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Ma D, Ji M, Yi H, Wang Q, Fan F, Feng B, Zheng M, Chen Y, Duan H. Pushing the thinness limit of silver films for flexible optoelectronic devices via ion-beam thinning-back process. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2248. [PMID: 38472227 PMCID: PMC10933474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46467-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reducing the silver film to 10 nm theoretically allows higher transparency but in practice leads to degraded transparency and electrical conductivity because the ultrathin film tends to be discontinuous. Herein, we developed a thinning-back process to address this dilemma, in which silver film is first deposited to a larger thickness with high continuity and then thinned back to a reduced thickness with an ultrasmooth surface, both implemented by a flood ion beam. Contributed by the shallow implantation of silver atoms into the substrate during deposition, the thinness of silver films down to 4.5 nm can be obtained, thinner than ever before. The atomic-level surface smooth permits excellent visible transparency, electrical conductivity, and the lowest haze among all existing transparent conductors. Moreover, the ultrathin silver film exhibits the unique robustness of mechanical flexibility. Therefore, the ion-beam thinning-back process presents a promising solution towards the excellent transparent conductor for flexible optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Ma
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Ming Ji
- IBD Technology Co., Ltd., Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hongbo Yi
- IBD Technology Co., Ltd., Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qingyu Wang
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Fu Fan
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Bo Feng
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
- Greater Bay Area Institute for Innovation, Hunan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | | | - Yiqin Chen
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
- Greater Bay Area Institute for Innovation, Hunan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Huigao Duan
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
- Greater Bay Area Institute for Innovation, Hunan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
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2
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Lynch AL, Murray CP, Roy E, Downing C, McCloskey D. Extreme Dewetting Resistance and Improved Visible Transmission of Ag Layers Using Sub-Nanometer Ti Capping Layers. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:9714-9719. [PMID: 38434825 PMCID: PMC10905571 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
As technology development drives the thickness of thin film depositions down into the nano regime, understanding and controlling the dewetting of thin films has become essential for many applications. The dewetting of ultra-thin Ag (9 nm) films with Ti (0.5 nm) adhesion and capping layers on glass substrates was investigated in this work. Various thin film stacks were created using magnetron sputtering and were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-rays, Vis/IR spectrometry, and four four-point probe resistivity measurements. Upon annealing for 5 h in air at 250 °C, the addition of a 0.5 nm thick Ti capping layer reduced the dewet area by an order of magnitude. This is reflected in film resistivity, which remained 2 orders of magnitude lower than uncapped variants. This Ti/Ag/Ti structure was then deployed in a typical low-emissivity window coating structure with additional antireflective layers of AZO, resulting in a superior performance upon annealing. These results demonstrate an easy, manufacturable process that improves the longevity of devices and products containing thin Ag films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Lynch
- Technical
University of Dublin, Grangegorman, Dublin D07
H6K8, Ireland
| | | | - Evan Roy
- School
of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Clive Downing
- School
of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - David McCloskey
- School
of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland
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3
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Chang S, Koo JH, Yoo J, Kim MS, Choi MK, Kim DH, Song YM. Flexible and Stretchable Light-Emitting Diodes and Photodetectors for Human-Centric Optoelectronics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:768-859. [PMID: 38241488 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Optoelectronic devices with unconventional form factors, such as flexible and stretchable light-emitting or photoresponsive devices, are core elements for the next-generation human-centric optoelectronics. For instance, these deformable devices can be utilized as closely fitted wearable sensors to acquire precise biosignals that are subsequently uploaded to the cloud for immediate examination and diagnosis, and also can be used for vision systems for human-interactive robotics. Their inception was propelled by breakthroughs in novel optoelectronic material technologies and device blueprinting methodologies, endowing flexibility and mechanical resilience to conventional rigid optoelectronic devices. This paper reviews the advancements in such soft optoelectronic device technologies, honing in on various materials, manufacturing techniques, and device design strategies. We will first highlight the general approaches for flexible and stretchable device fabrication, including the appropriate material selection for the substrate, electrodes, and insulation layers. We will then focus on the materials for flexible and stretchable light-emitting diodes, their device integration strategies, and representative application examples. Next, we will move on to the materials for flexible and stretchable photodetectors, highlighting the state-of-the-art materials and device fabrication methods, followed by their representative application examples. At the end, a brief summary will be given, and the potential challenges for further development of functional devices will be discussed as a conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sehui Chang
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Hoon Koo
- Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Semiconductor and System IC, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisu Yoo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Seok Kim
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Kee Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Devices Engineering, Center for Future Semiconductor Technology (FUST), UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Hyeong Kim
- Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, SNU, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program for Bioengineering, SNU, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Min Song
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Graduate School, GIST, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
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Zapata R, Balestrieri M, Gozhyk I, Montigaud H, Lazzari R. On the O 2 "Surfactant" Effect during Ag/SiO 2 Magnetron Sputtering Deposition: The Point of View of In Situ and Real-Time Measurements. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37480335 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c05689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
The use of gaseous species has been proposed in the literature to counteract the three-dimensional growth tendency of noble metals on dielectric substrates and favor an earlier percolation without compromising electrical properties. This "surfactant" effect is rationalized herein in the case of O2 presence during magnetron sputtering deposition of Ag films on SiO2. In situ and real-time techniques (X-ray photoemission, film resistivity, UV-visible optical spectroscopy) and ex situ characterizations (X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy) were combined to scrutinize the impact of O2 addition in the gas flow (%O2), revealing three regimes of evolution of film resistivity, morphology, structure, and chemical composition. At low oxygen flow conditions (%O2 < 4), the observed drastic decrease of the percolation threshold is assigned to a combination of (i) a change in nanoparticle density, wetting, and crystallographic texture and (ii) a delayed coalescence effect. The driving force is ascribed to the presence of specific adsorbed oxygen moieties, the nature of which starts evolving at intermediate oxygen flow conditions (10 ≤ %O2 < 20). At high oxygen flow (20 ≤ %O2 < 40), the found detrimental impact on film resistivity is assigned to an actual oxidation in the form of a Ag2O-like poorly crystallized compound. For all %O2, a composition gradient is observed across the film thickness, with a more metallic Ag at the substrate interface. A correlation between percolation and the nature of the detected O moieties is observed. In parallel to an oxygen spillover mechanism, this gradient can be explained by the competition between different surface processes occurring before percolation, namely, aggregation, metal oxidation, and substrate reactivity. Such findings pave the way to a rational use of O2 as a modifier for Ag growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro Zapata
- Surface du Verre et Interfaces, UMR 125 CNRS/Saint-Gobain Recherche, 39 Quai Lucien Lefranc BP 135, F-93303 Aubervilliers, France
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, UMR 7588, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Matteo Balestrieri
- Surface du Verre et Interfaces, UMR 125 CNRS/Saint-Gobain Recherche, 39 Quai Lucien Lefranc BP 135, F-93303 Aubervilliers, France
| | - Iryna Gozhyk
- Surface du Verre et Interfaces, UMR 125 CNRS/Saint-Gobain Recherche, 39 Quai Lucien Lefranc BP 135, F-93303 Aubervilliers, France
| | - Hervé Montigaud
- Surface du Verre et Interfaces, UMR 125 CNRS/Saint-Gobain Recherche, 39 Quai Lucien Lefranc BP 135, F-93303 Aubervilliers, France
| | - Rémi Lazzari
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Institut des NanoSciences de Paris, UMR 7588, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France
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Tran T, Shrestha M, Baule N, Wang K, Fan QH. Stable Ultra-thin Silver Films Grown by Soft Ion Beam-Enhanced Sputtering with an Aluminum Cap Layer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023. [PMID: 37294824 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c03118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-thin silver films are susceptible to ambient environments and form grayish layers in the silver mirroring process. The poor wettability together with the high diffusivity of surface atoms in the presence of oxygen accounts for the thermal instability of ultra-thin silver films in the air and at elevated temperatures. This work demonstrates an atomic-scale aluminum cap layer on the silver to enhance the thermal and environmental stabilities of ultra-thin silver films deposited by sputtering with the assistance of a soft ion beam reported in our previous work. The resulted film consists of an ion-beam-treated seed silver layer of ∼1 nm nominal thickness, a subsequent silver layer of ∼6 nm thickness produced by sputtering alone, and an aluminum cap layer of ∼0.2 nm nominal thickness. Although the aluminum cap is only one to two atomic layers and likely non-continuous, it significantly improved the thermal and ambient environmental stability of the ultra-thin silver films (∼7 nm thick) without affecting the film's optical and electrical properties. The improved environmental stability is attributed to the cathodic protection mechanism and reduced diffusivity of surface atoms. The improved thermal stability is attributed to the reduced mobility of surface atoms in the presence of aluminum atoms. Thermal treatment of the duplex film also improves the film's electrical conductivity and optical transmittance by enhancing its crystallinity. The annealed aluminum/silver duplex structure has exhibited the lowest electric resistivity among the reported ultra-thin silver films and high optical transmittance similar to the simulated theoretical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh Tran
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Maheshwar Shrestha
- Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Nina Baule
- Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Keliang Wang
- Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Qi Hua Fan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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6
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Investigation on highly flexible CZTS solar cells using transparent conductive ZnO/Cu/ZnO films. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2023.131084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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7
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Stable, amphiphobic, and electrically conductive coating on flexible polyimide substrate. J IND ENG CHEM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2022.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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8
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Chen Z, Wang Z, Wang J, Chen S, Zhang B, Li Y, Yuan L, Duan Y. Analysis of the Effect of Graphene, Metal, and Metal Oxide Transparent Electrodes on the Performance of Organic Optoelectronic Devices. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 13:25. [PMID: 36615935 PMCID: PMC9824898 DOI: 10.3390/nano13010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Transparent electrodes (TEs) are important components in organic optoelectronic devices. ITO is the mostly applied TE material, which is costly and inferior in mechanical performance, and could not satisfy the versatile need for the next generation of transparent optoelectronic devices. Recently, many new TE materials emerged to try to overcome the deficiency of ITO, including graphene, ultrathin metal, and oxide-metal-oxide structure. By finely control of the fabrication techniques, the main properties of conductivity, transmittance, and mechanical stability, have been studied in the literatures, and their applicability in the potential optoelectronic devices has been reported. Herein, in this work, we summarized the recent progress of the TE materials applied in optoelectronic devices by focusing on the fabrication, properties, such as Graphene, ultra-thin metal film, and metal oxide and performance. The advantages and insufficiencies of these materials as TEs have been summarized and the future development aspects have been pointed out to guide the design and fabrication TE materials in the next generation of transparent optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Chen
- College of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130013, China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Jintao Wang
- College of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130013, China
| | - Shuming Chen
- College of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130013, China
| | - Buyue Zhang
- College of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130013, China
| | - Ye Li
- College of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130013, China
| | - Long Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Physics and Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Physics, Jilin Normal University, Changchun 130103, China
| | - Yu Duan
- College of Physics, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130013, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
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9
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Streletskiy O, Zavidovskiy I, Yakubovsky D, Doroshina N, Syuy A, Lebedinskij Y, Markeev A, Arsenin A, Volkov V, Novikov S. Tailoring of the Distribution of SERS-Active Silver Nanoparticles by Post-Deposition Low-Energy Ion Beam Irradiation. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:7721. [PMID: 36363312 PMCID: PMC9659245 DOI: 10.3390/ma15217721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of controlled scalable nanostructuring of surfaces by the formation of the plasmonic nanoparticles is very important for the development of sensors, solar cells, etc. In this work, the formation of the ensembles of silver nanoparticles on silicon and glass substrates by the magnetron deposition technique and the subsequent low-energy Ar+ ion irradiation was studied. The possibility of controlling the sizes, shapes and aerial density of the nanoparticles by the variation of the deposition and irradiation parameters was systematically investigated. Scanning electron microscopy studies of the samples deposited and irradiated in different conditions allowed for analysis of the morphological features of the nanoparticles and the distribution of their sizes and allowed for determination of the optimal parameters for the formation of the plasmonic-active structures. Additionally, the plasmonic properties of the resulting nanoparticles were characterized by means of linear spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Hereby, in this work, we demonstrate the possibility of the fabrication of silver nanoparticles with a widely varied range of average sizes and aerial density by means of a post-deposition ion irradiation technique to form nanostructured surfaces which can be applied in sensing technologies and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Streletskiy
- Department of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya Zavidovskiy
- Department of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Yakubovsky
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Natalia Doroshina
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Alexander Syuy
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Institute of High Technologies and Advanced Materials, Far Eastern Federal University, 690091 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Yury Lebedinskij
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Andrey Markeev
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Aleksey Arsenin
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Valentyn Volkov
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Sergey Novikov
- Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
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Jeong E, Lee T, Choi D, Yu SM, Lee SG, Bae JS, Han SZ, Lee GH, Ikoma Y, Choi EA, Yun J. Strategy for Fabricating Ultrathin Au Film Electrodes with Ultralow Optoelectrical Losses and High Stability. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:12797-12811. [PMID: 35234455 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c22858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A vital objective in the wetting of Au deposited on chemically heterogeneous oxides is to synthesize a completely continuous, highly crystalline, ultrathin-layered geometry with minimized electrical and optical losses. However, no effective solution has been proposed for synthesizing an ideal Au-layered structure. This study presents evidence for the effectiveness of atomic oxygen-mediated growth of such an ideal Au layer by improving Au wetting on ZnO substrates with a substantial reduction in free energy. The unexpected outcome of the atomic oxygen-mediated Au growth can be attributed to the unconventional segregation and incorporation of atomic oxygen along the outermost boundaries of Au nanostructures evolving in the clustering and layering stages. Moreover, the experimental and numerical investigations revealed the spontaneous migration of atomic oxygen from an interstitial oxygen surplus ZnO bulk to the Au-ZnO interface, as well as the segregation (float-out) of the atomic oxygen toward the top Au surfaces. Thus, the implementation of a 4-nm-thick, two-dimensional, quasi-single-crystalline Au layer with a nearly complete crystalline realignment at a mild temperature (570 K) enabled exceptional optoelectrical performance with record-low resistivity (<7.5 × 10-8 Ω·m) and minimal optical loss (∼3.5%) at a wavelength of 700 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunwook Jeong
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Taehyeong Lee
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Dooho Choi
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yu
- Jeonju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54907, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seong Bae
- Busan Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Zeon Han
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Gun-Hwan Lee
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoshifumi Ikoma
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Eun-Ae Choi
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Extreme Materials Institute, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea
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11
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Martínez-Cercós D, Paulillo B, Maniyara RA, Rezikyan A, Bhattacharyya I, Mazumder P, Pruneri V. Ultrathin Metals on a Transparent Seed and Application to Infrared Reflectors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:46990-46997. [PMID: 34516098 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c10824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ultrathin metal films (UTMFs) are widely used in optoelectronic applications, from transparent conductors to photovoltaic cells, low emissivity windows, and plasmonic metasurfaces. During the initial deposition phase, many metals tend to form islands on the receiving substrate rather than a physically connected (percolated) network, which eventually evolves into continuous films as the thickness increases. For example, in the case of Ag and Au on dielectric surfaces, percolation begins when the thickness of the metal film is at least about 5 nm. It is known that the type of growth can be changed when a proper seed layer is used. Here, we show that a CuO layer directly deposited on a substrate can dramatically influence surface wetting and promote early percolation of polycrystalline Ag and Au UTMFs. We demonstrate that the proposed seed is effective even when its thickness is sub-nanometric, in this way maintaining the full transparency of the receiving substrate. The Ag and Au films seeded with CuO showed a percolation thickness close to 1 nm and were morphologically and optically characterized from an ultraviolet (λ = 300 nm) to a midinfrared (λ = 15 μm) wavelength. Infrared reflectors, a mirror and a resonant plasmonic structure, were also demonstrated and uniquely tuned by electrical gating, this being possible owing to the small thickness of the constituting Au UTMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Martínez-Cercós
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bruno Paulillo
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rinu Abraham Maniyara
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aram Rezikyan
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Sullivan Park, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Indrani Bhattacharyya
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Sullivan Park, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Prantik Mazumder
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Sullivan Park, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Valerio Pruneri
- ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Shi H, Zhu X, Zhang S, Wen G, Zheng M, Duan H. Plasmonic metal nanostructures with extremely small features: new effects, fabrication and applications. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:4349-4369. [PMID: 36133477 PMCID: PMC9417648 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00237f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Surface plasmons in metals promise many fascinating properties and applications in optics, sensing, photonics and nonlinear fields. Plasmonic nanostructures with extremely small features especially demonstrate amazing new effects as the feature sizes scale down to the sub-nanometer scale, such as quantum size effects, quantum tunneling, spill-out of electrons and nonlocal states etc. The unusual physical, optical and photo-electronic properties observed in metallic structures with extreme feature sizes enable their unique applications in electromagnetic field focusing, spectra enhancing, imaging, quantum photonics, etc. In this review, we focus on the new effects, fabrication and applications of plasmonic metal nanostructures with extremely small features. For simplicity and consistency, we will focus our topic on the plasmonic metal nanostructures with feature sizes of sub-nanometers. Subsequently, we discussed four main and typical plasmonic metal nanostructures with extremely small features, including: (1) ultra-sharp plasmonic metal nanotips; (2) ultra-thin plasmonic metal films; (3) ultra-small plasmonic metal particles and (4) ultra-small plasmonic metal nanogaps. Additionally, the corresponding fascinating new effects (quantum nonlinear, non-locality, quantum size effect and quantum tunneling), applications (spectral enhancement, high-order harmonic wave generation, sensing and terahertz wave detection) and reliable fabrication methods will also be discussed. We end the discussion with a brief summary and outlook of the main challenges and possible breakthroughs in the field. We hope our discussion can inspire the broader design, fabrication and application of plasmonic metal nanostructures with extremely small feature sizes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Shi
- Center for Research on Leading Technology of Special Equipment, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Guangzhou University Guangzhou 510006 China
| | - Xupeng Zhu
- School of Physics Science and Technology, Lingnan Normal University Zhanjiang 524048 China
| | - Shi Zhang
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
| | - Guilin Wen
- Center for Research on Leading Technology of Special Equipment, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Guangzhou University Guangzhou 510006 China
| | | | - Huigao Duan
- College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University Changsha 410082 China
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Neugebohrn N, Osterthun N, Götz-Köhler M, Gehrke K, Agert C. Improved Metal Oxide Electrode for CIGS Solar Cells: The Application of an AgO X Wetting Layer. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2021; 16:50. [PMID: 33744997 PMCID: PMC7981343 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-021-03506-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Oxide/metal/oxide (OMO) layer stacks are used to replace transparent conductive oxides as front contact of thin-film solar cells. These multilayer structures not only reduce the overall thickness of the contact, but can be used for colouring of the cells utilizing interference effects. However, sheet resistance and parasitic absorption, both of which depend heavily on the metal layer, should be further reduced to reach higher efficiencies in the solar cells. In this publication, AgOX wetting layers were applied to OMO electrodes to improve the performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. We show that an AgOX wetting layer is an effective measure to increase transmission and conductivity of the multilayer electrode. With the presented approach, we were able to improve the short-circuit current density by 18% from 28.8 to 33.9 mA/cm2 with a metal (Ag) film thickness as low as 6 nm. Our results highlight that OMO electrodes can be an effective replacement for conventional transparent conductive oxides like aluminium-doped zinc oxide on thin-film solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Neugebohrn
- DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, Urban and Residential Technologies, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Norbert Osterthun
- DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, Urban and Residential Technologies, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Götz-Köhler
- DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, Urban and Residential Technologies, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Kai Gehrke
- DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, Urban and Residential Technologies, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Agert
- DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems, Urban and Residential Technologies, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 15, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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14
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Osterthun N, Neugebohrn N, Gehrke K, Vehse M, Agert C. Spectral engineering of ultrathin germanium solar cells for combined photovoltaic and photosynthesis. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:938-950. [PMID: 33726319 DOI: 10.1364/oe.412101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In densely populated areas, ground mounted photovoltaic power plants compete with agriculture for cultivable land. Agrivoltaic systems allow the combination of these two forms of land use by deliberately designed light sharing. In this contribution, we present a spectrally selective solar cell, for use in agrivoltaic systems, greenhouses, and photo-bioreactors. Our concept benefits from a solar cell with a transmission spectrum which can be easily tuned for the specific absorption requirements of algae and plants. This is achieved by a Fabry-Perot-type multilayer resonator as a back reflector, which determines the transmission and absorption spectrum of the solar cell. We demonstrate the extent of how this transmission spectrum can be engineered by varying the layer thicknesses of the reflector and we show how the reflecting metal layers in the back reflector influence the transmission and photocurrent generation of the spectrally selective solar cell. Finally, we analyze the optical loss mechanisms of the solar cell layer stack to address further optimization potential. Our work offers a spectrally selective solar cell which can be easily adjusted for the requirements of combining photovoltaic and photosynthesis.
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15
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Colin J, Jamnig A, Furgeaud C, Michel A, Pliatsikas N, Sarakinos K, Abadias G. In Situ and Real-Time Nanoscale Monitoring of Ultra-Thin Metal Film Growth Using Optical and Electrical Diagnostic Tools. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E2225. [PMID: 33182409 PMCID: PMC7697846 DOI: 10.3390/nano10112225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Continued downscaling of functional layers for key enabling devices has prompted the development of characterization tools to probe and dynamically control thin film formation stages and ensure the desired film morphology and functionalities in terms of, e.g., layer surface smoothness or electrical properties. In this work, we review the combined use of in situ and real-time optical (wafer curvature, spectroscopic ellipsometry) and electrical probes for gaining insights into the early growth stages of magnetron-sputter-deposited films. Data are reported for a large variety of metals characterized by different atomic mobilities and interface reactivities. For fcc noble-metal films (Ag, Cu, Pd) exhibiting a pronounced three-dimensional growth on weakly-interacting substrates (SiO2, amorphous carbon (a-C)), wafer curvature, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and resistivity techniques are shown to be complementary in studying the morphological evolution of discontinuous layers, and determining the percolation threshold and the onset of continuous film formation. The influence of growth kinetics (in terms of intrinsic atomic mobility, substrate temperature, deposition rate, deposition flux temporal profile) and the effect of deposited energy (through changes in working pressure or bias voltage) on the various morphological transition thicknesses is critically examined. For bcc transition metals, like Fe and Mo deposited on a-Si, in situ and real-time growth monitoring data exhibit transient features at a critical layer thickness of ~2 nm, which is a fingerprint of an interface-mediated crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition, while such behavior is not observed for Ta films that crystallize into their metastable tetragonal β-Ta allotropic phase. The potential of optical and electrical diagnostic tools is also explored to reveal complex interfacial reactions and their effect on growth of Pd films on a-Si or a-Ge interlayers. For all case studies presented in the article, in situ data are complemented with and benchmarked against ex situ structural and morphological analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Colin
- Institut Pprime, UPR 3346, CNRS-Université de Poitiers-ENSMA, 11 Boulevard Marie et Pierre Curie, TSA 41123, CEDEX 9, 86073 Poitiers, France; (J.C.); (A.J.); (C.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Andreas Jamnig
- Institut Pprime, UPR 3346, CNRS-Université de Poitiers-ENSMA, 11 Boulevard Marie et Pierre Curie, TSA 41123, CEDEX 9, 86073 Poitiers, France; (J.C.); (A.J.); (C.F.); (A.M.)
- Nanoscale Engineering Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE 581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
| | - Clarisse Furgeaud
- Institut Pprime, UPR 3346, CNRS-Université de Poitiers-ENSMA, 11 Boulevard Marie et Pierre Curie, TSA 41123, CEDEX 9, 86073 Poitiers, France; (J.C.); (A.J.); (C.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Anny Michel
- Institut Pprime, UPR 3346, CNRS-Université de Poitiers-ENSMA, 11 Boulevard Marie et Pierre Curie, TSA 41123, CEDEX 9, 86073 Poitiers, France; (J.C.); (A.J.); (C.F.); (A.M.)
| | - Nikolaos Pliatsikas
- Nanoscale Engineering Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE 581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
| | - Kostas Sarakinos
- Nanoscale Engineering Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE 581 83 Linköping, Sweden;
| | - Gregory Abadias
- Institut Pprime, UPR 3346, CNRS-Université de Poitiers-ENSMA, 11 Boulevard Marie et Pierre Curie, TSA 41123, CEDEX 9, 86073 Poitiers, France; (J.C.); (A.J.); (C.F.); (A.M.)
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16
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Chen D, Kang Z, Li W. Thin Ag films adhesive onto flexible substrates with excellent properties for multi‐application. J Appl Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/app.49806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dexin Chen
- Institute of Advanced Wear & Corrosion Resistant and Functional Materials, Jinan University Guangzhou China
- Shaoguan Institute of Jinan University Shaoguan China
| | - Zhixin Kang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Advanced Metallic Materials Processing School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Wei Li
- Institute of Advanced Wear & Corrosion Resistant and Functional Materials, Jinan University Guangzhou China
- Shaoguan Institute of Jinan University Shaoguan China
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17
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Using Dual Microresonant Cavity and Plasmonic Effects to Enhance the Photovoltaic Efficiency of Flexible Polymer Solar Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10050944. [PMID: 32429120 PMCID: PMC7279274 DOI: 10.3390/nano10050944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Fabricating polymer solar cells (PSCs) on flexible polymer substrates, instead of on hard glass, is attractive for implementing the advantage and uniqueness of the PSCs represented by mechanically rollable and light-weight natures. However, simultaneously achieving reliable robustness and high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) in such flexible PSCs is still technically challenging due to poor light harvesting of thin photoactive polymers. In this work, we report a facile, effective strategy for improving the light-harvesting performance of flexible PSCs without sacrificing rollability. Very high transparent (93.67% in 400–800 nm) and low sheet resistance (~10 Ω sq−1) ZnO/Ag(O)/ZnO electrodes were implemented as the flexible substrates. In systematically comparison with ZnO/Ag/ZnO electrodes, small amount of oxygen induced continuous metallic films with lower thickness, which resulted in higher transmittance and lower sheet resistance. To increase the light absorption of thin active layer (maintain the high rollability of active layer), a unique platform simultaneously utilizing both a transparent electrode configuration based on an ultrathin oxygen-doped Ag, Ag(O), and film and plasmonic Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles were designed for fully leveraging the advantages of duel microresonant cavity and plasmonic effects to enhance light absorbance in photoactive polymers. A combination of the ZnO/Ag(O)/ZnO electrode and Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles significantly increased the short-current density of PSCs to 17.98 mA cm−2 with enhancing the photoluminescence of PTB7-Th film. The flexible PSC using the optimized configuration provided an average PCE of 8.04% for flexible PSCs, which was increased by 36.27% compared to that of the PSC merely using a conventional transparent indium tin oxide electrode.
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18
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Goetz S, Bauch M, Dimopoulos T, Trassl S. Ultrathin sputter-deposited plasmonic silver nanostructures. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2020; 2:869-877. [PMID: 36133228 PMCID: PMC9418784 DOI: 10.1039/c9na00762h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this study, ultrathin silver plasmonic nanostructures are fabricated by sputter deposition on substrates patterned by nanoimprint lithography, without additional lift-off processes. Detailed investigation of silver growth on different substrates results in a structured, defect-free silver film with thickness down to 6 nm, deposited on a thin layer of doped zinc oxide. Variation of the aspect ratio of the nanostructure reduces grain formation at the flanks, allowing for well-separated disk and hole arrays, even though conventional magnetron sputtering is less directional than evaporation. The resulting disk-hole array features high average transmittance in the visible range of 71% and a strong plasmonic dipole resonance in the near-infrared region. It is shown that the ultrathin Ag film exhibits even lower optical losses in the NIR range compared to known bulk optical properties. The presented FDTD simulations agree well with experimental spectra and show that for defect-free, ultrathin Ag nanostructures, bulk optical properties of Ag are sufficient for a reliable simulation-based design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Goetz
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Center for Energy, Photovoltaic Systems Giefinggasse 4 1210 Vienna Austria
| | - Martin Bauch
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Center for Energy, Photovoltaic Systems Giefinggasse 4 1210 Vienna Austria
| | - Theodoros Dimopoulos
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Center for Energy, Photovoltaic Systems Giefinggasse 4 1210 Vienna Austria
| | - Stephan Trassl
- HUECK FOLIEN GmbH Gewerbepark 30 4342 Baumgartenberg Austria
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19
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Yun J, Chung HS, Lee SG, Bae JS, Hong TE, Takahashi K, Yu SM, Park J, Guo Q, Lee GH, Han SZ, Ikoma Y, Choi EA. An unexpected surfactant role of immiscible nitrogen in the structural development of silver nanoparticles: an experimental and numerical investigation. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:1749-1758. [PMID: 31895376 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr08076g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Artificially designing the crystal orientation and facets of noble metal nanoparticles is important to realize unique chemical and physical features that are very different from those of noble metals in bulk geometries. However, relative to their counterparts synthesized in wet-chemical processes, vapor-depositing noble metal nanoparticles with the desired crystallographic features while avoiding any notable impurities is quite challenging because this task requires breaking away from the thermodynamically favorable geometry of nanoparticles. We used plasma-generated N atoms as a surface-active agent, a so-called surfactant, to control the structural development of Ag nanoparticles supported on a chemically heterogeneous ZnO substrate. The N-surfactant-facilitated sputter deposition provided strong selectivity for crystalline orientation and facets, leading to a highly flattened nanoparticle shape that clearly deviated from the energetically favorable spherical polyhedra, due to the drastic decreases in the surface free energies of Ag nanoparticles in the presence of the N surfactant. The Ag nanoparticles successively developed a nearly unidirectional (111) orientation aligned by stimulating the crystalline coupling of Ag along the orientation of the ZnO substrate. The experimental and simulation results not only offer new insights into the advantages of N as a surfactant for the orientation and shape-controlled synthesis of Ag nanoparticles via sputter deposition but also provide the first solid evidence validating that immiscible, nonresidual gaseous surfactants can be used in the vapor deposition processes of noble metal nanoparticles to manipulate their surface free energies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungheum Yun
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon, Gyeongnam 51508, Republic of Korea.
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20
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Jeong E, Bae S, Park JB, Yu SM, Kim D, Lee HS, Rha J, Cho YR, Yun J. Pinhole-free TiO2/Ag(O)/ZnO configuration for flexible perovskite solar cells with ultralow optoelectrical loss. RSC Adv 2019; 9:9160-9170. [PMID: 35517702 PMCID: PMC9062062 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00042a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated on transparent polymer substrates are considered a promising candidate as flexible solar cells that can emulate the advantages of organic solar cells, which exhibit considerable freedom in their device design thanks to their light weight and mechanically flexibility while achieving high photocurrent conversion efficiency, comparable to that of their conventional counterparts fabricated on rigid glasses. However, the full realization of highly efficient, flexible PSCs is largely prevented by technical difficulties in simultaneously attaining a transparent electrode with efficient charge transport to meet the specifications of PSCs. In this study, an effective strategy for resolving this technical issue has been devised by proposing a simple but highly effective technique to fabricate an efficient, multilayer TiO2/Ag(O)/ZnO (TAOZ) configuration. This configuration displays low losses in optical transmittance and electrical conductivity owing to its completely continuous, ultrathin metallic Ag(O) transparent electrode, and any notable current leakage is suppressed by its pinhole-free TiO2 electron transport layer. These features are a direct consequence of the rapid evolution of Ag(O) and TiO2 into ultrathin, completely continuous, pinhole-free layers owing to the dramatically improved wetting of metallic Ag(O) with a minimal dose of oxygen (ca. 3 at%) during sputtering. The TAOZ configuration exhibits an average transmittance of 88.5% in the spectral range of 400–800 nm and a sheet resistance of 8.4 Ω sq−1 while demonstrating superior mechanical flexibility to that of the conventional TiO2 on ITO configuration. The photocurrent conversion efficiency of flexible PSCs is significantly improved by up to 11.2% thanks to an optimum combination of optoelectrical performance and pinhole-free morphologies in the TAOZ configuration. A TiO2/Ag(O)/ZnO configuration is developed for flexible perovskite solar cells to provide a pinhole-free electron transport layer and a transparent electrode.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunwook Jeong
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science
- Changwon
- Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Pusan National University
| | - Soohyun Bae
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Korea University
- Seoul 02841
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Bae Park
- Jeonju Center
- Korea Basic Science Institute
- Jeonju
- Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yu
- Jeonju Center
- Korea Basic Science Institute
- Jeonju
- Republic of Korea
| | - Donghwan Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Korea University
- Seoul 02841
- Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Seok Lee
- KU-KIST Green School
- Graduate School of Energy and Environment
- Korea University
- Seoul 02841
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jongjoo Rha
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science
- Changwon
- Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Rae Cho
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Pusan National University
- Busan 46241
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Surface Technology Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science
- Changwon
- Republic of Korea
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21
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Zhao G, Shen W, Jeong E, Lee SG, Chung HS, Bae TS, Bae JS, Lee GH, Tang J, Yun J. Nitrogen-Mediated Growth of Silver Nanocrystals to Form UltraThin, High-Purity Silver-Film Electrodes with Broad band Transparency for Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:40901-40910. [PMID: 30379522 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b13377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the shape and crystallography of nanocrystals during the early growth stages of a noble metal layer is important because of its correlation with the final layer morphology and optoelectrical features, but this task is unattainable in vapor deposition processes dominated by artificially uncontrollable thermodynamic free energies. We report on experimental evidence for the controllable evolution of Ag nanocrystals as induced by the addition of nitrogen, presumed to be nonresidual in the Ag lattice given its strong float-out behavior. This atypical formation of energetically stable Ag nanocrystals with significantly improved wetting abilities on a chemically heterogeneous substrate promotes the development of an atomically flat, ultrathin, high-purity Ag layer with a thickness of only 5 nm. This facilitates the fabrication of Ag thin-film electrodes exhibiting highly enhanced optical transparency over a broad spectral range in the visible and near-infrared spectral range. An Ag thin-film electrode with a ZnO/Ag/ZnO configuration exhibits an average transmittance of about 95% in the spectral range of 400-800 nm with a maximum transmittance of over 98% at 580 nm, which is comparable with the best transparency values so far reported for transparent electrodes. This degree of optical transparency provides an excellent chance to improve the photon absorption of photovoltaic devices employing an Ag thin film as their window electrode. This is clearly confirmed by the superior performance of a flexible organic solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 8.0%, which is far superior to that of the same solar cell using a conventional amorphous indium tin oxide electrode (6.4%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Zhao
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
| | - Wenfei Shen
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | - Eunwook Jeong
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Daegu 41566 , Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Suk Chung
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Sung Bae
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seong Bae
- Busan Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Busan 46742 , Republic of Korea
| | - Gun-Hwan Lee
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
| | - Jianguo Tang
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jungheum Yun
- Surface Technology Division , Korea Institute of Materials Science , Changwon , Gyeongnam 51508 , Republic of Korea
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