Novel fabrication techniques for ultra-thin silicon based flexible electronics

Flexible electronics offer a multitude of advantages,such as flexibility,lightweight property,portability,and high durability.These unique properties allow for seamless applications to curved and soft surfaces,leading to extensive utilization across a wide range of fields in consumer electronics.These applications,for example,span integrated circuits,solar cells,batteries,wearable devices,bio-implants,soft robotics,and biomimetic applications.Recently,flexible electronic devices have been developed using a variety of materials such as organic,carbon-based,and inorganic semiconducting materials.Silicon(Si)owing to its mature fabrication process,excellent electrical,optical,thermal properties,and cost efficiency,remains a compelling material choice for flexible electronics.Consequently,the research on ultra-thin Si in the context of flexible electronics is studied rigorously nowadays.The thinning of Si is crucially important for flexible electronics as it reduces its bending stiffness and the resultant bending strain,thereby enhancing flexibility while preserving its exceptional properties.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent efforts in the fabrication techniques for forming ultra-thin Si using top-down and bottom-up approaches and explores their utilization in flexible electronics and their applications.

An overview of thermoelectric films:Fabrication techniques,classification,and regulation methods

Thermoelectric materials have aroused widespread concern due to their unique ability to directly convert heat to electricity without any moving parts or noxious emissions.Taking advantages of two-dimensional structures of thermoelectric films,the potential applications of thermoelectric materials are diversified,particularly in microdevices.Well-controlled nanostructures in thermoelectric films are effective to optimize the electrical and thermal transport,which can significantly improve the performance of thermoelectric materials.In this paper,various physical and chemical approaches to fabricate thermoelectric films,including inorganic,organic,and inorganic–organic composites,are summarized,where more attentions are paid on the inorganic thermoelectric films for their excellent thermoelectric responses.Additionally,strategies for enhancing the performance of thermoelectric films are also discussed.

Fabrication of Grain-oriented (Bi,Pb)_2Sr_2Ca_2Cu_3O_x Superconducting Tapes Using Magnetic Field and Vibration Technique

Highly textured (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox superconducting tapes have been fabricated by means of magnetic-field and vibration technique. This method is an effective way of improving the degree of grain alignment and density of oxide core in tapes after heat treatment and pressing cycles.Jc of above 20% was increased than that without treatment.

In-situ investigation of atmospheric corrosion behavior of bronze under thin electrolyte layers using electrochemical technique

The atmospheric corrosion behavior of bronze under thin electrolyte layer （TEL） with different thicknesses was monitored using cathodic polarization curves, open circuit potential （OCP） and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）. Cathodic polarization result indicates that the cathodic limiting current density increases with decreasing the TEL thickness. EIS result shows that the corrosion rate increases with decreasing the TEL thickness at the initial stage because the corrosion is dominated by the cathodic process, whereas after long immersion time, the corrosion degree with the TEL thickness is in the sequence of 150 μm 〉 310 μm〉 10μm ≈ bulk solution 〉 57 μm. The measurements of OCP and EIS present in-situ electrochemical corrosion information and their results are in good agreement with that of physical characterizations.

A Review of In‑Situ Techniques for Probing Active Sites and Mechanisms of Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reactions

Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is one of the most important reactions in electrochemical energy technologies such as fuel cells and metal–O2/air batteries,etc.However,the essential catalysts to overcome its slow reaction kinetic always undergo a complex dynamic evolution in the actual catalytic process,and the concomitant intermediates and catalytic products also occur continuous conversion and reconstruction.This makes them difficult to be accurately captured,making the identification of ORR active sites and the elucidation of ORR mechanisms difficult.Thus,it is necessary to use extensive in-situ characterization techniques to proceed the real-time monitoring of the catalyst structure and the evolution state of intermediates and products during ORR.This work reviews the major advances in the use of various in-situ techniques to characterize the catalytic processes of various catalysts.Specifically,the catalyst structure evolutions revealed directly by in-situ techniques are systematically summarized,such as phase,valence,electronic transfer,coordination,and spin states varies.In-situ revelation of intermediate adsorption/desorption behavior,and the real-time monitoring of the product nucleation,growth,and reconstruction evolution are equally emphasized in the discussion.Other interference factors,as well as in-situ signal assignment with the aid of theoretical calculations,are also covered.Finally,some major challenges and prospects of in-situ techniques for future catalysts research in the ORR process are proposed.

Three-dimensional isotropic microfabrication in glass using spatiotemporal focusing of high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses

To improve the processing efficiency and extend the tuning range of 3D isotropic fabrication,we apply the simultaneous spatiotemporal focusing(SSTF)technique to a high-repetition-rate femtosecond(fs)fiber laser system.In the SSTF scheme,we propose a pulse compensation scheme for the fiber laser with a narrow spectral bandwidth by building an extra-cavity pulse stretcher.We further demonstrate truly 3D isotropic microfabrication in photosensitive glass with a tunable resolution ranging from 8μm to 22μm using the SSTF of fs laser pulses.Moreover,we systematically investigate the influences of pulse energy,writing speed,processing depth,and spherical aberration on the fabrication resolution.As a proof-of-concept demonstration,the SSTF scheme was further employed for the fs laser-assisted etching of complicated glass microfluidic structures with 3D uniform sizes.The developed technique can be extended to many applications such as advanced photonics,3D biomimetic printing,micro-electromechanical systems,and lab-on-a-chips.

In-situ/operando characterization techniques in lithium-ion batteries and beyond

Nowadays,in-situ/operando characterization becomes one of the most powerful as well as available means to monitor intricate reactions and investigate energy-storage mechanisms within advanced batteries.The new applications and novel devices constructed in recent years are necessary to be reviewed for inspiring subsequent studies.Hence,we summarize the progress of in-situ/operando techniques employed in rechargeable batteries.The members of this large family are divided into three sections for introduction,including bulk material,electrolyte/electrode interface and gas evolution.In each part,various energy-storage systems are mentioned and the related experimental details as well as data analysis are discussed.The simultaneous strategies of various in-situ methods are highlighted as well.Finally,current challenges and potential solutions are concluded towards the rising influence and enlarged appliance of in-situ/operando techniques in the battery research.

In-situ/operando techniques to identify active sites for thermochemical conversion of CO_(2) over heterogeneous catalysts

The catalytic conversion of CO_(2) to fuels or chemicals is considered to be an effective pathway to mitigate the greenhouse effect. To develop new types of efficient and durable catalysts, it is critical to identify the catalytic active sites, surface intermediates, and reaction mechanisms to reveal the relationship between the active sites and catalytic performance. However, the structure of a heterogeneous catalyst usually dynamically changes during reaction, bringing a great challenge for the identification of catalytic active sites and reaction pathways. Therefore, in-situ/operando techniques have been employed to real-time monitor the dynamic evolution of the structure of active sites under actual reaction conditions to precisely build the structure–function relationship. Here, we review the recent progress in the application of various in-situ/operando techniques in identifying active sites for catalytic conversion of CO_(2) over heterogeneous catalysts. We systematically summarize the applications of various optical and X-ray spectroscopy techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), in identifying active sites and determining reaction mechanisms of the CO_(2) thermochemical conversion with hydrogen and light alkanes over heterogeneous catalysts. Finally, we discuss challenges and opportunities for the development of in-situ characterization in the future to further enlarge the capability of these powerful techniques.

In-situ fabrication SnO2/SnS2 heterostructure for boosting the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants

Heterostructure photocatalysts with a built-in electric field have become one of the most promising strategies to enhance photogenerated electron-hole pair separation. However, close contact between the two active components of heterogeneous photocatalysts remains a problem. Herein, the in-situ fabrication of an SnO2/SnS2 heterostructure photocatalyst was performed;the structure showed enhanced photocatalytic performance resulting from the tight-contact heterostructures. The results of photoelectrochemical measurements further verified that a tight-contact heterostructure improved the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The results of EIS Bode plots also demonstrated that such in-situ fabricated SnO2/SnS2 samples exhibited the longest carrier lifetime(41.6 μs) owing to the intimate interface of SnO2/SnS2 heterostructures.

Dynamic phase transition behavior of a LiMn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)PO_(4) olivine cathode material for lithium-ion batteries revealed through in-situ X-ray techniques

LiMn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)PO_(4) has attracted great interest due to its good electrochemical performance and higher operating voltages.This has led to a greater than 30 percent higher energy density than for commercial Li Fe PO4 olivine cathodes.Understanding the phase transition behaviors and kinetics of this material will help researchers to design and develop next generation cathodes for Li-ion batteries.In this study,we investigated non-equilibrium phase transition behaviors in a LiMn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)PO_(4) cathode material during charge–discharge processes by varying current rates(C-rates)using synchrotron in-situ X-ray techniques.These methods included wide angle X-ray scattering(in-situ WAXS)and X-ray absorption spectroscopy(in-situ XAS).The WAXS spectra indicate that the phase transition of LiMn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)PO_(4) material at slow C-rates is induced by a two-phase reaction.In contrast,at a high C-rate(5 C),the formation of an intermediate phase upon discharge is clearly observed.Concurrently,the oxidation numbers of the redox reactions of Fe^(2+)/Fe^(3+)and Mn^(2+)/Mn^(3+)were evaluated using in-situ XAS.This combination of synchrotron in-situ X-ray techniques gives clear insights into the non-equilibrium phase transition behavior of a LiMn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)PO_(4) cathode material.This new understanding will be useful for further developments of this highly promising cathode material for practical commercialization.

Photoelectrochemical CO_(2) electrolyzers: From photoelectrode fabrication to reactor configuration

The photoelectrochemical conversion of CO_(2) into value-added products emerges as an attractive approach to alleviate climate change. One of the main challenges in deploying this technology is, however, the development and optimization of(photo)electrodes and photoelectrolyzers. This review focuses on the fabrication processes, structure, and characterization of(photo)electrodes, covering a wide range of fabrication techniques, from rudimentary to automated fabrication processes. The work also highlights the most relevant features of(photo)electrodes, with special emphasis on how to measure and optimize them. Finally, the review analyses the integration of(photo)electrodes in different photoelectrolyzer architectures, analyzing the most recent research work that comprises photocathode, photoanode,photocathode-photoanode, and tandem photoelectrolyzer configurations to ideally achieve self-sustained CO_(2) conversion systems. Overall, comprehensive guidelines are provided for future advancements in developing effective devices for CO_(2) conversion, bridging the gap towards the use of sunlight as the unique energy input and practical applications.

The journey of multifunctional bone scaffolds fabricated from traditional toward modern techniques

As a bone scaffold,meeting all basic requirements besides dealing with other bone-related issues-bone cancer and accelerated regeneration-is not expected from traditional scaffolds,but a newer class of scaffolds called multifunctional.From a clinical point of view,being a multifunctional scaffold means reducing in healing time,direct costs-medicine,surgery,and hospitalization-and indirect costs-loss of mobility,losing job,and pain.The main aim of the present review is following the multifunctional bone scaffolds trend to deal with both bone regeneration and cancer therapy.Special consideration is given to different fabrication techniques which have been applied to yield these materials spanning from traditional to modern ones.Moreover,the hierarchical structure of bone plus bone cancers and available medicines to them are introduced to familiarize the potential reader of review with the pluri-disciplinary essence of the field.Eventually,a brief discussion relating to the future trend of these materials is provided.

Techniques for in-situ stress measurement at great depth

Reliable information of in--situ stress state is necessary for the design andconstruction of most important rock projects. As most rock projects are getting deeper and deeper,traditional techniques of in--situ stress measurement are not very suitable. The current techniquesof in--situ stress measurement and their insufficiency for use at great depth are analyzed. Somebasic ideas of the development of new techniques and the improvement of current techniques for useat great depth are provided.

Surface Morphology and Thermo-Electrical Energy Analysis of Polyaniline (PANI) Incorporated Cotton Fabric

With the exponential development in wearable electronics,a significant paradigm shift is observed from rigid electronics to flexible wearable devices.Polyaniline(PANI)is considered as a dominant material in this sector,as it is endowed with the optical properties of both metal and semiconductors.However,its widespread application got delineated because of its irregular rigid form,level of conductivity,and precise choice of solvents.Incorporating PANI in textile materials can generate promising functionality for wearable applications.This research work employed a straightforward in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization to synthesize PANI on Cotton fabric surfaces with varying dopant(HCl)concentrations.Pre-treatment using NaOH is implemented to improve the conductivity of the fabric surface by increasing the monomer absorption.This research explores the morphological and structural analysis employing SEM,FTIR and EDX.The surface resistivity was measured using a digital multimeter,and thermal stability is measured using TGA.Upon successful polymerization,a homogenous coating layer is observed.It is revealed that the simple pre-treatment technique significantly reduces the surface resistivity of Cotton fabric to 1.27 kΩ/cm with increasing acid concentration and thermal stability.The electro-thermal energy can also reach up to 38.2°C within 50 s with a deployed voltage of 15 V.The modified fabric is anticipated to be used in thermal regulation,supercapacitor,sensor,UV shielding,antimicrobial and other prospective functional applications.

Novel photoactive material and fabrication techniques for solar cells application:nanocellulose-based graphene oxide CdS composite

In recent times,solar energy has become one of the largest available sources of renewable energy at our disposal.However,the design of highly efficient solar cells is increasingly becoming crucial as there has been a surge for economically viable alternative energy sources with the lowest cost.Significant advances have been made through different routes to make photovoltaic(PV)/solar technologies economically viable,eco-friendly and consequently scalable.As a result,cellulose nanomaterials have become one of the emerging technologies in this regard because of the advantages of high-value bio-based nanostructured materials,such as their abundance and sustainability.Nanocellulose-based photoactive nanocomposite materials can be made by integrating conducting photoactive and electroconductive materials with hydrophilic biocompatible cellulose.Inorganic nanoparticles,such as graphene/reduced graphene oxide cadmium sulphide quantum dots,amongst others,can be introduced into the nanocellulose matrix and can be applied either as charge transporters or photoactive materials in different types of solar cells.Thus,in this review,we highlight the optoelectronic properties of different photoactive materials,particularly nanocellulose-based graphene nanocomposites;their efficiencies and drawbacks were X-rayed.The effect of doping each PV material on the PV performance is also discussed.It is anticipated that the novel material would result in a reduction in the cost of solar cells,jointly enhancing their efficacy in generating environmentally friendly electricity.Since the fabrication techniques and equipment play a crucial role in the development of solar cells,the fabrication techniques of bulk-heterojunction(BHJ)cells containing a nanocellulose-based graphene composite and case studies of already fabricated BHJ PV cells with nanocellulose-based graphene composite are discussed.

Fabrication and analysis of TIG welding-brazing butt joints of in-situ TiB2/7050 composite and TA2

Lightweight hybrid structures of Al MMCs and titanium alloy dissimilar materials have great prospect in the defence industry application. So, it is necessary to join Al MMCs with Ti metal to achieve this structural design. In this work, in-situ Ti B_(2)/7050 composite and TA2 were firstly attempted to join by TIG welding-brazing technique. The result was that the intact welding-brazing butt joint was successfully fabricated. The joint presents dual characteristics, being a brazing on TA2 side and a welding on Ti B_(2)/7050 side. At brazing joint side, ER4043 filler metal effectively wets on TA2 under TIG heating condition,and a continuous interfacial reaction layer with 1 e3 mm is formed at welded metal/TA2 interface. The whole interfacial reaction layers are composed of Ti(Al Si)3 intermetallic compounds(IMCs), but their morphologies at the different regions present obvious distinguishes. The microhardness of the reaction layers is as much as 141 e190 HV. At welding joints side, the fusion zone appears the equixaed crystal structure, and the grain sizes are much smaller than those of welded metal, which is attributed to the effect of Ti B2 particulates from the melted Ti B_(2)/7050 on acceleration formation and inhibiting growth for the new crystal nucleus. The tensile test results show that average tensile strength of the optimal welding-brazing joint is able to achieve 138 MPa. The failure of the tensile joint occurs by quasi-cleavage pattern, and the cracks initiate from the IMCs layer at the groove surface of TA2 and propagate into the welded metal.

In-situ tracking CO_(2)-assisted isothermal-isobaric synthesis of selfassembled Bi-based photocatalyst using novel SAXS/XRD/XAFS combined technique

The synthetic path of a catalyst determines its morphology,species,and performance,and in-situ monitoring the catalyst formation process is fascinating and challenging.Herein,a newly developed synchrotron radiation smallangle X-ray scattering/X-ray diffraction/X-ray absorption fine structure(SAXS/XRD/XAFS)combined technique was used to in-situ monitor the isothermal-isobaric synthesis process of CO_(2)-assisted(BiO)_(2)CO_(3)(BOC)photocatalyst,and the atomic near-neighbor structure,crystalline structure and nanoscale particle size evolution with reaction time were simultaneously captured.The results show that both polyvinyl pyrrolidone and CO_(2)formed uniformly-distributed nano-sized scatterers in the Bi-based precursor solution,presenting short-range ordered structures to a certain extent.The as-prepared BOC catalytic particles underwent the evolution process of initial Bi(OH)3 precipitate,early-stage formed KBiO_(2)molecules,intermediate amorphous(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 nanoparticles,and finally crystallized flower-like BOC particles self-assembled by nanosheets.The flower-like BOC particles,Bi/BOC composite,and Bi nanospheres were further prepared with different synthesis paths.Flower-like BOC particles showed the best photocatalytic degradation performance of RhB.Scavenger experiment and theoretical calculation revealed the photocatalytic mechanisms of BOC.This work has implications for path-dependent synthesis of other catalysts.

Recent progress in ICF target fabrication at RCLF

Target is one of the essential parts in inertial confinement fusion(ICF)experiments.To ensure the symmetry and hydrodynamic stability in the implosion,there are stringent specifications for the target.Driven by the need to fabricate the target required by ICF experiments,a series of target fabrication techniques,including capsule fabrication techniques and the techniques of target characterization and assembly,are developed by the Research Center of Laser Fusion(RCLF),China Academy of Engineering Physics(CAEP).The capsule fabrication techniques for preparing polymer shells,glow discharge polymer(GDP)shells and hollow glass micro-sphere(HGM)are studied,and the techniques of target characterization and assembly are also investigated in this paper.Fundamental research about the target fabrication is also done to improve the quality of the target.Based on the development of target fabrication techniques,some kinds of target have been prepared and applied in the ICF experiments.

In-situ SEM and Stereomicroscope Study Delamination Evolution of Glass Fabric Reinforced Polycarbonate Composite

The main objective of this study is to investigate the dynamic processes of the interlaminar fracture of the glass woven fabric reinforced polycarbonate composites through in-situ observation of specimen under mode Ⅰ loading by SEM and stereomicroscope. The results show that the evolution processes of interlaminar damage consist of micro-crack initiation, growth and coalescence and advance forward of the main crack tip. The mode of crack propagation in fabric composite observed here seem to be the propagation along interface, interface change and fabric separation.

聚合物光纤发光面料的设计与开发

为了满足人们对纺织品个性化和多样化的需求,以聚合物光纤(POF)为发光体,依据光纤侧面发光原理设计开发聚合物光纤发光机织面料,介绍面料的灵感来源、光纤分布设计、组织设计、纱线设计及其排列、穿综设计、上机织造工艺等,在半自动打样机上进行试织并说明织造要点。结果表明:合理利用发光体和其他纱线,结合纬向管状组织、平纹小提花组织以及缂丝技术等,开发出更加时尚化、个性化的发光面料。发光面料主要应用于装饰纺织品,其结构独特、配色协调、立体感强,具有较强的装饰性和乐趣性,在一定程度上也起到安全警示作用。