycling due to film fracture. The improved mechanical stability of the coated silicon electrodes allowed for a better investigation of rate effects and variations of mechanical properties during electrochemical cycling.

Double-layer indium doped zinc oxide for silicon thin-film solar cell prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiao Bao-Chen; Zhang Xiao-Dan; Wei Chang-Chun; Sun Jian; Ni Jian; Zhao Ying

2011-01-01

Indium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:In) thin films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis on corning eagle 2000 glass substrate. 1 and 2 at.% indium doped single-layer ZnO:In thin films with different amounts of acetic acid added in the initial solution were fabricated. The 1 at.% indium doped single-layers have triangle grains. The 2 at.% indium doped single-layer with 0.18 acetic acid adding has the resistivity of 6.82×10 −3 Ω·cm and particle grains. The double-layers structure is designed to fabricate the ZnO:In thin film with low resistivity (2.58×10 −3 Ω·cm) and good surface morphology. It is found that the surface morphology of the double-layer ZnO:In film strongly depends on the substrate-layer, and the second-layer plays a large part in the resistivity of the double-layer ZnO:In thin film. Both total and direct transmittances of the double-layer ZnO:In film are above 80% in the visible light region. Single junction a-Si:H solar cell based on the double-layer ZnO:In as front electrode is also investigated. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Characterization of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 thin films fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on Ir-based electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hee-Chul; Lee, Won-Jong

2002-01-01

Structural and electrical characteristics of Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 (PZT) ferroelectric thin films deposited on various Ir-based electrodes (Ir, IrO 2 , and Pt/IrO 2 ) using electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition were investigated. On the Ir electrode, stoichiometric PZT films with pure perovskite phase could be obtained over a very wide range of processing conditions. However, PZT films prepared on the IrO 2 electrode contain a large amount of PbO x phases and exhibited high Pb-excess composition. The deposition characteristics were dependent on the behavior of PbO molecules on the electrode surface. The PZT thin film capacitors prepared on the Ir bottom electrode showed different electrical properties depending on top electrode materials. The PZT capacitors with Ir, IrO 2 , and Pt top electrodes showed good leakage current characteristics, whereas those with the Ru top electrode showed a very high leakage current density. The PZT capacitor exhibited the best fatigue endurance with an IrO 2 top electrode. An Ir top electrode provided better fatigue endurance than a Pt top electrode. The PZT capacitor with an Ir-based electrode is thought to be attractive for the application to ferroelectric random access memory devices because of its wide processing window for a high-quality ferroelectric film and good polarization, fatigue, and leakage current characteristics

LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin-film electrodes coated on carbon fiber-modified current collectors for pseudocapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Kuo-Feng; Su, Shih-Hsuan; Leu, Hoang-Jyh; Huang, Wei-Chieh

2015-01-01

LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin films were sputter-deposited on micron carbon fibers (MCFs) under a gas mixture of N_2/Ar/H_2 as electrode materials in pseudocapacitors. The MCFs were fabricated by thermal chemical vapor deposition on stainless steel substrates as current collectors. Various amounts of N_2 were introduced by controlling the flow ratios of N_2 to Ar/H_2. The LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin films coated on the surfaces of MCFs were observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin films were characterized using cyclic voltammetry and charge–discharge processes. The LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin-film electrode deposited under the optimal N_2 contents exhibited a high specific capacitance of 722 F/g at 1 A/g. Even at a current of 20 A/g, the electrode delivered a capacitance of 298 F/g. The pseudocapacitors using LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin-film electrodes showed no significant capacitance fading after 1000 cycles at 1 A/g. The results indicated that nitrogen doping improved the electrochemical performances of LiFePO_4, demonstrating the potential of LiFePO_4_−_xN_y as an active material in pseudocapacitors. - Highlights: • LiFePO_4_−_xN_y thin films were sputter-deposited on micron carbon fibers (MCFs). • MCFs only act as a three-dimensional current collector in this system. • The pseudocapacitor exhibits a high specific capacitance.

Development of wear resistant zirconium oxide thin films on stainless steel substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Then, I.K.; Mujahid, M.; Zhang, B.

2005-01-01

The present work deals specifically with the development of zirconium oxide thin film coatings on the stainless steel orthodontic bracket system by sputtering technique. Thin films of zirconium oxide have been deposited on injection molded stainless steel substrates using sputtering under controlled temperature and environment conditions. The deposited films, 1.5 μm in thickness, were found to have a predominantly tetragonal structure with grain size of about 5 nm. The grain size was found to increase only slightly with increasing heat treatment time at 650 C. It has been shown that thin-film zirconia coatings with stable structure and good adhesion along with very low friction coefficient could be produced. (orig.)

Development of wear resistant zirconium oxide thin films on stainless steel substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Then, I.K.; Mujahid, M. [School of Materials Engineering, Nanyang Technological Univ. (Singapore); Zhang, B. [Dou Yee Technologies Pte Ltd, Bedok Industrial Park C (Singapore)

2005-07-01

The present work deals specifically with the development of zirconium oxide thin film coatings on the stainless steel orthodontic bracket system by sputtering technique. Thin films of zirconium oxide have been deposited on injection molded stainless steel substrates using sputtering under controlled temperature and environment conditions. The deposited films, 1.5 {mu}m in thickness, were found to have a predominantly tetragonal structure with grain size of about 5 nm. The grain size was found to increase only slightly with increasing heat treatment time at 650 C. It has been shown that thin-film zirconia coatings with stable structure and good adhesion along with very low friction coefficient could be produced. (orig.)

Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposite thin-film electrodes for ethanol electrooxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Yuhong; Kang, Joonhyeon; Nam, Seunghoon; Byun, Sujin [WCU Hybrid Materials Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Byungwoo, E-mail: byungwoo@snu.ac.kr [WCU Hybrid Materials Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-07-16

The enhanced catalytic properties toward ethanol electrooxidation on Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposite thin-film electrodes were investigated. The Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposites with various Al/Pt ratios (0.27, 0.57, and 0.96) were fabricated by a co-sputtering method. All of the Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposites showed a negative shift in the onset potential and a higher current density than those of pure Pt electrode for the electrooxidation of ethanol. Among the various Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposite thin-film electrodes, the electrode with an atomic ratio of Al to Pt of 0.57 showed the highest electrocatalytic activity for ethanol electrooxidation. The activation enthalpy for the optimum Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposite was approximately 0.05 eV lower than that of pure Pt. It is believed that the enhancement in catalytic activity is due to the electron-rich Pt resulting from the Fermi-energy difference between Pt and AlPO{sub 4}. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The enhanced ethanol electrooxidation on Pt/AlPO{sub 4} nanocomposites is investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Pt/AlPO{sub 4} exhibits higher current density and lower onset potential than pure Pt. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The activation enthalpy for optimum Pt/AlPO{sub 4} electrode is {approx}0.05 eV lower than pure Pt. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer XPS shows electron-rich Pt due to Fermi-energy difference between Pt and AlPO{sub 4}.

Growth and surface characterization of sputter-deposited molybdenum oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramana, Chintalapalle V.; Atuchin, Victor V.; Kesler, V. G.; Kochubey, V. A.; Pokrovsky, L. D.; Shutthanandan, V.; Becker, U.; Ewing, Rodney C.

2007-04-15

Molybdenum oxide thin films were produced by magnetron sputtering using a molybdenum (Mo) target. The sputtering was performed in a reactive atmosphere of argon-oxygen gas mixture under varying conditions of substrate temperature (Ts) and oxygen partial pressure (pO2). The effect of Ts and pO2 on the growth and microstructure of molybdenum oxide films was examined in detail using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. The analyses indicate that the effect of Ts and pO2 on the microstructure and phase of the grown molybdenum oxide thin films is remarkable. RHEED and RBS results indicate that the films grown at 445 *C under 62.3% O2 pressure were stoichiometric and polycrystalline MoO3. Films grown at lower pO2 were nonstoichiometric MoOx films with the presence of secondary phase. The microstructure of the grown Mo oxide films is discussed and conditions were optimized to produce phase pure, stoichiometric, and highly textured polycrystalline MoO3 films.

All solution-processed high-resolution bottom-contact transparent metal-oxide thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Han, Jeong-In

2009-01-01

We report all solution-processed high-resolution bottom-contact indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) using a simple surface patterning and dip-casting process. High-resolution nanoparticulate Ag source/drain electrodes and a sol-gel processed IGZO semiconductor were deposited by a simple dip-casting along with a photoresist-free, non-relief-pattern lithographic process. The deposited Ag and IGZO solution can be steered into the desired hydrophilic areas by a low surface energy self-assembled monolayer, resulting in source/drain electrodes and semiconducting layer, respectively. The all solution-processed bottom-contact IGZO TFTs including a channel length of 10 μm typically showed a mobility range 0.05-0.2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 with an on/off ratio of more than 10 6 .

Physical properties investigation of reduced graphene oxide thin films prepared by material inkjet printing

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schmiedová, V.; Pospíšil, J.; Kovalenko, A.; Ashcheulov, Petr; Fekete, Ladislav; Cubon, T.; Kotrusz, P.; Zmeškal, O.; Weiter, M.

2017-01-01

Roč. 2017, Aug (2017), s. 1-8, č. článku 3501903. ISSN 1687-4110 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LO1409; GA MŠk LM2015088; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-05095S Grant - others:SAFMAT(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/22132; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1211 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : graphene oxide * thin film * transparent electrode * inkjet printing Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 1.871, year: 2016

Multiferroic iron oxide thin films at room temperature

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gich, M.; Fina, I.; Morelli, Alessio; Sánchez, F.; Alexe, M.; Gazquez, J.; Fontcuberta, J.; Roig, A.

2014-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 27 (2014), s. 4645-4652 ISSN 0935-9648 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : multiferroic * iron oxide * thin film Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 17.493, year: 2014

Ellipsometric investigations of pyrolytically deposited thin indium oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, U.

1980-01-01

Ellipsometric measurements have been carried out of thin indium oxide films deposited pyrolytically on glass substrates. It was found that the roughness of the films affected the measuring results. Therefore, only after applying a two-layer model a reasonable interpretation of the measuring results became possible

Ferroelectric thin films using oxides as raw materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.B. Araújo

1999-01-01

Full Text Available This work describes an alternative method for the preparation of ferroelectric thin films based on pre-calcination of oxides, to be used as precursor material for a solution preparation. In order to show the viability of the proposed method, PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 and Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were prepared on fused quartz and Si substrates. The results were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, Infrared Spectroscopy (IR and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS. The films obtained show good quality, homogeneity and the desired stoichiometry. The estimated thickness for one layer deposition was approximately 1000 Å and 1500 Å for Bi4Ti3O12 and PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 films, respectively.

Preparation, characterization and electrocatalytic behavior of zinc oxide/zinchexacyanoferrate and ruthenium oxide hexacyanoferrate hybrid film-modified electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, H.-W.; Thangamuthu, R. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, No. 1, Section 3, Chung-Hsiao East Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Chen, S.-M. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, No. 1, Section 3, Chung-Hsiao East Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: smchen78@ms15.hinet.net

2008-02-15

Polynuclear mixed-valent hybrid films of zinc oxide/zinchexacyanoferrate and ruthenium oxide hexacyanoferrate (ZnO/ZnHCF-RuOHCF) have been deposited on electrode surfaces from H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution containing Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}, RuCl{sub 3} and K{sub 3}[Fe(CN){sub 6}] by potentiodynamic cycling method. Simultaneous cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) measurements demonstrate the steady growth of hybrid film. Surface morphology of hybrid film was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) data confirm existence of zinc oxide and ruthenium oxide hexacyanoferrate (RuOHCF) in the hybrid film. The effect of type of monovalent cations on the redox behavior of hybrid film was investigated. In pure supporting electrolyte, electrochemical responses of Ru{sup II/III} redox transition occurring at negative potential region resemble with that of a surface immobilized redox couple. The electrocatalytic activity of ZnO/ZnHCF-RuOHCF hybrid film was investigated towards oxidation of epinephrine, dopamine and L-cysteine, and reduction of S{sub 2}O{sub 8}{sup 2-} and SO{sub 5}{sup 2-} as well as IO{sub 3}{sup -} using cyclic voltammetry and rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE) techniques.

Patterning of metallic electrodes on flexible substrates for organic thin-film transistors using a laser thermal printing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Kun-Tso; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Ho, Jeng-Rong; Chen, Chih-Kant; Liu, Sung-Ho; Liao, Jin-Long; Cheng, Hua-Chi

2011-01-01

We report on a laser thermal printing method for transferring patterned metallic thin films on flexible plastic substrates using a pulsed CO 2 laser. Aluminium and silver line patterns, with micrometre scale resolution on poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates, are shown. The printed electrodes demonstrate good conductivity and fulfil the properties for bottom-contact organic thin-film transistors. In addition to providing the energy for transferring the film, the absorption of laser light results in a rise in the temperature of the film and the substrate. This also further anneals the film and softens the plastic substrate. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a film with better surface morphology and with its film thickness implanted in part into the plastic surface. This implantation reveals excellent characteristics in adhesion and flexure resistance. Being feasible to various substrates and executable at ambient temperatures renders this approach a potential alternative for patterning metallic electrodes.

Influence of addition of indium and of post-annealing on structural, electrical and optical properties of gallium-doped zinc oxide thin films deposited by direct-current magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pham, Duy Phong [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, University of Science, Vietnam National University, HoChiMinh (Viet Nam); College of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Nguyen, Huu Truong [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, University of Science, Vietnam National University, HoChiMinh (Viet Nam); Phan, Bach Thang [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, University of Science, Vietnam National University, HoChiMinh (Viet Nam); Faculty of Materials Science, University of Science, Vietnam National University, HoChiMinh (Viet Nam); Hoang, Van Dung [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, University of Science, Vietnam National University, HoChiMinh (Viet Nam); Maenosono, Shinya [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Tran, Cao Vinh, E-mail: tcvinh@hcmus.edu.vn [Laboratory of Advanced Materials, University of Science, Vietnam National University, HoChiMinh (Viet Nam)

2015-05-29

In this study, both gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) and indium-added gallium-doped zinc oxide (IGZO) thin films were deposited on commercial glasses by magnetron dc-sputtering in argon atmosphere. The crystal structure, electrical conductivity and optical transmission of as-deposited as well as post-annealed thin films of both GZO and IGZO were investigated for comparison. A small amount of indium introduced into GZO thin films had improved their polycrystalline structure and increased their electrical conductivity by over 29%. All obtained GZO and IGZO thin films have strong [002] crystalline direction, a characteristic orientation of ZnO thin films. Although post-annealed in air at high temperatures up to 500 °C, IGZO thin films still had very low sheet resistance of 6.6 Ω/□. Furthermore, they had very high optical transmission of over 80% in both visible and near-infrared regions. - Highlights: • Doping 0.1 at.% indium enhanced crystalline, electrical properties of GZO films. • The mobility of IGZO films was 25% higher than that of GZO films. • The IGZO films will be potential materials for transparent conducting electrodes.

Influence of addition of indium and of post-annealing on structural, electrical and optical properties of gallium-doped zinc oxide thin films deposited by direct-current magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, Duy Phong; Nguyen, Huu Truong; Phan, Bach Thang; Hoang, Van Dung; Maenosono, Shinya; Tran, Cao Vinh

2015-01-01

In this study, both gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) and indium-added gallium-doped zinc oxide (IGZO) thin films were deposited on commercial glasses by magnetron dc-sputtering in argon atmosphere. The crystal structure, electrical conductivity and optical transmission of as-deposited as well as post-annealed thin films of both GZO and IGZO were investigated for comparison. A small amount of indium introduced into GZO thin films had improved their polycrystalline structure and increased their electrical conductivity by over 29%. All obtained GZO and IGZO thin films have strong [002] crystalline direction, a characteristic orientation of ZnO thin films. Although post-annealed in air at high temperatures up to 500 °C, IGZO thin films still had very low sheet resistance of 6.6 Ω/□. Furthermore, they had very high optical transmission of over 80% in both visible and near-infrared regions. - Highlights: • Doping 0.1 at.% indium enhanced crystalline, electrical properties of GZO films. • The mobility of IGZO films was 25% higher than that of GZO films. • The IGZO films will be potential materials for transparent conducting electrodes

Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Lithium Nickel Oxide Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gyu-bong Cho

2014-01-01

Full Text Available LiNiO2 thin films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering. The microstructure of the films was determined by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties were investigated with a battery cycler using coin-type half-cells. The LiNiO2 thin films annealed below 500°C had the surface carbonate. The results suggest that surface carbonate interrupted the Li intercalation and deintercalation during charge/discharge. Although the annealing process enhanced the crystallization of LiNiO2, the capacity did not increase. When the annealing temperature was increased to 600°C, the FeCrNiO4 oxide phase was generated and the discharge capacity decreased due to an oxygen deficiency in the LiNiO2 thin film. The ZrO2-coated LiNiO2 thin film provided an improved discharge capacity compared to bare LiNiO2 thin film suggesting that the improved electrochemical characteristic may be attributed to the inhibition of surface carbonate by ZrO2 coating layer.

Deposition and characterisation of epitaxial oxide thin films for SOFCs

KAUST Repository

Santiso, José ; Burriel, Mó nica

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the recent advances in the use of thin films, mostly epitaxial, for fundamental studies of materials for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. These studies include the influence of film microstructure, crystal orientation

Composite films of oxidized multiwall carbon nanotube and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) as a contact electrode for transistor and inverter devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Dong-Jin; Rhee, Shi-Woo

2012-02-01

Composite films of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polymerized with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) were prepared by spin-coating a mixture solution. The effect of the MWNT loading and the MWNT oxidation, with acid solution or ultraviolet (UV)-ozone treatment, on the film properties such as surface roughness, work function, surface energy, optical transparency and conductivity were studied. Also pentacene thin film transistors and inverters were made with these composite films as a contact metal and the device characteristics were measured. The oxidation of MWNT reduced the conductivity of MWNT/PEDOT:PSS composite film but increased the work function and transparency. UV-ozone treated MWNT/PEDOT:PSS composite film showed higher conductivity (14000 Ω/□) and work function (4.9 eV) than acid-oxidized MWNT/PEDOT:PSS composite film and showed better performance as a source/drain electrode in organic thin film transistor (OTFT) than other types of MWNT/PEDOT:PSS composite films. Hole injection barrier of the UV-ozone treated MWNT/PEDOT:PSS composite film with pentacene was significantly lower than any other films because of the higher work function.

Graphene-based electrodes for enhanced organic thin film transistors based on pentacene.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Sarbani; Lee, Mu Chen; Wang, Yeong-Her

2014-08-21

This paper presents 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) and pentacene-based organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with monolayer graphene source-drain (S-D) electrodes. The electrodes are patterned using conventional photolithographic techniques combined with reactive ion etching. The monolayer graphene film grown by chemical vapor deposition on Cu foil was transferred on a Si dioxide surface using a polymer-supported transfer method to fabricate bottom-gate, bottom-contact OTFTs. The pentacene OTFTs with graphene S-D contacts exhibited superior performance with a mobility of 0.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and an on-off ratio of 10(5) compared with OTFTs with Au-based S-D contacts, which had a mobility of 0.01 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and an on-off ratio of 10(3). The crystallinity, grain size, and microscopic defects (or the number of layers of graphene films) of the TIPS-pentacene/pentacene films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The feasibility of using graphene as an S-D electrode in OTFTs provides an alternative material with high carrier injection efficiency, chemical stability, and excellent interface properties with organic semiconductors, thus exhibiting improved device performance of C-based electronic OTFTs at a reduced cost.

Highly transparent front electrodes with metal fingers for p-i-n thin-film silicon solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moulin Etienne

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The optical and electrical properties of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs, traditionally used in thin-film silicon (TF-Si solar cells as front-electrode materials, are interlinked, such that an increase in TCO transparency is generally achieved at the cost of reduced lateral conductance. Combining a highly transparent TCO front electrode of moderate conductance with metal fingers to support charge collection is a well-established technique in wafer-based technologies or for TF-Si solar cells in the substrate (n-i-p configuration. Here, we extend this concept to TF-Si solar cells in the superstrate (p-i-n configuration. The metal fingers are used in conjunction with a millimeter-scale textured foil, attached to the glass superstrate, which provides an antireflective and retroreflective effect; the latter effect mitigates the shadowing losses induced by the metal fingers. As a result, a substantial increase in power conversion efficiency, from 8.7% to 9.1%, is achieved for 1-μm-thick microcrystalline silicon solar cells deposited on a highly transparent thermally treated aluminum-doped zinc oxide layer combined with silver fingers, compared to cells deposited on a state-of-the-art zinc oxide layer.

Review of WO3 thin film preparation for photoelectrochemical water splitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehsan Eftekhari; Mohammad Kassim

2009-01-01

Full text: Tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ), which is one of the most essential materials in our daily life has appeared as an excellent photo electrode material for environmental purification. The nano-size of WO 3 thin film water-splitting technology has great potential for environmentally friendly solar-hydrogen production for the future hydrogen economy. There are several methods for producing tungsten oxide film. In this review, we outlined several WO 3 thin film preparation methods such as doctor Bladding, sputtering, layer-by-layer brush painting, spray pyrolysis deposition, sol-gel and other methods. Here we compare the maximum photocurrent obtained, different condition for preparation of WO 3 thin film and characterization outcome. (author)

Indium Tin Oxide thin film gas sensors for detection of ethanol vapours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaishnav, V.S.; Patel, P.D.; Patel, N.G.

2005-01-01

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO: In 2 O 3 + 17% SnO 2 ) thin films grown on alumina substrate at 648 K temperatures using direct evaporation method with two gold pads deposited on the top for electrical contacts were exposed to ethanol vapours (200-2500 ppm). The operating temperature of the sensor was optimized. The sensitivity variation of films having different thickness was studied. The sensitivity of the films deposited on Si substrates was studied. The response of the film with MgO catalytic layer on sensitivity and selectivity was observed. A novel approach of depositing thin stimulating layer of various metals/oxides below the ITO film was tried and tested

Host thin films incorporating nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, Uzma

The focus of this research project was the investigation of the functional properties of thin films that incorporate a secondary nanoparticulate phase. In particular to assess if the secondary nanoparticulate material enhanced a functional property of the coating on glass. In order to achieve this, new thin film deposition methods were developed, namely use of nanopowder precursors, an aerosol assisted transport technique and an aerosol into atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition system. Aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) was used to deposit 8 series of thin films on glass. Five different nanoparticles silver, gold, ceria, tungsten oxide and zinc oxide were tested and shown to successfully deposit thin films incorporating nanoparticles within a host matrix. Silver nanoparticles were synthesised and doped within a titania film by AACVD. This improved solar control properties. A unique aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) into atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) system was used to deposit films of Au nanoparticles and thin films of gold nanoparticles incorporated within a host titania matrix. Incorporation of high refractive index contrast metal oxide particles within a host film altered the film colour. The key goal was to test the potential of nanopowder forms and transfer the suspended nanopowder via an aerosol to a substrate in order to deposit a thin film. Discrete tungsten oxide nanoparticles or ceria nanoparticles within a titanium dioxide thin film enhanced the self-cleaning and photo-induced super-hydrophilicity. The nanopowder precursor study was extended by deposition of zinc oxide thin films incorporating Au nanoparticles and also ZnO films deposited from a ZnO nanopowder precursor. Incorporation of Au nanoparticles within a VO: host matrix improved the thermochromic response, optical and colour properties. Composite VC/TiC and Au nanoparticle/V02/Ti02 thin films displayed three useful

Raman and XPS characterization of vanadium oxide thin films with temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ureña-Begara, Ferran, E-mail: ferran.urena@uclouvain.be [Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Crunteanu, Aurelian [XLIM Research Institute, UMR 7252, CNRS/Université de Limoges, Limoges (France); Raskin, Jean-Pierre [Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

2017-05-01

Highlights: • Comprehensive study of the oxidation of VO{sub 2} thin films from R.T. up to 550 °C. • Phase changes and mixed-valence vanadium oxides formed during the oxidation process. • Reported Raman and XPS signatures for each vanadium oxide. • Monitoring of the current and resistance evolution at the surface of the films. • Oxidation model describing the evolution of the vanadium oxides and phase changes. - Abstract: The oxidation mechanisms and the numerous phase transitions undergone by VO{sub 2} thin films deposited on SiO{sub 2}/Si and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates when heated from room temperature (R.T.) up to 550 °C in air are investigated by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the films undergo several intermediate phase transitions between the initial VO{sub 2} monoclinic phase at R.T. and the final V{sub 2}O{sub 5} phase at 550 °C. The information about these intermediate phase transitions is scarce and their identification is important since they are often found during the synthesis of vanadium dioxide films. Significant changes in the film conductivity have also been observed to occur associated to the phase transitions. In this work, current and resistance measurements performed on the surface of the films are implemented in parallel with the Raman measurements to correlate the different phases with the conductivity of the films. A model to explain the oxidation mechanisms and phenomena occurring during the oxidation of the films is proposed. Peak frequencies, full-width half-maxima, binding energies and oxidation states from the Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments are reported and analyzed for all the phases encountered in VO{sub 2} films prepared on SiO{sub 2}/Si and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates.

High Performance Nano-Ceria Electrodes for Solid Oxide Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graves, Christopher R.; Martinez Aguilera, Lev; Sudireddy, Bhaskar Reddy

2016-01-01

forming the active surfaces on a porous backbone with embedded electronic current collector material, yielding one of the highest performances reported for an electrode that operates either on fuel or oxidant. The second is a nano-Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ thin film prepared by spin-coating, which provides......In solid oxide electrochemical cells, the conventional Ni-based fuel-electrodes provide high electrocatalytic activity but they are often a major source of long-term performance degradation due to carbon deposition, poisoning of reaction sites, Ni mobility, etc. Doped-ceria is a promising mixed...

High conductivity and transparent aluminum-based multi-layer source/drain electrodes for thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Rihui; Zhang, Hongke; Fang, Zhiqiang; Ning, Honglong; Zheng, Zeke; Li, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Xiaochen; Cai, Wei; Lu, Xubing; Peng, Junbiao

2018-02-01

In this study, high conductivity and transparent multi-layer (AZO/Al/AZO-/Al/AZO) source/drain (S/D) electrodes for thin film transistors were fabricated via conventional physical vapor deposition approaches, without toxic elements or further thermal annealing process. The 68 nm-thick multi-layer films with excellent optical properties (transparency: 82.64%), good electrical properties (resistivity: 6.64  ×  10-5 Ω m, work function: 3.95 eV), and superior surface roughness (R q   =  0.757 nm with scanning area of 5  ×  5 µm2) were fabricated as the S/D electrodes. Significantly, comprehensive performances of AZO films are enhanced by the insertion of ultra-thin Al layers. The optimal transparent TFT with this multi-layer S/D electrodes exhibited a decent electrical performance with a saturation mobility (µ sat) of 3.2 cm2 V-1 s-1, an I on/I off ratio of 1.59  ×  106, a subthreshold swing of 1.05 V/decade. The contact resistance of AZO/Al/AZO/Al/AZO multi-layer electrodes is as low as 0.29 MΩ. Moreover, the average visible light transmittance of the unpatterned multi-layers constituting a whole transparent TFT could reach 72.5%. The high conductivity and transparent multi-layer S/D electrodes for transparent TFTs possessed great potential for the applications of the green and transparent displays industry.

Growth and thermal oxidation of Ru and ZrO2 thin films as oxidation protective layers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coloma Ribera, R.

2017-01-01

This thesis focuses on the study of physical and chemical processes occurring during growth and thermal oxidation of Ru and ZrO2 thin films. Acting as oxidation resistant capping materials to prevent oxidation of layers underneath, these films have several applications, i.e., in microelectronics

Growth and surface characterization of sputter-deposited molybdenum oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramana, C.V. [Nanoscience and Surface Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)]. E-mail: ramanacv@umich.edu; Atuchin, V.V. [Laboratory of Optical Materials and Structures, Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kesler, V.G. [Technical Centre, Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kochubey, V.A. [Laboratory of Optical Materials and Structures, Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Pokrovsky, L.D. [Laboratory of Optical Materials and Structures, Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Shutthanandan, V. [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Becker, U. [Nanoscience and Surface Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Ewing, R.C. [Nanoscience and Surface Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

2007-04-15

Molybdenum oxide thin films were produced by magnetron sputtering using a molybdenum (Mo) target. The sputtering was performed in a reactive atmosphere of an argon-oxygen gas mixture under varying conditions of substrate temperature (T {sub s}) and oxygen partial pressure (pO{sub 2}). The effect of T {sub s} and pO{sub 2} on the growth and microstructure of molybdenum oxide films was examined in detail using reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. The analyses indicate that the effect of T {sub s} and pO{sub 2} on the microstructure and phase of the grown molybdenum oxide thin films is remarkable. RHEED and RBS results indicate that the films grown at 445 deg. C under 62.3% O{sub 2} pressure were stoichiometric and polycrystalline MoO{sub 3}. Films grown at lower pO{sub 2} were non-stoichiometric MoO {sub x} films with the presence of secondary phase. The microstructure of the grown Mo oxide films is discussed and conditions were optimized to produce phase pure, stoichiometric, and highly textured polycrystalline MoO{sub 3} films.

Electrically conductive aluminum oxide thin film used as cobalt catalyst-support layer in vertically aligned carbon nanotube growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azam, Mohd Asyadi; Ismail, Syahriza; Mohamad, Noraiham; Isomura, Kazuki; Shimoda, Tatsuya

2015-01-01

This paper will present the unique characteristics of aluminum oxide (Al–O) and cobalt catalyst included in aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode system of energy storage device, namely electrochemical capacitor. Electrical conductivity and nanostructure of the thermally oxidized Al–O used as catalyst-support layer in vertically grown single-walled CNTs were studied. Al–O films were characterized by means of current–voltage measurement and high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis. The Al–O support layer was found to be conductive, with a relatively low resistance and, approximately 20 nm film thickness of Al–O is suggested to be too thin to form insulating barrier. The scanning TEM—annular dark field analysis confirmed that the nanosized cobalt catalyst particles distributed on Al–O surfaces and also embedded inside the Al–O film structure. (paper)

Vanadium oxide thin films deposited on silicon dioxide buffer layers by magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Sihai; Ma Hong; Wang Shuangbao; Shen Nan; Xiao Jing; Zhou Hao; Zhao Xiaomei; Li Yi; Yi Xinjian

2006-01-01

Thin films made by vanadium oxide have been obtained by direct current magnetron sputtering method on SiO 2 buffer layers. A detailed electrical and structural characterization has been performed on the deposited films by four-point probe method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At room temperature, the four-point probe measurement result presents the resistance of the film to be 25 kU/sheet. The temperature coefficient of resistance is - 2.0%/K. SEM image indicates that the vanadium oxide exhibits a submicrostructure with lamella size ranging from 60 nm to 300 nm. A 32 x 32-element test microbolometer was fabricated based on the deposited thin film. The infrared response testing showed that the response was 200 mV. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the vanadium oxide thin films on SiO 2 buffer layers is suitable for uncooled focal plane arrays applications

Controllable film densification and interface flatness for high-performance amorphous indium oxide based thin film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ou-Yang, Wei, E-mail: OUYANG.Wei@nims.go.jp, E-mail: TSUKAGOSHI.Kazuhito@nims.go.jp; Mitoma, Nobuhiko; Kizu, Takio; Gao, Xu; Lin, Meng-Fang; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito, E-mail: OUYANG.Wei@nims.go.jp, E-mail: TSUKAGOSHI.Kazuhito@nims.go.jp [International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectronics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); Nabatame, Toshihide [MANA Foundry and MANA Advanced Device Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

2014-10-20

To avoid the problem of air sensitive and wet-etched Zn and/or Ga contained amorphous oxide transistors, we propose an alternative amorphous semiconductor of indium silicon tungsten oxide as the channel material for thin film transistors. In this study, we employ the material to reveal the relation between the active thin film and the transistor performance with aid of x-ray reflectivity study. By adjusting the pre-annealing temperature, we find that the film densification and interface flatness between the film and gate insulator are crucial for achieving controllable high-performance transistors. The material and findings in the study are believed helpful for realizing controllable high-performance stable transistors.

Cadmium-manganese oxide composite thin films: Synthesis, characterization and photoelectrochemical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mansoor, M.A. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Faculty of Science, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Ebadi, M. [Solar Energy Research Institute, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor (Malaysia); Mazhar, M., E-mail: mazhar42pk@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Huang, N.M. [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Faculty of Science, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Mun, L.K.; Misran, M. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Basirun, W.J. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Institute of Nanotechnology and Catalysis (NanoCat), University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia)

2017-01-15

Ceramic composite CdO–Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films have been deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates by aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) using a 1:1 mixture of cadmium complex, [Cd(dmae){sub 2}(OAc){sub 2}]·H{sub 2}O (1) (where dmae = 2-dimethylaminoethanolato and OAc = acetato), and diacetatomanganese (II). The phase purity, stoichiometry and thickness of the films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infra-red (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV–Vis spectroscopy and profilometer. The FEG-SEM analysis illustrated that the morphology of the fabricated films was influenced by the type of solvent. The optical direct band gap of the film fabricated from THF solution was 1.95 eV. From the current–voltage characteristics it is evident that the CdO–Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite semiconductor electrode exhibits n-type behaviour and the photocurrent density was found to be dependent on the deposition medium. The film deposited from THF solution displayed maximum photocurrent density of 4.80 mA cm{sup −2} at 0.65 V vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl (∼1.23 V vs. RHE) in 0.5 M NaOH electrolyte. - Highlights: • Single crystal X-ray structure of [Cd(dmae){sub 2}(OAc){sub 2}]·H{sub 2}O (1). • CdO-Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite photoanode thin films. • Optical band gap of CdO-Mn{sub 2}O{sub 3} photoanode. • Photoelectrochemical and EIS studies.

Layer-by-layer assembled polyaniline nanofiber/multiwall carbon nanotube thin film electrodes for high-power and high-energy storage applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyder, Md Nasim; Lee, Seung Woo; Cebeci, Fevzi Ç; Schmidt, Daniel J; Shao-Horn, Yang; Hammond, Paula T

2011-11-22

Thin film electrodes of polyaniline (PANi) nanofibers and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are created by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly for microbatteries or -electrochemical capacitors. Highly stable cationic PANi nanofibers, synthesized from the rapid aqueous phase polymerization of aniline, are assembled with carboxylic acid functionalized MWNT into LbL films. The pH-dependent surface charge of PANi nanofibers and MWNTs allows the system to behave like weak polyelectrolytes with controllable LbL film thickness and morphology by varying the number of bilayers. The LbL-PANi/MWNT films consist of a nanoscale interpenetrating network structure with well developed nanopores that yield excellent electrochemical performance for energy storage applications. These LbL-PANi/MWNT films in lithium cell can store high volumetric capacitance (~238 ± 32 F/cm(3)) and high volumetric capacity (~210 mAh/cm(3)). In addition, rate-dependent galvanostatic tests show LbL-PANi/MWNT films can deliver both high power and high energy density (~220 Wh/L(electrode) at ~100 kW/L(electrode)) and could be promising positive electrode materials for thin film microbatteries or electrochemical capacitors. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Chirality of magneto-electrodeposited metal film electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mogi, Iwao; Watanabe, Kazuo

2008-01-01

The chiral electrode behaviors of magneto-electrodeposited (MED) Ag and Cu films were examined for the electrochemical reactions of D-glucose, L-glucose and L-cysteine. The Ag and Cu films were electrodeposited under a magnetic field of 2 T parallel (+2 T) or antiparallel (-2 T) to the faradaic current. For MED films of both Ag and Cu, the oxidation current of L-glucose was larger than that of D-glucose on the +2 T-film electrodes, and the results were opposite on the - 2 T-film electrodes. These facts demonstrate that the MED metal films possess the ability of chiral recognition for D- and L-glucoses. The MED Ag film electrodes also exhibited chiral behavior for the oxidation of L-cysteine

Thermoluminescent characterization of thin films of aluminium oxide submitted to beta and gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villagran, E.; Escobar A, L.; Camps, E.; Gonzalez, P.R.; Martinez A, L.

2002-01-01

By mean of the laser ablation technique, thin films of aluminium oxide have been deposited on kapton substrates. These films present thermoluminescent response (Tl) when they are exposed to beta and gamma radiation. The brilliance curves show two peaks between 112 C and 180 C. A dose-response relationship study was realized and the Tl kinetic parameters were determined using the computerized deconvolution of the brilliance curve (CGCD). The thin films of aluminium oxide have potential applications as ultra.thin radiation dosemeters. (Author)

ZnO Nanoparticles/Reduced Graphene Oxide Bilayer Thin Films for Improved NH3-Sensing Performances at Room Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Huiling; Yuan, Zhen; Zheng, Weijian; Ye, Zongbiao; Liu, Chunhua; Du, Xiaosong

2016-03-01

ZnO nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) thin film were deposited on gold interdigital electrodes (IDEs) in sequence via simple spraying process, which was further restored to ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) bilayer thin film by the thermal reduction treatment and employed for ammonia (NH3) detection at room temperature. rGO was identified by UV-vis absorption spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analyses, and the adhesion between ZnO nanoparticles and rGO nanosheets might also be formed. The NH3-sensing performances of pure rGO film and ZnO/rGO bilayer films with different sprayed GO amounts were compared. The results showed that ZnO/rGO film sensors exhibited enhanced response properties, and the optimal GO amount of 1.5 ml was achieved. Furthermore, the optimal ZnO/rGO film sensor showed an excellent reversibility and fast response/recovery rate within the detection range of 10-50 ppm. Meanwhile, the sensor also displayed good repeatability and selectivity to NH3. However, the interference of water molecules on the prepared sensor is non-ignorable; some techniques should be researched to eliminate the effect of moisture in the further work. The remarkably enhanced NH3-sensing characteristics were speculated to be attributed to both the supporting role of ZnO nanoparticles film and accumulation heterojunction at the interface between ZnO and rGO. Thus, the proposed ZnO/rGO bilayer thin film sensor might give a promise for high-performance NH3-sensing applications.

Spectroelectrochemical properties of ultra-thin indium tin oxide films under electric potential modulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Xue, E-mail: x0han004@louisville.edu; Mendes, Sergio B., E-mail: sbmend01@louisville.edu

2016-03-31

In this work, the spectroscopic properties of ultra-thin ITO films are characterized under an applied electric potential modulation. To detect minute spectroscopic features, the ultra-thin ITO film was coated over an extremely sensitive single-mode integrated optical waveguide, which provided a long pathlength with more than adequate sensitivity for optical interrogation of the ultra-thin film. Experimental configurations with broadband light and several laser lines at different modulation schemes of an applied electric potential were utilized to elucidate the nature of intrinsic changes. The imaginary component of the refractive index (absorption coefficient) of the ultra-thin ITO film is unequivocally shown to have a dependence on the applied potential and the profile of this dependence changes substantially even for wavelengths inside a small spectral window (500–600 nm). The characterization technique and the data reported here can be crucial to several applications of the ITO material as a transparent conductive electrode, as for example in spectroelectrochemical investigations of surface-confined redox species. - Highlights: • Optical waveguides are applied for spectroscopic investigations of ultra-thin films. • Ultra-thin ITO films in aqueous environment are studied under potential modulation. • Unique spectroscopic features of ultra-thin ITO films are unambiguously observed.

Effect of deposition temperature on the properties of Al-doped ZnO films prepared by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering for transparent electrodes in thin-film solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Doo-Soo; Park, Ji-Hyeon; Shin, Beom-Ki; Moon, Kyeong-Ju; Son, Myoungwoo; Ham, Moon-Ho; Lee, Woong; Myoung, Jae-Min

2012-10-01

A simple but scalable approach to the production of surface-textured Al-doped ZnO(AZO) films for low-cost transparent electrode applications in thin-film solar cells is introduced in this study by combining pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PDMS) with wet etching in sequence. First, structural, electrical, and optical properties of the AZO films prepared by a PDMS were investigated as functions of deposition temperature to obtain transparent electrode films that can be used as indium-free alternative to ITO electrodes. Increase in the deposition temperature to 230 °C accompanied the improvement in crystalline quality and doping efficiency, which enabled the lowest electrical resistivity of 4.16 × 10-4 Ω cm with the carrier concentration of 1.65 × 1021 cm-3 and Hall mobility of 11.3 cm2/V s. The wet etching of the films in a diluted HCl solution resulted in surface roughening via the formation of crater-like structures without significant degradation in the electrical properties, which is responsible for the enhanced light scattering capability required for anti-reflective electrodes in thin film solar cells.

Electroplating of CdTe Thin Films from Cadmium Sulphate Precursor and Comparison of Layers Grown by 3-Electrode and 2-Electrode Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imyhamy M. Dharmadasa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Electrodeposition of CdTe thin films was carried out from the late 1970s using the cadmium sulphate precursor. The solar energy group at Sheffield Hallam University has carried out a comprehensive study of CdTe thin films electroplated using cadmium sulfate, cadmium nitrate and cadmium chloride precursors, in order to select the best electrolyte. Some of these results have been published elsewhere, and this manuscript presents the summary of the results obtained on CdTe layers grown from cadmium sulphate precursor. In addition, this research program has been exploring the ways of eliminating the reference electrode, since this is a possible source of detrimental impurities, such as K+ and Ag+ for CdS/CdTe solar cells. This paper compares the results obtained from CdTe layers grown by three-electrode (3E and two-electrode (2E systems for their material properties and performance in CdS/CdTe devices. Thin films were characterized using a wide range of analytical techniques for their structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties. These layers have also been used in device structures; glass/FTO/CdS/CdTe/Au and CdTe from both methods have produced solar cells to date with efficiencies in the region of 5%–13%. Comprehensive work carried out to date produced comparable and superior devices fabricated from materials grown using 2E system.

Investigations of electrical and optical properties of functional TCO thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domaradzki Jarosław

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Transparent conducting oxide (TCO films of indium-tin-oxide were evaporated on the surface of silicon wafers after phosphorous diffusion and on the reference glass substrates. The influence of deposition process parameters (electron beam current, oxygen flow and the substrate temperature on optical and electrical properties of evaporated thin films were investigated by means of resistivity measurements and optical spectrophotometry. The performance of prepared thin films was judged by calculated figure of merit and the best result was obtained for the sample deposited on the substrate heated to the 100 °C and then removed from the deposition chamber and annealed in an air for 5 minutes at 400 °C. Refractive index and extinction coefficient were evaluated based on measured transmission spectra and used for designing of antireflection coating for solar cell. The obtained results showed that prepared TCO thin films are promising as a part of counter electrode in crystalline silicon solar cell construction.

Properties of nanostructured undoped ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolytes by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition for thin film solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Gu Young; Noh, Seungtak; Lee, Yoon Ho; Cha, Suk Won, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744 (Korea, Republic of); Ji, Sanghoon [Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Iui-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 443-270 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Soon Wook; Koo, Bongjun; Kim, Young-Beom, E-mail: ybkim@hanyang.ac.kr, E-mail: swcha@snu.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); An, Jihwan [Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering Programme, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 139-743 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

Nanostructured ZrO{sub 2} thin films were prepared by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). The effects of the deposition conditions of temperature, reactant, plasma power, and duration upon the physical and chemical properties of ZrO{sub 2} films were investigated. The ZrO{sub 2} films by PEALD were polycrystalline and had low contamination, rough surfaces, and relatively large grains. Increasing the plasma power and duration led to a clear polycrystalline structure with relatively large grains due to the additional energy imparted by the plasma. After characterization, the films were incorporated as electrolytes in thin film solid oxide fuel cells, and the performance was measured at 500 °C. Despite similar structure and cathode morphology of the cells studied, the thin film solid oxide fuel cell with the ZrO{sub 2} thin film electrolyte by the thermal ALD at 250 °C exhibited the highest power density (38 mW/cm{sup 2}) because of the lowest average grain size at cathode/electrolyte interface.

thin films

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

microscopy (SEM) studies, respectively. The Fourier transform ... Thin films; chemical synthesis; hydrous tin oxide; FTIR; electrical properties. 1. Introduction ... dehydrogenation of organic compounds (Hattori et al 1987). .... SEM images of (a) bare stainless steel and (b) SnO2:H2O thin film on stainless steel substrate at a ...

Chemically grown, porous, nickel oxide thin-film for electrochemical supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inamdar, A.I.; Kim, YoungSam; Im, Hyunsik [Department of Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of); Pawar, S.M.; Kim, J.H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyungsang [Department of Physics, Dongguk University, Seoul 100-715 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-02-15

A porous nickel oxide film is successfully synthesized by means of a chemical bath deposition technique from an aqueous nickel nitrate solution. The formation of a rock salt NiO structure is confirmed with XRD measurements. The electrochemical supercapacitor properties of the nickel oxide film are examined using cyclic voltammetery (CV), galvanostatic and impedance measurements in two different electrolytes, namely, NaOH and KOH. A specific capacitance of {proportional_to}129.5 F g{sup -1} in the NaOH electrolyte and {proportional_to}69.8 F g{sup -1} in the KOH electrolyte is obtained from a cyclic voltammetery study. The electrochemical stability of the NiO electrode is observed for 1500 charge-discharge cycles. The capacitative behaviour of the NiO electrode is confirmed from electrochemical impedance measurements. (author)

Characterization and gas-sensing behavior of an iron oxide thin film prepared by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aronniemi, Mikko; Saino, J.; Lahtinen, J.

2008-01-01

In this work we investigate an iron oxide thin film grown with atomic layer deposition for a gas sensor application. The objective is to characterize the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of the film, and to demonstrate its gas-sensitivity. The obtained scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results indicate that the film has a granular structure and that it has grown mainly on the glass substrate leaving the platinum electrodes uncovered. X-ray diffraction results show that iron oxide is in the α-Fe 2 O 3 (hematite) phase. X-ray photoelectron spectra recorded at elevated temperature imply that the surface iron is mainly in the Fe 3+ state and that oxygen has two chemical states: one corresponding to the lattice oxygen and the other to adsorbed oxygen species. Electric conductivity has an activation energy of 0.3-0.5 eV and almost Ohmic current-voltage dependency. When exposed to O 2 and CO, a typical n-type response is observed

Synthesis and characterization of cobalt doped nickel oxide thin films by spray pyrolysis method

Science.gov (United States)

Sathisha, D.; Naik, K. Gopalakrishna

2018-05-01

Cobalt (Co) doped nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at a temperature of about 400 °C by spray pyrolysis method. The effect of Co doping concentration on structural, optical and compositional properties of NiO thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction result shows that the deposited thin films are polycrystalline in nature. Surface morphologies of the deposited thin films were observed by FESEM and AFM. EDS spectra showed the incorporation of Co dopants in NiO thin films. Optical properties of the grown thin films were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy. It was found that the optical band gap energy and transmittance of the films decrease with increasing Co doping concentration.

Review of iron oxide for photo electrode application in water splitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amir Memar; Mohammad Kassim

2009-01-01

Full text: The use of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) route in hydrogen production is a promising, valuable, clean and efficient way of storing solar energy for use in hydrogen-powered fuel cells. Iron oxide (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) is an attractive photo electrode in PEC cell due to its constructive bandgap of ∼ 2.2 eV, lying in the visible region. This paper presents a review of the different methods of Fe2O3 thin film production and the characterization of the thin film and its application for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production. (author)

Cathodic arc sputtering of functional titanium oxide thin films, demonstrating resistive switching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shvets, Petr, E-mail: pshvets@innopark.kantiana.ru; Maksimova, Ksenia; Demin, Maxim; Dikaya, Olga; Goikhman, Alexander

2017-05-15

The formation of thin films of the different stable and metastable titanium oxide phases is demonstrated by cathode arc sputtering of a titanium target in an oxygen atmosphere. We also show that sputtering of titanium in vacuum yields the formation of titanium silicides on the silicon substrate. The crystal structure of the produced samples was investigated using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. We conclude that cathode arc sputtering is a flexible method suitable for producing the functional films for electronic applications. The functionality is verified by the memory effect demonstration, based on the resistive switching in the titanium oxide thin film structure.

ZnO-Based Transparent Conductive Thin Films: Doping, Performance, and Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Y.; Li, Y.; Zeng, H.

2013-01-01

ZnO-based transparent conductive thin films have attracted much attention as a promising substitute material to the currently used indium-tin-oxide thin films in transparent electrode applications. However, the detailed function of the dopants, acting on the electrical and optical properties of ZnO-based transparent conductive thin films, is not clear yet, which has limited the development and practical applications of ZnO transparent conductive thin films. Growth conditions such as substrate type, growth temperature, and ambient atmosphere all play important roles in structural, electrical, and optical properties of films. This paper takes a panoramic view on properties of ZnO thin films and reviews the very recent works on new, efficient, low-temperature, and high-speed deposition technologies. In addition, we highlighted the methods of producing ZnO-based transparent conductive film on flexible substrate, one of the most promising and rapidly emerging research areas. As optimum-processing-parameter conditions are being obtained and their influencing mechanism is becoming clear, we can see that there will be a promising future for ZnO-based transparent conductive films.

Degradation of zinc oxide thin films in aqueous environment. Pt. II. Coated films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosa, L. de; Mitton, D.B.; Monetta, T.; Bellucci, F. [Naples Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Materials and Production Engineering; Springer, J. [Zentrum fuer Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Wuerttemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart (Germany)

2001-12-01

cn Part I of this research, the degradation mechanism of two different bare ZnO thin films was assessed. Degradation of the electrical properties of ZnO as well as changes in morphology were observed for both films. In the current paper, the degradation of zinc oxide thin films coated with protective acrylic paint is addressed during exposure to (i) an aqueous 3.5% NaCl solution at 85 C and (ii) a standard damp heat test at 85% R.H. and 85 C. Electrical and electrochemical techniques were employed to monitor zinc oxide degradation during exposure to the test environments. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy was employed to investigate the delamination phenomena at the ZnO/coating interface and a simple equivalent circuit was developed to quantitatively measure the delamination ratio. The effect of different silane based adhesion promoters (glycidil-oxypropyl-trimethoxy-silane and aminopropyl-trimethoxy-silane) was also investigated. (orig.)

Crystallization of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 Thin Films on LaNiO3 Electrodes by RF Magnetron Reactive Sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Jong, Chao-An; Gan, Jon-Yiew

2000-02-01

Strontium barium niobium (Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6) (SBN) thin films are prepared on conductive-oxide LNO (LaNiO3) electrodes by the rf magnetron sputtering system. Instead of conventional furnace annealing, SBN thin films are crystallized by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) above 700°C for 5 min. The textured SBN films are crystallized with two orientations: one is the (001) or (310) direction, and the other is the (002) or (620) direction. Films compositions measured by the electron spectroscopy of chemical analysis (ESCA) quantitative analysis method show nearly the same stoichiometric ratio as the target. The depth profiles of SBN films and the target are examined by secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS). The concentrations of the films are quite uniform. After being heat treated at 800°C for 5 min by RTA, La and Ni diffuse into the SBN film. The diffusion coefficient of La in SBN films is also calculated.

Epitaxial thin film growth and properties of unconventional oxide superconductors. Cuprates and cobaltates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krockenberger, Y.

2006-01-01

The discovery of high-temperature superconductors has strongly driven the development of suited thin film fabrication methods of complex oxides. One way is the adaptation of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for the growth of oxide materials. Another approach is the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) which has the advantage of good stoichiometry transfer from target to the substrate. Both techniques are used within this thesis. Epitaxial thin films of new materials are of course needed for future applications. In addition, the controlled synthesis of thin film matter which can be formed far away from thermal equilibrium allows for the investigation of fundamental physical materials properties. (orig.)

Epitaxial thin film growth and properties of unconventional oxide superconductors. Cuprates and cobaltates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krockenberger, Y.

2006-07-01

The discovery of high-temperature superconductors has strongly driven the development of suited thin film fabrication methods of complex oxides. One way is the adaptation of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for the growth of oxide materials. Another approach is the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) which has the advantage of good stoichiometry transfer from target to the substrate. Both techniques are used within this thesis. Epitaxial thin films of new materials are of course needed for future applications. In addition, the controlled synthesis of thin film matter which can be formed far away from thermal equilibrium allows for the investigation of fundamental physical materials properties. (orig.)

Study of thin metal films and oxide materials for nanoelectronics applications

OpenAIRE

De Los Santos Valladares, Luis

2012-01-01

Appendix A Pages 132-134 have been removed from this online version of the thesis for publisher copyright reasons. These had contained page images from the cover of Nanotechnology, Vol. 21, Nov 2010 and its corresponding web alert Different types of thin metal films and oxide materials are studied for their potential application in nanoelectronics: gold and copper films, nickel nanoelectrodes, oxide nanograin superconductors, carboxyl ferromagnetic microspheres and graphene oxide...

Effect of Deposition Time on the Photoelectrochemical Properties of Cupric Oxide Thin Films Synthesized via Electrodeposition Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaw Chong Siang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of deposition time on the physicochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of cupric oxide (CuO thin films synthesized via electrodeposition method. Firstly, the electrodeposition of amorphous CuO films on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO working electrodes with varying deposition time between 5 and 30 min was carried out, followed by annealing treatment at 500 °C. Resultant nanocrystalline CuO thin films were characterised using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, photocurrent density, and photoluminescence measurements. Through FE-SEM analysis, it was observed that the surface of thin films was composed of irregular-sized CuO nanocrystals. A smaller CuO nanocrystals size will lead to a higher photoactivity due to the increase in overall catalytic surface area. In addition, the smaller CuO nanocrystals size will prolongs the electron-hole recombination rate due to the increase in copious amount of surface defects. From this study, it was revealed that the relationship between deposition time and CuO film thickness was non-linear. This could be due to the detachment of CuO thin films from the FTO surface at an increasing amount of CuO mass being deposited. It was observed that the amount of light absorbed by CuO thin films increased with film thickness until a certain extent whereby, any further increase in the film thickness will result in a reduction of light photon penetration. Therefore, the CuO nanocrystals size and film thickness have to be compromised in order to yield a higher catalytic surface area and a lower rate of surface charge recombination. Finally, it was found that the deposition time of 15 min resulted in an average CuO nanocrystals size of 73.7 nm, optimum film thickness of 0.73 μm, and corresponding photocurrent density of 0.23 mA/cm2 at the potential bias of - 0.3 V (versus Ag/AgCl. The PL spectra for the deposition time of 15 min has the lowest

Investigation of resistive switching in barium strontium titanate thin films for memory applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Wan

2010-11-17

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) has attracted much attention due to its low power consumption, high speed operation, non-readout disturbance and high density integration potential and is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation non-volatile memory. The resistive switching behavior of Mn-doped BaSrTiO{sub 3} (BST) thin films with different crystalline properties was investigated within this dissertation. The laser fluence dependence was checked in order to optimize the RRAM properties. Although the film epitaxial quality was improved by reducing the laser energy during deposition process, the yields fluctuated and only 3% RRAM devices with highest epitaxial quality of BST film shows resistive switching behavior instead of 67% for the samples with worse film quality. It gives a clue that the best thin film quality does not result in the best switching performance, and it is a clear evidence of the importance of the defects to obtain resistive switching phenomena. The bipolar resistive switching behavior was studied with epitaxial BST thin films on SRO/STO. Compared to Pt top electrode, the yield, endurance and reliability were strongly improved for the samples with W top electrode. Whereas the samples with Pt top electrode show a fast drop of the resistance for both high and low resistance states, the devices with W top electrode can be switched for 10{sup 4} times without any obvious degradation. The resistance degradation for devices with Pt top electrode may result from the diffusion of oxygen along the Pt grain boundaries during cycling whereas for W top electrode the reversible oxidation and reduction of a WO{sub x} layer, present at the interface between W top electrode and BST film, attributes to the improved switching property. The transition from bipolar to unipolar resistive switching in polycrystalline BST thin films was observed. A forming process which induces a metallic low resistance state is prerequisite for the

Investigation of resistive switching in barium strontium titanate thin films for memory applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Wan

2010-01-01

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) has attracted much attention due to its low power consumption, high speed operation, non-readout disturbance and high density integration potential and is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation non-volatile memory. The resistive switching behavior of Mn-doped BaSrTiO 3 (BST) thin films with different crystalline properties was investigated within this dissertation. The laser fluence dependence was checked in order to optimize the RRAM properties. Although the film epitaxial quality was improved by reducing the laser energy during deposition process, the yields fluctuated and only 3% RRAM devices with highest epitaxial quality of BST film shows resistive switching behavior instead of 67% for the samples with worse film quality. It gives a clue that the best thin film quality does not result in the best switching performance, and it is a clear evidence of the importance of the defects to obtain resistive switching phenomena. The bipolar resistive switching behavior was studied with epitaxial BST thin films on SRO/STO. Compared to Pt top electrode, the yield, endurance and reliability were strongly improved for the samples with W top electrode. Whereas the samples with Pt top electrode show a fast drop of the resistance for both high and low resistance states, the devices with W top electrode can be switched for 10 4 times without any obvious degradation. The resistance degradation for devices with Pt top electrode may result from the diffusion of oxygen along the Pt grain boundaries during cycling whereas for W top electrode the reversible oxidation and reduction of a WO x layer, present at the interface between W top electrode and BST film, attributes to the improved switching property. The transition from bipolar to unipolar resistive switching in polycrystalline BST thin films was observed. A forming process which induces a metallic low resistance state is prerequisite for the observation of

3D nanoporous graphene films converted from liquid-crystalline holey graphene oxide for thin and high-performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bin; Liu, Jinzhang; Zhao, Yi; Zheng, Dezhi; Li, Yan; Sha, Jiangbo

2018-01-01

Holey graphene oxide (HGO) is prepared and its liquid crystal (LC) formation in water is investigated. The blade-coated LC-HGO hydrogel is hydrothermally reduced to form 3D nanoporous films used as supercapacitor electrodes. Holey graphene sheets are rumpled and interconnected to form a cellular structure with pore size around 100 nm during the reduction process. Reduced HGO films with different thicknesses are integrated into solid-state symmetric supercapacitors and their electrochemical performances are studied. High specific capacitance up to 304 F g-1 and high volumetric capacitance around 400 F cm-3 are achieved from our thin and flexible devices.

F2-laser patterning of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film on glass substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, M.Y.; Li, J.; Herman, P.R.; Lilge, L.D.

2006-01-01

This paper reports the controlled micromachining of 100 nm thick indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films on glass substrates with a vacuum-ultraviolet 157 nm F 2 laser. Partial to complete film removal was observed over a wide fluence window from 0.49 J/cm 2 to an optimized single pulse fluence of 4.5 J/cm 2 for complete film removal. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis show little substrate or collateral damage by the laser pulse which conserved the stoichiometry, optical transparency and electrical conductivity of ITO coating adjacent to the trenches. At higher fluence, a parallel micron sized channel can be etched in the glass substrate. The high photon energy and top-hat beam homogenized optical system of the F 2 laser opens new means for direct structuring of electrodes and microchannels in biological microfluidic systems or in optoelectronics. (orig.)

Surface and sub-surface thermal oxidation of ruthenium thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coloma Ribera, R.; van de Kruijs, Robbert Wilhelmus Elisabeth; Zoethout, E.; Yakshin, Andrey; Bijkerk, Frederik

2014-01-01

For next generation Extreme UV photolithography, multilayer coatings may require protective capping layers against surface contamination. Ruthenium, as a low-oxidation metal, is often used as a reference material. The oxidation behaviour of Ru thin films has been studied using X-ray reflectometry

All-nanoparticle self-assembly ZnO/TiO₂ heterojunction thin films with remarkably enhanced photoelectrochemical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Sujun; Mu, Jiuke; Mao, Ruiyi; Li, Yaogang; Zhang, Qinghong; Wang, Hongzhi

2014-04-23

The multilaminated ZnO/TiO2 heterojunction films were successfully deposited on conductive substrates including fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and flexible indium tin oxide coated poly(ethylene terephthalate) via the layer-by-layer (LBL) self assembly method from the oxide colloids without using any polyelectrolytes. The positively charged ZnO nanoparticles and the negatively charged TiO2 nanoparticles were directly used as the components in the consecutive deposition process to prepare the heterojunction thin films by varying the thicknesses. Moreover, the crystal growth of both oxides could be efficiently inhibited by the good connection between ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles even after calcination at 500 °C, especially for ZnO which was able to keep the crystallite size under 25 nm. The as-prepared films were used as the working electrodes in the three-electrode photoelectrochemical cells. Because the well-contacted nanoscale heterojunctions were formed during the LBL self-assembling process, the ZnO/TiO2 all-nanoparticle films deposited on both substrates showed remarkably enhanced photoelectrochemical properties compared to that of the well-established TiO2 LBL thin films with similar thicknesses. The photocurrent response collected from the ZnO/TiO2 electrode on the FTO glass substrate was about five times higher than that collected from the TiO2 electrode. Owing to the absence of the insulating layer of dried polyelectrolytes, the ZnO/TiO2 all-nanoparticle heterojunction films were expected to be used in the photoelectrochemical device before calcination.

Effects of the top-electrode preparation method on the ferroelectric properties of Pt/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3/Pt thin film capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Gu; Lee, Jae Gab; Kim, Sun Jae

2006-01-01

The deformation in the hysteresis loop of Pt/PZT/Pt thin-film capacitors due to deposition and patterning of the top electrode has been investigated. The PZT film was aged during the deposition of the top electrode and was positively poled during reactive ion etching (RIE). The PZT film having sputtered top electrode was very sensitive to the RIE process. The film with a thinner top electrode showed less initial switching polarization due to less compressive stress, but better fatigue characteristics due to an enhanced partial-switching region.

Contact Resistance Reduction of ZnO Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) with Saw-Shaped Electrode

KAUST Repository

Park, Woojin

2018-05-15

We report a saw-shaped electrode architecture ZnO thin film transistor (TFT) for effectively increase channel width. Such a saw-shaped electrode has ~2 times longer contact line at the contact metal/ZnO channel junction. We experimentally observed an enhancement in the output drive current by 50% and reduction in the contact resistance by over 50%, when compared to a typical shaped electrode ZnO TFT consuming the same chip area. This performance enhancement is attributed to extension of channel width. This technique can contribute to device performance enhancement and especially reduction in the contact resistance which is a serious challenge.

Indium Sulfide and Indium Oxide Thin Films Spin-Coated from Triethylammonium Indium Thioacetate Precursor for n-Channel Thin Film Transistor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tung, Duy Dao; Jeong, Hyun Dam [Chonnam Natioal University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2014-09-15

The In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films of tetragonal structure and In{sub 2}O{sub 3} films of cubic structure were synthesized by a spin coating method from the organometallic compound precursor triethylammonium indium thioacetate ([(Et){sub 3}NH]+ [In(SCOCH{sub 3}){sub 4}]''-; TEA-InTAA). In order to determine the electron mobility of the spin-coated TEA-InTAA films, thin film transistors (TFTs) with an inverted structure using a gate dielectric of thermal oxide (SiO{sub 2}) was fabricated. These devices exhibited n-channel TFT characteristics with a field-effect electron mobility of 10.1 cm''2 V''-1s''-1 at a curing temperature of 500 o C, indicating that the semiconducting thin film material is applicable for use in low-cost, solution-processed printable electronics.

Enhanced performance of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistors using different metals for source/drain electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Pyo, Ju-Young; Cho, Won-Ju

2017-09-01

In this paper, we propose an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with off-planed source/drain electrodes. We applied different metals for the source/drain electrodes with Ni and Ti to control the work function as high and low. When we measured the configuration of Ni to drain and source to Ti, the a-IGZO TFT showed increased driving current, decreased leakage current, a high on/off current ratio, low subthreshold swing, and high mobility. In addition, we conducted a reliability test with a gate bias stress test at various temperatures. The results of the reliability test showed the Ni drain and Ti drain had an equivalent effective energy barrier height. Thus, we confirmed that the proposed off-planed structure improved the electrical characteristics of the fabricated devices without any degradation of characteristics. Through the a-IGZO TFT with different source/drain electrode metal engineering, we realized high-performance TFTs for next-generation display devices.

Hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy of transition-metal oxide thin films and interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadati, H.; Fujimori, A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Photoemission spectroscopy is a powerful technique to study the electronic structures of transition-metal oxides. •Hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HXPES) is a new type of photoemission spectroscopy which can probe bulk states. •HXPES is very suitable for studying oxide thin films such as the composition dependence and the film thickness dependence. -- Abstract: Photoemission spectroscopy is a powerful experimental technique to study the electronic structures of solids, especially of transition-metal oxides. Recently, hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HXPES) has emerged as a more relevant experimental technique to obtain clear information about bulk states. Here, we describe how HXPES can be conveniently applied to study the interesting subjects on oxide thin films such as the composition dependence and the film thickness dependence of the electronic structures and the interfacial electronic structure of multilayers

Mobility Enhancement in Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O Thin-Film Transistor by Induced Metallic in Nanoparticles and Cu Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shiben; Ning, Honglong; Lu, Kuankuan; Fang, Zhiqiang; Li, Yuzhi; Yao, Rihui; Xu, Miao; Wang, Lei; Peng, Junbiao; Lu, Xubing

2018-03-27

In this work, we fabricated a high-mobility amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) based on alumina oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) passivation layer (PVL) and copper (Cu) source/drain electrodes (S/D). The mechanism of the high mobility for a-IGZO TFT was proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The conductivity of the channel layer was significantly improved due to the formation of metallic In nanoparticles on the back channel during Al 2 O 3 PVL sputtering. In addition, Ar atmosphere annealing induced the Schottky contact formation between the Cu S/D and the channel layer caused by Cu diffusion. In conjunction with high conductivity channel and Schottky contact, the a-IGZO TFT based on Cu S/D and Al 2 O 3 PVL exhibited remarkable mobility of 33.5-220.1 cm 2 /Vs when channel length varies from 60 to 560 μ m. This work presents a feasible way to implement high mobility and Cu electrodes in a-IGZO TFT, simultaneously.

Fabrication of Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film and its tunable energetics and tailorable optical properties

OpenAIRE

Ruijin Hong; Jialin Ji; Chunxian Tao; Daohua Zhang; Dawei Zhang

2017-01-01

Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film was fabricated. The effects of graphene oxide (GO) and bimetal on the structure and optical properties of metal silver films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption, and Raman intensity measurements, respectively. Compared to silver thin film, Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure composite thin films were observed with wider optical absorption peak and enhanced absorption intensity. The Raman signal for Rhodamine B ...

Study on the Preparation and Properties of Colored Iron Oxide Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xianhui; Li Changhong; Liu Qiuping; He Junjing; Wang Hai; Liang Song; Duan Yandong; Liu Su

2013-01-01

Colored iron oxide thin films were prepared using Sol-gel technique. The raw materials were tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), etoh ehanol (EtOH), iron nitrate, and de-ionized water. Various properties were measured and analysed, including the colour of thin films, surface topography, UV-Visible spectra, corrosion resistance and hydrophobicity. To understand how these properties influenced the structural and optical properties of Fe 2 O 3 thin films, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), UV Spectrophotometer and other facilities were employed. Many parameters influence the performance of thin films, such as film layers, added H 2 O content, and the amount of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). When the volume ratio of TEOS, EtOH and H 2 O was 15: 13: 1, the quality of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O was 6g, and pH value was 3, reddish and uniform Fe 2 O 3 thin films with excellent properties were produced. Obtained thin films possessed corrosion resistance in hydrochloric acid with pH=l and the absorption edge wavelength was ∼350.2nm. Different H 2 O contents could result in different morphologies of Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles. When 1.5 ml PDMS was added into the Sol, thin films possessed hydrophobiliry without dropping. Coating with different layers, thin films appeared different morphologies. Meanwhile, with the increment of film layers, the absorbance increased gradually.

Low-temperature growth and electronic structures of ambipolar Yb-doped zinc tin oxide transparent thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Seol Hee; Ferblantier, Gerald; Park, Young Sang; Schmerber, Guy; Dinia, Aziz; Slaoui, Abdelilah; Jo, William

2018-05-01

The compositional dependence of the crystal structure, optical transmittance, and surface electric properties of the zinc tin oxide (Zn-Sn-O, shortened ZTO) thin films were investigated. ZTO thin films with different compositional ratios were fabricated on glass and p-silicon wafers using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The binding energy of amorphous ZTO thin films was examined by a X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The optical transmittance over 70% in the visible region for all the ZTO films was observed. The optical band gap of the ZTO films was changed as a result of the competition between the Burstein-Moss effect and renormalization. An electron concentration in the films and surface work function distribution were measured by a Hall measurement and Kelvin probe force microscopy, respectively. The mobility of the n- and p-type ZTO thin films have more than 130 cm2/V s and 15 cm2/V s, respectively. We finally constructed the band structure which contains band gap, work function, and band edges such as valence band maximum and conduction band minimum of ZTO thin films. The present study results suggest that the ZTO thin film is competitive compared with the indium tin oxide, which is a representative material of the transparent conducting oxides, regarding optoelectronic devices applications.

The Effects of Postprocessing on Physical and Solution Deposition of Complex Oxide Thin Films for Tunable Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-01

BST film capacitor devices were fabricated using physical and chemical solution deposition techniques. The typical dielectric constant of the...electrode loss, and the parallel resistor- capacitor circuit represents the capacitance and the dielectric loss, assuming lead inductance is...Thin barium strontium titanate (BST) films are being developed as dielectric film for use in tunable radio frequency (RF)/microwave applications. Thin

The Microstructures and Electrical Resistivity of (Al, Cr, TiFeCoNiOx High-Entropy Alloy Oxide Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Huei Tsau

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The (Al, Cr, TiFeCoNi alloy thin films were deposited by PVD and using the equimolar targets with same compositions from the concept of high-entropy alloys. The thin films became metal oxide films after annealing at vacuum furnace for a period; and the resistivity of these thin films decreased sharply. After optimum annealing treatment, the lowest resistivity of the FeCoNiOx, CrFeCoNiOx, AlFeCoNiOx, and TiFeCoNiOx films was 22, 42, 18, and 35 μΩ-cm, respectively. This value is close to that of most of the metallic alloys. This phenomenon was caused by delaminating of the alloy oxide thin films because the oxidation was from the surfaces of the thin films. The low resistivity of these oxide films was contributed to the nonfully oxidized elements in the bottom layers and also vanishing of the defects during annealing.

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.

Cuprous oxide thin films grown by hydrothermal electrochemical deposition technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majumder, M.; Biswas, I.; Pujaru, S.; Chakraborty, A.K.

2015-01-01

Semiconducting cuprous oxide films were grown by a hydrothermal electro-deposition technique on metal (Cu) and glass (ITO) substrates between 60 °C and 100 °C. X-ray diffraction studies reveal the formation of cubic cuprous oxide films in different preferred orientations depending upon the deposition technique used. Film growth, uniformity, grain size, optical band gap and photoelectrochemical response were found to improve in the hydrothermal electrochemical deposition technique. - Highlights: • Cu 2 O thin films were grown on Cu and glass substrates. • Conventional and hydrothermal electrochemical deposition techniques were used. • Hydrothermal electrochemical growth showed improved morphology, thickness and optical band gap

Discharge amplified photo-emission from ultra-thin films applied to tuning work function of transparent electrodes in organic opto-electronic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentle, A.R.; Smith, G.B.; Watkins, S.E.

2013-01-01

A novel photoemission technique utilising localised discharge amplification of photo-yield is reported. It enables fast, accurate measurement of work function and ionisation potential for ultra-thin buffer layers vacuum deposited onto single and multilayer transparent conducting electrodes for organic solar cells and OLED's. Work function in most traditional transparent electrodes has to be raised to maximise charge transfer while high transmittance and high conductance must be retained. Results are presented for a range of metal oxide buffers, which achieve this goal. This compact photo-yield spectroscopy tool with its fast turn-around has been a valuable development aid since ionisation potential can vary significantly as deposition conditions change slightly, and as ultra-thin films grow. It has also been useful in tracking the impact of different post deposition cleaning treatments along with some storage and transport protocols, which can adversely reduce ionisation potential and hence subsequent device performance.

Hafnium carbide formation in oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodenbücher, C. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), JARA-FIT, 52425 Jülich (Germany); Hildebrandt, E.; Sharath, S. U.; Kurian, J.; Komissinskiy, P.; Alff, L. [Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institute of Materials Science, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Szot, K. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), JARA-FIT, 52425 Jülich (Germany); University of Silesia, A. Chełkowski Institute of Physics, 40-007 Katowice (Poland); Breuer, U. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Central Institute for Engineering, Electronics and Analytics (ZEA-3), 52425 Jülich (Germany); Waser, R. [Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI-7), JARA-FIT, 52425 Jülich (Germany); RWTH Aachen, Institute of Electronic Materials (IWE 2), 52056 Aachen (Germany)

2016-06-20

On highly oxygen deficient thin films of hafnium oxide (hafnia, HfO{sub 2−x}) contaminated with adsorbates of carbon oxides, the formation of hafnium carbide (HfC{sub x}) at the surface during vacuum annealing at temperatures as low as 600 °C is reported. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy the evolution of the HfC{sub x} surface layer related to a transformation from insulating into metallic state is monitored in situ. In contrast, for fully stoichiometric HfO{sub 2} thin films prepared and measured under identical conditions, the formation of HfC{sub x} was not detectable suggesting that the enhanced adsorption of carbon oxides on oxygen deficient films provides a carbon source for the carbide formation. This shows that a high concentration of oxygen vacancies in carbon contaminated hafnia lowers considerably the formation energy of hafnium carbide. Thus, the presence of a sufficient amount of residual carbon in resistive random access memory devices might lead to a similar carbide formation within the conducting filaments due to Joule heating.

Effect of Annealing on Tungsten Oxide Thin Films for Acetone Gas ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

11

Abstract: The gas sensing properties and topology of tungsten oxide thin films ..... Figure 3: Atomic force microscopy images of sensing film for (a) as-deposited (a) .... the surface, it forms compounds with the oxygen ions species present on the ...

Effect of post annealing treatment on electrochromic properties of spray deposited niobium oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujawar, S.H.; Inamdar, A.I.; Betty, C.A.; Ganesan, V.; Patil, P.S.

2007-01-01

Niobium oxide thin films were deposited on the glass and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates using simple and inexpensive spray pyrolysis technique. During deposition of the films various process parameters like nozzle to substrate distance, spray rate, concentration of sprayed solution were optimized to obtain well adherent and transparent films. The films prepared were further annealed and effect of post annealing on the structural, morphological, optical and electrochromic properties was studied. Structural and morphological characterizations of the films were carried out using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Electrochemical properties of the niobium oxide thin films were studied by using cyclic-voltammetry, chronoamperometry and chronocoulometry

Preparation of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Thin Film as Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) from Zinc Complex Compound on Thin Film Solar Cells: A Study of O2 Effect on Annealing Process

Science.gov (United States)

Muslih, E. Y.; Kim, K. H.

2017-07-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for thin film solar cell application was successfully prepared through two step preparations which consisted of deposition by spin coating at 2000 rpm for 10 second and followed by annealing at 500 °C for 2 hours under O2 and ambient atmosphere. Zinc acetate dehydrate was used as a precursor which dissolved in ethanol and acetone (1:1 mol) mixture in order to make a zinc complex compound. In this work, we reported the O2 effect, reaction mechanism, structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties. ZnO thin film in this work shows a single phase of wurtzite, with n-type semiconductor and has band gap, carrier concentration, mobility, and resistivity as 3.18 eV, 1.21 × 10-19cm3, 11 cm2/Vs, 2.35 × 10-3 Ωcm respectively which is suitable for TCO at thin film solar cell.

Tungsten oxide thin films obtained by anodisation in low electrolyte concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Nadja B.D. da [Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Capão do Leão, s/n, Pelotas, RS (Brazil); Pazinato, Julia C.O. [Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Sombrio, Guilherme; Pereira, Marcelo B.; Boudinov, Henri [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Gündel, André; Moreira, Eduardo C. [Universidade Federal do Pampa, Travessa 45, 1650 Bagé, RS (Brazil); Garcia, Irene T.S., E-mail: irene.garcia@ufrgs.br [Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500 Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2015-03-02

Tungsten oxide nanostructured films were grown on tungsten substrates by anodisation under a fixed voltage and with sodium fluoride as electrolyte. The effect of the anion chloride and the influence of the modifying agent disodium hydrogen phosphate in the tungsten oxide films were also investigated. The structural characterisation of the films was performed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The band gap was determined through diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The thin films were photoluminescent and emitted in the range of 300 to 630 nm when irradiated at 266 nm. The synthesised films efficiently degraded of methyl orange dye in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and 250 nm radiation. The modifying agent was responsible for the improvement of the photocatalytic activity. Films with similar photocatalytic performance were obtained when the system sodium fluoride and disodium hydrogen phosphate were replaced by sodium chloride. The porous structure and low band gap values were responsible for the photocatalytic behaviour. - Highlights: • Tungsten oxide thin films were obtained by anodisation of tungsten in aqueous media. • The performance of the NaCl, NaF and NaF/Na{sub 2}HPO{sub 4} as electrolytes was investigated. • The relation between structure and optical behaviour has been discussed. • Films obtained with NaCl and NaF/Na{sub 2}HPO{sub 4} present similar photocatalytic activity.

Highly transparent and conductive double-layer oxide thin films as anodes for organic light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yu; Wang Lian; Yan He; Jin Shu; Marks, Tobin J.; Li Shuyou

2006-01-01

Double-layer transparent conducting oxide thin film structures containing In-doped CdO (CIO) and Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO) layers were grown on glass by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and ion-assisted deposition (IAD), respectively, and used as anodes for polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). These films have a very low overall In content of 16 at. %. For 180-nm-thick CIO/ITO films, the sheet resistance is 5.6 Ω/□, and the average optical transmittance is 87.1% in the 400-700 nm region. The overall figure of merit (Φ=T 10 /R sheet ) of the double-layer CIO/ITO films is significantly greater than that of single-layer CIO, IAD-ITO, and commercial ITO films. CIO/ITO-based PLEDs exhibit comparable or superior device performance versus ITO-based control devices. CIO/ITO materials have a much lower sheet resistance than ITO, rendering them promising low In content electrode materials for large-area optoelectronic devices

Cholesterol biosensor based on rf sputtered zinc oxide nanoporous thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, S. P.; Arya, Sunil K.; Pandey, Pratibha; Malhotra, B. D.; Saha, Shibu; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

2007-01-01

Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized onto zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoporous thin films grown on gold surface. A preferred c-axis oriented ZnO thin film with porous surface morphology has been fabricated by rf sputtering under high pressure. Optical studies and cyclic voltammetric measurements show that the ChOx/ZnO/Au bioelectrode is sensitive to the detection of cholesterol in 25-400 mg/dl range. A relatively low value of enzyme's kinetic parameter (Michaelis-Menten constant) ∼2.1 mM indicates enhanced enzyme affinity of ChOx to cholesterol. The observed results show promising application of nanoporous ZnO thin film for biosensing application without any functionalization

Ion beam analysis of PECVD silicon oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez-Lima, F.; Rodriguez, J.A.; Pedrero, E.; Fonseca Filho, H.D.; Llovera, A.; Riera, M.; Dominguez, C.; Behar, M.; Zawislak, F.C.

2006-01-01

A study of ion beam analysis techniques of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) silicon oxide thin films (1 μm thick) obtained from silane (SiH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is reported. The film, elemental composition and surface morphology were determined as function of the reactant gas flow ratio, R = [N 2 O]/[SiH 4 ] in the 22-110 range using the Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nuclear reaction analysis and atomic force microscopy techniques. The density of the films was determined by combining the RBS and thickness measurements. All the experiments were done at a deposition temperature of 300 deg. C. In all the cases almost stoichiometric oxides were obtained being the impurity content function of R. It was also observed that physical properties such as density, surface roughness and shape factor increase with R in the studied interval

Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide thin films prepared by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Zinc oxide thin films were prepared with ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer as the reaction moderating agent in the chemical bath deposition technique. An observable color change during the reaction due to variations in the reactants concentration indicated the existence of the cupric (CuO) and cuprous (Cu2O) oxides ...

High stability mechanisms of quinary indium gallium zinc aluminum oxide multicomponent oxide films and thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ching-Ting; Lin, Yung-Hao; Lin, Jhong-Ham

2015-01-01

Quinary indium gallium zinc aluminum oxide (IGZAO) multicomponent oxide films were deposited using indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) target and Al target by radio frequency magnetron cosputtering system. An extra carrier transport pathway could be provided by the 3 s orbitals of Al cations to improve the electrical properties of the IGZO films, and the oxygen instability could be stabilized by the strong Al-O bonds in the IGZAO films. The electron concentration change and the electron mobility change of the IGZAO films for aging time of 10 days under an air environment at 40 °C and 75% humidity were 20.1% and 2.4%, respectively. The experimental results verified the performance stability of the IGZAO films. Compared with the thin film transistors (TFTs) using conventional IGZO channel layer, in conducting the stability of TFTs with IGZAO channel layer, the transconductance g m change, threshold voltage V T change, and the subthreshold swing S value change under the same aging condition were improved to 7.9%, 10.5%, and 14.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the stable performances of the IGZAO TFTs were also verified by the positive gate bias stress. In this research, the quinary IGZAO multicomponent oxide films and that applied in TFTs were the first studied in the literature

High stability mechanisms of quinary indium gallium zinc aluminum oxide multicomponent oxide films and thin film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ching-Ting, E-mail: ctlee@ee.ncku.edu.tw; Lin, Yung-Hao; Lin, Jhong-Ham [Institute of Microelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy (RCETS), National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (China)

2015-01-28

Quinary indium gallium zinc aluminum oxide (IGZAO) multicomponent oxide films were deposited using indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) target and Al target by radio frequency magnetron cosputtering system. An extra carrier transport pathway could be provided by the 3 s orbitals of Al cations to improve the electrical properties of the IGZO films, and the oxygen instability could be stabilized by the strong Al-O bonds in the IGZAO films. The electron concentration change and the electron mobility change of the IGZAO films for aging time of 10 days under an air environment at 40 °C and 75% humidity were 20.1% and 2.4%, respectively. The experimental results verified the performance stability of the IGZAO films. Compared with the thin film transistors (TFTs) using conventional IGZO channel layer, in conducting the stability of TFTs with IGZAO channel layer, the transconductance g{sub m} change, threshold voltage V{sub T} change, and the subthreshold swing S value change under the same aging condition were improved to 7.9%, 10.5%, and 14.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the stable performances of the IGZAO TFTs were also verified by the positive gate bias stress. In this research, the quinary IGZAO multicomponent oxide films and that applied in TFTs were the first studied in the literature.

High performance In2O3 thin film transistors using chemically derived aluminum oxide dielectric

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.

2013-07-18

We report high performance solution-deposited indium oxide thin film transistors with field-effect mobility of 127 cm2/Vs and an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. This excellent performance is achieved by controlling the hydroxyl group content in chemically derived aluminum oxide (AlOx) thin-film dielectrics. The AlOx films annealed in the temperature range of 250–350 °C showed higher amount of Al-OH groups compared to the films annealed at 500 °C, and correspondingly higher mobility. It is proposed that the presence of Al-OH groups at the AlOx surface facilitates unintentional Al-doping and efficient oxidation of the indium oxide channel layer, leading to improved device performance.

High performance In2O3 thin film transistors using chemically derived aluminum oxide dielectric

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Cha, Dong Kyu; Alshareef, Husam N.

2013-01-01

We report high performance solution-deposited indium oxide thin film transistors with field-effect mobility of 127 cm2/Vs and an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. This excellent performance is achieved by controlling the hydroxyl group content in chemically derived aluminum oxide (AlOx) thin-film dielectrics. The AlOx films annealed in the temperature range of 250–350 °C showed higher amount of Al-OH groups compared to the films annealed at 500 °C, and correspondingly higher mobility. It is proposed that the presence of Al-OH groups at the AlOx surface facilitates unintentional Al-doping and efficient oxidation of the indium oxide channel layer, leading to improved device performance.

Electrode contacts on ferroelectric Pb(Zr x Ti1−x )O3 and SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films and their influence on fatigue properties

OpenAIRE

Lee, J. J.; Thio, C. L.; Desu, Seshu B.

1995-01-01

The degradation (fatigue) of dielectric properties of ferroelectric Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O-3 (PZT) and SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films during cycling was investigated. PZT and SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films were fabricated by metalorganic decomposition and pulsed laser deposition, respectively. Samples with electrodes of platinum (Pt) and ruthenium oxide (RuO2) were studied. The interfacial capacitance (if any) at the Pt/PZT, RuO2/PZT, and Pt/SrBi2Ta2O9 interfaces was determined from the thickness dependence of low-fiel...

Thin film microelectrodes for electrochemical detection of neurotransmitters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Simon Tylsgaard

An important signaling process in the nervous system is the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters from neurons. In this thesis alternative thin film electrode materials for applications targeting electrochemical detection of neurotransmitters in chip devices were evaluated...... and conductive polymer microelectrodes made of Pedot:Pss were also fabricated and used successfully to measure transmitter release from cells. The use of different thin film electrodes for low-noise amperometric measurements of single events of transmitter release from neuronal cells was studied....... For this application a very low current noise is needed together with a large temporal resolution. It was shown, that resistive and capacitive properties of thin film electrode materials are determining their usefulness in low-noise amperometric measurements. An analytical expression for the noise was derived...

Preparation of Li4Ti5O12 electrode thin films by a mist CVD process with aqueous precursor solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiyoharu Tadanaga

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Spinel Li4Ti5O12 thin films were prepared by a mist CVD process, using an aqueous solution of lithium nitrate and a water-soluble titanium lactate complex as the source of Li and Ti, respectively. In this process, mist particles ultrasonically atomized from a source aqueous solution were transferred by nitrogen gas to a heating substrate to prepare thin films. Scanning electron microscopy observation showed that thin films obtained by this process were dense and smooth, and thin films with a thickness of about 500 nm were obtained. In the X-ray diffraction analysis, formation of Li4Ti5O12 spinel phase was confirmed in the obtained thin film sintered at 700 °C for 4 h. The cell with the thin films as an electrode exhibited a capacity of about 110 mAh g−1, and the cell showed good cycling performance during 10 cycles.

TiFeCoNi oxide thin film - A new composition with extremely low electrical resistivity at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Ya-Chu; Tsau, Chun-Huei; Yeh, Jien-Wei

2011-01-01

We show the electrical resistivity of a TiFeCoNi oxide thin film. The electrical resistivity of the TiFeCoNi thin film decreased sharply after a suitable period of oxidation at high temperature. The lowest resistivity of the TiFeCoNi oxide film was 35 ± 3 μΩ-cm. The low electrical resistivity of the TiFeCoNi oxide thin film was attributed to Ti, which is more reactive than the other elements, reacting with oxygen at the initial stage of annealing. The low resistivity is caused by the remaining electrons.

In situ photoelectrochemistry and Raman spectroscopic characterization on the surface oxide film of nickel electrode in 30 wt.% KOH solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nan Junmin; Yang Yong; Lin Zugeng

2006-01-01

The oxide films of nickel electrode formed in 30 wt.% KOH solution under potentiodynamic conditions were characterized by means of electrochemical, in situ PhotoElectrochemistry Measurement (PEM) and Confocal Microprobe Raman spectroscopic techniques. The results showed that a composite oxide film was produced on nickel electrode, in which aroused cathodic or anodic photocurrent depending upon polarization potentials. The cathodic photocurrent at -0.8 V was raised from the amorphous film containing nickel hydroxide and nickel monoxide, and mainly attributed to the formation of NiO through the separation of the cavity and electron when laser light irradiates nickel electrode. With the potential increasing to more positive values, Ni 3 O 4 and high-valence nickel oxides with the structure of NiO 2 were formed successively. The composite film formed in positive potential aroused anodic photocurrent from 0.33 V. The anodic photocurrent was attributed the formation of oxygen through the cavity reaction with hydroxyl on solution interface. In addition, it is demonstrated that the reduction resultants of high-valence nickel oxides were amorphous, and the oxide film could not be reduced completely. A stable oxide film could be gradually formed on the surface of nickel electrode with the cycling and aging in 30 wt.% KOH solution

Investigation of structural, morphological and electrical properties of APCVD vanadium oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadimitropoulos, Georgios; Trantalidis, Stelios; Tsiatouras, Athanasios; Vasilopoulou, Maria; Davazoglou, Dimitrios; Kostis, Ioannis

2015-01-01

Vanadium oxide films were chemically vapor deposited (CVD) on oxidized Si substrates covered with CVD tungsten (W) thin films and on glass substrates covered with indium tin oxide (ITO) films, using vanadium(V) oxy-tri-isopropoxide (C 9 H 21 O 4 V) vapors. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the deposited films were composed of a mixture of vanadium oxides; the composition was determined mainly by the deposition temperature and less by the precursor temperature. At temperatures up to 450 C the films were mostly composed by monoclinic VO 2 . Other peaks corresponding to various vanadium oxides were also observed. X-ray microanalysis confirmed the composition of the films. The surface morphology was studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These measurements revealed that the morphology strongly depends on the used substrate and the deposition conditions. The well-known metal-insulator transition was observed near 75 C for films mostly composed by monoclinic VO 2 . Films deposited at 450 C exhibited two transitions one near 50 C and the other near 60 C possibly related to the presence of other vanadium phases or of important stresses in them. Finally, the vanadium oxide thin films exhibited significant sensory capabilities decreasing their resistance in the presence of hydrogen gas with response times in the order of a few seconds and working temperature at 40 C. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Superconducting oxide thin films by ion beam sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobrin, P.H.; DeNatale, J.F.; Housley, R.M.; Flintoff, J.F.; Harker, A.B.

1987-01-01

Superconducting thin films of ternary copper oxides from the Y-Ba-Cu-O and La-Sr-Cu-O systems have been deposited by ion beam sputtering of ceramic targets. Crystallographic orientation of the polycrystalline films has been shown to vary with substrate identity, deposition temperature and annealing temperature. The onset of the superconductive transition occurs near 90K in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system. Fe impurities of < 0.2% have been found to inhibit the superconducting transition, probably by migrating to the grain boundaries

Roll-to-Roll sputtered ITO/Cu/ITO multilayer electrode for flexible, transparent thin film heaters and electrochromic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sung-Hyun; Lee, Sang-Mok; Ko, Eun-Hye; Kim, Tae-Ho; Nah, Yoon-Chae; Lee, Sang-Jin; Lee, Jae Heung; Kim, Han-Ki

2016-09-22

We fabricate high-performance, flexible, transparent electrochromic (EC) films and thin film heaters (TFHs) on an ITO/Cu/ITO (ICI) multilayer electrode prepared by continuous roll-to-roll (RTR) sputtering of ITO and Cu targets. The RTR-sputtered ICI multilayer on a 700 mm wide PET substrate at room temperature exhibits a sheet resistance of 11.8 Ω/square and optical transmittance of 73.9%, which are acceptable for the fabrication of flexible and transparent EC films and TFHs. The effect of the Cu interlayer thickness on the electrical and optical properties of the ICI multilayer was investigated in detail. The bending and cycling fatigue tests demonstrate that the RTR-sputtered ICI multilayer was more flexible than a single ITO film because of high strain failure of the Cu interlayer. The flexible and transparent EC films and TFHs fabricated on the ICI electrode show better performances than reference EC films and TFHs with a single ITO electrode. Therefore, the RTR-sputtered ICI multilayer is the best substitute for the conventional ITO film electrode in order to realize flexible, transparent, cost-effective and large-area EC devices and TFHs that can be used as flexible and smart windows.

Mechanism of manganese (mono and di) telluride thin-film formation and properties

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Raj Kishore; Singh, Gurmeet; Shul, Yong Gun; Kim, Hansung

2007-03-01

Mechanistic studies on the electrocrystallization of manganese telluride (MnTe) thin film are reported using aqueous acidic solution containing MnSO 4 and TeO 2. Tartaric acid was used for the inhibition of hydrated manganese oxide anodic growth at counter electrode. A detailed study on the mechanistic aspect of electrochemical growth of MnTe using cyclic voltametry is carried out. Conditions for electrochemical growth of manganese mono and di telluride thin films have been reported using cyclic voltammetric scans for Mn 2+, Te 4+ and combined Mn 2+ and Te 4+. X-ray diffraction showed the formation of polycrystalline MnTe films with cubic, hexagonal and orthorhombic mixed phases. MnTe film morphology was studied using scanning electron microscope. Susceptibility and electrical characterization supports the anti-ferromagnetic behavior of the as-deposited MnTe thin film.

Preparation and spectroscopic analysis of zinc oxide nanorod thin films of different thicknesses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mia Nasrul Haque

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Zinc oxide thin films with different thicknesses were prepared on microscopic glass slides by sol-gel spin coating method, then hydrothermal process was applied to produce zinc oxide nanorod arrays. The nanorod thin films were characterized by various spectroscopic methods of analysis. From the images of field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM, it was observed that for the film thickness up to 200 nm the formed nanorods with wurtzite hexagonal structure were uniformly distributed over the entire surface substrate. From X-ray diffraction analysis it was revealed that the thin films had good polycrystalline nature with highly preferred c-axis orientation along (0 0 2 plane. The optical characterization done by UV-Vis spectrometer showed that all the films had high transparency of 83 % to 96 % in the visible region and sharp cut off at ultraviolet region of electromagnetic spectrum. The band gap of the films decreased as their thickness increased. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS showed the presence of zinc and oxygen elements in the films and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR revealed the chemical composition of ZnO in the film.

Preparation of PZT thin films on YBCO electrodes by KrF excimer laser ablation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurogi, H.; Yamagata, Y.; Ebihara, K.

1998-01-01

Pb(Zr X Ti 1-X )O 3 (PZT) films have excellent ferroelectric, optical, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. We prepared PZT thin films by the excimer laser ablation technique. A pulsed KrF excimer laser (Lambda Physik LPX305icc, pulse duration of 25 ns, λ=248 nm, 850 mJ Max.) was used to ablate the bulk targets. We investigated the influence of bottom electrode materials on the characteristics of the PZT thin films prepared on Pt and YBCO underlayers. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the PZT films prepared with a laser fluence of 2 Jcm -2 on YBCO/MgO(100) substrate at a wide temperature range of 550-680 C have a perovskite (001) structure. At the same laser fluence, the PZT films prepared on Pt/MgO(100) substrate have a perovskite (001) structure only at 650 C. The polarization-electric field (P-E) characteristics and fatigue properties of PZT thin films were measured by the Sawyer-Tower circuit. The remnant polarization and coercive field have been found to be P r =15 μC cm -2 , 30 μC cm -2 and E c =200 kV cm -1 , 100 kV cm -1 for Au/PZT/Pt/MgO and Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO correspondingly. The remnant polarization of Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO thin film was reduced to one-half after about 10 8 cycles of switching. (orig.)

Direct Inkjet Printing of Silver Source/Drain Electrodes on an Amorphous InGaZnO Layer for Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Honglong; Chen, Jianqiu; Fang, Zhiqiang; Tao, Ruiqiang; Cai, Wei; Yao, Rihui; Hu, Shiben; Zhu, Zhennan; Zhou, Yicong; Yang, Caigui; Peng, Junbiao

2017-01-10

Printing technologies for thin-film transistors (TFTs) have recently attracted much interest owing to their eco-friendliness, direct patterning, low cost, and roll-to-roll manufacturing processes. Lower production costs could result if electrodes fabricated by vacuum processes could be replaced by inkjet printing. However, poor interfacial contacts and/or serious diffusion between the active layer and the silver electrodes are still problematic for achieving amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) TFTs with good electrical performance. In this paper, silver (Ag) source/drain electrodes were directly inkjet-printed on an amorphous a-IGZO layer to fabricate TFTs that exhibited a mobility of 0.29 cm²·V -1 ·s -1 and an on/off current ratio of over 10⁵. To the best of our knowledge, this is a major improvement for bottom-gate top-contact a-IGZO TFTs with directly printed silver electrodes on a substrate with no pretreatment. This study presents a promising alternative method of fabricating electrodes of a-IGZO TFTs with desirable device performance.

Direct Inkjet Printing of Silver Source/Drain Electrodes on an Amorphous InGaZnO Layer for Thin-Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Honglong Ning

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Printing technologies for thin-film transistors (TFTs have recently attracted much interest owing to their eco-friendliness, direct patterning, low cost, and roll-to-roll manufacturing processes. Lower production costs could result if electrodes fabricated by vacuum processes could be replaced by inkjet printing. However, poor interfacial contacts and/or serious diffusion between the active layer and the silver electrodes are still problematic for achieving amorphous indium–gallium–zinc–oxide (a-IGZO TFTs with good electrical performance. In this paper, silver (Ag source/drain electrodes were directly inkjet-printed on an amorphous a-IGZO layer to fabricate TFTs that exhibited a mobility of 0.29 cm2·V−1·s−1 and an on/off current ratio of over 105. To the best of our knowledge, this is a major improvement for bottom-gate top-contact a-IGZO TFTs with directly printed silver electrodes on a substrate with no pretreatment. This study presents a promising alternative method of fabricating electrodes of a-IGZO TFTs with desirable device performance.

Structure evolution of zinc oxide thin films deposited by unbalance DC magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aryanto, Didik, E-mail: didi027@lipi.go.id [Research Center for Physics, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Serpong 15314, Tangerang Selatan (Indonesia); Materials Research Group, Physics Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Gunungpati, Semarang 50229 Jawa Tengah (Indonesia); Marwoto, Putut; Sugianto [Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Gunungpati, Semarang 50229 Jawa Tengah (Indonesia); Materials Research Group, Physics Department, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Gunungpati, Semarang 50229 Jawa Tengah (Indonesia); Sudiro, Toto [Research Center for Physics, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Serpong 15314, Tangerang Selatan (Indonesia); Birowosuto, Muhammad D. [Research Center for Physics, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Serpong 15314, Tangerang Selatan (Indonesia); CINTRA UMI CNRS/NTU/THALES 3288 Research Techno Plaza, 50 Nanyang Drive, Border X Block, level 6, 637553 (Singapore); Sulhadi [Physics Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Gunungpati, Semarang 50229 Jawa Tengah (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are deposited on corning glass substrates using unbalanced DC magnetron sputtering. The effect of growth temperature on surface morphology and crystallographic orientation of ZnO thin film is studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The surface morphology and crystallographic orientation of ZnO thin film are transformed against the increasing of growth temperature. The mean grain size of film and the surface roughness are inversely and directly proportional towards the growth temperature from room temperature to 300 °C, respectively. The smaller grain size and finer roughness of ZnO thin film are obtained at growth temperature of 400 °C. The result of AFM analysis is in good agreement with the result of XRD analysis. ZnO thin films deposited in a series of growth temperatures have hexagonal wurtzite polycrystalline structures and they exhibit transformations in the crystallographic orientation. The results in this study reveal that the growth temperature strongly influences the surface morphology and crystallographic orientation of ZnO thin film.

A „Hybrid“ Thin-Film pH Sensor with Integrated Thick-Film Reference

OpenAIRE

Simonis, Anette; Krings, Thomas; Lüth, Hans; Wang, Joseph; Schöning, Michael J.

2001-01-01

A reference electrode fabricated by means of thick-film technique is deposited onto a silicon substrate and combined with a thin-film pH sensor to a “hybrid†chip system. To evaluate the suitability of this combination, first investigations were carried out. The characteristics of the thin-film pH sensor were studied towards the thick-film Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Measurements were performed in the capacitance/voltage (C/V) and constant capacitance (Concap) mode for different pH ...

Differential reflectometry of thin film metal oxides on copper, tungsten, molybdenum and chromium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urban, F.K. III; Hummel, R.E.; Verink, E.D. Jr.

1982-01-01

A differential reflectometry study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics of thin oxide films on metal substrates. The oxides were produced by heating pure metals of copper, tungsten, molybdenum and chromium in dry oxygen. A new 'halfpolishing' technique was applied to obtain specimens with a step in oxide thickness in order to make them suitable for differential reflectometry. It was found that oxides formed this way yielded the same differential reflectograms as by electrochemical oxidation. A mathematical model involving the interaction of light with a thin corrosion product on metal substrates was applied to generate computer calculated differential reflectograms utilizing various optical constants and thicknesses of the assumed film. Three different thickness ranges have been identified. (a) For large film thicknesses, the differential reflectograms are distinguished by a sequence of interference peaks. (b) If the product of thickness and refraction index of the films is smaller than about 40 nm, no interference peaks are present. Any experimentally observed peaks in differential reflectograms of these films are caused entirely by electron interband transitions. (c) In an intermediate thickness range, superposition of interference and interband peaks are observed. (author)

Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications of CVD Grown Niobium Oxide Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiz, Raquel; Appel, Linus; Gutiérrez-Pardo, Antonio; Ramírez-Rico, Joaquín; Mathur, Sanjay

2016-08-24

We report here on the controlled synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of different polymorphs of niobium pentoxide grown by CVD of new single-source precursors. Nb2O5 films deposited at different temperatures showed systematic phase evolution from low-temperature tetragonal (TT-Nb2O5, T-Nb2O5) to high temperature monoclinic modifications (H-Nb2O5). Optimization of the precursor flux and substrate temperature enabled phase-selective growth of Nb2O5 nanorods and films on conductive mesoporous biomorphic carbon matrices (BioC). Nb2O5 thin films deposited on monolithic BioC scaffolds produced composite materials integrating the high surface area and conductivity of the carbonaceous matrix with the intrinsically high capacitance of nanostructured niobium oxide. Heterojunctions in Nb2O5/BioC composites were found to be beneficial in electrochemical capacitance. Electrochemical characterization of Nb2O5/BioC composites showed that small amounts of Nb2O5 (as low as 5%) in conjunction with BioCarbon resulted in a 7-fold increase in the electrode capacitance, from 15 to 104 F g(-1), while imparting good cycling stability, making these materials ideally suited for electrochemical energy storage applications.

Effect of deposition temperature on the properties of Al-doped ZnO films prepared by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering for transparent electrodes in thin-film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Doo-Soo; Park, Ji-Hyeon; Shin, Beom-Ki; Moon, Kyeong-Ju; Son, Myoungwoo; Ham, Moon-Ho; Lee, Woong; Myoung, Jae-Min

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Surface-textured AZO films were achieved by combining PDMS method with wet etching. ► The AZO film deposited at 230 °C by PDMS exhibited the best performance. ► It is due to the higher plasma density supplied from PDMS system. ► Wet etching of the films produces a crater-like rough surface morphology. - Abstract: A simple but scalable approach to the production of surface-textured Al-doped ZnO(AZO) films for low-cost transparent electrode applications in thin-film solar cells is introduced in this study by combining pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PDMS) with wet etching in sequence. First, structural, electrical, and optical properties of the AZO films prepared by a PDMS were investigated as functions of deposition temperature to obtain transparent electrode films that can be used as indium-free alternative to ITO electrodes. Increase in the deposition temperature to 230 °C accompanied the improvement in crystalline quality and doping efficiency, which enabled the lowest electrical resistivity of 4.16 × 10 −4 Ω cm with the carrier concentration of 1.65 × 10 21 cm −3 and Hall mobility of 11.3 cm 2 /V s. The wet etching of the films in a diluted HCl solution resulted in surface roughening via the formation of crater-like structures without significant degradation in the electrical properties, which is responsible for the enhanced light scattering capability required for anti-reflective electrodes in thin film solar cells.

Nanocomposite oxide thin films grown by pulsed energy beam deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nistor, M.; Petitmangin, A.; Hebert, C.; Seiler, W.

2011-01-01

Highly non-stoichiometric indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown by pulsed energy beam deposition (pulsed laser deposition-PLD and pulsed electron beam deposition-PED) under low oxygen pressure. The analysis of the structure and electrical transport properties showed that ITO films with a large oxygen deficiency (more than 20%) are nanocomposite films with metallic (In, Sn) clusters embedded in a stoichiometric and crystalline oxide matrix. The presence of the metallic clusters induces specific transport properties, i.e. a metallic conductivity via percolation with a superconducting transition at low temperature (about 6 K) and the melting and freezing of the In-Sn clusters in the room temperature to 450 K range evidenced by large changes in resistivity and a hysteresis cycle. By controlling the oxygen deficiency and temperature during the growth, the transport and optical properties of the nanocomposite oxide films could be tuned from metallic-like to insulating and from transparent to absorbing films.

Oxygen Reduction Reaction Activity of Platinum Thin Films with Different Densities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ergul, Busra; Begum, Mahbuba; Kariuki, Nancy; Myers, Deborah J.; Karabacak, Tansel

2017-08-24

Platinum thin films with different densities were grown on glassy carbon electrodes by high pressure sputtering deposition and evaluated as oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells using cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode techniques in aqueous perchloric acid electrolyte. The electrochemically active surface area, ORR mass activity (MA) and specific activity (SA) of the thin film electrodes were obtained. MA and SA were found to be higher for low-density films than for high-density film.

Study of oxide/metal/oxide thin films for transparent electronics and solar cells applications by spectroscopic ellipsometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela Girtan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive study of a class of Oxide/Metal/Oxide (Oxide = ITO, AZO, TiO2 and Bi2O3, Metal = Au thin films was done by correlating the spectrophotometric studies with the ellispometric models. Films were deposited by successive sputtering from metallic targets In:Sn, Zn:Al, Ti and Bi in reactive atmosphere (for the oxide films and respective inert atmosphere (for the metallic Au interlayer films on glass substrates. The measurements of optical constants n—the refractive index and k—the extinction coefficient, at different incident photon energies for single oxide films and also for the three layers films oxide/metal/oxide samples were made using the spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE technique. The ellipsometry modelling process was coupled with the recorded transmission spectra data of a double beam spectrophotometer and the best fitting parameters were obtained not only by fitting the n and k experimental data with the dispersion fitting curves as usual is practiced in the most reported data in literature, but also by comparing the calculated the transmission coefficient from ellipsometry with the experimental values obtained from direct spectrophotometry measurements. In this way the best dispersion model was deduced for each sample. Very good correlations were obtained for the other different thin films characteristics such as the films thickness, optical band gap and electrical resistivity obtained by other measurements and calculation techniques. The ellipsometric modelling, can hence give the possibility in the future to predict, by ellipsometric simulations, the proper device architecture in function of the preferred optical and electrical properties.

Fabrication of Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film and its tunable energetics and tailorable optical properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruijin Hong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure thin film was fabricated. The effects of graphene oxide (GO and bimetal on the structure and optical properties of metal silver films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD, optical absorption, and Raman intensity measurements, respectively. Compared to silver thin film, Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich structure composite thin films were observed with wider optical absorption peak and enhanced absorption intensity. The Raman signal for Rhodamine B molecules based on the Au/graphene oxide/Ag sandwich nanostructure substrate were obviously enhanced due to the bimetal layer and GO layer with tunable absorption intensity and fluorescence quenching effects.

Three-dimensional thin film for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Peng, Zhiwei; Wang, Gunuk; Ruan, Gedeng; Fan, Xiujun; Li, Lei; Fei, Huilong; Hauge, Robert H; Tour, James M

2014-07-22

Three-dimensional heterogeneously nanostructured thin-film electrodes were fabricated by using Ta2O5 nanotubes as a framework to support carbon-onion-coated Fe2O3 nanoparticles along the surface of the nanotubes. Carbon onion layers function as microelectrodes to separate the two different metal oxides and form a nanoscale 3-D sandwich structure. In this way, space-charge layers were formed at the phase boundaries, and it provides additional energy storage by charge separation. These 3-D nanostructured thin films deliver both excellent Li-ion battery properties (stabilized at 800 mAh cm(–3)) and supercapacitor (up to 18.2 mF cm(–2)) performance owing to the synergistic effects of the heterogeneous structure. Thus, Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors are successfully assembled into the same electrode, which is promising for next generation hybrid energy storage and delivery devices.

Polarization Induced Changes in LSM Thin Film Electrode Composition Observed by In Operando Raman Spectroscopy and TOF-SIMS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McIntyre, Melissa D.; Traulsen, Marie Lund; Norrman, Kion

2015-01-01

Polarization induced changes in LSM electrode composition were investigated by utilizing in operando Raman spectroscopy and post mortem TOF-SIMS depth profiling. Experiments were conducted on cells with 160 nm thick (La0.85Sr0.15)0.9MnO3±δ thin film electrodes in 10% O2 at 700 °C under various...

Epitaxial Lift-Off of Centimeter-Scaled Spinel Ferrite Oxide Thin Films for Flexible Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Lvkang; Wu, Liang; Sheng, Quan; Ma, Chunrui; Zhang, Yong; Lu, Lu; Ma, Ji; Ma, Jing; Bian, Jihong; Yang, Yaodong; Chen, Aiping; Lu, Xiaoli; Liu, Ming; Wang, Hong; Jia, Chun-Lin

2017-09-01

Mechanical flexibility of electronic devices has attracted much attention from research due to the great demand in practical applications and rich commercial value. Integration of functional oxide materials in flexible polymer materials has proven an effective way to achieve flexibility of functional electronic devices. However, the chemical and mechanical incompatibilities at the interfaces of dissimilar materials make it still a big challenge to synthesize high-quality single-crystalline oxide thin film directly on flexible polymer substrates. This study reports an improved method that is employed to successfully transfer a centimeter-scaled single-crystalline LiFe 5 O 8 thin film on polyimide substrate. Structural characterizations show that the transferred films have essentially no difference in comparison with the as-grown films with respect to the microstructure. In particular, the transferred LiFe 5 O 8 films exhibit excellent magnetic properties under various mechanical bending statuses and show excellent fatigue properties during the bending cycle tests. These results demonstrate that the improved transfer method provides an effective way to compose single-crystalline functional oxide thin films onto flexible substrates for applications in flexible and wearable electronics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High Performance Flexible Actuator of Urchin-Like ZnO Nanostructure/Polyvinylenefluoride Hybrid Thin Film with Graphene Electrodes for Acoustic Generator and Analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheong, Oug Jae; Lee, James S; Kim, Jae Hyun; Jang, Jyongsik

2016-05-01

A bass frequency response enhanced flexible polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based thin film acoustic actuator is successfully fabricated. High concentrations of various zinc oxide (ZnO) is embedded in PVDF matrix, enhancing the β phase content and the dielectric property of the composite thin film. ZnO acts as a nucleation agent for the crystallization of PVDF. A chemical vapor deposition grown graphene is used as electrodes, enabling high electron mobility for the distortion free acoustic signals. The frequency response of the fabricated acoustic actuator is studied as a function of the film thickness and filler content. The optimized film has a thickness of 80 μm with 30 wt% filler content and shows 72% and 42% frequency response enhancement in bass and midrange compared to the commercial PVDF, respectively. Also, the total harmonic distortion decreases to 82% and 74% in the bass and midrange regions, respectively. Furthermore, the composite film shows a promising potential for microphone applications. Most of all, it is demonstrated that acoustic actuator performance is strongly influenced by degree of PVDF crystalline. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thin, Flexible Supercapacitors Made from Carbon Nanofiber Electrodes Decorated at Room Temperature with Manganese Oxide Nanosheets

OpenAIRE

Nataraj, S. K.; Song, Q.; Al-Muhtaseb, S. A.; Dutton, S. E.; Zhang, Q.; Sivaniah, E.

2013-01-01

We report the fabrication and electrochemical performance of a flexible thin film supercapacitor with a novel nanostructured composite electrode. The electrode was prepared by in situ coprecipitation of two-dimensional (2D) MnO2 nanosheets at room temperature in the presence of carbon nanofibers (CNFs). The highest specific capacitance of 142 F/g was achieved for CNFs-MnO2 electrodes in sandwiched assembly with PVA-H4SiW12O40nH2O polyelectrolyte separator. Peer Reviewed

Structural and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of Al-Doped Zinc-Oxide Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bong Ju Lee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Al-doped zinc-oxide (AZO thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures and substrate temperatures. The charge-carrier concentrations in the films decreased from 1.69 × 1021 to 6.16 × 1017 cm−3 with increased gas flow rate from 7 to 21 sccm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD patterns show that the (002/(103 peak-intensity ratio decreased as the gas flow rate increased, which was related to the increase of AZO thin film disorder. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS of the O1s were decomposed into metal oxide component (peak A and the adsorbed molecular oxygen on thin films (peak B. The area ratio of XPS peaks (A/B was clearly related to the stoichiometry of AZO films; that is, the higher value of A/B showed the higher stoichiometric properties.

Thin copper oxide films prepared by ion beam sputtering with subsequent thermal oxidation: Application in chemiresistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horak, P., E-mail: phorak@ujf.cas.cz [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 250 68 Řež (Czech Republic); Bejsovec, V.; Vacik, J.; Lavrentiev, V. [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 250 68 Řež (Czech Republic); Vrnata, M. [Department of Physics and Measurements, The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Kormunda, M. [Department of Physics, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, České mládeže 8, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic); Danis, S. [Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Ke Karlovu 5, 121 16 Prague 2 (Czech Republic)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • A rapid oxidation process of thin copper films. • Sheet resistance up to 10{sup 9} Ω/◊. • Mixed oxide phase at 200 °C with significant hydroxide presence. • Gas sensing response to 1000 ppm of hydrogen and methanol vapours. • Increased sensitivity with Pd and Au catalyst to hydrogen and methanol, respectively. - Abstract: Copper oxide films were prepared by thermal oxidation of thin Cu films deposited on substrates by ion beam sputtering. The subsequent oxidation was achieved in the temperature range of 200 °C–600 °C with time of treatment from 1 to 7 h (with a 1-h step) in a furnace open to air. At temperatures 250 °C–600 °C, the dominant phase formed was CuO, while at 200 °C mainly the Cu{sub 2}O phase was identified. However, the oxidation at 200 °C led to a more complicated composition − in the depth Cu{sub 2}O phase was observed, though in the near-surface layer the CuO dominant phase was found with a significant presence of Cu(OH){sub 2}. A limited amount of Cu{sub 2}O was also found in samples annealed at 600 °C. The sheet resistance R{sub S} of the as-deposited Cu sample was 2.22 Ω/□, after gradual annealing R{sub S} was measured in the range 2.64 MΩ/□–2.45 GΩ/□. The highest R{sub S} values were obtained after annealing at 300 °C and 350 °C, respectively. Oxygen depth distribution was studied using the {sup 16}O(α,α) nuclear reaction with the resonance at energy 3032 keV. It was confirmed that the higher oxidation degree of copper is located in the near-surface region. Preliminary tests of the copper oxide films as an active layer of a chemiresistor were also performed. Hydrogen and methanol vapours, with a concentration of 1000 ppm, were detected by the sensor at an operating temperature of 300 °C and 350 °C, respectively. The response of the sensors, pointed at the p-type conductivity, was improved by the addition of thin Pd or Au catalytic films to the oxidic film surface. Pd-covered films showed

Relationships among surface processing at the nanometer scale, nanostructure and optical properties of thin oxide films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Losurdo, Maria

2004-05-01

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to study the optical properties of nanostructured semiconductor oxide thin films. Various examples of models for the dielectric function, based on Lorentzian oscillators combined with the Drude model, are given based on the band structure of the analyzed oxide. With this approach, the optical properties of thin films are determined independent of the dielectric functions of the corresponding bulk materials, and correlation between the optical properties and nanostructure of thin films is investigated. In particular, in order to discuss the dependence of optical constants on grain size, CeO{sub 2} nanostructured films are considered and parameterized by two-Lorentzian oscillators or two-Tauc-Lorentz model depending on the nanostructure and oxygen deficiency. The correlation among anisotropy, crystalline fraction and optical properties parameterized by a four-Lorentz oscillator model is discussed for nanocrystalline V{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films. Indium tin oxide thin films are discussed as an example of the presence of graded optical properties related to interfacial reactivity activated by processing conditions. Finally, the example of ZnO shows the potential of ellipsometry in discerning crystal and epitaxial film polarity through the analysis of spectra and the detection of surface reactivity of the two polar faces, i.e. Zn-polarity and O-polarity.

Mesoporous tin-doped indium oxide thin films: effect of mesostructure on electrical conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Till von Graberg, Pascal Hartmann, Alexander Rein, Silvia Gross, Britta Seelandt, Cornelia Röger, Roman Zieba, Alexander Traut, Michael Wark, Jürgen Janek and Bernd M Smarsly

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We present a versatile method for the preparation of mesoporous tin-doped indium oxide (ITO thin films via dip-coating. Two poly(isobutylene-b-poly(ethyleneoxide (PIB-PEO copolymers of significantly different molecular weight (denoted as PIB-PEO 3000 and PIB-PEO 20000 are used as templates and are compared with non-templated films to clarify the effect of the template size on the crystallization and, thus, on the electrochemical properties of mesoporous ITO films. Transparent, mesoporous, conductive coatings are obtained after annealing at 500 °C; these coatings have a specific resistance of 0.5 Ω cm at a thickness of about 100 nm. Electrical conductivity is improved by one order of magnitude by annealing under a reducing atmosphere. The two types of PIB-PEO block copolymers create mesopores with in-plane diameters of 20–25 and 35–45 nm, the latter also possessing correspondingly thicker pore walls. Impedance measurements reveal that the conductivity is significantly higher for films prepared with the template generating larger mesopores. Because of the same size of the primary nanoparticles, the enhanced conductivity is attributed to a higher conduction path cross section. Prussian blue was deposited electrochemically within the films, thus confirming the accessibility of their pores and their functionality as electrode material.

Preparation and properties of KCl-doped Cu2O thin film by electrodeposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Xiaojiao; Li, Xinming; Zheng, Gang; Wei, Yuchen; Zhang, Ama; Yao, Binghua

2013-01-01

With the indium tin oxide-coated glass as working electrode, cuprous oxide thin film is fabricated by means of electrodeposition. The effects of KCl doped and annealing treatment upon Cu 2 O thin film morphology, surface resistivity, open-circuit voltage, electric conduction types and visible light response are studied. The research results indicate that KCl doped has a great effect upon Cu 2 O crystal morphology, thus, making Cu 2 O thin film surface resistivity drop, and the open-circuit voltage increase and that electric conduction types are transformed from p type into n type, and the visible light (400–500 nm) absorption rate is slightly reduced. Annealing treatment can obviously decrease Cu 2 O thin film surface resistivity and improve its open-circuit voltage. When KCl concentration in electrolytic solution reaches 7 mmol/L, Cu 2 O thin film morphology can be changed from the dendritic crystal into the cubic crystal and Cu 2 O thin film surface resistivity decreases from the initial 2.5 × 10 6 Ω cm to 8.5 × 10 4 Ω cm. After annealing treatment at 320 °C for 30 min, the surface resistivity decreases to 8.5 × 10 2 Ω cm, and the open-circuit voltage increases from the initial 3.1 mV to 79.2 mV.

Mobility Enhancement in Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O Thin-Film Transistor by Induced Metallic in Nanoparticles and Cu Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiben Hu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this work, we fabricated a high-mobility amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO thin-film transistor (TFT based on alumina oxide (Al 2 O 3 passivation layer (PVL and copper (Cu source/drain electrodes (S/D. The mechanism of the high mobility for a-IGZO TFT was proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The conductivity of the channel layer was significantly improved due to the formation of metallic In nanoparticles on the back channel during Al 2 O 3 PVL sputtering. In addition, Ar atmosphere annealing induced the Schottky contact formation between the Cu S/D and the channel layer caused by Cu diffusion. In conjunction with high conductivity channel and Schottky contact, the a-IGZO TFT based on Cu S/D and Al 2 O 3 PVL exhibited remarkable mobility of 33.5–220.1 cm 2 /Vs when channel length varies from 60 to 560 μ m. This work presents a feasible way to implement high mobility and Cu electrodes in a-IGZO TFT, simultaneously.

Effect of native oxide layers on copper thin-film tensile properties: A reactive molecular dynamics study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skarlinski, Michael D., E-mail: michael.skarlinski@rochester.edu [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Quesnel, David J. [Materials Science Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

2015-12-21

Metal-oxide layers are likely to be present on metallic nano-structures due to either environmental exposure during use, or high temperature processing techniques such as annealing. It is well known that nano-structured metals have vastly different mechanical properties from bulk metals; however, difficulties in modeling the transition between metallic and ionic bonding have prevented the computational investigation of the effects of oxide surface layers. Newly developed charge-optimized many body [Liang et al., Mater. Sci. Eng., R 74, 255 (2013)] potentials are used to perform fully reactive molecular dynamics simulations which elucidate the effects that metal-oxide layers have on the mechanical properties of a copper thin-film. Simulated tensile tests are performed on thin-films while using different strain-rates, temperatures, and oxide thicknesses to evaluate changes in yield stress, modulus, and failure mechanisms. Findings indicate that copper-thin film mechanical properties are strongly affected by native oxide layers. The formed oxide layers have an amorphous structure with lower Cu-O bond-densities than bulk CuO, and a mixture of Cu{sub 2}O and CuO charge character. It is found that oxidation will cause modifications to the strain response of the elastic modulii, producing a stiffened modulii at low temperatures (<75 K) and low strain values (<5%), and a softened modulii at higher temperatures. While under strain, structural reorganization within the oxide layers facilitates brittle yielding through nucleation of defects across the oxide/metal interface. The oxide-free copper thin-film yielding mechanism is found to be a tensile-axis reorientation and grain creation. The oxide layers change the observed yielding mechanism, allowing for the inner copper thin-film to sustain an FCC-to-BCC transition during yielding. The mechanical properties are fit to a thermodynamic model based on classical nucleation theory. The fit implies that the oxidation of the

Optimizing electrical conductivity and optical transparency of IZO thin film deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films of In2O3, SnO2, ZnO, and their mixtures have been extensively used in optoelectronic applications such as transparent electrodes in solar photovoltaic devices. In this project I deposited amorphous indium-zinc oxide (IZO) thin films by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering from a In2O3-10 wt.% ZnO sintered ceramic target to optimize the RF power, argon gas flowing rate, and the thickness of film to reach the maximum conductivity and transparency in visible spectrum. The results indicated optimized conductivity and transparency of IZO thin film is closer to ITO's conductivity and transparency, and is even better when the film was deposited with one specific tilted angle. National Science Foundation (NSF) MRSEC program at University of Nebraska Lincoln, and was hosted by Professor Jeff Shields lab.

Indium Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Ultrasonic Chemical Spray Technique, Starting from Zinc Acetylacetonate and Indium Chloride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajesh Biswal

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The physical characteristics of ultrasonically sprayed indium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:In thin films, with electrical resistivity as low as 3.42 × 10−3 Ω·cm and high optical transmittance, in the visible range, of 50%–70% is presented. Zinc acetylacetonate and indium chloride were used as the organometallic zinc precursor and the doping source, respectively, achieving ZnO:In thin films with growth rate in the order of 100 nm/min. The effects of both indium concentration and the substrate temperature on the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical characteristics were measured. All the films were polycrystalline, fitting well with hexagonal wurtzite type ZnO. A switching in preferential growth, from (002 to (101 planes for indium doped samples were observed. The surface morphology of the films showed a change from hexagonal slices to triangle shaped grains as the indium concentration increases. Potential applications as transparent conductive electrodes based on the resulting low electrical resistance and high optical transparency of the studied samples are considered.

Setting of an experimental simple technique for the realization of Ni2V2O7 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, Ali E.; Bernede, J.C.; Zoaeter, M.

1999-01-01

Full text.Ni/V/Ni/V..../Ni/V/Ni thin layers were sequentially deposited in the atomic ratio Ni/V=1.Ni and V were deposited by an electron beam. The samples were annealed half an hour at 863K in room atmosphere. The films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy and microprobe analysis. The results obtained, by comparison with those obtained on a reference powder, show that Ni 2 V 2 O 7 thin films crystallized in the monoclinic structure P21/c layer. Since SnO 2 is transparent conductive oxide this is very promising for the use of such oxides as negative electrode in thin film batteries

Graphene-based copper oxide thin film nanostructures as high-efficiency photocathode for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kilic, Bayram; Turkdogan, Sunay; Astam, Aykut; Baran, Sümeyra Seniha; Asgin, Mansur; Cebeci, Hulya; Urk, Deniz

2017-10-01

Graphene-based p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSSCs) have been proposed and fabricated using copper oxide urchin-like nanostructures (COUN) as photocathode with an FeS2 counter electrode (CE). COUN composed of Cu2O core sphere and CuO shell nanorods with overall diameters of 2 to 4 μm were grown by a simple hydrothermal method with self-assemble nucleation. It was figured out that the formation of copper oxide core/shell structures could be adjusted by an ammonia additive leading to pH change of the precursor solution. In addition to a photocathode, we also demonstrated FeS2 thin films as an efficient CE material alternative to the conventional Pt CEs in DSSCs. FeS2 nanostructures, with diameters of 50 to 80 nm, were synthesized by a similar hydrothermal approach. FeS2 nanostructures are demonstrated to be an outstanding CE material in p-DSSCs. We report graphene/COUN as photocathode and Pt/FeS2 as CE in p-DSSCs, and results show that the synergetic combination of electrodes in each side (increased interconnectivity between COUN and graphene layer, high surface area, and high catalytic activity of FeS2) increased the power conversion efficiency from 1.56% to 3.14%. The excellent performances of COUN and FeS2 thin film in working and CEs, respectively, make them unique choices among the various photocathode and CE materials studied.

Deposition of a thin electro-polymerized organic film on iron surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lecayon, Gerard

1980-01-01

We use an electrochemical method to prepare a polymerized thin film, obtained from acrylonitrile in a solution of acetonitrile and tetraethylammonium perchlorate. The films are deposited on oxidized iron electrodes, with a surface area varying from a few mm to several cm, their thickness ranges from ten A to thousand A. This result is obtained by controlling the evolution of reactions: duplication, hydrogenation, polymerization which occur during the electrochemical reduction of acrylonitrile. The choice of suitable experimental conditions enhances the polymerization and increases the adherence of the polymer on the electrode. The usual methods of surface studies: S.E.M., A.E.S., S.I.M.S., permit the characterization of the electrode surface and the chemical composition of the deposit films. The molecular structure of polymer, and its evolution under aging or heating was studied by infrared multi-reflection spectroscopy. Very good correlation exists between the electrochemical characteristic: I = f(t), the initial surface state of the electrodes, and the homogeneity of the electro-polymerized films. Diagrams corresponding to mechanisms of different stages of electro-polymerization are proposed. (author) [fr

Hybrid composite thin films composed of tin oxide nanoparticles and cellulose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahadeva, Suresha K; Nayak, Jyoti; Kim, Jaehwan

2013-01-01

This paper reports the preparation and characterization of hybrid thin films consisting of tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles and cellulose. SnO 2 nanoparticle loaded cellulose hybrid thin films were fabricated by a solution blending technique, using sodium dodecyl sulfate as a dispersion agent. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed uniform dispersion of the SnO 2 nanoparticles in the cellulose matrix. Reduction in the crystalline melting transition temperature and tensile properties of cellulose was observed due to the SnO 2 nanoparticle loading. Potential application of these hybrid thin films as low cost, flexible and biodegradable humidity sensors is examined in terms of the change in electrical resistivity of the material exposed to a wide range of humidity as well as its response–recovery behavior. (paper)

High-Resolution Inkjet-Printed Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with a Self-Aligned Fine Channel Bank Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qing; Shao, Shuangshuang; Chen, Zheng; Pecunia, Vincenzo; Xia, Kai; Zhao, Jianwen; Cui, Zheng

2018-05-09

A self-aligned inkjet printing process has been developed to construct small channel metal oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with independent bottom gates on transparent glass substrates. Poly(methylsilsesquioxane) was used to pattern hydrophobic banks on the transparent substrate instead of commonly used self-assembled octadecyltrichlorosilane. Photolithographic exposure from backside using bottom-gate electrodes as mask formed hydrophilic channel areas for the TFTs. IGZO ink was selectively deposited by an inkjet printer in the hydrophilic channel region and confined by the hydrophobic bank structure, resulting in the precise deposition of semiconductor layers just above the gate electrodes. Inkjet-printed IGZO TFTs with independent gate electrodes of 10 μm width have been demonstrated, avoiding completely printed channel beyond the broad of the gate electrodes. The TFTs showed on/off ratios of 10 8 , maximum mobility of 3.3 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , negligible hysteresis, and good uniformity. This method is conductive to minimizing the area of printed TFTs so as to the development of high-resolution printing displays.

Pseudocapacitive properties of nano-structured anhydrous ruthenium oxide thin film prepared by electrostatic spray deposition and electrochemical lithiation/delithiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, S.H.; Kim, J.Y.; Kim, K.B. [Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2010-10-15

Nano-structured anhydrous ruthenium oxide (RuO{sub 2}) thin films were prepared using an electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) technique followed by electrochemical lithiation and delithiation. During the electrochemical lithiation process, RuO{sub 2} decomposed to nano-structured metallic ruthenium Ru with the concomitant formation of Li{sub 2}O. Nano-structured RuO{sub 2} was formed upon subsequent electrochemical extraction of Li from the Ru/Li{sub 2}O nanocomposite. Electrochemical lithiation/deliathiation at different charge/discharge rates (C-rate) was used to control the nano-structure of the anhydrous RuO{sub 2}. Electrochemical lithiation/delithiation of the RuO{sub 2} thin film electrode at different C-rates was closely related to the specific capacitance and high rate capability of the nano-structured anhydrous RuO{sub 2} thin film. Nano-structured RuO{sub 2} thin films prepared by electrochemical lithiation and delithiation at 2C rate showed the highest specific capacitance of 653 F g{sup -1} at 20 mV s{sup -1}, which is more than two times higher than the specific capacitance of 269 F g{sup -1} for the as-prepared RuO{sub 2}. In addition, it showed 14% loss in specific capacitance from 653 F g{sup -1} at 20 mV s{sup -1} to 559 F g{sup -1} at 200 mV s{sup -1}, indicating significant improvement in the high rate capability compared to the 26% loss of specific capacitance of the as-prepared RuO{sub 2} electrode from 269 F g{sup -1} at 20 mV s{sup -1} to 198 F g{sup -1} at 200 mV s{sup -1} for the same change in scan rate. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

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.

Method for making thin carbon foam electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Pekala, Richard W.; Mayer, Steven T.; Kaschmitter, James L.; Morrison, Robert L.

1999-01-01

A method for fabricating thin, flat carbon electrodes by infiltrating highly porous carbon papers, membranes, felts, metal fibers/powders, or fabrics with an appropriate carbon foam precursor material. The infiltrated carbon paper, for example, is then cured to form a gel-saturated carbon paper, which is subsequently dried and pyrolyzed to form a thin sheet of porous carbon. The material readily stays flat and flexible during curing and pyrolyzing to form thin sheets. Precursor materials include polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polymethylacrylonitrile (PMAN), resorcinol/formaldehyde, catechol/formaldehyde, phenol/formaldehyde, etc., or mixtures thereof. These thin films are ideal for use as high power and energy electrodes in batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells, and are potentially useful for capacitive deionization, filtration and catalysis.

Preparation of PZT thin films on YBCO electrodes by KrF excimer laser ablation technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurogi, H; Yamagata, Y; Ebihara, K [Kumamoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Electr. Eng. and Comput. Sci.; Inoue, N [Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc., Suizenji, 1-6-36, Kumamoto 862 (Japan)

1998-03-01

Pb(Zr{sub X}Ti{sub 1-X})O{sub 3} (PZT) films have excellent ferroelectric, optical, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. We prepared PZT thin films by the excimer laser ablation technique. A pulsed KrF excimer laser (Lambda Physik LPX305icc, pulse duration of 25 ns, {lambda}=248 nm, 850 mJ Max.) was used to ablate the bulk targets. We investigated the influence of bottom electrode materials on the characteristics of the PZT thin films prepared on Pt and YBCO underlayers. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the PZT films prepared with a laser fluence of 2 Jcm{sup -2} on YBCO/MgO(100) substrate at a wide temperature range of 550-680 C have a perovskite (001) structure. At the same laser fluence, the PZT films prepared on Pt/MgO(100) substrate have a perovskite (001) structure only at 650 C. The polarization-electric field (P-E) characteristics and fatigue properties of PZT thin films were measured by the Sawyer-Tower circuit. The remnant polarization and coercive field have been found to be P{sub r}=15 {mu}C cm{sup -2}, 30 {mu}C cm{sup -2} and E{sub c}=200 kV cm{sup -1}, 100 kV cm{sup -1} for Au/PZT/Pt/MgO and Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO correspondingly. The remnant polarization of Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO thin film was reduced to one-half after about 10{sup 8} cycles of switching. (orig.) 7 refs.

Thin, Flexible Supercapacitors Made from Carbon Nanofiber Electrodes Decorated at Room Temperature with Manganese Oxide Nanosheets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Nataraj

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We report the fabrication and electrochemical performance of a flexible thin film supercapacitor with a novel nanostructured composite electrode. The electrode was prepared by in situ coprecipitation of two-dimensional (2D MnO2 nanosheets at room temperature in the presence of carbon nanofibers (CNFs. The highest specific capacitance of 142 F/g was achieved for CNFs-MnO2 electrodes in sandwiched assembly with PVA-H4SiW12O40·nH2O polyelectrolyte separator.

Thin-film encapsulation of organic electronic devices based on vacuum evaporated lithium fluoride as protective buffer layer

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yingquan; Ding, Sihan; Wen, Zhanwei; Xu, Sunan; Lv, Wenli; Xu, Ziqiang; Yang, Yuhuan; Wang, Ying; Wei, Yi; Tang, Ying

2017-03-01

Encapsulation is indispensable for organic thin-film electronic devices to ensure reliable operation and long-term stability. For thin-film encapsulating organic electronic devices, insulating polymers and inorganic metal oxides thin films are widely used. However, spin-coating of insulating polymers directly on organic electronic devices may destroy or introduce unwanted impurities in the underlying organic active layers. And also, sputtering of inorganic metal oxides may damage the underlying organic semiconductors. Here, we demonstrated that by utilizing vacuum evaporated lithium fluoride (LiF) as protective buffer layer, spin-coated insulating polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and sputtered inorganic material Er2O3, can be successfully applied for thin film encapsulation of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-based organic diodes. By encapsulating with LiF/PVA/LiF trilayer and LiF/Er2O3 bilayer films, the device lifetime improvements of 10 and 15 times can be achieved. These methods should be applicable for thin-film encapsulation of all kinds of organic electronic devices. Moisture-induced hole trapping, and Al top electrode oxidation are suggest to be the origins of current decay for the LiF/PVA/LiF trilayer and LiF/Er2O3 bilayer films encapsulated devices, respectively.

Nanoscale reduction of graphene oxide thin films and its characterization

KAUST Repository

Lorenzoni, M.; Giugni, Andrea; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Pé rez-Murano, Francesc; Mescola, A.; Torre, Bruno

2015-01-01

In this paper, we report on a method to reduce thin films of graphene oxide (GO) to a spatial resolution better than 100 nm over several tens of micrometers by means of an electrochemical scanning probe based lithography. In situ tip

Growth and etching characteristics of gallium oxide thin films by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou, Sin-Liang; Wuu, Dong-Sing; Fu, Yu-Chuan; Liu, Shu-Ping; Horng, Ray-Hua; Liu, Lei; Feng, Zhe-Chuan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The β-Ga2O3 thin films are prepared by pulsed laser deposition. ► The substrate temperature affects the structural, optical and etching properties of the grown films. ► The optical transmittance and band gap of the films increased with increasing the substrate temperature. ► The etching treatments for gallium oxide are performed in 49 mol% HF solution at room temperature. ► The gallium oxide thin film grown at 400 °C has the highest etching rate of 490 nm s −1 . - Abstract: The gallium oxide films were deposited on (0 0 1) sapphire at various substrate temperatures from 400 to 1000 °C by pulsed laser deposition using a KrF excimer laser. The etching treatments for as-grown gallium oxide were performed in a 49 mol% HF solution at room temperature. The structural, optical and etching properties of the grown films were investigated in terms of high resolution X-ray diffraction, optical transmittance, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The phase transition from amorphous to polycrystalline β-Ga 2 O 3 structure was observed with increasing growth temperature. From the optical transmittance measurements, the films grown at 550–1000 °C exhibit a clear absorption edge at deep ultraviolet region around 250–275 nm wavelength. It was found that the optical band gap of gallium oxide films increased from 4.56 to 4.87 eV when the substrate temperature increased from 400 to 1000 °C. As the substrate temperature increases, the crystallinity of gallium oxide film is enhanced and the etching rate is decreased. The high etching rate of 490 nm s −1 for gallium oxide film grown at 400 °C could be due to its amorphous phase, which is referred to higher void ratio and looser atomic structure.

Lithium-Ion (de)insertion reaction of Germanium thin-film electrodes : an electrochemical and in situ XRD study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baggetto, L.; Notten, P.H.L.

2009-01-01

Germanium is a promising negative electrode candidate for lithium-ion thin-film batteries because of its very high theoretical storage capacity. When assuming full conversion of the material into the room-temperature equilibrium lithium saturated germanium phase, a theoretical capacity of or of

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)

Effect of deposition temperature on the properties of Al-doped ZnO films prepared by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering for transparent electrodes in thin-film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Doo-Soo; Park, Ji-Hyeon; Shin, Beom-Ki; Moon, Kyeong-Ju [Information and Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of); Son, Myoungwoo [Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Ham, Moon-Ho [Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Woong [School of Nano and Advanced Materials Engineering, Changwon National University, 9 Sarim-Dong, Changwon, Gyeongnam 641-773 (Korea, Republic of); Myoung, Jae-Min, E-mail: jmmyoung@yonsei.ac.kr [Information and Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Surface-textured AZO films were achieved by combining PDMS method with wet etching. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The AZO film deposited at 230 Degree-Sign C by PDMS exhibited the best performance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is due to the higher plasma density supplied from PDMS system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Wet etching of the films produces a crater-like rough surface morphology. - Abstract: A simple but scalable approach to the production of surface-textured Al-doped ZnO(AZO) films for low-cost transparent electrode applications in thin-film solar cells is introduced in this study by combining pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PDMS) with wet etching in sequence. First, structural, electrical, and optical properties of the AZO films prepared by a PDMS were investigated as functions of deposition temperature to obtain transparent electrode films that can be used as indium-free alternative to ITO electrodes. Increase in the deposition temperature to 230 Degree-Sign C accompanied the improvement in crystalline quality and doping efficiency, which enabled the lowest electrical resistivity of 4.16 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} {Omega} cm with the carrier concentration of 1.65 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3} and Hall mobility of 11.3 cm{sup 2}/V s. The wet etching of the films in a diluted HCl solution resulted in surface roughening via the formation of crater-like structures without significant degradation in the electrical properties, which is responsible for the enhanced light scattering capability required for anti-reflective electrodes in thin film solar cells.

Electrical and optical properties of Zn–In–Sn–O transparent conducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carreras, Paz; Antony, Aldrin; Rojas, Fredy; Bertomeu, Joan

2011-01-01

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is one of the widely used transparent conductive oxides (TCO) for application as transparent electrode in thin film silicon solar cells or thin film transistors owing to its low resistivity and high transparency. Nevertheless, indium is a scarce and expensive element and ITO films require high deposition temperature to achieve good electrical and optical properties. On the other hand, although not competing as ITO, doped Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a promising and cheaper alternative. Therefore, our strategy has been to deposit ITO and ZnO multicomponent thin films at room temperature by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering in order to achieve TCOs with reduced indium content. Thin films of the quaternary system Zn–In–Sn–O (ZITO) with improved electrical and optical properties have been achieved. The samples were deposited by applying different RF powers to ZnO target while keeping a constant RF power to ITO target. This led to ZITO films with zinc content ratio varying between 0 and 67%. The optical, electrical and morphological properties have been thoroughly studied. The film composition was analysed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The films with 17% zinc content ratio showed the lowest resistivity (6.6 × 10 −4 Ω cm) and the highest transmittance (above 80% in the visible range). Though X-ray Diffraction studies showed amorphous nature for the films, using High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy we found that the microstructure of the films consisted of nanometric crystals embedded in a compact amorphous matrix. The effect of post deposition annealing on the films in both reducing and oxidizing atmospheres were studied. The changes were found to strongly depend on the zinc content ratio in the films.

Properties of RF-Sputtered PZT Thin Films with Ti/Pt Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cui Yan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Effect of annealing temperature and thin film thickness on properties of Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47O3 (PZT thin film deposited via radiofrequency magnetron sputtering technique onto Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate was investigated. Average grain sizes of the PZT thin film were measured by atomic force microscope; their preferred orientation was studied through X-ray diffraction analysis. Average residual stress in the thin film was estimated according to the optimized Stoney formula, and impedance spectroscopy characterization was performed via an intelligent LCR measuring instrument. Average grain sizes of PZT thin films were 60 nm~90 nm and their average roughness was less than 2 nm. According to X-ray diffraction analysis, 600°C is the optimal annealing temperature to obtain the PZT thin film with better crystallization. Average residual stress showed that thermal mismatch was the decisive factor of residual stress in Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate; the residual stress in PZT thin film decreased as their thickness increased and increased with annealing temperature. The dielectric constant and loss angle tangent were extremely increased with the thickness of PZT thin films. The capacitance of the device can be adjusted according to the thickness of PZT thin films.

Iron Oxide Films Prepared by Rapid Thermal Processing for Solar Energy Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickman, B; Bastos Fanta, A; Burrows, A; Hellman, A; Wagner, J B; Iandolo, B

2017-01-16

Hematite is a promising and extensively investigated material for various photoelectrochemical (PEC) processes for energy conversion and storage, in particular for oxidation reactions. Thermal treatments during synthesis of hematite are found to affect the performance of hematite electrodes considerably. Herein, we present hematite thin films fabricated via one-step oxidation of Fe by rapid thermal processing (RTP). In particular, we investigate the effect of oxidation temperature on the PEC properties of hematite. Films prepared at 750 °C show the highest activity towards water oxidation. These films show the largest average grain size and the highest charge carrier density, as determined from electron microscopy and impedance spectroscopy analysis. We believe that the fast processing enabled by RTP makes this technique a preferred method for investigation of novel materials and architectures, potentially also on nanostructured electrodes, where retaining high surface area is crucial to maximize performance.

Ion transport and phase transformation in thin film intercalation electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wunde, Fabian; Nowak, Susann; Muerter, Juliane; Hadjixenophontos, Efi; Berkemeier, Frank; Schmitz, Guido [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Materialwissenschaft

2017-11-15

Thin film battery electrodes of the olivine structure LiFePO{sub 4} and the spinel phase LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} are deposited through ion-beam sputtering. The intercalation kinetics is studied by cyclo-voltammetry using variation of the cycling rate over 4 to 5 orders of magnitude. The well-defined layer geometry allows a detailed quantitative analysis. It is shown that LiFePO{sub 4} clearly undergoes phase separation during intercalation, although the material is nano-confined and very high charging rates are applied. We present a modified Randles-Sevcik evaluation adapted to phase-separating systems. Both the charging current and the overpotential depend on the film thickness in a systematic way. The analysis yields evidence that the grain boundaries are important short circuit paths for fast transport. They increase the electrochemical active area with increasing layer thickness. Evidence is obtained that the grain boundaries in LiFePO{sub 4} have the character of an ion-conductor of vanishing electronic conductivity.

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide transparent conductive thin films with buffer layers for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xin-liang, E-mail: cxlruzhou@163.com; Wang, Fei; Geng, Xin-hua; Huang, Qian; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-dan

2013-09-02

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit rough pyramid-like textured surface, high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region and excellent electrical properties. The experiment results indicate that tungsten-doped indium oxide (In{sub 2}O{sub 3}:W, IWO) buffer layers can effectively improve the surface roughness and enhance the light scattering ability of HGZO thin films. The root-mean-square roughness of HGZO, IWO (10 nm)/HGZO and IWO (30 nm)/HGZO thin films are 28, 44 and 47 nm, respectively. The haze values at the wavelength of 550 nm increase from 7.0% of HGZO thin film without buffer layer to 18.37% of IWO (10 nm)/HGZO thin film. The optimized IWO (10 nm)/HGZO exhibits a high optical transmittance of 82.18% in the visible and near infrared region (λ ∼ 400–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties with a relatively low sheet resistance of 3.6 Ω/□ and the resistivity of 6.21 × 10{sup −4} Ωcm. - Highlights: • Textured hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) films were developed. • Tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO) buffer layers were applied for the HGZO films. • Light-scattering ability of the HGZO films can be improved through buffer layers. • Low sheet resistance and high haze were obtained for the IWO(10 nm)/HGZO film. • The IWO/HGZO films are promising transparent conductive layers for solar cells.