To minimize interfacial power losses, thin (5-80 nm) layers of NiO, a p-type oxide semiconductor, are inserted between the active organic layer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) + 6,6-phenyl-C₆₁ butyric ...acid methyl ester (PCBM), and the ITO (tin-doped indium oxide) anode of bulk-heterojunction ITO/P3HT:PCBM/LiF/Al solar cells. The interfacial NiO layer is deposited by pulsed laser deposition directly onto cleaned ITO, and the active layer is subsequently deposited by spin-coating. Insertion of the NiO layer affords cell power conversion efficiencies as high as 5.2% and enhances the fill factor to 69% and the open-circuit voltage (Voc) to 638 mV versus an ITO/P3HT:PCBM/LiF/Al control device. The value of such hole-transporting/electron-blocking interfacial layers is clearly demonstrated and should be applicable to other organic photovoltaics.
A series of In2O3 thin films, ranging from X-ray diffraction amorphous to highly crystalline, were grown on amorphous silica substrates using pulsed laser deposition by varying the film growth ...temperature. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition and the structure of amorphous In2O3 were investigated by grazing angle X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Hall transport measurement, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) liquid-quench simulation. On the basis of excellent agreement between the EXAFS and MD results, a model of the amorphous oxide structure as a network of InO x polyhedra was constructed. Mechanisms for the transport properties observed in the crystalline, amorphous-to-crystalline, and amorphous deposition regions are presented, highlighting a unique structure–property relationship.
Chalcogenide-based phase change memory (PCM) is a key enabling technology for optical data storage and electrical nonvolatile memory. Here, we report a new phase change chalcogenide consisting of a ...3D network of ionic (K···Se) and covalent bonds (Bi–Se), K2Bi8Se13 (KBS). Thin films of amorphous KBS deposited by DC sputtering are structurally and chemically homogeneous and exhibit a surface roughness of 5 nm. The KBS film crystallizes upon heating at ∼483 K. The optical bandgap of the amorphous film is about 1.25 eV, while its crystalline phase has a bandgap of ∼0.65 eV shows 2-fold difference between the two states. The bulk electrical conductivity of the amorphous and crystalline film is ∼7.5 × 10–4 and ∼2.7 × 10–2 S/cm, respectively. We have demonstrated a phase change memory effect in KBS by Joule heating in a technologically relevant vertical memory cell architecture. Upon Joule heating, the vertical device undergoes switching from its amorphous to crystalline state of KBS at 1–1.5 V (∼50 kV/cm), increasing conductivity by a factor of ∼40. Besides the large electrical and optical contrast in the crystalline and amorphous KBS, its elemental cost-effectiveness, stoichiometry, fast crystallization kinetics, as determined by the ratio of the glass transition and melting temperature, T g/T m ∼ 0.5, as well as the scalable synthesis of the thin film determine that KBS is a promising PC material for next general phase change memory.
Despite rapid advances in conversion efficiency (>22%), the environmental stability of perovskite solar cells remains a substantial barrier to commercialization. Here, we show a significant ...improvement in the stability of inverted perovskite solar cells against liquid water and high operating temperature (100 °C) by integrating an ultrathin amorphous oxide electron extraction layer via atomic layer deposition (ALD). These unencapsulated inverted devices exhibit a stable operation over at least 10 h when subjected to high thermal stress (100 °C) in ambient environments, as well as upon direct contact with a droplet of water without further encapsulation.
High‐performance flexible transparent thin‐film transistors (TFTs) are demonstrated using amorphous zink indium tin oxide (ZITO) transparent oxide conductor electrodes, an amorphous ZITO transparent ...oxide semiconductor channel, and a vapor‐deposited self‐assembled nanodielectric (v‐SAND) gate insulator. These TFTs exhibit a large field‐effect mobility of 110 cm2V−1s−1, a current on/off ratio of 104, and a low operating voltage of 1.0 V, along with very good optical transparency and mechanical flexibility.
Successful deployment of a Mg-ion battery requires cathodes that can achieve reversible Mg intercalation and high energy density. Recent theoretical and experimental studies indicated that the ...overall transport is likely limited by sluggish Mg transport at the cathode–electrolyte interface and not Mg diffusion through bulk. In this work, we investigated the surface electrochemical activity of Mg ions by using a spinel-structured manganese oxide thin-film model system and in situ X-ray scattering. In combination with post-mortem microscopy analysis, we found that magnesium insertion was more favorable than subsequent extraction near the surface of the Mg x Mn2O4 film, resulting in overmagnesiation, and eventually amorphization of the surface. This structural irreversibility and high overpotential required for Mg extraction could explain significant voltage hysteresis and Mg surface enrichment previously observed in bulk cathodes. Density functional theory calculations suggested that the tendency for the Mg surface enrichment could be associated with Mg diffusion kinetics, which varies with the strain state evolved due to constrained film volume change during Mg insertion and extraction. Particularly, out-of-plane Mg migration was predicted to be favorable in the tensile strain rather than in the compressive case.
Platinum (Pt) thin films are useful in applications requiring high-conductivity electrodes with excellent thermal and chemical stability. Ultrasmooth and epitaxial Pt thin films with ...single-crystalline domains have the added benefit of providing ideal templates for the subsequent growth of heteroepitaxial structures. Here, we grow epitaxial Pt (111) electrodes (ca. 30 nm thick) on sapphire (α-Al2O3 (0001)) substrates with pulsed laser deposition. This versatile technique allows control of the growth process and fabrication of films with carefully tailored parameters. X-ray scattering, atomic-force microscopy, and electron microscopy provide structural characterization of the films. Various gaseous atmospheres and temperatures were explored to achieve epitaxial growth of films with low roughness. A two-step (500 °C/300 °C) growth process was developed, yielding films with improved epitaxy without compromising roughness. The resulting films possess ultrasmooth interfaces (<3 Å) and high electrical conductivity (6.9 × 106 S/m). Finally, Pt films were used as current collectors and templates to grow lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4 (111)) epitaxial thin films, a cathode material used in Li-ion batteries. Using a solid-state ionogel electrolyte, the films were highly stable when electrochemically cycled in the 3.5–4.3 V vs Li/Li+ range.
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