The contact angle is a material property determined by the surface tensions between substrate, liquid and the air. In this study, the surface wettability of vertical graphene nanosheets (VGNs) which are carbon nanostructures consisting of a few layers of graphene sheets vertically standing on the substrates, were developed by applying different voltages on the substrate. The contact angle of the water droplet on VGNs/Cu decreased from 123° to 16° with increasing the applied voltage which indicated the hydrophobic and hydrophilic transition of VGNs surfaces. It is anticipated that this member of the carbon material family (VGNs) could serve as a tunable wettability coting for future improvements in electronic devices and open a new perspective to the construction of smart material surfaces.

Hematite films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of iron pentacarbonyl [Fe(CO)5] in an oxygen plasma were modified by postdeposition (i) oxygen plasma treatment and (ii) short annealing treatments to reduce the defects and to modify the (sub)surface states and consequently the photoelectrochemical properties. The oxygen plasma treatment resulted in the increase of particle size and augmented surface roughening by densification of grains. Moreover, it induced saturated surface states with reactive oxygen species (O−, OH−), evident in the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Under standard illumination (1.5 AM; 100 mW/cm2; 150 W xenon lamp), when compared to the pristine hematite coating (0.696 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus RHE and 0.74 Vonset) the oxygen plasma-treated films showed severe deterioration in photocurrent density of 0.035 mA/cm2 and an anodic shift in the onset potential (1.10 Vonset) due to oxygen rich surface. In a second set of experiments, the oxygen plasma-treated hematite films were briefly annealed (10 min at 750 °C) and the signals of Fe 2p and O 1s recovered to higher binding energies, indicating the formation of oxygen vacancies. In addition, a superior photocurrent density value of max. 1.306 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus RHE to that of the pristine hematite photoanode with 0.74 Vonset was obtained. Transient absorption spectroscopy further elucidated that the oxygen plasma-induced electron trap states acting as recombination centers that are unfavorable for photoelectrochemical activity. The alteration in Fe:O stoichiometry and thus photocurrent density are corroborated by determination of water oxidation rates in annealed (7.1 s−1) and oxygen plasma treated (2.5 s−1) samples.

The internal buckling is a common phenomenon in the as-grown carbon nanotube arrays. It makes the physical properties of carbon nanotube array in experiment lower than that in theory. In this work, we analyzed the formation and evolution mechanism of the internal buckling based on quasi-static compression model, which is different from collective effect of the van der Waals interactions. The self-restriction effect and the different growth rate of carbon nanotubes verify the possibility of the quasi-static compression model to explain the morphology evolution of vertical carbon nanotube arrays, especially the phenomenon of the quasi-straight and bent carbon nanotubes coexisted in the array. We generalized the Euler beam to wave-like beam and explained the mechanism of high-mode buckling combined with the van der Waals interaction. The calculated result about the link between compressive stress and strain confirms with the stage of collective buckling in the quasi-static compression test of carbon nanotube array. Preparation of well-organized carbon nanotube arrays was strong evidence verified the effect of self-restriction in experiment.

Hydrogenated microcrystalline Silicon-Germanium (μc-SiGe:H) thin films were deposited using the Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique from a gas mixture of SiH4, GeH4, H2 and Ar at a substrate temperature of 200 ° C. The films were deposited at a pressure of 1.5 Torr, while the RF power was varied in the range of 20 W to 35 W. Structural, optical and electrical characterization was performed in the films, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed in order to analyze the hydrogen bonding of silicon and germanium, while Raman spectroscopy was used in order to analyze the crystallinity of the films. Through the optical and electrical characterization of the films, parameters such as the optical band gap (Eg) and the activation energy (EA) were obtained, respectively. The conductivity of the films changed up two to orders of magnitude from dark conditions to illumination AM 1.5. Finally, the correlation between deposition RF power and the film properties is presented.

In this work we report the study of the effect of the deposition parameters on the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbide (a-SiC:H) films deposited at very low temperature (150 °C) by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD). We have observed that the main deposition parameter that influences the wavelength emission peak is the methane/silane (CH4/SiH4) ratio used for the films deposition, due to a change on the film carbon content. On the other hand the deposition RF power affects the PL intensity, without a change in the PL emission peak. Also we have studied the effect of the film thickness on the PL intensity and we have observed an optimal film thickness.

We report a novel tip-type field emission (FE) emitter by synthesizing the few-layer graphene (FLG) flakes on tip of nichrome (8020) wire (ϕ≈80 μm) by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD). These resultant random arrays of free-standing FLG flakes are aligned vertically to the substrate surface in a high-density and stacked to each other to form several larger “flower-like” agglomerates in spherical shapes. The FE performance of the tip-type FLG flakes emitter shows a low threshold field of 0.55 V/μm, a large field enhancement factor of 9455 ± 46, a large field emission current density of 22.18 A/cm2 at 2.70 V/μm, and an excellent field emission stability at high emission current densities (6.93 A/cm2). It can be used in variety of applications that include cathode-ray tube monitors, X-ray sources, electron microscopes, and other vacuum electronic applications.

A novel preparation method of B-doped p-type BaSi2 (p-BaSi2) is proposed to realize heterojunction crystalline Si solar cells with p-BaSi2. The method consists of thermal evaporation of BaSi2 on B-doped amorphous Si (a-Si). In this study, the effect of a-Si interlayers and substrate temperature during BaSi2 evaporation on the electrical characteristics and crystalline quality of the evaporated films were investigated. While no cracks were found in the BaSi2 films formed using hydrogenated a-Si deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the films formed with sputtered a-Si have cracks. In addition, BaSi2 films formed with a 600 °C substrate temperature using PECVD a-Si showed p-type characteristics. After a post-deposition anneal at 800 °C for 5 minutes, the film hole density was measured at 1.3×1019 cm-3 and boron was found to be uniformly distributed throughout the film. These results show that the proposed method using PECVD is promising to obtain p-BaSi2 thin films with high hole density for p-BaSi2/n-type crystalline Si heterojunction solar cells.

An investigation of the effect of experimental parameters on the temperature and uniformity of material deposition by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) planar plasma reactors was conducted. The apparatus consisted of a pulsed AC high voltage power source with various electrode materials (aluminum, copper wire mesh, and aluminum/copper wire mesh) operating under a range of load resistances. Possible effects of non-ideal interfacial conditions for the contact surface between the electrode and the substrate were also studied with various modified surface thermal conditions. It was found that a hybrid electrode design with a fine copper (Cu) wire mesh attached to an aluminum plate of approximately 3 mm thickness produced the most visually uniform deposit, presumably as a result of both the superior conductivity provided by the Al metal plate and the stable plasma resulting from the relatively low breakdown voltage by using helium (He) as the dilution gas. Although the experimental conditions of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) are often specific to particular systems and applications, this work provides insights on technical details which can be applied to various plasma DBD reactors.

Diamond like carbon (DLC) films deposited using CH4 and Ar and amorphous fluorocarbon (a:C-F) films deposited using CF4 and Si2H6 as precursors were optimized for ultra-low dielectric constant applications by tuning pressure, substrate temperature, and flow rate ratio. Sixty three films belonging to three stack configurations possessed good morphology and adhesion post DLC deposition. Structural and mechanical properties with respect to film integrity, adhesion, roughness, and shrinkage rate were studied. Internal and interface stress distribution results in the increased stability of as deposited DLC–a:C-F–DLC sandwich layers in comparison to a:C-F–DLC stacks. Annealed a:C-F with DLC top coat and As deposited a:C-F are similar in bonding structure. Failure mode is buckling delamination failure with increasing severity in films with higher oxygen incorporation and can be preserved by annealing the fluorocarbon component or providing a DLC base coat. Effect of process parameters on properties relevant to integration has been determined.

The article discusses the structure and properties of noncrystalline carbon films synthesized by ion-plasma sputtering of a graphite target in an argon atmosphere at direct current. Analysis of the molecular structure of carbon films was performed using Raman spectroscopy and dependence of the structure of synthesized films on the synthesis temperature and substrate material was revealed. Besides the main G peak possesses the values in a broad frequency range from 1500 to 1575 cm−1. The evolution of molecular structure peculiarities of synthesized carbon films depending on the synthesis conditions was clearly shown using the numerical methods of the Raman spectra decomposition. Studies of the optical spectra showed that the band gap of synthesized films varies from 0.78 to 1.67 eV and with increasing optical band gap, the value of G peak position decreases under laser excitation of 2.62 and 1.96 eV.

The intracortical neural interface (INI) is a key component of brain machine interfaces (BMI) which offer the possibility to restore functions lost by patients due to severe trauma to the central or peripheral nervous system. Unfortunately today’s neural electrodes suffer from a variety of design flaws, mainly the use of non-biocompatible materials based on Si or W with polymer coatings to mask the underlying material. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a semiconductor that has been proven to be highly biocompatible, and this chemically inert, physically robust material system may provide the longevity and reliability needed for the INI community. The design, fabrication, and preliminary testing of a prototype all-SiC planar microelectrode array based on 4H-SiC with an amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) insulator is described. The fabrication of the planar microelectrode was performed utilizing a series of conventional micromachining steps. Preliminary data is presented which shows a proof of concept for an all-SiC microelectrode device.

Amorphous silicon (α-Si) was deposited on glass substrates by PECVD at different deposition conditions in order to characterize the residual stress on the film. Subsequently, a thermal-annealing was applied for different times at 400 °C in a N2 atmosphere, aiming to reduce the stress in the films. The deposition power was between 15 and 30 W at 13.56 MHz, the pressure in the chamber was adjusted in a range from 600 to 900 mTorr, and the temperature was varied from 140 to 200 °C. The stress was determined by using the Stoney equation, measuring the curvature and thickness of the α-Si films with a stylus profilometer. A deposition rate between 7-24 nm/min was obtained, and the time for thermal-annealing needed to reduce the stress was reduced from 10 to 2-4 h, obtaining a minimum compressive stress of 17 MPa. With this value of stress, it was possible to use the α-Si as masking material for wet etching of glass during the manufacturing of microfluidic devices, in order to obtain microstructures in the glass with 150 μm in depth.

This paper reports on a monolithic 10 cm × 10 cm area PV module integrating an array of 72 a-Si:H n-i-p cells on a 100 μm thick polyethylene-naphtalate substrate. The n-i-p stack is deposited using a PECVD system at 150 °C substrate temperature. The design optimization and device performance analysis are performed using a two-dimensional distributed circuit model of the photovoltaic cell. The circuit simulator SPICE is used to calculate current and potential distributions in a network of sub-cell circuits, and also to map Joule losses in the front TCO electrode and the metal grid. Experimental results show that the shunt leakage is one of the factors reducing the device performance. Current-voltage characteristics of individual a-Si:H p-i-n cells were analyzed to estimate a variation of shunt resistances. Using the LBIC technique, the presence of multiple shunts in the n-i-p cell was detected. To understand the nature of electrical shunts, the change in the surface roughness of all device layers was analyzed throughout fabrication process. It is found that surface defects in plastic foils, which are thermally induced during the device fabrication, form microscopic pinholes filled with highly conductive top electrode material.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) was deposited by radiofrequency-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) on monocrystalline silicon substrates with different process parameters in order to analyze the residual stress, and the roughness and uniformity of the films, which are the most important characteristics in the production of membranes for cell culture. The residual stress was calculated using Stoney's equation by measuring the thicknesses of the substrate and the deposited film, in addition to the radius of curvature of the substrate with and without deposited material. From the results it was observed that as power increases from 15 to 30 W, the residual stress increases from -180 to -400 MPa. Even at low power, the residual stress is high. However, an annealing process at 450 °C in N2 atmosphere significantly reduces the residual stress to 7 MPa. It was found that the film uniformity increases when the pressure rises in the process chamber from 450 to 900 mTorr. Finally, the RMS roughness (0.7 to 5.1 nm) can be controlled by the power and pressure, allowing us to obtain a material with excellent morphological characteristics for the adherence and growth of specific cells.

Wrinkle-less graphene films are obtained through roll-to-roll microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition by using flexible copper/polyimide (Cu/PI) webs. Raman spectra suggests that the average domain size of the obtained graphene on the flexible Cu/PI is almost the same compared to the graphene on a Cu web that includes wrinkles. Also, by utilizing the flexible Cu/PI webs, the compressive strains decreased. The sheet resistances of graphene deposited on the Cu/PI are (1∼5)×104Ω, which is two orders of magnitude lower than those of graphene deposited on the Cu webs. Our results suggest that the controlling the expansion of web material an important technology to improve graphene transparent conductive properties.

Pin/pin “micromorph” tandem solar cells were manufactured by the industrial production line of Hunan Gongchuang PV Science & Technology Co., Ltd. Based on this kind of solar cells, a n-doped amorphous silicon layer deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique (PECVD) was inserted between the microcrystalline silicon intrinsic layer and n-doped layer. The result showed that the introduced n-type amorphous silicon layer well improved the solar cells performance by reducing the bad effects caused by microcrystalline silicon growth defects. Compared with the solar cells without inserting the n-doped amorphous silicon layer, the open voltage and efficiency increased remarkably. When the thickness of n-doped amorphous silicon layer is 8nm, the open voltage increased from 72.9V to 73.6V and efficiency increased from 10.63% to 10.74%.

The a-Si/c-Si Heterojunction Technology (HJT) or Heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cell have been fabricated in mass production，the average conversion efficiency of HJT solar cells with 3 bus bar, 5 bus bar and smart wire structures have reached 20%, 21% and 22% respectively. One of the biggest obstructions for HIT module manufacturing is the Cell-to-Module (CTM) stringing process where much power loss happened due to high temperature. The higher temperature in stringing process makes passivation quality worse and introduces much more defects. In this article, we present our investigation on CTM string connection methods, especially on which undergo low temperature to avoid thermal micro damage on cell’s functional structure. Several kinds of string connection are elaborated. The discussion will give some directions for further laboratory research and HJT manufacturing.

A method of diamond heteroepitaxial lateral overgrowth is demonstrated which utilizes a photolithographic metal mask to pattern a thin (001) epitaxial diamond surface. Significant structural improvement was found, with a threading dislocation density reduced by two orders of magnitude at the top surface of a thick overgrown diamond layer. In the initial stage of overgrowth, a reduction of diamond Raman linewidth in the overgrown area was also realized. Thermally-induced stress and internal stress were determined by Raman spectroscopy of adhering and delaminated diamond films. The internal stress is found to decrease as sample thickness increases.

Composites of silicone rubber and vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes were produced by capillary infiltration of PDMS. The electrical properties of silicone membranes and carbon nanotubes were investigated by impedance spectroscopy. Gauge factor was evaluated by different ways from Nyquist plots, and reached values up 8.

Silicon nanoparticles are synthesized by very high frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (vhf-PECVD) in the gas phase. Pulsed plasmas are used to obtain particles with a narrow size distribution. The role of plasma OFF times is studied to tailor the size of the silicon nanoparticles. Various plasma OFF times are chosen, both longer- and shorter -than the residence time of the gases in the discharge. Time resolved optical emission spectroscopy (TROES) studies provide additional information about the growth precursor dynamics during plasma modulation. The size and the size distribution studies of the particles are done with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These studies reveal that a plasma OFF time longer than the residence time is favorable for the formation of quantum sized silicon particles.