Preparation,Characterization and Photothermal Study of PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) Composite Films

In this work,flexible photothermal PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films with different amount(0 wt%,5 wt%,10 wt%,15 wt%)of Ti_(2)O_(3) particles modified by steric acid were prepared by a simple solution casting method.The microstructures,XRD patterns,FTIR spectra,UV-Vis-NIR spectra thermo-conductivity,thermo-stability and photothermal effects of these composite films were all characterized.These results indicated that Ti_(2)O_(3) particles were well dispersed throughout the polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)matrix in the PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films.And Ti_(2)O_(3) particles could also effectively improve the photothermal properties of the composite films which exhibited high light absorption and generated a high temperature(about 57.4℃for film with 15 wt%Ti_(2)O_(3) amount)on the surface when it was irradiated by a simulated sunlight source(1 kW/m^(2)).

Enhanced Electrical Properties of Bi_(2−x)Sb_(x)Te_(3) Nanoflake Thin Films Through Interface Engineering

The structure–property relationship at interfaces is difficult to probe for thermoelectric materials with a complex interfacial microstructure.Designing thermoelectric materials with a simple,structurally-uniform interface provides a facile way to understand how these interfaces influence the transport properties.Here,we synthesized Bi_(2−x)Sb_(x)Te_(3)(x=0,0.1,0.2,0.4)nanoflakes using a hydrothermal method,and prepared Bi_(2−x)Sb_(x)Te_(3) thin films with predominantly(0001)interfaces by stacking the nanoflakes through spin coating.The influence of the annealing temperature and Sb content on the(0001)interface structure was systematically investigated at atomic scale using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy.Annealing and Sb doping facilitate atom diffusion and migration between adjacent nanoflakes along the(0001)interface.As such it enhances interfacial connectivity and improves the electrical transport properties.Interfac reactions create new interfaces that increase the scattering and the Seebeck coefficient.Due to the simultaneous optimization of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient,the maximum power factor of the Bi_(1.8)Sb_(0.2)Te_(3) nanoflake films reaches 1.72 mW m^(−1)K^(−2),which is 43%higher than that of a pure Bi_(2)Te_(3) thin film.

Optimal parameter space for stabilizing the ferroelectric phase of Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2) thin films under strain and electric fields

Hafnia-based ferroelectric materials, like Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2)(HZO), have received tremendous attention owing to their potentials for building ultra-thin ferroelectric devices. The orthorhombic(O)-phase of HZO is ferroelectric but metastable in its bulk form under ambient conditions, which poses a considerable challenge to maintaining the operation performance of HZO-based ferroelectric devices. Here, we theoretically addressed this issue that provides parameter spaces for stabilizing the O-phase of HZO thin-films under various conditions. Three mechanisms were found to be capable of lowering the relative energy of the O-phase, namely, more significant surface-bulk portion of(111) surfaces, compressive c-axis strain,and positive electric fields. Considering these mechanisms, we plotted two ternary phase diagrams for HZO thin-films where the strain was applied along the in-plane uniaxial and biaxial, respectively. These diagrams indicate the O-phase could be stabilized by solely shrinking the film-thickness below 12.26 nm, ascribed to its lower surface energies. All these results shed considerable light on designing more robust and higher-performance ferroelectric devices.

Numerical Analysis on the Effect of n-Si on Cu(In, Ga)Se2 Based Thin-Films for High-Performance Solar Cells by 1D-SCAPS

We report the performances of a chalcopyrite Cu(In, Ga)Se2 CIGS-based thin-film solar cell with a newly employed high conductive n-Si layer. The data analysis was performed with the help of the 1D-Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (1D-SCAPS) software program. The new device structure is based on the CIGS layer as the absorber layer, n-Si as the high conductive layer, i-In2S3, and i-ZnO as the buffer and window layers, respectively. The optimum CIGS bandgap was determined first and used to simulate and analyze the cell performance throughout the experiment. This analysis revealed that the absorber layer’s optimum bandgap value has to be 1.4 eV to achieve maximum efficiency of 22.57%. Subsequently, output solar cell parameters were analyzed as a function of CIGS layer thickness, defect density, and the operating temperature with an optimized n-Si layer. The newly modeled device has a p-CIGS/n-Si/In2S3/Al-ZnO structure. The main objective was to improve the overall cell performance while optimizing the thickness of absorber layers, defect density, bandgap, and operating temperature with the newly employed optimized n-Si layer. The increase of absorber layer thickness from 0.2 - 2 µm showed an upward trend in the cell’s performance, while the increase of defect density and operating temperature showed a downward trend in solar cell performance. This study illustrates that the proposed cell structure shows higher cell performances and can be fabricated on the lab-scale and industrial levels.

Improvement of adhesion properties of TiB_2 films on 316L stainless steel by Ti interlayer films

The periodic [Ti/TiB2]n （n=l, 2, 3） multilayered films were prepared on the substrate of AISI 316L stainless steel by magnetron sputtering to enhance the adhesion of TiB2 films based on the remarkable mechanical performance of layered films. The influence of periods on microstructure, adhesion and hardness of [Ti/TiB2]n multilayered films was studied. X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis shows that the monolayer TiB2 films exhibit （001） preferred orientation, and the preferred orientation of [Ti/TiB2], multilayered films transfers from （001） to （100） with the increase of periods. The cross-sectional morphology of each film displays homogeneity by field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）. The hardness of the films measured via nanoindention changes from 20 to 26 GPa with the increase of periods. These values of hardness are a bit lower than that of the monolayer TiB2 films which is up to 33 GPa. However, the [Ti/TiB2]n multilayered films present a considerably good adhesion, which reaches a maximum of 24 N, in comparison with the monolayer TiB2 films according to the experimental results.

Preparation and Characterization of Electrodeposited-Annealed CulnSe2 Thin Films for Solar Cells

CuInSe2 （CIS） films with good crystalline quality were synthesized by electrodeposition followed by annealing in Se vapor at 530 ℃. The morphology, composition, crystal structure, optical and electrical properties of the CIS films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, UV-VISNIR spectroscopy, and admittance spectroscopy. The results revealed that the annealed CIS films had chalcopyrite structure and consisted of relatively large grains in the range of 500-1000 nm and single grain of films extend usually through the whole film thickness. The band gap of CIS films was 0.98 eV and carrier concentration was in the order of 1016 cm-3 after etching the Cu-Se compounds on the film surface. Solar cells with the structure of AZO/i-ZnO/CdS/CIS/Mo/glass were fabricated. Current density vs. voltage test under standard reported condition showed the solar cells with an area of 0.2 cm2 had a conversion efficiency of 0.96%. The underlying physics was also discussed.

Synthesis of High Quality CulnSe2 Films with Oxygen Precursor by Non-vacuum Process

The CulnSe2 absorber was synthesized by non-vacuum process with a simple and low-cost method, which fabricated absorber layer of thin-film solar cell. The extra amount of Se was added into the ink to help reduction of the oxide and solid Se fountain was used to provide Se atmosphere during the selenization progress. The influence of same factors was investigated, such as the time of reduction in H2, the time of selenization and the Se vapor pressure. The selenizaion, processed at 550 ℃ for 60 min with the Se vapor pressure at 1.90 kPa, resulted in high quality CulnSe2 layer with very good chemical composition.

Properties of TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

With rapid progressive application of TiO2 thin films, magnetron sputtering becomes a very interesting method to prepare such multi-functional thin films. This paper focuses on influences of various deposition processes and deposition rate on the structures and properties of TiO2 thin films. Anatase, rutile or amorphous TiO2 films with various crystalline structures and different photocatalytic, optical and electrical properties can be produced by varying sputtering gases, substrate temperature, annealing process, deposition rate and the characteristics of magnetron sputtering. This may in turn affect the functions of TiO2 films in many applications. Furthermore, TiO2-based composites films can overcome many limitations and improve the properties of TiO2 films.

Cu_2ZnSnS_4 thin films prepared by sulfurization of ion beam sputtered precursor and their electrical and optical properties

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were successfully prepared by sulfurization of ion bean sputtered precursors on soda-lime glass substrate. The single phase of stannite-type structure CZTS films were obtained as revealed in EDS and XRD analysis when the ratios of the constituents of CZTS thin films are close to stoichiometric by optimizing the conditions of precursor preparation and sulfurization. A low sheet resistivity as about 0.156 Ω·cm and a high absorption coefficient as 1×104 cm-1 were achieved in this method by Hall effect measurements and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The optical band-gap energy of the CZTS sample is about 1.51 eV, which is very close to the optimum value for a solar-cell absorber.

Influences of working pressure on properties for TiO_2 films deposited by DC pulse magnetron sputtering

TiO2 films were deposited at room temperature by DC pulse magnetron sputtering system.The crystalline structures,morphological features and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 films were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,atomic force microscopy（AFM） and ultraviolet spectrophotometer,respectively.The results indicated that working pressure was the key deposition parameter in？uencing the TiO2 film phase composition at room temperature,which directly affected its photocatalytic activity.With increasing working pressure,the target self-bias decreases monotonously.Therefore,low temperature TiO2 phase（anatase） could be deposited with high working pressure.The anatase TiO2 films deposited with 1.4 Pa working pressure displayed the highest photocatalytic activity by the decomposition of Methyl Orange solution,which the degradation rate reached the maximum（35%） after irradiation by ultraviolet light for 1 h.

Influence of Thermal Treatments on In-depth Compositional Uniformity of Culn（S,Se）2 Thin Films

CuIn（S,Se）2 thin films were prepared by thermal crystallization of co-sputtered Cu-In alloy precursors in S/Se atmosphere. In-depth compositional uniformity is an important prereq- uisite for obtaining device-quality CuIn（S,Se）2 absorber thin films. In order to figure out the influence of heat treatments on in-depth composition uniformity of CuIn（S,Se）2 thin films, two kinds of reaction temperature profiles were investigated. One process is ＂one step profile＂, referring to formation of CuIn（S,Se）2 thin films just at elevated temperature （e.g. 500 ℃）. The other is ＂two step profile＂, which allows for slow diffusion of S and Se elements into the alloy precursors at a low temperature before the formation and re-crystallization of CuIn（S,Se）2 thin films at higher temperature （e.g. first 250 ℃ then 500 ℃）. X-ray diffrac- tion studies reveal that there is a discrepancy in the shape of （112） peak. Samples annealed with ＂one step profile＂ have splits on （112） peaks, while samples annealed with ＂two step profile＂ have relatively symmetrical （112） peaks. Grazing incident X-ray diffraction and en- ergy dispersive spectrum measurements of samples successively etched in bromine methanol show that CuIn（S,Se）2 thin films have better in-depth composition uniformity after ＂two step profile＂ annealing. The reaction mechanism during the two thermal processing was also investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra.

Effect of Mg-Film Thickness on the Formation of Semiconductor Mg_2Si Films Prepared by Resistive Thermal Evaporation Method

Mg films of various thicknesses were deposited on Si（111） substrates at room temperature by resistive thermal evaporation method, and then the Mg/Si samples were annealed at 40 ℃ for 4 h. The effects of Mg film thickness on the formation and structure of Mg2Si films were investigated. The results showed that the crystallization quality of Mg2Si films was strongly influenced by the thickness of Mg film. The XRD peak intensity of Mg2Si （220） gradually increased initially and then decreased with increasing Mg film thickness. The XRD peak intensity of Mg2Si （220） reached its maximum when the Mg film of 380 um was used. The thickness of the Mg2Si film annealed at 400℃ for 4 h was approximately 3 times of the Mg film.

Metal Precursor Influence on Performance of CuIn1-xGaxSe2 Films

CUIn1-xGaxSe2 （CIGS） films were prepared by a two-stage method, in which Cu-In-Ga metallic precursors were firstly deposited on unheated Mo-coated soda lime glass substrates by direct current sputtering CuGa （20%Ga） and radio frequency sputtering In targets in an Ar atmosphere, followed by selenization at 520 ℃ for 40 min in Se vapor. By adjusting the sputtering thickness ratio of surface CuGa （20%Ga） and bottom CuGa （20%Ga） alloy layers in metal precursor, different CIGS thin films were fabricated. Through X-ray diffraction spectra, Raman spectra, local energy dispersive spectrometer, planar- and cross- sectional views of scanning electron microscopy measurements, it revealed that the CIGS thin films from selenization of metal precursor with CuGa：In：CuGa thickness ratio of 7：20：3 （sample-2-se） was of chalcopyrite structure with the preferred （112） orientation, and the grains sizes ranged from 0.5 μm to 2 μm, and sample-2-se had no binary compound phase of In-Se and order defect compound phase. Consequently, the results of illuminated current- voltage curve and quantum efficiency measurements showed that the CIGS film device made from sample-2-se had relative higher photo-electric conversion efficiency （3.59%） and good spectrum response.

Effects of dopant content on optical and electrical properties of In_2O_3: W transparent conductive films

The In 2 O 3 : W (IWO) films with different W content were deposited on glass substrate using direct current sputtering method. The structure, surface morphology, and optical and electrical properties were investigated. Results showed that both the carrier concentration and carrier mobility were increased with the doping of W. The IWO film with the lowest resistivity of 1.0×10 3 cm, highest carrier mobilityof 43.7 cm 2 V 1 s 1 and carrier concentration of 1.4×10 20 cm 3 was obtained at the content of 2.8 wt.%. The average optical transmittance from 300 nm to 900 nm reached 87.6%.

Characterization and photoelectrochemical performance of Zn-doped TiO_2 films by sol-gel method

Zn-doped TiO2 (Zn?TiO2) thin films were prepared by the sol?gel method on titanium substrates with heat treatment at different temperatures. The effects of heat treatment temperatures and Zn doping on the structure, photocathodic protection and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 thin films were investigated. It is indicated that the photoelectrical performance of the Zn?TiO2 films is enhanced with the addition of Zn element compared with the pure-TiO2 film and the largest decline by 897 mV in the electrode potential is achieved under 300 °C heat treatment. SEM?EDS analyses show that Zn element is unevenly distributed in Zn?TiO2 films; XRD patterns reveal that the grain size of Zn?TiO2 is smaller than that of pure-TiO2; FTIR results indicate that Zn - O bond forms on Zn?TiO2 surface. Ultraviolet visible absorption spectra prove that Zn?TiO2 shifts to visible light region.Mott?Shottky curves show that the flat-band potential of Zn?TiO2 is more negative and charge carrier density is bigger than that ofpure-TiO2, implying that under the synergy of the width of the space-charge layer, carrier density and flat-band potential, Zn?TiO2 with 300 °C heat treatment displays the best photocathodic protection performance.

Preparation and Characterization of Nano-Structured SiO_(2) Thin Films on Carbon Steel

Nano-structured SiO2 thin films were prepared on the surface of carbon steel for the first time by LPD. The compositions of the films were analyzed by XPS, and the surface morphology of the thin films were observed by AFM. The thin films were constituted by compact particles of SiO2, and there was no Fe in the films. In the process of film forming, the SiO2 colloid particles were deposited or absorbed directly onto the surface of carbon steel substrates that were activated by acid solution containing inhibitor, and corrosion of the substrates was avoided. The nano-structured SiO2 thin films that were prepared had excellent protective efficiency to the carbon steel.

Upconversion properties of Y_2O_3:Er films prepared by sol-gel method

Y2O3：Er^3＋ films were prepared by a simple sol-gel process. The structural properties of Y2O3：Er^3＋ films were characterized with X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the Y2O3：Er^3＋ films might have high upconversion efficiency because of their low vibrational energy. Under 785 and 980 nm laser excitation, the samples showed green （^2H11/2→^4I15/2, ^4S3/2→^4I15/2） and red （^4F9/2→^4I15/2） upconversion emissions. The upconversion mechanisms were studied in detail through laser power dependence. Excited state absorption and energy transfer process were discussed as possible upconversion mechanisms. The cross relaxation process in Er^3＋ was also investigated.

Rapid communication Preparation of TiO_2 nanometer thin films with high photocatalytic activity by reverse micellar method

Two kinds of TiO_2 nanometer thin films were prepared on stainless steel bythe reverse micellar and sol-gel methods, respectively. The calcined TiO_ 2 thin films werecharacterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), BET surface area and X-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalyticdecoloration of methyl orange aqueous solution. The results showed that the TiO_2 thin filmsprepared by reverse micellar method (designated as RM-TiO_2 films) showed higher photocatalyticactivity than those by sol-gel method (designated as SG-TiO_2 films). This is attributed to the factthat the former is composed of smaller monodispersed spherical particles with a size of about 15 nmand possesses higher surface areas.

Preparation and Properties of Ag-TiO_2 Thin Films on Glass Substrates

Ag TiO 2 thin films were prepared on glasses.The morphology and structure of Ag TiO 2 films were investigated by XRD, SEM and FT IR.The photocatalytic and hydrophilic properties of Ag TiO 2 thin films were also evaluated by examining photocatalytic degradation dichlorophos under sunlight illumination and the change of contact angle respectively.The research results show that the Ag TiO 2 thin film is mainly composed of 20-100nm Ag and TiO 2 particles.The Ag TiO 2 thin films possess a super hydrophilic ability and higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure TiO 2 thin film.

Preparation of Nanometer-structured TiO_2 Thin Films by Sol-Gel Method

The transparent anatase TiO 2 nanometer thin films were prepared by the sol-gel method on soda-lime glass.X-ray diffraction,thermal analysis and UV-visible spectrophotometer were used to analyze the formation of the phases.Only increasing the heat-treatment time,the average grain size has no obvious change.The mechanism of grain growth in TiO 2 thin film is probably as follows:the grain of coating will become grain core later;TiO 2 sol constantly deposited on the surface of TiO 2 grain and formed membrane with increasing of coating cycle times;TiO 2 grain in the film grow steadily.