Interfacial Layer Research Articles

Controllable Heavy n–type Behaviours in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Non‐Conjugated Passivants

AbstractInterfacial issues between the perovskite film and electron transport layer greatly limit the efficiency and stability of inverted (p‐i‐n) perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Despite organic ammonium passivants have been widely established as interfacial layers, they failed to improve electron extraction. Here, we reported that the heavy n‐type characteristics in a low band gap perovskite film could be modulated by incorporating non‐conjugated ammonium passivants with strong electron‐withdrawing abilities. This resulted in a significant enhancement of electron extraction in the heavily n‐type doped perovskite. The passivant‐treated PSCs exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 25.74 % with an excellent fill factor of 85.4 % and a high open‐circuit voltage of 1.166 V, which are significantly higher than that of the control device. The unencapsulated devices maintained 88 % of their initial PCEs after 1,200 hours at 85 °C.

Minimizing Voltage Deficit in Perovskite Indoor Photovoltaics by Interfacial Engineering.

Metal halide perovskites with bandgap of ≈1.8eV are competitive candidates for indoor photovoltaic (IPV) devices, owing to their superior photovoltaic properties and ideal absorption spectra matched to most indoor light sources. However, these perovskite IPVs suffer from severe trap induced non-radiative recombination, resulting in large open-circuit voltage (VOC) losses, particularly under low light intensity. Herein, an effective approach is developed to minimizing trap density by modifying the buried interface of perovskite layer with bifunctional molecular 2-(4-Fluorophenyl)ethylamine Hydrobromide (F-PEABr). The benzene ring of F-PEABr molecules can firmly anchor at the hole transporting layer by π-π stacking interaction, and the other ends can passivate the defects on the buried interface of perovskite layer. Based on that, the F-PEABr modified perovskite IPVs achieved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 42.3% with a remarkable VOC of 1.13V under 1000 lux illumination from a 4000K LED lamp. Finally, perovskite IPV mini-modules with area of 10.40cm2 are demonstrated with a PCE of 35.2%. This interface modification strategy paves the way for crafting high-performance perovskite IPVs, holding great potential for self-powered internet of things applications.

Effect of ambient conditions in friction surfacing

AbstractFriction surfacing (FS) is a solid-state deposition process in which layers are deposited on a substrate surface by frictional heat and severe plastic deformation of a consumable stud material below its melting temperature. Bonding occurs due to accelerated diffusion. The deposition of several layers on top of each other is referred to as multi-layer FS (MLFS), a promising candidate for additive manufacturing (AM) as it offers advantages over fusion-based AM. In this study, the MLFS process for the precipitation-hardenable alloy AA2024 is investigated regarding the influence of environmental process conditions, i.e., preheating of the substrate like other AM processes as well as underwater and room temperature experiments. The influence of ambient conditions on the process behavior, the layer geometries, the microstructure, and the mechanical properties is shown. Preheating the substrate leads to an overall higher process temperature (424.1 °C), resulting in thinner and wider layers, larger grains, an overaged microstructure, and a smooth hardness transition in the MLFS stacks from top (140 HV0.1) to bottom (95 HV0.1). The lower the process temperatures, e.g., for underwater FS (326.5 °C), the thicker and less wide the layers and the smaller the grains. The hardness shows a periodic pattern at the layer interface, which is more pronounced at lower process temperatures, i.e., the hardness values range from 100 HV0.1 to 150 HV0.1.

Influence of Solid Solution Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 20CrNiMo/Incoloy 825 Composite Materials

The utilization of 20CrNiMo/Incoloy 825 composite materials as high-pressure pipe manifold steel can not only improve the strength and hardness of the steel, but also improve its corrosion resistance. However, research on the heat treatment of 20CrNiMo/Incoloy 825 composite materials is still scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of solid solution treatment on the microstructure and properties of 20CrNiMo/Incoloy 825 composite materials. Firstly, the composite materials were subjected to solid solution treatment at temperatures ranging from 850 to 1100 °C with varied holding times of 1 h, 4 h, and 6 h. Microstructural analysis revealed that the solid solution treatment temperature had a more pronounced effect than the treatment time on the interface decarburization layer, carburization layer, and grain size. It was observed that the carburized layer thickness decreased while the decarburized layer thickness increased with an increase in the solid solution treatment temperature, oil cooling was found to enhance the hardness of the base layer of the composite materials, and the size of the original austenite grains of 20CrNiMo steel and Incoloy 825 increased with an increase in the solid solution treatment temperature. Secondly, the tensile properties, microhardness, and fracture morphology were evaluated after the composite materials underwent solid solution treatment at temperatures between 950 °C and 1100 °C for 1 h. The results indicated that increasing the solution temperature initially led to an increase in tensile strength and elongation after fracture, followed by a decrease; furthermore, the hardness of Incoloy 825 exhibited a declining trend, while the hardness of 20CrNiMo first decreased then increased. Thirdly, the shear properties and interfacial element diffusion of the composite materials were analyzed following solid solution treatment in a temperature range of 950 °C to 1100 °C for 1 h. The findings demonstrated that higher solid solution treatment temperatures induced full diffusion of Cr, Ni, and Fe atoms at the interface and softened the matrix, leading to an increase in the thickness of the diffusion layer and toughening of the composite interface. Therefore, the shear strength increased with an increase in the solid solution treatment temperature. Finally, the optimal solid solution treatment process for 20CrNiMo/Incoloy 825 composite materials was determined to be 1050 °C/1 h oil cooling, following which the composite materials had good comprehensive mechanical properties.

Substrate induced composition change during Ge2Sb2Te5 atomic layer deposition and study of initial reactions on SiO2 surface

Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is a well-known phase change material used in nonvolatile memory devices, photonics, and nonvolatile displays. This study investigates the impact of precursor sequence during atomic layer deposition (ALD) of GST from GeCl2.C4H8O2, SbCl3, and Te[(CH3)3Si]2 on Si/SiO2 substrates, focusing on growth per cycle, morphology, and composition along with initial precursor reactions on the substrate. We found that while thick layers approach stoichiometric Ge2Sb2Te5, a Ge-rich interfacial layer is initially formed, regardless of the binary ALD sequence used to start the deposition (GeTe vs Sb2Te3). Starting the ALD process with the GeTe-Sb2Te3 sequence results in a higher Ge content near the GST/SiO2 interface compared to the Sb2Te3-GeTe sequence. To understand these phenomena, we examine the initial precursor reactions on the SiO2 substrate by total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The analysis reveals that SbCl3 exhibits lower reactivity with the SiO2 substrate than GeCl2.C4H8O2, and not all Ge adspecies react with the Te[(CH3)3Si]2 precursors. Additionally, the impact of the initial SiO2 surface on deposition extends over several ALD cycles, as the SiO2 surface only gradually gets covered by GST due to island growth. These processes contribute to the formation of a Ge-rich GST layer at the interface, irrespective of the precursor pulse sequence. These insights from the study may contribute to optimizing the initial deposition stages of GST and other ternary ALD processes to enable better composition control and enhanced device performance.

Constructing Dual Schottky Junctions for High‐Performance Zinc Anode

AbstractAqueous zinc ion batteries provide new solutions for achieving environmentally friendly and safe energy storage devices. Unfortunately, the further application is hampered by the growth of zinc dendrites caused by uneven zinc deposition, hydrogen evolution and other side interfacial reactions at the zinc anode. Herein, a multifunctional Bi‐Bi2O3 hybrid artificial interface layer is constructed on the surface of the zinc anode using an in situ conversion reaction. Among them, the Bi‐Bi2O3 Schottky structure not only significantly accelerates the migration of Zn2+ through its built‐in electric field, but also effectively improves the hydrogen evolution barrier (ΔGH*), thereby suppressing side reactions. Moreover, the Schottky contact formed between the interface layer and the metal zinc interface also regulates the electronic distribution state on the zinc surface and optimizes the deposition process of Zn2+, ensuring a more uniform and orderly zinc deposition process. Based on the synergistic effect of dual Schottky junctions, symmetric batteries achieve stable cycling for 2000 h under the conditions of 1.0 mA cm−2 and 1.0 mAh cm−2. The full cell assembled with α‐MnO2 as the cathode maintains capacity of 112.7 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1 with a capacity retention rate of 84%.

Molecular dynamics-based study of the effects of grain size and temperature on the nanoscratching groove characteristics of grating polycrystalline layered Al films

Abstract As a special diffraction grating, the echelle grating has excellent beam splitting ability with the periodic groove pattern on it, which is characterized by low number of lines per millimeter and large flash angle. Al films with a layered structure determined by the coating technology are the first blanks for the echelle grating in mechanical scratching. However, the special interlayer structure of the layered Al films and the need for large depth and high precision triangular diffraction grooves have increased the difficulty of controlling the scratching process, and the traditional mechanical scratching “trial and error” process is still the main means. Therefore, in the study, molecular dynamics (MD) is utilized to simulate the mechanical response and deformation mechanism of polycrystalline layered Al films during the scratching process at different grain sizes and temperatures. The results represent that the friction force and normal force show a decreasing trend with increasing temperature, and the decrease in grain size leads to smaller friction and normal force; The number of removed atoms of polycrystalline layered Al films shows an increasing trend with increasing temperature, which improves the material removal rate and facilitates precise shape control of the groove; In addition, the presence of layered grain boundary interface hinders the downward propagation of defects such as dislocations and can accommodate dislocations. At the same time, the total length of dislocation lines decreases with increasing temperature, the high temperature promotes the transformation of crystals to an amorphous structure, and the grain boundaries between grains and the interlayer grain boundaries at the delamination limit the movement of dislocations. The deformation behavior indicates that grain boundaries play a key role in inhibiting the propagation of strain and stress, and a gradient distribution is formed at the layered grain boundary interface structure, which further hinders the downward transfer.

In Situ Fluorescent Visualization of the Interfacial Layer of Induced Crystallization in Polyvinyl Chloride

Despite the remarkable progress in the modification and application of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), developing processing aids for the induced crystallization of PVC and characterizing its interfacial layer remain challenges. Herein, we propose a new polymeric nucleating agent, polyamidea12-graft-styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer (PA12-g-SMA), which possesses high compatibility and crystallinity, effectively improving the crystallinity to 15.1%, the impact strength to 61.03 kJ/m2, and the degradation temperature of PVC to 267 °C through a single and straightforward processing step. Additionally, after the introduction of two different fluorescent sensors in PA12-g-SMA and PVC, the interfacial layer of the induced crystallization can be monitored in situ via a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). This study highlights a rare strategy for significantly enhancing the physical properties of rigid PVC through simply adding a polymeric nucleating agent during processing, while also emphasizing the importance of visualizing the interfacial layer to understand various polymer crystallization processes.

Tetraoctylammonium Bromide Interlayer between NiLiOx and Perovskite for Light-Emitting Diodes.

Physical vapor deposition is a favorable technique for fabricating light-emitting diodes (LEDs) due to its scalability and reproducibility. However, the performances of LEDs fabricated via this method are worse than those prepared via solution processing owing to the generation of high defect densities. In this study, we introduce a layer of tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOABr), an interfacial-modification compound containing four long octyl chains that are symmetrically arranged around an N atom, to reduce nonradiative recombination and trap densities in CsPbBr3. We examined the impacts of adding TOABr on perovskite thin films deposited on hole injection layers made of Li-doped NiOx and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrenesulfonate. Our investigations reveal that TOABr addition slightly increases crystallinity, dramatically increases photoluminescence, and achieves the preferred orientation in the perovskite films. Additionally, the interfacial layer passivates defects and improves charge balance in the device, thereby enhancing performance. Consequently, perovskite LEDs with a TOABr layer exhibit a lower turn-on voltage of 3 V than their pristine counterparts, achieving a maximum luminance of 11,133 cd m-2 and an external quantum efficiency of 1.24%, whereas the pristine perovskite LEDs achieve an EQE of 0.015%. The approach proposed in this study can be used to fabricate efficient vacuum-thermal-evaporated perovskite LEDs.

Enhancing Uniformity, Read Voltage Margin, and Retention in Three-Dimensional and Self-Rectifying Vertical Pt/Ta2O5/Al2O3/TiN Memristors.

This study introduces a Ta2O5-based self-rectifying memristor (SRM) with an Al2O3 interfacial layer adopted to improve switching uniformity, read voltage margin, and long-term retention. The Pt/Ta2O5/Al2O3/TiN (PTAT) device exhibits a 105 rectification ratio, 104 on/off ratio, 2 × 106 endurance, and retention of 104 s at 150 °C. A 3-layer 4 × 4 vertical resistive random access memory structure exhibits uniform switching parameters. The coefficient of variation (CV) for device-to-device measurements is 0.23 for the low resistance state (LRS) and 0.22 for the high resistance state (HRS), while for cycle-to-cycle measurements, the CV is 0.38 for the LRS and 0.11 for the HRS. Finally, the present study demonstrates the superior performance of the PTAT devices in the context of hardware-aware training for a fully connected neural network implementation. These advancements position the PTAT device as a promising candidate for high-density three-dimensional storage class memory and low-power neural networks, offering the consistent performance and reliability necessary for future high-density storage applications.

The Role of Interfacial Effects in the Impedance of Nanostructured Solid Polymer Electrolytes

The role of interfacial effects on an ion-conducting poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO or SEO) diblock copolymer doped with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Coating the surface of commonly used stainless steel electrodes with a specific random copolymer brush increases the measured ionic conductivity by more than an order of magnitude compared to the uncoated electrodes. The increase in ionic conductivity is related to the interfacial structure of the block copolymer domain morphology on the electrode surface. We show that the impedance associated with the electrode–electrolyte interface can be detected using nonmetallic electrodes, allowing us to distinguish the ionic conductivity behaviors of the bulk electrolyte and the interfacial layers for both as-prepared and annealed samples.

Effect of temperature and nanoparticle size on the interfacial layer thickness of TiO2–water nanofluids using molecular dynamics

Abstract In the design and optimization of nanofluids, it is crucial to investigate and characterize the thermal conductivity enhancement mechanisms and their influencing factors. Although the effect of the “liquid film” on the thermal conductivity of the solid–liquid interface in nanofluids has been extensively studied, most of the research in this area has examined metal–water nanofluids or Ar-based nanofluids. In this work, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics is utilized to explore the mechanism of thermal conductivity enhancement in TiO2–water nanofluids. It is noted that a distinct interfacial layer is formed within 5 Å from the nanoparticle surface. As the nanoparticle size increases, the number density also increases, resulting in a corresponding increase in the thermal conductivity. Moreover, adding 1% TiO2 nanoparticles to water leads to an increase in thermal conductivity of 1.5–3%. Notably, the interfacial layer thickness remains relatively constant with the change in temperature. The Materials Studio analysis results indicated that the water molecule will have stable chemisorption on the titanium dioxide surface with an adsorption energy of approximately −0.96 eV. The findings of this study offer new insights and useful information to support the selection of nanomaterials for the preparation of convective systems.

Orientation-dependent strain and dislocation in HVPE-grown α -Ga2O3 epilayers on sapphire substrates

Orientation-dependent substrates provide effective platforms for achieving α-Ga2O3 with low dislocation densities, whereas the associated strain and dislocation dynamics have not been fully explored. Herein, we investigated the evolution of growth mode, interfacial strain, and dislocation propagation in the α-Ga2O3 epitaxial layer with various orientations, grown by the halide vapor-phase epitaxy. Strain tensor theory and geometric phase analysis indicate that the m-plane α-Ga2O3 epitaxial layer exhibits the lowest misfit tensile strain, measured at εxx = 1.46% and εyy = 1.81%, resulting in the lowest edge dislocation density. The m-plane lattice exhibits an inclination of 33.60°, while the c-plane lattice is horizontally aligned and the a-plane lattice oriented perpendicularly. The orientation-dependent growth significantly influences stress relaxation through the generation of misfit dislocations, originating from either basal or prismatic slip. Edge dislocations, induced by misfit dislocations, favor the c-axis, remaining well confined within the in-plane interfacial layer of the m-plane α-Ga2O3, leading to reduced low edge dislocation density in the subsequent thick epitaxial layer. These findings shed light on the epitaxial dynamics of α-Ga2O3 heteroepitaxy, paving the way for the development of high-performance power devices.

Iodine migration in lead halide perovskite solar cells investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract We investigate iodine migration in lead halide perovskite solar cells using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We observe iodine migration to the surface direction at both the solar cell’s electrode and non-electrode regions. Our findings suggest that diffusion can drive iodine migration even without an electric field. We also detected iodine accumulation near the Ag electrode, probably related to increased series resistance and reduced efficiency. Present results highlight the need for a dense interfacial layer to suppress iodine migration.

Suppressing the Dark Current Under Forward Bias for Dual‐Mode Organic Photodiodes

AbstractTremendous research efforts are developed to suppress the reverse dark current (Jd) and enhance the responsivity of organic photodiodes (OPDs). The functional layers of traditional OPDs usually follow the principle of energy level alignment to make unobstructed photo‐carriers transport under reverse bias, but this inevitably leads to a large forward Jd. Herein, a universal strategy is proposed to manipulate the carrier dynamics and effectively suppress the forward Jd of OPDs, that is, tuning the energy level and electron traps of the anode interface layers (AILs). The bandgap and electron traps of typical organometallic chelate AIL (PEIE‐Co) can be well controlled by adjusting the component ratio of PEIE and metal ions. The wide bandgap increases the carrier injection barrier under reverse and forward bias, endowing OPD with a much lower Jd; the electron traps induce hole tunneling injection by capturing photo‐generated electrons under forward bias, thereby enabling the photomultiplication effect. The obtained OPD exhibits photoconductive/photomultiplication working mode at reverse/forward bias and the specific detectivity approaches ≈1013/1012 Jones, showing promise for adaptively detecting faint and strong light. This study presents an intelligent strategy to achieve dual‐mode OPDs, paving the way for the multifunctional development of photodetectors.

Layer interface characteristics and adhesion of 3D printed cement-based materials exposed to post-printing temperature disturbance

The layer interface, which is vital for the performance and longevity of 3D printed cement-based materials (3DPCM), is very sensitive to the environmental conditions because of the lack of formwork. Nevertheless, the current limited understanding of how temperature affects the layer interface has restricted the application of 3D printing in different construction scenarios. Here, we revealed the effects of temperature on the multi-scale phase distribution features of the layer interface through mercury intrusion porosimetry, X-ray computed tomography, nanoindentation and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques. Additionally, the interlayer bond strength of 3DPCM was evaluated via the splitting tensile test. Small amplitude oscillation, surface roughness and isothermal calorimetry measurements were employed for an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms. Results indicate that an increase in temperature post-printing reduces the discrepancies in aggregate volume fraction between the layer interface and bulk matrix due to the increasing structuration rate and the amount of cement paste at the interface due to the reduced settlement of aggregates. The porosity difference between the layer interface and bulk matrix decreased with increasing temperature due to the pore size refinement by faster filling with hydrates. In addition, a more concentrated distribution of atomic ratios and elastic modulus of hydrates were observed at the layer interface of 3DPCM hardened at higher temperatures. Increased curing temperature improves the interlayer bond strength of 3DPCM owing to the enhanced aggregate interlocking, reduced porosity and improved high-density CSH content.

Toward Flexible and Stretchable Organic Solar Cells: A Comprehensive Review of Transparent Conductive Electrodes, Photoactive Materials, and Device Performance

AbstractFlexible and stretchable organic solar cells (FOSCs and SOSCs) hold immense potential due to their versatility and applicability in emerging areas such as wearable electronics, foldable devices, and biointegrated systems. Despite these promising applications, several challenges remain, primarily related to the mechanical durability, material performance, and scalability required for commercialization. This review comprehensively highlights recent advancements in the design and fabrication of FOSCs and SOSCs, with a particular emphasis on key functional layers, including transparent conductive electrodes, interfacial layers, photoactive materials, and top electrodes. Innovations in material design, such as active layers and transparent conductive electrodes with improved flexibility, are discussed alongside developments in device processes to achieve power conversion efficiencies exceeding 19%. Furthermore, the review addresses remaining challenges, including the need for scalable manufacturing techniques and enhanced mechanical robustness under strain. Finally, the prospects of FOSCs and SOSCs are analyzed, providing insights into how these technologies can contribute to the development of sustainable, high‐performance power sources for wearable electronic devices and other flexible electronics. This review offers valuable insights, bringing the commercialization of wearable, high‐performance FOSCs and SOSCs closer to reality.

Perfluoropolyether-terminated Single-ion Polymer for Enhancing Performance of PEO-based Solid Polymer Electrolyte.

Solid-state electrolytes are receiving increasing attention in lithium metal batteries due to the advantage of high energy density. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolyte possesses good compatibility with lithium salts. However, PEO suffers from a low lithium-ion transference number and poor high-voltage resistance, which significantly hinder its application in lithium metal batteries. Herein, a perfluoropolyether-terminated single-ion polymer (PFPE-polymer) is designed and synthesized in this contribution. By incorporating the PFPE-polymer and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) into PEO via casting, the polymer electrolyte (PFPE-SE) is successfully prepared. Compared to PEO-based electrolytes, PFPE-SE forms a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer and inhibits the growth of lithium dendrites on the anode. At 70°C, the lithium-ion transference number and the electrochemical window reach 0.72 and 4.7V, respectively. When tested at a discharge rate of 0.5 C, the Li|PFPE-SE|LFP cell exhibits a specific capacity of 156.0 mAh g-1, with a capacity retention of 74.3% after 230 cycles, superiority the performance of the electrolyte prepared by mixing PEO with LiTFSI. This work presents a promising polymer electrolyte strategy for achieving high-performance lithium metal batteries, leveraging the in situ construction of the SEI layer and the utilization of a single-ion polymer.

Ti3C2Tx MXene Electrode‐Electrolyte Interface Reactions at Different Stages of Charge/Discharge in Lithium and Sodium Half‐Cells

AbstractEnergy storage technologies necessitates efficient, cost effective, and durable storage systems like Li‐ion batteries (LIBs), with high energy density. Emerging 2D materials like MXenes have become significant for battery applications. Herein, titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) synthesized and lattice engineered via ‐OH surface terminations removal by thermal processing is well explained. The synthesized samples were subjected to annealing at 250 and 500 °C. All the samples were characterized using XRD, TEM, XPS, etc. Subsequently, they were tested in the half‐cell configuration for both lithium and sodium ion batteries (NIBs). It is observed that the best performance for lithium‐ion storage capacity was 200 mAh/g at 50 mA/g and 125 mAh/g at the same specific current for sodium‐ion storage for the 500 °C processed sample. However, for both the systems the cycling stability was exceptional maintaining high retention till the end of 1000 cycles. To establish the performance, electrochemical impedance and ex situ XPS results at different voltage of 1st charge/discharge were correlated for the best sample. Thus, providing information that is unavailable in the literature on MXene‐electrolyte interactions, kinetics and the chemical nature of solid‐electrolyte interface layer for both lithium and sodium‐ion batteries.

The identification of traps in HfO2-based FeFET with SiON as an interlayer using current transient method

Abstract This work investigates the current transient and trap characteristics of Si FeFET with HfZrO ferroelectric and SiON as the interfacial layer. The trap characteristics in the trapping/detrapping process based on the drain current and gate leakage current transients are analyzed. Four traps, denoted as DP1 (τ ∼ 0.1 s), DP2 (τ ∼ 1 s), DP3 (τ ∼ 10 s), and DP4 (τ ∼ 50 s), with different time constants are demonstrated. It is discovered that DP1 and DP2 are thermally activated with activation energies of 0.2 eV and 0.05 eV, respectively. DP3 and DP4 are not thermally activated. According to the different time constants and activation energies as well as the dependence of the gate and drain trapping voltages, the possible positions of these traps are identified as follows: DP1 is the HfZrO bulk trap, and DP2 is near the HfZrO/SiON interface. DP3 and DP4 are traps with different time constants near the Si/SiON interface.