ITO Glass Substrate Research Articles

Highly Efficient HTM-Free Tin Perovskite Solar Cells with Outstanding Stability Exceeding 10000 h.

The bottleneck in the rapid development of tin-based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) is the inherent chemical instability. Although this is being addressed continuously, the device performance has not improved further due to the use of PEDOT:PSS as the hole-transport material (HTM), which has poor long-term stability. Herein we have applied commercial ITO nanoparticles over ITO glass substrates and altered the surface chemistry of the ITO electrode via a simple two-step thermal annealing, followed by a UV-ozone treatment. These surface-modified ITO electrodes display promising interfacial characteristics, such as a suitable band alignment owing to significantly reduced surface carbon contamination, increased In-O bonding, and reduced oxygen vacancies, that enabled fabrication of an HTM-free TPSC device according to a two-step method. The fabricated device possessed an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.7%, along with a superior long-term stability by retaining over 90% of the initial PCE upon shelf storage in a glovebox for a period of over 10000 h. The application of ITO nanoparticles led to effective interfacial passivation, whose impacts on the long-term durability were assessed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, time-resolved photoluminescence decay profiles, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy techniques.

Electrochemical Studies of Inkjet Printed Semi-Transparent NiCo2O4/ITO Supercapacitor Electrodes

Transparent supercapacitors find a large number of applications as components of many electronic devices and circuits. Mixed Ni–Co oxides (NCOs) are among the most promising supercapacitor electrode materials exhibiting high pseudo-capacitance and good electronic conductivity, while inkjet printing is a low cost and versatile technique for electrode printing. Surprisingly, although there have been many studies of NCO supercapacitor films on ITO glass substrates, these have not been prepared by the inkjet technique, and their optical properties were not fully characterized. Hereby, we report the fabrication and characterization of thin (295 and 477 nm thick; 0.017 and 0.035 mg cm−2 NCO loading) semi-transparent NiCo2O4/ITO supercapacitor electrodes, showing transparency to visible light (60–30%, from the thinner to the thicker electrode layers tested), typical mass specific capacitance for NCO-based supercapacitor electrodes (1294–829 Fg−1 at 1 mA cm−2 discharge current density) and high volumetric capacitance (746–608 F cm−3 at 1 mA cm−2). The NCO nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis followed by thermal treatment and ball milling (ZrO2 balls, 0.5 mm diameter), resulting in a cubic nickel–cobalt oxide structure and particle size in the 30–150 nm range, whereas the electrode layers were printed from water-propylene glycol solutions using a Dimatix DMP-2850 drop-on-demand (DoD) inkjet printer. Constant current charge–discharge experiments of the supercapacitor electrode (at ca 0.5 mA cm−2) for 1000 cycles confirmed stability of performance.

A monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cell with 2-T, 3-T and 4-T architecture integrated

Multi-junction all-perovskite tandem solar cells (A-PTSCs) can achieve higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) value beyond the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, only one side of the substrate is used in traditional two-junction tandem devices architecture, so that two-terminal (2-T) tandem devices require the preparation of a high quality and complex interconnection layer (ICL) to connect the two sub-cells and four-terminal (4-T) tandem devices require two substrates for two sub-cells. Here we demonstrate a two-junction A-PTSC using a double-sided ITO (D-ITO) glass substrate. The wide bandgap (W-Eg) perovskite (1.75 eV) as the upper cell and the narrow bandgap (N-Eg) perovskite (1.21 eV) as the bottom cell are deposited on both side of the D-ITO substrate, respectively. By changing the wiring method, on a substrate, 2-T, three-terminal (3-T), and 4-T integrated A-PTSC are obtained with efficiencies of 21.17% for 2-T tandem architecture, 17.71% for 3-T and 21.55% for 4-T. The concept and design here represent a new architecture toward A-PTSCs.

Chronoamperometry-induced transmittance changes approach to detect aqueous sodium ion solutions using tungsten oxide thin films

A simple, inexpensive method to detect sodium ions from aqueous solutions is reported in this paper. The method of detection based on transmittance changes observed in tungsten oxide films on.Tungsten oxide is deposited on ITO glass substrate by continuous electrodeposition method from Peroxo Tungstic Acid precursor. Chronoamperometry at a cathodic potential of −1V was performed on the sample in different concentrations (10 mM-150 mM) of NaCl solutions prepared in TRIS buffer solvent. UV–VIS-NIR transmittance in NaCl solutions was measured for the sample before and after chronoamperometry, and the corresponding transmittance changes (ΔT) were recorded. Due to the formation of tungsten bronze, the transmittance of the sample decreases during chronoamperometry. It was observed that the transmittance change increases with the NaCl concentration, and in the NIR wavelength range, the transmittance change observed was maximum. The sensor has a linear response in the range of 10 to 150 mM Na+ and excellent selectivity towards N+ as compared to interfering ions K+ and Ca2+. Its straightforward design, higher response, and selectivity make sodium detection in food sectors and health monitoring possible.

New insight into degradation mechanisms of conductive and thermally resistant polyaniline films

Conductive polyaniline (PANI) coatings find application in various fields, such as electrostatic dissipation, anticorrosion coatings, actives delivery, batteries, and solar control. Improving the thermal and electrical stability of PANI coatings at high temperatures and challenging environments is of growing interest. In this study, a novel polymer blend formulation was developed by adding polyurethane (PU) and sulfonyldiphenol (SDP) to a dinonylnaphthalene sulfonic acid (DNNSA)-doped PANI matrix. Films of the PANI-PU/SDP formulation and unmodified PANI control films were prepared on ITO glass substrates using spin coating, followed by thermal treatment. Characterization of the films was performed using thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TGA-MS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) with depth profiling. Results showed that unmodified PANI films aged at 150 °C exhibited rapid thermo-oxidative degradation, resulting in a significant loss in electrical conductivity after 24 h. The inclusion of PU and SDP remarkably improved the thermal stability of the films, maintaining desirable conductivity levels over a week. ToF-SIMS depth profiling helped identify potential degradation mechanisms and monitor changes in chemical composition throughout the film thickness. This study provides insights into the functionality, optimization, and deployment of these new film types.

The CZTS Thin Films Grown by Sulfurization of Electrodeposited Metallic Precursors: The Effect of Increasing Tin Content of the Metallic Precursors on the Structure, Morphology and Optical Properties of the Thin Films

A study has been carried out to investigate the influence of the amount of Sn in the precursor solution, on some physical properties of CZTS films grown by sulfurization of electrodeposited metallic precursors. The growth of the CZTS samples was achieved by sequential electrodepositon of constituent metallic layers on ITO glass substrates using a 3-electrode electrochemical cell with graphite as a counter electrode and Ag/AgCl as the reference electrode. The Sn-content in the metallic precursor was varied by varying the deposition time of Sn. The stacked elemental layer was then soft annealed in Argon at 350 °C, and subsequently sulfurized at 550° C to grow the CZTS thin films. The structure, morphology and optical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that, irrespective of the Sn content all the films were polycrystalline and exhibited the Kesterite CZTS structure with preferred orientation along the (112) plane. However, there was an increase in the amount of peaks indexed to the undesirable secondary phases, as the Sn content in metallic precursor was increased. Optical absorption measurements revealed the existence of a direct transition with band gap values decreasing from 1.74 eV to 1.25 eV with increasing amounts of Sn. The lower value for the band gap was attributed to the presence of secondary phases formed in addition to the CZTS film. Morphology of the sulfurized films showed a compact and rocky texture with good coverage across the entire substrate. However, CZTS films with a higher Sn content appeared to have a molten metallic surface with deep cracks which could have adverse effects on the electrical properties of the film. EDAX analysis showed all the films were consistent with the formation of CZTS. It is evident from all the characterization techniques that increasing the Sn content of the stacked metallic precursors beyond stoichiometric amounts had an adverse effect on the structural and optical properties of CZTS films grown by this technique.

Influence of Inter-Molar Concentration of Cu and Zn on the Various Properties of Sprayed Nano-Crystalline Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Films

In this work, the quaternary nanostructured Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were deposited on ITO glass substrates at a temperature of 300[Formula: see text]C by spray pyrolysis method and the influence of inter-molar concentration variations of copper and zinc on the structural, morphological and optical properties of grown samples was studied. The films were characterized by different sophisticated techniques including X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The solitary presence of kesterite tetragonal phase with favored orientation along (112) plane is confirmed by XRD patterns and Raman spectroscopy. However, due to the variation in lattice parameters, a moderate shifting in (hkl) planes was observed. SEM micrographs and EDAX analysis showed the uniform morphology of the so-grown CZTS films covered with nanoplates of different sizes and the ionic compositional variation of the precursor solution matches with the elemental variation in the grown samples. A minor nonstoichiometry in chemical composition ratio [Formula: see text] from 0.74 to 1.24 was noticed in the films. Optical studies of CZTS films showed that these films possess optical band gap ranging from 1.45[Formula: see text]eV to 1.60[Formula: see text]eV.

Preparation of Ti-Doped ZnO/Bi2O3 Nanofilm Heterojunction and Analysis of Microstructure and Photoelectric Properties

Ti-doped ZnO (TZO) and Bi2O3 thin films were designed and deposited by magnetron sputtering successively on ITO glass substrate to form a Ti-doped ZnO/Bi2O3 (TZO/Bi2O3) heterojunction. Microstructure and photoelectric properties of TZO, Bi2O3, and TZO/Bi2O3 films were tested and characterized. The results showed that TZO film with a hexagonal wurtzite structure was preferentially grown along the crystal plane (002), had a good crystallization state, and was an N-type semiconductor film with high transmittance (90%) and low resistivity (4.68 × 10−3 Ω·cm). However, the Bi2O3 film sputtered in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and was a polycrystalline film that was preferentially grown along the crystal plane (111). It had a lower crystallization quality than TZO film and was a P-type semiconductor film with low transmittance (68%) and high resistance (1.71 × 102 Ω·cm). The I–V curve of TZO/Bi2O3 composite films showed that it had an obvious heterojunction rectification effect, which indicates that the PN heterojunction successfully formed in TZO/Bi2O3 films.

A Novel Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Polyaniline-Embedded Copper Oxide Nanoparticles for High-Sensitive Paraoxon-Ethyl (PE) Detection.

This paper proposes a fabrication of a hyper-sensitive amperometric biosensor for paraoxon-ethyl (PE) detection. In this developed biosensor, polyaniline (PANI) and copper oxide (CuO)-based nanocomposite is used as a sensing platform. The homogeneous distribution of CuO onto the PANI matrix enhances the surface area and conductivity of the nanocomposite. Additionally, the PANI produces a compatible environment for enzyme immobilization, which further enhances the rate of electron transfer. For biosensor fabrication, the nanocomposite is deposited electrophoretically onto the ITO glass substrate and immobilization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme is conducted onto the fabricated electrode surface. The results validate good reproducibility, good stability, and high selectivity of the fabricated biosensor (AChE/PANI@CuO/ITO). The inhibition rate of paraoxon-ethyl (PE) is recorded in the concentration range of 1-200nM with a low limit of detection of 0.096nM or 96pM. The sensitivity of the developed biosensor is found to be 49.86 µA(nM)-1. The developed biosensor is further successfully accomplished for the detection of PE in real samples like rice and pulse.

Anti-thermal quenching in phytochrome-active AC-Driven electroluminescence from β-Ga2O3:Cr3+ powder phosphor

β-Ga2O3, a wide bandgap oxide material, has attracted recently scientific attention in optoelectronics, especially electroluminescent (EL) devices. It is good as a host material for transition metals and rare-earth elements. Herein, a NIR emitting alternating current (AC)-driven powder-based electroluminescent (PEL) device is introduced with superior thermal stability from a β-Ga2O3:Cr3+ phosphor. It consists of β-Ga2O3:Cr3+ and BaTiO3 layers that serve as active and insulating layers, respectively, which are fabricated by a facile and cost-effective screen-printing method on the ITO glass substrate. Under the AC source, it emits the NIR spectrum, which is optically attributed from the spin-allowed and spin-forbidden transitions of Cr3+ ions and well overlapped with the phytochrome absorption spectrum. The strategies to obtain the optimum condition of the phosphor for EL purposes are presented with parameters of annealing temperatures as well as Cr3+ concentrations. Further analysis shows a promising application in harsh environments with thermal stability, so-called, anti-thermal quenching phenomenon up to 200 °C (473 K). This work can provide a worthwhile realization and method of large-area NIR emitting devices based on the β-Ga2O3 phosphor.

Performance Evaluation of an Optically Transparent Microstrip Patch Antenna for 5G Applications Using ITO and Sodalime Glass Substrate

Performance Evaluation of an Optically Transparent Microstrip Patch Antenna for 5G Applications Using ITO and Sodalime Glass Substrate

Preparation of Poly (methyl methacrylate) thin film Capacitors on ITO-glass substrate

In electronic devices, some important materials having a high dielectric constant can be used. Polymer-ceramic composites have a high dielectric constant and are widely used for embedded capacitor applications. It is critical to use polymer poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) as thin films capacitors for the gate dielectric in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). In this work, thin films of polymer PMMA were prepared by using spin coating at different speeds (1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 and 3500 rpm) to control the film thickness and study the effect of the thickness on the dielectric properties. Thin film thickness was measured by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to take cross-section images. We found that the film thickness decreased with increased rotational speed from 27387 nm at 1500 rpm to 10600 nm at 3500 rpm. The values of the capacities were nearly stable with increasing frequencies when thickness equal to or larger than (14366 nm), but their increased with increased frequency at thickness (10600 nm), and the dielectric constant also decreases with increasing thin films thickness. The best result of capacitance value was at thickness 10600nm which equal to (5.753 nF) and dielectric constant equal to (3.511) which represents best value that can be used as dielectric gate for Organic Field Effect Transistor (OFET).

Ag-doped-CuO nanoparticles supported polyaniline (PANI) based novel electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of paraoxon-ethyl in three real samples

In this paper, a novel nanocomposite is chemically synthesized by reinforcing Ag-doped CuO (Ag@CuO) nanoparticles into the matrix of polyaniline (PANI). This nanocomposite is used as a sensing platform for paraoxon-ethyl (PE) detection. The homogeneous distribution of Ag@CuO nanoparticles onto the PANI matrix provides a smooth and dense surface area, further accelerating the transmission of electrons. The synergistic effect of Ag@CuO and PANI matrix is responsible for the outstanding conductivity, biocompatibility, and catalytic power of the proposed biosensor. For the biosensor fabrication, the nanocomposite is electrophoretically deposited onto the surface of the ITO glass substrate and then the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme is immobilized onto the fabricated electrode surface by using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent. Under all optimized detection conditions, the proposed biosensor (AChE/Ag@CuO/PANI/ITO) shows a broad linear range from 5 to 100 pM with a low detection limit (LOD) of 11.35 pM. All the electrochemical results confirm the high sensitivity (0.5536 μA (pM)−1 cm−2), high selectivity, good reproducibility, and acceptable stability of the proposed biosensor. Moreover, the proposed biosensor is successfully applied for paraoxon-ethyl (PE) detection in three real samples.

Effect of concentration on the properties of nitrogen-doped zinc oxide thin films grown by electrodeposition

Zinc oxide is one of the most researched semiconductors owing to the outstanding properties that make it useful in various industrial applications, such as solar cells and other optoelectronics. In this work, ZnO thin films were prepared in five different concentrations and doped with four nitrogen atoms from triethylene tetramine (TETA) to fabricate a ZnO for optoelectronic applications using an electrodeposition technique. The doped ZnO thin films were synthesized and deposited on ITO glass substrates. The deposited thin films were annealed at 400°Cfor 60min in a furnace under the same conditions. The thin films' optical, electrical, and surface morphological properties were characterized using UV–Vis Spectrophotometer, Four Point Probe (FPP), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), respectively. The optical properties confirmed the film's suitability for various transparent device applications with a high optical transmittance of about 90% at the wavelength between 250 and 950 nm. The optical band gaps of 3.25 eV to 3.50 eV were obtained at ZnO concentrations from 0.2 M to 1.0 M. The SEM images depicted a polycrystalline nature of the films with irregular nanoparticle shapes across the substrates. Electrical results established the high conductivity of nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films, thereby making the thin films suitable as transparent conducting oxides for devices such as solar cells and optoelectronics.

A simple and rapid electrodeposition method to prepare seed layer of WO on the ITO glass for solvothermal synthesis of WO3 nanowires film

• WO x seed layer for solvothermal synthesis was prepared by electrodeposition. • The plating solution is quite easy to be prepared and centrifuge is not needed. • Heat-treatment can be omitted in preparation of WO 3 seed layer. • This method is simple, rapid and effective. WO x seed layer on the ITO glass substrate was prepared by a simple and rapid electrodeposition method. Assisted with it, WO 3 nanowires film was successfully prepared by solvothermal method. The preparation of WO 3 nanowires film included three steps. In the first step, metallic In nanoparticles and seed layer of WO x were simultaneously reduced onto the ITO glass substrate from the Na 2 WO 4 solution in the electrodeposition progress. In the second step, In nanoparticles were leached out by pickling in hydrochloric acid and WO x was fully exposed. In the third step, ITO glass sample with as-prepared WO x seed layer was vertically placed in an autoclave containing W(CO) 6 and ethanol. After solvothermal method and subsequent heat-treatment, WO 3 naonowires film was obtained. This study offers a simple and rapid strategy to prepare seed layer of WO x on the ITO glass for solvothermal synthesis of WO 3 nanowires film.

Performance of copper and palladium metal-semiconductor Schottky diode for optoelectronics

The growth of ZnO nanorods (NRs) have been performed by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method on ITO glass substrate. The optical properties along with the structural of ZnO NRs were studies by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) analysis. A 100 nm of Cu metal and Pd metal were deposited on top of synthesized ZnO NRs via sputtering. The electrical properties including I-V characteristics, rectifying ratio, Schottky Barrier Height (SBH) and ideality factor were investigated. Difference in work function for both metals resulting in different I-V characteristics, hence different value of rectifying ratio, SBH and ideality factor. The Cu sample possessed rectifying ratio, SBH and ideality factor of 1.07, 0.66 eV and 6.1 respectively, while Pd sample exhibits 87.84, 0.43 eV and 5 respectively. These intriguing values made possible for these metals to potentially serve as contact for ZnO-based optoelectronics devices, e.g LED, and random laser.

Role of varying ionic strength on the photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency

The present study is focused on nanostructured thin films of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2) deposited on ITO glass substrate using the sol–gel spin coating method. The influence of varying ionic strength of electrolytes on the photoelectrochemical response was investigated in the mixture of electrolytes (NaOH + Na2SO4 and KOH + K2SO4). The concentration of electrolytes varied from 0.1 M to 3.1 M. The photocurrent-voltage (J-V) characteristic of N-TiO2 electrodes was studied and analyzed for all variables. A maximum photocurrent of 13.25 mA at 1.23 V/RHE was obtained at an ionic strength of 0.7 M in a mixture of NaOH and Na2SO4 electrolytes.

Influence of copper contact thickness on Cu/ZnO nanorods-enhanced Schottky diode

In this report, ZnO nanorods (NRs) were synthesized on ITO glass substrate with the help of ZnO seed layer by chemical bath deposition technique. Cu metal contacts were then deposited on top of the ZnO NRs by magnetron sputtering through masking to form a Schottky diode. The morphological, structural, and optical characteristics of the grown ZnO NRs were studied. The effect of different thickness of Cu metal contacts on its electrical properties was also investigated. X-ray diffraction spectra showed that the ZnO NRs exhibit hexagonal wurtzite structure with (002) orientation. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images showed that the ZnO NRs were vertically aligned and well orientated. The absorption spectra of ZnO NRs indicates that it has transparency over the visible light region which is in agreement to the literatures. It was found out that the optical bandgap is 3.26 eV which is slightly lower than bulk ZnO. The I–V measurement were conducted for different Cu metal thickness and the electronic parameters such as ideality factor and Schottky barrier height were calculated for each sample. The obtained results show that the effect of metal thickness on the electrical properties of ZnO and the possibility of tuning Schottky barrier height by varying the metal contact thickness.

High-responsivity self-powered UV photodetector performance of pristine and V-doped ZnO nano-flowers

Wurtzite ZnO nanostructures are suitable for high-performance, self-powered photodetectors (PDs) because of their attractive optoelectronic properties. In this study, highly sensitive ultra-violet self-powered PDs with high responsivity/detectivity and large external quantum efficiency was developed by V-doped ZnO nanoflower samples onto an ITO glass substrate. Highly faceted pristine and V-doped ZnO nanoflowers were produced using a simple, low-cost co-precipitation method. The presence of Na+ ions in the precursor solution appeared to control the morphology of the nanomaterial. Various physicochemical characterizations showed that the variation of the Na+ ion concentration inhibits the reaction at selected regions, causing the branching of nanostructures to form ZnO nanoflowers. Room- and low-temperature photoluminescence studies showed that V-doping increases the extrinsic carrier density and produces many intrinsic and extrinsic defect states, which reduce the e−–h+ recombination rate significantly and produce a large photocurrent under UV illumination. The V-ZnO-based self-powered UV PD device showed a 156 % increase in photocurrent compared to pristine ZnO-based PDs, with very short response/recovery times of 0.22/0.23 s under 382 nm UV illumination of 1.14 mW/cm2, and excellent responsivity (5.1 × 103 mA/W), very high external quantum efficiency (5.5 × 104 %), and large detectivity (4.0 × 1013 Jones). Therefore, the current work presents a simple way to obtain high-performance self-powered UV PDs that can open up a new horizon to fabricate new-generation optoelectronic devices for diverse applications.

Blue-green tunable electroluminescence from Y2SiO5:Tb3+ phosphor

Terbium (Tb3+)-doped materials have gained interest due to their unique tunable optical properties in photoluminescence (PL) attributed to the cross-relaxation process. In this application, various emission colors can be obtained by tuning the Tb3+ concentration. Herein, a tunable blue-green Y2SiO5:Tb3+ powder-based electroluminescent (PEL) device was demonstrated through a facile screen-printing method prepared by a solid-state reaction. The phosphor powder formed as X2-phase Y2SiO5 and is dispersed in an ethyl cellulose binder before being screen-printed in an ITO glass substrate. The cross-sectional image revealed that the Y2SiO5:Tb3+ PEL device consists of 20 μm-thick BaTiO3 as an insulating layer and 10 μm-thick X2-phase Y2SiO5:Tb3+ as an active layer. Under the sinusoidal alternating current, it emits tunable blue-green color with dominance peaks at 416 nm and 543 nm depending on the Tb3+ concentration, which is optically attributed to f-f transitions of Tb3+ ions. In particular, the EL intensity was gradually increased according to the voltages, frequencies, and temperatures before suffering a thermally quenched above 100 °C (373 K). Additionally, the Y2SiO5:Tb3+ PEL device emits an ultraviolet-A (380 nm) spectrum, which could be used for sterilization applications.