An Electrochemical Cleaning Technique for Removal of Surface Contamination before Texturization of Silicon Solar Cells

In order to decrease the consumption of reagents and silicon during removal of surface contamination before silicon texturing in solar cell manufacturing industry, a new low-cost surface treatment approach of electrochemical cleaning technique(ECT) is reported. In this technique, a powerful oxidizing electrolyte was obtained from the electrochemical reaction on Boron-doped Diamond(BDD) electrodes, and applied during removal of surface contaminations on silicon wafer surfaces. The slightly polished monocrystalline silicon surfaces after cleaning were compared with the ones of primal silicon wafers. The measurement results show that ECT is quite efficient in removing NaCl and organic contaminants. After cleaning, the contrast test was conducted for the textured silicon wafers with/without pre-treatment(polish) separately. The results show that the size of pyramids on the surface without traditional polishing process is homogeneous and smaller than 4μm, and the average surface reflectance is much lower in the wavelength range from 400nm to 800nm. Therefore, the new technique can save silicon material, and effectively avoid optical losses for improving photoconversion effect of solar cells.

Texturization and rounded process of silicon wafers for heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer solar cells

Heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer （HIT） solar cells are sensitive to interface state density. Tradi- tional texture process for silicon solar cells is not suitable for HIT one. Thus, sodium hydroxide （NaOH）, isopropanol （IPA） and mixed additive were tentatively introduced for the texturization of HIT solar cells in this study. Then, a mixture including nitric acid （HNO3）, hydrofluoric acid （HF） and glacial acetic acid （CH3COOH） was employed to round pyramid structure. The morphology of textured surface and the influence of etching time on surface reflectance were studied, and the relationship between etching time and surface reflectance, vertex angle of pyramid structure was analyzed. It was found that the mixture consisting of 1.1 wt% NaOH, 3 vol% IPA and 0.3 vol% additives with etching time of 22.5 min is the best for H1T solar cells under the condition of 80℃. Uniform pyramid structure was observed and the base width of pyramid was about 2-4 μm. The average surface reflec- tance was 11.68%. Finally the effect of different processes on the performance of HIT solar cells was investigated. It was shown that these texturization and rounding techni- ques used in this study can increase short circuit current （Jsc）, but they have little influence on fill factor （FF） and open circuit voltage （Voo） of HIT solar cells.

Ultra‑High Sensitivity Anisotropic Piezoelectric Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Robotic Perception

Monitoring minuscule mechanical signals,both in magnitude and direction,is imperative in many application scenarios,e.g.,structural health monitoring and robotic sensing systems.However,the piezoelectric sensor struggles to satisfy the requirements for directional recognition due to the limited piezoelectric coefficient matrix,and achieving sensitivity for detecting micrometer-scale deformations is also challenging.Herein,we develop a vector sensor composed of lead zirconate titanate-electronic grade glass fiber composite filaments with oriented arrangement,capable of detecting minute anisotropic deformations.The as-prepared vector sensor can identify the deformation directions even when subjected to an unprecedented nominal strain of 0.06%,thereby enabling its utility in accurately discerning the 5μm-height wrinkles in thin films and in monitoring human pulse waves.The ultra-high sensitivity is attributed to the formation of porous ferroelectret and the efficient load transfer efficiency of continuous lead zirconate titanate phase.Additionally,when integrated with machine learning techniques,the sensor’s capability to recognize multi-signals enables it to differentiate between 10 types of fine textures with 100%accuracy.The structural design in piezoelectric devices enables a more comprehensive perception of mechanical stimuli,offering a novel perspective for enhancing recognition accuracy.

Congruent Feature Selection Method to Improve the Efficacy of Machine Learning-Based Classification in Medical Image Processing

Machine learning(ML)is increasingly applied for medical image processing with appropriate learning paradigms.These applications include analyzing images of various organs,such as the brain,lung,eye,etc.,to identify specific flaws/diseases for diagnosis.The primary concern of ML applications is the precise selection of flexible image features for pattern detection and region classification.Most of the extracted image features are irrelevant and lead to an increase in computation time.Therefore,this article uses an analytical learning paradigm to design a Congruent Feature Selection Method to select the most relevant image features.This process trains the learning paradigm using similarity and correlation-based features over different textural intensities and pixel distributions.The similarity between the pixels over the various distribution patterns with high indexes is recommended for disease diagnosis.Later,the correlation based on intensity and distribution is analyzed to improve the feature selection congruency.Therefore,the more congruent pixels are sorted in the descending order of the selection,which identifies better regions than the distribution.Now,the learning paradigm is trained using intensity and region-based similarity to maximize the chances of selection.Therefore,the probability of feature selection,regardless of the textures and medical image patterns,is improved.This process enhances the performance of ML applications for different medical image processing.The proposed method improves the accuracy,precision,and training rate by 13.19%,10.69%,and 11.06%,respectively,compared to other models for the selected dataset.The mean error and selection time is also reduced by 12.56%and 13.56%,respectively,compared to the same models and dataset.

Influence of symmetric and asymmetric rolling on texture evolution of work-hardened AA 5xxx aluminium alloy

The textures and microstructures of hot-and cold-rolled sheets of an AA 5454 aluminium alloy were studied,with special attention paid to comparing the texture development for the symmetric and asymmetric cold rolling.Scanning electron microscopy with electron-backscatter diffraction was used to monitor the development of the microstructure in the differently deformed and additionally annealed samples.Details of the formations and transformations of individual texture components occurring during the rolling processes were observed and discussed.The average grain sizes,textures and mechanical properties were correlated and explained for the symmetric and asymmetric cold-rolled samples.The asymmetric rolling is beneficial in terms of deep drawability because it reduces the planar anisotropy of the annealed material due to the decrease of the Cube,Goss,rotated-Cube and η-fibre texture components and at the same time strengthens X1-and X2-fibre texture components which are shear texture components and improve deep drawability.During the asymmetric cold rolling,the temperature increases due to friction,triggering recrystallisation processes and leading to larger grains.It is also confirmed that asymmetric cold rolling uses less rolling force and consequently less energy to produce a final material with better formability,particularly earing.

Prediction of microstructure evolution of ZK61 alloy during hot spinning by internal state variable model

An internal state variable(ISV)model was established according to the experimental results of hot plane strain compression(PSC)to predict the microstructure evolution during hot spinning of ZK61 alloy.The effects of the internal variables were considered in this ISV model,and the parameters were optimized by genetic algorithm.After validation,the ISV model was used to simulate the evolution of grain size(GS)and dynamic recrystallization(DRX)fraction during hot spinning via Abaqus and its subroutine Vumat.By comparing the simulated results with the experimental results,the application of the ISV model was proven to be reliable.Meanwhile,the strength of the thin-walled spun ZK61 tube increased from 303 to 334 MPa due to grain refinement by DRX and texture strengthening.Besides,some ultrafine grains(0.5μm)that played an important role in mechanical properties were formed due to the proliferation,movement,and entanglement of dislocations during the spinning process.

Intricate interplay between shear stress and extrusion temperature in Mg−Al composite rods

The Mg−Al composite rods of aluminum core-reinforced magnesium alloy were prepared by the extrusion−shear(ES)process,and the microstructure,deformation mechanism,and mechanical properties of the Mg−Al composite rods were investigated at different extrusion temperatures and shear stresses.The experimental results show that the proportion of dynamic recrystallization(DRX)and texture for Al and Mg alloys are controlled by the combination of temperature and shear stress.The texture type of the Al alloys exhibits slight variations at different temperatures.With the increase of temperature,the DRX behavior of Mg alloy shifts from discontinuous DRX(DDRX),continuous DRX(CDRX),and twin-induced DRX(TDRX)dominant to CDRX,the dislocation density in Mg alloy grains decreases significantly,and the average value of Schmid factor(SF)of the basalslip system increases.In particular,partial grains exhibit a distinct dominant slip system at 390℃.The hardness and thickness of the bonding layer,as well as the yield strength and elongation of the Mg alloy,reach their maximum at 360℃as a result of the intricate influence of the combined temperature and shear stress.

Texturization of mono-crystalline silicon solar cells in TMAH without the addition of surfactant

Etching was performed on （100） silicon wafers using silicon-dissolved tetramethylammonium hydroxide （TMAH） solutions without the addition of surfactant. Experiments were carried out in different TMAH concentrations at different temperatures for different etching times. The surface phenomena, etching rates, surface morphology and surface reflectance were analyzed. Experimental results show that the resulting surface covered with uniform pyramids can be realized with a small change in etching rates during the etching process. The etching mechanism is explained based on the experimental results and the theoretical considerations. It is suggested that all the components in the TMAH solutions play important roles in the etching process. Moreover, TMA^＋ ions may increase the wettability of the textured surface. A good textured surface can be obtained in conditions where the absorption of OH-/H2O is in equilibrium with that of TMA＋/SiO2（OH）2^-.

Achieving high ductility and low in-plane anisotropy in magnesium alloy through a novel texture design strategy

Texture regulation is a prominent method to modify the mechanical properties and anisotropy of magnesium alloy.In this work,the Mg-1Al-0.3Ca-0.5Mn-0.2Gd(wt.%)alloy sheet with TD-tilted and circular texture was fabricated by unidirectional rolling(UR)and multidirectional rolling(MR)method,respectively.Unlike generating a strong in-plane mechanical anisotropy in conventional TD-tilted texture,the novel circular texture sample possessed a weak in-plane yield anisotropy.This can be rationalized by the similar proportion of soft grains with favorable orientation for basalslip and{10.12}tensile twinning during the uniaxial tension of circular-texture sample along different directions.Moreover,compared with the TD-tilted texture,the circular texture improved the elongation to failure both along the rolling direction(RD)and transverse direction(TD).By quasi-in-situ EBSD-assisted slip trace analysis,higher activation of basal slip was observed in the circular-texture sample during RD tension,contributing to its excellent ductility.When loading along the TD,the TD-tilted texture promoted the activation of{10.12}tensile twins significantly,thus providing nucleation sites for cracks and deteriorating the ductility.This research may shed new insights into the development of formable and ductile Mg alloy sheets by texture modification.

Effect of pre-twinning and heat treatment on formability of AZX311 Mg alloy

In this study,the effects of pre-strain-induced tensile twins(TTWs)and controlled heat treatment on the formability behavior of AZX311 Mg alloy sheets were investigated.A 4%compressive strain was applied to pre-strain the sheets using the in-plane compression(IPC)technique along the rolling direction(RD)to introduce TTWs.The pre-strained(PS)samples were subsequently heat-treated at 250℃,350℃,and 400℃ independently for 1 hr,and are termed as PSA1,PSA2,and PSA3,respectively.Erichsen cupping tests were conducted to assess the formability of the sheet samples under different initial conditions.The results showed that the PS sample heat-treated at 250℃ for 1hr exhibited a decrease in the Erichsen index(IE)compared to the as-rolled sample,whereas PSA2 and PSA3 samples showed an increase in IE values.Microtexture analysis revealed that most of the TTWs generated through pre-twinning were stable at 250℃;however,the twin volume fraction reduced to 41%at 350℃ compared to the PS samples due to enhanced thermal activity at that temperature.Furthermore,PSA2 samples showed severe grain coarsening in some areas of the sample,and the fraction of such grains increased in the PSA3 samples.The stretch formability(IE value)of PSA2 samples showed a 32.3%increase compared to the as-rolled specimens.Additionally,the analysis of the deformed specimen at failure under the Erichsen test indicated that considerable detwinning occurs in the PS and PSA1 samples,whereas dislocation slip activity dominates in the PSA2 and PSA3 samples during stretch forming.Apart from detwinning and dislocation slip,deformation twins were also observed in all samples after the Erichsen test.Thus,this work highlights the importance of texture control and its underlying mechanisms via pre-twinning followed by heat treatment and their impact on the room temperature(RT)stretch formability of AZX311 Mg alloy sheets.

Reservoir heterogeneity analysis using multi-directional textural attributes from deep learning-based enhanced acoustic impedance inversion:A study from Poseidon,NW shelf Australia

Reservoir heterogeneities play a crucial role in governing reservoir performance and management.Traditionally,detailed and inter-well heterogeneity analyses are commonly performed by mapping seismic facies change in the seismic data,which is a time-intensive task.Many researchers have utilized a robust Grey-level co-occurrence matrix(GLCM)-based texture attributes to map reservoir heterogeneity.However,these attributes take seismic data as input and might not be sensitive to lateral lithology variation.To incorporate the lithology information,we have developed an innovative impedance-based texture approach using GLCM workflow by integrating 3D acoustic impedance volume(a rock propertybased attribute)obtained from a deep convolution network-based impedance inversion.Our proposed workflow is anticipated to be more sensitive toward mapping lateral changes than the conventional amplitude-based texture approach,wherein seismic data is used as input.To evaluate the improvement,we applied the proposed workflow to the full-stack 3D seismic data from the Poseidon field,NW-shelf,Australia.This study demonstrates that a better demarcation of reservoir gas sands with improved lateral continuity is achievable with the presented approach compared to the conventional approach.In addition,we assess the implication of multi-stage faulting on facies distribution for effective reservoir characterization.This study also suggests a well-bounded potential reservoir facies distribution along the parallel fault lines.Thus,the proposed approach provides an efficient strategy by integrating the impedance information with texture attributes to improve the inference on reservoir heterogeneity,which can serve as a promising tool for identifying potential reservoir zones for both production benefits and fluid storage.

Study on the low mechanical anisotropy of extruded Mg-Zn-Mn-Ce-Ca alloy tube in the compression process

In this study,the extruded Mg-Zn-Mn-Ce-Ca alloy tube with a low compression anisotropy along the ED,45ED and TD was prepared.The effect of the second phases,initial texture and deformation behavior on this low mechanical anisotropy was investigated.The results revealed that the alloy tube contains the high content(Mg1-xZnx)11Ce phase and the low content of Mg12Ce phase.These second phases are respectively incoherent and coherent with the Mg matrix,and their influence can be ignored.Additionally,the alloy tube exhibited a weak basal fiber texture,where the c-axis was aligned along the 0°∼30°tilt from TD to ED.Such a texture made the initial deformation(at 1.0%∼1.6%strain)of the three samples controlled by comparable basalslip.As deformation progressed(1.6∼9.0%strain),larger amounts of ETWs nucleated and gradually approached saturation in the three samples,re-orienting the c-axis to a 0°∼±30°deviation with respect to the loading directions.Meanwhile,the prismatic and pyramidal<c+a>slips replaced the dominant deformation progressively until fracture.Eventually,the similar deformation mechanisms determined by the weak initial texture in the three samples contribute to the comparable strain hardening rates,resulting in the low compressive anisotropy of the alloy tube.

Weber Law Based Approach for Multi-Class Image Forgery Detection

Today’s forensic science introduces a new research area for digital image analysis formultimedia security.So,Image authentication issues have been raised due to the wide use of image manipulation software to obtain an illegitimate benefit or createmisleading publicity by using tempered images.Exiting forgery detectionmethods can classify only one of the most widely used Copy-Move and splicing forgeries.However,an image can contain one or more types of forgeries.This study has proposed a hybridmethod for classifying Copy-Move and splicing images using texture information of images in the spatial domain.Firstly,images are divided into equal blocks to get scale-invariant features.Weber law has been used for getting texture features,and finally,XGBOOST is used to classify both Copy-Move and splicing forgery.The proposed method classified three types of forgeries,i.e.,splicing,Copy-Move,and healthy.Benchmarked(CASIA 2.0,MICCF200)and RCMFD datasets are used for training and testing.On average,the proposed method achieved 97.3% accuracy on benchmarked datasets and 98.3% on RCMFD datasets by applying 10-fold cross-validation,which is far better than existing methods.

The Mechanism of Cube Texture Formation in Ni-7 at%W Substrate

In order to obtain the sharp cube texture,a new process,the intermediate annealing rolling technique,has been introduced to prepare the Ni7W substrate.In this paper,a cubic texture content up to 98.5%within 10°of the standard cubic orientation is obtained in the final substrate and the influence of this improved rolling technique on the cube texture formation has been discussed.The results show that the increased cube texture in the Ni7W substrate is caused by the optimized deformation texture and the increased nucleated fraction of the cube grains.

Effect of Pre-strain on Microstructure and Stamping Performance of High-strength Low-alloy Steel

In this study,pre-strain ranging from 0 to 0.12 was applied through uniaxial tension on high-strength low-alloy(HSLA)specimens with four kinds of grain size.Effect of pre-strain and grain size on me-chanical property was investigated through tensile tests.Microstructures of the pre-strained and tensile tested samples were analyzed,respectively.The 30.8°v-bending and following flattening,as well as Erichson cupping tests,were performed on the pre-strained samples.Results show the elongation ratio of grain and dislocation density increases with pre-strain.Yielding platform is removed when pre-strain is larger than 0.06 while yielding plateau period decreases with pre-strain less than 0.06 due to reduction of pinning effect.The 30.8°v-bending and the following flattening tests are successfully accomplished on all the pre-strained samples with different grain size.Decrease in grain size,along with increase in pre-strain,causes increase in strength and decrease in elongation rate as well as cupping value.Pre-strain causes very slight effect on bending ability,much less than that on mechanical property and cupping test value.Reciprocal impact of the pre-strain and grain size on HSLA steel deformability is inconspicuous.

Twinning aspects and their efficient roles in wrought Mg alloys:A comprehensive review

Twinning is widely recognized as an effective and cost-efficient method for controlling the microstructure and properties of wrought magnesium(Mg)alloys.Specifically,twins play a crucial role in initiating dynamic recrystallization(DRX),while twin regions experience rapid recrystallization during static recrystallization(SRX).The activation of twinning can lead to changes in lattice orientation,significantly impacting the final texture in Mg alloys.The active roles of twinning are influenced by various factors during the activation process,and the mobility of twin boundaries(TB)can be amplified by stress effects,dislocation interactions,and thermal effects.Conversely,annealing treatments that involve proper segregation or precipitation on TBs serve to stabilize them,restraining their motion.Events such as segregation may also alter the twinning propensity in Magnesium-rare earth(Mg-RE)alloys.While{10–11}contraction twins(CT)and{10–11}-{10–12}double twins(DT)can promote dynamic recrystallization(DRX),they also pose a risk as potential sources of voids and cracks.Additionally,understanding the nucleation and growth mechanisms of twinning is crucial,and these aspects are briefly reviewed in this article.Considering the factors mentioned above,this article summarizes the recent research progress in this field,shedding light on advancements in recent eras.

Effect of annealing treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of warm-rolled Mg-Zn-Gd-Ca-Mn alloys

The basal texture of traditional magnesium alloy AZ31 is easy to form and exhibits poor plasticity at room temperature.To address these problems,a multi-micro-alloyed high-plasticity Mg-1.8Zn-0.8Gd-0.1Ca-0.2Mn(wt%)alloy was developed using the unique role of rare earth and Ca solute atoms.In addition,the influence of the annealing process on the grain size,second phase,texture,and mechanical properties of the warm-rolled sheet at room temperature was analyzed with the goal of developing high-plasticity mag-nesium alloy sheets and obtaining optimal thermal-mechanical treatment parameters.The results show that the annealing temperature has a significant effect on the microstructure and properties due to the low alloying content:there are small amounts of larger-sized block and long string phases along the rolling direction(RD),as well as several spherical and rodlike particle phases inside the grains.With increas-ing annealing temperature,the grain size decreases and then increases,and the morphology,number,and size of the second phase also change correspondingly.The particle phase within the grains vanishes at 450℃,and the grain size increases sharply.In the full recrystal-lization stage at 300-350℃,the optimum strength-plasticity comprehensive mechanical properties are presented,with yield strengths of 182.1 and 176.9 MPa,tensile strengths of 271.1 and 275.8 MPa in the RD and transverse direction(TD),and elongation values of 27.4%and 32.3%,respectively.Moreover,there are still some larger-sized phases in the alloy that influence its mechanical properties,which offers room for improvement.

Crystal plasticity finite element simulations on extruded Mg-10Gd rod with texture gradient

The mechanical properties of an extruded Mg-10Gd sample, specifically designed for vascular stents, are crucial for predicting its behavior under service conditions. Achieving homogeneous stresses in the hoop direction, essential for characterizing vascular stents, poses challenges in experimental testing based on standard specimens featuring a reduced cross section. This study utilizes an elasto-visco-plastic self-consistent polycrystal model(ΔEVPSC) with the predominant twinning reorientation(PTR) scheme as a numerical tool, offering an alternative to mechanical testing. For verification, various mechanical experiments, such as uniaxial tension, compression, notched-bar tension, three-point bending, and C-ring compression tests, were conducted. The resulting force vs. displacement curves and textures were then compared with those based on the ΔEVPSC model. The computational model's significance is highlighted by simulation results demonstrating that the differential hardening along with a weak strength differential effect observed in the Mg-10Gd sample is a result of the interplay between micromechanical deformation mechanisms and deformation-induced texture evolution. Furthermore, the study highlights that incorporating the axisymmetric texture from the as-received material incorporating the measured texture gradient significantly improves predictive accuracy on the strength in the hoop direction. Ultimately, the findings suggest that the ΔEVPSC model can effectively predict the mechanical behavior resulting from loading scenarios that are impossible to realize experimentally, emphasizing its valuable contribution as a digital twin.

Twinning mediated anisotropic fracture behavior in bioimplant grade hot-rolled pure magnesium

Bioimplant grade hot-rolled magnesium with equiaxed microstructure and basal texture was examined for fracture toughness(FT)anisotropy using fatigue pre-cracked single-edge notch bending specimens with the notch,an||,⊥and 45°to rolling direction(RD).Due to adequate crack-tip plasticity,the size-independent elastic-plastic fracture toughness(JIC)were determined.Anisotropic JIC was ob-served due to different twin lamellae formation w.r.t.notch owing to the initial basal texture with{10¯10}and{11¯20}poles mostlyand⊥to RD.The out-of-plane tensile stresses activated the{10¯12}||10¯11||extension twins(ET)as usual with matrix-ET∑15b coincident site lattice boundary(CSLB)interfaces.While the in-plane tensile stress⊥to the crack-tip activated{10¯11}||10¯12||contraction twins(CT)that transform into{10¯11}-{10¯12}double twins(DT)with matrix-DT∑23b and∑15a CSLBs.For an||RD,large DT lamellae fraction formed at∼30°and few ETs at∼30°and∼90°to the notch with crack growth mainly via the∑23b/∑15a CSLB interfaces during FT.While,significant DT and ET lamellae developed at∼0°and∼60°with cracking via the matrix-DT∑23b/∑15a and matrix-ET||15b CSLBs for an⊥RD.The DT and ET lamellae activated at∼15°,and the crack propagated through∑15b for an∼45°to RD.The JIC and the crack-tip plastic zone decreases,while the elastic component of the J-integral(Jel)and the ET formation increases from an||,⊥,to∼45°to RD.The strain incompatibility of matrices was higher with the geometrically hard ETs than DTs.Thus,brittle interlamellar cracking occurred through the∑15b interfaces.In contrast,almost similar and higher crack-tip plasticity occurred in matrix and DT domains during crack propagation via||23b/||15a CSLBs.Crack growth through∑23b/||15a led to high JIC,both∑15b and||23b/||15a led to moderate JIC,and∑15b least JIC for an||,⊥and 45°to RD,respectively.

Strengthening effect of prefabrication(10-12)tensile twinning on AZ80+0.4%Ce magnesium alloy and inhibition mechanism of discontinuous precipitation

This paper provided an effective method to further improve the mechanical properties of the AZ80+0.4%Ce magnesium alloy wheel spoke.The effect of high strength and ductility was obtained with a yield strength of 295.36 MPa,an elongation of 10%,by the combination of pre-deformation(7%deformation)and two-stage aging treatment(120℃/9 h+175℃/24 h).The evolution of the microstructure and properties of the alloy was explored under the coupling conditions of different pre-deformation degrees and multi-stage aging.The results show that,pre-deformation introduced a large number of(1012)tensile twinning and dislocations,which greatly promoted the probability of continuous precipitates(CPs)appearing.On the contrary,the discontinuous precipitates(DPs)were limited by the vertical and horizontal twin structure.As a result,the pre-nucleation method of two-stage aging increased the proportion of CPs by 34%-38%.Owing to the DPs was effectively suppressed,the alloy's yield strength has been greatly improved.Besides,under multi-stage aging,the twin boundaries induce protruding nucleation to form static recrystallization by hindering the migration of dislocations,and the matrix swallows the twins,then the texture gradually tilts from the two poles to the basal plane.As an important supplement,the grain refinement and oblique texture promoted the improvement of the yield strength of the component.