scholarly journals Thin-film Characterization

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-130
Author(s):  
Christopher Taudt

AbstractThe third intended application for the proposed dispersion-encoded low-coherence interferometry is the evaluation of thin-film characteristics on substrate materials. Due to the usage of thin-film technologies in high-volume production in e.g. the photovoltaics and semiconductor industry, process monitoring becomes relevant in order to ensure functional parameters such as solar cell efficiency, [289]. In this context, film thickness as well as film homogeneity over large areas are important criteria for quality assurance.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jort Hammer ◽  
Hidenori Matsukami ◽  
Satoshi Endo

AbstractChlorinated Paraffins (CPs) are high volume production chemicals and have been found in various organisms including humans and in environmental samples from remote regions. It is thus of great importance to understand the physical–chemical properties of CPs. In this study, gas chromatographic (GC) retention indexes (RIs) of 25 CP congeners were measured on various polar and nonpolar columns to investigate the relationships between the molecular structure and the partition properties. Retention measurements show that analytical standards of individual CPs often contain several stereoisomers. RI values show that chlorination pattern have a large influence on the polarity of CPs. Single Cl substitutions (–CHCl–, –CH2Cl) generally increase polarity of CPs. However, many consecutive –CHCl– units (e.g., 1,2,3,4,5,6-C11Cl6) increase polarity less than expected from the total number of –CHCl– units. Polyparameter linear free energy relationship descriptors show that polarity difference between CP congeners can be explained by the H-bond donating properties of CPs. RI values of CP congeners were predicted using the quantum chemically based prediction tool COSMOthermX. Predicted RI values correlate well with the experimental data (R2, 0.975–0.995), indicating that COSMOthermX can be used to accurately predict the retention of CP congeners on GC columns.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1684
Author(s):  
Alessandro Romeo ◽  
Elisa Artegiani

CdTe is a very robust and chemically stable material and for this reason its related solar cell thin film photovoltaic technology is now the only thin film technology in the first 10 top producers in the world. CdTe has an optimum band gap for the Schockley-Queisser limit and could deliver very high efficiencies as single junction device of more than 32%, with an open circuit voltage of 1 V and a short circuit current density exceeding 30 mA/cm2. CdTe solar cells were introduced at the beginning of the 70s and they have been studied and implemented particularly in the last 30 years. The strong improvement in efficiency in the last 5 years was obtained by a new redesign of the CdTe solar cell device reaching a single solar cell efficiency of 22.1% and a module efficiency of 19%. In this paper we describe the fabrication process following the history of the solar cell as it was developed in the early years up to the latest development and changes. Moreover the paper also presents future possible alternative absorbers and discusses the only apparently controversial environmental impacts of this fantastic technology.


1986 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris R. Ito ◽  
M. Feng ◽  
V. K. Eu ◽  
H. B. Kim

ABSTRACTA high-volume epitaxial reactor has been used to investigate the feasibility for the production growth of GaAs on silicon substrates. The reactor is a customized system which has a maximum capacity of 39 three-inch diameter wafers and can accommodate substrates as large as eight inches in diameter. The MOCVD material growth technique was used to grow GaAs directly on p-type, (100) silicon substrates, three and five inches in diameter. The GaAs surfaces were textured with antiphase boundaries. Double-cyrstal rocking curve measurements showed single-cyrstal GaAs with an average FWHMof 520 arc seconds measured at four points over the wafer surface. Within-wafer thickness uniformity was ± 4% with a wafer-to-wafer uniformity of ± 2%. Photoluminescence spectra showed Tour peaks at 1.500, 1.483, 1.464, and 1.440 ev. Schottky diodes were fabricated on the GaAs on silicon material.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-404
Author(s):  
Xiuqi Lyu ◽  
Jun Takahashi ◽  
Yi Wan ◽  
Isamu Ohsawa

Chopped carbon fiber tape-reinforced thermoplastic material is specifically developed for the high-volume production of lightweight automobiles. With excellent design processability and flexibility, the carbon fiber tape-reinforced thermoplastic material is manufactured by compressing large amounts of randomly oriented, pre-impregnated unidirectional tapes in a plane. Therefore, the carbon fiber tape-reinforced thermoplastic material presents transversely isotropic properties. Transverse shear effect along the thickness direction of carbon fiber tape-reinforced thermoplastic beam has a distinct influence on its flexural deformation. Accordingly, the Timoshenko beam theory combined with vibration frequencies was proposed to determine the set of transverse flexural and shear moduli. Meanwhile, the transverse flexural and shear moduli of carbon fiber tape-reinforced thermoplastic beam were finally determined by fitting all the first seven measured and calculated eigenfrequencies with the least squares criterion. In addition, the suggested thickness to length ratio for the 3-point bending test and Euler–Bernoulli model was given.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose J Plata ◽  
Javier Amaya Suárez ◽  
Santiago Cuesta-López ◽  
Antonio Marquez ◽  
Javier Fdez. Sanz

<div> <div> <div> <p>Conventional solar cell efficiency is usually limited by the Shockley-Queisser limit. This is not the case, however, for ferroelectric materials, which present a spontaneous electric polarization that is responsible for their bulk photovoltaic effect. Even so, most ferroelectric oxides exhibit large band gaps, reducing the amount of solar energy that can be harvested. In this work, a high-throughput approach to tune the electronic properties of thin-film ferroelectric oxides is presented. Materials databases were systematically used to find substrates for the epitaxial growth of KNbO3 thin-films, using topological and stability filters. Interface models were built and their electronic and optical properties were predicted. Strain and substrate-thin-film band interaction effects were examined in detail, in order to understand the interaction between both materials. We found substrates that significantly reduce the KNbO3 band gap, maintain KNbO3 polarization, and potentially present the right band alignment, favoring the electron injection in the substrate/electrode. This methodology can be easily applied to other ferroelectric oxides, optimizing their band gaps and accelerating the development of new ferroelectric-based solar cells. </p> </div> </div> </div>


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