Influence Of Surface Passivation Research Articles

Influence of surface passivation by MgO on photovoltaic performance of SnO2 based dye-sensitized solar cells

The study highlights effect of surface modification of SnO2 photoelectrode by MgO coating on photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A thin coating of MgO on SnO2 photoelectrode was prepared using sol-gel-derived dip coating technique. The bare SnO2 and MgO coated SnO2 composite photoanodes was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The optical absorption study revealed that the modification in SnO2 by MgO coating caused an increase in absorption by photoanode in visible region. The solar cell was demonstrated by preparing FTO|SnO2|Dye|MgO|Electrolyte|Pt coated FTO device structure and tested with current density-voltage (J-V) measurement. The effect of precursor concentration of MgO coating on the performance of DSSCs were investigated. It was found that, optimized coating of MgO for 90 seconds on SnO2 improved all photovoltaic parameters, resulting in enhancement in efficiency by 42% compared to that of DSSC with bare SnO2 photoanode. The coating of MgO would have reduced the trap states and suppressed interfacial recombination losses by preventing back electron transfer from the conduction band of the semiconductor to HOMO of dye molecule or redox species.

Influence of surface passivation on perovskite CsPbBr1.2I1.8 quantum dots and application of high purity red light-emitting diodes

In this work, trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) ligand is employed to improve the quality of CsPbBr1.2I1.8 quantum dots (QDs) films. Lead nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) is also used to passivate the surface of the films. The study of ligand and surface passivation on the luminous efficiency of red light-emitting diode (LED) is discussed. The CsPbBr1.2I1.8 QDs films co-doped with TOPO and Pb(NO3)2 can effectively improve the performance of the CsPbBr1.2I1.8 QDs LEDs due to reduction of non-radiation recombination of the carriers and smooth morphology in the active layer, thus improving the injection and transportation capabilities of carriers. As a result, the highest luminosity and current efficiency are 502.7 cd/m2 and 0.175 cd/A, respectively.

Volume and surface effects on two-photonic and three-photonic processes in dry co-doped upconversion nanocrystals

Despite considerable advances in synthesizing high-quality core/shell upconversion (UC) nanocrystals (NC; UCNC) and UCNC photophysics, the application of near-infrared (NIR)-excitable lanthanide-doped UCNC in the life and material sciences is still hampered by the relatively low upconversion luminescence (UCL) of UCNC of small size or thin protecting shell. To obtain deeper insights into energy transfer and surface quenching processes involving Yb3+ and Er3+ ions, we examined energy loss processes in differently sized solid core NaYF4 nanocrystals doped with either Yb3+ (YbNC; 20% Yb3+) or Er3+ (ErNC; 2% Er3+) and co-doped with Yb3+ and Er3+ (YbErNC; 20% Yb3+ and 2% Er3+) without a surface protection shell and coated with a thin and a thick NaYF4 shell in comparison to single and co-doped bulk materials. Luminescence studies at 375 nm excitation demonstrate back-energy transfer (BET) from the 4G11/2 state of Er3+ to the 2F5/2 state of Yb3+, through which the red Er3+4F9/2 state is efficiently populated. Excitation power density (P)-dependent steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements at different excitation and emission wavelengths enable to separate surface-related and volume-related effects for two-photonic and three-photonic processes involved in UCL and indicate a different influence of surface passivation on the green and red Er3+ emission. The intensity and lifetime of the latter respond particularly to an increase in volume of the active UCNC core. We provide a three-dimensional random walk model to describe these effects that can be used in the future to predict the UCL behavior of UCNC.

Influence of Surface Passivation on AlN Barrier Stress and Scattering Mechanism in Ultra-thin AlN/GaN Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistors.

Ultra-thin AlN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) with, and without, SiN passivation were fabricated by the same growth and device processes. Based on the measured DC characteristics, including the capacitance-voltage (C-V) and output current-voltage (I-V) curves, the variation of electron mobility with gate bias was found to be quite different for devices with, and without, SiN passivation. Although the AlN barrier layer is ultra thin (c. 3 nm), it was proved that SiN passivation induces no additional tensile stress and has no significant influence on the piezoelectric polarization of the AlN layer using Hall and Raman measurements. The SiN passivation was found to affect the surface properties, thereby increasing the electron density of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) under the access region. The higher electron density in the access region after SiN passivation enhanced the electrostatic screening for the non-uniform distributed polarization charges, meaning that the polarization Coulomb field scattering has a weaker effect on the electron drift mobility in AlN/GaN-based devices.

Gradient-type modeling of the effects of plastic recovery and surface passivation in thin films

The elasto-plastic responses of thin films subjected to cyclic tension-compression loading and bending are studied, with a focus on Bauschinger and size effects. For this purpose, a model is established by incorporating plastic recovery into the strain gradient plasticity theory we proposed recently. Elastic and plastic parts of strain and strain gradient, which are determined by the elasto-plastic decomposition according to the associative rule, are assumed to have a degree of material-dependent reversibility. Based on the above assumption, a dislocation reversibility-dependent rule is built to describe evolutions of different deformation components under cyclic loadings. Furthermore, a simple strategy is provided to implement the passivated boundary effects by introducing a gradual change to relevant material parameters in the yield function. Based on this theory, both bulge and bending tests under cyclic loading conditions are investigated. By comparing the present predictions with the existing experimental data, it is found that the yield function is able to exhibit the size effect, the Bauschinger effect, the influence of surface passivation and the hysteresis-loop phenomenon. Thus, the proposed model is deemed helpful in studying plastic deformations of micron-scale films.

The Influence of Surface Passivation on Dark Current Contributing Mechanisms of the InAs/GaSb Superlattice

We report on the investigation of the dark current contributing mechanism by an effective SiO2 passivated layer deposited at low temperatures. In comparison with the unpassivated photodiodes, at 77 K, the dark current density is reduced by one order of magnitude and a maximum zero-bias resistance area product (R0A) of 567 Ω cm2 is achieved by introducing SiO2-passivated layer deposition technology at a lower temperature of 75°C. The temperature-dependence and bias-dependence of the dark current are studied experimentally and correlated to the theory, and then the fitting with experimental results shows good agreement between theory and experiment. The contribution of each dark current mechanism is also identified.

Influence of surface passivation and water content on mineral reactions in unsaturated porous media: Implications for brucite carbonation and CO2 sequestration

The evolution of mineral reactive surface area is an important control on the progress of carbon mineralization reactions that sequester anthropogenic CO2. Dry conditions in unsaturated porous media and the passivation of reactive surface area by secondary phase precipitation complicate predictions of reactive surface during carbon mineralization reactions. Unsaturated brucite [Mg(OH)2] bearing column experiments were used to evaluate the effects of water saturation and hydrous Mg-carbonate precipitation on reaction of brucite with 10% CO2 gas streams at ambient conditions. We demonstrate that a lack of available water severely limits reaction progress largely due to the requirement of water as a reactant to form hydrated Mg-carbonates. The precipitation of a poorly crystalline carbonate phase in the early stages of the reaction does not significantly hinder brucite dissolution, as the carbonate coating remains sufficiently permeable. It is postulated that the conversion of this phase to substantially less porous, crystalline nesquehonite [MgCO3·3H2O] results in passivation of the brucite surface. Although a mechanistic model describing the passivating effect of nesquehonite remains elusive, reactive transport modeling using MIN3P-DUSTY confirms that conventional geometric surface area update models do not adequately reproduce observed reaction progress during brucite carbonation, while an empirically based model accounting for surface passivation is able to capture the transient evolution of CO2 uptake. Both water limits and surface passivation effects may limit the efficiency of CO2 sequestration efforts that rely on the conversion of mafic and ultramafic rock to carbonate minerals.

Influence of Surface Passivation on Optical Properties of Spray Pyrolysis Deposited Pd-F:SnO2

Pd-F:SnO2 thin films have been prepared by spray pyrolysis technique using an alcoholic precursor solution consisting of stannic chloride (SnCl4.5H20), ammonium fluoride (NH4F) and palladium chloride (PdCl2). Optimization on the deposition parameters has been done in order to obtain high quality thin films. The effect of varying the fluorine content on the optical properties of Pd-F:SnO2 thin films were studied. Data for transmittance and reflectance in the wavelength range from 300nm – 2500nm was measured using the solid spec 3700DUV spectrophotometer. The calculated optical band gap of the as prepared thin films has been found to range from 3.8eV to 4.11eV. Fluorine incorporation for Pd-F:SnO2 has been found to have a narrowing effect on the band gap, but at its higher concentration the band gap has been seen to increase. The band gap narrowing is due to the incorporation of F- ions in the crystal lattice therefore giving rise to donor levels in the SnO2 band gap which is an essential characteristic for the gas sensor applications. Both annealing and passivation have been found to have very insignificant change in optical band gap of Pd-F:SnO2.

Transport in Surface Passivated Porous Silicon Membranes

Permeable porous silicon membranes for ultra- and nanofiltration are realized by combination of microfabrication methods and self-organized nanostructuring. The material properties of native and surface passivated membranes are investigated for different substrate doping and fabrication conditions. Transport mechanisms in the membranes are investigated by permeability measurements for both gases and liquids. A transport model using an electric analog circuit as equivalent model is proposed for simulation of gas transport in nanostructured membranes. Adsorption and desorption isotherms are used to analyze the surface interaction between porous surface and adsorbate. As independent measure, AFM based distance-force measurements have been performed to investigate the adhesion forces as function of the surface properties. The influence of surface passivation on transport processes is evaluated.

The role of glutathione on shape control and photoelectrical property of cadmium sulfide nanorod arrays

Well-aligned CdS nanorod arrays (CdS NRs) with ∼100nm in diameter and ∼700nm in length were fabricated on FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) substrate by using glutathione as capping agents. The growth of CdS NRs was studied in details by exploring the roles of each active binding group in glutathione. The thiol group in glutathione plays an important role in forming a compact CdS nanocrystal film, upon which the nanorods grow subsequently via the synergetic effect of thiol and dicarboxyl groups in glutathione. The influence of surface passivation with glutathione on the photoelectrical property of CdS NRs was also tested. The results revealed that glutathione ligands encapsulated in the surfaces of CdS NRs act as insulating barriers between CdS NRs and solution, hindering charge transport. Hybrid photovoltaic cells of FTO/CdS NRs/P3HT (poly(3-hexylthiophene))/Au were then assembled. The performance of the photovoltaic devices was increased with increasing the length of the as-prepared CdS nanorods and further enhanced to the highest efficiency of 0.373% after the thermal sulfuration treatment.

Influence of surface passivation on the friction and wear behavior of ultrananocrystalline diamond and tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin films

Highly $s{p}^{3}$-bonded, nearly hydrogen-free carbon-based materials can exhibit extremely low friction and wear in the absence of any liquid lubricant, but this physical behavior is limited by the vapor environment. The effect of water vapor on friction and wear is examined as a function of applied normal force for two such materials in thin film form: one that is fully amorphous in structure (tetrahedral amorphous carbon, or ta-C) and one that is polycrystalline with $<10$ nm grains [ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD)]. Tribologically induced changes in the chemistry and carbon bond hybridization at the surface are correlated with the effect of the sliding environment and loading conditions through ex situ, spatially resolved near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. At sufficiently high relative humidity (RH) levels and/or sufficiently low loads, both films quickly achieve a low steady-state friction coefficient and subsequently exhibit low wear. For both films, the number of cycles necessary to reach the steady-state is progressively reduced for increasing RH levels. Worn regions formed at lower RH and higher loads have a higher concentration of chemisorbed oxygen than those formed at higher RH, with the oxygen singly bonded as hydroxyl groups (C-OH). While some carbon rehybridization from $s{p}^{3}$ to disordered $s{p}^{2}$ bonding is observed, no crystalline graphite formation is observed for either film. Rather, the primary solid-lubrication mechanism is the passivation of dangling bonds by OH and H from the dissociation of vapor-phase H${}_{2}$O. This vapor-phase lubrication mechanism is highly effective, producing friction coefficients as low as 0.078 for ta-C and 0.008 for UNCD, and wear rates requiring thousands of sliding passes to produce a few nanometers of wear.

Influence of surface passivation on the minority carrier lifetime, Fe-B pair density and recombination center concentration

Three kinds of methods (0.08 mol/L iodine in ethanol, SiNx:H, and 40% HF) are used to passivate solar-grade Czochralski (Cz) silicon wafers. Thereafter, minority carrier lifetime and Fe-B pair density of the wafers are measured using the microwave photo-conductance decay (μ-PCD) technique. Based on the measured minority carrier lifetime, it is found that the passivation quality achieved by 0.08 mol/L iodine in ethanol is the best, while that by 40% HF solution is the worst. For the identical wafer, the density distribution of Fe-B pairs is different when different passivation methods are used. When the wafers are passivated by SiNx:H, there exists a close correlation between the distribution of minority carrier lifetime and the concentration distribution of Fe-B pairs. Furthermore, for wafers with high-quality passivation, there is a strong correlation between the recombination center concentration and the Fe-B pair density. All the analyses verify that the surface passivation quality of wafers influences the measurement results of minority carrier lifetime, Fe-B pair density and recombination center concentration.

Influence of surface passivation on ultrafast carrier dynamics and terahertz radiation generation in GaAs

The carrier dynamics of photoexcited electrons in the vicinity of the surface of (NH4)2S-passivated GaAs were studied via terahertz emission spectroscopy and optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy. Terahertz emission spectroscopy measurements, coupled with Monte Carlo simulations of terahertz emission, revealed that the surface electric field of GaAs reverses after passivation. The conductivity of photoexcited electrons was determined via optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy and was found to double after passivation. These experiments demonstrate that passivation significantly reduces the surface state density and surface recombination velocity of GaAs. Finally, it was demonstrated that passivation leads to an enhancement in the power radiated by photoconductive switch terahertz emitters, thereby showing the important influence of surface chemistry on the performance of ultrafast terahertz photonic devices.

Influence of surface passivation on low‐frequency noise properties of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures

AbstractWe investigated low‐frequency noise in passivated and nonpassivated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) heterostructures grown on SiC substrate. The heterostructure layers are grown without intentionally doping the barrier material and two‐dimensional gas appears at the interface only due to polarization effects. Transmission line model structures with different lengths of the conducting channel were studied in a wide range of temperatures in a linear regime. The magnitude of the noise and Hooge parameter demonstrate different dependence on the distance between contacts in passivated and non‐passivated structures. Noise reduction in the structure for around one order of magnitude after passivation was revealed and different origins of the noise before and after passivation established. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

An extended site-binding model and experimental results of organic membranes for reference ISFETs

An extended site-binding model for hydrophobic and blocked organic polymers is proposed. The model is based on the assumption that two kinds of surface sites exist (COOH and COH groups). These groups can be formed in the presence of oxygen and water in the electrolyte. The pH response of various hydrophobic organic polymer membranes is measured. Calculated and experimentally measured surface potentials show good agreement in the whole pH region from 1 to 12. The influence of surface passivation and annealing on the long-term response is also investigated.