Three-dimensional Ordered Silica Colloidal Film Self-assembly Deposited on a VerticalSubstrate

A method for preparation of particle crystal film constructed from monodisperse silica colloidal particles in diameter of about 300 nm is reported. The films were prepared from an ethanol suspension by vertical deposition that relies on capillary forces to assemble colloidal crystal particles on a vertical substrate. The 3D ordered films were characterized by transmission spectra and scanning electric microscope (SEM). The effect of evaporation temperature, particle concentration and sintered temperature on the quality of colloidal particle crystal film was investigated.

Enhancement of vertical phase separation in sequentially deposited organic photovoltaics through the independent processing of additives

Herein,the impact of the independent control of processing additives on vertical phase separation in sequentially deposited (SD) organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and its subsequent effects on charge carrier kinetics at the electron donor-acceptor interface are investigated.The film morphology exhibits notable variations,significantly depending on the layer to which 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) was applied.Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals distinctly separated donor/acceptor phases and vertical crystallinity details in SD films.Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis is employed to obtain component distributions in diverse vertical phase structures of SD films depending on additive control.In addition,nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy shows that DIO control significantly affects the dynamics of separated charges in SD films.In SD OPVs,DIO appears to act through distinct mechanisms with minimal restriction,depending on the applied layer.This study emphasizes the significance of morphological optimization in improving device performance and underscores the importance of independent additive control in the advancement of OPV technology.

Implementation of sub-100 nm vertical channel-all-around(CAA) thin-film transistor using thermal atomic layer deposited IGZO channel

In-Ga-Zn-O(IGZO) channel based thin-film transistors(TFT), which exhibit high on-off current ratio and relatively high mobility, has been widely researched due to its back end of line(BEOL)-compatible potential for the next generation dynamic random access memory(DRAM) application. In this work, thermal atomic layer deposition(TALD) indium gallium zinc oxide(IGZO) technology was explored. It was found that the atomic composition and the physical properties of the IGZO films can be modulated by changing the sub-cycles number during atomic layer deposition(ALD) process. In addition, thin-film transistors(TFTs) with vertical channel-all-around(CAA) structure were realized to explore the influence of different IGZO films as channel layers on the performance of transistors. Our research demonstrates that TALD is crucial for high density integration technology, and the proposed vertical IGZO CAA-TFT provides a feasible path to break through the technical problems for the continuous scale of electronic equipment.

Intermolecular Interactions in Self-Assembly Process of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate by Vertically Polarized Raman Spectra

Molecular self-assembly is extremely important in many fields, but the characterization of their corresponding intermolecular interactions is still lacking. The C-H stretching Raman band can reflect the hydrophobic interactions during the self-assembly process of sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS） in aqueous solutions. However, the Raman spectra in this region are seriously overlapped by the OH stretching band of water. In this work, vertically polarized Raman spectra were used to improve the detection sensitivity of spectra of C-H region for the first time. The spectral results showed that the first critical micelle concentration and the second critical micelle concentration of SDS in water were 8.5 and 69 mmol/L, respectively, which were consistent with the results given by surface tension measurements. Because of the high sensitivity of vertically polarized Raman spectra, the critical micelle concentration of SDS in a relatively high concentration of salt solution could be obtained in our experiment. The two critical concentrations of SDS in 100 mmol/L NaCl solution were recorded to be 1.8 and 16.5 mmol/L, respectively. Through comparing the spectra and surface tension of SDS in water and in NaCl solution, the self-assembly process in bulk phase and at interface were discussed. The interactions among salt ions, SDS and water molecules were also analyzed. These results demonstrated the vertically polarized Raman spectra could be employed to study the self-assembly process of SDS in water.

Effect of Particle Inhomogeneity on Band-gap of Silica Colloidal Crystals in Vertical Deposition Method

The effect of inhomogeneity of particles on the band-gap of silica colloidal crystals(SCCs) fabricated by vertical deposition method was studied.The optical properties of the crystals were examined.The SEM images and transmission spectrum of the crystals showed that the inhomogeneity of particles not only affected the ordering,but also their mid-gap position.When the volume ratio of S particles(VS) to L particles(VL) in suspension was 1:1,the band-gap of silica colloidal crystals changed with the growth of particles.When the ratio was 2:1,the quality of SCCs on substrate was obviously improved simultaneously with the number decreasing of L particles.Especially,the quality of SCCs at the bottom of substrate was the best and its mid-gap(634 nm) was very close to that of theoretic value of S particles(636 nm).When the ratio was 3:1,the effect of L particles became smaller with the number decreasing of L particles in suspension.The mid-gap position(638 nm) of whole SCCs on substrate were all close to that of theoretic value of S particles(636 nm).

High-quality SiO_2 Colloidal Crystal Fabricated by Controllable Vertical Deposition Method

Monodispersed silica microspheres with diameter of 353nm were assembled into photonic crystal in ethanol colloidal suspensions of varied silica volume fraction at different temperature and humidity by means of controllable vertical deposition method. The surface morphology and optical properties were studied by SEM and UV-Vis-NIR. It was found that the high-quality silica colloidal photonic crystals were obtained from ethanol solutions with environment temperature between 45℃ and 55℃, humidity between 66% and 76%, the volume fraction of microspheres is between 0.8% and 1.5%. The ordered close-packed photonic crystal fabricated by controllable vertical deposition method had the two photonic bandgaps in the visible light band and near infrared band.

A Non-parametric Gradient-Based Shape Optimization Approach for Solving Inverse Problems in Directed Self-Assemblyof Block Copolymers

We consider the inverse problem of finding guiding pattern shapes that result in desired self-assembly morphologies of block copolymer melts.Specifically,we model polymer selfassembly using the self-consistent field theory and derive,in a non-parametric setting,the sensitivity of the dissimilarity between the desired and the actual morphologies to arbitrary perturbations in the guiding pattern shape.The sensitivity is then used for the optimization of the confining pattern shapes such that the dissimilarity between the desired and the actual morphologies is minimized.The efficiency and robustness of the proposed gradient-based algorithm are demonstrated in a number of examples related to templating vertical interconnect accesses(VIA).

A Simple Deposition Method for Self-Assembling Single Crystalline Hybrid Perovskite Nanostructures

A sequential deposition method is developed, where the hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskite （CH3NH3Pb （I1-xBrx）3 ） is synthesized using precursor solutions containing CH3NH3I and PbBr2 with different mole ratios and reaction times. The perovskite achieved here is quite stable in the atmosphere for a relatively long time without noticeable degradation, and the perovskite nanowires are proved to be single crystalline structure, based on transmission electron microscopy.Furthermore, strong red photoluminescence from perovskite is observed in the wavelength range from 746nm to 770nm with the increase of the reaction time, on account of the exchanges between I- ions and Br- ions in the perovskite crystal. Lastly, the influences of concentration and reaction time of the precursor solutions are discussed, which are important for evolution of hybrid perovskite from nanocuboid to nanowire and nanosheet.

Chemical Vertical Zonality in Silicate Nickel Deposit in Gllavica, Republic of Kosovo

In this paper is presented chemical vertical zonality in mineral deposit nickel silicate Gllavica that is located near to the airport of Pristina. In this study were included detailed geological research of the first phase and the second pahse in deposit. According to geological exploration is presented zonality in direction of the depth of the nickel silicate deposit. Geological exploration have appeared vertical profile by zones from the surface to the depth of the deposit. The content of nickel increases nontronite zone, according to the results shown in this prospecting zone the nickel mineralization reaches higher values in the zone nontronite - serpentinite.

Influence of Vertical Eddy Diffusivity Parameterization on Daily and Monthly Mean Concentrations of O3 and NOy

Two parameterization schemes for vertical eddy diffusivity were utilized to investigate their impacts on both the daily and monthly mean concentrations of ozone and NOy, which are the major fractions of the sum of all reactive nitrogen species, i.e., NOy=NO＋NO2＋HNO3＋PAN. Simulations indicate that great changes in the vertical diffusivity usually occur within the planetary boundary layer （PBL）. Daily and monthly mean concentrations of NOy are much more sensitive to changes in the vertical diffusivity than those of ozone and ozone and NOy levels only at or in （relatively） clean sites and areas, where long-range transport plays a crucial role, display roughly equivalent sensitivity. The results strongly suggest that a widely-accepted parameterization scheme be selected and the refinement of the model＇s vertical resolution in the PBL be required, even for regional and long-term studies, and ozone only being examined in an effort to judge the model＇s performance be unreliable, and NOy be included for model evaluations.

Recent Development of Quantum Dot Deposition in Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

As new-generation solar cells,quantum dot-sensitized solar cells(QDSCs)have the outstanding advantages of low cost and high theoretical efficiency;thus,such cells receive extensive research attention.Their power conversion efficiency(PCE)has increased from 5%to over 15%in the past decade.However,compared with the theoretical efficiency(44%),the PCE of QDSCs still needs further improvement.The low loading amount of quantum dots(QDs)is a key factor limiting the improvement of cell efficiency.The loading amount of QDs on the surface of the substrate film is important for the performance of QDSCs,which directly affects the light-harvesting ability of the device and interfacial charge recombination.The optimization of QD deposition and the improvement of the loading amount are important driving forces for the rapid development of QDSCs in recent years and a key breakthrough in future development.In this paper,the research progress of QD deposition on the surface of substrate films in QDSCs was reviewed.In addition,the main deposition methods and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed,and future research on the further increase in loading amount was proposed.

Preparation and Self-assembly of Chitosan/Carbon Microsphere Composite

Carbon-based films were synthesized by self-assembly of chitosan-encapsulated carbon microsphere （CMS@CS） composite. First, carbon microspheres （CMSs） prepared by chemical vapor deposition were modified by HNO3 and H2O2. Second, oxidized CMSs were modified by chitosan （CS）. Finally, CMS@CS was self-assembled by vertical deposition, in which suspension concentration and deposition temperature on the quality of self-assembling film were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry were employed to characterize the morphology and structure of the samples. The results show that CMSs modified by CS had uniform particle size and good dispersion, CMS@CS was self-assembled into a dense film, the film thickened with increasing suspension concentration at fixed temperature, and more ordered film was obtained at 1 wt% of suspension concentration and 50 ℃. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra show that the absorbance of CMS@CS film grew steadily with increasing suspension concentration and that the CMSs with oxygen-containing groups have a good assembling performance to form composite films with CS.

Optimization of solvent swelling for efficient organic solar cells via sequential deposition

Compared to bulk heterojunction(BHJ)organic solar cells(OSCs)prepared by the blend casting in“one step process”,sequential deposition(SD)processed OSCs can realize an ideal profile of vertical component distribution due to the swelling of polymer films.Herein,we did trials on several kinds of second solvents for swelling the polymer layer,and investigated the packing structure and morphology of the swollen films and the performance of the resulting devices.We found that an optimized morphology can be achieved by solvent swelling while using orthodichlorobenzene(o-DCB)as the second layer processing-solvent,with polymer donor PffBT-3 as bottom layer,PC71BM as top layer and bicontinuous networks in the middle.Such solvent swelling process also makes the SD method exempt from thermal annealing treatment.The device based on SD yields a power conversion effi-ciency(PCE)up to 8.7%without any post-treatment,outperforming those from the devices based on SD using other solvents and that(7.06%)from BHJ device,respectively.We also extended the use of this approach to allpolymer blend system,and successfully improved the efficiency from 4.72%(chloroform)to 9.35%(o-DCB),which is among the highest PCEs in all-polymer-based OSCs fabricated with SD method.The results demonstrate that the swelling of the polymer by the second layer solvent is a necessity for SD,paving the way towards additivefree high-performance OSCs.

Preparation of large size aluminium alloy cylindrical preforms by multi-layer spray deposition

Preparation of large scale aluminium alloy cylindrical preforms have been studied by the methods of vertical spray deposition and tilted spray deposition respectively. The results show that aluminium alloy cylindrical preforms of a size up to d 320 mm×500 mm can take shape well by applying multi layer tilted spray deposition technology if the process is controlled properly. The spray system scans in a radius ranging from the center to the rim of the preform, and the velocity is inversely proportional to the displacement. The multi layer deposited preforms exhibit high cooling rate. The larger the diameter is and the higher the cooling rate and yield are.

Self-assembled Synthesis of Porous TiO_2 Film on the Electrophoretic-deposited Titanate Nanoribbon Film

The porous TiOz film was self-assembled on the surface of electrophoretic-deposited titanate nanoribbon film without the addition of templates by using TiF4 as the precursor. It was found that the hydrolysis of TiF4 was accompanied with the self-assembly processes of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of electrophoretic-deposited titanate nanoribbon film, resulting in the formation of porous TiO2 structures. Titanate nanoribbon film was demonstrated to provide the active sites for the effective self-assembly of porous TiO2 nanostructures owing to a large amount of hydroxyl groups. Compared with the nonporous TiO2 film, the prepared porous TiO2 films obviously showed an enhanced photocatalytic activity, which could be attributed to the rapider diffusion and more efficient transport of various reactants and products during photocatalytic reaction in the t^orous structures.

Controlled Growth of Well-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes, Electrochemical Modification and Electrodeposition of Multiple Shapes of Gold Nanostructures

An efficient method has been developed to synthesize well-aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on a conductive Ta substrate by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Free-standing MWCNTs arrays were functionalized through electrochemical oxidation with the formation of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups. Using a new oven drying technique, we demonstrate that the unidirectionally aligned and laterally spaced geometry of the CNT arrays can be retained after being subjected to each step of electrochemical modification. Samples were analyzed by using a field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. Useful electrochemical methods for the synthesis of various gold nanostructures onto the aligned MWCNTs were then presented for the first time. The results demonstrated that flowerlike nanoparticle arrays, nanosheets and nanoflowers were obtained on the aligned CNTs under different experimental conditions. These kinds of aligned-CNT/Au nanostructures hybrid materials introduced by these efficient and simple electrochemical methods could lead to development of a new generation device for ultrasensitive catalytic and biological application.

Preparation of PVA/GO/h-BN Janus Film with High Thermal Conductivity and Excellent Flexibility via a Density Deposition Self-assembly Method

Janus films with asymmetric physical/chemical properties have attracted con siderable attention due to their promising applications in personal thermal management,electronic skin s,sensors,actuators,etc.However,traditional methods for fabricating Janus films conventionally need the assistance of an interface or auxiliary equipment,which are usually complex and time-consuming.Herein,flexible poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)/graphene oxide(GO)/h-BN(recorded as PVA/GO/h-BN)Janus films with thermally,optically,and electrically anisotropic properties are fabricated by a simple density deposition self-assem bly method,which just utilizes the density difference between GO and h-BN during water evaporation.Experimental results show that the two sides of the acquired Janus films have obvious asymmetric characteristics.In the original state of the PVA/GO/h-BN Janus films,the thermal conductivity of the GO side(10.06 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1))is generally lower than that of the h-BN side(10.48W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)).But after GO is reduced,the thermal conductivity of the rGO side reaches 12.17 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),surpassing that of the h-BN side.In addition,the relative reflectance of the h-BN side of Janus film is also significantly higher than that of the rGO side,and the su rface resistance difference between the two sides is about 4 orders of magnitude.The prepared PVA/GO/h-BN Janus films show great application potential in human thermal management,light conversion switches,and electronic skins.This study provides a simple and versatile strategy for fabricating Janus films with multifunctional(such as thermal,optical,and electrical)anisotropies.

Effects of plant protection UAV-based spraying on the vertical distribution of droplet deposition on Japonica rice plants in Northeast China

In order to study the regularity of the vertical distribution of droplet deposition on rice plants during pesticide spraying operated by a low-flying multi-rotor plant protection unmanned aviation vehicle(UAV),water-sensitive spray cards were placed on the leaves at the top,in the middle,and at the bottom of rice plants to acquire data on droplet deposition.In this study,a suspension containing tricylazole and hexaconazole was used in the spraying.The water-sensitive spray cards were analyzed by the droplet deposition processing software iDAS to obtain the vertical distribution of the droplets sprayed by the plant protection UAV.The results showed that (1)significant variation was found in the coverage of the droplets in different vertical positions of the rice plants.Within the effective spray width,the best coverage of the droplets was found in the area just below the rotors,whereas the coverage of areas farther away from the rotors was poor.For the different vertical positions of the rice plants,the overall droplet coverage was 58.38%at the top,33.55%in the middle,and 11.34%at the bottom of the plants;(2)for all vertical positions,the average size of the droplets ranged between 110μm and 140μm,which was suitable for the control of plant diseases and insect pests.The highest droplet density was found at the top of the plants,and the distribution of the droplet density was similar in the middle and at the bottom of the rice plants;(3)the diffusion ratio at the top of the rice plants(0.84)was better than that in the middle(0.57)and at the bottom(0.37).The overall relative span could meet the requirements for the actual application.Except for the position in the middle of the plants,the relative span for the other positions of the plants was over 0.67,which is the standard value.This study demonstrated the distribution regularity of droplet deposition along with the vertical direction of rice plants during UAV-based spraying,which is of guiding significance for the use of UAVs in plant protection,the improvement of chemical utilization efficiency,and the reduction of pesticide and fertilizer pollution.

Two-substrate vertical deposition for stable colloidal crystal chips

By combining vertical deposition with micro- molding in capillaries method, we have demonstrated the two-substrate vertical deposition, an alternative and versatile procedure for fabricating high-quality stable colloidal crystal chips. Apparent bright colors, special UV-vis spectra, scan- ning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force micros- copy (AFM) images all prove that high-quality colloidal crystal structures are formed in between the two substrates. During the two-substrate vertical deposition for colloidal crystal chips, capillary force and evaporation of the medium are critical to the formation of the colloidal crystals; while the confinement in between two close substrates makes the resulting colloidal crystal chips more stable. Due to the ex- cellent stability, these colloidal crystal chips can be used to construct some composite optical devices via a simpler and more flexible process. Meanwhile, they can also be further used as the templates for ordered multiporous materials.

Cambrian- Ordovician Deep - Water Deposits in Southwest Jiangxi, China

The Cambrian-Ordovician rocks in southwestern Jiangxi are mainly composed of deep-water deposits, in which 5 facies have been recognized: sandstone facies, sandstone-mudstone facies, siltstone-mudstone facies, mudstone (slate)facies, and chert facies. They are of turbidity current origin and are related to pelagic and hemipelagic deposits. In the light of facies distribution, the Cambrian-Ordovician deposits can be classified into 3 facies associations formed in middle fan, outer fan and deep-sea plain environments respectively. The 3 different orders of vertical cycles in the stratigraphic sequence are considered to be controlled by factors such as sea-level fluctuation, basin subsidence and submarine fan progradation. The tectonic setting of the sedimentary basin is interpreted as passive continental margin based on the chemical composition analysis of the sandstone.