Transparent Layer Research Articles

Spatially Addressable Multiplex Biodetection by Calibrated Micro/Nanostructured Surfaces

A challenge of any biosensing technology is the detection of very low concentrations of analytes. The fluorescence interference contrast (FLIC) technique improves the fluorescence-based sensitivity by selectively amplifying, or suppressing, the emission of a fluorophore-labeled biomolecule immobilized on a transparent layer placed on top of a mirror basal surface. The standing wave of the reflected emission light means that the height of the transparent layer operates as a surface-embedded optical filter for the fluorescence signal. FLIC extreme sensitivity to wavelength is also its main problem: small, e.g., 10 nm range, variations of the vertical position of the fluorophore can translate in unwanted suppression of the detection signal. Herein, we introduce the concept of quasi-circular lenticular microstructured domes operating as continuous-mode optical filters, generating fluorescent concentric rings, with diameters determined by the wavelengths of the fluorescence light, in turn modulated by FLIC. The critical component of the lenticular structures was the shallow sloping side wall, which allowed the simultaneous separation of fluorescent patterns for virtually any fluorophore wavelength. Purposefully designed microstructures with either stepwise or continuous-slope dome geometries were fabricated to modulate the intensity and the lateral position of a fluorescence signal. The simulation of FLIC effects induced by the lenticular microstructures was confirmed by the measurement of the fluorescence profile for three fluorescent dyes, as well as high-resolution fluorescence scanning using stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. The high sensitivity of the spatially addressable FLIC technology was further validated on a diagnostically important target, i.e., the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-Cov2 via the detection of RBD:anti-S1-antibody.

Exalted dual-scale surface roughening in laser ablated aluminum capped with a transparent thin film: Wetting and anti-icing behavior

Near infrared laser ablation of metals, specifically aluminum, has been systematically applied to generate surface roughness. Very high laser fluences may even lead to a so called “explosive” ablation regime where roughness becomes dramatically enhanced. In the present work we have developed an alternative methodology that, utilizing milder laser irradiation conditions (i.e. laser fluences from 0.37 to 0.72 J/cm2), renders aluminum surfaces with a dual-scale roughness character and Sp parameter values twice or even trice the value found in reference samples. This has been possible for aluminum substrates coated with a highly transparent aluminum oxynitride capping layer. The resulting surfaces, consisting of very rough partially oxidized aluminum with negligible amounts of nitrogen species, resulted highly hydrophobic and depicted long icing delay times as required for anti-icing applications. A correlation has been found between the wetting and anti-icing behaviors, the use of a capping layer and the laser irradiation conditions. To account for this exalted roughening phenomenon, we propose that the transparent capping layer confines the laser energy within the aluminum shallow zones, delays the formation of the plasma plume and produces an enhancement in the aluminum ablation, even at relatively low laser fluences.

Classification models for assessing coronary artery disease instances using clinical and biometric data: an explainable man-in-the-loop approach

The main goal driving this work is to develop computer-aided classification models relying on clinical data to identify coronary artery disease (CAD) instances with high accuracy while incorporating the expert’s opinion as input, making it a "man-in-the-loop" approach. CAD is traditionally diagnosed in a definite manner by Invasive Coronary Angiography (ICA). A dataset was created using biometric and clinical data from 571 patients (21 total features, 43% ICA-confirmed CAD instances) along with the expert’s diagnostic yield. Five machine learning classification algorithms were applied to the dataset. For the selection of the best feature set for each algorithm, three different parameter selection algorithms were used. Each ML model’s performance was evaluated using common metrics, and the best resulting feature set for each is presented. A stratified ten-fold validation was used for the performance evaluation. This procedure was run both using the assessments of experts/doctors as input and without them. The significance of this paper lies in its innovative approach of incorporating the expert's opinion as input in the classification process, making it a "man-in-the-loop" approach. This approach not only increases the accuracy of the models but also provides an added layer of explainability and transparency, allowing for greater trust and confidence in the results. Maximum achievable accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity are 83.02%, 90.32%, and 85.49% when using the expert's diagnosis as input, compared to 78.29%, 76.61%, and 86.07% without the expert's diagnosis. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for this approach to improve the diagnosis of CAD and highlight the importance of considering the role of human expertise in the development of computer-aided classification models.

Development of photochromic carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel toward dual-mode authentication stamp with self-healing properties

Ultraviolet-induced photochromism has proven to be an appealing encoding strategy to improve the anti-counterfeiting of commercial items. However, recent reports have highlighted significant disadvantages with photochromic inks such as high cost, low efficiency and poor durability. Herein, we present a self-healable ink for anti-counterfeiting applications from a hydrogel of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) combined with rare-earth activated aluminate (REA) nanoparticles (NPs). Self-healing security inks provide high durability. The REA@CMC hydrogel has the ability to efficiently self-heal under ambient conditions. Using UV light to promote photochromism, the REA@CMC ink showed excellent photostability. To create a composite ink with a wide range of emission characteristics, different quantities of REA NPs were used. CIE (Commission Internationale de L'éclairage) Lab established that stamping a homogeneous film onto a paper surface gives them a transparent layer that transformed into green upon exposure to ultraviolet spectrum. The morphological features of REA NPs were investigated to show a particle diameter of 3–7 nm. The morphology of the photochromic films were studied using different analytical methods. Both ink solution rheological properties and stamped paper sheet mechanical characteristics were examined. The luminous films peaked in green emission at 518 nm, whereas their excitation wavelength was at 370 nm.

Electronic structure and optical properties of tin (IV) doped transparent perovskite crystal BaTiO3 for efficient visible optoelectronic devices and solar cells

The electronic structure and optical properties of BaSnxTi1−xO3 (BSnT, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.375) perovskite crystals have been investigated using the newly developed PBEsol and nKTBmBJ approaches within the full potential linear augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method for potential applications in optoelectronics. The lattice parameter showed a0 a quasi-linear increase with Sn content (with a bowing parameter of ∼ 0.048 Å). The calculated formation energy indicates that BSnT crystals are thermodynamically stable. BSnT exhibits a direct bandgap within the Sn composition range of ∼ 0.03–0.375, which can cover the emission wavelengths within the UV–visible spectrum region of ∼ 375–442 nm. The addition of Sn dopants into BaTiO3 results in a significant increase in the bandgap (by ∼ 496 meV, up to x = 0.375) due to the resonant interaction between O_2p orbitals and Sn_4d states in the upper valence band. Furthermore, the dielectric functions (ε1, ε2), refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, reflectivity R, and absorption coefficient α were determined for the radiation range of 0–12 eV and were found to be in close agreement with experimental spectra. BSnT exhibits good absorption within the ultraviolet spectrum while remaining transparent within the visible spectrum. Sn-doped BaTiO3 holds great promise as a transparent and/or active layer in the development of modern/low-cost solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for visible light communication (VLC).

Desorption of chemical species during thermal reduction of graphene oxide films

Graphene oxide (GO) reduced by thermal or chemical processes has been used in conductive transparent layers, solar cells, chemical sensors among dozens of other applications. Although some researchers have focused on identifying the reduction mechanisms, there is a lack of detailed investigation of species effusion processes. Here we report a systematic investigation on the effusion of chemical species from thermally reduced multilayered GO using the thermal desorption mass spectroscopy technique. The identification of chemical species with the use of the mass spectrometer associated with the formation energy was used to identify the reactions that occur in GO during the thermal reduction. This allows to give support or rule out numerous proposals for effusion processes in GO presented in the literature. It was observed that the main desorption regime centered at ∼230 °C encompassed a collective desorption of H2O, CO2, CO, and H with formation energies ranging from 1.20 to 1.40 eV. For temperatures higher than 400 °C, uncoupled CO2 and CO desorptions were the only species detected, with formation energies of 1.87 and 3.09 eV, respectively. An insulating-conductive transition occurred in the annealing temperature range (ambient to 1000 °C) with a variation of 7 orders of magnitude in conductivity. The results support new routes for reducing GO in order to obtain films closer to pristine graphene multilayers.

Synthesis and characterization of cellulose nanofiber/poly-vinyl alcohol (CNF/PVA) nanocomposites for gas barrier applications in paper packaging

The development of nanocomposite film from nanocellulose in polymer matrix for packaging has gained great attention due to its various applications. This paper aimed to utilize cellulose nanofiber (CNF) from micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) made from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) which were composed with poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) for gas barrier applications on paper packaging. The chemical treatment was used to produce MFC from OPEFB. The MFC was then mixed with water to become homogenized and mechanically treated with an ultra turrax homogenizer for 6 h to produce CNF. The nanocomposites were prepared by mixing PVA and CNF with a magnetic stirrer followed by sonication to homogenize the solution with blending ratios of CNF/PVA were 10:90 and 20:80 (%v/v). The nanocomposites were then measured for their viscosity and characterized by FTIR, SEM, and zeta potential. Based on the results, this composite was formed and has a viscosity of 19.41 and 32.55 cP for blending ratios of 20:80 and 10:90 (%v/v), respectively. In addition, FTIR results showed that the blending of CNF/PVA has formed a composite. The zeta potential values of CNF/PVA were −27.5 mV and −28.6 mV for blending ratios of 20:80 and 10:90 indicating that the CNF/PVA is well dispersed and stable. The blended composite was finally coated on A4 size paper using the bar coating method to obtain a transparent film layer and the Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) was 1395.91 and 1294.82 g/(m2 0.24 h) for blending CNF/PVA ratios of 20:80 and 10:90 (v/v%), respectively.

A Transparent Conductive Layer with an Interdigitated Electrode and Its Effect on Heat Generation

在這篇論文中，基於銦錫氧化物(ITO)加熱裝置依然存在許多問題，為了解決問題，本論文使用不同比例的指叉狀電極遮罩來蒸鍍電極在ITO上，並對其做深入研究。<br>在我們會使用到熱蒸鍍機，並以鋁作為電極，蒸鍍在ITO玻璃上，使用不比例的指叉狀遮罩來蒸鍍鋁於ITO的系統，其中指叉狀電極的比例分別為為1:1(sample02)，2:1(sample03)，3:2(sample04)，以及無指叉狀的電極(sample01)，而在這次的實驗中，我們所改變的參數只有指叉狀電極的比例，其他的參數則沒有改變，鋁圈數量是固定四圈，蒸鍍環境也都是固定的真空值，蒸鍍電流則是固定在70A，以便探討不同電極的影響。<br>在蒸鍍結束後，我們分別對不同比例指叉狀電極的樣品進行電學特性以及溫升的量測，結果表明1:1的電阻值約為68Ω，溫升速率約為0.617°C/s，2:1的電阻值約為100Ω，溫升速率約為0.335°C/s，3:2的電阻值約為100Ω，溫升速率約為0.314°C/s，1:1的電阻值是最小的，溫升速率是最快的，相較於其它比例的樣品是最高的，在蒸鍍不同指叉狀電極的時候，並不是電極數越多越好，而要考慮有效發熱面積與其他因素。In this paper, based on the existing ITO heating device, the effect is not as good as expected. Therefore, we use different types of metal masks to evaporate the electrode on a single layer of indium tin oxide (ITO). Do in-depth research, and this experiment is mainly divided into two parts. <br>In the first part, we will use a thermal evaporator, and use aluminum as the electrode to evaporate on the ITO glass, and use a non-proportional interdigitated mask to evaporate the aluminum on the ITO system. The proportion of the interdigitated electrode is They are 1:1 (sample2), 2:1 (sample3), 3:2 (sample4), and non-digital electrodes (sample1). In this experiment, the only parameter we changed was the fingers. The ratio of the shaped electrodes and other parameters have not changed. The number of aluminum circles is fixed four circles, the evaporation environment is also a fixed vacuum value, and the evaporation current is fixed at 70A to explore the influence of different electrodes. <br>After the evaporation, we measured the electrical characteristics and temperature rise of samples with different ratios of interdigitated electrodes. The results showed that the 1:1 resistance value is about 68Ω, and the temperature rise rate is about 0.617°C/s. 2:1 resistance value is about 100Ω, temperature rise rate is about 0.335°C/s, 3:2 resistance value is about 100Ω, temperature rise rate is about 0.314°C/s, 1:1 resistance value is the smallest Yes, the temperature rise rate is the fastest, which is the highest compared to other proportions of samples. When evaporating different interdigitated electrodes, it is not that the more electrodes are better, but the effective heating area and other factor.

Structure, functional groups, and optical properties of Al doped ZnO nanorods thin films

Zinc oxide (ZnO) in the form of thin films is a semiconductor that has a direct energy gap of 3.37 eV and an exciton binding energy of 60 meV. These attractive properties make ZnO widely used as a transparent conducting material application in liquid crystal displays, solar cells, etc. Undoped and doped ZnO thin films are widely used in transparent conductor layers due to their better thermal resistance and resistance. In this study, thin films of Al doped ZnO (Zn1-xAlxO) nanorods (x = 1 wt% and 3 wt%) were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effect of Al doping on microstructure, binding vibration, and optical properties was characterized by XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra Red) and UV–Vis (Ultraviolet–visible light) Spectroscopy. Furthermore, the (002) peak of ZnO was shifted because of Al doped ZnO. The diameter of hexagonal is around 78 nm. The binding vibrations found are Zn-O (531, 512, 985, 911 cm−1), Al-O (812 cm−1), Zn-hydroxyl group (1132, 1107 cm−1), CH3 group (2167, 2837, 2861 cm−1), and the hydroxyl group (3560, 3547 cm−1). The energy gap had a moderate drop from 2.97 eV to 2.95 eV.

E-Wave Interaction with the One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal with Weak Conductive and Transparent Materials

The interaction of electromagnetic E-waves with one-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of weak conductive and transparent layers is studied theoretically. If the thicknesses of both the conductive and transparent layers are of the order of skin depth, then the domains of transmission and reflection appear. However, if the thickness of the conductive layers is much less than the skin depth but much more than the Debye screening radius, the resonant behavior of the optical power coefficients appears at a frequency close to the plasma frequency.

Methods of fog control for a vehicle windscreen before vehicle moving off

INTRODUCTION: In any type of vehicle, the accessory equipment system of air heating and conditioning should ensure safety by means of glazing protection from fogging with high operational speed and minimal energy consuming, as drivers reaction slows down in low visibility conditions and the risk of road accidents increases.
 AIMS: Analytical review of state-of-the-art methods of efficiency improvement of condensate cleaning from the inner surface of a vehicle windscreen in order to discover promising methods of fog control before vehicle moving off which are energy efficient and driver- and passenger-friendly.
 LINE OF RESEARCH: Review of publications, dedicated to issues of condensate cleaning and vehicle glazing prevention from fogging.
 METHODS: Study and analysis of papers in the mentioned area, published in open sources.
 RESULTS: Conditions of fogging on inner surfaces of vehicle glazing are discussed. Russian and foreign regulatory documents, featuring demands to the procedure of fog cleaning from the windscreen inner surface, are given. Special aspects of air drying in cabin of electric vehicles and ICE-driven vehicles and various methods of the windscreen inner surface heating are considered.
 CONCLUSIONS: Efficiency of windscreen condensate cleaning may be increased significantly by means of conjuction of such methods as: a) making inner surfaces of vehicle glazing hydrophobic; b) defroster design optimization in order to ensure air supply having minimal pressure losses, maximal output mass, high speed and uniform distribution of airflow along the surface of critically important fields of view; c) using of tempered windscreens with transparent electrically-conducting layer; d) drying of vehicle cabin air. At present, the search for efficient methods of windscreen warming and cabin air drying in recirculation mode for both electric vehicles and ICE-driven vehicles, operating in low air temperature conditions, continues.

Simultaneous Dual‐Color Amplified Spontaneous Emission and Lasing from Colloidal Quantum Well Gain Media in their Own Layered Waveguide and Cavity

AbstractMicro/nanoscale semiconductor multicolor lasers offer great potential for enhanced‐performance photonic circuits. Colloidal quantum wells (CQWs) are excellent candidates as active materials for these platforms owing to their superior properties including suppressed Auger recombination and large absorption cross‐section. In this work, multicolor optical gain and lasing from the heterostructures of CQWs as the gain media in their own all‐solution processed optical cavity are proposed and demonstrated for the first time. Here, using a simple waveguide slab consisting of the thin films of green‐emitting CdSeS/Cd0.1Zn0.9S core/hot‐injection‐shell grown CQWs and red‐emitting CdSe/CdS@CdZnS core/crown@shell CQWs, a transparent low refractive index colloidal spacing layer of silica nanoparticles (NPs) is devised that critically suppresses otherwise detrimental nonradiative energy transfer between the green and red‐emitting CQWs. This multilayer configuration is key to enabling simultaneous amplified spontaneous emission behavior in two colors with low threshold levels. This layered architecture is further adapted to a whispering‐gallery‐mode cavity by fabricating a microdisk pattern directly out of these CQWs‐NPs‐CQWs colloids. The resulting device exhibits dual‐color multimode lasing both at 569 and 648 nm at the same time. This unique multicolor lasing layered architecture holds great promise for on‐chip photonic applications such as dual‐color biological imaging.

Lanthanide and Ladder-Structured Polysilsesquioxane Composites for Transparent Color Conversion Layers

Ladder-type polysilsesquioxanes (LPSQs) containing phenyl as a high refractive index unit and cyclic epoxy as a curable unit were found to be excellent candidates for a transparent color conversion layer for displays due to being miscible with organic solvents and amenable to transparent film formation. Therefore, the LPSQs were combined with luminescent lanthanide metals, europium Eu(III), and terbium Tb(III), to fabricate transparent films with various emission colors, including red, orange, yellow, and green. The high luminescence and transmittance properties of the LPSQs-lanthanide composite films after thermal curing were attributed to chelating properties of hydroxyl and polyether side chains of LPSQs to lanthanide ions, as well as a light sensitizing effect of phenyl side chains of the LPSQs. Furthermore, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and nanoindentation tests indicated that the addition of the nanoparticles to the LPSQs moderately enhanced the epoxy conversion rate and substantially improved the wear resistance, including hardness, adhesion, and insusceptibility to atmospheric corrosion in a saline environment. Thus, the achieved LPGSG-lanthanide hybrid organic-inorganic material could effectively serve as a color conversion layer for displays.

Reflective Phase-Contrast for High-Contrast Imaging of van der Waals Heterostructure

Optical microscopy plays a critical role in the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures. An outstanding challenge in conventional microscopy is to visualize transparent 2D layers as well as embedded monolayers in a stacked heterostructure with high optical contrast. Phase-contrast microscopy, first developed by Frits Zernike in the 1930s, leverages the interference effect between specimen scattered light and background light to increase the contrast of transparent specimens. Such phase-contrast microscopy, always in a transmission configuration, revolutionized the study of transparent cellular structures in biology. Here, we develop a versatile reflective phase-contrast microscopy for imaging 2D heterostructures. We employ two spatial light modulators to flexibly control the intensity and phase of the illumination and the reflected light. This reflective phase-contrast microscopy achieves unprecedented high contrast for imaging a transparent 2D monolayer. It also enables direct observation of 2D monolayers embedded inside a thick heterostructure that are "invisible" in conventional microscopy.

Preparation of carbon dots-embedded fluorescent carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel for anticounterfeiting applications

Fluorescent inks have been emerged as a desirable encoding technique to enhance anticounterfeiting printing of commercial goods. However, significant drawbacks with fluorescent inks, such as poor durability, low efficiency, and high cost. Herein, we describe the preparation of a self-healing authentication ink based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel immobilized with nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCD) nanoparticles (NPs) for cutting-edge anticounterfeiting applications. Security inks that self-heal are very durable. Under ambient conditions, the prepared NCD@CMC hydrogel could self-heal with a high healing efficiency. It might stick to diverse surfaces such as plastic, glass and paper sheets. The self-healing composite ink demonstrated outstanding photostability under UV light. Straightforward and environmentally friendly method was applied on the agricultural waste of rice straw toward the production of NCD using hydrothermal carbonization in an aqueous medium, and in the presence of NH4OH as an inexpensive passivating agent. The quantum yield (QY) for NCD reached 24.09 %. Various concentrations of NCD NPs were employed to produce self-healable nanocomposite inks with a variety of emission properties. Stamping homogeneous films onto paper surfaces produced a transparent layer. The CIE Lab and emission spectra of prints independently verified the capability of NCD nanocomposite inks to vary their color to blue under UV illumination. To measure the particle diameter of the prepared NCD, their morphological characteristics were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to indicate diameters of 10–25 nm. Utilizing various analytical techniques, the morphology and chemical composition of the fluorescent prints were examined. We examined the mechanical qualities of the stamped papers as well as the rheological characteristics of the ink hydrogel. Due to their colorless appearance, the excitation band of the printed films was peaked at 364 nm, while their emission was peaked at 465 nm. The current smart ink holds high potential for numerous applications like smart packaging and authentication, and shows great promise as a practical and mass production approach for easily creating anticounterfeiting stamps.

Dual-Mode Fiber Strain Sensor Based on Mechanochromic Photonic Crystal and Transparent Conductive Elastomer for Human Motion Detection.

As an important component of wearable and stretchable strain sensors, dual-mode strain sensors can respond to deformation via optical/electrical dual-signal changes, which have important applications in human motion monitoring. However, realizing a fiber-shaped dual-mode strain sensor that can work stably in real life remains a challenge. Here, we design an interactive dual-mode fiber strain sensor with both mechanochromic and mechanoelectrical functions that can be applied to a variety of different environments. The dual-mode fiber is produced by coating a transparent elastic conductive layer onto photonic fiber composed of silica particles and elastic rubber. The sensor has visualized dynamic color change, a large strain range (0-80%), and a high sensitivity (1.90). Compared to other dual-mode strain sensors based on the photonic elastomer, our sensor exhibits a significant advantage in strain range. Most importantly, it can achieve reversible and stable optical/electrical dual-signal outputs in response to strain under various environmental conditions. As a wearable portable device, the dual-mode fiber strain sensor can be used for real-time monitoring of human motion, realizing the direct interaction between users and devices, and is expected to be used in fields such as smart wearable, human-machine interactions, and health monitoring.

Characterization of Functional Materials Using Coherence Scanning Interferometry and Environmental Chambers.

Functional materials are challenging to characterize because of the presence of small structures and inhomogeneous materials. If interference microscopy was initially developed for use for the optical profilometry of homogeneous, static surfaces, it has since been considerably improved in its capacity to measure a greater variety of samples and parameters. This review presents our own contributions to extending the usefulness of interference microscopy. For example, 4D microscopy allows real-time topographic measurement of moving or changing surfaces. High-resolution tomography can be used to characterize transparent layers; local spectroscopy allows the measurement of local optical properties; and glass microspheres improve the lateral resolution of measurements. Environmental chambers have been particularly useful in three specific applications. The first one controls the pressure, temperature, and humidity for measuring the mechanical properties of ultrathin polymer films; the second controls automatically the deposition of microdroplets for measuring the drying properties of polymers; and the third one employs an immersion system for studying changes in colloidal layers immersed in water in the presence of pollutants. The results of each system and technique demonstrate that interference microscopy can be used for more fully characterizing the small structures and inhomogeneous materials typically found in functional materials.

Incorporation of Magnesium-doped Zinc Oxide (MZO) HRT Layer in Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Cells

The insertion of a highly resistive transparent (HRT) layer with the ability to transfer an optimum portion of the UV range of sunlight is targeted in this study by bandgap engineering through varying the thickness as well as the concentration of dopants. The integrability of ZnO and Mg-doped ZnO (MZO) as the potential HRT layers for CdTe solar cell devices with the possibility of bandgap management, high transmission at short wavelength and reduced current loss by inhibiting holes from reaching interfacial defects is proposed. Using SCAPS-1D modelling software, key performance parameters such as open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Jsc), fill factor (FF), conversion efficiency (η), and quantum efficiency (QE) were evaluated for the proposed devices by varying thecarrier concentration and series resistance (Rs). The simulation was carried out based on experimental data such as thickness, optical characteristics and bandgap to validate the findings. Results showed that the conversion efficiency for thin-film solar cells of ITO/CdS/CdTe, ITO/ZnO/CdS/CdTe and ITO/MZO/CdS/CdTe were attained to be 17.83%, 18.76% and 20.27%, respectively. The optimal carrier concentration using ZnO, and MZO was found to be 1016 cm−3 for an efficient CdTe solar cells design.

Transparent p-type layer with highly reflective Rh/Al p-type electrodes for improving the performance of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

We attempt to improve the light extraction of AlGaN-based deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) by introducing a highly transparent p-type layer together with reflective Rh/Al p-type electrodes. The p-GaN contact layer is thinned to balance the Ohmic contact and DUV light transmittance, which helps the Rh/Al p-type electrodes realize high reflection as well as good electrical performance. After optimization, the Rh/Al reflective p-type electrodes present reflectance of greater than 70% and specific contact resistivity of 3.75 × 10−4 Ω·cm2. Due to the improvement in the light extraction efficiency, the highest wall-plug efficiency of 278 nm DUV-LEDs is improved by 57% compared to the conventional configuration with Ni/Au as the p-type electrodes.

Electrochromic Electrodes with Enhanced Performance: Review of Morphology and Ion Transport Mechanism Modifications

The electrochromic (EC) performance of smart windows is highly dependent on the rate of ions insertion/extraction. A direct way to increase the ion exchange in EC device is to modify the structure of the EC electrodes. Structural changes also affect the electrical conduction between the transparent electrodes and the EC layers, leading to efficient smart windows. In more detail, modifying the structure of the EC electrodes results in an increase in the surface-to-volume ratio, which is combined with the increase in charge transfer reaction between the insertion and extraction of ions. The current review summarizes the enhancement in the EC performance due to the fabrication of nano/microstructures or hybrid structures on the surface of the EC electrodes to increase their surface area. Moreover, metal oxide thin films have poor electrical conduction, which leads to a high charge transport barrier. Accordingly, improving the electrical conductivity of the EC layer is considered another effective strategy to enhance the ion transport between the transparent conductor layer and the EC electrode. This behavior could be applied by combining the transition metal oxide with metallic nanoparticles or suitable organic/inorganic transparent conducting materials.