Low-temperature phase transformation of CZTS thin films

The low temperature phase transformation in the Cu_2ZnSnS_4（CZTS） films was investigated by laser annealing and low temperature thermal annealing.The Raman measurements show that a-high-power laser annealing could cause a red shift of the Raman scattering peaks of the kesterite（KS） structure and promotes the formation of the partially disordered kesterite（PD-KS） structure in the CZTS films,and the low-temperature thermal annealing only shifts the Raman scattering peak of KS phase by several wavenumber to low frequency and the broads Raman peaks in the low frequency region.Moreover,the above two processes were reversible.The Raman analyses of the CZTS samples prepared under different process show that the PD-KS structure tends to be found at low temperatures and low sulfur vapor pressures.Our results reveal that the control of the phase structure in CZTS films is feasible by adjusting the preparation process of the films.

Effect of Trisodium Citrate on the Properties of Electrodeposited Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) Layers on ZnS Thin Films Using a 2-Electrode Method

Electrodeposition of CZTS thin films on ZnS was carried using a 2-electrode method to fabricate superstrate structure solar cells. A comprehensive study was performed on the effects of trisodium citrate on the CZTS electrolyte bath. In the present investigation, it is demonstrated that using a CZTS electrolyte with a concentration of 0.2 M trisodium citrate yields CZTS thin films with an electronic bandgap of 1.52 eV, a p-type nature, and good uniformity, which are all results desired for the fabrication of thin film solar cells. Characterization was performed using UV-Vi-IR optical absorption, SEM imaging, Raman spectrometry, and photoelectrochemical cells conducted for electronic bandgap, morphology, chemical composition, and semiconductor conductivity, respectively.

Infrared Thermochromic Properties of VO_2 Thin Films Prepared through Aqueous Sol-gel Process

The stoichiometric vanadium（IV） oxide thin films were obtained by controlling the temperature, time and pressure of annealing. The thermochromic phase transition and the IR thermochromic property of 400 nm and 900 nm VO2 thin films in the 7.5 μm-14 μm region were discussed. The derived VO2 thin film samples were characterized by Raman, XRD, XPS, AFM, SEM, and DSC. The resistance and infrared emissivity of VO2 thin films under different temperature were measured, and the thermal images of films were obtained using infrared imager. The results show that the VO2 thin film annealed at 550 ℃ for 10 hours through aqueous sol-gel process is pure and uniform. The 900 nm VO2 thin film exhibits better IR thermochromic property than the 400 nm VO2 thin film. The resistance of 900 nm VO2 film can change by 4 orders of magnitude and the emissivity can change by 0.6 during the phase transition, suggesting the outstanding IR thermochromic property. The derived VO2 thin film can control its infrared radiation intensity and lower its apparent temperature actively when the real temperature increases, which may be applied in the field of energy saving, thermal control and camouflage.

Structural, Optical and Luminescence Properties of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Spin-Coating Method： Effect of Precursor Concentration

Transparent zinc oxide（ZnO） thin films are fabricated by a simple sol-gel spin-coating technique on glass substrates with different solution concentrations（0.3-1.2 M） using zinc acetate dehydrate [Zn（CH_3COO）_2·2H_2O] as precursor and isopropanol and monoethanolamine（MEA） as solvent and stabilizer, respectively. The molar ratio of zinc acetate dehydrate to MEA is 1.0. X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy are employed to investigate the effect of solution concentration on the structural and optical properties of the ZnO thin films. The obtained results of all thin films are discussed in detail and are compared with other experimental data.

Studies on the Structure of Gel during Preparing ZnO Thin Films by Sol-gel Method

Transparent thin films of ZnO have been prepared on ordinary glass substrates by the inorganic sol-gel method using citric acid as chelating agent and zinc nitrate as the starting material. A novel structure on zinc citrate complex was put forward by using DTA-TG and FT-IR absorbanee spectrum of citrate gels. Phase formation, morphology and optical properties of ZnO films are investigated by XRD, AFM and UV-vis transmittance spectra. The experimental results show that ZnO thin films derived from zinc citrate sol-gel method showed a （002） oriented hexagonal wurtzite structure, good crystalline property, a uniform range of grain size （40 nm）, smooth surface of films, band gap of 3.28 eV and optical transmittances ratio over 90% in the visible range.

Effect of La Doping on Microstructure and Ferroelectric Prop-erties of Bi_4Ti_3O_(12) Thin Films Prepared by Sol-gel Method

The Bi4Ti3Oi2 and Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films were prepared on the Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using the sol-gel method. The effect of La doping on the microstructure and ferroelectric properties of Bi4Ti3O12 films were investigated. Both the Bi4Ti3O12 and Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films exhibited typical bismuth layered perovskite structure. The 2Pr （remanent polarization） value of Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films is 18.6 μC/cm^2, which is much larger than that of Bi4Ti3O12 thin films. And the Bi3.2eLa0.75Ti3O12 films show fatigue-free behavior, while the Bi4Ti3O12 thin films exhibit the fatigue problem. The mechanism of improvement of La doping was discussed.

Effect of Pre-heating Temperature on Structural and Optical Properties of Sol-gel Derived Zn_(0.8)Cd_(0.2)O Thin Films

Zn_（0.8）Cd_（0.2）O thin films prepared using the spin-coating method were investigated. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry were employed to illustrate the effects of the pre-heating temperature on the crystalline structure, surface morphology and transmission spectra of Zn_（0.8）Cd_（0.2）O thin films. When the thin films were pre-heated at 150 ℃, polycrystalline Zn O thin films were obtained. When the thin films were pre-heated at temperatures of 200 ℃ or higher, preferential growth of Zn O nanocrystals along the c-axis was observed. Transmission spectra showed that thin films with high transmission in the visible light range were prepared and effective bandgap energies of these thin films decreased from 3.19 e V to 3.08 e V when the pre-heating temperature increased from 150 ℃ to 300 ℃.

Numerical Study and Optimization of CZTS-Based Thin-Film Solar Cell Structure with Different Novel Buffer-Layer Materials Using SCAPS-1D Software

This study explored the performances of CZTS-based thin-film solar cell with three novel buffer layer materials ZnS, CdS, and CdZnS, as well as with variation in thickness of buffer and absorber-layer, doping concentrations of absorber-layer material and operating temperature. Our aims focused to identify the most optimal thin-film solar cell structure that offers high efficiency and lower toxicity which are desirable for sustainable and eco-friendly energy sources globally. SCAPS-1D, widely used software for modeling and simulating solar cells, has been used and solar cell fundamental performance parameters such as open-circuited voltage (), short-circuited current density (), fill-factor() and efficiency() have been optimized in this study. Based on our simulation results, it was found that CZTS solar cell with Cd0.4Zn0.6S as buffer-layer offers the most optimal combination of high efficiency and lower toxicity in comparison to other structure investigated in our study. Although the efficiency of Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS are comparable, Cd0.4Zn0.6S is preferable to use as buffer-layer for its non-toxic property. In addition, evaluation of performance as a function of buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S, ZnS and CdS showed that optimum buffer-layer thickness for Cd0.4Zn0.6S was in the range from 50 to 150nm while ZnS offered only 50 – 75 nm. Furthermore, the temperature dependence performance parameters evaluation revealed that it is better to operate solar cell at temperature 290K for stable operation with optimum performances. This study would provide valuable insights into design and optimization of nanotechnology-based solar energy technology for minimizing global energy crisis and developing eco-friendly energy sources sustainable and simultaneously.

Grain Size and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanometer TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by the Sol-gel Method

Transparent anatase TiO2 nanometer thin films with photocatalytic activity were prepared via the sol-gel method on soda-lime glass. The thickness , crystalline phase, grain size, surface hydroxyl amount and so on were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-visible spectrophotometer ( UV-VIS). The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 thin films was evaluated for the photocatalytic decolorization of aqueous methyl orange . The effects of film thickness on the crystalline phase, grain size, transmittance and photocatalytic activity of nanometer Ti02 thin films were discussed.

Microstructure Control of Nanoporous Silica Thin Film Prepared by Sol-gel Process

Nanoporous silica films were prepared by sol-gel process with base, acid and base/acid two-step catalysis.Transmission electron microscope （TEM） and particle size analyzer were used to characterize the microstructure and the particle size distribution of the sols. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscopy （AFM） and spectroscopic ellipsometer were used to characterize the surface microstructure and the optical properties of the silica films. Stability of the sols during long-term storage was investigated. Moreover,the dispersion relation of the optical constants of the silica films, and the control of the microstructure and properties of the films by changing the catalysis conditions during sol-gel process were also discussed.

STUDY ON PHOTOCATALYTIC MECHANISM OF SOL-GEL-DERIVED Pb-DOPED TiO_2 THIN FILMS

Pb-doped TiO2 photocatalytic thin films were prepared on a soda-lime glass substrate via sol-gel method using TiO2 sol solution containing lead and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that besides oxides of Ti(IV) there is a certain amount of oxides of To(?) and Ti(?) and Pb exists in the forms of PbTiO3 and PbO. The photocatalytic activity of the Pb-doped TiO2 films was evaluated by the photocatalytic decolorization of aqueous methyl orange and photocatalytic mechanism mas also analyzed.

The Effect of SiO_2 Additive on Super-hydrophilic Property of TiO_2-SiO_2 Thin Film by Sol-gel Method

TiO2-SiO2 thin films have been prepared on slide glass substrates by sol-gel method, and the effect of SiO2 additive on photo-generated hydrophilicity of TiO2 thin film was investigated by measuring the contact angle of water, the microstructure, the transmittance, the photocatalytic activity and the specific surface area . The results showed that 10mol% of SiO2 additive was the most effective for decreasing contact angle of water. The SiO2 additive of less than 30mol% has a suppressive effect on the crystal growth of anatase in calcinations, resulting in a large surface area. Consequently, the super-hydrophilicity was improved.

Surface Microstructure Characterization of Sol-gel Derived Porous TiO_2 Thin Films

Porous TiO2 thin films were prepared from alkoxide solutions with and without polyethylene glycol (PEG) by sol-get route on soda lime glass, and were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that TiO2 film prepared from precursor solution without PEG is composed of spherical particles of about 100 nm and several nanometer mesoporous pores. With the increase of the amount of PEG added to the precursor solution, the diameter and the depth of the pores in the resultant films increas on the decomposition of PEG during heat-treatment, which lead to them increase of the surface roughness of the films. XRD and TEM results show that the single anatase phase is precipitated and there are some orientation effects in (101) direction.

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.

Ferroelectric properties of sol-gel derived Nd-doped SrBi_4Ti_4O_(15) thin films

Neodymium-doped strontium bismuth titanate （SrBi4-xNdxTi4O15） ferroelectric thin films were fabricated using the sol-gel method on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The influence of Nd content on the microstructure and ferroelectric properties of SrBi4-xNdxTi4O15 thin films were systematically studied. The results indicated that the SrBi3.88Nd0.12Ti4O15 （SBNT0.12） thin films had better ferroelectric properties, with a remanent polarization of （2Pr） of 34.3 μC/cm^2 and a coercive field （2Ec） of 220 kV/cm. This could be attributed to the fact that SBNT0.12 ferroelectric thin films consisted of more and larger ball-like grains, approximately 150-200 nm, with structure distortion, which greatly contributed to the improvement of the ferroelectric properties of the films. Furthermore, the film exhibited a good fatigue resistant property. The value of 2Pr after 10^10 switching cycles did not change significantly. The SrBi3.88Nd0.12Ti4O15 films were promising candidates for the application of FeRAMs.

Effect of Annealing on Ferroelectric Properties of Bi_ (3.25)La_(0.75)Ti_3O_ (12) Thin Films Prepared by the Sol-gel Method

Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12（BLT）thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate by the sol-gel method.The effect of annealing on their structures and ferroelectric properties was investigated.The XRD patterns indicate that the BLT films annealed at different temperatures are randomly orientated and the single perovskite phase is obtained at 550℃.The remmant polarization increnses and the coercive field decreases with the annealing temperature increasing.The leakage current density of the BLT films annealed at 700℃ is about 5.8×10^-8A/cm^2 at the electrie field of 250kv/cm.

Structure distortion, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films co-doped with Al and Sb by sol-gel spin coating

ZnO thin films co-doped with A1 and Sb with different concentrations and a fixed molar ratio of AlCl3 to SbCl3 at 1：2, are prepared by a sol-gel spin-coating method on glass annealed at 550 ℃ for 2 h in air. The x-ray diffraction results confirm that the ZnO thin films co-doped with Al distortion, and the biaxial stresses are 1.03× 10^8. 3.26× 10^8 and Sb are of wurtzite hexagonal ZnO with a very small 5.23 × 10^8, and 6.97× 10^8 Pa, corresponding to those of the ZnO thin films co-doped with Al and Sb in concentrations of 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 at% respectively. The optical properties reveal that the ZnO thin films co-doped with Al and Sb have obviously enhanced transmittance in the visible region. The electrical properties show that ZnO thin film co-doped with Al and Sb in a concentration of 1.5 at% has a lowest resistivity of 2.5 Ω·cm.

Fabrication and Thermally Sensitive Properties of VO_x Thin Films by Sol-Gel Method

For the high temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) of VO_x thin films,the preparation process including the heat-treating and the application of seed layer,has been investigated.When the films were prepared without a seed layer, heated in air for 2 h,and then in N_2 for 2 h at 470℃,the TCR of about 1.07% K^(-1) (3.75% K^(-1) at 45℃～65℃) was gained.The R_(20℃)/R_(100℃) was about 28.75,while the R_(20℃)/R_(100℃) of the thin films prepared on a seed layer was 5.5.The X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that better heating conditions led to less phase compositions and higher V_2O_5 diffraction peak,which led to higher TCR.The experiment results showed that the optimum heating condition was at 470℃for 4 h.

Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Ferroelectric Properties of BiFeO_3 Thin Films Prepared by Sol-gel Process

Sol-gel process was adopted to prepare BiFeO3 films.BiFeO3 films were deposited on LaNiO3 coated Si（100） substrates annealed at 500 and 550 ℃,respectively.The X-ray diffraction results reveal that BiFeO3 film has a rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure with space group R3c.The film annealed at 500 ℃ has larger remnant polarization（Pr） of 35.3 μC/cm2.For the film annealed at 550 ℃,smaller remnant polarization of Pr=4.8 μC/cm^2 is observed for its low breakdown electric field.Lower leakage conduction is observed in the film annealed at 500 ℃ at low applied field.

Preparation of Ag-doped TiO_2 Thin Film by Sol-gel Method

The Ag-TiO2 thin film has been prepared on glass substrate by sol-gel process . The structure and properties of the materials were studied by DTA , XRD, and EPR. The photocatalytic activity was examined by the photocatalytic degradation of dichlorophos. The analysis results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of the Ag-TiO2 thin film is higher than that of pure TiO2 thin film. It is also influenced by the content of anatase and heating temperature . The ESR result shows that the Ag-TiO2 thin film has more hydroxide radicals than pure TiO2 thin film after illuminated by UV light.