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.

Thickness effect on solar-blind photoelectric properties of ultrathinβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films prepared by atomic layer deposition

Theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films with different thicknesses are prepared by an atomic layer deposition system.The influence of film thickness on the crystal quality is obvious,indicating that the thicker films perform better crystal quality,which is verified from x-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscope(SEM)results.The Ga_(2)O_(3)-based solar blind photodetectors with different thicknesses are fabricated and studied.The experimental results show that the responsivity of the photodetectors increases exponentially with the increase of the film thickness.The photodetectors with inter-fingered structure based on 900 growth cyclesβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)active layers(corresponding film thickness of 58 nm)exhibit the best performances including a low dark current of 134 fA,photo-to-dark current ratio of 1.5×10^(7),photoresponsivity of 1.56 A/W,detectivity of 2.77×10^(14)Jones,and external quantum efficiency of 764.49%at a bias voltage of 10 V under 254-nm DUV illumination.The photoresponse rejection ratio(R_(254)/R_(365))is up to 1.86×10^(5).In addition,we find that the photoelectric characteristics also depend on the finger spacing of the MSM structure.As the finger spacing decreases from 50μm to10μW,the photoresponsivity,detectivity,and external quantum efficiency increase significantly.

Effects of irradiation on superconducting properties of small-grained MgB_(2) thin films

We investigate the effect of ion irradiation on MgB_(2) thin films with small grains of approximately 122 nm and 140 nm.The flux pinning by grain boundaries is insignificant in the pristine MgB_(2) films due to good inter-grain connectivity,but is significantly improved after 120-keV Mn-ion irradiation.The scaling behavior of the flux pinning force density for the ion-irradiated MgB_(2) thin films with nanoscale grains demonstrates the predominance of pinning by grain boundaries,in contrast to the single-crystalline MgB_(2) films where normal point pinning was dominant after low-energy ion irradiation.These results suggest that irradiation-induced defects can accumulate near the grain boundaries in metallic MgB_(2) superconductors.

XPS Study of Electroless Deposited Sb2Se3 Thin Films for Solar Cell Absorber Material

As a thin film solar cell absorber material, antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) has become a potential candidate recently because of its unique optical and electrical properties and easy fabrication method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the stoichiometry and composition of electroless Sb2Se3 thin films using depth profile studies. The surface layers were analyzed nearly stoichiometric. But the abundant amount of antimony makes the inner layer electrically more conductive.

Depth Profile Study of Electroless Deposited Sb2S3 Thin Films Using XPS for Photovoltaic Applications

Sb2S3 has gained tremendous research recently for thin film solar cell absorber material because of their easy synthesis, unique electrical and optical properties. The stoichiometry and composition of electroless Sb2S3 thin films were analyzed using XPS depth profile studies. The surface layers were found nearly stoichiometric. On the other hand, the inner layer was rich in antimony composition making it more conductive electrically.

Investigation of Sprayed Lu2O3 Thin Films Using XPS

Spray pyrolysis method was used to deposit Lutetium Oxide (Lu2O3) thin films using lutetium (III) chloride as source material and water as oxidizer. Annealing was carried out in argon atmosphere at 450°C for 60 minutes of the films. To investigate the composition and stoichiometry of sprayed as-deposited and annealed Lu2O3 thin films, depth profile studies using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was done. Nearly stoichiometric was observed for both annealed and as-deposited films in inner and surface layers.

XPS Depth Profile Study of Sprayed Ga2O3 Thin Films

Ga2O3 thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis method using gallium acetylacetonate as source material and water as oxidizer. The films were annealed at 450°C for 60 minutes in argon atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profile studies were carried out to analyze the stoichiometry and composition of sprayed as-deposited and annealed Ga2O3 thin films. Surface layers and the inner layers of as-deposited and annealed films were found nearly stoichiometric.

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)).

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.

Effects of Atomic Oxygen Irradiation on Transparent Conductive Oxide Thin Films

Transparent conductive oxide （TCO） thin film is a kind of functional material which has potential applications in solar cells and atomic oxygen （AO） resisting systems in spacecrafts. Of TCO, ZnO：Al （ZAO） and In2O3：Sn （ITO） thin films have been widely used and investigated. In this study, ZAO and ITO thin films were irradiated by AO with different amounts of fluence. The as-deposited samples and irradiated ones were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and Hall-effect measurement to investigate the dependence of the structure, morphology and electrical properties of ZAO or ITO on the amount of fluence of AO irradiation. It is noticed that AO has erosion effects on the surface of ZAO without evident influences upon its structure and conductive properties. Moreover, as the amount of AO fluence rises, the carrier concentration of ITO decreases causing the resistivity to increase by at most 21.7%.

Preparation and properties of tungsten-doped indium oxide thin films

Tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO) thin films were deposited on glass substrate by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The effects of sputtering power and growth temperature on the structure, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of IWO thin films were investigated. The thickness and surface morphology of the films are both closely dependent on the sputtering power and the substrate temperature. The transparency of the films decreases with the increase of the sputtering power but is not seriously influenced by substrate temperature. All the IWO thin film samples have high transmittance in near-infrared spectral range. With either the sputtering power or the growth temperature increases, the resistivity of the film decreases at the beginning and increases after the optimum parameters. The as-deposited IWO films with minimum resistivity of 6.4 10 4 cm were obtained at a growth temperature of225 C and sputteringpower of 40 W, with carrier mobility of 33.0 cm 2 V 1 s 1 and carrier concentration of 2.8 10 20 cm 3 and the average transmittance of about 81% in near-infrared region and about 87% in visible region.

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.

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.

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.

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.