Conduction Band Offset Effect on the Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells Performance

Among the causes of the degradation of the performance of kesterite-based solar cells is the wrong choice of the n-type buffer layer which has direct repercussions on the unfavorable band alignment, the conduction band offset (CBO) at the interface of the absorber/buffer junction which is one of the major causes of lower VOC. In this work, the effect of CBO at the interface of the junction (CZTS/Cd(1-x)ZnxS) as a function of the x composition of Zn with respect to (Zn+Cd) is studied using the SCAPS-1D simulator package. The obtained results show that the performance of the solar cells reaches a maximum values (Jsc = 13.9 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.757 V, FF = 65.6%, ɳ = 6.9%) for an optimal value of CBO = -0.2 eV and Zn proportion of the buffer x = 0.4 (Cd0.6Zn0.4S). The CZTS solar cells parameters are affected by the thickness and the concentration of acceptor carriers. The best performances are obtained for CZTS absorber layer, thichness (d = 2.5 µm) and (ND = 1016 cm-3). The obtained results of optimizing the electron work function of the back metal contact exhibited an optimum value at 5.7 eV with power conversion efficiency of 13.1%, Voc of 0.961 mV, FF of 67.3% and Jsc of 20.2 mA/cm2.

STUDYING MULTILAYERED GRAPHENES BY ELECTROPHYSICAL METHODS

The paper studies multilayer graphenes in the form of free-standing films. The authors provide data about the morphology and electrical properties of films treated with plasma of various chemical composition. It is shown that it is possible to control the electrical properties of the surface and electron work function without significantly affecting its morphology. The obtained samples, combining mechanical flexibility with unreactiveness and high electrical conductivity, are promising for application in flexible charge storage devices.

CALCULATION OF THE SURFACE PROPERTIES OF MICROELECTRONICS MATERIALS USING THE MODEL OF COORDINATION MELTING OF A CRYSTAL

In this work, it is shown that the model of coordination crystal melting makes it possible to calculate the values of the specific surface energy of elementary substances and the surface melting temperature of metals, and also relates the anisotropy of the specific surface energy of a crystal with its crystal structure, electron work function, and adhesion work.

Suggested Research Trends in the Area of Micro-EDM—Study of Some Parameters Affecting Micro-EDM

This paper provides an overall view of the current research in micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM or µEDM) and looks into the present understanding of the material removing mechanism and the common approach for electrode material selection and its limitations. Based on experimental data, the authors present an analysis of different materials’ properties which have an influence on the electrodes' wear ratio and energy distribution during the spark. The experiments performed in micro-EDM conditions reveal that properties such as electron work function and electrical resistivity strongly correlate with the discharge energy ratio. The electrode wear ratio, on the other hand, is strongly influenced by the atomic bonding energy and was found to be related to the tensile modulus. The proposed correlation functions characterized the data with a high determination coefficient exceeding 99%.

Electron work function: an indicative parameter towards a novel material design methodology

Electron work function (EWF) has demonstrated its great promise in materials analysis and design, particularly for single-phase materials, e.g., solute selection for optimal solid-solution strengthening. Such promise is attributed to the correlation of EWF with the atomic bonding and stability, which largely determines material properties. However, engineering materials generally consist of multiple phases. Whether or not the overall EWF of a complex multi-phase material can reflect its properties is unclear. Through investigation on the relationships among EWF, microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of low-carbon steel samples with two-level microstructural inhomogeneity, we demonstrate that the overall EWF does carry the information on integrated electron behavior and overall properties of multiphase alloys. This study makes it achievable to develop “electronic metallurgy”—an electronic based novel alternative methodology for materials design.

Effect of Sandblasting on the Long-Term Corrosion Resistance of Ti G4 in Artificial Saliva

Titanium Grade 4 (G4) is the most commonly used material for dental implants due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. However, titanium implants require a rough surface that can increase the biomechanical potential of implant–bone contact and affect protein adsorption speed. In this work, the effect of sandblasting of the Ti G4 surface on the long-term corrosion resistance in artificial saliva of pH = 7.4 at 37 °C was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) single-{hkl} sin2ψ method was used to measure the sandblasted Ti residual stress. In vitro corrosion resistance tests were conducted for 21 days using the open circuit potential method, polarization curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Using the Kelvin scanning probe, the electron work function was determined. Analysis of the obtained results showed an improvement in the corrosion resistance of the sandblasted Ti G4 compared to Ti with the machine surface. The increase in corrosion resistance was related to the residual compressive stress of 324.7 MPa present in the sandblasted Ti surface. Sandblasting caused plastic deformation of the Ti surface, which resulted in the improvement in mechanical properties, as evidenced by the increase in the hardness of the sandblasted Ti compared to Ti with the machine surface.

Contact Potential Difference as a Non-Destructive Testing of Steel

For steels of different grades, the effect of the chemical composition, structure, and surface etching on the contact potential difference is studied using the Kelvin probe method. It was shown experimentally that, with a change in the structure and chemical composition, the contact potential difference changes. Etching the surface of the steel with a 4% solution of nitric acid leads to a sharp decrease in the magnitude of the contact potential difference, which allows us to conclude that the value of the electron work function from the sample surface increases. The ability to control the composition and structure of the material by the Kelvin probe method is shown.