Etched Glass Research Articles

Preview the Products on Display at Display Week 2021

Preview the Products on Display at Display Week 2021

Fabrication of in-situ grown and Pt-decorated ZnO nanoclusters on new-type FTO electrode for room-temperature detection of low-concentration H2S

In this work, an in-situ grown and Pt-decorated ZnO nanoclusters (NCs) gas sensor was fabricated by employing etched FTO glass as the growth substrate and gas-sensing electrode via facile dip-coating assisted hydrothermal route and physical mixing method, which exhibited superior gas-sensing performance for low-concentration H2S at room temperature. Benefiting by the in-situ growth, good ohmic contacts between ZnO NCs and FTO electrode are formed, which maximize the gas-sensing performance and enhancing the stability of the sensor. On this basis, ZnO NCs with top cross-linked structure can provide adequate grain-boundary potential barriers and self-assembled electron pathways, as well as larger effective surface area and gas diffusion space. What's more, Pt nanoparticles (NPs) decoration on the surface of ZnO NCs can introduce more catalytic sites and proper Schottky barriers for gas-sensing tests. Due to their synergistic effects, the in-situ grown and Pt-decorated ZnO NCs sensor exhibit excellent room-temperature gas-sensing behaviors for H2S. Among samples, 1.5 at% Pt-decorated ZnO NCs sensor possesses the highest response value, excellent selectivity, repeatability and stability, which achieves the room-temperature detection of H2S at ppb level. In addition, the effect of Pt decoration on the gas-sensing behaviors under high temperature condition and the mechanism of enhancing gas-sensing performance were also systematically investigated.

Photoluminescence and optical response of ZnO films deposited on silicon and glass substrates

ZnO films are synthesized by RF magnetron sputtering on silicon and glass substrates. Dry plasma is used to etch silicon at 5 min as well as 30 min for the purpose of surface modifications before depositing the films. ZnO films are compared with non etched substrate ones. Surface morphology characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Photoluminescence (PL) of ZnO films increased with increasing etching substrate time. The Photoresponse using Deuterium lamp, Ar laser and He-Cd laser was increased for ZnO films deposited on etched silicon substrate from 0 min to 30 min. No significant change was observed for optical band gap of ZnO films deposited on glass substrate. Films deposited on non etched Si (100) and glass substrates exhibit (002) preferred orientation, but the films with etching time for 5 and 30 min to silicon substrates become polycrystalline with accompanied (100) and (101) orientations as analyzed using x-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrical resistivity increases from 31 × 10−4 Ohm.cm to 218 × 10−4 Ohm.cm with increasing etching time of Si substrate.

Photocatalytic Active Bismuth Fluoride/Oxyfluoride Surface Crystallized 2Bi2O3-B2O3 Glass–Ceramics

The present article deals with 2Bi2O3-B2O3 (BBO) glass whose photocatalytic activity has been enhanced by the method of wet etching using an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF). X-ray diffraction of the samples reveals that etching with an aqueous solution of HF leads to the formation of BiF3 and BiO0.1F2.8 phases. Surface morphology obtained from scanning electron microscopy show granular and plate-like morphology on the etched glass samples. Rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) has been used to investigate the photocatalytic activity of the as-quenched and etched glasses. Enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity was observed in HF etched glass-ceramics compared to the as-quenched BBO glass. Contact angle of the as-quenched glass was 90.2°, which decreases up to 20.02° with an increase in concentration of HF in the etching solution. Enhanced photocatalytic activity and increase in the hydrophilic nature suggests the efficient treatment of water pollutants by using the prepared surface crystallized glass–ceramics.

Development of Boron-Doped ZnO Films with Novel Thin Zn-Rich Film and Their Application to Solar Cells

In this paper, we report newly developed high-haze glass/zinc oxide (ZnO) substrates with low resistivity by a combination of unique etched soda-lime glass and bilayered ZnO films with a Zn-rich (oxygen-poor) layer. The high mobility and low resistivity of bilayered ZnO films could be obtained with Zn-rich conditions. By depositing the ZnO films onto textured glass substrates, the obtained films exhibit an excellent light-scattering property, while their electrical property is still good. Furthermore, the bilayered ZnO films with a Zn-rich layer did not negatively affect the transparency of the films. Employing the bilayered ZnO films with a Zn-rich layer and an rms roughness of about 274 nm as the front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells, we improved the performance and quantum efficiency (QE) of the fabricated solar cells, particularly in the short-wavelength region without the deterioration of open-circuit voltage or fill factor. Thus, the developed glass/bilayered ZnO film with a Zn-rich layer is a new promising material since its resistivity is low while its light-scattering property is still high.

Development of Boron-Doped ZnO Films with Novel Thin Zn-Rich Film and Their Application to Solar Cells

In this paper, we report newly developed high-haze glass/zinc oxide (ZnO) substrates with low resistivity by a combination of unique etched soda-lime glass and bilayered ZnO films with a Zn-rich (oxygen-poor) layer. The high mobility and low resistivity of bilayered ZnO films could be obtained with Zn-rich conditions. By depositing the ZnO films onto textured glass substrates, the obtained films exhibit an excellent light-scattering property, while their electrical property is still good. Furthermore, the bilayered ZnO films with a Zn-rich layer did not negatively affect the transparency of the films. Employing the bilayered ZnO films with a Zn-rich layer and an rms roughness of about 274 nm as the front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells, we improved the performance and quantum efficiency (QE) of the fabricated solar cells, particularly in the short-wavelength region without the deterioration of open-circuit voltage or fill factor. Thus, the developed glass/bilayered ZnO film with a Zn-rich layer is a new promising material since its resistivity is low while its light-scattering property is still high.

Structurally colored surfaces with antireflective, self-cleaning, and antifogging properties

This article describes a simple method to fabricate uniform porous antireflective (AR) coatings composed of nanoflakes on the surface of soda lime glass through one-step hydrothermal alkali (NaOH) etching process. Experimental conditions including reaction temperature, NaOH concentration, and reaction time were investigated to find the optimal etching conditions, and the maximum transmittance increases from 90.5% to 98.5%. The coating thickness increases with increase in the NaOH concentration, leading to the tunable red-shift of transmission and reflection spectra in the UV and entire visible range. And the corresponding uniform structural reflected colors varying from gray, pale yellow, yellow, pink, blue to pale blue are observed when the etched glasses are viewed in reflected light. The relationship of coating thickness, transmittance, reflectance, and reflected color was obtained and discussed. The etched glass after introducing TiO2 component onto the porous coating had AR, self-cleaning (superhydrophilic and photocatalytic) and antifogging properties. It is conceivable that such etched glasses would have broad potential applications in optical devices, solar cells, light emitting diodes, and varied window glasses.

A novel deep reactive ion etched (DRIE) glass micro-model for two-phase flow experiments

In the last few decades, micro-models have become popular experimental tools for two-phase flow studies. In this work, the design and fabrication of an innovative, elongated, glass-etched micro-model with dimensions of 5 × 35 mm(2) and constant depth of 43 microns is described. This is the first time that a micro-model with such depth and dimensions has been etched in glass by using a dry etching technique. The micro-model was visualized by a novel setup that allowed us to monitor and record the distribution of fluids throughout the length of the micro-model continuously. Quasi-static drainage experiments were conducted in order to obtain equilibrium data points that relate capillary pressure to phase saturation. By measuring the flow rate of water through the flow network for known pressure gradients, the intrinsic permeability of the micro-model's flow network was also calculated. The experimental results were used to calibrate a pore-network model and test its validity. Finally, we show that glass-etched micro-models can be valuable tools in single and/or multi-phase flow studies and their applications.

Monolithic Teflon® membrane valves and pumps for harsh chemical and low-temperature use

Microfluidic diaphragm valves and pumps capable of surviving conditions required for unmanned spaceflight applications have been developed. The Pasteur payload of the European ExoMars Rover is expected to experience temperatures ranging between -100 degrees C and +50 degrees C during its transit to Mars and on the Martian surface. As such, the Urey instrument package, which contains at its core a lab-on-a-chip capillary electrophoresis analysis system first demonstrated by Mathies et al., requires valving and pumping systems that are robust under these conditions before and after exposure to liquid samples, which are to be analyzed for chemical signatures of past or present living processes. The microfluidic system developed to meet this requirement uses membranes consisting of Teflon and Teflon AF as a deformable material in the valve seat region between etched Borofloat glass wafers. Pneumatic pressure and vacuum, delivered via off-chip solenoid valves, are used to actuate individual on-chip valves. Valve sealing properties of Teflon diaphragm valves, as well as pumping properties from collections of valves, are characterized. Secondary processing for embossing the membrane against the valve seats after fabrication is performed to optimize single valve sealing characteristics. A variety of different material solutions are found to produce robust devices. The optimal valve system utilizes a membrane of mechanically cut Teflon sandwiched between two thin spun films of Teflon AF-1600 as a composite "laminated" diaphragm. Pump rates up to 1600 nL s(-1) are achieved with pumps of this kind. These high pumping rates are possible because of the very fast response of the membranes to applied pressure, enabling extremely fast pump cycling with relatively small liquid volumes, compared to analogous diaphragm pumps. The developed technologies are robust over extremes of temperature cycling and are applicable in a wide range of chemical environments.

Etching Mechanism of Pb-Free Glasses in Acid Solution for Barrier Ribs in Plasma Display Panel

We present the preliminary results of our research on the behavior of lead free glasses in the acid etching process, which is used for the formation of barrier ribs in plasma display panel. The glasses (BaO-B2O3-ZnO system) were etched in HNO3 solution (0.1-1.0% HNO3) at 50°C. The structure and surface of the etched bulk glass were investigated by using inductively coupled plasma and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a result, Ba (3-35ppm/min) and Zn (2- 27ppm/min) ions as major components were leached in the solution. A decrease of the bridge oxygen and a relative increase of non bridge oxygen in the etched glass were found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

산 에칭에 의한 BaO-B2O3-ZnO계 유리조성물의 용출 현상

For producing the fine ribs structure of plasma display panel, the metal ions of barrier materials during the etching process should be understood on the etching mechanism with etching conditions. Etching was done on bulk glasses of the BaO-B₂O₃-ZnO system with HNO₃ solution at 40℃. The surface structure of glasses and ion dissolution were analyzed by ICP (Inductive Coupled Plasma measurement). The structure and surface of the etched bulk glass were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and nanoindenter. As a result, Ba (3 - 35 ppm/min) and Zn (2 - 27 ppm/min) ions as major components were leached in the solution and the leached layers were found to be phosphor-rich surface layers. A decrease of the bridge oxygen and relative increase of non bridge oxygen in the etched glass were found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

FABRICATION OF UNIFORM ARRAY OF NANO-DOTS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

We have developed a novel technique to fabricate extremely uniform arrays of nano-sized dots. Regular arrays of nanometer-sized metallic dots are obtianed by magnetron sputtering deposition through a nanochannel glass replica mask. The platinum replica masks are fabricated using thin film deposition on an etched nanochannel glass and contain hexagonally patterned uniform voids with diameters as small as 50 nanometers. The metallic dot density can be as high as 5×1011 per square centimeter. The magnetic properties of Ni and Co dot arrays have been studied by a Alternating Gradient Magnetometer. The magnetic dot array can be used as pinning centers for superconductors and also can be used as the discrete magnetic media for magnetic recording.

Etch Rate and Surface Morphology of Plasma Etched Glass Substrates

ABSTRACTMicro-machined transparent components are of interest for optical MEMS and miniaturized biological systems. The glass ceramic GC6 developed by Corning is optically transparent, has a softening point in excess of 900°C, and a thermal expansion coefficient matched to silicon. These properties make it useful for the construction of devices that combine thin film silicon electronics with MEMS systems.Both the ceramic precursor (green glass) and the glass ceramic etch at a similar rate, about 1/3 to 1/4 of that of SiO2 etched under the same conditions, indicating that chemistry rather than microstructure control the etch rate. The cleaning steps used to clean the glass precursor profoundly influence the degree of surface roughness that develops during subsequent plasma etching. In glass ceramics, the morphology of plasma etched surface is always very smooth and independent of the cleaning steps used. Assuming that the removal of spinel crystals is the rate limiting step in plasma etching glass ceramics can explain this observation.

Polarization Studies of Light Diffusely Reflected from Ground and Etched Glass Surfaces

A theory is developed by which diffuse reflection from dielectric surfaces may be studied by measuring the polarization of the light diffusely reflected from such surfaces. Observations of the ratio of the intensities of light vibrating parallel to and perpendicular to the plane of incidence indicate that for ground and etched glass surfaces, illuminated by a collimated beam, regular reflection from small mirror-like planes, oriented at random, is responsible for much of the diffuse reflection.