Quantum efficiencies exceeding unity in amorphous silicon solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanmaekelbergh, D.; Lagemaat, J. van de; Schropp, R.E.I.

1994-12-31

The experimental observation of internal quantum efficiencies above unity in crystalline silicon solar cells has brought up the question whether the generation of multiple electron/hole pairs has to be taken into consideration also in solar cells based on direct gap amorphous semiconductors. To study photogenerated carrier dynamics, the authors have applied Intensity Modulated Photocurrent Spectroscopy (IMPS) to hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells. In the reverse voltage bias region at low illumination intensities it has been observed that the low frequency limit of the AC quantum yield Y increases significantly above unit with decreasing light intensity, indicating that more thanmore » one electron per photon is detected in the external circuit. This phenomenon can be explained by considering trapping and thermal emission of photogenerated carriers at intragap atmospheric dangling bond defect centers.« less

Space Qualification Test of a-Silicon Solar Cell Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Q.; Lawton, R. A.; Manion, S. J.; Okuno, J. O.; Ruiz, R. P.; Vu, D. T.; Vu, D. T.; Kayali, S. A.; Jeffrey, F. R.

2004-01-01

The basic requirements of solar cell modules for space applications are generally described in MIL-S-83576 for the specific needs of the USAF. However, the specifications of solar cells intended for use on space terrestrial applications are not well defined. Therefore, this qualifications test effort was concentrated on critical areas specific to the microseismometer probe which is intended to be included in the Mars microprobe programs. Parameters that were evaluated included performance dependence on: illuminating angles, terrestrial temperatures, lifetime, as well as impact landing conditions. Our qualification efforts were limited to these most critical areas of concern. Most of the tested solar cell modules have met the requirements of the program except the impact tests. Surprisingly, one of the two single PIN 2 x 1 amorphous solar cell modules continued to function even after the 80000G impact tests. The output power parameters, Pout, FF, Isc and Voc, of the single PIN amorphous solar cell module were found to be 3.14 mW, 0.40, 9.98 mA and 0.78 V, respectively. These parameters are good enough to consider the solar module as a possible power source for the microprobe seismometer. Some recommendations were made to improve the usefulness of the amorphous silicon solar cell modules in space terrestrial applications, based on the results obtained from the intensive short term lab test effort.

DOE Forms National Center for Photovoltaics

Science.gov Websites

, Georgia, Florida and New Mexico. The alliance also will include the Utility Photovoltaic Group, a testing in partnership with the U.S. photovoltaic industry. For industry that means one-stop shopping for amorphous silicon and cadmium telluride photovoltaic modules, and manufacturing of silicon sheet and

Fabrication and characterization of silicon quantum dots in Si-rich silicon carbide films.

PubMed

Chang, Geng-Rong; Ma, Fei; Ma, Dayan; Xu, Kewei

2011-12-01

Amorphous Si-rich silicon carbide films were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering and subsequently annealed at 900-1100 degrees C. After annealing at 1100 degrees C, this configuration of silicon quantum dots embedded in amorphous silicon carbide formed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the chemical modulation of the films. The formation and orientation of silicon quantum dots were characterized by glancing angle X-ray diffraction, which shows that the ratio of silicon and carbon significantly influences the species of quantum dots. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations directly demonstrated that the formation of silicon quantum dots is heavily dependent on the annealing temperatures and the ratio of silicon and carbide. Only the temperature of about 1100 degrees C is enough for the formation of high-density and small-size silicon quantum dots due to phase separation and thermal crystallization. Deconvolution of the first order Raman spectra shows the existence of a lower frequency peak in the range 500-505 cm(-1) corresponding to silicon quantum dots with different atom ratio of silicon and carbon.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guha, S.

This report describes the research program intended to expand, enhance, and accelerate knowledge and capabilities for developing high-performance, two-terminal multijunction amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloy cells, and modules with low manufacturing cost and high reliability. United Solar uses a spectrum-splitting, triple-junction cell structure. The top cell uses an amorphous silicon alloy of {approx}1.8-eV bandgap to absorb blue photons. The middle cell uses an amorphous silicon germanium alloy ({approx}20% germanium) of {approx}1.6-eV bandgap to capture green photons. The bottom cell has {approx}40% germanium to reduce the bandgap to {approx}1.4-eV to capture red photons. The cells are deposited on a stainless-steel substrate withmore » a predeposited silver/zinc oxide back reflector to facilitate light-trapping. A thin layer of antireflection coating is applied to the top of the cell to reduce reflection loss. The major research activities conducted under this program were: (1) Fundamental studies to improve our understanding of materials and devices; the work included developing and analyzing a-Si alloy and a-SiGe alloy materials prepared near the threshold of amorphous-to-microcrystalline transition and studying solar cells fabricated using these materials. (2) Deposition of small-area cells using a radio-frequency technique to obtain higher deposition rates. (3) Deposition of small-area cells using a modified very high frequency technique to obtain higher deposition rates. (4) Large-area cell research to obtain the highest module efficiency. (5) Optimization of solar cells and modules fabricated using production parameters in a large-area reactor.« less

Ultralight monolithic photovoltaic modules of amorphous silicon alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanak, J. J.

A process has been developed for fabrication of roll-up, monolithic, photovoltaic (PV) modules made of amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloys. They consist of tandem-junction solar cells deposited by a continuous, roll-to-roll process onto thin, foil substrates of bare metal, high temperature resin, or metal coated with insulators. They have the following characteristics: size, up to 71 cm x 30.5 cm; total thickness, 8 to 50 microns, power-to-weight and power-to-volume ratios at AM1, 2.4 kW/kg and 6.5 MW/cu m, respectively. Cells of a-Si alloys are up to 100 times as tolerant to irradiation with 1 MeV protons than crystalline cells and the damage is easily annealable. The modules have high power density and stability, they are portable, stowable, deployable, retractable, tolerant to radiation and meteorite or projectile impact, and attractive for terrestrial and aerospace applications.

Ultralight amorphous silicon alloy photovoltaic modules for space and terrestrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanak, J. J.; Fulton, C.; Myatt, A.; Nath, P.; Woodyard, J. R.

This paper gives a review and an update on recently developed ultralight photovoltaic modules based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloys. They consist of tandem-junction solar cells deposited by a continuous, roll-to-roll process onto thin, foil substrates of bare metal, high temperature resin or metal coated with insulators. They have the following features: size, up to 71 cm x 30.5 cm; total thickness, 8 to 50 microns; power-to-weight at AM1, 2.4 kW/kg; and power-to-volume ratio 6.5 MW/cu m. Cells of a-Si alloys are over 50 times more tolerant to irradiation with 1 MeV and with 200 keV protons than crystalline cells and the damage is easily annealable. The modules have high power density and stability, they are portable, stowable, deployable, retractable, tolerant to radiation and meteorite or projectile impact and attractive for terrestrial and aerospace applications.

LIFE CYCLE DESIGN OF AMORPHOUS SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES

EPA Science Inventory

The life cycle design framework was applied to photovoltaic module design. The primary objective of this project was to develop and evaluate design metrics for assessing and guiding the Improvement of PV product systems. Two metrics were used to assess life cycle energy perform...

Photovoltaic-cell technologies joust for position

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischetti, M. A.

1984-03-01

The three most promising photovoltaic cell technologies, single-crystal-silicon cells, polycrystalline thin films, and amorphous silicon thin films, are reviewed and discussed in terms of present levels of applicability and the prospects for domination of PV markets in the future. A U.S. DOE research plan running from 1984 to 1988 which aims to produce PV modules that will generate electricity at $.20/kWh by 1988 is outlined, and R & D efforts in Japan and Europe are considered. Although GaAs cells have reached efficiencies to 20 percent in the laboratory, the most successful commercial products have been single-crystal-silicon cells with efficiencies between 11 and 12 percent. It is suggested that the immiment rise of amorphous silicon in the late 1980s may thwart polycrystalline-cell development before it has a chance to flourish.

Narrow band gap amorphous silicon semiconductors

DOEpatents

Madan, A.; Mahan, A.H.

1985-01-10

Disclosed is a narrow band gap amorphous silicon semiconductor comprising an alloy of amorphous silicon and a band gap narrowing element selected from the group consisting of Sn, Ge, and Pb, with an electron donor dopant selected from the group consisting of P, As, Sb, Bi and N. The process for producing the narrow band gap amorphous silicon semiconductor comprises the steps of forming an alloy comprising amorphous silicon and at least one of the aforesaid band gap narrowing elements in amount sufficient to narrow the band gap of the silicon semiconductor alloy below that of amorphous silicon, and also utilizing sufficient amounts of the aforesaid electron donor dopant to maintain the amorphous silicon alloy as an n-type semiconductor.

Method of inducing differential etch rates in glow discharge produced amorphous silicon

DOEpatents

Staebler, David L.; Zanzucchi, Peter J.

1980-01-01

A method of inducing differential etch rates in glow discharge produced amorphous silicon by heating a portion of the glow discharge produced amorphous silicon to a temperature of about 365.degree. C. higher than the deposition temperature prior to etching. The etch rate of the exposed amorphous silicon is less than the unheated amorphous silicon.

Amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers for crystalline-silicon-based heterojunction solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boccard, Mathieu; Holman, Zachary C.

Amorphous silicon enables the fabrication of very high-efficiency crystalline-silicon-based solar cells due to its combination of excellent passivation of the crystalline silicon surface and permeability to electrical charges. Yet, amongst other limitations, the passivation it provides degrades upon high-temperature processes, limiting possible post-deposition fabrication possibilities (e.g., forcing the use of low-temperature silver pastes). We investigate the potential use of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers to sidestep this issue. The passivation obtained using device-relevant stacks of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide with various carbon contents and doped amorphous silicon are evaluated, and their stability upon annealing assessed, amorphous silicon carbide beingmore » shown to surpass amorphous silicon for temperatures above 300 °C. We demonstrate open-circuit voltage values over 700 mV for complete cells, and an improved temperature stability for the open-circuit voltage. Transport of electrons and holes across the hetero-interface is studied with complete cells having amorphous silicon carbide either on the hole-extracting side or on the electron-extracting side, and a better transport of holes than of electrons is shown. Also, due to slightly improved transparency, complete solar cells using an amorphous silicon carbide passivation layer on the hole-collecting side are demonstrated to show slightly better performances even prior to annealing than obtained with a standard amorphous silicon layer.« less

NREL/industry interaction: Amorphous silicon alloy research team formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luft, Werner

1994-06-01

The low material cost and proven manufacturability of amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloy photovoltaic technology make it ideally suited for large-scale terrestrial applications. The present efficiency of a-Si alloy modules is, however, much lower than the 15% stable efficiency that would lead to significant penetration of the electric utility bulk-power market. The slow progress in achieving high stabilized a-Si alloy module efficiencies may in part be attributed to the fact that only in the last few years did we emphasize stable efficiencies. A mission-focused integrated effort among the a-Si PV industry, universities, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) would help. To foster research integration, NREL has established four research teams with significant industry participation. In the 11 months since the research team formation, a close interaction among the a-Si PV industry, universities, and NREL has been achieved and has resulted in mission-directed research.

NREL/industry interaction: Amorphous silicon alloy research team formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luft, W.

1994-06-30

The low material cost and proven manufacturability of amorphous silicon (a-Si) alloy photovoltaic technology make it ideally suited for large-scale terrestrial applications. The present efficiency of a-Si alloy modules is, however, much lower than the 15% stable efficiency that would lead to [ital significant] penetration of the electric utility bulk-power market. The slow progress in achieving high stabilized a-Si alloy module efficiencies may in part be attributed to the fact that only in the last few years did we emphasize stable efficiencies. A mission-focused integrated effort among the a-Si PV industry, universities, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) wouldmore » help. To foster research integration, NREL has established four research teams with significant industry participation. In the 11 months since the research team formation, a close interaction among the a-Si PV industry, universities, and NREL has been achieved and has resulted in mission-directed research.« less

Amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers for crystalline-silicon-based heterojunction solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boccard, Mathieu; Holman, Zachary C.

With this study, amorphous silicon enables the fabrication of very high-efficiency crystalline-silicon-based solar cells due to its combination of excellent passivation of the crystalline silicon surface and permeability to electrical charges. Yet, amongst other limitations, the passivation it provides degrades upon high-temperature processes, limiting possible post-deposition fabrication possibilities (e.g., forcing the use of low-temperature silver pastes). We investigate the potential use of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers to sidestep this issue. The passivation obtained using device-relevant stacks of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide with various carbon contents and doped amorphous silicon are evaluated, and their stability upon annealing assessed, amorphousmore » silicon carbide being shown to surpass amorphous silicon for temperatures above 300°C. We demonstrate open-circuit voltage values over 700 mV for complete cells, and an improved temperature stability for the open-circuit voltage. Transport of electrons and holes across the hetero-interface is studied with complete cells having amorphous silicon carbide either on the hole-extracting side or on the electron-extracting side, and a better transport of holes than of electrons is shown. Also, due to slightly improved transparency, complete solar cells using an amorphous silicon carbide passivation layer on the hole-collecting side are demonstrated to show slightly better performances even prior to annealing than obtained with a standard amorphous silicon layer.« less

Amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers for crystalline-silicon-based heterojunction solar cells

DOE PAGES

Boccard, Mathieu; Holman, Zachary C.

2015-08-14

With this study, amorphous silicon enables the fabrication of very high-efficiency crystalline-silicon-based solar cells due to its combination of excellent passivation of the crystalline silicon surface and permeability to electrical charges. Yet, amongst other limitations, the passivation it provides degrades upon high-temperature processes, limiting possible post-deposition fabrication possibilities (e.g., forcing the use of low-temperature silver pastes). We investigate the potential use of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide passivating layers to sidestep this issue. The passivation obtained using device-relevant stacks of intrinsic amorphous silicon carbide with various carbon contents and doped amorphous silicon are evaluated, and their stability upon annealing assessed, amorphousmore » silicon carbide being shown to surpass amorphous silicon for temperatures above 300°C. We demonstrate open-circuit voltage values over 700 mV for complete cells, and an improved temperature stability for the open-circuit voltage. Transport of electrons and holes across the hetero-interface is studied with complete cells having amorphous silicon carbide either on the hole-extracting side or on the electron-extracting side, and a better transport of holes than of electrons is shown. Also, due to slightly improved transparency, complete solar cells using an amorphous silicon carbide passivation layer on the hole-collecting side are demonstrated to show slightly better performances even prior to annealing than obtained with a standard amorphous silicon layer.« less

Fabricating amorphous silicon solar cells by varying the temperature _of the substrate during deposition of the amorphous silicon layer

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.

1982-01-01

An improved process for fabricating amorphous silicon solar cells in which the temperature of the substrate is varied during the deposition of the amorphous silicon layer is described. Solar cells manufactured in accordance with this process are shown to have increased efficiencies and fill factors when compared to solar cells manufactured with a constant substrate temperature during deposition of the amorphous silicon layer.

Method for producing silicon thin-film transistors with enhanced forward current drive

DOEpatents

Weiner, K.H.

1998-06-30

A method is disclosed for fabricating amorphous silicon thin film transistors (TFTs) with a polycrystalline silicon surface channel region for enhanced forward current drive. The method is particularly adapted for producing top-gate silicon TFTs which have the advantages of both amorphous and polycrystalline silicon TFTs, but without problem of leakage current of polycrystalline silicon TFTs. This is accomplished by selectively crystallizing a selected region of the amorphous silicon, using a pulsed excimer laser, to create a thin polycrystalline silicon layer at the silicon/gate-insulator surface. The thus created polysilicon layer has an increased mobility compared to the amorphous silicon during forward device operation so that increased drive currents are achieved. In reverse operation the polysilicon layer is relatively thin compared to the amorphous silicon, so that the transistor exhibits the low leakage currents inherent to amorphous silicon. A device made by this method can be used, for example, as a pixel switch in an active-matrix liquid crystal display to improve display refresh rates. 1 fig.

Method for producing silicon thin-film transistors with enhanced forward current drive

DOEpatents

Weiner, Kurt H.

1998-01-01

A method for fabricating amorphous silicon thin film transistors (TFTs) with a polycrystalline silicon surface channel region for enhanced forward current drive. The method is particularly adapted for producing top-gate silicon TFTs which have the advantages of both amorphous and polycrystalline silicon TFTs, but without problem of leakage current of polycrystalline silicon TFTs. This is accomplished by selectively crystallizing a selected region of the amorphous silicon, using a pulsed excimer laser, to create a thin polycrystalline silicon layer at the silicon/gate-insulator surface. The thus created polysilicon layer has an increased mobility compared to the amorphous silicon during forward device operation so that increased drive currents are achieved. In reverse operation the polysilicon layer is relatively thin compared to the amorphous silicon, so that the transistor exhibits the low leakage currents inherent to amorphous silicon. A device made by this method can be used, for example, as a pixel switch in an active-matrix liquid crystal display to improve display refresh rates.

Compensated amorphous silicon solar cell

DOEpatents

Devaud, Genevieve

1983-01-01

An amorphous silicon solar cell including an electrically conductive substrate, a layer of glow discharge deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon over said substrate and having regions of differing conductivity with at least one region of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon has opposed first and second major surfaces where the first major surface contacts the electrically conductive substrate and an electrode for electrically contacting the second major surface. The intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon region is deposited in a glow discharge with an atmosphere which includes not less than about 0.02 atom percent mono-atomic boron. An improved N.I.P. solar cell is disclosed using a BF.sub.3 doped intrinsic layer.

Tandem junction amorphous silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Hanak, Joseph J.

1981-01-01

An amorphous silicon solar cell has an active body with two or a series of layers of hydrogenated amorphous silicon arranged in a tandem stacked configuration with one optical path and electrically interconnected by a tunnel junction. The layers of hydrogenated amorphous silicon arranged in tandem configuration can have the same bandgap or differing bandgaps.

Simulation of light-induced degradation of μc-Si in a-Si/μc-Si tandem solar cells by the diode equivalent circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weicht, J. A.; Hamelmann, F. U.; Behrens, G.

2016-02-01

Silicon-based thin film tandem solar cells consist of one amorphous (a-Si) and one microcrystalline (μc-Si) silicon solar cell. The Staebler - Wronski effect describes the light- induced degradation and temperature-dependent healing of defects of silicon-based solar thin film cells. The solar cell degradation depends strongly on operation temperature. Until now, only the light-induced degradation (LID) of the amorphous layer was examined in a-Si/μc-Si solar cells. The LID is also observed in pc-Si single function solar cells. In our work we show the influence of the light-induced degradation of the μc-Si layer on the diode equivalent circuit. The current-voltage-curves (I-V-curves) for the initial state of a-Si/pc-Si modules are measured. Afterwards the cells are degraded under controlled conditions at constant temperature and constant irradiation. At fixed times the modules are measured at standard test conditions (STC) (AM1.5, 25°C cell temperature, 1000 W/m2) for controlling the status of LID. After the degradation the modules are annealed at dark conditions for several hours at 120°C. After the annealing the dangling bonds in the amorphous layer are healed, while the degradation of the pc-Si is still present, because the healing of defects in pc-Si solar cells needs longer time or higher temperatures. The solar cells are measured again at STC. With this laboratory measured I-V-curves we are able to separate the values of the diode model: series Rs and parallel resistance Rp, saturation current Is and diode factor n.

Producing thin film photovoltaic modules with high integrity interconnects and dual layer contacts

DOEpatents

Jansen, Kai W.; Maley, Nagi

2000-01-01

High performance photovoltaic modules are produced with improved interconnects by a special process. Advantageously, the photovoltaic modules have a dual layer back (rear) contact and a front contact with at least one layer. The front contact and the inner layer of the back contact can comprise a transparent conductive oxide. The outer layer of the back contact can comprise a metal or metal oxide. The front contact can also have a dielectric layer. In one form, the dual layer back contact comprises a zinc oxide inner layer and an aluminum outer layer and the front contact comprises a tin oxide inner layer and a silicon dioxide dielectric outer layer. One or more amorphous silicon-containing thin film semiconductors can be deposited between the front and back contacts. The contacts can be positioned between a substrate and an optional superstrate. During production, the transparent conductive oxide layer of the front contact is scribed by a laser, then the amorphous silicon-containing semiconductors and inner layer of the dual layer back contact are simultaneously scribed and trenched (drilled) by the laser and the trench is subsequently filled with the same metal as the outer layer of the dual layer back contact to provide a superb mechanical and electrical interconnect between the front contact and the outer layer of the dual layer back contact. The outer layer of the dual layer back contact can then be scribed by the laser. For enhanced environmental protection, the photovoltaic modules can be encapsulated.

Producing thin film photovoltaic modules with high integrity interconnects and dual layer contacts

DOEpatents

Jansen, Kai W.; Maley, Nagi

2001-01-01

High performance photovoltaic modules are produced with improved interconnects by a special process. Advantageously, the photovoltaic modules have a dual layer back (rear) contact and a front contact with at least one layer. The front contact and the inner layer of the back contact can comprise a transparent conductive oxide. The outer layer of the back contact can comprise a metal or metal oxide. The front contact can also have a dielectric layer. In one form, the dual layer back contact comprises a zinc oxide inner layer and an aluminum outer layer and the front contact comprises a tin oxide inner layer and a silicon dioxide dielectric outer layer. One or more amorphous silicon-containing thin film semiconductors can be deposited between the front and back contacts. The contacts can be positioned between a substrate and an optional superstrate. During production, the transparent conductive oxide layer of the front contact is scribed by a laser, then the amorphous silicon-containing semiconductors and inner layer of the dual layer back contact are simultaneously scribed and trenched (drilled) by the laser and the trench is subsequently filled with the same metal as the outer layer of the dual layer back contact to provide a superb mechanical and electrical interconnect between the front contact and the outer layer of the dual layer back contact. The outer layer of the dual layer back contact can then be scribed by the laser. For enhanced environmental protection, the photovoltaic modules can be encapsulated.

Crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films deposited by PECVD on nickel-metalized porous silicon.

PubMed

Ben Slama, Sonia; Hajji, Messaoud; Ezzaouia, Hatem

2012-08-17

Porous silicon layers were elaborated by electrochemical etching of heavily doped p-type silicon substrates. Metallization of porous silicon was carried out by immersion of substrates in diluted aqueous solution of nickel. Amorphous silicon thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on metalized porous layers. Deposited amorphous thin films were crystallized under vacuum at 750°C. Obtained results from structural, optical, and electrical characterizations show that thermal annealing of amorphous silicon deposited on Ni-metalized porous silicon leads to an enhancement in the crystalline quality and physical properties of the silicon thin films. The improvement in the quality of the film is due to the crystallization of the amorphous film during annealing. This simple and easy method can be used to produce silicon thin films with high quality suitable for thin film solar cell applications.

Crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films deposited by PECVD on nickel-metalized porous silicon

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Porous silicon layers were elaborated by electrochemical etching of heavily doped p-type silicon substrates. Metallization of porous silicon was carried out by immersion of substrates in diluted aqueous solution of nickel. Amorphous silicon thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on metalized porous layers. Deposited amorphous thin films were crystallized under vacuum at 750°C. Obtained results from structural, optical, and electrical characterizations show that thermal annealing of amorphous silicon deposited on Ni-metalized porous silicon leads to an enhancement in the crystalline quality and physical properties of the silicon thin films. The improvement in the quality of the film is due to the crystallization of the amorphous film during annealing. This simple and easy method can be used to produce silicon thin films with high quality suitable for thin film solar cell applications. PMID:22901341

Improved method of preparing p-i-n junctions in amorphous silicon semiconductors

DOEpatents

Madan, A.

1984-12-10

A method of preparing p/sup +/-i-n/sup +/ junctions for amorphous silicon semiconductors includes depositing amorphous silicon on a thin layer of trivalent material, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium at a temperature in the range of 200/sup 0/C to 250/sup 0/C. At this temperature, the layer of trivalent material diffuses into the amorphous silicon to form a graded p/sup +/-i junction. A layer of n-type doped material is then deposited onto the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer in a conventional manner to finish forming the p/sup +/-i-n/sup +/ junction.

Amorphous silicon solar cell allowing infrared transmission

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.

1979-01-01

An amorphous silicon solar cell with a layer of high index of refraction material or a series of layers having high and low indices of refraction material deposited upon a transparent substrate to reflect light of energies greater than the bandgap energy of the amorphous silicon back into the solar cell and transmit solar radiation having an energy less than the bandgap energy of the amorphous silicon.

Long-term leaching of photovoltaic modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nover, Jessica; Zapf-Gottwick, Renate; Feifel, Carolin; Koch, Michael; Metzger, Jörg W.; Werner, Jürgen H.

2017-08-01

Some photovoltaic module technologies use toxic materials. We report long-term leaching on photovoltaic module pieces of 5 × 5 cm2 size. The pieces are cut out from modules of the four major commercial photovoltaic technologies: crystalline and amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride as well as from copper indium gallium diselenide. To simulate different environmental conditions, leaching occurs at room temperature in three different water-based solutions with pH 3, 7, and 11. No agitation is performed to simulate more representative field conditions. After 360 days, about 1.4% of lead from crystalline silicon module pieces and 62% of cadmium from cadmium telluride module pieces are leached out in acidic solutions. The leaching depends heavily on the pH and the redox potential of the aqueous solutions and it increases with time. The leaching behavior is predictable by thermodynamic stability considerations. These predictions are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Inverted amorphous silicon solar cell utilizing cermet layers

DOEpatents

Hanak, Joseph J.

1979-01-01

An amorphous silicon solar cell incorporating a transparent high work function metal cermet incident to solar radiation and a thick film cermet contacting the amorphous silicon opposite to said incident surface.

Terrestrial photovoltaic collector technology trends

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shimada, K.; Costogue, E.

1984-01-01

Following the path of space PV collector development in its early stages, terrestrial PV technologies based upon single-crystal silicon have matured rapidly. Currently, terrestrial PV cells with efficiencies approaching space cell efficiencies are being fabricated into modules at a fraction of the space PV module cost. New materials, including CuInSe2 and amorphous silicon, are being developed for lowering the cost, and multijunction materials for achieving higher efficiency. Large grid-interactive, tracking flat-plate power systems and concentrator PV systems totaling about 10 MW, are already in operation. Collector technology development both flat-plate and concentrator, will continue under an extensive government and private industry partnership.

Electron-beam-induced information storage in hydrogenated amorphous silicon devices

DOEpatents

Yacobi, B.G.

1985-03-18

A method for recording and storing information in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon device, comprising: depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon on a substrate to form a charge collection device; and generating defects in the hydrogenated amorphous silicon device, wherein the defects act as recombination centers that reduce the lifetime of carriers, thereby reducing charge collection efficiency and thus in the charge collection mode of scanning probe instruments, regions of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon device that contain the defects appear darker in comparison to regions of the device that do not contain the defects, leading to a contrast formation for pattern recognition and information storage.

Electron-beam-induced information storage in hydrogenated amorphous silicon device

DOEpatents

Yacobi, Ben G.

1986-01-01

A method for recording and storing information in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon device, comprising: depositing hydrogenated amorphous silicon on a substrate to form a charge-collection device; and generating defects in the hydrogenated amorphous silicon device, wherein the defects act as recombination centers that reduce the lifetime of carriers, thereby reducing charge-collection efficiency; and thus in the charge-collection mode of scanning probe instruments, regions of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon device that contain the defects appear darker in comparison to regions of the device that do not contain the defects, leading to a contrast formation for pattern recognition and information storage, in the device, which darkened areas can be restored to their original charge-collection efficiency by heating the hydrogenated amorphous silicon to a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. for a sufficient period of time to provide for such restoration.

Semi-transparent solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, J.; Jasieniak, J. J.

2017-03-01

Semi-transparent solar cells are a type of technology that combines the benefits of visible light transparency and light-to-electricity conversion. One of the biggest opportunities for such technologies is in their integration as windows and skylights within energy-sustainable buildings. Currently, such building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are dominated by crystalline silicon based modules; however, the opaque nature of silicon creates a unique opportunity for the adoption of emerging photovoltaic candidates that can be made truly semi-transparent. These include: amorphous silicon-, kesterite-, chalcopyrite-, CdTe-, dye-sensitized-, organic- and perovskite- based systems. For the most part, amorphous silicon has been the workhorse in the semi-transparent solar cell field owing to its established, low-temperature fabrication processes. Excitement around alternative classes, particularly perovskites and the inorganic candidates, has recently arisen because of the major efficiency gains exhibited by these technologies. Importantly, each of these presents unique opportunities and challenges within the context of BIPV. This topic review provides an overview into the broader benefits of semi-transparent solar cells as building-integrated features, as well as providing the current development status into all of the major types of semi-transparent solar cells technologies.

Direct-patterned optical waveguides on amorphous silicon films

DOEpatents

Vernon, Steve; Bond, Tiziana C.; Bond, Steven W.; Pocha, Michael D.; Hau-Riege, Stefan

2005-08-02

An optical waveguide structure is formed by embedding a core material within a medium of lower refractive index, i.e. the cladding. The optical index of refraction of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and polycrystalline silicon (p-Si), in the wavelength range between about 1.2 and about 1.6 micrometers, differ by up to about 20%, with the amorphous phase having the larger index. Spatially selective laser crystallization of amorphous silicon provides a mechanism for controlling the spatial variation of the refractive index and for surrounding the amorphous regions with crystalline material. In cases where an amorphous silicon film is interposed between layers of low refractive index, for example, a structure comprised of a SiO.sub.2 substrate, a Si film and an SiO.sub.2 film, the formation of guided wave structures is particularly simple.

Compensated amorphous silicon solar cell

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.

1980-01-01

An amorphous silicon solar cell incorporates a region of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon fabricated by a glow discharge wherein said intrinsic region is compensated by P-type dopants in an amount sufficient to reduce the space charge density of said region under illumination to about zero.

Schottky barrier amorphous silicon solar cell with thin doped region adjacent metal Schottky barrier

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.; Wronski, Christopher R.

1979-01-01

A Schottky barrier amorphous silicon solar cell incorporating a thin highly doped p-type region of hydrogenated amorphous silicon disposed between a Schottky barrier high work function metal and the intrinsic region of hydrogenated amorphous silicon wherein said high work function metal and said thin highly doped p-type region forms a surface barrier junction with the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer. The thickness and concentration of p-type dopants in said p-type region are selected so that said p-type region is fully ionized by the Schottky barrier high work function metal. The thin highly doped p-type region has been found to increase the open circuit voltage and current of the photovoltaic device.

Polyamorphism in tetrahedral substances: Similarities between silicon and ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcez, K. M. S.; Antonelli, A.

2015-07-01

Tetrahedral substances, such as silicon, water, germanium, and silica, share various unusual phase behaviors. Among them, the so-called polyamorphism, i.e., the existence of more than one amorphous form, has been intensively investigated in the last three decades. In this work, we study the metastable relations between amorphous states of silicon in a wide range of pressures, using Monte Carlo simulations. Our results indicate that the two amorphous forms of silicon at high pressures, the high density amorphous (HDA) and the very high density amorphous (VHDA), can be decompressed from high pressure (˜20 GPa) down to the tensile regime, where both convert into the same low density amorphous. Such behavior is also observed in ice. While at high pressure (˜20 GPa), HDA is less stable than VHDA, at the pressure of 10 GPa both forms exhibit similar stability. On the other hand, at much lower pressure (˜5 GPa), HDA and VHDA are no longer the most stable forms, and, upon isobaric annealing, an even less dense form of amorphous silicon emerges, the expanded high density amorphous, again in close similarity to what occurs in ice.

Amorphous silicon ionizing particle detectors

DOEpatents

Street, Robert A.; Mendez, Victor P.; Kaplan, Selig N.

1988-01-01

Amorphous silicon ionizing particle detectors having a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a--Si:H) thin film deposited via plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition techniques are utilized to detect the presence, position and counting of high energy ionizing particles, such as electrons, x-rays, alpha particles, beta particles and gamma radiation.

RF Sputtering for preparing substantially pure amorphous silicon monohydride

DOEpatents

Jeffrey, Frank R.; Shanks, Howard R.

1982-10-12

A process for controlling the dihydride and monohydride bond densities in hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by reactive rf sputtering of an amorphous silicon target. There is provided a chamber with an amorphous silicon target and a substrate therein with the substrate and the target positioned such that when rf power is applied to the target the substrate is in contact with the sputtering plasma produced thereby. Hydrogen and argon are fed to the chamber and the pressure is reduced in the chamber to a value sufficient to maintain a sputtering plasma therein, and then rf power is applied to the silicon target to provide a power density in the range of from about 7 watts per square inch to about 22 watts per square inch to sputter an amorphous silicon hydride onto the substrate, the dihydride bond density decreasing with an increase in the rf power density. Substantially pure monohydride films may be produced.

Image quality and radiation dose on digital chest imaging: comparison of amorphous silicon and amorphous selenium flat-panel systems.

PubMed

Bacher, Klaus; Smeets, Peter; Vereecken, Ludo; De Hauwere, An; Duyck, Philippe; De Man, Robert; Verstraete, Koenraad; Thierens, Hubert

2006-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare the image quality and radiation dose in chest imaging using an amorphous silicon flat-panel detector system and an amorphous selenium flat-panel detector system. In addition, the low-contrast performance of both systems with standard and low radiation doses was compared. In two groups of 100 patients each, digital chest radiographs were acquired with either an amorphous silicon or an amorphous selenium flat-panel system. The effective dose of the examination was measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters placed in an anthropomorphic Rando phantom. The image quality of the digital chest radiographs was assessed by five experienced radiologists using the European Guidelines on Quality Criteria for Diagnostic Radiographic Images. In addition, a contrast-detail phantom study was set up to assess the low-contrast performance of both systems at different radiation dose levels. Differences between the two groups were tested for significance using the two-tailed Mann-Whitney test. The amorphous silicon flat-panel system allowed an important and significant reduction in effective dose in comparison with the amorphous selenium flat-panel system (p < 0.0001) for both the posteroanterior and lateral views. In addition, clinical image quality analysis showed that the dose reduction was not detrimental to image quality. Compared with the amorphous selenium flat-panel detector system, the amorphous silicon flat-panel detector system performed significantly better in the low-contrast phantom study, with phantom entrance dose values of up to 135 muGy. Chest radiographs can be acquired with a significantly lower patient radiation dose using an amorphous silicon flat-panel system than using an amorphous selenium flat-panel system, thereby producing images that are equal or even superior in quality to those of the amorphous selenium flat-panel detector system.

Lifetime of excitons localized in Si nanocrystals in amorphous silicon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gusev, O. B.; Belolipetskiy, A. V., E-mail: alexey.belolipetskiy@mail.ioffe.ru; Yassievich, I. N.

2016-05-15

The introduction of nanocrystals plays an important role in improving the stability of the amorphous silicon films and increasing the carrier mobility. Here we report results of the study on the photoluminescence and its dynamics in the films of amorphous hydrogenated silicon containing less than 10% of silicon nanocrystals. The comparing of the obtained experimental results with the calculated probability of the resonant tunneling of the excitons localized in silicon nanocrystals is presented. Thus, it has been estimated that the short lifetime of excitons localized in Si nanocrystal is controlled by the resonant tunneling to the nearest tail state ofmore » the amorphous matrix.« less

Electrical detection of electron-spin-echo envelope modulations in thin-film silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, M.; Behrends, J.; Haas, S.; Rech, B.; Lips, K.; Schnegg, A.

2011-11-01

Electrically detected electron-spin-echo envelope modulations (ED-ESEEM) were employed to detect hyperfine interactions between nuclear spins and paramagnetic sites, determining spin-dependent transport processes in multilayer thin-film microcrystalline silicon solar cells. Electrical detection in combination with a modified Hahn-echo sequence was used to measure echo modulations induced by 29Si, 31P, and 1H nuclei weakly coupled to electron spins of paramagnetic sites in the amorphous and microcrystalline solar cell layers. In the case of CE centers in the μc-Si:H i-layer, the absence of 1H ESEEM modulations indicates that the adjacencies of CE centers are depleted from hydrogen atoms. On the basis of this result, we discuss several models for the microscopic origin of the CE center and conclusively assign those centers to coherent twin boundaries inside of crystalline grains in μc-Si:H.

Amorphous silicon ionizing particle detectors

DOEpatents

Street, R.A.; Mendez, V.P.; Kaplan, S.N.

1988-11-15

Amorphous silicon ionizing particle detectors having a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a--Si:H) thin film deposited via plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition techniques are utilized to detect the presence, position and counting of high energy ionizing particles, such as electrons, x-rays, alpha particles, beta particles and gamma radiation. 15 figs.

Hydrogen ion microlithography

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Y. Simon; Deb, Satyen K.

1990-01-01

Disclosed is a hydrogen ion microlithography process for use in microelectronic fabrication and semiconductor device processing. The process comprises the steps of providing a single layer of either an amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon material. A pattern is recorded in a selected layer of amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon materials by preferentially implanting hydrogen ions therein so as to permit the selected layer to serve as a mask-resist wafer suitable for subsequent development and device fabrication. The layer is developed to provide a surface pattern therein adaptable for subsequent use in microelectronic fabrication and semiconductor device processing.

From amorphous to nanocrystalline: the effect of nanograins in amorphous matrix on the thermal conductivity of hot-wire chemical-vapor deposited silicon films

DOE PAGES

Kearney, B. T.; Jugdersuren, B.; Queen, D. R.; ...

2017-12-28

Here, we have measured the thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films with varying crystalline content from 85K to room temperature. The films were prepared by the hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition, where the crystalline volume fraction is determined by the hydrogen (H2) dilution ratio to the processing silane gas (SiH4), R=H2/SiH4. We varied R from 1 to 10, where the films transform from amorphous for R < 3 to mostly nanocrystalline for larger R. Structural analyses show that the nanograins, averaging from 2 to 9nm in sizes with increasing R, are dispersed in the amorphous matrix. The crystalline volume fractionmore » increases from 0 to 65% as R increases from 1 to 10. The thermal conductivities of the two amorphous silicon films are similar and consistent with the most previous reports with thicknesses no larger than a few um deposited by a variety of techniques. The thermal conductivities of the three nanocrystalline silicon films are also similar, but are about 50-70% higher than those of their amorphous counterparts. The heat conduction in nanocrystalline silicon films can be understood as the combined contribution in both amorphous and nanocrystalline phases, where increased conduction through improved nanocrystalline percolation path outweighs increased interface scattering between silicon nanocrystals and the amorphous matrix.« less

From amorphous to nanocrystalline: the effect of nanograins in amorphous matrix on the thermal conductivity of hot-wire chemical-vapor deposited silicon films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kearney, B. T.; Jugdersuren, B.; Queen, D. R.

Here, we have measured the thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films with varying crystalline content from 85K to room temperature. The films were prepared by the hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition, where the crystalline volume fraction is determined by the hydrogen (H2) dilution ratio to the processing silane gas (SiH4), R=H2/SiH4. We varied R from 1 to 10, where the films transform from amorphous for R < 3 to mostly nanocrystalline for larger R. Structural analyses show that the nanograins, averaging from 2 to 9nm in sizes with increasing R, are dispersed in the amorphous matrix. The crystalline volume fractionmore » increases from 0 to 65% as R increases from 1 to 10. The thermal conductivities of the two amorphous silicon films are similar and consistent with the most previous reports with thicknesses no larger than a few um deposited by a variety of techniques. The thermal conductivities of the three nanocrystalline silicon films are also similar, but are about 50-70% higher than those of their amorphous counterparts. The heat conduction in nanocrystalline silicon films can be understood as the combined contribution in both amorphous and nanocrystalline phases, where increased conduction through improved nanocrystalline percolation path outweighs increased interface scattering between silicon nanocrystals and the amorphous matrix.« less

Progress in amorphous silicon based large-area multijunction modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, D. E.; Arya, R. R.; Bennett, M.; Chen, L.-F.; Jansen, K.; Li, Y.-M.; Maley, N.; Morris, J.; Newton, J.; Oswald, R. S.; Rajan, K.; Vezzetti, D.; Willing, F.; Yang, L.

1996-01-01

Solarex, a business unit of Amoco/Enron Solar, is scaling up its a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H tandem device technology for the production of 8 ft2 modules. The current R&D effort is focused on improving the performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness of the tandem junction technology by systematically optimizing the materials and interfaces in small-area single- and tandem junction cells. Average initial conversion efficiencies of 8.8% at 85% yield have been obtained in pilot production runs with 4 ft2 tandem modules.

Solar cells with gallium phosphide/silicon heterojunction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darnon, Maxime; Varache, Renaud; Descazeaux, Médéric; Quinci, Thomas; Martin, Mickaël; Baron, Thierry; Muñoz, Delfina

2015-09-01

One of the limitations of current amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells is electrical and optical losses in the front transparent conductive oxide and amorphous silicon layers that limit the short circuit current. We propose to grow a thin (5 to 20 nm) crystalline Gallium Phosphide (GaP) by epitaxy on silicon to form a more transparent and more conducting emitter in place of the front amorphous silicon layers. We show that a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is still necessary to laterally collect the current with thin GaP emitter. Larger contact resistance of GaP/TCO increases the series resistance compared to amorphous silicon. With the current process, losses in the IR region associated with silicon degradation during the surface preparation preceding GaP deposition counterbalance the gain from the UV region. A first cell efficiency of 9% has been obtained on ˜5×5 cm2 polished samples.

Amorphization and reduction of thermal conductivity in porous silicon by irradiation with swift heavy ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newby, Pascal J.; Canut, Bruno; Bluet, Jean-Marie; Gomès, Séverine; Isaiev, Mykola; Burbelo, Roman; Termentzidis, Konstantinos; Chantrenne, Patrice; Fréchette, Luc G.; Lysenko, Vladimir

2013-07-01

In this article, we demonstrate that the thermal conductivity of nanostructured porous silicon is reduced by amorphization and also that this amorphous phase in porous silicon can be created by swift (high-energy) heavy ion irradiation. Porous silicon samples with 41%-75% porosity are irradiated with 110 MeV uranium ions at six different fluences. Structural characterisation by micro-Raman spectroscopy and SEM imaging show that swift heavy ion irradiation causes the creation of an amorphous phase in porous Si but without suppressing its porous structure. We demonstrate that the amorphization of porous silicon is caused by electronic-regime interactions, which is the first time such an effect is obtained in crystalline silicon with single-ion species. Furthermore, the impact on the thermal conductivity of porous silicon is studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy and scanning thermal microscopy. The creation of an amorphous phase in porous silicon leads to a reduction of its thermal conductivity, up to a factor of 3 compared to the non-irradiated sample. Therefore, this technique could be used to enhance the thermal insulation properties of porous Si. Finally, we show that this treatment can be combined with pre-oxidation at 300 °C, which is known to lower the thermal conductivity of porous Si, in order to obtain an even greater reduction.

Atomic-Layer-Deposited Transparent Electrodes for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Demaurex, Benedicte; Seif, Johannes P.; Smit, Sjoerd; ...

2014-11-01

We examine damage-free transparent-electrode deposition to fabricate high-efficiency amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells. Such solar cells usually feature sputtered transparent electrodes, the deposition of which may damage the layers underneath. Using atomic layer deposition, we insert thin protective films between the amorphous silicon layers and sputtered contacts and investigate their effect on device operation. We find that a 20-nm-thick protective layer suffices to preserve, unchanged, the amorphous silicon layers beneath. Insertion of such protective atomic-layer-deposited layers yields slightly higher internal voltages at low carrier injection levels. However, we identify the presence of a silicon oxide layer, formed during processing,more » between the amorphous silicon and the atomic-layer-deposited transparent electrode that acts as a barrier, impeding hole and electron collection.« less

Hydrogen ion microlithography

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Y.S.; Deb, S.K.

1990-10-02

Disclosed is a hydrogen ion microlithography process for use in microelectronic fabrication and semiconductor device processing. The process comprises the steps of providing a single layer of either an amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon material. A pattern is recorded in a selected layer of amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon materials by preferentially implanting hydrogen ions therein so as to permit the selected layer to serve as a mask-resist wafer suitable for subsequent development and device fabrication. The layer is developed to provide a surface pattern therein adaptable for subsequent use in microelectronic fabrication and semiconductor device processing. 6 figs.

Gamma radiation effects on silicon photonic waveguides.

PubMed

Grillanda, Stefano; Singh, Vivek; Raghunathan, Vivek; Morichetti, Francesco; Melloni, Andrea; Kimerling, Lionel; Agarwal, Anuradha M

2016-07-01

To support the use of integrated photonics in harsh environments, such as outer space, the hardness threshold to high-energy radiation must be established. Here, we investigate the effects of gamma (γ) rays, with energy in the MeV-range, on silicon photonic waveguides. By irradiation of high-quality factor amorphous silicon core resonators, we measure the impact of γ rays on the materials incorporated in our waveguide system, namely amorphous silicon, silicon dioxide, and polymer. While we show the robustness of amorphous silicon and silicon dioxide up to an absorbed dose of 15 Mrad, more than 100× higher than previous reports on crystalline silicon, polymer materials exhibit changes with doses as low as 1 Mrad.

Thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jugdersuren, B.; Kearney, B. T.; Queen, D. R.

We report 3..omega.. thermal conductivity measurements of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin films from 85 to 300 K prepared by hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition, where the crystallinity of the films is controlled by the hydrogen dilution during growth. The thermal conductivity of the amorphous silicon film is in agreement with several previous reports of amorphous silicon prepared by a variety of deposition techniques. The thermal conductivity of the as-grown nanocrystalline silicon film is 70% higher and increases 35% more after an anneal at 600 degrees C. They all have similarly weak temperature dependence. Structural analysis shows that the as-grown nanocrystalline siliconmore » is approximately 60% crystalline, nanograins and grain boundaries included. The nanograins, averaging 9.1 nm in diameter in the as-grown film, are embedded in an amorphous matrix. The grain size increases to 9.7 nm upon annealing, accompanied by the disappearance of the amorphous phase. We extend the models of grain boundary scattering of phonons with two different non-Debye dispersion relations to explain our result of nanocrystalline silicon, confirming the strong grain size dependence of heat transport for nanocrystalline materials. However, the similarity in thermal conductivity between amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon suggests the heat transport mechanisms in both structures may not be as dissimilar as we currently understand.« less

Tritiated amorphous silicon for micropower applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kherani, N.P.; Kosteski, T.; Zukotynski, S.

1995-10-01

The application of tritiated amorphous silicon as an intrinsic energy conversion semiconductor for radioluminescent structures and betavoltaic devices is presented. Theoretical analysis of the betavoltaic application shows an overall efficiency of 18% for tritiated amorphous silicon. This is equivalent to a 330 Ci intrinsic betavoltaic device producing 1 mW of power for 12 years. Photoluminescence studies of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, a-Si:H, show emission in the infra-red with a maximum quantum efficiency of 7.2% at 50 K; this value drops by 3 orders of magnitude at a temperature of 300 K. Similar studies of hydrogenated amorphous carbon show emission in themore » visible with an estimated quantum efficiency of 1% at 300 K. These results suggest that tritiated amorphous carbon may be the more promising candidate for room temperature radioluminescence in the visible. 18 refs., 5 figs.« less

Design of high-reliability low-cost amorphous silicon modules for high energy yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, Kai W.; Varvar, Anthony; Twesme, Edward; Berens, Troy; Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2008-08-01

For PV modules to fulfill their intended purpose, they must generate sufficient economic return over their lifetime to justify their initial cost. Not only must modules be manufactured at a low cost/Wp with a high energy yield (kWh/kWp), they must also be designed to withstand the significant environmental stresses experienced throughout their 25+ year lifetime. Based on field experience, the most common factors affecting the lifetime energy yield of glass-based amorphous silicon (a-Si) modules have been identified; these include: 1) light-induced degradation; 2) moisture ingress and thin film corrosion; 3) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) delamination; and 4) glass breakage. The current approaches to mitigating the effect of these degradation mechanisms are discussed and the accelerated tests designed to simulate some of the field failures are described. In some cases, novel accelerated tests have been created to facilitate the development of improved manufacturing processes, including a unique test to screen for TCO delamination. Modules using the most reliable designs are tested in high voltage arrays at customer and internal test sites, as well as at independent laboratories. Data from tests at the Florida Solar Energy Center has shown that a-Si tandem modules can demonstrate an energy yield exceeding 1200 kWh/kWp/yr in a subtropical climate. In the same study, the test arrays demonstrated low long-term power loss over two years of data collection, after initial stabilization. The absolute power produced by the test arrays varied seasonally by approximately +/-7%, as expected.

Amorphization and reduction of thermal conductivity in porous silicon by irradiation with swift heavy ions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Newby, Pascal J.; Institut Interdisciplinaire d'Innovation Technologique; Canut, Bruno

2013-07-07

In this article, we demonstrate that the thermal conductivity of nanostructured porous silicon is reduced by amorphization and also that this amorphous phase in porous silicon can be created by swift (high-energy) heavy ion irradiation. Porous silicon samples with 41%-75% porosity are irradiated with 110 MeV uranium ions at six different fluences. Structural characterisation by micro-Raman spectroscopy and SEM imaging show that swift heavy ion irradiation causes the creation of an amorphous phase in porous Si but without suppressing its porous structure. We demonstrate that the amorphization of porous silicon is caused by electronic-regime interactions, which is the first timemore » such an effect is obtained in crystalline silicon with single-ion species. Furthermore, the impact on the thermal conductivity of porous silicon is studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy and scanning thermal microscopy. The creation of an amorphous phase in porous silicon leads to a reduction of its thermal conductivity, up to a factor of 3 compared to the non-irradiated sample. Therefore, this technique could be used to enhance the thermal insulation properties of porous Si. Finally, we show that this treatment can be combined with pre-oxidation at 300 Degree-Sign C, which is known to lower the thermal conductivity of porous Si, in order to obtain an even greater reduction.« less

Heterogeneous silicon mesostructures for lipid-supported bioelectric interfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, Yuanwen; Carvalho-de-Souza, João L.; Wong, Raymond C. S.

Silicon-based materials have widespread application as biophysical tools and biomedical devices. Here we introduce a biocompatible and degradable mesostructured form of silicon with multi-scale structural and chemical heterogeneities. The material was synthesized using mesoporous silica as a template through a chemical vapour deposition process. It has an amorphous atomic structure, an ordered nanowire-based framework and random submicrometre voids, and shows an average Young’s modulus that is 2–3 orders of magnitude smaller than that of single-crystalline silicon. In addition, we used the heterogeneous silicon mesostructures to design a lipid-bilayer-supported bioelectric interface that is remotely controlled and temporally transient, and that permitsmore » non-genetic and subcellular optical modulation of the electrophysiology dynamics in single dorsal root ganglia neurons. Our findings suggest that the biomimetic expansion of silicon into heterogeneous and deformable forms can open up opportunities in extracellular biomaterial or bioelectric systems.« less

Heterogeneous silicon mesostructures for lipid-supported bioelectric interfaces

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yuanwen; Carvalho-de-Souza, João L.; Wong, Raymond C. S.; Luo, Zhiqiang; Isheim, Dieter; Zuo, Xiaobing; Nicholls, Alan W.; Jung, Il Woong; Yue, Jiping; Liu, Di-Jia; Wang, Yucai; De Andrade, Vincent; Xiao, Xianghui; Navrazhnykh, Luizetta; Weiss, Dara E.; Wu, Xiaoyang; Seidman, David N.; Bezanilla, Francisco; Tian, Bozhi

2017-01-01

Silicon-based materials have widespread application as biophysical tools and biomedical devices. Here we introduce a biocompatible and degradable mesostructured form of silicon with multiscale structural and chemical heterogeneities. The material was synthesized using mesoporous silica as a template through a chemical-vapor-deposition process. It has an amorphous atomic structure, an ordered nanowire-based framework, and random submicrometre voids, and shows an average Young’s modulus that is 2–3 orders of magnitude smaller than that of single crystalline silicon. In addition, we used the heterogeneous silicon mesostructures to design a lipid-bilayer-supported bioelectric interface that is remotely controlled and temporally transient, and that permits non-genetic and subcellular optical modulation of the electrophysiology dynamics in single dorsal root ganglia neurons. Our findings suggest that the biomimetic expansion of silicon into heterogeneous and deformable forms can open up opportunities in extracellular biomaterial or bioelectric systems. PMID:27348576

Superlattice doped layers for amorphous silicon photovoltaic cells

DOEpatents

Arya, Rajeewa R.

1988-01-12

Superlattice doped layers for amorphous silicon photovoltaic cells comprise a plurality of first and second lattices of amorphous silicon alternatingly formed on one another. Each of the first lattices has a first optical bandgap and each of the second lattices has a second optical bandgap different from the first optical bandgap. A method of fabricating the superlattice doped layers also is disclosed.

Method for improving the stability of amorphous silicon

DOEpatents

Branz, Howard M.

2004-03-30

A method of producing a metastable degradation resistant amorphous hydrogenated silicon film is provided, which comprises the steps of growing a hydrogenated amorphous silicon film, the film having an exposed surface, illuminating the surface using an essentially blue or ultraviolet light to form high densities of a light induced defect near the surface, and etching the surface to remove the defect.

Sputtered pin amorphous silicon semi-conductor device and method therefor

DOEpatents

Moustakas, Theodore D.; Friedman, Robert A.

1983-11-22

A high efficiency amorphous silicon PIN semi-conductor device is constructed by the sequential sputtering of N, I and P layers of amorphous silicon and at least one semi-transparent ohmic electrode. A method of construction produces a PIN device, exhibiting enhanced physical integrity and facilitates ease of construction in a singular vacuum system and vacuum pump down procedure.

Oxygen ion-beam microlithography

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Y.S.

1991-08-20

A method of providing and developing a resist on a substrate for constructing integrated circuit (IC) chips includes the following steps: of depositing a thin film of amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon on the substrate and exposing portions of the amorphous silicon to low-energy oxygen ion beams to oxidize the amorphous silicon at those selected portions. The nonoxidized portions are then removed by etching with RF-excited hydrogen plasma. Components of the IC chip can then be constructed through the removed portions of the resist. The entire process can be performed in an in-line vacuum production system having several vacuum chambers. Nitrogen or carbon ion beams can also be used. 5 figures.

Oxygen ion-beam microlithography

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Y. Simon

1991-01-01

A method of providing and developing a resist on a substrate for constructing integrated circuit (IC) chips includes the following steps: of depositing a thin film of amorphous silicon or hydrogenated amorphous silicon on the substrate and exposing portions of the amorphous silicon to low-energy oxygen ion beams to oxidize the amorphous silicon at those selected portions. The nonoxidized portions are then removed by etching with RF-excited hydrogen plasma. Components of the IC chip can then be constructed through the removed portions of the resist. The entire process can be performed in an in-line vacuum production system having several vacuum chambers. Nitrogen or carbon ion beams can also be used.

In situ observation of shear-driven amorphization in silicon crystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

He, Yang; Zhong, Li; Fan, Feifei

Amorphous materials have attracted great interest in the scientific and technological fields. An amorphous solid usually forms under the externally driven conditions of melt-quenching, irradiation and severe mechanical deformation. However, its dynamic formation process remains elusive. Here we report the in situ atomic-scale observation of dynamic amorphization processes during mechanical straining of nanoscale silicon crystals by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). We observe the shear-driven amorphization (SDA) occurring in a dominant shear band. The SDA involves a sequence of processes starting with the shear-induced diamond-cubic to diamond-hexagonal phase transition that is followed by dislocation nucleation and accumulation in themore » newly formed phase, leading to the formation of amorphous silicon. The SDA formation through diamond-hexagonal phase is rationalized by its structural conformity with the order in the paracrystalline amorphous silicon, which maybe widely applied to diamond-cubic materials. Besides, the activation of SDA is orientation-dependent through the competition between full dislocation nucleation and partial gliding.« less

The Status and Outlook for the Photovoltaics Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, David

2006-03-01

The first silicon solar cell was made at Bell Labs in 1954, and over the following decades, shipments of photovoltaic (PV) modules increased at a rate of about 18% annually. In the last several years, the annual growth rate has increased to ˜ 35% due largely to government-supported programs in Japan and Germany. Silicon technology has dominated the PV industry since its inception, and in 2005 about 65% of all solar cells were made from polycrystalline (or multicrystalline) silicon, 24% from monocrystalline silicon and ˜ 4% from ribbon silicon. While conversion efficiencies as high as 24.7% have been obtained in the laboratory for silicon solar cells, the best efficiencies for commercial PV modules are in the range of 17 18% (the efficiency limit for a silicon solar cell is ˜ 29%). A number of companies are commercializing solar cells based on other materials such as amorphous silicon, microcrystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS), gallium arsenide (and related compounds) and dye- sensitized titanium oxide. Thin film CIGS solar cells have been fabricated with conversion efficiencies as high as 19.5% while efficiencies as high as 39% have been demonstrated for a GaInP/Ga(In)As/Ge triple-junction cell operating at a concentration of 236 suns. Thin film solar cells are being used in consumer products and in some building-integrated applications, while PV concentrator systems are being tested in grid-connected arrays located in high solar insolation areas. Nonetheless, crystalline silicon PV technology is likely to dominate the terrestrial market for at least the next decade with module efficiencies > 20% and module prices of < 1/Wp expected by 2020, which in turn should allow significant penetration of the utility grid market. However, crystalline silicon solar cells may be challenged in the next decade or two by new low-cost, high performance devices based on organic materials and nanotechnology.

Method for sputtering a PIN microcrystalline/amorphous silicon semiconductor device with the P and N-layers sputtered from boron and phosphorous heavily doped targets

DOEpatents

Moustakas, Theodore D.; Maruska, H. Paul

1985-04-02

A silicon PIN microcrystalline/amorphous silicon semiconductor device is constructed by the sputtering of N, and P layers of silicon from silicon doped targets and the I layer from an undoped target, and at least one semi-transparent ohmic electrode.

Room temperature visible photoluminescence of silicon nanocrystallites embedded in amorphous silicon carbide matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coscia, U.; Ambrosone, G.; Basa, D. K.

2008-03-01

The nanocrystalline silicon embedded in amorphous silicon carbide matrix was prepared by varying rf power in high vacuum plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system using silane methane gas mixture highly diluted in hydrogen. In this paper, we have studied the evolution of the structural, optical, and electrical properties of this material as a function of rf power. We have observed visible photoluminescence at room temperature and also have discussed the role played by the Si nanocrystallites and the amorphous silicon carbide matrix. The decrease of the nanocrystalline size, responsible for quantum confinement effect, facilitated by the amorphous silicon carbide matrix, is shown to be the primary cause for the increase in the PL intensity, blueshift of the PL peak position, decrease of the PL width (full width at half maximum) as well as the increase of the optical band gap and the decrease of the dark conductivity.

Diamond Composite Films for Protective Coatings on Metals and Method of Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ong, Tiong P. (Inventor); Shing, Yuh-Han (Inventor)

1997-01-01

Composite films consisting of diamond crystallites and hard amorphous films such as diamond-like carbon, titanium nitride, and titanium oxide are provided as protective coatings for metal substrates against extremely harsh environments. A composite layer having diamond crystallites and a hard amorphous film is affixed to a metal substrate via an interlayer including a bottom metal silicide film and a top silicon carbide film. The interlayer is formed either by depositing metal silicide and silicon carbide directly onto the metal substrate, or by first depositing an amorphous silicon film, then allowing top and bottom portions of the amorphous silicon to react during deposition of the diamond crystallites, to yield the desired interlayer structure.

Design and operation of grid-interactive thin-film silicon PV systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marion, Bill; Atmaram, Gobind; Lashway, Clin; Strachan, John W.

Results are described from the operation of 11 thin-film amorphous silicon photovoltaic systems at three test facilities: the Florida Solar Energy Center, the New Mexico Solar Energy Institute, and Sandia National Laboratories. Commercially available modules from four US manufacturers are used in these systems, with array sizes from 133 to 750 W peak. Measured array efficiencies are from 3.1 to 4.8 percent. Except for one manufacturer, array peak power is in agreement with the calculated design ratings. For certain grid-connected systems, nonoptimal operation exists because the array peak power voltage is below the lower voltage limit of the power conditioning system. Reliability problems are found in two manufacturers' modules when shorts to ground and terminal corrosion occur. Array leakage current data are presented.

The dependence of the Tauc and Cody optical gaps associated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon on the film thickness: αl Experimental limitations and the impact of curvature in the Tauc and Cody plots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mok, Tat M.; O'Leary, Stephen K.

2007-12-01

Using a model for the optical spectrum associated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon, explicitly taking into account fundamental experimental limitations encountered, we theoretically determine the dependence of the Tauc and Cody optical gaps associated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon on the thickness of the film. We compare these results with that obtained from experiment. We find that the curvature in the Tauc plot plays a significant role in influencing the determination of the Tauc optical gap associated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon, thus affirming an earlier hypothesis of Cody et al. We also find that the spectral dependence of the refractive index plays an important role in influencing the determination of the Cody optical gap. It is thus clear that care must be exercised when drawing conclusions from the dependence of the Tauc and Cody optical gaps associated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon on the thickness of the film.

RF sputtering for controlling dihydride and monohydride bond densities in amorphous silicon hydride

DOEpatents

Jeffery, F.R.; Shanks, H.R.

1980-08-26

A process is described for controlling the dihydride and monohydride bond densities in hydrogenated amorphous silicone produced by reactive rf sputtering of an amorphous silicon target. There is provided a chamber with an amorphous silicon target and a substrate therein with the substrate and the target positioned such that when rf power is applied to the target the substrate is in contact with the sputtering plasma produced thereby. Hydrogen and argon are fed to the chamber and the pressure is reduced in the chamber to a value sufficient to maintain a sputtering plasma therein, and then rf power is applied to the silicon target to provide a power density in the range of from about 7 watts per square inch to about 22 watts per square inch to sputter an amorphous solicone hydride onto the substrate, the dihydride bond density decreasing with an increase in the rf power density. Substantially pure monohydride films may be produced.

Electron tunnelling into amorphous germanium and silicon.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, C. W.; Clark, A. H.

1972-01-01

Measurements of tunnel conductance versus bias, capacitance versus bias, and internal photoemission were made in the systems aluminum-oxide-amorphous germanium and aluminium-oxide-amorphous silicon. A function was extracted which expresses the deviation of these systems from the aluminium-oxide-aluminium system.

Electron beam recrystallization of amorphous semiconductor materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, J. C., Jr.

1968-01-01

Nucleation and growth of crystalline films of silicon, germanium, and cadmium sulfide on substrates of plastic and glass were investigated. Amorphous films of germanium, silicon, and cadmium sulfide on amorphous substrates of glass and plastic were converted to the crystalline condition by electron bombardment.

Thermal decomposition of silane to form hydrogenated amorphous Si

DOEpatents

Strongin, M.; Ghosh, A.K.; Wiesmann, H.J.; Rock, E.B.; Lutz, H.A. III

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is produced by thermally decomposing silane (SiH/sub 4/) or other gases comprising H and Si, at elevated temperatures of about 1700 to 2300/sup 0/C, in a vacuum of about 10/sup -8/ to 10/sup -4/ torr. A gaseous mixture is formed of atomic hydrogen and atomic silicon. The gaseous mixture is deposited onto a substrate to form hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Amorphous-silicon module intercell corrosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mon, G. R.; Ross, R. G.

1987-06-01

Three non-electrochemical, moisture-induced a-Si module degradation modes have been observed and their mechanisms studied: (1) the formation and growth of pinholes in the thin-film layers; (2) the directional interfusion of pinholes along process scribe lines to form metallization-free regions that tend to open-circuit the module; and (3) worm-like filiform corrosion in the aluminum layer. The dependency on time-of-exposure to moist environments of the amount of material erosion in the module intercell zone has been quantified by two methods—directly by EDS analysis, and indirectly by sheet resistivity measurements on fully aluminized back surface modules. In addition, changes in maximum power output, series resistance, and open circuit voltage have been documented. Consequences for fielded modules are discussed.

Buried oxide layer in silicon

DOEpatents

Sadana, Devendra Kumar; Holland, Orin Wayne

2001-01-01

A process for forming Silicon-On-Insulator is described incorporating the steps of ion implantation of oxygen into a silicon substrate at elevated temperature, ion implanting oxygen at a temperature below 200.degree. C. at a lower dose to form an amorphous silicon layer, and annealing steps to form a mixture of defective single crystal silicon and polycrystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon alone and then silicon oxide from the amorphous silicon layer to form a continuous silicon oxide layer below the surface of the silicon substrate to provide an isolated superficial layer of silicon. The invention overcomes the problem of buried isolated islands of silicon oxide forming a discontinuous buried oxide layer.

Advanced photovoltaic power systems using tandem GaAs/GaSb concentrator modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fraas, L. M.; Kuryla, M. S.; Pietila, D. A.; Sundaram, V. S.; Gruenbaum, P. E.; Avery, J. E.; Dihn, V.; Ballantyne, R.; Samuel, C.

1992-01-01

In 1989, Boeing announced the fabrication of a tandem gallium concentrator solar cell with an energy conversion efficiency of 30 percent. This research breakthrough has now led to panels which are significantly smaller, lighter, more radiation resistant, and potentially less expensive than the traditional silicon flat plate electric power supply. The new Boeing tandem concentrator (BTC) module uses an array of lightweight silicone Fresnel lenses mounted on the front side of a light weight aluminum honeycomb structure to focus sunlight onto small area solar cells mounted on a thin back plane. This module design is shown schematically. The tandem solar cell in this new module consists of a gallium arsenide light sensitive cell with a 24 percent energy conversion efficiency stacked on top of a gallium antimonide infrared sensitive cell with a conversion efficiency of 6 percent. This gives a total efficiency 30 percent for the cell-stack. The lens optical efficiency is typically 85 percent. Discounting for efficiency losses associated with lens packing, cell wiring, and cell operating temperature still allows for a module efficiency of 22 percent which leads to a module power density of 300 Watts/sq. m. This performance provides more than twice the power density available from a single crystal silicon flat plate module and at least four times the power density available from amorphous silicon modules. The fact that the lenses are only 0.010 ft. thick and the aluminum foil back plane is only 0.003 ft. thick leads to a very lightweight module. Although the cells are an easy to handle thickness of 0.020 ft., the fact that they are small, occupying one-twenty-fifth of the module area, means that they add little to the module weight. After summing all the module weights and given the high module power, we find that we are able to fabricate BTC modules with specific power of 100 watts/kg.

Laterally inherently thin amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chowdhury, Zahidur R., E-mail: zr.chowdhury@utoronto.ca; Kherani, Nazir P., E-mail: kherani@ecf.utoronto.ca

2014-12-29

This article reports on an amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunction photovoltaic cell concept wherein the heterojunction regions are laterally narrow and distributed amidst a backdrop of well-passivated crystalline silicon surface. The localized amorphous-crystalline silicon heterojunctions consisting of the laterally thin emitter and back-surface field regions are precisely aligned under the metal grid-lines and bus-bars while the remaining crystalline silicon surface is passivated using the recently proposed facile grown native oxide–plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposited silicon nitride passivation scheme. The proposed cell concept mitigates parasitic optical absorption losses by relegating amorphous silicon to beneath the shadowed metallized regions and by using optically transparentmore » passivation layer. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 13.6% is obtained for an untextured proof-of-concept cell illuminated under AM 1.5 global spectrum; the specific cell performance parameters are V{sub OC} of 666 mV, J{sub SC} of 29.5 mA-cm{sup −2}, and fill-factor of 69.3%. Reduced parasitic absorption, predominantly in the shorter wavelength range, is confirmed with external quantum efficiency measurement.« less

Thin-film module circuit design: Practical and reliability aspects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daiello, R. V.; Twesme, E. N.

1985-01-01

This paper will address several aspects of the design and construction of submodules based on thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) p i n solar cells. Starting from presently attainable single cell characteristics, and a realistic set of specifications, practical module designs are discussed from the viewpoints of efficient designs, the fabrication requirements, and reliability concerns. The examples center mostly on series interconnected modules of the superstrate type with detailed discussions of each portion of the structure in relation to its influence on module efficiency. Emphasis is placed on engineering topics such as: area coverage, optimal geometries, and cost and reliability. Practical constraints on achieving optimal designs, along with some examples of potential pitfalls in the manufacture and subsequent performance of a-Si modules are discussed.

Formation of iron disilicide on amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erlesand, U.; Östling, M.; Bodén, K.

1991-11-01

Thin films of iron disilicide, β-FeSi 2 were formed on both amorphous silicon and on crystalline silicon. The β-phase is reported to be semiconducting with a direct band-gap of about 0.85-0.89 eV. This phase is known to form via a nucleation-controlled growth process on crystalline silicon and as a consequence a rather rough silicon/silicide interface is usually formed. In order to improve the interface a bilayer structure of amorphous silicon and iron was sequentially deposited on Czochralski <111> silicon in an e-gun evaporation system. Secondary ion mass spectrometry profiling (SIMS) and scanning electron micrographs revealed an improvement of the interface sharpness. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and X-ray diffractiometry showed β-FeSi 2 formation already at 525°C. It was also observed that the silicide growth was diffusion-controlled, similar to what has been reported for example in the formation of NiSi 2 for the reaction of nickel on amorphous silicon. The kinetics of the FeSi 2 formation in the temperature range 525-625°C was studied by RBS and the activation energy was found to be 1.5 ± 0.1 eV.

Method of forming buried oxide layers in silicon

DOEpatents

Sadana, Devendra Kumar; Holland, Orin Wayne

2000-01-01

A process for forming Silicon-On-Insulator is described incorporating the steps of ion implantation of oxygen into a silicon substrate at elevated temperature, ion implanting oxygen at a temperature below 200.degree. C. at a lower dose to form an amorphous silicon layer, and annealing steps to form a mixture of defective single crystal silicon and polycrystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon alone and then silicon oxide from the amorphous silicon layer to form a continuous silicon oxide layer below the surface of the silicon substrate to provide an isolated superficial layer of silicon. The invention overcomes the problem of buried isolated islands of silicon oxide forming a discontinuous buried oxide layer.

Thermal decomposition of silane to form hydrogenated amorphous Si film

DOEpatents

Strongin, Myron; Ghosh, Arup K.; Wiesmann, Harold J.; Rock, Edward B.; Lutz, III, Harry A.

1980-01-01

This invention relates to hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by thermally decomposing silano (SiH.sub.4) or other gases comprising H and Si, at elevated temperatures of about 1700.degree.-2300.degree. C., and preferably in a vacuum of about 10.sup.-8 to 10.sup.-4 torr, to form a gaseous mixture of atomic hydrogen and atomic silicon, and depositing said gaseous mixture onto a substrate outside said source of thermal decomposition to form hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Laser-induced amorphization of silicon during pulsed-laser irradiation of TiN/Ti/polycrystalline silicon/SiO2/silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, Y. F.; Pey, K. L.; Wee, A. T. S.; Thompson, M. O.; Tung, C. H.; See, A.

2002-11-01

In this letter, we report on the complex solidification structures formed during laser irradiation of a titanium nitride/titanium/polycrystalline silicon/silicon dioxide/silicon film stack. Due to enhanced optical coupling, the titanium nitride/titanium capping layer increases the melt depth of polycrystalline silicon by more than a factor of 2. It is found that the titanium atoms diffuse through the entire polycrystalline silicon layer during irradiation. Contrary to the expected polycrystalline silicon growth, distinct regions of polycrystalline and amorphous silicon are formed instead. Possible mechanisms for the formation of these microstructures are proposed.

Electrodeposition at room temperature of amorphous silicon and germanium nanowires in ionic liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martineau, F.; Namur, K.; Mallet, J.; Delavoie, F.; Endres, F.; Troyon, M.; Molinari, M.

2009-11-01

The electrodeposition at room temperature of silicon and germanium nanowires from the air- and water-stable ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (P1,4) containing SiCl4 as Si source or GeCl4 as Ge source is investigated by cyclic voltammetry. By using nanoporous polycarbonate membranes as templates, it is possible to reproducibly grow pure silicon and germanium nanowires of different diameters. The nanowires are composed of pure amorphous silicon or germanium. The nanowires have homogeneous cylindrical shape with a roughness of a few nanometres on the wire surfaces. The nanowires' diameters and lengths well match with the initial membrane characteristics. Preliminary photoluminescence experiments exhibit strong emission in the near infrared for the amorphous silicon nanowires.

Decomposition of silane on tungsten or other materials

DOEpatents

Wiesmann, H.J.

This invention relates to hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by thermally decomposing silane (SiH/sub 4/) or other gases comprising H and Si, from a W or foil heated to a temperature of about 1400 to 1600/sup 0/C, in a vacuum of about 10-/sup 6/ to 10-/sup 4/ torr. A gaseous mixture is formed of atomic hydrogen and atomic silicon. The gaseous mixture is deposited onto a substrate independent of and outside the source of thermal decomposition. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon is formed. The presence of an ammonia atmosphere in the vacuum chamber enhances the photoconductivity of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon film.

Comparison of diffusion length measurements from the Flying Spot Technique and the photocarrier grating method in amorphous thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vieira, M.; Fantoni, A.; Martins, R.

1994-12-31

Using the Flying Spot Technique (FST) the authors have studied minority carrier transport parallel and perpendicular to the surface of amorphous silicon films (a-Si:H). To reduce slow transients due to charge redistribution in low resistivity regions during the measurement they have applied a strong homogeneously absorbed bias light. The defect density was estimated from Constant Photocurrent Method (CPM) measurements. The steady-state photocarrier grating technique (SSPG) is a 1-dimensional approach. However, the modulation depth of the carrier profile is also dependent on film surface properties, like surface recombination velocity. Both methods yield comparable diffusion lengths when applied to a-Si:H.

Substrate and Passivation Techniques for Flexible Amorphous Silicon-Based X-ray Detectors

PubMed Central

Marrs, Michael A.; Raupp, Gregory B.

2016-01-01

Flexible active matrix display technology has been adapted to create new flexible photo-sensing electronic devices, including flexible X-ray detectors. Monolithic integration of amorphous silicon (a-Si) PIN photodiodes on a flexible substrate poses significant challenges associated with the intrinsic film stress of amorphous silicon. This paper examines how altering device structuring and diode passivation layers can greatly improve the electrical performance and the mechanical reliability of the device, thereby eliminating one of the major weaknesses of a-Si PIN diodes in comparison to alternative photodetector technology, such as organic bulk heterojunction photodiodes and amorphous selenium. A dark current of 0.5 pA/mm2 and photodiode quantum efficiency of 74% are possible with a pixelated diode structure with a silicon nitride/SU-8 bilayer passivation structure on a 20 µm-thick polyimide substrate. PMID:27472329

Substrate and Passivation Techniques for Flexible Amorphous Silicon-Based X-ray Detectors.

PubMed

Marrs, Michael A; Raupp, Gregory B

2016-07-26

Flexible active matrix display technology has been adapted to create new flexible photo-sensing electronic devices, including flexible X-ray detectors. Monolithic integration of amorphous silicon (a-Si) PIN photodiodes on a flexible substrate poses significant challenges associated with the intrinsic film stress of amorphous silicon. This paper examines how altering device structuring and diode passivation layers can greatly improve the electrical performance and the mechanical reliability of the device, thereby eliminating one of the major weaknesses of a-Si PIN diodes in comparison to alternative photodetector technology, such as organic bulk heterojunction photodiodes and amorphous selenium. A dark current of 0.5 pA/mm² and photodiode quantum efficiency of 74% are possible with a pixelated diode structure with a silicon nitride/SU-8 bilayer passivation structure on a 20 µm-thick polyimide substrate.

Amorphous silicon carbide coatings for extreme ultraviolet optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kortright, J. B.; Windt, David L.

1988-01-01

Amorphous silicon carbide films formed by sputtering techniques are shown to have high reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet spectral region. X-ray scattering verifies that the atomic arrangements in these films are amorphous, while Auger electron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy show that the films have composition close to stoichiometric SiC, although slightly C-rich, with low impurity levels. Reflectance vs incidence angle measurements from 24 to 1216 A were used to derive optical constants of this material, which are presented here. Additionally, the measured extreme ultraviolet efficiency of a diffraction grating overcoated with sputtered amorphous silicon carbide is presented, demonstrating the feasibility of using these films as coatings for EUV optics.

Threshold irradiation dose for amorphization of silicon carbide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snead, L.L.; Zinkle, S.J.

1997-04-01

The amorphization of silicon carbide due to ion and electron irradiation is reviewed with emphasis on the temperature-dependent critical dose for amorphization. The effect of ion mass and energy on the threshold dose for amorphization is summarized, showing only a weak dependence near room temperature. Results are presented for 0.56 MeV silicon ions implanted into single crystal 6H-SiC as a function of temperature and ion dose. From this, the critical dose for amorphization is found as a function of temperature at depths well separated from the implanted ion region. Results are compared with published data generated using electrons and xenonmore » ions as the irradiating species. High resolution TEM analysis is presented for the Si ion series showing the evolution of elongated amorphous islands oriented such that their major axis is parallel to the free surface. This suggests that surface of strain effects may be influencing the apparent amorphization threshold. Finally, a model for the temperature threshold for amorphization is described using the Si ion irradiation flux and the fitted interstitial migration energy which was found to be {approximately}0.56 eV. This model successfully explains the difference in the temperature-dependent amorphization behavior of SiC irradiated with 0.56 MeV silicon ions at 1 x 10{sup {minus}3} dpa/s and with fission neutrons irradiated at 1 x 10{sup {minus}6} dpa/s irradiated to 15 dpa in the temperature range of {approximately}340 {+-} 10K.« less

Process for producing amorphous and crystalline silicon nitride

DOEpatents

Morgan, P.E.D.; Pugar, E.A.

1985-11-12

A process for producing amorphous or crystalline silicon nitride is disclosed which comprises reacting silicon disulfide ammonia gas at elevated temperature. In a preferred embodiment silicon disulfide in the form of whiskers'' or needles is heated at temperature ranging from about 900 C to about 1,200 C to produce silicon nitride which retains the whisker or needle morphological characteristics of the silicon disulfide. Silicon carbide, e.g. in the form of whiskers, also can be prepared by reacting substituted ammonia, e.g. methylamine, or a hydrocarbon containing active hydrogen-containing groups, such as ethylene, with silicon disulfide, at elevated temperature, e.g. 900 C. 6 figs.

Process for producing amorphous and crystalline silicon nitride

DOEpatents

Morgan, Peter E. D.; Pugar, Eloise A.

1985-01-01

A process for producing amorphous or crystalline silicon nitride is disclosed which comprises reacting silicon disulfide ammonia gas at elevated temperature. In a preferred embodiment silicon disulfide in the form of "whiskers" or needles is heated at temperature ranging from about 900.degree. C. to about 1200.degree. C. to produce silicon nitride which retains the whisker or needle morphological characteristics of the silicon disulfide. Silicon carbide, e.g. in the form of whiskers, also can be prepared by reacting substituted ammonia, e.g. methylamine, or a hydrocarbon containing active hydrogen-containing groups, such as ethylene, with silicon disulfide, at elevated temperature, e.g. 900.degree. C.

Electrically Active Defects In Solar Cells Based On Amorphous Silicon/Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction After Irradiation By Heavy Xe Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmatha, Ladislav; Mikolášek, Miroslav; Stuchlíková, L'ubica; Kósa, Arpád; Žiška, Milan; Hrubčín, Ladislav; Skuratov, Vladimir A.

2015-11-01

The contribution is focused on the diagnostics of structures with a heterojunction between amorphous and crystalline silicon prepared by HIT (Heterojunction with an Intrinsic Thin layer) technology. The samples were irradiated by Xe ions with energy 167 MeV and doses from 5 × 108 cm-2 to 5 × 1010 cm-2. Radiation defects induced in the bulk of Si and at the hydrogenated amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) interface were identified by Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS). Radiation induced A-centre traps, boron vacancy traps and different types of divacancies with a high value of activation energy were observed. With an increased fluence of heavy ions the nature and density of the radiation induced defects was changed.

Graphene as a transparent electrode for amorphous silicon-based solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaianella, F.; Rosolen, G.; Maes, B.

2015-06-01

The properties of graphene in terms of transparency and conductivity make it an ideal candidate to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) in a transparent conducting electrode. However, graphene is not always as good as ITO for some applications, due to a non-negligible absorption. For amorphous silicon photovoltaics, we have identified a useful case with a graphene-silica front electrode that improves upon ITO. For both electrode technologies, we simulate the weighted absorption in the active layer of planar amorphous silicon-based solar cells with a silver back-reflector. The graphene device shows a significantly increased absorbance compared to ITO-based cells for a large range of silicon thicknesses (34.4% versus 30.9% for a 300 nm thick silicon layer), and this result persists over a wide range of incidence angles.

Reliability and Engineering of Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules. Research forum proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, R. G., Jr. (Editor); Royal, E. L. (Editor)

1985-01-01

A Research Forum on Reliability and Engineering of Thin Film Photovoltaic Modules, under sponsorship of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Flat Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project and the U.S. Department of Energy, was held in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 1985. Reliability attribute investigations of amorphous silicon cells, submodules, and modules were the subjects addressed by most of the Forum presentations. Included among the reliability research investigations reported were: Arrhenius-modeled accelerated stress tests on a Si cells, electrochemical corrosion, light induced effects and their potential effects on stability and reliability measurement methods, laser scribing considerations, and determination of degradation rates and mechanisms from both laboratory and outdoor exposure tests.

Performance and Transient Behavior of Vertically Integrated Thin-film Silicon Sensors

PubMed Central

Wyrsch, Nicolas; Choong, Gregory; Miazza, Clément; Ballif, Christophe

2008-01-01

Vertical integration of amorphous hydrogenated silicon diodes on CMOS readout chips offers several advantages compared to standard CMOS imagers in terms of sensitivity, dynamic range and dark current while at the same time introducing some undesired transient effects leading to image lag. Performance of such sensors is here reported and their transient behaviour is analysed and compared to the one of corresponding amorphous silicon test diodes deposited on glass. The measurements are further compared to simulations for a deeper investigation. The long time constant observed in dark or photocurrent decay is found to be rather independent of the density of defects present in the intrinsic layer of the amorphous silicon diode. PMID:27873778

Deposition of device quality low H content, amorphous silicon films

DOEpatents

Mahan, A.H.; Carapella, J.C.; Gallagher, A.C.

1995-03-14

A high quality, low hydrogen content, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film is deposited by passing a stream of silane gas (SiH{sub 4}) over a high temperature, 2,000 C, tungsten (W) filament in the proximity of a high temperature, 400 C, substrate within a low pressure, 8 mTorr, deposition chamber. The silane gas is decomposed into atomic hydrogen and silicon, which in turn collides preferably not more than 20--30 times before being deposited on the hot substrate. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon films thus produced have only about one atomic percent hydrogen, yet have device quality electrical, chemical, and structural properties, despite this lowered hydrogen content. 7 figs.

Deposition of device quality low H content, amorphous silicon films

DOEpatents

Mahan, Archie H.; Carapella, Jeffrey C.; Gallagher, Alan C.

1995-01-01

A high quality, low hydrogen content, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film is deposited by passing a stream of silane gas (SiH.sub.4) over a high temperature, 2000.degree. C., tungsten (W) filament in the proximity of a high temperature, 400.degree. C., substrate within a low pressure, 8 mTorr, deposition chamber. The silane gas is decomposed into atomic hydrogen and silicon, which in turn collides preferably not more than 20-30 times before being deposited on the hot substrate. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon films thus produced have only about one atomic percent hydrogen, yet have device quality electrical, chemical, and structural properties, despite this lowered hydrogen content.

Thin-film amorphous silicon alloy research partnership. Phase 2, Annual technical progress report, 2 February 1996--1 February 1997

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guha, S

This is Phase II of a 3-phase, 3-year program. It is intended to expand, enhance, and accelerate knowledge and capabilities for developing high-performance, two-terminal multijunction amorphous Si alloy modules. We discuss investigations on back reflectors to improve cell performance and investigate uniformity in performance over a 1-sq.-ft. area. We present results on component cell performance, both in the initial and in the light-degraded states, deposited over a 1-sq.-ft. area. The uniformity in deposited is investigated by studying the performance of subcells deposited over the entire area. We also present results on the performance of triple- junction cells and modules. Themore » modules use grid-lines and encapsulants compatible with our production technology. We discuss the novel laser-processing technique that has bee developed at United Solar to improve energy-conversion efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs. We discuss in detail the optimization of the processing steps, and the performance of a laser-processed, triple- junction device of 12.6 cm{sup 2} area is presented. We also present experimental results on investigations of module reliability.« less

Directed dewetting of amorphous silicon film by a donut-shaped laser pulse.

PubMed

Yoo, Jae-Hyuck; In, Jung Bin; Zheng, Cheng; Sakellari, Ioanna; Raman, Rajesh N; Matthews, Manyalibo J; Elhadj, Selim; Grigoropoulos, Costas P

2015-04-24

Irradiation of a thin film with a beam-shaped laser is proposed to achieve site-selectively controlled dewetting of the film into nanoscale structures. As a proof of concept, the laser-directed dewetting of an amorphous silicon thin film on a glass substrate is demonstrated using a donut-shaped laser beam. Upon irradiation of a single laser pulse, the silicon film melts and dewets on the substrate surface. The irradiation with the donut beam induces an unconventional lateral temperature profile in the film, leading to thermocapillary-induced transport of the molten silicon to the center of the beam spot. Upon solidification, the ultrathin amorphous silicon film is transformed to a crystalline silicon nanodome of increased height. This morphological change enables further dimensional reduction of the nanodome as well as removal of the surrounding film material by isotropic silicon etching. These results suggest that laser-based dewetting of thin films can be an effective way for scalable manufacturing of patterned nanostructures.

Amorphous silicon Schottky barrier solar cells incorporating a thin insulating layer and a thin doped layer

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.

1980-01-01

Amorphous silicon Schottky barrier solar cells which incorporate a thin insulating layer and a thin doped layer adjacent to the junction forming metal layer exhibit increased open circuit voltages compared to standard rectifying junction metal devices, i.e., Schottky barrier devices, and rectifying junction metal insulating silicon devices, i.e., MIS devices.

Synthesis of Silane and Silicon in a Non-equilibrium Plasma Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calcote, H. F.

1978-01-01

The original objective of this program was to determine the feasibility of high volume, low-cost production of high purity silane or solar cell grade silicon using a non equilibrium plasma jet. The emphasis was changed near the end of the program to determine the feasibility of preparing photovoltaic amorphous silicon films directly using this method. The non equilibrium plasma jet should be further evaluated as a technique for producing high efficiency photovoltaic amorphous silicon films.

Vapor Pressure and Evaporation Coefficient of Silicon Monoxide over a Mixture of Silicon and Silica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Frank T.; Nuth, Joseph A., III

2012-01-01

The evaporation coefficient and equilibrium vapor pressure of silicon monoxide over a mixture of silicon and vitreous silica have been studied over the temperature range (1433 to 1608) K. The evaporation coefficient for this temperature range was (0.007 plus or minus 0.002) and is approximately an order of magnitude lower than the evaporation coefficient over amorphous silicon monoxide powder and in general agreement with previous measurements of this quantity. The enthalpy of reaction at 298.15 K for this reaction was calculated via second and third law analyses as (355 plus or minus 25) kJ per mol and (363.6 plus or minus 4.1) kJ per mol respectively. In comparison with previous work with the evaporation of amorphous silicon monoxide powder as well as other experimental measurements of the vapor pressure of silicon monoxide gas over mixtures of silicon and silica, these systems all tend to give similar equilibrium vapor pressures when the evaporation coefficient is correctly taken into account. This provides further evidence that amorphous silicon monoxide is an intimate mixture of small domains of silicon and silica and not strictly a true compound.

Radiation resistance of thin-film solar cells for space photovoltaic power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodyard, James R.; Landis, Geoffrey A.

1991-01-01

Copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride, and amorphous silicon alloy solar cells have achieved noteworthy performance and are currently being studied for space power applications. Cadmium sulfide cells had been the subject of much effort but are no longer considered for space applications. A review is presented of what is known about the radiation degradation of thin film solar cells in space. Experimental cadmium telluride and amorphous silicon alloy cells are reviewed. Damage mechanisms and radiation induced defect generation and passivation in the amorphous silicon alloy cell are discussed in detail due to the greater amount of experimental data available.

Transmissive metallic contact for amorphous silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Madan, A.

1984-11-29

A transmissive metallic contact for amorphous silicon semiconductors includes a thin layer of metal, such as aluminum or other low work function metal, coated on the amorphous silicon with an antireflective layer coated on the metal. A transparent substrate, such as glass, is positioned on the light reflective layer. The metallic layer is preferably thin enough to transmit at least 50% of light incident thereon, yet thick enough to conduct electricity. The antireflection layer is preferably a transparent material that has a refractive index in the range of 1.8 to 2.2 and is approximately 550A to 600A thick.

Study of the Staebler-Wronski degradation effect in a-Si:H based p-i-n solar cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naseem, H. A.; Brown, W. D.; Ang, S. S.

1993-01-01

Conversion of solar energy into electricity using environmentally safe and clean photovoltaic methods to supplement the ever increasing energy needs has been a cherished goal of many scientists and engineers around the world. Photovoltaic solar cells on the other hand, have been the power source for satellites ever since their introduction in the early sixties. For widespread terrestrial applications, however, the cost of photovoltaic systems must be reduced considerably. Much progress has been made in the recent past towards developing economically viable terrestrial systems, and the future looks highly promising. Thin film solar cells offer cost reductions mainly from their low processing cost, low material cost, and choice of low cost substrates. These are also very attractive for space applications because of their high power densities (power produced per kilogram of solar cell pay load) and high radiation resistance. Amorphous silicon based solar cells are amongst the top candidates for economically viable terrestrial and space based power generation. Despite very low federal funding during the eighties, amorphous silicon solar cell efficiencies have continually been improved - from a low 3 percent to over 13 percent now. Further improvements have been made by the use of multi-junction tandem solar cells. Efficiencies close to 15 percent have been achieved in several labs. In order to be competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity, it is believed that module efficiency of 15 percent or cell efficiency of 20 percent is required. Thus, further improvements in cell performance is imperative. One major problem that was discovered almost 15 years ago in amorphous silicon devices is the well known Staebler-Wronski Effect. Efficiency of amorphous silicon solar cells was found to degrade upon exposure to sunlight. Until now their is no consensus among the scientists on the mechanism for this degradation. Efficiency may degrade anywhere from 10 percent to almost 50 percent within the first few months of operation. In order to improve solar cell efficiencies, it is clear that the cause or causes of such degradation must be found and the processing conditions altered to minimize the loss in efficiency. This project was initiated in 1987 to investigate a possible link between metallic impurities, in particular, Ag, and this degradation. Such a link was established by one of the NASA scientists for the light induced degradation of n+/p crystalline silicon solar cells.

Amorphous silicon as high index photonic material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipka, T.; Harke, A.; Horn, O.; Amthor, J.; Müller, J.

2009-05-01

Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) photonics has become an attractive research topic within the area of integrated optics. This paper aims to fabricate SOI-structures for optical communication applications with lower costs compared to standard fabrication processes as well as to provide a higher flexibility with respect to waveguide and substrate material choice. Amorphous silicon is deposited on thermal oxidized silicon wafers with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The material is optimized in terms of optical light transmission and refractive index. Different a-Si:H waveguides with low propagation losses are presented. The waveguides were processed with CMOS-compatible fabrication technologies and standard DUV-lithography enabling high volume production. To overcome the large mode-field diameter mismatch between incoupling fiber and sub-μm waveguides three dimensional, amorphous silicon tapers were fabricated with a KOH etched shadow mask for patterning. Using ellipsometric and Raman spectroscopic measurements the material properties as refractive index, layer thickness, crystallinity and material composition were analyzed. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) experiments of amorphous thin films and rib waveguides were performed aiming to tune the refractive index of the deposited a-Si:H waveguide core layer after deposition.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon coatings may modulate gingival cell response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mussano, F.; Genova, T.; Laurenti, M.; Munaron, L.; Pirri, C. F.; Rivolo, P.; Carossa, S.; Mandracci, P.

2018-04-01

Silicon-based materials present a high potential for dental implant applications, since silicon has been proven necessary for the correct bone formation in animals and humans. Notably, the addition of silicon is effective to enhance the bioactivity of hydroxyapatite and other biomaterials. The present work aims to expand the knowledge of the role exerted by hydrogen in the biological interaction of silicon-based materials, comparing two hydrogenated amorphous silicon coatings, with different hydrogen content, as means to enhance soft tissue cell adhesion. To accomplish this task, the films were produced by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on titanium substrates and their surface composition and hydrogen content were analyzed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) respectively. The surface energy and roughness were measured through optical contact angle analysis (OCA) and high-resolution mechanical profilometry respectively. Coated surfaces showed a slightly lower roughness, compared to bare titanium samples, regardless of the hydrogen content. The early cell responses of human keratinocytes and fibroblasts were tested on the above mentioned surface modifications, in terms of cell adhesion, viability and morphometrical assessment. Films with lower hydrogen content were endowed with a surface energy comparable to the titanium surfaces. Films with higher hydrogen incorporation displayed a lower surface oxidation and a considerably lower surface energy, compared to the less hydrogenated samples. As regards mean cell area and focal adhesion density, both a-Si coatings influenced fibroblasts, but had no significant effects on keratinocytes. On the contrary, hydrogen-rich films increased manifolds the adhesion and viability of keratinocytes, but not of fibroblasts, suggesting a selective biological effect on these cells.

Microstructure factor and mechanical and electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin-films for microelectromechanical systems applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mouro, J.; Gualdino, A.; Chu, V.

2013-11-14

Thin-film silicon allows the fabrication of MEMS devices at low processing temperatures, compatible with monolithic integration in advanced electronic circuits, on large-area, low-cost, and flexible substrates. The most relevant thin-film properties for applications as MEMS structural layers are the deposition rate, electrical conductivity, and mechanical stress. In this work, n{sup +}-type doped hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin-films were deposited by RF-PECVD, and the influence of the hydrogen dilution in the reactive mixture, the RF-power coupled to the plasma, the substrate temperature, and the deposition pressure on the structural, electrical, and mechanical properties of the films was studied. Three differentmore » types of silicon films were identified, corresponding to three internal structures: (i) porous amorphous silicon, deposited at high rates and presenting tensile mechanical stress and low electrical conductivity, (ii) dense amorphous silicon, deposited at intermediate rates and presenting compressive mechanical stress and higher values of electrical conductivity, and (iii) nanocrystalline silicon, deposited at very low rates and presenting the highest compressive mechanical stress and electrical conductivity. These results show the combinations of electromechanical material properties available in silicon thin-films and thus allow the optimized selection of a thin silicon film for a given MEMS application. Four representative silicon thin-films were chosen to be used as structural material of electrostatically actuated MEMS microresonators fabricated by surface micromachining. The effect of the mechanical stress of the structural layer was observed to have a great impact on the device resonance frequency, quality factor, and actuation force.« less

Verification of quality parameters for portal images in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Pesznyák, Csilla; Polgár, István; Weisz, Csaba; Király, Réka; Zaránd, Pál

2011-03-01

The purpose of the study was to verify different values of quality parameters of portal images in radiotherapy. We investigated image qualities of different field verification systems. Four EPIDs (Siemens OptiVue500aSi(®), Siemens BeamView Plus(®), Elekta iView(®) and Varian PortalVision™) were investigated with the PTW EPID QC PHANTOM(®) and compared with two portal film systems (Kodak X-OMAT(®) cassette with Kodak X-OMAT V(®) film and Kodak EC-L Lightweight(®) cassette with Kodak Portal Localisation ReadyPack(®) film). A comparison of the f50 and f25 values of the modulation transfer functions (MTFs) belonging to each of the systems revealed that the amorphous silicon EPIDs provided a slightly better high contrast resolution than the Kodak Portal Localisation ReadyPack(®) film with the EC-L Lightweight(®) cassette. The Kodak X-OMAT V(®) film gave a poor low contrast resolution: from the existing 27 holes only 9 were detectable. On the base of physical characteristics, measured in this work, the authors suggest the use of amorphous-silicon EPIDs producing the best image quality. Parameters of the EPIDs with scanning liquid ionisation chamber (SLIC) were very stable. The disadvantage of older versions of EPIDs like SLIC and VEPID is a poor DICOM implementation, and the modulation transfer function (MTF) values (f50 and f25) are less than that of aSi detectors.

Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors

DOEpatents

Moore, Arnold R.

1984-01-01

Method and apparatus are provided for determining the diffusion length of minority carriers in semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon which has a significantly small minority carrier diffusion length using the constant magnitude surface-photovoltage (SPV) method. Steady or modulated illumination at several wavelengths provides the light excitation on the surface of the material to generate the SPV. A manually controlled or automatic servo system maintains a constant predetermined value of the SPV for each wavelength. A drop of a transparent electrolyte solution containing redox couples (preferably quinhydrone) having an oxidation-reduction potential (E) in the order of +0.6 to -1.65 volts couples the SPV to a measurement system. The drop of redox couple solution functions to create a liquid Schottky barrier at the surface of the material. Illumination light is passed through a transparent rod supported over the surface and through the drop of transparent electrolyte. The drop is held in the gap between the rod and the surface. Steady red light is also used as an optical bias to reduce deleterious space-charge effects that occur in amorphous silicon.

Amorphous-diamond electron emitter

DOEpatents

Falabella, Steven

2001-01-01

An electron emitter comprising a textured silicon wafer overcoated with a thin (200 .ANG.) layer of nitrogen-doped, amorphous-diamond (a:D-N), which lowers the field below 20 volts/micrometer have been demonstrated using this emitter compared to uncoated or diamond coated emitters wherein the emission is at fields of nearly 60 volts/micrometer. The silicon/nitrogen-doped, amorphous-diamond (Si/a:D-N) emitter may be produced by overcoating a textured silicon wafer with amorphous-diamond (a:D) in a nitrogen atmosphere using a filtered cathodic-arc system. The enhanced performance of the Si/a:D-N emitter lowers the voltages required to the point where field-emission displays are practical. Thus, this emitter can be used, for example, in flat-panel emission displays (FEDs), and cold-cathode vacuum electronics.

Size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films

DOE PAGES

Thomas Edwin Beechem; Braun, Jeffrey L.; Baker, Christopher H.; ...

2016-04-01

In this study, we investigate thickness-limited size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films ranging from 3 to 1636 nm grown via sputter deposition. While exhibiting a constant value up to ~100 nm, the thermal conductivity increases with film thickness thereafter. The thickness dependence we demonstrate is ascribed to boundary scattering of long wavelength vibrations and an interplay between the energy transfer associated with propagating modes (propagons) and nonpropagating modes (diffusons). A crossover from propagon to diffuson modes is deduced to occur at a frequency of ~1.8 THz via simple analytical arguments. These results provide empirical evidencemore » of size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon and systematic experimental insight into the nature of vibrational thermal transport in amorphous solids.« less

Diamond-silicon carbide composite

DOEpatents

Qian, Jiang; Zhao, Yusheng

2006-06-13

Fully dense, diamond-silicon carbide composites are prepared from ball-milled microcrystalline diamond/amorphous silicon powder mixture. The ball-milled powder is sintered (P=5–8 GPa, T=1400K–2300K) to form composites having high fracture toughness. A composite made at 5 GPa/1673K had a measured fracture toughness of 12 MPa.dot.m^1/2. By contrast, liquid infiltration of silicon into diamond powder at 5 GPa/1673K produces a composite with higher hardness but lower fracture toughness. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra indicate that amorphous silicon is partially transformed into nanocrystalline silicon at 5 GPa/873K, and nanocrystalline silicon carbide forms at higher temperatures.

Diamond-Silicon Carbide Composite And Method For Preparation Thereof

DOEpatents

Qian, Jiang; Zhao, Yusheng

2005-09-06

Fully dense, diamond-silicon carbide composites are prepared from ball-milled microcrystalline diamond/amorphous silicon powder mixture. The ball-milled powder is sintered (P=5-8 GPa, T=1400K-2300K) to form composites having high fracture toughness. A composite made at 5 GPa/1673K had a measured fracture toughness of 12 MPa.multidot.m.sup.1/2. By contrast, liquid infiltration of silicon into diamond powder at 5 GPa/1673K produces a composite with higher hardness but lower fracture toughness. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra indicate that amorphous silicon is partially transformed into nanocrystalline silicon at 5 GPa/873K, and nanocrystalline silicon carbide forms at higher temperatures.

Electron-irradiation-induced crystallization at metallic amorphous/silicon oxide interfaces caused by electronic excitation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagase, Takeshi, E-mail: t-nagase@uhvem.osaka-u.ac.jp; Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871; Yamashita, Ryo

2016-04-28

Irradiation-induced crystallization of an amorphous phase was stimulated at a Pd-Si amorphous/silicon oxide (a(Pd-Si)/SiO{sub x}) interface at 298 K by electron irradiation at acceleration voltages ranging between 25 kV and 200 kV. Under irradiation, a Pd-Si amorphous phase was initially formed at the crystalline face-centered cubic palladium/silicon oxide (Pd/SiO{sub x}) interface, followed by the formation of a Pd{sub 2}Si intermetallic compound through irradiation-induced crystallization. The irradiation-induced crystallization can be considered to be stimulated not by defect introduction through the electron knock-on effects and electron-beam heating, but by the electronic excitation mechanism. The observed irradiation-induced structural change at the a(Pd-Si)/SiO{sub x} and Pd/SiO{sub x}more » interfaces indicates multiple structural modifications at the metal/silicon oxide interfaces through electronic excitation induced by the electron-beam processes.« less

Paper-Thin Plastic Film Soaks Up Sun to Create Solar Energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

A non-crystallized silicon known as amorphous silicon is the semiconductor material most frequently chosen for deposition, because it is a strong absorber of light. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, amorphous silicon absorbs solar radiation 40 times more efficiently than single-crystal silicon, and a thin film only about 1-micrometer (one one-millionth of a meter) thick containing amorphous silicon can absorb 90 percent of the usable light energy shining on it. Peak efficiency and significant reduction in the use of semiconductor and thin film materials translate directly into time and money savings for manufacturers. Thanks in part to NASA, thin film solar cells derived from amorphous silicon are gaining more and more attention in a market that has otherwise been dominated by mono- and poly-crystalline silicon cells for years. At Glenn Research Center, the Photovoltaic & Space Environments Branch conducts research focused on developing this type of thin film solar cell for space applications. Placing solar cells on thin film materials provides NASA with an attractively priced solution to fabricating other types of solar cells, given that thin film solar cells require significantly less semiconductor material to generate power. Using the super-lightweight solar materials also affords NASA the opportunity to cut down on payload weight during vehicle launches, as well as the weight of spacecraft being sent into orbit.

Density Functional Theory Calculations of the Role of Defects in Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johlin, Eric; Wagner, Lucas; Buonassisi, Tonio; Grossman, Jeffrey C.

2010-03-01

Amorphous silicon holds promise as a cheap and efficient material for thin-film photovoltaic devices. However, current device efficiencies are severely limited by the low mobility of holes in the bulk amorphous silicon material, the cause of which is not yet fully understood. This work employs a statistical analysis of density functional theory calculations to uncover the implications of a range of defects (including internal strain and substitution impurities) on the trapping and mobility of holes, and thereby also on the total conversion efficiency. We investigate the root causes of this low mobility and attempt to provide suggestions for simple methods of improving this property.

Fluorination of amorphous thin-film materials with xenon fluoride

DOEpatents

Weil, R.B.

1987-05-01

A method is disclosed for producing fluorine-containing amorphous semiconductor material, preferably comprising amorphous silicon. The method includes depositing amorphous thin-film material onto a substrate while introducing xenon fluoride during the film deposition process.

Fluorination of amorphous thin-film materials with xenon fluoride

DOEpatents

Weil, Raoul B.

1988-01-01

A method is disclosed for producing fluorine-containing amorphous semiconductor material, preferably comprising amorphous silicon. The method includes depositing amorphous thin-film material onto a substrate while introducing xenon fluoride during the film deposition process.

Very low temperature materials and self-alignment technology for amorphous hydrated silicon thin film transistors fabricated on transparent large area plastic substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chien-Sheng

The purpose of this research has been to (1) explore materials prepared using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 110sp°C for amorphous silicon thin film transistors (TFT's) fabricated on low temperature compatible, large area flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates, and (2) develop full self-alignment technology using selective area n+ PECVD for source/drain contacts of amorphous silicon TFT's. For item (1), silicon nitride films, as gate dielectrics of TFT's, were deposited using SiHsb4+NHsb3, SiHsb4+NHsb3+Nsb2, SiHsb4+NHsb3+He, or SiHsb4+NHsb3+Hsb2 gases. Good quality silicon nitride films can be deposited using a SiHsb4+NHsb3 gas with high NHsb3/SiHsb4 ratios, or using a SiHsb4+NHsb3+Nsb2 gas with moderate NHsb3/SiHsb4 ratios. A chemical model was proposed to explain the Nsb2 dilution effect. This model includes calculations of (a) the electron energy distribution function in a plasma, (b) rate constants of electron impact dissociation, and (3) the (NHsbx) / (SiHsby) ratio in a plasma. The Nsb2 dilution was shown to have a effect of shifting the electron energy distribution into high energy, thus enhancing the (NHsbx) / (SiHsbyrbrack ratio in a plasma and promoting the deposition of N-rich silicon nitride films, which leads to decreased trap state density and a shift in trap state density to deeper in the gap. Amorphous silicon were formed successfully at 110sp°C on large area glass and plastic(PET) substrates. Linear mobilities are 0.33 and 0.12 cmsp2/Vs for TFT's on glass and plastic substrates, respectively. ON/OFF current ratios exceed 10sp7 for TFT's on glass and 10sp6 for TFT's on PET. For item (2), a novel full self-alignment process was developed for amorphous silicon TFT's. This process includes (1) back-exposure using the bottom gate metal as the mask, and (2) selective area n+ micro-crystalline silicon PECVD for source/drain contacts of amorphous silicon TFT's. TFT's fabricated using the full self-alignment process showed linear mobilities ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 cmsp2/Vs.

Addressing the amorphous content issue in quantitative phase analysis: the certification of NIST standard reference material 676a.

PubMed

Cline, James P; Von Dreele, Robert B; Winburn, Ryan; Stephens, Peter W; Filliben, James J

2011-07-01

A non-diffracting surface layer exists at any boundary of a crystal and can comprise a mass fraction of several percent in a finely divided solid. This has led to the long-standing issue of amorphous content in standards for quantitative phase analysis (QPA). NIST standard reference material (SRM) 676a is a corundum (α-Al(2)O(3)) powder, certified with respect to phase purity for use as an internal standard in powder diffraction QPA. The amorphous content of SRM 676a is determined by comparing diffraction data from mixtures with samples of silicon powders that were engineered to vary their specific surface area. Under the (supported) assumption that the thickness of an amorphous surface layer on Si was invariant, this provided a method to control the crystalline/amorphous ratio of the silicon components of 50/50 weight mixtures of SRM 676a with silicon. Powder diffraction experiments utilizing neutron time-of-flight and 25 keV and 67 keV X-ray energies quantified the crystalline phase fractions from a series of specimens. Results from Rietveld analyses, which included a model for extinction effects in the silicon, of these data were extrapolated to the limit of zero amorphous content of the Si powder. The certified phase purity of SRM 676a is 99.02% ± 1.11% (95% confidence interval). This novel certification method permits quantification of amorphous content for any sample of interest, by spiking with SRM 676a.

Amorphous silicon photovoltaic devices

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.; Lin, Guang H.; Ganguly, Gautam

2004-08-31

This invention is a photovoltaic device comprising an intrinsic or i-layer of amorphous silicon and where the photovoltaic device is more efficient at converting light energy to electric energy at high operating temperatures than at low operating temperatures. The photovoltaic devices of this invention are suitable for use in high temperature operating environments.

Metal electrode for amorphous silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Williams, Richard

1983-01-01

An amorphous silicon solar cell having an N-type region wherein the contact to the N-type region is composed of a material having a work function of about 3.7 electron volts or less. Suitable materials include strontium, barium and magnesium and rare earth metals such as gadolinium and yttrium.

Method of forming semiconducting amorphous silicon films from the thermal decomposition of fluorohydridodisilanes

DOEpatents

Sharp, Kenneth G.; D'Errico, John J.

1988-01-01

The invention relates to a method of forming amorphous, photoconductive, and semiconductive silicon films on a substrate by the vapor phase thermal decomposition of a fluorohydridodisilane or a mixture of fluorohydridodisilanes. The invention is useful for the protection of surfaces including electronic devices.

Amorphization and nanocrystallization of silcon under shock compression

DOE PAGES

Remington, B. A.; Wehrenberg, C. E.; Zhao, S.; ...

2015-11-06

High-power, short-duration, laser-driven, shock compression and recovery experiments on [001] silicon unveiled remarkable structural changes above a pressure threshold. Two distinct amorphous regions were identified: (a) a bulk amorphous layer close to the surface and (b) amorphous bands initially aligned with {111} slip planes. Further increase of the laser energy leads to the re-crystallization of amorphous silicon into nanocrystals with high concentration of nano-twins. This amorphization is produced by the combined effect of high magnitude hydrostatic and shear stresses under dynamic shock compression. Shock-induced defects play a very important role in the onset of amorphization. Calculations of the free energymore » changes with pressure and shear, using the Patel-Cohen methodology, are in agreement with the experimental results. Molecular dynamics simulation corroborates the amorphization, showing that it is initiated by the nucleation and propagation of partial dislocations. As a result, the nucleation of amorphization is analyzed qualitatively by classical nucleation theory.« less

Carrier transport and sensitivity issues in heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer solar cells on N-type crystalline silicon: A computer simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmouni, M.; Datta, A.; Chatterjee, P.; Damon-Lacoste, J.; Ballif, C.; Roca i Cabarrocas, P.

2010-03-01

Heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer or "HIT" solar cells are considered favorable for large-scale manufacturing of solar modules, as they combine the high efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, with the low cost of amorphous silicon technology. In this article, based on experimental data published by Sanyo, we simulate the performance of a series of HIT cells on N-type crystalline silicon substrates with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) emitter layers, to gain insight into carrier transport and the general functioning of these devices. Both single and double HIT structures are modeled, beginning with the initial Sanyo cells having low open circuit voltages but high fill factors, right up to double HIT cells exhibiting record values for both parameters. The one-dimensional numerical modeling program "Amorphous Semiconductor Device Modeling Program" has been used for this purpose. We show that the simulations can correctly reproduce the electrical characteristics and temperature dependence for a set of devices with varying I-layer thickness. Under standard AM1.5 illumination, we show that the transport is dominated by the diffusion mechanism, similar to conventional P/N homojunction solar cells, and tunneling is not required to describe the performance of state-of-the art devices. Also modeling has been used to study the sensitivity of N-c-Si HIT solar cell performance to various parameters. We find that the solar cell output is particularly sensitive to the defect states on the surface of the c-Si wafer facing the emitter, to the indium tin oxide/P-a-Si:H front contact barrier height and to the band gap and activation energy of the P-a-Si:H emitter, while the I-a-Si:H layer is necessary to achieve both high Voc and fill factor, as it passivates the defects on the surface of the c-Si wafer. Finally, we describe in detail for most parameters how they affect current transport and cell properties.

22.5% efficient silicon heterojunction solar cell with molybdenum oxide hole collector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geissbühler, Jonas, E-mail: jonas.geissbuehler@epfl.ch; Werner, Jérémie; Martin de Nicolas, Silvia

2015-08-24

Substituting the doped amorphous silicon films at the front of silicon heterojunction solar cells with wide-bandgap transition metal oxides can mitigate parasitic light absorption losses. This was recently proven by replacing p-type amorphous silicon with molybdenum oxide films. In this article, we evidence that annealing above 130 °C—often needed for the curing of printed metal contacts—detrimentally impacts hole collection of such devices. We circumvent this issue by using electrodeposited copper front metallization and demonstrate a silicon heterojunction solar cell with molybdenum oxide hole collector, featuring a fill factor value higher than 80% and certified energy conversion efficiency of 22.5%.

22.5% efficient silicon heterojunction solar cell with molybdenum oxide hole collector

DOE PAGES

Geissbühler, Jonas; Werner, Jérémie; Nicolas, Silvia Martin de; ...

2015-08-24

Substituting the doped amorphous silicon films at the front of silicon heterojunction solar cells with wide-bandgap transition metal oxides can mitigate parasitic light absorption losses. This was recently proven by replacing p-type amorphous silicon with molybdenum oxide films. In this article, we evidence that annealing above 130 °C—often needed for the curing of printed metal contacts—detrimentally impacts hole collection of such devices. Furthermore, we circumvent this issue by using electrodeposited copper front metallization and demonstrate a silicon heterojunction solar cell with molybdenum oxide hole collector, featuring a fill factor value higher than 80% and certified energy conversion efficiency of 22.5%.

Origins of hole traps in hydrogenated nanocrystalline and amorphous silicon revealed through machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Tim; Johlin, Eric; Grossman, Jeffrey C.

2014-03-01

Genetic programming is used to identify the structural features most strongly associated with hole traps in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon with very low crystalline volume fraction. The genetic programming algorithm reveals that hole traps are most strongly associated with local structures within the amorphous region in which a single hydrogen atom is bound to two silicon atoms (bridge bonds), near fivefold coordinated silicon (floating bonds), or where there is a particularly dense cluster of many silicon atoms. Based on these results, we propose a mechanism by which deep hole traps associated with bridge bonds may contribute to the Staebler-Wronski effect.

Thin-film limit formalism applied to surface defect absorption.

PubMed

Holovský, Jakub; Ballif, Christophe

2014-12-15

The thin-film limit is derived by a nonconventional approach and equations for transmittance, reflectance and absorptance are presented in highly versatile and accurate form. In the thin-film limit the optical properties do not depend on the absorption coefficient, thickness and refractive index individually, but only on their product. We show that this formalism is applicable to the problem of ultrathin defective layer e.g. on a top of a layer of amorphous silicon. We develop a new method of direct evaluation of the surface defective layer and the bulk defects. Applying this method to amorphous silicon on glass, we show that the surface defective layer differs from bulk amorphous silicon in terms of light soaking.

Electron irradiation induced phase separation in a sodium borosilicate glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, K.; Wang, L. M.; Ewing, R. C.; Weber, W. J.

2004-06-01

Electron irradiation induced phase separation in a sodium borosilicate glass was studied in situ by analytical electron microscopy. Distinctly separate phases that are rich in boron and silicon formed at electron doses higher than 4.0 × 10 11 Gy during irradiation. The separated phases are still in amorphous states even at a much high dose (2.1 × 10 12 Gy). It indicates that most silicon atoms remain tetrahedrally coordinated in the glass during the entire irradiation period, except some possible reduction to amorphous silicon. The particulate B-rich phase that formed at high dose was identified as amorphous boron that may contain some oxygen. Both ballistic and ionization processes may contribute to the phase separation.

Amorphous silicon radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Street, Robert A.; Perez-Mendez, Victor; Kaplan, Selig N.

1992-01-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon radiation detector devices having enhanced signal are disclosed. Specifically provided are transversely oriented electrode layers and layered detector configurations of amorphous silicon, the structure of which allow high electric fields upon application of a bias thereby beneficially resulting in a reduction in noise from contact injection and an increase in signal including avalanche multiplication and gain of the signal produced by incoming high energy radiation. These enhanced radiation sensitive devices can be used as measuring and detection means for visible light, low energy photons and high energy ionizing particles such as electrons, x-rays, alpha particles, beta particles and gamma radiation. Particular utility of the device is disclosed for precision powder crystallography and biological identification.

Amorphous silicon radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Street, R.A.; Perez-Mendez, V.; Kaplan, S.N.

1992-11-17

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon radiation detector devices having enhanced signal are disclosed. Specifically provided are transversely oriented electrode layers and layered detector configurations of amorphous silicon, the structure of which allow high electric fields upon application of a bias thereby beneficially resulting in a reduction in noise from contact injection and an increase in signal including avalanche multiplication and gain of the signal produced by incoming high energy radiation. These enhanced radiation sensitive devices can be used as measuring and detection means for visible light, low energy photons and high energy ionizing particles such as electrons, x-rays, alpha particles, beta particles and gamma radiation. Particular utility of the device is disclosed for precision powder crystallography and biological identification. 13 figs.

Present Status and Future Prospects of Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konagai, Makoto

2011-03-01

In this report, an overview of the recent status of photovoltaic (PV) power generation is first presented from the viewpoint of reducing CO2 emission. Next, the Japanese roadmap for the research and development (R&D) of PV power generation and the progress in the development of various solar cells are explained. In addition, the present status and future prospects of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cells, which are expected to enter the stage of full-scale practical application in the near future, are described. For a-Si single-junction solar cells, the conversion efficiency of their large-area modules has now reached 6-8%, and their practical application to megawatt solar systems has started. Meanwhile, the focus of R&D has been shifting to a-Si and microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) tandem solar cells. Thus far, a-Si/µc-Si tandem solar cell modules with conversion efficiency exceeding 13% have been reported. In addition, triple-junction solar cells, whose target year for practical application is 2025 or later, are introduced, as well as innovative thin-film full-spectrum solar cells, whose target year of realization is 2050.

Low temperature production of large-grain polycrystalline semiconductors

DOEpatents

Naseem, Hameed A [Fayetteville, AR; Albarghouti, Marwan [Loudonville, NY

2007-04-10

An oxide or nitride layer is provided on an amorphous semiconductor layer prior to performing metal-induced crystallization of the semiconductor layer. The oxide or nitride layer facilitates conversion of the amorphous material into large grain polycrystalline material. Hence, a native silicon dioxide layer provided on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), followed by deposited Al permits induced crystallization at temperatures far below the solid phase crystallization temperature of a-Si. Solar cells and thin film transistors can be prepared using this method.

Engineering island-chain silicon nanowires via a droplet mediated Plateau-Rayleigh transformation

PubMed Central

Xue, Zhaoguo; Xu, Mingkun; Zhao, Yaolong; Wang, Jimmy; Jiang, Xiaofan; Yu, Linwei; Wang, Junzhuan; Xu, Jun; Shi, Yi; Chen, Kunji; Roca i Cabarrocas, Pere

2016-01-01

The ability to program highly modulated morphology upon silicon nanowires (SiNWs) has been fundamental to explore new phononic and electronic functionalities. We here exploit a nanoscale locomotion of metal droplets to demonstrate a large and readily controllable morphology engineering of crystalline SiNWs, from straight ones into continuous or discrete island-chains, at temperature <350 °C. This has been accomplished via a tin (Sn) droplet mediated in-plane growth where amorphous Si thin film is consumed as precursor to produce crystalline SiNWs. Thanks to a significant interface-stretching effect, a periodic Plateau-Rayleigh instability oscillation can be stimulated in the liquid Sn droplet, and the temporal oscillation of the Sn droplets is translated faithfully, via the deformable liquid/solid deposition interface, into regular spatial modulation upon the SiNWs. Combined with a unique self-alignment and positioning capability, this new strategy could enable a rational design and single-run fabrication of a wide variety of nanowire-based optoelectronic devices. PMID:27682161

Control of single-electron charging of metallic nanoparticles onto amorphous silicon surface.

PubMed

Weis, Martin; Gmucová, Katarína; Nádazdy, Vojtech; Capek, Ignác; Satka, Alexander; Kopáni, Martin; Cirák, Július; Majková, Eva

2008-11-01

Sequential single-electron charging of iron oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in oleic acid/oleyl amine envelope and deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique onto Pt electrode covered with undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon film is reported. Single-electron charging (so-called quantized double-layer charging) of nanoparticles is detected by cyclic voltammetry as current peaks and the charging effect can be switched on/off by the electric field in the surface region induced by the excess of negative/positive charged defect states in the amorphous silicon layer. The particular charge states in amorphous silicon are created by the simultaneous application of a suitable bias voltage and illumination before the measurement. The influence of charged states on the electric field in the surface region is evaluated by the finite element method. The single-electron charging is analyzed by the standard quantized double layer model as well as two weak-link junctions model. Both approaches are in accordance with experiment and confirm single-electron charging by tunnelling process at room temperature. This experiment illustrates the possibility of the creation of a voltage-controlled capacitor for nanotechnology.

Method of enhancing the electronic properties of an undoped and/or N-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon film

DOEpatents

Carlson, David E.

1980-01-01

The dark conductivity and photoconductivity of an N-type and/or undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer fabricated by an AC or DC proximity glow discharge in silane can be increased through the incorporation of argon in an amount from 10 to about 90 percent by volume of the glow discharge atmosphere which contains a silicon-hydrogen containing compound in an amount of from about 90 to about 10 volume percent.

Addressing the amorphous content issue in quantitative phase analysis : the certification of NIST SRM 676a.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cline, J. P.; Von Dreele, R. B.; Winburn, R.

2011-07-01

A non-diffracting surface layer exists at any boundary of a crystal and can comprise a mass fraction of several percent in a finely divided solid. This has led to the long-standing issue of amorphous content in standards for quantitative phase analysis (QPA). NIST standard reference material (SRM) 676a is a corundum ({alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) powder, certified with respect to phase purity for use as an internal standard in powder diffraction QPA. The amorphous content of SRM 676a is determined by comparing diffraction data from mixtures with samples of silicon powders that were engineered to vary their specific surface area. Undermore » the (supported) assumption that the thickness of an amorphous surface layer on Si was invariant, this provided a method to control the crystalline/amorphous ratio of the silicon components of 50/50 weight mixtures of SRM 676a with silicon. Powder diffraction experiments utilizing neutron time-of-flight and 25 keV and 67 keV X-ray energies quantified the crystalline phase fractions from a series of specimens. Results from Rietveld analyses, which included a model for extinction effects in the silicon, of these data were extrapolated to the limit of zero amorphous content of the Si powder. The certified phase purity of SRM 676a is 99.02% {+-} 1.11% (95% confidence interval). This novel certification method permits quantification of amorphous content for any sample of interest, by spiking with SRM 676a.« less

Addressing the Amorphous Content Issue in Quantitative Phase Analysis: The Certification of NIST Standard Reference Material 676a

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J Cline; R Von Dreele; R Winburn

2011-12-31

A non-diffracting surface layer exists at any boundary of a crystal and can comprise a mass fraction of several percent in a finely divided solid. This has led to the long-standing issue of amorphous content in standards for quantitative phase analysis (QPA). NIST standard reference material (SRM) 676a is a corundum ({alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) powder, certified with respect to phase purity for use as an internal standard in powder diffraction QPA. The amorphous content of SRM 676a is determined by comparing diffraction data from mixtures with samples of silicon powders that were engineered to vary their specific surface area. Undermore » the (supported) assumption that the thickness of an amorphous surface layer on Si was invariant, this provided a method to control the crystalline/amorphous ratio of the silicon components of 50/50 weight mixtures of SRM 676a with silicon. Powder diffraction experiments utilizing neutron time-of-flight and 25 keV and 67 keV X-ray energies quantified the crystalline phase fractions from a series of specimens. Results from Rietveld analyses, which included a model for extinction effects in the silicon, of these data were extrapolated to the limit of zero amorphous content of the Si powder. The certified phase purity of SRM 676a is 99.02% {+-} 1.11% (95% confidence interval). This novel certification method permits quantification of amorphous content for any sample of interest, by spiking with SRM 676a.« less

In situ observation of shear-driven amorphization in silicon crystals.

PubMed

He, Yang; Zhong, Li; Fan, Feifei; Wang, Chongmin; Zhu, Ting; Mao, Scott X

2016-10-01

Amorphous materials are used for both structural and functional applications. An amorphous solid usually forms under driven conditions such as melt quenching, irradiation, shock loading or severe mechanical deformation. Such extreme conditions impose significant challenges on the direct observation of the amorphization process. Various experimental techniques have been used to detect how the amorphous phases form, including synchrotron X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy, but a dynamic, atomistic characterization has remained elusive. Here, by using in situ high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), we show the dynamic amorphization process in silicon nanocrystals during mechanical straining on the atomic scale. We find that shear-driven amorphization occurs in a dominant shear band starting with the diamond-cubic (dc) to diamond-hexagonal (dh) phase transition and then proceeds by dislocation nucleation and accumulation in the newly formed dh-Si phase. This process leads to the formation of an amorphous Si (a-Si) band, embedded with dh-Si nanodomains. The amorphization of dc-Si via an intermediate dh-Si phase is a previously unknown pathway of solid-state amorphization.

Preferred orientations of laterally grown silicon films over amorphous substrates using the vapor-liquid-solid technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeBoeuf, J. L.; Brodusch, N.; Gauvin, R.; Quitoriano, N. J.

2014-12-01

A novel method has been optimized so that adhesion layers are no longer needed to reliably deposit patterned gold structures on amorphous substrates. Using this technique allows for the fabrication of amorphous oxide templates known as micro-crucibles, which confine a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) catalyst of nominally pure gold to a specific geometry. Within these confined templates of amorphous materials, faceted silicon crystals have been grown laterally. The novel deposition technique, which enables the nominally pure gold catalyst, involves the undercutting of an initial chromium adhesion layer. Using electron backscatter diffraction it was found that silicon nucleated in these micro-crucibles were 30% single crystals, 45% potentially twinned crystals and 25% polycrystals for the experimental conditions used. Single, potentially twinned, and polycrystals all had an aversion to growth with the {1 0 0} surface parallel to the amorphous substrate. Closer analysis of grain boundaries of potentially twinned and polycrystalline samples revealed that the overwhelming majority of them were of the 60° Σ3 coherent twin boundary type. The large amount of coherent twin boundaries present in the grown, two-dimensional silicon crystals suggest that lateral VLS growth occurs very close to thermodynamic equilibrium. It is suggested that free energy fluctuations during growth or cooling, and impurities were the causes for this twinning.

Synthesis of Poly-Silicon Thin Films on Glass Substrate Using Laser Initiated Metal Induced Crystallization of Amorphous Silicon for Space Power Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abu-Safe, Husam H.; Naseem, Hameed A.; Brown, William D.

2007-01-01

Poly-silicon thin films on glass substrates are synthesized using laser initiated metal induced crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon films. These films can be used to fabricate solar cells on low cost glass and flexible substrates. The process starts by depositing 200 nm amorphous silicon films on the glass substrates. Following this, 200 nm of sputtered aluminum films were deposited on top of the silicon layers. The samples are irradiated with an argon ion cw laser beam for annealing. Laser power densities ranging from 4 to 9 W/cm2 were used in the annealing process. Each area on the sample is irradiated for a different exposure time. Optical microscopy was used to examine any cracks in the films and loss of adhesion to the substrates. X-Ray diffraction patterns from the initial results indicated the crystallization in the films. Scanning electron microscopy shows dendritic growth. The composition analysis of the crystallized films was conducted using Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy. The results of poly-silicon films synthesis on space qualified flexible substrates such as Kapton are also presented.

Polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors with location-controlled crystal grains fabricated by excimer laser crystallization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chun-Chien; Lee, Yao-Jen; Chiang, Ko-Yu; Wang, Jyh-Liang; Lee, I.-Che; Chen, Hsu-Hsin; Wei, Kai-Fang; Chang, Ting-Kuo; Chen, Bo-Ting; Cheng, Huang-Chung

2007-11-01

In this paper, location-controlled silicon crystal grains are fabricated by the excimer laser crystallization method which employs amorphous silicon spacer structure and prepatterned thin films. The amorphous silicon spacer in nanometer-sized width formed using spacer technology is served as seed crystal to artificially control superlateral growth phenomenon during excimer laser irradiation. An array of 1.8-μm-sized disklike silicon grains is formed, and the n-channel thin-film transistors whose channels located inside the artificially-controlled crystal grains exhibit higher performance of field-effect-mobility reaching 308cm2/Vs as compared with the conventional ones. This position-manipulated silicon grains are essential to high-performance and good uniformity devices.

Silicon heterojunction solar cell with passivated hole selective MoOx contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglia, Corsin; de Nicolás, Silvia Martín; De Wolf, Stefaan; Yin, Xingtian; Zheng, Maxwell; Ballif, Christophe; Javey, Ali

2014-03-01

We explore substoichiometric molybdenum trioxide (MoOx, x < 3) as a dopant-free, hole-selective contact for silicon solar cells. Using an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon passivation layer between the oxide and the silicon absorber, we demonstrate a high open-circuit voltage of 711 mV and power conversion efficiency of 18.8%. Due to the wide band gap of MoOx, we observe a substantial gain in photocurrent of 1.9 mA/cm2 in the ultraviolet and visible part of the solar spectrum, when compared to a p-type amorphous silicon emitter of a traditional silicon heterojunction cell. Our results emphasize the strong potential for oxides as carrier selective heterojunction partners to inorganic semiconductors.

The silane depletion fraction as an indicator for the amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Descoeudres, A.; Barraud, L.; Bartlome, R.; Choong, G.; De Wolf, Stefaan; Zicarelli, F.; Ballif, C.

2010-11-01

In silicon heterojunction solar cells, thin amorphous silicon layers passivate the crystalline silicon wafer surfaces. By using in situ diagnostics during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the authors report how the passivation quality of such layers directly relate to the plasma conditions. Good interface passivation is obtained from highly depleted silane plasmas. Based upon this finding, layers deposited in a large-area very high frequency (40.68 MHz) PECVD reactor were optimized for heterojunction solar cells, yielding aperture efficiencies up to 20.3% on 4 cm2 cells.

Three dimensional amorphous silicon/microcrystalline silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Kaschmitter, James L.

1996-01-01

Three dimensional deep contact amorphous silicon/microcrystalline silicon (a-Si/.mu.c-Si) solar cells which use deep (high aspect ratio) p and n contacts to create high electric fields within the carrier collection volume material of the cell. The deep contacts are fabricated using repetitive pulsed laser doping so as to create the high aspect p and n contacts. By the provision of the deep contacts which penetrate the electric field deep into the material where the high strength of the field can collect many of the carriers, thereby resulting in a high efficiency solar cell.

Three dimensional amorphous silicon/microcrystalline silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Kaschmitter, J.L.

1996-07-23

Three dimensional deep contact amorphous silicon/microcrystalline silicon (a-Si/{micro}c-Si) solar cells are disclosed which use deep (high aspect ratio) p and n contacts to create high electric fields within the carrier collection volume material of the cell. The deep contacts are fabricated using repetitive pulsed laser doping so as to create the high aspect p and n contacts. By the provision of the deep contacts which penetrate the electric field deep into the material where the high strength of the field can collect many of the carriers, thereby resulting in a high efficiency solar cell. 4 figs.

Lunar production of solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Perino, Maria Antonietta

1989-01-01

The feasibility of manufacturing of solar cells on the moon for spacecraft applications is examined. Because of the much lower escape velocity, there is a great advantage in lunar manufacture of solar cells compared to Earth manufacture. Silicon is abundant on the moon, and new refining methods allow it to be reduced and purified without extensive reliance on materials unavailable on the moon. Silicon and amorphous silicon solar cells could be manufactured on the moon for use in space. Concepts for the production of a baseline amorphous silicon cell are discussed, and specific power levels are calculated for cells designed for both lunar and Earth manufacture.

Progress with polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on glass at UNSW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aberle, Armin G.

2006-01-01

Polycrystalline Si (pc-Si) thin-film solar cells on glass have long been considered a very promising approach for lowering the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity. In recent years there have been dramatic advances with this PV technology, and the first commercial modules (CSG Solar) are expected to hit the marketplace in 2006. The CSG modules are based on solid-phase crystallisation of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) -deposited amorphous Si. Independent research in the author's group at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) during recent years has led to the development of three alternative pc-Si thin-film solar cells on glass—EVA, ALICIA and ALICE. Cell thickness is generally about 2 μm. The first two cells are made by vacuum evaporation, whereas ALICE cells can be made by either vacuum evaporation or PECVD. Evaporation has the advantage of being a fast and inexpensive Si deposition method. A crucial component of ALICIA and ALICE cells is a seed layer made on glass by metal-induced crystallisation of amorphous silicon (a-Si). The absorber layer of these cells is made by either ion-assisted Si epitaxy (ALICIA) or solid-phase epitaxy of a-Si (ALICE). This paper reports on the status of these three new thin-film PV technologies. All three solar cells seem to be capable of voltages of over 500 mV and, owing to their potentially inexpensive and scalable fabrication process, have significant industrial appeal.

Dosimetry in radiotherapy using a-Si EPIDs: Systems, methods, and applications focusing on 3D patient dose estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCurdy, B. M. C.

2013-06-01

An overview is provided of the use of amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) for dosimetric purposes in radiation therapy, focusing on 3D patient dose estimation. EPIDs were originally developed to provide on-treatment radiological imaging to assist with patient setup, but there has also been a natural interest in using them as dosimeters since they use the megavoltage therapy beam to form images. The current generation of clinically available EPID technology, amorphous-silicon (a-Si) flat panel imagers, possess many characteristics that make them much better suited to dosimetric applications than earlier EPID technologies. Features such as linearity with dose/dose rate, high spatial resolution, realtime capability, minimal optical glare, and digital operation combine with the convenience of a compact, retractable detector system directly mounted on the linear accelerator to provide a system that is well-suited to dosimetric applications. This review will discuss clinically available a-Si EPID systems, highlighting dosimetric characteristics and remaining limitations. Methods for using EPIDs in dosimetry applications will be discussed. Dosimetric applications using a-Si EPIDs to estimate three-dimensional dose in the patient during treatment will be overviewed. Clinics throughout the world are implementing increasingly complex treatments such as dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy, as well as specialized treatment techniques using large doses per fraction and short treatment courses (ie. hypofractionation and stereotactic radiosurgery). These factors drive the continued strong interest in using EPIDs as dosimeters for patient treatment verification.

An amorphous silicon photodiode with 2 THz gain-bandwidth product based on cycling excitation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Lujiang; Yu, Yugang; Zhang, Alex Ce; Hall, David; Niaz, Iftikhar Ahmad; Raihan Miah, Mohammad Abu; Liu, Yu-Hsin; Lo, Yu-Hwa

2017-09-01

Since impact ionization was observed in semiconductors over half a century ago, avalanche photodiodes (APDs) using impact ionization in a fashion of chain reaction have been the most sensitive semiconductor photodetectors. However, APDs have relatively high excess noise, a limited gain-bandwidth product, and high operation voltage, presenting a need for alternative signal amplification mechanisms of superior properties. As an amplification mechanism, the cycling excitation process (CEP) was recently reported in a silicon p-n junction with subtle control and balance of the impurity levels and profiles. Realizing that CEP effect depends on Auger excitation involving localized states, we made the counter intuitive hypothesis that disordered materials, such as amorphous silicon, with their abundant localized states, can produce strong CEP effects with high gain and speed at low noise, despite their extremely low mobility and large number of defects. Here, we demonstrate an amorphous silicon low noise photodiode with gain-bandwidth product of over 2 THz, based on a very simple structure. This work will impact a wide range of applications involving optical detection because amorphous silicon, as the primary gain medium, is a low-cost, easy-to-process material that can be formed on many kinds of rigid or flexible substrates.

Amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation: Ambient-temperature dependence and implications for solar cell performance

DOE PAGES

Seif, Johannes P.; Krishnamani, Gopal; Demaurex, Benedicte; ...

2015-03-02

Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells feature amorphous silicon passivation films, which enable very high voltages. We report how such passivation increases with operating temperature for amorphous silicon stacks involving doped layers and decreases for intrinsic-layer-only passivation. We discuss the implications of this phenomenon on the solar cell's temperature coefficient, which represents an important figure-of-merit for the energy yield of devices deployed in the field. We show evidence that both open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) are affected by these variations in passivation and quantify these temperature-mediated effects, compared with those expected from standard diode equations. We confirm that devicesmore » with high Voc values at 25°C show better high-temperature performance. Thus, we also argue that the precise device architecture, such as the presence of charge-transport barriers, may affect the temperature-dependent device performance as well.« less

Integrated Amorphous Silicon p-i-n Temperature Sensor for CMOS Photonics.

PubMed

Rao, Sandro; Pangallo, Giovanni; Della Corte, Francesco Giuseppe

2016-01-06

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) shows interesting optoelectronic and technological properties that make it suitable for the fabrication of passive and active micro-photonic devices, compatible moreover with standard microelectronic devices on a microchip. A temperature sensor based on a hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n diode integrated in an optical waveguide for silicon photonics applications is presented here. The linear dependence of the voltage drop across the forward-biased diode on temperature, in a range from 30 °C up to 170 °C, has been used for thermal sensing. A high sensitivity of 11.9 mV/°C in the bias current range of 34-40 nA has been measured. The proposed device is particularly suitable for the continuous temperature monitoring of CMOS-compatible photonic integrated circuits, where the behavior of the on-chip active and passive devices are strongly dependent on their operating temperature.

Integrated amorphous silicon-aluminum long-range surface plasmon polariton (LR-SPP) waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturlesi, Boaz; Grajower, Meir; Mazurski, Noa; Levy, Uriel

2018-03-01

We demonstrate the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of a long range surface plasmon polariton waveguide that is compatible with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor backend technology. The structure consists of a thin aluminum strip embedded in amorphous silicon. This configuration offers a symmetric environment in which surface plasmon polariton modes undergo minimal loss. Furthermore, the plasmonic mode profile matches the modes of the dielectric (amorphous silicon) waveguide, thus allowing efficient coupling between silicon photonics and plasmonic platforms. The propagation length of the plasmonic waveguide was measured to be about 27 μm at the telecom wavelength around 1550 nm, in good agreement with numerical simulations. As such, the waveguide features both tight mode confinement and decent propagation length. On top of its photonic properties, placing a metal within the structure may also allow for additional functionalities such as photo-detection, thermo-optic tuning, and electro-optic control to be implemented.

Supersonic plasma outflow in a plasmochemical method of amorphous silicon thin films formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranova, L. V.; Strunin, V. I.; Khudaibergenov, G. Zh

2018-01-01

As a result of the numerical modeling of gasdynamic functions of a nozzle of Laval there obtained its parameters which form supersonic plasma jet outflow in a process of amorphous silicon thin films deposition. According to the nozzle design parameters, there obtained amorphous silicon thin films and studied uniformity of the thickness of the synthesized coatings. It was also performed that due to a low translational temperature at the nozzle exit the relaxation losses reduce significantly, “freezing” the vibrational degrees of freedom and the degrees of freedom of the transverse motion of the particles, and increasing the energy efficiency of the film formation process. All this is caused by the fact that on the surface of a growing film only the products of primary interaction of electrons with molecules of a silicon-containing gas in the plasmatron do interact.

Silylated functionalized silicon-based composite as anode with excellent cyclic performance for lithium-ion battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao; Tian, Xiaodong; Yang, Tao; Wang, Wei; Song, Yan; Guo, Quangui; Liu, Zhanjun

2018-05-01

Inferior cycling stability and rate performance respectively caused by rigorous volume change and poor electrical conductivity were the main challenge of state-of-the-art Silicon-based electrode. In this work, silylated functionalized exfoliated graphite oxide (EGO)/silicon@amorphous carbon (3-APTS-EGO/Si@C) was synthesized by adopting silane as intermediate to connect Si particles with EGO sheets followed by introduction of amorphous carbon. The result suggested that 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilan connected the EGO sheets and Si nanoparticles via covalent bonds. Owing to the strong covalent interaction and the synergistic effect between the silicon, EGO sheets and amorphous carbon, 3-APTS-EGO/Si@C composite possessed a high capacity of 774 mAh g-1 even after 450 cycles at 0.4 A g-1 with the retention capacity of 97%. This work also provided an effective strategy to improve the long cycling life performance of Si-based electrode.

Continuous method of producing silicon carbide fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnard, Thomas Duncan (Inventor); Nguyen, Kimmai Thi (Inventor); Rabe, James Alan (Inventor)

1999-01-01

This invention pertains to a method for production of polycrystalline ceramic fibers from silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) ceramic fibers wherein the method comprises heating an amorphous ceramic fiber containing silicon and carbon in an inert environment comprising a boron oxide and carbon monoxide at a temperature sufficient to convert the amorphous ceramic fiber to a polycrystalline ceramic fiber. By having carbon monoxide present during the heating of the ceramic fiber, it is possible to achieve higher production rates on a continuous process.

The parameter influence of ion irradiation on the distribution profile of the defect in silicon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shemukhin, A. A.; Balaskshin, Yu. V.; Evseev, A. P.; Chernysh, V. S.

2017-09-01

As silicon is an important element in semiconductor devices, the process of defect formation under ion irradiation in it is studied well enough. Modern electronic components are made on silicon lattices (films) that are 100-300 nm thick (Chernysh et al., 1980; Shemukhin et al., 2012; Ieshkin et al., 2015). However, there are still features to be observed in the process of defect formation in silicon. In our work we investigate the effect of fluence and target temperature on the defect formation in films and bulk silicon samples. To investigate defect formation in the silicon films and bulk silicon samples we present experimental data on Si+ implantation with an energy of 200 keV, fluences range from 5 * 1014 to 5 * 1015 ion/cm2 for a fixed flux 1 μA/cm2 and the substrate temperatures from 150 to 350 K The sample crystallinity was investigated by using the Rutherford backscattering technique (RBS) in channeling and random modes. It is shown that in contrast to bulk silicon for which amorphization is observed at 5 × 1016 ion/cm2, the silicon films on sapphire amorphize at lower critical fluences (1015 ion/cm2). So the amorphization critical fluences depend on the target temperature. In addition it is shown that under similar implantation parameters, the disordering of silicon films under the action of the ion beam is stronger than the bulk silicon.

Hybrid method of making an amorphous silicon P-I-N semiconductor device

DOEpatents

Moustakas, Theodore D.; Morel, Don L.; Abeles, Benjamin

1983-10-04

The invention is directed to a hydrogenated amorphous silicon PIN semiconductor device of hybrid glow discharge/reactive sputtering fabrication. The hybrid fabrication method is of advantage in providing an ability to control the optical band gap of the P and N layers, resulting in increased photogeneration of charge carriers and device output.

A delta-doped amorphous silicon thin-film transistor with high mobility and stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Pyunghun; Lee, Kyung Min; Lee, Eui-Wan; Jo, Younjung; Kim, Do-Hyung; Kim, Hong-jae; Yang, Key Young; Son, Hyunji; Choi, Hyun Chul

2012-12-01

Ultrathin doped layers, known as delta-doped layers, were introduced within the intrinsic amorphous silicon (a-Si) active layer to fabricate hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with enhanced field-effect mobility. The performance of the delta-doped a-Si:H TFTs depended on the phosphine (PH3) flow rate and the distance from the n+ a-Si to the deltadoping layer. The delta-doped a-Si:H TFTs fabricated using a commercial manufacturing process exhibited an enhanced field-effect mobility of approximately ˜0.23 cm2/Vs (compared to a conventional a-Si:H TFT with 0.15 cm2/Vs) and a desirable stability under a bias-temperature stress test.

Electric measurements of PV heterojunction structures a-SiC/c-Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perný, Milan; Šály, Vladimír; Janíček, František; Mikolášek, Miroslav; Váry, Michal; Huran, Jozef

2018-01-01

Due to the particular advantages of amorphous silicon or its alloys with carbon in comparison to conventional crystalline materials makes such a material still interesting for study. The amorphous silicon carbide may be used in a number of micro-mechanical and micro-electronics applications and also for photovoltaic energy conversion devices. Boron doped thin layers of amorphous silicon carbide, presented in this paper, were prepared due to the optimization process for preparation of heterojunction solar cell structure. DC and AC measurement and subsequent evaluation were carried out in order to comprehensively assess the electrical transport processes in the prepared a-SiC/c-Si structures. We have investigated the influence of methane content in deposition gas mixture and different electrode configuration.

Application of DFT-Derived Relationships Between Chemical Environment and 29Si Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Determine Structure in Silicon Oxycarbide Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nimmo, John Paul, II

Silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) is an amorphous ceramic material widely used in industrial applications, for its useful electronic and biologically-compatible properties. SiCO is resistant to crystallization, remaining amorphous even above temperatures at which amorphous SiO2 would crystallize. Though silica (SiO2) and silicon carbide (SiC) are almost immiscible, it is useful to consider the material as a phase composition of these along with carbon, according to the formula below. The first two terms in braces can be considered as being the "SiCO glass" into which a third term representing excess or "free" carbon is incorporated as graphite-like nano-flakes and bands.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Makino, Nobuaki; Toshiba Corporation, 33 Shin-Isogo-Cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-0017; Shigeta, Yukichi

The stabilization of the amorphous structure in amorphous silicon film by adding Ge atoms was studied using Raman spectroscopy. Amorphous Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.14, and 0.27) films were deposited on glass substrates from electron beam evaporation sources and annealed in N{sub 2} atmosphere. The change in the amorphous states and the phase transition from amorphous to crystalline were characterized using the TO, LO, and LA phonons in the Raman spectra. The temperature of the transition from the amorphous phase to the crystalline phase was higher for the a-Si{sub 1−x}Ge{sub x} (x = 0.03, 0.14) films, and the crystallization was hindered.more » The reason why the addition of a suitable quantity of Ge atoms into the three-dimensional amorphous silicon network stabilizes its amorphous structure is discussed based on the changes in the Raman signals of the TO, LO, and LA phonons during annealing. The characteristic bond length of the Ge atoms allows them to stabilize the random network of the amorphous Si composed of quasi-tetrahedral Si units, and obstruct its rearrangement.« less

Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference in Japan, 2nd, Tokyo, Japan, December 2-4, 1980, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The state-of-the-art in amorphous solar cells is reviewed in terms of polycrystalline silicon solar cells, single crystal silicon solar cells, and methods of characterizing solar cells, including dielectric liquid immersion to increase cell efficiency. Compound semiconductor solar cells are explored, and new structures and advanced solar cell materials are discussed. Film deposition techniques for fabricating amorphous solar cells are presented, and the characterization, in addition to the physics and the performance, of amorphous solar cells are examined.

Effect of Doping on the Properties of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Irradiated with Femtosecond Laser Pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denisova, K. N.; Il'in, A. S.; Martyshov, M. N.; Vorontsov, A. S.

2018-04-01

A comparative analysis of the effect of femtosecond laser irradiation on the structure and conductivity of undoped and boron-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon ( a-Si: H) is performed. It is demonstrated that the process of nanocrystal formation in the amorphous matrix under femtosecond laser irradiation is initiated at lower laser energy densities in undoped a-Si: H samples. The differences in conductivity between undoped and doped a-Si: H samples vanish almost completely after irradiation with an energy density of 150-160 mJ/cm2.

Silicon heterojunction solar cell with passivated hole selective MoO{sub x} contact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Battaglia, Corsin; Yin, Xingtian; Zheng, Maxwell

2014-03-17

We explore substoichiometric molybdenum trioxide (MoO{sub x}, x < 3) as a dopant-free, hole-selective contact for silicon solar cells. Using an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon passivation layer between the oxide and the silicon absorber, we demonstrate a high open-circuit voltage of 711 mV and power conversion efficiency of 18.8%. Due to the wide band gap of MoO{sub x}, we observe a substantial gain in photocurrent of 1.9 mA/cm{sup 2} in the ultraviolet and visible part of the solar spectrum, when compared to a p-type amorphous silicon emitter of a traditional silicon heterojunction cell. Our results emphasize the strong potential for oxides as carrier selectivemore » heterojunction partners to inorganic semiconductors.« less

Method utilizing laser-processing for the growth of epitaxial p-n junctions

DOEpatents

Young, R.T.; Narayan, J.; Wood, R.F.

1979-11-23

This invention is a new method for the formation of epitaxial p-n junctions in silicon. The method is relatively simple, rapid, and reliable. It produces doped epitaxial layers which are of well-controlled thickness and whose electrical properties are satisfactory. An illustrative form of the method comprises co-depositing a selected dopant and amorphous silicon on a crystalline silicon substrate to form a doped layer of amorphous silicon thereon. This layer then is irradiated with at least one laser pulse to generate a melt front which moves through the layer, into the silicon body to a depth effecting melting of virginal silicon, and back to the surface of the layer. The method may be conducted with dopants (e.g., boron and phosphorus) whose distribution coefficients approximate unity.

Quantum confinement of nanocrystals within amorphous matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lusk, Mark T.; Collins, Reuben T.; Nourbakhsh, Zahra; Akbarzadeh, Hadi

2014-02-01

Nanocrystals encapsulated within an amorphous matrix are computationally analyzed to quantify the degree to which the matrix modifies the nature of their quantum-confinement power—i.e., the relationship between nanocrystal size and the gap between valence- and conduction-band edges. A special geometry allows exactly the same amorphous matrix to be applied to nanocrystals of increasing size to precisely quantify changes in confinement without the noise typically associated with encapsulating structures that are different for each nanocrystal. The results both explain and quantify the degree to which amorphous matrices redshift the character of quantum confinement. The character of this confinement depends on both the type of encapsulating material and the separation distance between the nanocrystals within it. Surprisingly, the analysis also identifies a critical nanocrystal threshold below which quantum confinement is not possible—a feature unique to amorphous encapsulation. Although applied to silicon nanocrystals within an amorphous silicon matrix, the methodology can be used to accurately analyze the confinement softening of other amorphous systems as well.

Preferred orientations of laterally grown silicon films over amorphous substrates using the vapor–liquid–solid technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LeBoeuf, J. L., E-mail: jerome.leboeuf@mail.mcgill.ca; Brodusch, N.; Gauvin, R.

2014-12-28

A novel method has been optimized so that adhesion layers are no longer needed to reliably deposit patterned gold structures on amorphous substrates. Using this technique allows for the fabrication of amorphous oxide templates known as micro-crucibles, which confine a vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) catalyst of nominally pure gold to a specific geometry. Within these confined templates of amorphous materials, faceted silicon crystals have been grown laterally. The novel deposition technique, which enables the nominally pure gold catalyst, involves the undercutting of an initial chromium adhesion layer. Using electron backscatter diffraction it was found that silicon nucleated in these micro-crucibles were 30%more » single crystals, 45% potentially twinned crystals and 25% polycrystals for the experimental conditions used. Single, potentially twinned, and polycrystals all had an aversion to growth with the (1 0 0) surface parallel to the amorphous substrate. Closer analysis of grain boundaries of potentially twinned and polycrystalline samples revealed that the overwhelming majority of them were of the 60° Σ3 coherent twin boundary type. The large amount of coherent twin boundaries present in the grown, two-dimensional silicon crystals suggest that lateral VLS growth occurs very close to thermodynamic equilibrium. It is suggested that free energy fluctuations during growth or cooling, and impurities were the causes for this twinning.« less

Mechanism of the growth of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon from silicon tetrafluoride and hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada, Y.; Chen, J.; Campbell, I. H.; Fauchet, P. M.; Wagner, S.

1990-02-01

We study the growth of amorphous (a-Si:H,F) and of microcrystalline (μc-Si) silicon over trench patterns in crystalline silicon substrates. We vary the conditions of the SiF4-H2 glow discharge from deposition to etching. All deposited films form lips at the trench mouth and are uniformly thick on the trench walls. Therefore, surface diffusion is not important. The results of a Monte Carlo simulation suggest that film growth is governed by a single growth species with a low (˜0.2) sticking coefficient, in combination with a highly reactive etching species.

Electrolytic etch for preventing electrical shorts in solar cells on polymer surfaces

DOEpatents

Weber, Michael F.

1991-10-08

A method for preventing shorts and shunts in solar cells having in order, an insulating substrate, a conductive metal layer on the substrate, an amorphous silicon layer and a transparent conductive layer. The method includes anodic etching of exposed portions of the metal layer after deposition of the amorphous silicon and prior to depositing the transparent conductive layer.

Emission of blue light from hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevin, W. A.; Yamagishi, H.; Yamaguchi, M.; Tawada, Y.

1994-04-01

THE development of new electroluminescent materials is of current technological interest for use in flat-screen full-colour displays1. For such applications, amorphous inorganic semiconductors appear particularly promising, in view of the ease with which uniform films with good mechanical and electronic properties can be deposited over large areas2. Luminescence has been reported1 in the red-green part of the spectrum from amorphous silicon carbide prepared from gas-phase mixtures of silane and a carbon-containing species (usually methane or ethylene). But it is not possible to achieve blue luminescence by this approach. Here we show that the use of an aromatic species-xylene-as the source of carbon during deposition results in a form of amorphous silicon carbide that exhibits strong blue luminescence. The underlying structure of this material seems to be an unusual combination of an inorganic silicon carbide lattice with a substantial 'organic' π-conjugated carbon system, the latter dominating the emission properties. Moreover, the material can be readily doped with an electron acceptor in a manner similar to organic semiconductors3, and might therefore find applications as a conductivity- or colour-based chemical sensor.

Shock compression of [001] single crystal silicon

DOE PAGES

Zhao, S.; Remington, B.; Hahn, E. N.; ...

2016-03-14

Silicon is ubiquitous in our advanced technological society, yet our current understanding of change to its mechanical response at extreme pressures and strain-rates is far from complete. This is due to its brittleness, making recovery experiments difficult. High-power, short-duration, laser-driven, shock compression and recovery experiments on [001] silicon (using impedance-matched momentum traps) unveiled remarkable structural changes observed by transmission electron microscopy. As laser energy increases, corresponding to an increase in peak shock pressure, the following plastic responses are are observed: surface cleavage along {111} planes, dislocations and stacking faults; bands of amorphized material initially forming on crystallographic orientations consistent withmore » dislocation slip; and coarse regions of amorphized material. Molecular dynamics simulations approach equivalent length and time scales to laser experiments and reveal the evolution of shock-induced partial dislocations and their crucial role in the preliminary stages of amorphization. Furthermore, application of coupled hydrostatic and shear stresses produce amorphization below the hydrostatically determined critical melting pressure under dynamic shock compression.« less

Shock compression of [001] single crystal silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, S.; Hahn, E. N.; Kad, B.; Remington, B. A.; Bringa, E. M.; Meyers, M. A.

2016-05-01

Silicon is ubiquitous in our advanced technological society, yet our current understanding of change to its mechanical response at extreme pressures and strain-rates is far from complete. This is due to its brittleness, making recovery experiments difficult. High-power, short-duration, laser-driven, shock compression and recovery experiments on [001] silicon (using impedance-matched momentum traps) unveiled remarkable structural changes observed by transmission electron microscopy. As laser energy increases, corresponding to an increase in peak shock pressure, the following plastic responses are are observed: surface cleavage along {111} planes, dislocations and stacking faults; bands of amorphized material initially forming on crystallographic orientations consistent with dislocation slip; and coarse regions of amorphized material. Molecular dynamics simulations approach equivalent length and time scales to laser experiments and reveal the evolution of shock-induced partial dislocations and their crucial role in the preliminary stages of amorphization. Application of coupled hydrostatic and shear stresses produce amorphization below the hydrostatically determined critical melting pressure under dynamic shock compression.

Anomalous light trapping enhancement in a two-dimensional gold nanobowl array with an amorphous silicon coating.

PubMed

Yang, Liu; Kou, Pengfei; He, Nan; Dai, Hao; He, Sailing

2017-06-26

A facile polymethyl methacrylate-assisted turnover-transfer approach is developed to fabricate uniform hexagonal gold nanobowl arrays. The bare array shows inferior light trapping ability compared to its inverted counterpart (a gold nanospherical shell array). Surprisingly, after being coated with a 60-nm thick amorphous silicon film, an anomalous light trapping enhancement is observed with a significantly enhanced average absorption (82%), while for the inverted nanostructure, the light trapping becomes greatly weakened with an average absorption of only 66%. Systematic experimental and theoretical results show that the main reason for the opposite light trapping behaviors lies in the top amorphous silicon coating, which plays an important role in mediating the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons and the electric field distributions in both nanostructures.

Tin induced a-Si crystallization in thin films of Si-Sn alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neimash, V.; Poroshin, V.; Shepeliavyi, P.; Yukhymchuk, V.; Melnyk, V.; Kuzmich, A.; Makara, V.; Goushcha, A. O.

2013-12-01

Effects of tin doping on crystallization of amorphous silicon were studied using Raman scattering, Auger spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence techniques. Formation of silicon nanocrystals (2-4 nm in size) in the amorphous matrix of Si1-xSnx, obtained by physical vapor deposition of the components in vacuum, was observed at temperatures around 300 °C. The aggregate volume of nanocrystals in the deposited film of Si1-xSnx exceeded 60% of the total film volume and correlated well with the tin content. Formation of structures with ˜80% partial volume of the nanocrystalline phase was also demonstrated. Tin-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon occurred only around the clusters of metallic tin, which suggested the crystallization mechanism involving an interfacial molten Si:Sn layer.

Resolving the nanostructure of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited nanocrystalline SiOx layers for application in solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klingsporn, M.; Kirner, S.; Villringer, C.; Abou-Ras, D.; Costina, I.; Lehmann, M.; Stannowski, B.

2016-06-01

Nanocrystalline silicon suboxides (nc-SiOx) have attracted attention during the past years for the use in thin-film silicon solar cells. We investigated the relationships between the nanostructure as well as the chemical, electrical, and optical properties of phosphorous, doped, nc-SiO0.8:H fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The nanostructure was varied through the sample series by changing the deposition pressure from 533 to 1067 Pa. The samples were then characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and a specialized plasmon imaging method. We found that the material changed with increasing pressure from predominantly amorphous silicon monoxide to silicon dioxide containing nanocrystalline silicon. The nanostructure changed from amorphous silicon filaments to nanocrystalline silicon filaments, which were found to cause anisotropic electron transport.

Solution-grown silicon nanowires for lithium-ion battery anodes.

PubMed

Chan, Candace K; Patel, Reken N; O'Connell, Michael J; Korgel, Brian A; Cui, Yi

2010-03-23

Composite electrodes composed of silicon nanowires synthesized using the supercritical fluid-liquid-solid (SFLS) method mixed with amorphous carbon or carbon nanotubes were evaluated as Li-ion battery anodes. Carbon coating of the silicon nanowires using the pyrolysis of sugar was found to be crucial for making good electronic contact to the material. Using multiwalled carbon nanotubes as the conducting additive was found to be more effective for obtaining good cycling behavior than using amorphous carbon. Reversible capacities of 1500 mAh/g were observed for 30 cycles.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pope, C.S.

The future of the photovoltaic industry is discussed. The success of a small New Jersey high technology solar firm, Chronar, is described. The company started a modern, efficient commercial facility for the manufacture of 1 megawatt capacity amorphous silicon solar cells. The hatch manufacturing process consists of the deposition of the amorphous silicon layers in a machine called a 6 pack named for the six identical glow discharge chambers operated simultaneously by a mini-computer.

Production of Silicon Oxide like Thin Films by the Use of Atmospheric Plasma Torch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozono, E. M.; Fachini, E. R.; Silva, M. L. P.; Ruchko, L. F.; Galvão, R. M. O.

2015-03-01

The advantages of HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) APT-plasma films for sensor applications were explored producing films in a three-turn copper coil APT equipment. HMDS was introduced into the argon plasma at four different conditions. Additional flux of oxygen could modulate the presence of organic components in the film, the composition varying from pure inorganic oxides to organo-silane polymers. Oxygen promoted deposition rates as high as 900 nm/min on silicon, acrylic or piezoelectric quartz crystal substrates. Films with a clustered morphology and refractive index of 1.45 were obtained, mainly due to a silicon oxide structure. Raman spectroscopy and XPS data showed the presence of CHn and amorphous carbon in the inorganic matrix. The films were sensitive to the humidity of the air. The adsorptive capabilities of outstanding films were tested in a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). The results support that those films can be a useful and simple alternative for the development of sensors.

Polyimide based amorphous silicon solar modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeffrey, Frank R.; Grimmer, Derrick P.; Martens, Steven A.; Abudagga, Khaled; Thomas, Michael L.; Noak, Max

1993-01-01

Requirements for space power are increasingly emphasizing lower costs and higher specific powers. This results from new fiscal constraints, higher power requirements for larger applications, and the evolution toward longer distance missions such as a Lunar or Mars base. The polyimide based a-Si modules described are being developed to meet these needs. The modules consist of tandem a-Si solar cell material deposited directly on a roll of polyimide. A laser scribing/printing process subdivides the deposition into discrete cell strips which are series connected to produce the required voltage without cutting the polymer backing. The result is a large, monolithic, blanket type module approximately 30 cm wide and variable in length depending on demand. Current production modules have a specific power slightly over 500 W/Kg with room for significant improvement. Costs for the full blanket modules range from $30/Watt to $150/Watt depending on quantity and engineering requirements. Work to date focused on the modules themselves and adjusting them for the AMO spectrum. Work is needed yet to insure that the modules are suitable for the space environment.

Radiation dose reduction in chest radiography using a flat-panel amorphous silicon detector.

PubMed

Hosch, W P; Fink, C; Radeleff, B; kampschulte a, A; Kauffmann, G W; Hansmann, J

2002-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality and the potential for radiation dose reduction with a digital flat-panel amorphous silicon detector radiography system. Using flat-panel technology, radiographs of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom were taken with a range of technical parameters (125kV, 200mA and 5, 4, 3.2, 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.25mAs) which were equivalent to a radiation dose of 332, 263, 209, 127, 58.7, 29, and 14 microGy, respectively. These images were compared to radiographs obtained by a conventional film-screen radiography system at 125kV, 200mA and 5mAs (equivalent to 252 microGy) which served as reference. Three observers evaluated independently the visibility of simulated rounded lesions and anatomical structures, comparing printed films from the flat-panel amorphous silicon detector and conventional x-ray system films. With flat-panel technology, the visibility of rounded lesions and normal anatomical structures at 5, 4, and 3.2mAs was superior compared to the conventional film-screen radiography system. (P< or =0.0001). At 2mAs, improvement was only marginal (P=0.19). At 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25mAs, the visibility of simulated rounded lesions was worse (P< or =0.004). Comparing fine lung parenchymal structures, the flat-panel amorphous silicon detector showed improvement for all exposure levels down to 2mAs and equality at 1mAs. Compared to a conventional x-ray film system, the flat-panel amorphous silicon detector demonstrated improved image quality and the possibility for a reduction of the radiation dose by 50% without loss in image quality.

Electronic transport in mixed-phase hydrogenated amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wienkes, Lee Raymond

Interest in mixed-phase silicon thin film materials, composed of an amorphous semiconductor matrix in which nanocrystalline inclusions are embedded, stems in part from potential technological applications, including photovoltaic and thin film transistor technologies. Conventional mixed-phase silicon films are produced in a single plasma reactor, where the conditions of the plasma must be precisely tuned, limiting the ability to adjust the film and nanoparticle parameters independently. The films presented in this thesis are deposited using a novel dual-plasma co-deposition approach in which the nanoparticles are produced separately in an upstream reactor and then injected into a secondary reactor where an amorphous silicon film is being grown. The degree of crystallinity and grain sizes of the films are evaluated using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction respectively. I describe detailed electronic measurements which reveal three distinct conduction mechanisms in n-type doped mixed-phase amorphous/nanocrystalline silicon thin films over a range of nanocrystallite concentrations and temperatures, covering the transition from fully amorphous to ~30% nanocrystalline. As the temperature is varied from 470 to 10 K, we observe activated conduction, multiphonon hopping (MPH) and Mott variable range hopping (VRH) as the nanocrystal content is increased. The transition from MPH to Mott-VRH hopping around 100K is ascribed to the freeze out of the phonon modes. A conduction model involving the parallel contributions of these three distinct conduction mechanisms is shown to describe both the conductivity and the reduced activation energy data to a high accuracy. Additional support is provided by measurements of thermal equilibration effects and noise spectroscopy, both done above room temperature (>300 K). This thesis provides a clear link between measurement and theory in these complex materials.

Broadband wavelength conversion in hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguide with silicon nitride layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiang; Li, Yongfang; Wang, Zhaolu; Han, Jing; Huang, Nan; Liu, Hongjun

2018-01-01

Broadband wavelength conversion based on degenerate four-wave mixing is theoretically investigated in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) waveguide with silicon nitride inter-cladding layer (a-Si:HN). We have found that enhancement of the non-linear effect of a-Si:H waveguide nitride intermediate layer facilitates broadband wavelength conversion. Conversion bandwidth of 490 nm and conversion efficiency of 11.4 dB were achieved in a numerical simulation of a 4 mm-long a-Si:HN waveguide under 1.55 μm continuous wave pumping. This broadband continuous-wave wavelength converter has potential applications in photonic networks, a type of readily manufactured low-cost highly integrated optical circuits.

Mechanistic Analysis of Mechano-Electrochemical Interaction in Silicon Electrodes with Surface Film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verma, Ankit; Mukherjee, Partha P.

2017-11-17

High-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, such as silicon, are prone to large volume change during lithiation/delithiation which may cause particle cracking and disintegration, thereby resulting in severe capacity fade and reduction in cycle life. In this work, a stochastic analysis is presented in order to understand the mechano-electrochemical interaction in silicon active particles along with a surface film during cycling. Amorphous silicon particles exhibiting single-phase lithiation incur lower amount of cracking as compared to crystalline silicon particles exhibiting two-phase lithiation for the same degree of volumetric expansion. Rupture of the brittle surface film is observed for both amorphous andmore » crystalline silicon particles and is attributed to the large volumetric expansion of the silicon active particle with lithiation. The mechanical property of the surface film plays an important role in determining the amount of degradation in the particle/film assembly. A strategy to ameliorate particle cracking in silicon active particles is proposed.« less

Highly efficient ultrathin-film amorphous silicon solar cells on top of imprinted periodic nanodot arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yan, Wensheng, E-mail: yws118@gmail.com; Gu, Min, E-mail: mgu@swin.edu.au; Tao, Zhikuo

2015-03-02

The addressing of the light absorption and conversion efficiency is critical to the ultrathin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells. We systematically investigate ultrathin a-Si:H solar cells with a 100 nm absorber on top of imprinted hexagonal nanodot arrays. Experimental evidences are demonstrated for not only notable silver nanodot arrays but also lower-cost ITO and Al:ZnO nanodot arrays. The measured external quantum efficiency is explained by the simulation results. The J{sub sc} values are 12.1, 13.0, and 14.3 mA/cm{sup 2} and efficiencies are 6.6%, 7.5%, and 8.3% for ITO, Al:ZnO, and silver nanodot arrays, respectively. Simulated optical absorption distribution shows high lightmore » trapping within amorphous silicon layer.« less

Telecom to mid-infrared spanning supercontinuum generation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides using a Thulium doped fiber laser pump source.

PubMed

Dave, Utsav D; Uvin, Sarah; Kuyken, Bart; Selvaraja, Shankar; Leo, Francois; Roelkens, Gunther

2013-12-30

A 1,000 nm wide supercontinuum, spanning from 1470 nm in the telecom band to 2470 nm in the mid-infrared is demonstrated in a 800 nm x 220 nm 1 cm long hydrogenated amorphous silicon strip waveguide. The pump source was a picosecond Thulium doped fiber laser centered at 1950 nm. The real part of the nonlinear parameter of this waveguide at 1950 nm is measured to be 100 ± 10 W -1m-1, while the imaginary part of the nonlinear parameter is measured to be 1.2 ± 0.2 W-1m-1. The supercontinuum is stable over a period of at least several hours, as the hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides do not degrade when exposed to the high power picosecond pulse train.

Optoelectronic transport properties in amorphous/crystalline silicon solar cell heterojunctions measured by frequency-domain photocarrier radiometry: multi-parameter measurement reliability and precision studies.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Melnikov, A; Mandelis, A; Halliop, B; Kherani, N P; Zhu, R

2015-03-01

A theoretical one-dimensional two-layer linear photocarrier radiometry (PCR) model including the presence of effective interface carrier traps was used to evaluate the transport parameters of p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-layer) nanolayer. Several crystalline Si heterojunction structures were examined to investigate the influence of the i-layer thickness and the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer. The experimental data of a series of heterojunction structures with intrinsic thin layers were fitted to PCR theory to gain insight into the transport properties of these devices. The quantitative multi-parameter results were studied with regard to measurement reliability (uniqueness) and precision using two independent computational best-fit programs. The considerable influence on the transport properties of the entire structure of two key parameters that can limit the performance of amorphous thin film solar cells, namely, the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer and the i-layer thickness was demonstrated. It was shown that PCR can be applied to the non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells yielding reliable measurements of the key parameters.

Optoelectronic transport properties in amorphous/crystalline silicon solar cell heterojunctions measured by frequency-domain photocarrier radiometry: Multi-parameter measurement reliability and precision studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Y.; Institute of Electronic Engineering and Optoelectronic Technology, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094; Melnikov, A.

2015-03-15

A theoretical one-dimensional two-layer linear photocarrier radiometry (PCR) model including the presence of effective interface carrier traps was used to evaluate the transport parameters of p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-layer) nanolayer. Several crystalline Si heterojunction structures were examined to investigate the influence of the i-layer thickness and the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer. The experimental data of a series of heterojunction structures with intrinsic thin layers were fitted to PCR theory to gain insight into the transport properties of these devices. The quantitative multi-parameter results weremore » studied with regard to measurement reliability (uniqueness) and precision using two independent computational best-fit programs. The considerable influence on the transport properties of the entire structure of two key parameters that can limit the performance of amorphous thin film solar cells, namely, the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer and the i-layer thickness was demonstrated. It was shown that PCR can be applied to the non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells yielding reliable measurements of the key parameters.« less

Light-induced V{sub oc} increase and decrease in high-efficiency amorphous silicon solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stuckelberger, M., E-mail: michael.stuckelberger@epfl.ch; Riesen, Y.; Despeisse, M.

High-efficiency amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells were deposited with different thicknesses of the p-type amorphous silicon carbide layer on substrates of varying roughness. We observed a light-induced open-circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) increase upon light soaking for thin p-layers, but a decrease for thick p-layers. Further, the V{sub oc} increase is enhanced with increasing substrate roughness. After correction of the p-layer thickness for the increased surface area of rough substrates, we can exclude varying the effective p-layer thickness as the cause of the substrate roughness dependence. Instead, we explain the observations by an increase of the dangling-bond density in both themore » p-layer—causing a V{sub oc} increase—and in the intrinsic absorber layer, causing a V{sub oc} decrease. We present a mechanism for the light-induced increase and decrease, justified by the investigation of light-induced changes of the p-layer and supported by Advanced Semiconductor Analysis simulation. We conclude that a shift of the electron quasi-Fermi level towards the conduction band is the reason for the observed V{sub oc} enhancements, and poor amorphous silicon quality on rough substrates enhances this effect.« less

Photoluminescence of amorphous and crystalline silicon nanoclusters in silicon nitride and oxide superlattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shuleiko, D. V., E-mail: shuleyko.dmitriy@physics.msu.ru; Zabotnov, S. V.; Zhigunov, D. M.

2017-02-15

The photoluminescence properties of silicon nitride and oxide superlattices fabricated by plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition are studied. In the structures annealed at a temperature of 1150°C, photoluminescence peaks at about 1.45 eV are recorded. The peaks are defined by exciton recombination in silicon nanocrystals formed upon annealing. Along with the 1.45-eV peaks, a number of peaks defined by recombination at defects at the interface between the nanocrystals and silicon-nitride matrix are detected. The structures annealed at 900°C exhibit a number of photoluminescence peaks in the range 1.3–2.0 eV. These peaks are defined by both the recombination at defects and excitonmore » recombination in amorphous silicon nanoclusters formed at an annealing temperature of 900°C. The observed features of all of the photoluminescence spectra are confirmed by the nature of the photoluminescence kinetics.« less

Nonformity of the electron density in amorphous silicon films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ionova, E.N.; Cheremskoi, P.G.; Fedorenko, A.I.

1985-12-01

The authors study the nonuniformity of a-Si:H films obtained by the method of vacuum condensation, with the help of x-ray small-angle scattering (SLS) and transmission electron microscopy. Films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon are greatest interest, because the electronic properties of this material can be controlled by doping. As a result of the compensation of the ruptured bonds, and possibly, effects of melting, the properties of such films are analogous to those of singlecrystalline silicon. XLS enables a quantitative determination of the prameters of the regions of low electron density (RLD) in such objects.

Ultralow power continuous-wave frequency conversion in hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides.

PubMed

Wang, Ke-Yao; Foster, Amy C

2012-04-15

We demonstrate wavelength conversion through nonlinear parametric processes in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) with maximum conversion efficiency of -13 dB at telecommunication data rates (10 GHz) using only 15 mW of pump peak power. Conversion bandwidths as large as 150 nm (20 THz) are measured in continuous-wave regime at telecommunication wavelengths. The nonlinear refractive index of the material is determined by four-wave mixing (FWM) to be n(2)=7.43×10(-13) cm(2)/W, approximately an order of magnitude larger than that of single crystal silicon. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Breast imaging using an amorphous silicon-based full-field digital mammographic system: stability of a clinical prototype.

PubMed

Vedantham, S; Karellas, A; Suryanarayanan, S; D'Orsi, C J; Hendrick, R E

2000-11-01

An amorphous silicon-based full-breast imager for digital mammography was evaluated for detector stability over a period of 1 year. This imager uses a structured CsI:TI scintillator coupled to an amorphous silicon layer with a 100-micron pixel pitch and read out by special purpose electronics. The stability of the system was characterized using the following quantifiable metrics: conversion factor (mean number of electrons generated per incident x-ray), presampling modulation transfer function (MTF), detector linearity and sensitivity, detector signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation phantom scores. Qualitative metrics such as flat field uniformity, geometric distortion, and Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) test pattern image quality were also used to study the stability of the system. Observations made over this 1-year period indicated that the maximum variation from the average of the measurements were less than 0.5% for conversion factor, 3% for presampling MTF over all spatial frequencies, 5% for signal response, linearity and sensitivity, 12% for SNR over seven locations for all 3 target-filter combinations, and 0% for ACR accreditation phantom scores. ACR mammographic accreditation phantom images indicated the ability to resolve 5 fibers, 4 speck groups, and 5 masses at a mean glandular dose of 1.23 mGy. The SMPTE pattern image quality test for the display monitors used for image viewing indicated ability to discern all contrast steps and ability to distinguish line-pair images at the center and corners of the image. No bleeding effects were observed in the image. Flat field uniformity for all 3 target-filter combinations displayed no artifacts such as gridlines, bad detector rows or columns, horizontal or vertical streaks, or bad pixels. Wire mesh screen images indicated uniform resolution and no geometric distortion.

Surface Brillouin scattering study of the surface excitations in amorphous silicon layers produced by ion bombardment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Comins, J. D.; Every, A. G.; Stoddart, P. R.; Pang, W.; Derry, T. E.

1998-11-01

Thin amorphous silicon layers on crystalline silicon substrates have been produced by argon-ion bombardment of (001) silicon surfaces. Thermally induced surface excitations characteristic of this example of a soft-on-hard system have been investigated by surface Brillouin scattering (SBS) as a function of scattering-angle and amorphous-layer thickness. At large scattering angles or for sufficiently large layer thickness, a second peak is present in the SBS spectrum near the low-energy threshold for the continuum of bulk excitations of the system. The measured spectra are analyzed on the basis of surface elastodynamic Green's functions, which successfully simulate their detailed appearance and identify the second peak as either a Sezawa wave (true surface wave) or a pseudo-Sezawa wave (attenuated surface wave) depending on the scattering parameters. The attributes of the pseudo-Sezawa wave are described; these include its asymmetrical line shape and variation in intensity with k∥d (the product of the surface excitation wave vector and the layer thickness), and its emergence as the Sezawa wave from the low-energy side of the Lamb shoulder at a critical value of k∥d. Furthermore, the behavior of a pronounced minimum in the Lamb shoulder near the longitudinal wave threshold observed in the experiments is reported and is found to be in good agreement with the calculated spectra. The elastic constants of the amorphous silicon layer are determined from the velocity dispersion of the Rayleigh surface acoustic wave and the minimum in the Lamb shoulder.

Nanoscale solely amorphous layer in silicon wafers induced by a newly developed diamond wheel

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhenyu; Guo, Liangchao; Cui, Junfeng; Wang, Bo; Kang, Renke; Guo, Dongming

2016-01-01

Nanoscale solely amorphous layer is achieved in silicon (Si) wafers, using a developed diamond wheel with ceria, which is confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). This is different from previous reports of ultraprecision grinding, nanoindentation and nanoscratch, in which an amorphous layer at the top, followed by a crystalline damaged layer beneath. The thicknesses of amorphous layer are 43 and 48 nm at infeed rates of 8 and 15 μm/min, respectively, which is verified using HRTEM. Diamond-cubic Si-I phase is verified in Si wafers using selected area electron diffraction patterns, indicating the absence of high pressure phases. Ceria plays an important role in the diamond wheel for achieving ultrasmooth and bright surfaces using ultraprecision grinding. PMID:27734934

Final Report: Hot Carrier Collection in Thin Film Silicon with Tailored Nanocrystalline/Amorphous Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, Reuben T.

This project developed, characterized, and perfected a new type of highly tunable nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) incorporating quantum confined silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs). A dual zone deposition process and system were developed and demonstrated. The depositions of SiNPs, the amorphous phase, and co-deposited material were characterized and optimized. Material design and interpretation of results were guided by new theoretical tools that examined both the electronic structure and carrier dynamics of this hybrid material. Heterojunction and p-i-n solar cells were demonstrated and characterized. Photo-thin-film-transistors allowed mobility to be studied as a function SiNP density in the films. Rapid (hot) transfer of carriers frommore » the amorphous matrix to the quantum confined SiNPs was observed and connected to reduced photo-degradation. The results carry quantum confined Si dots from a novelty to materials that can be harnessed for PV and optoelectronic applications. The growth process is broadly extendable with alternative amorphous matrices, novel layered structures, and alternative NPs easily accessible. The hot carrier effects hold the potential for third generation photovoltaics.« less

Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, A.R.

1984-02-21

Method and apparatus are provided for determining the diffusion length of minority carriers in semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon, which has a significantly small minority carrier diffusion length using the constant magnitude surface-photovoltage (SPV) method. Steady or modulated illumination at several wavelengths provides the light excitation on the surface of the material to generate the SPV. A manually controlled or automatic servo system maintains a constant predetermined value of the SPB for each wavelength. A probe electrode immersed in an electrolyte solution containing redox couples (preferably quinhydrone) having an oxidation-reduction potential (E) in the order of +0.6 to -1.65 voltsmore » couples the SPV to a measurement system. The redox couple solution functions to create a liquid Schottky barrier at the surface of the material. The Schottky barrier is contacted by merely placing the probe in the solution. The redox solution is placed over and in contact with the material to be tested and light is passed through the solution to generate the SPV. To compensate for colored redox solutions a portion of the redox solution not over the material is also illuminated for determining the color compensated light intensity. Steady red light is also used as an optical bias to reduce deleterious space-charge effects that occur in amorphous silicon.« less

Method and apparatus for determining minority carrier diffusion length in semiconductors

DOEpatents

Moore, Arnold R.

1984-02-21

Method and apparatus are provided for determining the diffusion length of minority carriers in semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon, which has a significantly small minority carrier diffusion length using the constant magnitude surface-photovoltage (SPV) method. Steady or modulated illumination at several wavelengths provides the light excitation on the surface of the material to generate the SPV. A manually controlled or automatic servo system maintains a constant predetermined value of the SPV for each wavelength. A probe electrode immersed in an electrolyte solution containing redox couples (preferably quinhydrone) having an oxidation-reduction potential (E) in the order of +0.6 to -1.65 volts couples the SPV to a measurement system. The redox couple solution functions to create a liquid Schottky barrier at the surface of the material. The Schottky barrier is contacted by merely placing the probe in the solution. The redox solution is placed over and in contact with the material to be tested and light is passed through the solution to generate the SPV. To compensate for colored redox solutions a portion of the redox solution not over the material is also illuminated for determining the color compensated light intensity. Steady red light is also used as an optical bias to reduce deleterious space-charge effects that occur in amorphous silicon.

Resolving the nanostructure of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited nanocrystalline SiO{sub x} layers for application in solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klingsporn, M.; Costina, I.; Kirner, S.

2016-06-14

Nanocrystalline silicon suboxides (nc-SiO{sub x}) have attracted attention during the past years for the use in thin-film silicon solar cells. We investigated the relationships between the nanostructure as well as the chemical, electrical, and optical properties of phosphorous, doped, nc-SiO{sub 0.8}:H fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The nanostructure was varied through the sample series by changing the deposition pressure from 533 to 1067 Pa. The samples were then characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and a specialized plasmon imaging method. We found that the material changed with increasing pressuremore » from predominantly amorphous silicon monoxide to silicon dioxide containing nanocrystalline silicon. The nanostructure changed from amorphous silicon filaments to nanocrystalline silicon filaments, which were found to cause anisotropic electron transport.« less

Fundamental Studies of the Mechanical Behavior of Microelectronic Thin Film Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

scanning, wafer curvature technique to study the kinetics of crystallization of amorphous silicon. When a thin film of amorphous silicon crystallizes...the film and the kinetics of the crystallization process. We find the tensile stress in the film to increase by about 500 MPa when crystallization...occurs. This is a very large stress that could have significance for device processing and applications. By measuring the kinetics of this stress change

An amorphous silicon photodiode microfluidic chip to detect nanomolar quantities of HIV-1 virion infectivity factor.

PubMed

Vistas, Cláudia R; Soares, Sandra S; Rodrigues, Rogério M M; Chu, Virginia; Conde, João P; Ferreira, Guilherme N M

2014-08-07

A hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photosensor was explored for the quantitative detection of a HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif) at a detection limit in the single nanomolar range. The a-Si:H photosensor was coupled with a microfluidic channel that was functionalized with a recombinant single chain variable fragment antibody. The biosensor selectively recognizes HIV-1 Vif from human cell extracts.

High voltage series connected tandem junction solar battery

DOEpatents

Hanak, Joseph J.

1982-01-01

A high voltage series connected tandem junction solar battery which comprises a plurality of strips of tandem junction solar cells of hydrogenated amorphous silicon having one optical path and electrically interconnected by a tunnel junction. The layers of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, arranged in a tandem configuration, can have the same bandgap or differing bandgaps. The tandem junction strip solar cells are series connected to produce a solar battery of any desired voltage.

Label-Free Direct Electronic Detection of Biomolecules with Amorphous Silicon Nanostructures

PubMed Central

Lund, John; Mehta, Ranjana; Parviz, Babak A.

2007-01-01

We present the fabrication and characterization of a nano-scale sensor made of amorphous silicon for the label-free, electronic detection of three classes of biologically important molecules: ions, oligonucleotides, and proteins. The sensor structure has an active element which is a 50 nm wide amorphous silicon semicircle and has a total footprint of less than 4 μm2. We demonstrate the functionalization of the sensor with receptor molecules and the electronic detection of three targets: H+ ions, short single-stranded DNAs, and streptavidin. The sensor is able to reliably distinguish single base-pair mismatches in 12 base long strands of DNA and monitor the introduction and identification of straptavidin in real-time. The versatile sensor structure can be readily functionalized with a wide range of receptor molecules and is suitable for integration with high-speed electronic circuits as a post-process on an integrated circuit chip. PMID:17292148

First-principles investigation of band offsets and dielectric properties of Silicon-Silicon Nitride interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Tuan Anh; Li, Tianshu; Gygi, Francois; Galli, Giulia

2011-03-01

Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) is a possible candidate material to replace or be alloyed with SiO2 to form high-K dielectric films on Si substrates, so as to help prevent leakage currents in modern CMOS transistors. Building on our previous work on dielectric properties of crystalline and amorphous Si3N4 slabs, we present an analysis of the band offsets and dielectric properties of crystalline-Si/amorphous Si3N4 interfaces based on first principles calculations. We discuss shortcomings of the conventional bulk-plus line up approach in band offset calculations for systems with an amorphous component, and we present the results of band offsets obtained from calculations of local density of states. Finally, we describe the role of bonding configurations in determining band edges and dielectric constants at the interface. We acknowledge financial support from Intel Corporation.

Corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility of biodegradable surgical magnesium alloy coated with hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

PubMed

Xin, Yunchang; Jiang, Jiang; Huo, Kaifu; Tang, Guoyi; Tian, Xiubo; Chu, Paul K

2009-06-01

The fast degradation rates in the physiological environment constitute the main limitation for the applications of surgical magnesium alloys as biodegradable hard-tissue implants. In this work, a stable and dense hydrogenated amorphous silicon coating (a-Si:H) with desirable bioactivity is deposited on AZ91 magnesium alloy using magnetron sputtering deposition. Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveal that the coating is mainly composed of hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The hardness of the coated alloy is enhanced significantly and the coating is quite hydrophilic as well. Potentiodynamic polarization results show that the corrosion resistance of the coated alloy is enhanced dramatically. In addition, the deterioration process of the coating in simulated body fluids is systematically investigated by open circuit potential evolution and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The cytocompatibility of the coated Mg is evaluated for the first time using hFOB1.19 cells and favorable biocompatibility is observed. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Electron microscopy study of Ni induced crystallization in amorphous Si thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radnóczi, G. Z.; Battistig, G.; Pécz, B., E-mail: pecz.bela@ttk.mta.hu

2015-02-17

The crystallization of amorphous silicon is studied by transmission electron microscopy. The effect of Ni on the crystallization is studied in a wide temperature range heating thinned samples in-situ inside the microscope. Two cases of limited Ni source and unlimited Ni source are studied and compared. NiSi{sub 2} phase started to form at a temperature as low as 250°C in the limited Ni source case. In-situ observation gives a clear view on the crystallization of silicon through small NiSi{sub 2} grain formation. The same phase is observed at the crystallization front in the unlimited Ni source case, where a secondmore » region is also observed with large grains of Ni{sub 3}Si{sub 2}. Low temperature experiments show, that long annealing of amorphous silicon at 410 °C already results in large crystallized Si regions due to the Ni induced crystallization.« less

Spherical silicon photonic microcavities: From amorphous to polycrystalline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenollosa, R.; Garín, M.; Meseguer, F.

2016-06-01

Shaping silicon as a spherical object is not an obvious task, especially when the object size is in the micrometer range. This has the important consequence of transforming bare silicon material in a microcavity, so it is able to confine light efficiently. Here, we have explored the inside volume of such microcavities, both in their amorphous and in their polycrystalline versions. The synthesis method, which is based on chemical vapor deposition, causes amorphous microspheres to have a high content of hydrogen that produces an onionlike distributed porous core when the microspheres are crystallized by a fast annealing regime. This substantially influences the resonant modes. However, a slow crystallization regime does not yield pores, and produces higher-quality-factor resonances that could be fitted to the Mie theory. This allows the establishment of a procedure for obtaining size calibration standards with relative errors of the order of 0.1%.

Dependence of short and intermediate-range order on preparation in experimental and modeled pure a-Si

DOE PAGES

Holmstrom, Eero; Haberl, Bianca; Pakarinen, Olli H.; ...

2016-02-20

Variability in the short-to-intermediate range order of pure amorphous silicon prepared by different experimental and computational techniques is probed by measuring mass density, atomic coordination, bond-angle deviation, and dihedral angle deviation. It is found that there is significant variability in order parameters at these length scales in this archetypal covalently bonded, monoatomic system. This diversity strongly reflects preparation technique and thermal history in both experimental and simulated systems. Experiment and simulation do not fully quantitatively agree, partly due to differences in the way parameters are accessed. However, qualitative agreement in the trends is identified. Relaxed forms of amorphous silicon closelymore » resemble continuous random networks generated by a hybrid method of bond-switching Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation. As-prepared ion implanted amorphous silicon can be adequately modeled using a structure generated from amorphization via ion bombardement using energetic recoils. Preparation methods which narrowly avoid crystallization such as experimental pressure-induced amorphization or simulated melt-quenching result in inhomogeneous structures that contain regions with significant variations in atomic ordering. Ad hoc simulated structures containing small (1 nm) diamond cubic crystal inclusions were found to possess relatively high bond-angle deviations and low dihedral angle deviations, a trend that could not be reconciled with any experimental material.« less

Annealing optimization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide film for solar cell application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guangzhi, Jia; Honggang, Liu; Hudong, Chang

2011-05-01

We investigate a passivation scheme using hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide (a-SiOx:H) film for industrial solar cell application. The a-SiOx:H films were deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) by decomposing nitrous oxide, helium and silane at a substrate temperature of around 250 °C. An extensive study has been carried out on the effect of thermal annealing on carrier lifetime and surface recombination velocity, which affect the final output of the solar cell. Minority carrier lifetimes for the deposited a-SiOx:H films without and with the thermal annealing on 4 Ω·cm p-type float-zone silicon wafers are 270 μs and 670 μs, respectively, correlating to surface recombination velocities of 70 cm/s and 30 cm/s. Optical analysis has revealed a distinct decrease of blue light absorption in the a-SiOx:H films compared to the commonly used intrinsic amorphous silicon passivation used in solar cells. This paper also reports that the low cost and high quality passivation fabrication sequences employed in this study are suitable for industrial processes.

Investigation of isochronal annealing on the optical properties of HWCVD amorphous silicon nitride deposited at low temperatures and low gas flow rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, T. F. G.; Jacobs, S.; Cummings, F. R.; Oliphant, C. J.; Malgas, G. F.; Arendse, C. J.

2015-06-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H) is used as anti-reflection coatings in commercial solar cells. A final firing step in the production of micro-crystalline silicon solar cells allows hydrogen effusion from the a-SiNx:H into the solar cell, and contributes to bulk passivation of the grain boundaries. In this study a-SiNx:H deposited in a hot-wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD) chamber with reduced gas flow rates and filament temperature compared to traditional deposition regimes, were annealed isochronally. The UV-visible reflection spectra of the annealed material were subjected to the Bruggeman Effective Medium Approximation (BEMA) treatment, in which a theoretical amorphous semiconductor was combined with particle inclusions due to the structural complexities of the material. The extraction of the optical functions and ensuing Wemple-DeDomenici analysis of the wavelength-dependent refractive index allowed for the correlation of the macroscopic optical properties with the changes in the local atomic bonding configuration, involving silicon, nitrogen and hydrogen.

Enhanced photoluminescence from ring resonators in hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films at telecommunications wavelengths.

PubMed

Patton, Ryan J; Wood, Michael G; Reano, Ronald M

2017-11-01

We report enhanced photoluminescence in the telecommunications wavelength range in ring resonators patterned in hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films deposited via low-temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The thin films exhibit broadband photoluminescence that is enhanced by up to 5 dB by the resonant modes of the ring resonators due to the Purcell effect. Ellipsometry measurements of the thin films show a refractive index comparable to crystalline silicon and an extinction coefficient on the order of 0.001 from 1300 nm to 1600 nm wavelengths. The results are promising for chip-scale integrated optical light sources.

Method for sputtering a PIN amorphous silicon semi-conductor device having partially crystallized P and N-layers

DOEpatents

Moustakas, Theodore D.; Maruska, H. Paul

1985-07-09

A high efficiency amorphous silicon PIN semiconductor device having partially crystallized (microcrystalline) P and N layers is constructed by the sequential sputtering of N, I and P layers and at least one semi-transparent ohmic electrode. The method of construction produces a PIN device, exhibiting enhanced electrical and optical properties, improved physical integrity, and facilitates the preparation in a singular vacuum system and vacuum pump down procedure.

The role of hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide buffer layer on improving the performance of hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium single-junction solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sritharathikhun, Jaran; Inthisang, Sorapong; Krajangsang, Taweewat; Krudtad, Patipan; Jaroensathainchok, Suttinan; Hongsingtong, Aswin; Limmanee, Amornrat; Sriprapha, Kobsak

2016-12-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a-Si1-xOx:H) film was used as a buffer layer at the p-layer (μc-Si1-xOx:H)/i-layer (a-Si1-xGex:H) interface for a narrow band gap hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium (a-Si1-xGex:H) single-junction solar cell. The a-Si1-xOx:H film was deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 40 MHz in a same processing chamber as depositing the p-type layer. An optimization of the thickness of the a-Si1-xOx:H buffer layer and the CO2/SiH4 ratio was performed in the fabrication of the a-Si1-xGex:H single junction solar cells. By using the wide band gap a-Si1-xOx:H buffer layer with optimum thickness and CO2/SiH4 ratio, the solar cells showed an improvement in the open-circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF), and short circuit current density (Jsc), compared with the solar cells fabricated using the conventional a-Si:H buffer layer. The experimental results indicated the excellent potential of the wide-gap a-Si1-xOx:H buffer layers for narrow band gap a-Si1-xGex:H single junction solar cells.

Application of amorphous carbon based materials as antireflective coatings on crystalline silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, D. S.; Côrtes, A. D. S.; Oliveira, M. H.; Motta, E. F.; Viana, G. A.; Mei, P. R.; Marques, F. C.

2011-08-01

We report on the investigation of the potential application of different forms of amorphous carbon (a-C and a-C:H) as an antireflective coating for crystalline silicon solar cells. Polymeric-like carbon (PLC) and hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) was deposited by the filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique. Those three different amorphous carbon structures were individually applied as single antireflective coatings on conventional (polished and texturized) p-n junction crystalline silicon solar cells. Due to their optical properties, good results were also obtained for double-layer antireflective coatings based on PLC or ta-C films combined with different materials. The results are compared with a conventional tin dioxide (SnO2) single-layer antireflective coating and zinc sulfide/magnesium fluoride (ZnS/MgF2) double-layer antireflective coatings. An increase of 23.7% in the short-circuit current density, Jsc, was obtained using PLC as an antireflective coating and 31.7% was achieved using a double-layer of PLC with a layer of magnesium fluoride (MgF2). An additional increase of 10.8% was obtained in texturized silicon, representing a total increase (texturization + double-layer) of about 40% in the short-circuit current density. The potential use of these materials are critically addressed considering their refractive index, optical bandgap, absorption coefficient, hardness, chemical inertness, and mechanical stability.

Flexible amorphous silicon PIN diode x-ray detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrs, Michael; Bawolek, Edward; Smith, Joseph T.; Raupp, Gregory B.; Morton, David

2013-05-01

A low temperature amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film transistor (TFT) and amorphous silicon PIN photodiode technology for flexible passive pixel detector arrays has been developed using active matrix display technology. The flexible detector arrays can be conformed to non-planar surfaces with the potential to detect x-rays or other radiation with an appropriate conversion layer. The thin, lightweight, and robust backplanes may enable the use of highly portable x-ray detectors for use in the battlefield or in remote locations. We have fabricated detector arrays up to 200 millimeters along the diagonal on a Gen II (370 mm x 470 mm rectangular substrate) using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) a-Si as the active layer and PECVD silicon nitride (SiN) as the gate dielectric and passivation. The a-Si based TFTs exhibited an effective saturation mobility of 0.7 cm2/V-s, which is adequate for most sensing applications. The PIN diode material was fabricated using a low stress amorphous silicon (a-Si) PECVD process. The PIN diode dark current was 1.7 pA/mm2, the diode ideality factor was 1.36, and the diode fill factor was 0.73. We report on the critical steps in the evolution of the backplane process from qualification of the low temperature (180°C) TFT and PIN diode process on the 150 mm pilot line, the transfer of the process to flexible plastic substrates, and finally a discussion and demonstration of the scale-up to the Gen II (370 x 470 mm) panel scale pilot line.

Core-shell silicon nanowire solar cells

PubMed Central

Adachi, M. M.; Anantram, M. P.; Karim, K. S.

2013-01-01

Silicon nanowires can enhance broadband optical absorption and reduce radial carrier collection distances in solar cell devices. Arrays of disordered nanowires grown by vapor-liquid-solid method are attractive because they can be grown on low-cost substrates such as glass, and are large area compatible. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that an array of disordered silicon nanowires surrounded by a thin transparent conductive oxide has both low diffuse and specular reflection with total values as low as < 4% over a broad wavelength range of 400 nm < λ < 650 nm. These anti-reflective properties together with enhanced infrared absorption in the core-shell nanowire facilitates enhancement in external quantum efficiency using two different active shell materials: amorphous silicon and nanocrystalline silicon. As a result, the core-shell nanowire device exhibits a short-circuit current enhancement of 15% with an amorphous Si shell and 26% with a nanocrystalline Si shell compared to their corresponding planar devices. PMID:23529071

Grain boundary resistance to amorphization of nanocrystalline silicon carbide

PubMed Central

Chen, Dong; Gao, Fei; Liu, Bo

2015-01-01

Under the C displacement condition, we have used molecular dynamics simulation to examine the effects of grain boundaries (GBs) on the amorphization of nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) by point defect accumulation. The results show that the interstitials are preferentially absorbed and accumulated at GBs that provide the sinks for defect annihilation at low doses, but also driving force to initiate amorphization in the nc-SiC at higher doses. The majority of surviving defects are C interstitials, as either C-Si or C-C dumbbells. The concentration of defect clusters increases with increasing dose, and their distributions are mainly observed along the GBs. Especially these small clusters can subsequently coalesce and form amorphous domains at the GBs during the accumulation of carbon defects. A comparison between displacement amorphized nc-SiC and melt-quenched single crystal SiC shows the similar topological features. At a dose of 0.55 displacements per atom (dpa), the pair correlation function lacks long range order, demonstrating that the nc-SiC is fully amorphilized. PMID:26558694

Grain boundary resistance to amorphization of nanocrystalline silicon carbide.

PubMed

Chen, Dong; Gao, Fei; Liu, Bo

2015-11-12

Under the C displacement condition, we have used molecular dynamics simulation to examine the effects of grain boundaries (GBs) on the amorphization of nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) by point defect accumulation. The results show that the interstitials are preferentially absorbed and accumulated at GBs that provide the sinks for defect annihilation at low doses, but also driving force to initiate amorphization in the nc-SiC at higher doses. The majority of surviving defects are C interstitials, as either C-Si or C-C dumbbells. The concentration of defect clusters increases with increasing dose, and their distributions are mainly observed along the GBs. Especially these small clusters can subsequently coalesce and form amorphous domains at the GBs during the accumulation of carbon defects. A comparison between displacement amorphized nc-SiC and melt-quenched single crystal SiC shows the similar topological features. At a dose of 0.55 displacements per atom (dpa), the pair correlation function lacks long range order, demonstrating that the nc-SiC is fully amorphilized.

Silicon MOS inductor

DOEpatents

Balberg, Isaac

1981-01-01

A device made of amorphous silicon which exhibits inductive properties at certain voltage biases and in certain frequency ranges in described. Devices of the type described can be made in integrated circuit form.

Hydrogen content and mechanical stress in glow discharge amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paduschek, P.; Eichinger, P.; Kristen, G.; Mitlehner, H.

1982-08-01

The hydrogen content of plasma deposited amorphous silicon thin films on silicon has been determined as a function of annealing parameters (200-700°C, 12 h) using the proton-proton scattering method. It is shown that hydrogen is released with an activation energy of 1.3 eV. Different deposition temperatures are compared with respect to the hydrogen evolution. The mechanical stress of the layers on silicon substrates has been measured by interferometric techniques for each annealing step. As the hydrogen content decreases monotonically with rising annealing temperature the mechanical stress converts from compressive to tensile. While only a weak correlation exists between the total hydrogen content and the mechanical stress, the bound hydrogen as determined by IR absorption displays a linear relation with the measured mechanical stress.

Permanent fine tuning of silicon microring devices by femtosecond laser surface amorphization and ablation.

PubMed

Bachman, Daniel; Chen, Zhijiang; Fedosejevs, Robert; Tsui, Ying Y; Van, Vien

2013-05-06

We demonstrate the fine tuning capability of femtosecond laser surface modification as a permanent trimming mechanism for silicon photonic components. Silicon microring resonators with a 15 µm radius were irradiated with single 400 nm wavelength laser pulses at varying fluences. Below the laser ablation threshold, surface amorphization of the crystalline silicon waveguides yielded a tuning rate of 20 ± 2 nm/J · cm(-2)with a minimum resonance wavelength shift of 0.10nm. Above that threshold, ablation yielded a minimum resonance shift of -1.7 nm. There was some increase in waveguide loss for both trimming mechanisms. We also demonstrated the application of the method by using it to permanently correct the resonance mismatch of a second-order microring filter.

Hexagonal Ag nanoarrays induced enhancement of blue light emission from amorphous oxidized silicon nitride via localized surface plasmon coupling.

PubMed

Ma, Zhongyuan; Ni, Xiaodong; Zhang, Wenping; Jiang, Xiaofan; Yang, Huafeng; Yu, Jie; Wang, Wen; Xu, Ling; Xu, Jun; Chen, Kunji; Feng, Duan

2014-11-17

A significant enhancement of blue light emission from amorphous oxidized silicon nitride (a-SiNx:O) films is achieved by introduction of ordered and size-controllable arrays of Ag nanoparticles between the silicon substrate and a-SiNx:O films. Using hexagonal arrays of Ag nanoparticles fabricated by nanosphere lithography, the localized surface plasmons (LSPs) resonance can effectively increase the internal quantum efficiency from 3.9% to 13.3%. Theoretical calculation confirms that the electromagnetic field-intensity enhancement is through the dipole surface plasma coupling with the excitons of a-SiNx:O films, which demonstrates a-SiNx:O films with enhanced blue emission are promising for silicon-based light-emitting applications by patterned Ag arrays.

Three-dimensional atomic mapping of hydrogenated polymorphous silicon solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Wanghua, E-mail: wanghua.chen@polytechnique.edu; Roca i Cabarrocas, Pere; Pareige, Philippe

Hydrogenated polymorphous silicon (pm-Si:H) is a nanostructured material consisting of silicon nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous silicon matrix. Its use as the intrinsic layer in thin film p-i-n solar cells has led to good cell properties in terms of stability and efficiency. Here, we have been able to assess directly the concentration and distribution of nanocrystals and impurities (dopants) in p-i-n solar cells, by using femtosecond laser-assisted atom probe tomography (APT). An effective sample preparation method for APT characterization is developed. Based on the difference in atomic density between hydrogenated amorphous and crystalline silicon, we are able to distinguish themore » nanocrystals from the amorphous matrix by using APT. Moreover, thanks to the three-dimensional reconstruction, we demonstrate that Si nanocrystals are homogeneously distributed in the entire intrinsic layer of the solar cell. The influence of the process pressure on the incorporation of nanocrystals and their distribution is also investigated. Thanks to APT we could determine crystalline fractions as low as 4.2% in the pm-Si:H films, which is very difficult to determine by standard techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Moreover, we also demonstrate a sharp p/i interface in our solar cells.« less

A method for distinguishing between propagons, diffusions, and locons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seyf, Hamid Reza; Henry, Asegun; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332

2016-07-14

The majority of intuition on phonon transport has been derived from studies of homogenous crystalline solids, where the atomic composition and structure are periodic. For this specific class of materials, the solutions to the equations of motions for the atoms (in the harmonic limit) result in plane wave modulated velocity fields for the normal modes of vibration. However, it has been known for several decades that whenever a system lacks periodicity, either compositional or structural, the normal modes of vibration can still be determined (in the harmonic limit), but the solutions take on different characteristics and many modes may notmore » be plane wave modulated. Previous work has classified the types of vibrations into three primary categories, namely, propagons, diffusions, and locons. One can use the participation ratio to distinguish locons, from propagons and diffusons, which measures the extent to which a mode is localized. However, distinguishing between propagons and diffusons has remained a challenge, since both are spatially delocalized. Here, we present a new method that quantifies the extent to which a mode's character corresponds to a propagating mode, e.g., exhibits plane wave modulation. This then allows for clear and quantitative distinctions between propagons and diffusons. By resolving this issue quantitatively, one can now automate the classification of modes for any arbitrary material or structure, subject to a single constraint that the atoms must vibrate stably around their respective equilibrium sites. Several example test cases are studied including crystalline silicon and germanium, crystalline silicon with different defect concentrations, as well as amorphous silicon, germanium, and silica.« less

Computational Evaluation of Amorphous Carbon Coating for Durable Silicon Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

PubMed Central

Hwang, Jeongwoon; Ihm, Jisoon; Lee, Kwang-Ryeol; Kim, Seungchul

2015-01-01

We investigate the structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of graphite-like amorphous carbon coating on bulky silicon to examine whether it can improve the durability of the silicon anodes of lithium-ion batteries using molecular dynamics simulations and ab-initio electronic structure calculations. Structural models of carbon coating are constructed using molecular dynamics simulations of atomic carbon deposition with low incident energies (1–16 eV). As the incident energy decreases, the ratio of sp2 carbons increases, that of sp3 decreases, and the carbon films become more porous. The films prepared with very low incident energy contain lithium-ion conducting channels. Also, those films are electrically conductive to supplement the poor conductivity of silicon and can restore their structure after large deformation to accommodate the volume change during the operations. As a result of this study, we suggest that graphite-like porous carbon coating on silicon will extend the lifetime of the silicon anodes of lithium-ion batteries. PMID:28347087

Computational Evaluation of Amorphous Carbon Coating for Durable Silicon Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Hwang, Jeongwoon; Ihm, Jisoon; Lee, Kwang-Ryeol; Kim, Seungchul

2015-10-13

We investigate the structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of graphite-like amorphous carbon coating on bulky silicon to examine whether it can improve the durability of the silicon anodes of lithium-ion batteries using molecular dynamics simulations and ab-initio electronic structure calculations. Structural models of carbon coating are constructed using molecular dynamics simulations of atomic carbon deposition with low incident energies (1-16 eV). As the incident energy decreases, the ratio of sp ² carbons increases, that of sp ³ decreases, and the carbon films become more porous. The films prepared with very low incident energy contain lithium-ion conducting channels. Also, those films are electrically conductive to supplement the poor conductivity of silicon and can restore their structure after large deformation to accommodate the volume change during the operations. As a result of this study, we suggest that graphite-like porous carbon coating on silicon will extend the lifetime of the silicon anodes of lithium-ion batteries.

Amorphous silicon photovoltaic manufacturing technology, phase 2A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duran, G.; Mackamul, K.; Metcalf, D.

1995-01-01

Utility Power Group (UPG), and its lower-tier subcontractor, Advanced Photovoltaic Systems, Inc. (APS) have conducted efforts in developing their manufacturing lines. UPG has focused on the automation of encapsulation and termination processes developed in Phase 1. APS has focused on completion of the encapsulation and module design tasks, while continuing the process and quality control and automation projects. The goal is to produce 55 watt (stabilized) EP50 modules in a new facility. In the APS Trenton EUREKA manufacturing facility, APS has: (1) Developed high throughput lamination procedures; (2) Optimized existing module designs; (3) Developed new module designs for architectural applications; (4) Developed enhanced deposition parameter control; (5) Designed equipment required to manufacture new EUREKA modules developed during Phase II; (6) Improved uniformity of thin-film materials deposition; and (7) Improved the stabilized power output of the APS EP50 EUREKA module to 55 watts. In the APS Fairfield EUREKA manufacturing facility, APS has: (1) Introduced the new products developed under Phase 1 into the APS Fairfield EUREKA module production line; (2) Increased the extent of automation in the production line; (3) Introduced Statistical Process Control to the module production line; and (4) Transferred-progress made in the APS Trenton facility into the APS Fairfield facility.

Molecular dynamics study of interfacial thermal transport between silicene and substrates.

PubMed

Zhang, Jingchao; Hong, Yang; Tong, Zhen; Xiao, Zhihuai; Bao, Hua; Yue, Yanan

2015-10-07

In this work, the interfacial thermal transport across silicene and various substrates, i.e., crystalline silicon (c-Si), amorphous silicon (a-Si), crystalline silica (c-SiO2) and amorphous silica (a-SiO2) are explored by classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A transient pulsed heating technique is applied in this work to characterize the interfacial thermal resistance in all hybrid systems. It is reported that the interfacial thermal resistances between silicene and all substrates decrease nearly 40% with temperature from 100 K to 400 K, which is due to the enhanced phonon couplings from the anharmonicity effect. Analysis of phonon power spectra of all systems is performed to interpret simulation results. Contradictory to the traditional thought that amorphous structures tend to have poor thermal transport capabilities due to the disordered atomic configurations, it is calculated that amorphous silicon and silica substrates facilitate the interfacial thermal transport compared with their crystalline structures. Besides, the coupling effect from substrates can improve the interface thermal transport up to 43.5% for coupling strengths χ from 1.0 to 2.0. Our results provide fundamental knowledge and rational guidelines for the design and development of the next-generation silicene-based nanoelectronics and thermal interface materials.

Self-Diffusion in Amorphous Silicon by Local Bond Rearrangements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirschbaum, J.; Teuber, T.; Donner, A.; Radek, M.; Bougeard, D.; Böttger, R.; Hansen, J. Lundsgaard; Larsen, A. Nylandsted; Posselt, M.; Bracht, H.

2018-06-01

Experiments on self-diffusion in amorphous silicon (Si) were performed at temperatures between 460 to 600 ° C . The amorphous structure was prepared by Si ion implantation of single crystalline Si isotope multilayers epitaxially grown on a silicon-on-insulator wafer. The Si isotope profiles before and after annealing were determined by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry. Isothermal diffusion experiments reveal that structural relaxation does not cause any significant intermixing of the isotope interfaces whereas self-diffusion is significant before the structure recrystallizes. The temperature dependence of self-diffusion is described by an Arrhenius law with an activation enthalpy Q =(2.70 ±0.11 ) eV and preexponential factor D0=(5.5-3.7+11.1)×10-2 cm2 s-1 . Remarkably, Q equals the activation enthalpy of hydrogen diffusion in amorphous Si, the migration of bond defects determining boron diffusion, and the activation enthalpy of solid phase epitaxial recrystallization reported in the literature. This close agreement provides strong evidence that self-diffusion is mediated by local bond rearrangements rather than by the migration of extended defects as suggested by Strauß et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 025901 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.025901).

The Interplay of Quantum Confinement and Hydrogenation in Amorphous Silicon Quantum Dots.

PubMed

Askari, Sadegh; Svrcek, Vladmir; Maguire, Paul; Mariotti, Davide

2015-12-22

Hydrogenation in amorphous silicon quantum dots (QDs) has a dramatic impact on the corresponding optical properties and band energy structure, leading to a quantum-confined composite material with unique characteristics. The synthesis of a-Si:H QDs is demonstrated with an atmospheric-pressure plasma process, which allows for accurate control of a highly chemically reactive non-equilibrium environment with temperatures well below the crystallization temperature of Si QDs. © 2015 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Method of controllong the deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and apparatus therefor

DOEpatents

Hanak, Joseph J.

1985-06-25

An improved method and apparatus for the controlled deposition of a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon on a substrate. Means is provided for the illumination of the coated surface of the substrate and measurement of the resulting photovoltage at the outermost layer of the coating. Means is further provided for admixing amounts of p type and n type dopants to the reactant gas in response to the measured photovoltage to achieve a desired level and type of doping of the deposited layer.

High resolution amorphous silicon radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Street, R.A.; Kaplan, S.N.; Perez-Mendez, V.

1992-05-26

A radiation detector employing amorphous Si:H cells in an array with each detector cell having at least three contiguous layers (n-type, intrinsic, p-type), positioned between two electrodes to which a bias voltage is applied. An energy conversion layer atop the silicon cells intercepts incident radiation and converts radiation energy to light energy of a wavelength to which the silicon cells are responsive. A read-out device, positioned proximate to each detector element in an array allows each such element to be interrogated independently to determine whether radiation has been detected in that cell. The energy conversion material may be a layer of luminescent material having a columnar structure. In one embodiment a column of luminescent material detects the passage therethrough of radiation to be detected and directs a light beam signal to an adjacent a-Si:H film so that detection may be confined to one or more such cells in the array. One or both electrodes may have a comb structure, and the teeth of each electrode comb may be interdigitated for capacitance reduction. The amorphous Si:H film may be replaced by an amorphous Si:Ge:H film in which up to 40 percent of the amorphous material is Ge. Two dimensional arrays may be used in X-ray imaging, CT scanning, crystallography, high energy physics beam tracking, nuclear medicine cameras and autoradiography. 18 figs.

High resolution amorphous silicon radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Street, Robert A.; Kaplan, Selig N.; Perez-Mendez, Victor

1992-01-01

A radiation detector employing amorphous Si:H cells in an array with each detector cell having at least three contiguous layers (n type, intrinsic, p type), positioned between two electrodes to which a bias voltage is applied. An energy conversion layer atop the silicon cells intercepts incident radiation and converts radiation energy to light energy of a wavelength to which the silicon cells are responsive. A read-out device, positioned proximate to each detector element in an array allows each such element to be interrogated independently to determine whether radiation has been detected in that cell. The energy conversion material may be a layer of luminescent material having a columnar structure. In one embodiment a column of luminescent material detects the passage therethrough of radiation to be detected and directs a light beam signal to an adjacent a-Si:H film so that detection may be confined to one or more such cells in the array. One or both electrodes may have a comb structure, and the teeth of each electrode comb may be interdigitated for capacitance reduction. The amorphous Si:H film may be replaced by an amorphous Si:Ge:H film in which up to 40 percent of the amorphous material is Ge. Two dimensional arrays may be used in X-ray imaging, CT scanning, crystallography, high energy physics beam tracking, nuclear medicine cameras and autoradiography.

Adhesion, friction, and wear of plasma-deposited thin silicon nitride films at temperatures to 700 C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Pouch, J. J.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Pantic, D. M.; Johnson, G. A.

1988-01-01

The adhesion, friction, and wear behavior of silicon nitride films deposited by low- and high-frequency plasmas (30 kHz and 13.56 MHz) at various temperatures to 700 C in vacuum were examined. The results of the investigation indicated that the Si/N ratios were much greater for the films deposited at 13.56 MHz than for those deposited at 30 kHz. Amorphous silicon was present in both low- and high-frequency plasma-deposited silicon nitride films. However, more amorphous silicon occurred in the films deposited at 13.56 MHz than in those deposited at 30 kHz. Temperature significantly influenced adhesion, friction, and wear of the silicon nitride films. Wear occurred in the contact area at high temperature. The wear correlated with the increase in adhesion and friction for the low- and high-frequency plasma-deposited films above 600 and 500 C, respectively. The low- and high-frequency plasma-deposited thin silicon nitride films exhibited a capability for lubrication (low adhesion and friction) in vacuum at temperatures to 500 and 400 C, respectively.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji, Xiaoyu; Lei, Shiming; Yu, Shih -Ying

Semiconductor core optical fibers with a silica cladding are of great interest in nonlinear photonics and optoelectronics applications. Laser crystallization has been recently demonstrated for crystallizing amorphous silicon fibers into crystalline form. Here we explore the underlying mechanism by which long single-crystal silicon fibers, which are novel platforms for silicon photonics, can be achieved by this process. Using finite element modeling, we construct a laser processing diagram that reveals a parameter space within which single crystals can be grown. Utilizing this diagram, we illustrate the creation of single-crystal silicon core fibers by laser crystallizing amorphous silicon deposited inside silica capillarymore » fibers by high-pressure chemical vapor deposition. The single-crystal fibers, up to 5.1 mm long, have a very welldefined core/cladding interface and a chemically pure silicon core that leads to very low optical losses down to ~0.47-1dB/cm at the standard telecommunication wavelength (1550 nm). Furthermore, tt also exhibits a photosensitivity that is comparable to bulk silicon. Creating such laser processing diagrams can provide a general framework for developing single-crystal fibers in other materials of technological importance.« less

Solar cells utilizing pulsed-energy crystallized microcrystalline/polycrystalline silicon

DOEpatents

Kaschmitter, J.L.; Sigmon, T.W.

1995-10-10

A process for producing multi-terminal devices such as solar cells wherein a pulsed high energy source is used to melt and crystallize amorphous silicon deposited on a substrate which is intolerant to high processing temperatures, whereby the amorphous silicon is converted into a microcrystalline/polycrystalline phase. Dopant and hydrogenation can be added during the fabrication process which provides for fabrication of extremely planar, ultra shallow contacts which results in reduction of non-current collecting contact volume. The use of the pulsed energy beams results in the ability to fabricate high efficiency microcrystalline/polycrystalline solar cells on the so-called low-temperature, inexpensive plastic substrates which are intolerant to high processing temperatures.

Solar cells utilizing pulsed-energy crystallized microcrystalline/polycrystalline silicon

DOEpatents

Kaschmitter, James L.; Sigmon, Thomas W.

1995-01-01

A process for producing multi-terminal devices such as solar cells wherein a pulsed high energy source is used to melt and crystallize amorphous silicon deposited on a substrate which is intolerant to high processing temperatures, whereby to amorphous silicon is converted into a microcrystalline/polycrystalline phase. Dopant and hydrogenization can be added during the fabrication process which provides for fabrication of extremely planar, ultra shallow contacts which results in reduction of non-current collecting contact volume. The use of the pulsed energy beams results in the ability to fabricate high efficiency microcrystalline/polycrystalline solar cells on the so-called low-temperature, inexpensive plastic substrates which are intolerant to high processing temperatures.

Conformal coating of amorphous silicon and germanium by high pressure chemical vapor deposition for photovoltaic fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Xiaoyu; Cheng, Hiu Yan; Grede, Alex J.; Molina, Alex; Talreja, Disha; Mohney, Suzanne E.; Giebink, Noel C.; Badding, John V.; Gopalan, Venkatraman

2018-04-01

Conformally coating textured, high surface area substrates with high quality semiconductors is challenging. Here, we show that a high pressure chemical vapor deposition process can be employed to conformally coat the individual fibers of several types of flexible fabrics (cotton, carbon, steel) with electronically or optoelectronically active materials. The high pressure (˜30 MPa) significantly increases the deposition rate at low temperatures. As a result, it becomes possible to deposit technologically important hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) from silane by a simple and very practical pyrolysis process without the use of plasma, photochemical, hot-wire, or other forms of activation. By confining gas phase reactions in microscale reactors, we show that the formation of undesired particles is inhibited within the microscale spaces between the individual wires in the fabric structures. Such a conformal coating approach enables the direct fabrication of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-based Schottky junction devices on a stainless steel fabric functioning as a solar fabric.

Electron irradiation induced amorphous SiO2 formation at metal oxide/Si interface at room temperature; electron beam writing on interfaces.

PubMed

Gurbán, S; Petrik, P; Serényi, M; Sulyok, A; Menyhárd, M; Baradács, E; Parditka, B; Cserháti, C; Langer, G A; Erdélyi, Z

2018-02-01

Al 2 O 3 (5 nm)/Si (bulk) sample was subjected to irradiation of 5 keV electrons at room temperature, in a vacuum chamber (pressure 1 × 10 -9 mbar) and formation of amorphous SiO 2 around the interface was observed. The oxygen for the silicon dioxide growth was provided by the electron bombardment induced bond breaking in Al 2 O 3 and the subsequent production of neutral and/or charged oxygen. The amorphous SiO 2 rich layer has grown into the Al 2 O 3 layer showing that oxygen as well as silicon transport occurred during irradiation at room temperature. We propose that both transports are mediated by local electric field and charged and/or uncharged defects created by the electron irradiation. The direct modification of metal oxide/silicon interface by electron-beam irradiation is a promising method of accomplishing direct write electron-beam lithography at buried interfaces.

Book Reviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catalano, Anthony

1986-10-01

Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells by K. Takahashi and M. Konagai is one of the first books dealing exclusively with the subject of amorphous silicon solar cells. The book was first published in Japanese in 1983 and was translated and published in English in 1986. Part 1, covering 94 pages, is a general introduction to solar energy, including the basic concepts, the prospects for cost reduction of the various competing photovoltaic technologies, and a discussion of several types of solar power systems, while Part 2 deals exclusively with the technical issues surrounding the application of amorphous silicon to solar cells. Throughout, reference is made to the impact of photovoltaics on the Japanese economy, both as a business activity and as a domestic supply of electrical energy. As the authors point out, photovoltaics is a national priority for the Japanese, with increasing business as well as government support. Although this was also once the case in the U.S., as memories of the recent energy crises fade, the bulk of this activity is shifting toward the Far East.

Femtosecond laser pulse modification of amorphous silicon films: control of surface anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuleiko, D. V.; Potemkin, F. V.; Romanov, I. A.; Parhomenko, I. N.; Pavlikov, A. V.; Presnov, D. E.; Zabotnov, S. V.; Kazanskii, A. G.; Kashkarov, P. K.

2018-05-01

A one-dimensional surface relief with a 1.20  ±  0.02 µm period was formed in amorphous hydrogenated silicon films as a result of irradiation by femtosecond laser pulses (1.25 µm) with a fluence of 0.15 J cm‑2. Orientation of the formed structures was determined by the polarization vector of the radiation and the number of acting pulses. Nanocrystalline silicon phases with volume fractions from 40 to 67% were detected in the irradiated films according to the analysis of Raman spectra. Observed micro- and nanostructuring processes were caused by surface plasmon–polariton excitation and near-surface region nanocrystallization, respectively, in the high-intensity femtosecond laser field. Furthermore, the formation of Si-III and Si-XII silicon polymorphous modifications was observed after laser treatment with a large exposure dose. The conductivity of the film increased by three orders of magnitude at proper conditions after femtosecond laser nanocrystallization compared to the conductivity of the untreated amorphous surface. The conductivity anisotropy of the irradiated regions was also observed due to the depolarizing contribution of the surface structure, and the non-uniform intensity distribution in the cross-section of the laser beam used for modification.

Photovoltaic research and development in Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shimada, K.

1983-01-01

The status of the Japanese photovoltaic (PV) R&D activities was surveyed through literature searches, private communications, and site visits in 1982. The results show that the Japanese photovoltaic technology is maturing rapidly, consistent with the steady government funding under the Sunshine Project. Two main thrusts of the Project are: (1) completion of the solar panel production pilot plants using cast ingot and sheet silicon materials, and (2) development of large area amorphous silicon solar cells with acceptable efficiency (10 to 12%). An experimental automated solar panel production plant rated at 500 kW/yr is currently under construction for the Sunshine Project for completion in March 1983. Efficiencies demonstrated by experimental large are amorphous silicon solar cells are approaching 8%. Small area amorphous silicon solar cells are, however, currently being mass produced and marketed by several companies at an equivalent annual rate of 2 MW/yr for consumer electronic applications. There is no evidence of an immediate move by the Japanese PV industry to enter extensively into the photovoltaic power market, domestic or otherwise. However, the photovoltaic technology itself could become ready for such an entry in the very near future, especially by making use of advanced process automation technologies.

Understanding the amorphous-to-microcrystalline silicon transition in SiF{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar gas mixtures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dornstetter, Jean-Christophe; LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau; Bruneau, Bastien

2014-06-21

We report on the growth of microcrystalline silicon films from the dissociation of SiF{sub 4}/H{sub 2}/Ar gas mixtures. For this growth chemistry, the formation of HF molecules provides a clear signature of the amorphous to microcrystalline growth transition. Depositing films from silicon tetrafluoride requires the removal of F produced by SiF{sub 4} dissociation, and this removal is promoted by the addition of H{sub 2} which strongly reacts with F to form HF molecules. At low H{sub 2} flow rates, the films grow amorphous as all the available hydrogen is consumed to form HF. Above a critical flow rate, corresponding tomore » the full removal of F, microcrystalline films are produced as there is an excess of atomic hydrogen in the plasma. A simple yet accurate phenomenological model is proposed to explain the SiF{sub 4}/H{sub 2} plasma chemistry in accordance with experimental data. This model provides some rules of thumb to achieve high deposition rates for microcrystalline silicon, namely, that increased RF power must be balanced by an increased H{sub 2} flow rate.« less

Single-crystal silicon optical fiber by direct laser crystallization

DOE PAGES

Ji, Xiaoyu; Lei, Shiming; Yu, Shih -Ying; ...

2016-12-05

Semiconductor core optical fibers with a silica cladding are of great interest in nonlinear photonics and optoelectronics applications. Laser crystallization has been recently demonstrated for crystallizing amorphous silicon fibers into crystalline form. Here we explore the underlying mechanism by which long single-crystal silicon fibers, which are novel platforms for silicon photonics, can be achieved by this process. Using finite element modeling, we construct a laser processing diagram that reveals a parameter space within which single crystals can be grown. Utilizing this diagram, we illustrate the creation of single-crystal silicon core fibers by laser crystallizing amorphous silicon deposited inside silica capillarymore » fibers by high-pressure chemical vapor deposition. The single-crystal fibers, up to 5.1 mm long, have a very welldefined core/cladding interface and a chemically pure silicon core that leads to very low optical losses down to ~0.47-1dB/cm at the standard telecommunication wavelength (1550 nm). Furthermore, tt also exhibits a photosensitivity that is comparable to bulk silicon. Creating such laser processing diagrams can provide a general framework for developing single-crystal fibers in other materials of technological importance.« less

Understanding the corrosion behavior of amorphous multiple-layer carbon coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Lei; Gao, Ying; Xu, Yongxian; Zhang, Renhui; Madkour, Loutfy H.; Yang, Yingchang

2018-04-01

The corrosion behavior of multiple-layer carbon coating that contained hydrogen, fluorine and silicon, possessed dual amorphous structure with sutured interfaces was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedances (ETS) in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The coating exhibited good resistance to corrosion in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution due to its amorphous and dense structures.

Amorphization of hard crystalline materials by electrosprayed nanodroplet impact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gamero-Castaño, Manuel, E-mail: mgameroc@uci.edu; Torrents, Anna; Borrajo-Pelaez, Rafael

2014-11-07

A beam of electrosprayed nanodroplets impacting on single-crystal silicon amorphizes a thin surface layer of a thickness comparable to the diameter of the drops. The phase transition occurs at projectile velocities exceeding a threshold, and is caused by the quenching of material melted by the impacts. This article demonstrates that the amorphization of silicon is a general phenomenon, as nanodroplets impacting at sufficient velocity also amorphize other covalently bonded crystals. In particular, we bombard single-crystal wafers of Si, Ge, GaAs, GaP, InAs, and SiC in a range of projectile velocities, and characterize the samples via electron backscatter diffraction and transmissionmore » electron microscopy to determine the aggregation state under the surface. InAs requires the lowest projectile velocity to develop an amorphous layer, followed by Ge, Si, GaAs, and GaP. SiC is the only semiconductor that remains fully crystalline, likely due to the relatively low velocities of the beamlets used in this study. The resiliency of each crystal to amorphization correlates well with the specific energy needed to melt it except for Ge, which requires projectile velocities higher than expected.« less

First-Principles Prediction of Densities of Amorphous Materials: The Case of Amorphous Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Yoritaka; Matsushita, Yu-ichiro

2018-02-01

A novel approach to predict the atomic densities of amorphous materials is explored on the basis of Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) in density functional theory. Despite the determination of the atomic density of matter being crucial in understanding its physical properties, no first-principles method has ever been proposed for amorphous materials until now. We have extended the conventional method for crystalline materials in a natural manner and pointed out the importance of the canonical ensemble of the total energy in the determination of the atomic densities of amorphous materials. To take into account the canonical distribution of the total energy, we generate multiple amorphous structures with several different volumes by CPMD simulations and average the total energies at each volume. The density is then determined as the one that minimizes the averaged total energy. In this study, this approach is implemented for amorphous silicon (a-Si) to demonstrate its validity, and we have determined the density of a-Si to be 4.1% lower and its bulk modulus to be 28 GPa smaller than those of the crystal, which are in good agreement with experiments. We have also confirmed that generating samples through classical molecular dynamics simulations produces a comparable result. The findings suggest that the presented method is applicable to other amorphous systems, including those for which experimental knowledge is lacking.

A Comparison of Photo-Induced Hysteresis Between Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon and Amorphous IGZO Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Ha, Tae-Jun; Cho, Won-Ju; Chung, Hong-Bay; Koo, Sang-Mo

2015-09-01

We investigate photo-induced instability in thin-film transistors (TFTs) consisting of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) as active semiconducting layers by comparing with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). An a-IGZO TFT exhibits a large hysteresis window in the illuminated measuring condition but no hysteresis window in the dark condition. On the contrary, a large hysteresis window measured in the dark condition in a-Si:H was not observed in the illuminated condition. Even though such materials possess the structure of amorphous phase, optical responses or photo instability in TFTs looks different from each other. Photo-induced hysteresis results from initially trapped charges at the interface between semiconductor and dielectric films or in the gate dielectric which possess absorption energy to interact with deep trap-states and affect the movement of Fermi energy level. In order to support our claim, we also perform CV characteristics in photo-induced hysteresis and demonstrate thermal-activated hysteresis. We believe that this work can provide important information to understand different material systems for optical engineering which includes charge transport and band transition.

Structural simplicity as a restraint on the structure of amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cliffe, Matthew J.; Bartók, Albert P.; Kerber, Rachel N.; Grey, Clare P.; Csányi, Gábor; Goodwin, Andrew L.

2017-06-01

Understanding the structural origins of the properties of amorphous materials remains one of the most important challenges in structural science. In this study, we demonstrate that local "structural simplicity", embodied by the degree to which atomic environments within a material are similar to each other, is a powerful concept for rationalizing the structure of amorphous silicon (a -Si) a canonical amorphous material. We show, by restraining a reverse Monte Carlo refinement against pair distribution function (PDF) data to be simpler, that the simplest model consistent with the PDF is a continuous random network (CRN). A further effect of producing a simple model of a -Si is the generation of a (pseudo)gap in the electronic density of states, suggesting that structural homogeneity drives electronic homogeneity. That this method produces models of a -Si that approach the state-of-the-art without the need for chemically specific restraints (beyond the assumption of homogeneity) suggests that simplicity-based refinement approaches may allow experiment-driven structural modeling techniques to be developed for the wide variety of amorphous semiconductors with strong local order.

Oxygen absorption in free-standing porous silicon: a structural, optical and kinetic analysis.

PubMed

Cisneros, Rodolfo; Pfeiffer, Heriberto; Wang, Chumin

2010-01-16

Porous silicon (PSi) is a nanostructured material possessing a huge surface area per unit volume. In consequence, the adsorption and diffusion of oxygen in PSi are particularly important phenomena and frequently cause significant changes in its properties. In this paper, we study the thermal oxidation of p+-type free-standing PSi fabricated by anodic electrochemical etching. These free-standing samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, thermogravimetry, atomic force microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. The results show a structural phase transition from crystalline silicon to a combination of cristobalite and quartz, passing through amorphous silicon and amorphous silicon-oxide structures, when the thermal oxidation temperature increases from 400 to 900 °C. Moreover, we observe some evidence of a sinterization at 400 °C and an optimal oxygen-absorption temperature about 700 °C. Finally, the UV/Visible spectrophotometry reveals a red and a blue shift of the optical transmittance spectra for samples with oxidation temperatures lower and higher than 700 °C, respectively.

Low cost routes to high purity silicon and derivatives thereof

DOEpatents

Laine, Richard M; Krug, David James; Marchal, Julien Claudius; Mccolm, Andrew Stewart

2013-07-02

The present invention is directed to a method for providing an agricultural waste product having amorphous silica, carbon, and impurities; extracting from the agricultural waste product an amount of the impurities; changing the ratio of carbon to silica; and reducing the silica to a high purity silicon (e.g., to photovoltaic silicon).

Additives to silane for thin film silicon photovoltaic devices

DOEpatents

Hurley, Patrick Timothy; Ridgeway, Robert Gordon; Hutchison, Katherine Anne; Langan, John Giles

2013-09-17

Chemical additives are used to increase the rate of deposition for the amorphous silicon film (.alpha.Si:H) and/or the microcrystalline silicon film (.mu.CSi:H). The electrical current is improved to generate solar grade films as photoconductive films used in the manufacturing of Thin Film based Photovoltaic (TFPV) devices.

Selective formation of porous silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Jones (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A pattern of porous silicon is produced in the surface of a silicon substrate by forming a pattern of crystal defects in said surface, preferably by applying an ion milling beam through openings in a photoresist layer to the surface, and then exposing said surface to a stain etchant, such as HF:HNO3:H20. The defected crystal will preferentially etch to form a pattern of porous silicon. When the amorphous content of the porous silicon exceeds 70 percent, the porous silicon pattern emits visible light at room temperature.

Enhanced performance of a structured cyclo olefin copolymer-based amorphous silicon solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Xinghua; Chen, Fei; Gao, Mengyu; Tie, Shengnian; Gao, Wei

2017-07-01

The submicron array was fabricated onto a cyclo olefin copolymer (COC) film by a hot embossing method. An amorphous silicon p-i-n junction and transparent conductive layers were then deposited onto it through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and magnetron sputtering. The efficiency of the fabricated COC-based solar cell was measured and the result demonstrated 18.6% increase of the solar cell efficiency when compared to the sample without array structure. The imprinted polymer solar cells with submicron array indeed increase their efficiency.

Increasing Stabilized Performance Of Amorphous Silicon Based Devices Produced By Highly Hydrogen Diluted Lower Temperature Plasma Deposition.

DOEpatents

Li, Yaun-Min; Bennett, Murray S.; Yang, Liyou

1999-08-24

High quality, stable photovoltaic and electronic amorphous silicon devices which effectively resist light-induced degradation and current-induced degradation, are produced by a special plasma deposition process. Powerful, efficient single and multi-junction solar cells with high open circuit voltages and fill factors and with wider bandgaps, can be economically fabricated by the special plasma deposition process. The preferred process includes relatively low temperature, high pressure, glow discharge of silane in the presence of a high concentration of hydrogen gas.

Increased Stabilized Performance Of Amorphous Silicon Based Devices Produced By Highly Hydrogen Diluted Lower Temperature Plasma Deposition.

DOEpatents

Li, Yaun-Min; Bennett, Murray S.; Yang, Liyou

1997-07-08

High quality, stable photovoltaic and electronic amorphous silicon devices which effectively resist light-induced degradation and current-induced degradation, are produced by a special plasma deposition process. Powerful, efficient single and multi-junction solar cells with high open circuit voltages and fill factors and with wider bandgaps, can be economically fabricated by the special plasma deposition process. The preferred process includes relatively low temperature, high pressure, glow discharge of silane in the presence of a high concentration of hydrogen gas.

Midinfrared wavelength conversion in hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiang; Wang, Zhaolu; Huang, Nan; Han, Jing; Li, Yongfang; Liu, Hongjun

2017-10-01

Midinfrared (MIR) wavelength conversion based on degenerate four-wave mixing is theoretically investigated in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) waveguides. The broadband phase mismatch is achieved in the normal group-velocity dispersion regime. The conversion bandwidth is extended to 900 nm, and conversion efficiency of up to -14 dB with a pump power of 70 mW in a 2-mm long a-Si:H rib waveguides is obtained. This low-power on-chip wavelength converter will have potential for application in a wide range of MIR nonlinear optic devices.

An investigation of hydrogenized amorphous Si structures with Doppler broadening positron annihilation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petkov, M. P.; Marek, T.; Asoka-Kumar, P.; Lynn, K. G.; Crandall, R. S.; Mahan, A. H.

1998-07-01

In this letter, we examine the feasibility of applying positron annihilation spectroscopy to the study of hydrogenized amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based structures produced by chemical vapor deposition techniques. The positron probe, sensitive to open volume formations, is used to characterize neutral and negatively charged silicon dangling bonds, typical for undoped and n-doped a-Si:H, respectively. Using depth profiling along the growth direction a difference was observed in the electronic environment of these defects, which enables their identification in a p-i-n device.

Electrical Characterization of Amorphous Silicon MIS-Based Structures for HIT Solar Cell Applications.

PubMed

García, Héctor; Castán, Helena; Dueñas, Salvador; Bailón, Luis; García-Hernansanz, Rodrigo; Olea, Javier; Del Prado, Álvaro; Mártil, Ignacio

2016-12-01

A complete electrical characterization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers (a-Si:H) deposited on crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) was carried out. These structures are of interest for photovoltaic applications. Different growth temperatures between 30 and 200 °C were used. A rapid thermal annealing in forming gas atmosphere at 200 °C during 10 min was applied after the metallization process. The evolution of interfacial state density with the deposition temperature indicates a better interface passivation at higher growth temperatures. However, in these cases, an important contribution of slow states is detected as well. Thus, using intermediate growth temperatures (100-150 °C) might be the best choice.

Electrical Characterization of Amorphous Silicon MIS-Based Structures for HIT Solar Cell Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, Héctor; Castán, Helena; Dueñas, Salvador; Bailón, Luis; García-Hernansanz, Rodrigo; Olea, Javier; del Prado, Álvaro; Mártil, Ignacio

2016-07-01

A complete electrical characterization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon layers (a-Si:H) deposited on crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) was carried out. These structures are of interest for photovoltaic applications. Different growth temperatures between 30 and 200 °C were used. A rapid thermal annealing in forming gas atmosphere at 200 °C during 10 min was applied after the metallization process. The evolution of interfacial state density with the deposition temperature indicates a better interface passivation at higher growth temperatures. However, in these cases, an important contribution of slow states is detected as well. Thus, using intermediate growth temperatures (100-150 °C) might be the best choice.

Programmable SERS active substrates for chemical and biosensing applications using amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon nanomaterial

PubMed Central

Powell, Jeffery Alexander; Venkatakrishnan, Krishnan; Tan, Bo

2016-01-01

We present the creation of a unique nanostructured amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon material that exhibits surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. This nanomaterial is an interconnected network of amorphous/crystalline nanospheroids which form a nanoweb structure; to our knowledge this material has not been previously observed nor has it been applied for use as a SERS sensing material. This material is formed using a femtosecond synthesis technique which facilitates a laser plume ion condensation formation mechanism. By fine-tuning the laser plume temperature and ion interaction mechanisms within the plume, we are able to precisely program the relative proportion of crystalline Si to amorphous Si content in the nanospheroids as well as the size distribution of individual nanospheroids and the size of Raman hotspot nanogaps. With the use of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Crystal Violet (CV) chemical dyes, we have been able to observe a maximum enhancement factor of 5.38 × 106 and 3.72 × 106 respectively, for the hybrid nanomaterial compared to a bulk Si wafer substrate. With the creation of a silicon-based nanomaterial capable of SERS detection of analytes, this work demonstrates a redefinition of the role of nanostructured Si from an inactive to SERS active role in nano-Raman sensing applications. PMID:26785682

Programmable SERS active substrates for chemical and biosensing applications using amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon nanomaterial.

PubMed

Powell, Jeffery Alexander; Venkatakrishnan, Krishnan; Tan, Bo

2016-01-20

We present the creation of a unique nanostructured amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon material that exhibits surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. This nanomaterial is an interconnected network of amorphous/crystalline nanospheroids which form a nanoweb structure; to our knowledge this material has not been previously observed nor has it been applied for use as a SERS sensing material. This material is formed using a femtosecond synthesis technique which facilitates a laser plume ion condensation formation mechanism. By fine-tuning the laser plume temperature and ion interaction mechanisms within the plume, we are able to precisely program the relative proportion of crystalline Si to amorphous Si content in the nanospheroids as well as the size distribution of individual nanospheroids and the size of Raman hotspot nanogaps. With the use of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Crystal Violet (CV) chemical dyes, we have been able to observe a maximum enhancement factor of 5.38 × 10(6) and 3.72 × 10(6) respectively, for the hybrid nanomaterial compared to a bulk Si wafer substrate. With the creation of a silicon-based nanomaterial capable of SERS detection of analytes, this work demonstrates a redefinition of the role of nanostructured Si from an inactive to SERS active role in nano-Raman sensing applications.

Programmable SERS active substrates for chemical and biosensing applications using amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon nanomaterial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Jeffery Alexander; Venkatakrishnan, Krishnan; Tan, Bo

2016-01-01

We present the creation of a unique nanostructured amorphous/crystalline hybrid silicon material that exhibits surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity. This nanomaterial is an interconnected network of amorphous/crystalline nanospheroids which form a nanoweb structure; to our knowledge this material has not been previously observed nor has it been applied for use as a SERS sensing material. This material is formed using a femtosecond synthesis technique which facilitates a laser plume ion condensation formation mechanism. By fine-tuning the laser plume temperature and ion interaction mechanisms within the plume, we are able to precisely program the relative proportion of crystalline Si to amorphous Si content in the nanospheroids as well as the size distribution of individual nanospheroids and the size of Raman hotspot nanogaps. With the use of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Crystal Violet (CV) chemical dyes, we have been able to observe a maximum enhancement factor of 5.38 × 106 and 3.72 × 106 respectively, for the hybrid nanomaterial compared to a bulk Si wafer substrate. With the creation of a silicon-based nanomaterial capable of SERS detection of analytes, this work demonstrates a redefinition of the role of nanostructured Si from an inactive to SERS active role in nano-Raman sensing applications.

Passivation mechanism in silicon heterojunction solar cells with intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deligiannis, Dimitrios; van Vliet, Jeroen; Vasudevan, Ravi; van Swaaij, René A. C. M. M.; Zeman, Miro

2017-02-01

In this work, we use intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide layers (a-SiOx:H) with varying oxygen content (cO) but similar hydrogen content to passivate the crystalline silicon wafers. Using our deposition conditions, we obtain an effective lifetime (τeff) above 5 ms for cO ≤ 6 at. % for passivation layers with a thickness of 36 ± 2 nm. We subsequently reduce the thickness of the layers using an accurate wet etching method to ˜7 nm and deposit p- and n-type doped layers fabricating a device structure. After the deposition of the doped layers, τeff appears to be predominantly determined by the doped layers themselves and is less dependent on the cO of the a-SiOx:H layers. The results suggest that τeff is determined by the field-effect rather than by chemical passivation.

A comparative study on the direct deposition of μc-Si:H and plasma-induced recrystallization of a-Si:H: Insight into Si crystallization in a high-density plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, H. P.; Xu, M.; Xu, S.; Feng, Y. Y.; Xu, L. X.; Wei, D. Y.; Xiao, S. Q.

2018-03-01

Deep insight into the crystallization mechanism of amorphous silicon is of theoretical and technological significance for the preparation of high-quality microcrystalline/polycrystalline silicon. In this work, we intensively compare the present two plasma-involved routes, i.e., the direct deposition and recrystallization of precursor amorphous silicon (a-Si) films, to fabricate microcrystalline silicon. Both the directly deposited and recrystallized samples show multi-layered structures as revealed by electronic microscopy. High-density hydrogen plasma involved recrystallization process, which is mediated by the hydrogen diffusion into the deep region of the precursor a-Si film, displays significantly different nucleation configuration, interface properties, and crystallite shape. The underlying mechanisms are analyzed in combination with the interplay of high-density plasma and growing or treated surface.

Programming Nanoparticles in Multiscale: Optically Modulated Assembly and Phase Switching of Silicon Nanoparticle Array.

PubMed

Wang, Letian; Rho, Yoonsoo; Shou, Wan; Hong, Sukjoon; Kato, Kimihiko; Eliceiri, Matthew; Shi, Meng; Grigoropoulos, Costas P; Pan, Heng; Carraro, Carlo; Qi, Dongfeng

2018-03-27

Manipulating and tuning nanoparticles by means of optical field interactions is of key interest for nanoscience and applications in electronics and photonics. We report scalable, direct, and optically modulated writing of nanoparticle patterns (size, number, and location) of high precision using a pulsed nanosecond laser. The complex nanoparticle arrangement is modulated by the laser pulse energy and polarization with the particle size ranging from 60 to 330 nm. Furthermore, we report fast cooling-rate induced phase switching of crystalline Si nanoparticles to the amorphous state. Such phase switching has usually been observed in compound phase change materials like GeSbTe. The ensuing modification of atomic structure leads to dielectric constant switching. Based on these effects, a multiscale laser-assisted method of fabricating Mie resonator arrays is proposed. The number of Mie resonators, as well as the resonance peaks and dielectric constants of selected resonators, can be programmed. The programmable light-matter interaction serves as a mechanism to fabricate optical metasurfaces, structural color, and multidimensional optical storage devices.

Type I clathrates as novel silicon anodes: An electrochemical and structural investigation

DOE PAGES

Li, Ying; Raghavan, Rahul; Wagner, Nicholas A.; ...

2015-05-05

In this study, silicon clathrates contain cage-like structures that can encapsulate various guest atoms or molecules. Here we present an electrochemical evaluation of type I silicon clathrates based on Ba 8Al ySi 46-y for the anode material in lithium-ion batteries. Post-cycling characterization with NMR and XRD show no discernible structural or volume changes even after electrochemical insertion of 44 Li into the clathrate structure. The observed properties are in stark contrast with lithiation of other silicon anodes, which become amorphous and suffer from larger volume changes. The lithiation/delithiation processes are proposed to occur in single phase reactions at approximately 0.2more » and 0.4 V vs. Li/Li +, respectively, distinct from other diamond cubic or amorphous silicon anodes. Reversible capacities as high as 499 mAh g -1 at a 5 mA g -1 rate were observed for silicon clathrate with composition Ba 8Al 8.54S i37.46, corresponding to Li:Si of 1.18:1. The results show that silicon clathrates could be promising durable anodes for lithium-ion batteries.« less

Type I clathrates as novel silicon anodes: An electrochemical and structural investigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Ying; Raghavan, Rahul; Wagner, Nicholas A.

In this study, silicon clathrates contain cage-like structures that can encapsulate various guest atoms or molecules. Here we present an electrochemical evaluation of type I silicon clathrates based on Ba 8Al ySi 46-y for the anode material in lithium-ion batteries. Post-cycling characterization with NMR and XRD show no discernible structural or volume changes even after electrochemical insertion of 44 Li into the clathrate structure. The observed properties are in stark contrast with lithiation of other silicon anodes, which become amorphous and suffer from larger volume changes. The lithiation/delithiation processes are proposed to occur in single phase reactions at approximately 0.2more » and 0.4 V vs. Li/Li +, respectively, distinct from other diamond cubic or amorphous silicon anodes. Reversible capacities as high as 499 mAh g -1 at a 5 mA g -1 rate were observed for silicon clathrate with composition Ba 8Al 8.54S i37.46, corresponding to Li:Si of 1.18:1. The results show that silicon clathrates could be promising durable anodes for lithium-ion batteries.« less

Room-temperature bonding of epitaxial layer to carbon-cluster ion-implanted silicon wafers for CMOS image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koga, Yoshihiro; Kadono, Takeshi; Shigematsu, Satoshi; Hirose, Ryo; Onaka-Masada, Ayumi; Okuyama, Ryousuke; Okuda, Hidehiko; Kurita, Kazunari

2018-06-01

We propose a fabrication process for silicon wafers by combining carbon-cluster ion implantation and room-temperature bonding for advanced CMOS image sensors. These carbon-cluster ions are made of carbon and hydrogen, which can passivate process-induced defects. We demonstrated that this combination process can be used to form an epitaxial layer on a carbon-cluster ion-implanted Czochralski (CZ)-grown silicon substrate with a high dose of 1 × 1016 atoms/cm2. This implantation condition transforms the top-surface region of the CZ-grown silicon substrate into a thin amorphous layer. Thus, an epitaxial layer cannot be grown on this implanted CZ-grown silicon substrate. However, this combination process can be used to form an epitaxial layer on the amorphous layer of this implanted CZ-grown silicon substrate surface. This bonding wafer has strong gettering capability in both the wafer-bonding region and the carbon-cluster ion-implanted projection range. Furthermore, this wafer inhibits oxygen out-diffusion to the epitaxial layer from the CZ-grown silicon substrate after device fabrication. Therefore, we believe that this bonding wafer is effective in decreasing the dark current and white-spot defect density for advanced CMOS image sensors.

H and H2 NMR properties in amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sook

1986-07-01

It is shown that the basic NMR properties of ortho-H2 molecules with a rotational angular momentum J and a spin angular momentum I under the influence of a completely asymmetric crystalline field in an amorphous matrix can be described by an effective nuclear spin Hamiltonian which contains only the nuclear spin angular momentum operators (Ii), but is independent of the molecular rotational angular momentum operators (Ji). By directly applying the existing magnetic-resonance theories to this effective nuclear spin Hamiltonian, a simple description is presented for various static and dynamic NMR properties of the ortho-H2 NMR centers in amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H), thereby resolving many difficulties and uncertainties encountered in understanding and explaining the H and H2 NMR observations in a-Si:H.

Focused-ion-beam-inflicted surface amorphization and gallium implantation--new insights and removal by focused-electron-beam-induced etching.

PubMed

Roediger, P; Wanzenboeck, H D; Waid, S; Hochleitner, G; Bertagnolli, E

2011-06-10

Recently focused-electron-beam-induced etching of silicon using molecular chlorine (Cl(2)-FEBIE) has been developed as a reliable and reproducible process capable of damage-free, maskless and resistless removal of silicon. As any electron-beam-induced processing is considered non-destructive and implantation-free due to the absence of ion bombardment this approach is also a potential method for removing focused-ion-beam (FIB)-inflicted crystal damage and ion implantation. We show that Cl(2)-FEBIE is capable of removing FIB-induced amorphization and gallium ion implantation after processing of surfaces with a focused ion beam. TEM analysis proves that the method Cl(2)-FEBIE is non-destructive and therefore retains crystallinity. It is shown that Cl(2)-FEBIE of amorphous silicon when compared to crystalline silicon can be up to 25 times faster, depending on the degree of amorphization. Also, using this method it has become possible for the first time to directly investigate damage caused by FIB exposure in a top-down view utilizing a localized chemical reaction, i.e. without the need for TEM sample preparation. We show that gallium fluences above 4 × 10(15) cm(-2) result in altered material resulting from FIB-induced processes down to a depth of ∼ 250 nm. With increasing gallium fluences, due to a significant gallium concentration close beneath the surface, removal of the topmost layer by Cl(2)-FEBIE becomes difficult, indicating that gallium serves as an etch stop for Cl(2)-FEBIE.

Fabrication of amorphous micro-ring arrays in crystalline silicon using ultrashort laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuentes-Edfuf, Yasser; Garcia-Lechuga, Mario; Puerto, Daniel; Florian, Camilo; Garcia-Leis, Adianez; Sanchez-Cortes, Santiago; Solis, Javier; Siegel, Jan

2017-05-01

We demonstrate a simple way to fabricate amorphous micro-rings in crystalline silicon using direct laser writing. This method is based on the fact that the phase of a thin surface layer can be changed into the amorphous phase by irradiation with a few ultrashort laser pulses (800 nm wavelength and 100 fs duration). Surface-depressed amorphous rings with a central crystalline disk can be fabricated without the need for beam shaping, featuring attractive optical, topographical, and electrical properties. The underlying formation mechanism and phase change pathway have been investigated by means of fs-resolved microscopy, identifying fluence-dependent melting and solidification dynamics of the material as the responsible mechanism. We demonstrate that the lateral dimensions of the rings can be scaled and that the rings can be stitched together, forming extended arrays of structures not limited to annular shapes. This technique and the resulting structures may find applications in a variety of fields such as optics, nanoelectronics, and mechatronics.

Amorphous TiO2 Shells: A Vital Elastic Buffering Layer on Silicon Nanoparticles for High-Performance and Safe Lithium Storage.

PubMed

Yang, Jianping; Wang, Yunxiao; Li, Wei; Wang, Lianjun; Fan, Yuchi; Jiang, Wan; Luo, Wei; Wang, Yang; Kong, Biao; Selomulya, Cordelia; Liu, Hua Kun; Dou, Shi Xue; Zhao, Dongyuan

2017-12-01

Smart surface coatings of silicon (Si) nanoparticles are shown to be good examples for dramatically improving the cyclability of lithium-ion batteries. Most coating materials, however, face significant challenges, including a low initial Coulombic efficiency, tedious processing, and safety assessment. In this study, a facile sol-gel strategy is demonstrated to synthesize commercial Si nanoparticles encapsulated by amorphous titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), with core-shell structures, which show greatly superior electrochemical performance and high-safety lithium storage. The amorphous TiO 2 shell (≈3 nm) shows elastic behavior during lithium discharging and charging processes, maintaining high structural integrity. Interestingly, it is found that the amorphous TiO 2 shells offer superior buffering properties compared to crystalline TiO 2 layers for unprecedented cycling stability. Moreover, accelerating rate calorimetry testing reveals that the TiO 2 -encapsulated Si nanoparticles are safer than conventional carbon-coated Si-based anodes. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diamond-silicon carbide composite and method

DOEpatents

Zhao, Yusheng [Los Alamos, NM

2011-06-14

Uniformly dense, diamond-silicon carbide composites having high hardness, high fracture toughness, and high thermal stability are prepared by consolidating a powder mixture of diamond and amorphous silicon. A composite made at 5 GPa/1673K had a measured fracture toughness of 12 MPam.sup.1/2. By contrast, liquid infiltration of silicon into diamond powder at 5 GPa/1673K produces a composite with higher hardness but lower fracture toughness.

Localization of vibrational modes leads to reduced thermal conductivity of amorphous heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giri, Ashutosh; Donovan, Brian F.; Hopkins, Patrick E.

2018-05-01

We investigate the vibrational heat transfer mechanisms in amorphous Stillinger-Weber silicon and germanium-based alloys and heterostructures via equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations along with lattice dynamics calculations. We find that similar to crystalline alloys, amorphous alloys demonstrate large size effects in thermal conductivity, while layering the constituent materials into superlattice structures leads to length-independent thermal conductivities. The thermal conductivity of an amorphous SixGe1 -x alloy reduces by as much as ˜53 % compared to the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon; compared to the larger reduction in crystalline phases due to alloying, we show that compositional disorder rather than structural disorder has a larger impact on the thermal conductivity reduction. Our thermal conductivity predictions for a-Si/a-Ge superlattices suggest that the alloy limit in amorphous SiGe-based structures can be surpassed with interface densities above ˜0.35 nm-1 . We attribute the larger reduction in thermal conductivity of layered Si/Ge heterostructures to greater localization of modes at and around the cutoff frequency of the softer layer as demonstrated via lattice dynamics calculations and diffusivities of individual eigenmodes calculated according to the Allen-Feldman theory [P. B. Allen and J. L. Feldman, Phys. Rev. B 48, 12581 (1993), 10.1103/PhysRevB.48.12581] for our amorphous SiGe-based alloys and superlattice structures.

Light-induced effects-impacts to module performance measurements and reliability testing: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wronski, C. R.

1985-01-01

The stability of solar cells is a key factor in determining the reliability of photovoltaic modules and is of great interest in the case of solar cells having a new technology which has not yet been fully developed. In particular this question arises with hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells because a-Si exhibits reversible light induced changes in its electronic properties, commonly referred to as the Staebler-Wronski effect (SWE). Continuous progress is being made in the peak conversion efficiencies of a-Si solar cells and efficiencies in excess of 11% have been achieved. However, stability is still a problem. ARCO Solar reports results on solar cells which, after over a year's exposure to sunlight, under open circuit conditions, still have about 7% conversion efficiency. Other results show a region of fast degradation for about a month, after which the degradation diminishes rapidly.

Crystalline silicon growth in nickel/a-silicon bilayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohiddon, Md Ahamad; Naidu, K. Lakshun; Dalba, G.; Rocca, F.; Krishna, M. Ghanashyam

2013-02-01

The effect of substrate temperature on amorphous Silicon crystallization, mediated by metal impurity is reported. Bilayers of Ni(200nm)/Si(400nm) are deposited on fused silica substrate by electron beam evaporator at 200 and 500 °C. Raman mapping shows that, 2 to 5 micron size crystalline silicon clusters are distributed over the entire surface of the sample. X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies demonstrate silicon crystallizes over the metal silicide seeds and grow with the annealing temperature.

Solar technology assessment project. Volume 6: Photovoltaic technology assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Backus, C. E.

1981-04-01

Industrial production of photovoltaic systems and volume of sales are reviewed. Low cost silicon production techniques are reviewed, including the Czochralski process, heat exchange method, edge defined film fed growth, dentritic web growth, and silicon on ceramic process. Semicrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, and low cost poly-silicon are discussed as well as advanced materials and concentrator systems. Balance of system components beyond those needed to manufacture the solar panels are included. Nontechnical factors are assessed. The 1986 system cost goals are briefly reviewed.

Selective formation of porous silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, Robert W. (Inventor); Jones, Eric W. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A pattern of porous silicon is produced in the surface of a silicon substrate by forming a pattern of crystal defects in said surface, preferably by applying an ion milling beam through openings in a photoresist layer to the surface, and then exposing said surface to a stain etchant, such as HF:HNO3:H2O. The defected crystal will preferentially etch to form a pattern of porous silicon. When the amorphous content of the porous silicon exceeds 70 percent, the porous silicon pattern emits visible light at room temperature.

Investigation of accelerated stress factors and failure/degradation mechanisms in terrestrial solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lathrop, J. W.

1984-01-01

Research on the reliability of terrestrial solar cells was performed to identify failure/degradation modes affecting solar cells and to relate these to basic physical, chemical, and metallurgical phenomena. Particular concerns addressed were the reliability attributes of individual single crystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous thin film silicon cells. Results of subjecting different types of crystalline cells to the Clemson accelerated test schedule are given. Preliminary step stress results on one type of thin film amorphous silicon (a:Si) cell indicated that extraneous degradation modes were introduced above 140 C. Also described is development of measurement procedures which are applicable to the reliability testing of a:Si solar cells as well as an approach to achieving the necessary repeatability of fabricating a simulated a:Si reference cell from crystalline silicon photodiodes.

Lithium concentration dependent structure and mechanics of amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitinamaluwa, H. S.; Wang, M. C.; Will, G.; Senadeera, W.; Zhang, S.; Yan, C.

2016-06-01

A better understanding of lithium-silicon alloying mechanisms and associated mechanical behavior is essential for the design of Si-based electrodes for Li-ion batteries. Unfortunately, the relationship between the dynamic mechanical response and microstructure evolution during lithiation and delithiation has not been well understood. We use molecular dynamic simulations to investigate lithiated amorphous silicon with a focus to the evolution of its microstructure, phase composition, and stress generation. The results show that the formation of LixSi alloy phase is via different mechanisms, depending on Li concentration. In these alloy phases, the increase in Li concentration results in reduction of modulus of elasticity and fracture strength but increase in ductility in tension. For a LixSi system with uniform Li distribution, volume change induced stress is well below the fracture strength in tension.

Annealing pressure induced ions transfer in Cobalt-Ferrite thin films on amorphous SiO2/Si substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shun-Yu; Chong, Cheong-Wei; Chen, Pin-Hui; Li, Hong-Lin; Li, Min-Kai; Huang, J. C. Andrew

2017-11-01

In this work, Cobalt-Ferrite (CFO) films were grown on silicon substrates with 300 nm amorphous silicon dioxide by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) with different annealing conditions. The results of structural analysis prove that the CFO films have high crystalline quality with (1 1 1) preferred orientation. The Raman spectra and X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) indicate that the Co ions can transfer from tetrahedral sites to octahedral sites with increasing the annealing pressure. The site exchange of Co and Fe ions leads to the change of saturation magnetization in the CFO films. Our experiments provide not only a way to control the magnetism of CFO films, but also a suitable magnetic layer to develop silicon and semiconductor based spintronic devices.

Novel concepts for low-cost and high-efficient thin film solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, D.; Menéndez, A.; Sánchez, P.; Martínez, A.; Andrés, L. J.; Menéndez, M. F.; Campos, N.; García, A.; Sánchez, B.

2011-09-01

This work presents the activities carried out at ITMA Materials Technology related to the building integration of thin film (TF) photovoltaics (PV). Three different approaches have been developed in order to achieve high efficient solar cells at low manufacturing costs: (i) a new route for manufacturing monolithical silicon based thin film solar cells on building materials, (ii) the use of metallic nanoparticles for light trapping (plasmonic effects and light scattering) and (iii) the luminescent sol-gel coating on glass for solar concentration. In the first case, amorphous silicon modules (single junction) have been successfully manufactured at lab scale on steel and commercial ceramic substrates with efficiencies of 5.4% and 4.0%, respectively. Promising initial attempts have been also made in ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a polymer with high potential in textile architecture. In a similar way, the development of nanotechnology based coatings (metallic nanoparticles and luminescent materials) represent the most innovative part of the work and some preliminary results are showed.

A Cover of Glass: First Report of Biomineralized Silicon in a Ciliate, Maryna umbrellata (Ciliophora: Colpodea)

PubMed Central

FOISSNER, WILHELM; WEISSENBACHER, BIRGIT; KRAUTGARTNER, WOLF-DIETRICH; LÜTZ-MEINDL, URSULA

2010-01-01

Using hydrofluoric acid, scanning electron microscope-assisted X-ray microanalysis, and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy, we present the first definite proof of biomineralized silicon [(SiO2)]n in a ciliophoran protist, Maryna umbrellata, a common inhabitant of ephemeral pools. In the trophic specimen, the amorphic silicon (glass) granules are accumulated in the anterior half of the body. When entering the dormant stage, most glass granules are excreted to form the surface cover of the globular resting cyst. Most likely, the silicon granules are synthesized in vesicles of the Golgi apparatus. First, nanospheres with a size of 20–40 nm are formed in a fibrous matrix; they grow to be spongious complexes, eventually becoming amorphous glass granules with an average size of 819 nm × 630 nm. In the transmission electron microscope, the silicon granules show the characteristic fracture pattern of glass known from many other silicon-bearing organisms. A literature survey suggests that silicon is very rare in ciliates. The fine structure and genesis of silicon granules in M. umbrellata are very similar to those of other organisms, including vascular plants and animals, indicating a common mechanism. Light perception and protection against mechanical stress and predators might be functions of the silicon granules in M. umbrellata. The palaeontological significance of glass cysts in ciliates is also discussed. PMID:19883440

Why silicon is and will remain the dominant photovoltaic material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Rajendra

2009-07-01

Rising demands of energy in emerging economies, coupled with the green house gas emissions related problems around the globe have provided a unique opportunity of exploiting the advantages offered by photovoltaic (PV) systems for green energy electricity generation. Similar to cell phones, power generated by PV systems can reach over two billion people worldwide who have no access to clean energy. Only silicon based PV devices meet the low-cost manufacturing criterion of clean energy conversion (abundance of raw material and no environmental health and safety issues). The use of larger size glass substrates and manufacturing techniques similar to the ones used by the liquid crystal display industry and the large scale manufacturing of amorphous silicon thin films based modules (~ GW per year manufacturing at a single location) can lead to installed PV system cost of $3/Wp. This will open a huge market for grid connected PV systems and related markets. With further research and development, this approach can provide $2/Wp installed PV system costs in the next few years. At this cost level, PV electricity generation is competitive with any other technology, and PV power generation can be a dominant electricity generation technology in the 21st century.

Thin film GaP for solar cell application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozov, I. A.; Gudovskikh, A. S.; Kudryashov, D. A.; Nikitina, E. V.; Kleider, J.-P.; Myasoedov, A. V.; Levitskiy, V.

2016-08-01

A new approach to the silicon based heterostructures technology consisting of the growth of III-V compounds (GaP) on a silicon substrate by low-temperature plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) is proposed. The basic idea of the method is to use a time modulation of the growth process, i.e. time separated stages of atoms or precursors transport to the growing surface, migration over the surface, and crystal lattice relaxation for each monolayer. The GaP layers were grown on Si substrates by PE-ALD at 350°C with phosphine (PH3) and trimethylgallium (TMG) as sources of III and V atoms. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate that the grown GaP films have homogeneous amorphous structure, smooth surface and a sharp GaP/Si interface. The GaP/Si heterostructures obtained by PE-ALD compare favourably to that conventionally grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Indeed, spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements indicate similar interband optical absorption while photoluminescence measurements indicate higher charge carrier effective lifetime. The better passivation properties of GaP layers grown by PE-ALD demonstrate a potential of this technology for new silicon based photovoltaic heterostructure

High-pressure synthesis, amorphization, and decomposition of silane.

PubMed

Hanfland, Michael; Proctor, John E; Guillaume, Christophe L; Degtyareva, Olga; Gregoryanz, Eugene

2011-03-04

By compressing elemental silicon and hydrogen in a diamond anvil cell, we have synthesized polymeric silicon tetrahydride (SiH(4)) at 124 GPa and 300 K. In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction reveals that the compound forms the insulating I4(1)/a structure previously proposed from ab initio calculations for the high-pressure phase of silane. From a series of high-pressure experiments at room and low temperature on silane itself, we find that its tetrahedral molecules break up, while silane undergoes pressure-induced amorphization at pressures above 60 GPa, recrystallizing at 90 GPa into the polymeric crystal structures.

Structural evolution and electronic properties of n-type doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jian; Li, Wei; Xu, Rui; Qi, Kang-Cheng; Jiang, Ya-Dong

2011-12-01

The relationship between structure and electronic properties of n-type doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films was investigated. Samples with different features were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at various substrate temperatures. Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to evaluate the structural evolution, meanwhile, electronic-spin resonance (ESR) and optical measurement were applied to explore the electronic properties of P-doped a-Si:H thin films. Results reveal that the changes in materials structure affect directly the electronic properties and the doping efficiency of dopant.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon formation by flux control and hydrogen effects on the growth mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toyoda, H.; Sugai, H.; Kato, K.; Yoshida, A.; Okuda, T.

1986-06-01

The composition of particle flux to deposit hydrogenated amorphous silicon films in a glow discharge is controlled by a combined electrostatic-magnetic deflection technique. As a result, the films are formed firstly without hydrogen ion flux, secondly by neutral flux only, and thirdly by all species fluxes. Comparison of these films reveals the significant role of hydrogen in the surface reactions. Hydrogen breaks the Si-Si bond, decreases the sticking probability of the Si atom, and replaces the SiH bond by a SiH2 bond to increase the hydrogen content of the films.

The 25-KVA amorphous metal-core transformer developmental test report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urata, G. V.; Franchi, J. O.; Franchi, P. E.

1989-08-01

NCEL has completed a test and evaluation program for 25-kVA amorphous metal-core transformers. These transformers save energy by reducing no-load losses by 60 to 70 percent. No-load losses are estimated to cost the Navy millions annually and if all of the Navy transformers were replaced by amorphous metal-core transformers, the Navy would save millions a year. The program objective was to evaluate the electrical performance and operational reliability of the amorphous metal-core transformers compared to conventional silicon-steel transformers.

Flexible packaging for PV modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2008-08-01

Economic, flexible packages that provide needed level of protection to organic and some other PV cells over >25-years have not yet been developed. However, flexible packaging is essential in niche large-scale applications. Typical configuration used in flexible photovoltaic (PV) module packaging is transparent frontsheet/encapsulant/PV cells/flexible substrate. Besides flexibility of various components, the solder bonds should also be flexible and resistant to fatigue due to cyclic loading. Flexible front sheets should provide optical transparency, mechanical protection, scratch resistance, dielectric isolation, water resistance, UV stability and adhesion to encapsulant. Examples are Tefzel, Tedlar and Silicone. Dirt can get embedded in soft layers such as silicone and obscure light. Water vapor transmittance rate (WVTR) of polymer films used in the food packaging industry as moisture barriers are ~0.05 g/(m2.day) under ambient conditions. In comparison, light emitting diodes employ packaging components that have WVTR of ~10-6 g/(m2.day). WVTR of polymer sheets can be improved by coating them with dense inorganic/organic multilayers. Ethylene vinyl acetate, an amorphous copolymer used predominantly by the PV industry has very high O2 and H2O diffusivity. Quaternary carbon chains (such as acetate) in a polymer lead to cleavage and loss of adhesional strength at relatively low exposures. Reactivity of PV module components increases in presence of O2 and H2O. Adhesional strength degrades due to the breakdown of structure of polymer by reactive, free radicals formed by high-energy radiation. Free radical formation in polymers is reduced when the aromatic rings are attached at regular intervals. This paper will review flexible packaging for PV modules.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pantzas, Konstantinos, E-mail: konstantinos.pantzas@lpn.cnrs.fr; Institut P', CNRS-Université de Poitiers - ENSMA - UPR 3346, SP2MI - Téléport 2 Bd Marie Pierre Curie, B.P. 30179, F-86962, Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex; Patriarche, Gilles

Direct bonding of yttrium iron garnet (YIG) on silicon without the use of an intermediate bonding layer is demonstrated and characterized using scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. During the bonding experiment, the garnet is reduced in the presence of oxide-free silicon. As a result, a 5 nm thick SiO{sub 2}/amorphous-YIG bilayer is formed and welds the garnet to silicon.

Amorphous semiconductor solar cell

DOEpatents

Dalal, Vikram L.

1981-01-01

A solar cell comprising a back electrical contact, amorphous silicon semiconductor base and junction layers and a top electrical contact includes in its manufacture the step of heat treating the physical junction between the base layer and junction layer to diffuse the dopant species at the physical junction into the base layer.

Asymmetric band offsets in silicon heterojunction solar cells: Impact on device performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seif, Johannes Peter; Menda, Deneb; Descoeudres, Antoine

Here, amorphous/crystalline silicon interfaces feature considerably larger valence than conduction band offsets. In this article, we analyze the impact of such band offset asymmetry on the performance of silicon heterojunction solar cells. To this end, we use silicon suboxides as passivation layers -- inserted between substrate and (front or rear) contacts -- since such layers enable intentionally exacerbated band-offset asymmetry. Investigating all topologically possible passivation layer permutations and focussing on light and dark current-voltage characteristics, we confirm that to avoid fill factor losses, wider-bandgap silicon oxide films (of at least several nanometer thin) should be avoided in hole-collecting contacts. Asmore » a consequence, device implementation of such films as window layers -- without degraded carrier collection -- demands electron collection at the front and hole collection at the rear. Furthermore, at elevated operating temperatures, once possible carrier transport barriers are overcome by thermionic (field) emission, the device performance is mainly dictated by the passivation of its surfaces. In this context, compared to the standard amorphous silicon layers, the wide-bandgap oxide layers applied here passivate remarkably better at these temperatures, which may represent an additional benefit under practical operation conditions.« less

Asymmetric band offsets in silicon heterojunction solar cells: Impact on device performance

DOE PAGES

Seif, Johannes Peter; Menda, Deneb; Descoeudres, Antoine; ...

2016-08-01

Here, amorphous/crystalline silicon interfaces feature considerably larger valence than conduction band offsets. In this article, we analyze the impact of such band offset asymmetry on the performance of silicon heterojunction solar cells. To this end, we use silicon suboxides as passivation layers -- inserted between substrate and (front or rear) contacts -- since such layers enable intentionally exacerbated band-offset asymmetry. Investigating all topologically possible passivation layer permutations and focussing on light and dark current-voltage characteristics, we confirm that to avoid fill factor losses, wider-bandgap silicon oxide films (of at least several nanometer thin) should be avoided in hole-collecting contacts. Asmore » a consequence, device implementation of such films as window layers -- without degraded carrier collection -- demands electron collection at the front and hole collection at the rear. Furthermore, at elevated operating temperatures, once possible carrier transport barriers are overcome by thermionic (field) emission, the device performance is mainly dictated by the passivation of its surfaces. In this context, compared to the standard amorphous silicon layers, the wide-bandgap oxide layers applied here passivate remarkably better at these temperatures, which may represent an additional benefit under practical operation conditions.« less

Asymmetric band offsets in silicon heterojunction solar cells: Impact on device performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seif, Johannes Peter, E-mail: johannes.seif@alumni.epfl.ch; Ballif, Christophe; De Wolf, Stefaan

Amorphous/crystalline silicon interfaces feature considerably larger valence than conduction band offsets. In this article, we analyze the impact of such band offset asymmetry on the performance of silicon heterojunction solar cells. To this end, we use silicon suboxides as passivation layers—inserted between substrate and (front or rear) contacts—since such layers enable intentionally exacerbated band-offset asymmetry. Investigating all topologically possible passivation layer permutations and focussing on light and dark current-voltage characteristics, we confirm that to avoid fill factor losses, wider-bandgap silicon oxide films (of at least several nanometer thin) should be avoided in hole-collecting contacts. As a consequence, device implementation ofmore » such films as window layers—without degraded carrier collection—demands electron collection at the front and hole collection at the rear. Furthermore, at elevated operating temperatures, once possible carrier transport barriers are overcome by thermionic (field) emission, the device performance is mainly dictated by the passivation of its surfaces. In this context, compared to the standard amorphous silicon layers, the wide-bandgap oxide layers applied here passivate remarkably better at these temperatures, which may represent an additional benefit under practical operation conditions.« less

Structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of high-density amorphous silicon: a first-principles molecular-dynamics study.

PubMed

Morishita, Tetsuya

2009-05-21

We report a first-principles study of the structural, electronic, and dynamical properties of high-density amorphous (HDA) silicon, which was found to be formed by pressurizing low-density amorphous (LDA) silicon (a normal amorphous Si) [T. Morishita, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 055503 (2004); P. F. McMillan, M. Wilson, D. Daisenberger, and D. Machon, Nature Mater. 4, 680 (2005)]. Striking structural differences between HDA and LDA are revealed. The LDA structure holds a tetrahedral network, while the HDA structure contains a highly distorted tetrahedral network. The fifth neighboring atom in HDA tends to be located at an interstitial position of a distorted tetrahedron composed of the first four neighboring atoms. Consequently, the coordination number of HDA is calculated to be approximately 5 unlike that of LDA. The electronic density of state (EDOS) shows that HDA is metallic, which is consistent with a recent experimental measurement of the electronic resistance of HDA Si. We find from local EDOS that highly distorted tetrahedral configurations enhance the metallic nature of HDA. The vibrational density of state (VDOS) also reflects the structural differences between HDA and LDA. Some of the characteristic vibrational modes of LDA are dematerialized in HDA, indicating the degradation of covalent bonds. The overall profile of the VDOS for HDA is found to be an intermediate between that for LDA and liquid Si under pressure (high-density liquid Si).

Light trapping in a-Si/c-Si heterojunction solar cells by embedded ITO nanoparticles at rear surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhar, Sukanta; Mandal, Sourav; Mitra, Suchismita; Ghosh, Hemanta; Mukherjee, Sampad; Banerjee, Chandan; Saha, Hiranmoy; Barua, A. K.

2017-12-01

The advantages of the amorphous silicon (a-Si)/crystalline silicon (c-Si) hetero junction technology are low temperature (<200 °C) processing and fewer process steps to fabricate the device. In this work, we used indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles embedded in amorphous silicon material at the rear side of the crystalline wafer. The nanoparticles were embedded in silicon to have higher scattering efficiency, as has been established by simulation studies. It has been shown that significant photocurrent enhancements (32.8 mA cm-2 to 35.1 mA cm-2) are achieved because of high scattering and coupling efficiency of the embedded nanoparticles into the silicon device, leading to an increase in efficiency from 13.74% to 15.22%. In addition, we have observed a small increase in open circuit voltage. This may be due to the surface passivation during the ITO nanoparticle formation with hydrogen plasma treatment. We also support our experimental results by simulation, with the help of a commercial finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) software solution.

Picosecond Electronic Relaxations In Amorphous Semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tauc, Jan

1983-11-01

Using the pump and probe technique the relaxation processes of photogenerated carriers in amorphous tetrahedral semiconductors and chalcogenide glasses in the time domain from 0.5 Ps to 1.4 ns have been studied. The results obtained on the following phenomena are reviewed: hot carrier thermalization in amorphous silicon; trapping of carriers in undoped a-Si:H; trapping of carriers in deep traps produced by doping; geminate recombination in As2S3-xSex glasses.

Plasma-initiated rehydrogenation of amorphous silicon to increase the temperature processing window of silicon heterojunction solar cells

DOE PAGES

Shi, Jianwei; Boccard, Mathieu; Holman, Zachary

2016-07-19

The dehydrogenation of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) at temperatures above approximately 300°C degrades its ability to passivate silicon wafer surfaces. This limits the temperature of post-passivation processing steps during the fabrication of advanced silicon heterojunction or silicon-based tandem solar cells. We demonstrate that a hydrogen plasma can rehydrogenate intrinsic a-Si:H passivation layers that have been dehydrogenated by annealing. The hydrogen plasma treatment fully restores the effective carrier lifetime to several milliseconds in textured crystalline siliconwafers coated with 8-nm-thick intrinsic a-Si:H layers after annealing at temperatures of up to 450°C. Plasma-initiated rehydrogenation also translates to complete solar cells: A silicon heterojunction solar cell subjected to annealing at 450°C (following intrinsic a-Si:H deposition) had an open-circuit voltage of less than 600 mV, but an identical cell that received hydrogen plasma treatment reached a voltagemore » of over 710 mV and an efficiency of over 19%.« less

Plasma-initiated rehydrogenation of amorphous silicon to increase the temperature processing window of silicon heterojunction solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shi, Jianwei; Boccard, Mathieu; Holman, Zachary

The dehydrogenation of intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) at temperatures above approximately 300°C degrades its ability to passivate silicon wafer surfaces. This limits the temperature of post-passivation processing steps during the fabrication of advanced silicon heterojunction or silicon-based tandem solar cells. We demonstrate that a hydrogen plasma can rehydrogenate intrinsic a-Si:H passivation layers that have been dehydrogenated by annealing. The hydrogen plasma treatment fully restores the effective carrier lifetime to several milliseconds in textured crystalline siliconwafers coated with 8-nm-thick intrinsic a-Si:H layers after annealing at temperatures of up to 450°C. Plasma-initiated rehydrogenation also translates to complete solar cells: A silicon heterojunction solar cell subjected to annealing at 450°C (following intrinsic a-Si:H deposition) had an open-circuit voltage of less than 600 mV, but an identical cell that received hydrogen plasma treatment reached a voltagemore » of over 710 mV and an efficiency of over 19%.« less

FTIR study of silicon carbide amorphization by heavy ion irradiations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costantini, Jean-Marc; Miro, Sandrine; Pluchery, Olivier

2017-03-01

We have measured at room temperature (RT) the Fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR) absorption spectra of ion-irradiated thin epitaxial films of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) with 1.1 µm thickness on a 500 µm thick (1 0 0) silicon wafer substrate. Irradiations were carried out at RT with 2.3 MeV 28Si+ ions and 3.0 MeV 84Kr+ ions for various fluences in order to induce amorphization of the SiC film. Ion projected ranges were adjusted to be slightly larger than the film thickness so that the whole SiC layers were homogeneously damaged. FTIR spectra of virgin and irradiated samples were recorded for various incidence angles from normal incidence to Brewster’s angle. We show that the amorphization process in ion-irradiated 3C-SiC films can be monitored non-destructively by FTIR absorption spectroscopy without any major interference of the substrate. The compared evolutions of TO and LO peaks upon ion irradiation yield valuable information on the damage process. Complementary test experiments were also performed on virgin silicon nitride (Si3N4) self-standing films for similar conditions. Asymmetrical shapes were found for TO peaks of SiC, whereas Gaussian profiles are found for LO peaks. Skewed Gaussian profiles, with a standard deviation depending on wave number, were used to fit asymmetrical peaks for both materials. A new methodology for following the amorphization process is proposed on the basis of the evolution of fitted IR absorption peak parameters with ion fluence. Results are discussed with respect to Rutherford backscattering spectrometry channeling and Raman spectroscopy analysis.

Low-Temperature Growth of Amorphous Silicon Films and Direct Fabrication of Solar Cells on Flexible Polyimide and Photo-Paper Substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madaka, Ramakrishna; Kanneboina, Venkanna; Agarwal, Pratima

2018-05-01

Direct deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films and fabrication of solar cells on polyimide (PI) and photo-paper (PP) substrates using a rf-plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique is reported. Intrinsic amorphous silicon films were deposited on PI and PP substrates by varying the substrate temperature (T s) over 70-150°C to optimize the deposition parameters for best quality films. The films deposited on both PI and PP substrates at a temperature as low as 70°C showed a photosensitivity (σ ph/σ d) of nearly 4 orders of magnitude which increased to 5-6 orders of magnitude when the substrate temperature was increased to 130-150°C. The increase in σ ph/σ d is due to the presence of a few nanometer-sized crystallites embedded in the film. Solar cells (n-i-p) were fabricated directly on PI, PP and Corning 1737 glass (Corning) at 150°C for different thicknesses of an intrinsic amorphous silicon layer (i-layer). With the increase in i-layer thickness from 330 nm to 700 nm, the solar cell efficiency was found to increase from 3.81% to 5.02% on the Corning substrate whereas on the flexible PI substrate an increase from 3.38% to 4.38% was observed. On the other hand, in the case of cells on PP, the i-layer thickness was varied from 200 nm to 700 nm and the best cell efficiency 1.54% was obtained for the 200-nm-thick i-layer. The fabrication of a-Si (n-i-p) solar cells on photo-paper is presented for the first time.

Profilometry of thin films on rough substrates by Raman spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Ledinský, Martin; Paviet-Salomon, Bertrand; Vetushka, Aliaksei; Geissbühler, Jonas; Tomasi, Andrea; Despeisse, Matthieu; De Wolf , Stefaan; Ballif , Christophe; Fejfar, Antonín

2016-01-01

Thin, light-absorbing films attenuate the Raman signal of underlying substrates. In this article, we exploit this phenomenon to develop a contactless thickness profiling method for thin films deposited on rough substrates. We demonstrate this technique by probing profiles of thin amorphous silicon stripes deposited on rough crystalline silicon surfaces, which is a structure exploited in high-efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells. Our spatially-resolved Raman measurements enable the thickness mapping of amorphous silicon over the whole active area of test solar cells with very high precision; the thickness detection limit is well below 1 nm and the spatial resolution is down to 500 nm, limited only by the optical resolution. We also discuss the wider applicability of this technique for the characterization of thin layers prepared on Raman/photoluminescence-active substrates, as well as its use for single-layer counting in multilayer 2D materials such as graphene, MoS2 and WS2. PMID:27922033

Amorphous Silicon Nanowires Grown on Silicon Oxide Film by Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Zhishan; Wang, Chengyong; Chen, Ke; Ni, Zhonghua; Chen, Yunfei

2017-08-01

In this paper, amorphous silicon nanowires (α-SiNWs) were synthesized on (100) Si substrate with silicon oxide film by Cu catalyst-driven solid-liquid-solid mechanism (SLS) during annealing process (1080 °C for 30 min under Ar/H2 atmosphere). Micro size Cu pattern fabrication decided whether α-SiNWs can grow or not. Meanwhile, those micro size Cu patterns also controlled the position and density of wires. During the annealing process, Cu pattern reacted with SiO2 to form Cu silicide. More important, a diffusion channel was opened for Si atoms to synthesis α-SiNWs. What is more, the size of α-SiNWs was simply controlled by the annealing time. The length of wire was increased with annealing time. However, the diameter showed the opposite tendency. The room temperature resistivity of the nanowire was about 2.1 × 103 Ω·cm (84 nm diameter and 21 μm length). This simple fabrication method makes application of α-SiNWs become possible.

Capacitorless 1T-DRAM on crystallized poly-Si TFT.

PubMed

Kim, Min Soo; Cho, Won Ju

2011-07-01

The single-transistor dynamic random-access memory (1T-DRAM) using a polycrystalline-silicon thin-film transistor (poly-Si TFT) was investigated. A 100-nm amorphous silicon thin film was deposited onto a 200-nm oxidized silicon wafer via low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), and the amorphous silicon layer was crystallized via eximer laser annealing (ELA) with a KrF source of 248 nm wavelength and 400 mJ/cm2 power. The fabricated capacitor less 1T-DRAM on the poly-Si TFT was evaluated via impact ionization and gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) current programming. The device showed a clear memory margin between the "1" and "0" states, and as the channel length decreased, a floating body effect which induces a kink effect increases with high mobility. Furthermore, the GIDL current programming showed improved memory properties compared to the impact ionization method. Although the sensing margins and retention times in both program methods are commercially insufficient, it was confirmed the feasibility of the application of 1T-DRAM operation to TFTs.

Plasma deposition of amorphous silicon carbide thin films irradiated with neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huran, J.; Bohacek, P.; Kucera, M.; Kleinova, A.; Sasinkova, V.; IEE SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia Team; Polymer Institute, SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia Team; Institute of Chemistry, SAS, Bratislava, Slovakia Team

2015-09-01

Amorphous silicon carbide and N-doped silicon carbide thin films were deposited on P-type Si(100) wafer by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technology using silane, methane, ammonium and argon gases. The concentration of elements in the films was determined by RBS and ERDA method. Chemical compositions were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. Photoluminescence properties were studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). Irradiation of samples with various neutron fluencies was performed at room temperature. The films contain silicon, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and small amount of oxygen. From the IR spectra, the films contained Si-C, Si-H, C-H, Si-N, N-H and Si-O bonds. No significance effect on the IR spectra after neutron irradiation was observed. PL spectroscopy results of films showed decreasing PL intensity after neutron irradiation and PL intensity decreased with increased neutron fluencies. The measured current of the prepared structures increased after irradiation with neutrons and rise up with neutron fluencies.

Electron-beam induced amorphization of stishovite: Silicon-coordination change observed using Si K-edge extended electron energy-loss fine structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Aken, P. A.; Sharp, T. G.; Seifert, F.

The analysis of the extended energy-loss fine structure (EXELFS) of the Si K-edge for sixfold-coordinated Si in synthetic stishovite and fourfold-coordinated Si in natural α-quartz is reported by using electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in combination with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The stishovite Si K-edge EXELFS spectra were measured as a time-dependent series to document irradiation-induced amorphization. The amorphization was also investigated through the change in Si K- and O K-edge energy-loss near edge structure (ELNES). For α-quartz, in contrast to stishovite, electron irradiation-induced vitrification, verified by selected area electron diffraction (SAED), produced no detectable changes of the EXELFS. The Si K-edge EXELFS were analysed with the classical extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) treatment and compared to ab initio curve-waved multiple-scattering (MS) calculations of EXAFS spectra for stishovite and α-quartz. Highly accurate information on the local atomic environment of the silicon atoms during the irradiation-induced amorphization of stishovite is obtained from the EXELFS structure parameters (Si-O bond distances, coordination numbers and Debye-Waller factors). The mean Si-O bond distance R and mean Si coordination number N changes from R=0.1775 nm and N=6 for stishovite through a disordered intermediate state (R 0.172 nm and N 5) to R 0.167 nm and N 4.5 for a nearly amorphous state similar to α-quartz (R=0.1609 nm and N=4). During the amorphization process, the Debye-Waller factor (DWF) passes through a maximum value of as it changes from for sixfold to for fourfold coordination of Si. This increase in Debye-Waller factor indicates an increase in mean-square relative displacement (MSRD) between the central silicon atom and its oxygen neighbours that is consistent with the presence of an intermediate structural state with fivefold coordination of Si. The distribution of coordination states can be estimated by modelling the amorphization as a decay process. Using the EXELFS data for amorphization, a new method is developed to derive the relative amounts of Si coordinations in high-pressure minerals with mixed coordination. For the radiation-induced amorphization process of stishovite the formation of a transitory structure with Si largely in fivefold coordination is deduced.

Structural Studies of Amorphous Materials by Fluctuation Electron Microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Treacy, Michael M. J.

Fluctuation Electron Microscopy (FEM) is a technique that examines the fluctuations in electron scattering across a uniformly thin amorphous sample. The statistics of the intensity fluctuations, mean and variance, reveal any underlying medium-range order present in the structure. The goals of this project were: (1) To determine the fundamentals of the scattering physics that gives rise to the variance signal in fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM); (2) To use these discoveries to find ways to quantify FEM; (3) To apply the FEM method to interesting and technologically important families of amorphous materials, particularly those with important applications in energy-related processes. Excellent progress was made in items (1) and (2). In stage (3) we did not examine the metamict zircons, as proposed. Instead, we examined films of polycrystalline and amorphous semi-conducting diamond. Significant accomplishments are: (1) A Reverse Monte Carlo procedure was successfully implemented to invert FEM data into a structural model. This is computer-intensive, but it demonstrated that diffraction and FEM data from amorphous silicon are most consistent with a paracrystallite model. This means that there is more diamond-like topology present in amorphous silicon than is predicted by the continuous random network model. (2) There is significant displacement decoherence arising in diffraction from amorphous silicon and carbon. The samples are being bombarded by the electron beam and atoms do not stay still while being irradiated – much more than was formerly understood. The atom motions cause the destructive and constructive interferences in the diffraction pattern to fluctuate with time, and it is the time-averaged speckle that is being measured. The variance is reduced by a factor m, 4 ≤ m ≤ 1000, relative to that predicted by kinematical scattering theory. (3) Speckle intensity obeys a gamma distribution, where the mean intensitymore » $$ \\overline{I}\\ $$ and m are the two parameters governing the shape of the gamma distribution profile. m is determined by the illumination spatial coherence, which is normally very high, and mostly by the displacement decoherence within the sample. (4) Amorphous materials are more affected by the electron beam than are crystalline materials. Different samples exhibit different disruptibility, as measured by the effective values of m that fit the data. (5) Understanding the origin of the displacement decoherence better should lead to efficient methods for computing the observed variance from amorphous materials.« less

Fabrication of Integral Solar Cell Covers by the Plasma Activated Source.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

1 Average Intrinsic Deposition Stress of Pyrolitic Silicon Oxynitride Films vs. Composition ................................... 7 2 Coefficient of...source for activated oxygen molecules which were reacted with, for example, silane at a solar cell surface to deposit amorphous silicon dioxide on the... Silicon Solar Cells ........ 51 44.6 SiO 2 Coatings in GaAs Solar Cells ........... 58 5.0 CONCLUSIONS..................................... 61 5.1

Wavelength-agile near-IR optical parametric oscillator using a deposited silicon waveguide.

PubMed

Wang, Ke-Yao; Foster, Mark A; Foster, Amy C

2015-06-15

Using a deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) waveguide, we demonstrate ultra-broad bandwidth (60 THz) parametric amplification via four-wave mixing (FWM), and subsequently achieve the first silicon optical parametric oscillator (OPO) at near-IR wavelengths. Utilization of the time-dispersion-tuned technique provides an optical source with active wavelength tuning over 42 THz with a fixed pump wave.

Fabrication of luminescent porous silicon with stain etches and evidence that luminescence originates in amorphous layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fathauer, R. W.; George, T.; Ksendzov, A.; Lin, T. L.; Pike, W. T.; Vasquez, R. P.; Wu, Z.-C.

1992-01-01

Simple immersion of Si in stain etches of HF:HNO3:H2O or NaNO2 in aqueous HF was used to produce films exhibiting luminescence in the visible similar to that of anodically-etched porous Si. All of the luminescent samples consist of amorphous porous Si in at least the near surface region. No evidence was found for small crystalline regions within these amorphous layers.

Development of a novel direct X-ray detector using photoinduced discharge (PID) readout for digital radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, D.; Jeon, S.; Kim, J.-S.; Kim, R. K.; Cha, B. K.; Moon, B. J.; Yoon, J.

2013-02-01

We developed a novel direct X-ray detector using photoinduced discharge (PID) readout for digital radiography. The pixel resolution is 512 × 512 with 200 μm pixel and the overall active dimensions of the X-ray imaging panel is 10.24 cm × 10.24 cm. The detector consists of an X-ray absorption layer of amorphous selenium, a charge accumulation layer of metal, and a PID readout layer of amorphous silicon. In particular, the charge accumulation is pixelated because image charges generated by X-ray should be stored pixel by pixel. Here the image charges, or holes, are recombined with electrons generated by the PID method. We used a 405 nm laser diode and cylindrical lens to make a line beam source with a width of 50 μm for PID readout, which generates charges for each pixel lines during the scan. We obtained spatial frequencies of about 1.0 lp/mm for the X-direction (lateral direction) and 0.9 lp/mm for the Y-direction (scanning direction) at 50% modulation transfer function.

Stress induced phase transitions in silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budnitzki, M.; Kuna, M.

2016-10-01

Silicon has a tremendous importance as an electronic, structural and optical material. Modeling the interaction of a silicon surface with a pointed asperity at room temperature is a major step towards the understanding of various phenomena related to brittle as well as ductile regime machining of this semiconductor. If subjected to pressure or contact loading, silicon undergoes a series of stress-driven phase transitions accompanied by large volume changes. In order to understand the material's response for complex non-hydrostatic loading situations, dedicated constitutive models are required. While a significant body of literature exists for the dislocation dominated high-temperature deformation regime, the constitutive laws used for the technologically relevant rapid low-temperature loading have severe limitations, as they do not account for the relevant phase transitions. We developed a novel finite deformation constitutive model set within the framework of thermodynamics with internal variables that captures the stress induced semiconductor-to-metal (cd-Si → β-Si), metal-to-amorphous (β-Si → a-Si) as well as amorphous-to-amorphous (a-Si → hda-Si, hda-Si → a-Si) transitions. The model parameters were identified in part directly from diamond anvil cell data and in part from instrumented indentation by the solution of an inverse problem. The constitutive model was verified by successfully predicting the transformation stress under uniaxial compression and load-displacement curves for different indenters for single loading-unloading cycles as well as repeated indentation. To the authors' knowledge this is the first constitutive model that is able to adequately describe cyclic indentation in silicon.

Nanoscale density variations induced by high energy heavy ions in amorphous silicon nitride and silicon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mota-Santiago, P.; Vazquez, H.; Bierschenk, T.; Kremer, F.; Nadzri, A.; Schauries, D.; Djurabekova, F.; Nordlund, K.; Trautmann, C.; Mudie, S.; Ridgway, M. C.; Kluth, P.

2018-04-01

The cylindrical nanoscale density variations resulting from the interaction of 185 MeV and 2.2 GeV Au ions with 1.0 μm thick amorphous SiN x :H and SiO x :H layers are determined using small angle x-ray scattering measurements. The resulting density profiles resembles an under-dense core surrounded by an over-dense shell with a smooth transition between the two regions, consistent with molecular-dynamics simulations. For amorphous SiN x :H, the density variations show a radius of 4.2 nm with a relative density change three times larger than the value determined for amorphous SiO x :H, with a radius of 5.5 nm. Complementary infrared spectroscopy measurements exhibit a damage cross-section comparable to the core dimensions. The morphology of the density variations results from freezing in the local viscous flow arising from the non-uniform temperature profile in the radial direction of the ion path. The concomitant drop in viscosity mediated by the thermal conductivity appears to be the main driving force rather than the presence of a density anomaly.

Silicon crystallization in nanodot arrays organized by block copolymer lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perego, Michele; Andreozzi, Andrea; Seguini, Gabriele; Schamm-Chardon, Sylvie; Castro, Celia; BenAssayag, Gerard

2014-12-01

Asymmetric polystyrene- b-polymethylmethacrylate (PS- b-PMMA) block copolymers are used to fabricate nanoporous PS templates with different pore diameter depending on the specific substrate neutralization protocol. The resulting polymeric templates are used as masks for the subsequent deposition of a thin ( h = 5 nm) amorphous Si layer by electron beam evaporation. After removal of the polymeric film and of the silicon excess, well-defined hexagonally packed amorphous Si nanodots are formed on the substrate. Their average diameter ( d < 20 nm), density (1.2 × 1011 cm-2), and lateral distribution closely mimic the original nanoporous template. Upon capping with SiO2 and high temperature annealing (1050 °C, N2), each amorphous Si nanodot rearranges in agglomerates of Si nanocrystals ( d < 4 nm). The average diameter and shape of these Si nanocrystals strongly depend on the size of the initial Si nanodot.

Helium Irradiation and Implantation Effects on the Structure of Amorphous Silicon Oxycarbide

DOE PAGES

Su, Qing; Inoue, Shinsuke; Ishimaru, Manabu; ...

2017-06-20

Despite recent interest in amorphous ceramics for a variety of nuclear applications, many details of their structure before and after irradiation/implantation remain unknown. Here we investigated the short-range order of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) alloys by using the atomic pair-distribution function (PDF) obtained from electron diffraction. The PDF results show that the structure of SiOC alloys are nearly unchanged after both irradiation up to 30 dpa and He implantation up to 113 at%. TEM characterization shows no sign of crystallization, He bubble or void formation, or segregation in all irradiated samples. Irradiation results in a decreased number of Si-O bondsmore » and an increased number of Si-C and C-O bonds. This study sheds light on the design of radiation-tolerant materials that do not experience helium swelling for advanced nuclear reactor applications.« less

Helium Irradiation and Implantation Effects on the Structure of Amorphous Silicon Oxycarbide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Qing; Inoue, Shinsuke; Ishimaru, Manabu

Despite recent interest in amorphous ceramics for a variety of nuclear applications, many details of their structure before and after irradiation/implantation remain unknown. Here we investigated the short-range order of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) alloys by using the atomic pair-distribution function (PDF) obtained from electron diffraction. The PDF results show that the structure of SiOC alloys are nearly unchanged after both irradiation up to 30 dpa and He implantation up to 113 at%. TEM characterization shows no sign of crystallization, He bubble or void formation, or segregation in all irradiated samples. Irradiation results in a decreased number of Si-O bondsmore » and an increased number of Si-C and C-O bonds. This study sheds light on the design of radiation-tolerant materials that do not experience helium swelling for advanced nuclear reactor applications.« less

In situ spectroscopic study of the plastic deformation of amorphous silicon under nonhydrostatic conditions induced by indentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerbig, Yvonne B.; Michaels, C. A.; Bradby, Jodie E.

Indentation-induced plastic deformation of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films was studied by in situ Raman imaging of the deformed contact region of an indented sample, employing a Raman spectroscopy-enhanced instrumented indentation technique (IIT). The occurrence and evolving spatial distribution of changes in the a-Si structure caused by processes, such as polyamorphization and crystallization, induced by indentation loading were observed. Furthermore, the obtained experimental results are linked with previously published work on the plastic deformation of a-Si under hydrostatic compression and shear deformation to establish a model for the deformation behavior of a-Si under indentation loading.

Safe gas handling and system design for the large scale production of amorphous silicon based solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortmann, C. M.; Farley, M. V.; Smoot, M. A.; Fieselmann, B. F.

1988-07-01

Solarex is one of the leaders in amorphous silicon based photovoltaic production and research. The large scale production environment presents unique safety concerns related to the quantity of dangerous materials as well as the number of personnel handling these materials. The safety measures explored by this work include gas detection systems, training, and failure resistant gas handling systems. Our experiences with flow restricting orifices in the CGA connections and the use of steel cylinders is reviewed. The hazards and efficiency of wet scrubbers for silane exhausts are examined. We have found it to be useful to provide the scrubbler with temperature alarms.

Oxidation Protection of Porous Reaction-Bonded Silicon Nitride

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, D. S.

1994-01-01

Oxidation kinetics of both as-fabricated and coated reaction-bonded silicon nitride (RBSN) were studied at 900 and 1000 C with thermogravimetry. Uncoated RBSN exhibited internal oxidation and parabolic kinetics. An amorphous Si-C-O coating provided the greatest degree of protection to oxygen, with a small linear weight loss observed. Linear weight gains were measured on samples with an amorphous Si-N-C coating. Chemically vapor deposited (CVD) Si3N4 coated RBSN exhibited parabolic kinetics, and the coating cracked severely. A continuous-SiC-fiber-reinforced RBSN composite was also coated with the Si-C-O material, but no substantial oxidation protection was observed.

New generation of plasma-sprayed mullite coatings on silicon carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Kang N.; Miller, Robert A.; Jacobson, Nathan S.

1995-01-01

Mullite is promising as a protective coating for silicon-based ceramics in aggressive high-temperature environments. Conventionally plasma-sprayed mullite on SiC tends to crack and debond on thermal cycling. It is shown that this behavior is due to the presence of amorphous mullite in the conventionally sprayed mullite. Heating the SiC substrate during the plasma spraying eliminated the amorphous phase and produced coatings with dramatically improved properties. The new coating exhibits excellent adherence and crack resistance under thermal cycling between room temperature and 1000 to 1400 C. Preliminary tests showed good resistance to Na2CO3-induced hot corrosion.

Threshold-Voltage-Shift Compensation and Suppression Method Using Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Transistors for Large Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode Displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Kyonghwan; Kwon, Oh-Kyong

2012-03-01

A threshold-voltage-shift compensation and suppression method for active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays fabricated using a hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane is proposed. The proposed method compensates for the threshold voltage variation of TFTs due to different threshold voltage shifts during emission time and extends the lifetime of the AMOLED panel. Measurement results show that the error range of emission current is from -1.1 to +1.7% when the threshold voltage of TFTs varies from 1.2 to 3.0 V.

Laser-induced ferroelectric domain engineering in LiNbO3 crystals using an amorphous silicon overlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zisis, G.; Martinez-Jimenez, G.; Franz, Y.; Healy, N.; Masaud, T. M.; Chong, H. M. H.; Soergel, E.; Peacock, A. C.; Mailis, S.

2017-08-01

We report laser-induced poling inhibition and direct poling in lithium niobate crystals (LiNbO3), covered with an amorphous silicon (a-Si) light-absorbing layer, using a visible (488 nm) continuous wave laser source. Our results show that the use of the a-Si overlayer produces deeper poling inhibited domains with minimum surface damage, as compared to previously reported UV laser writing experiments on uncoated crystals, thus increasing the applicability of this method in the production of ferroelectric domain engineered structures for nonlinear optical applications. The characteristics of the poling inhibited domains were investigated using differential etching and piezoresponse force microscopy.

In situ spectroscopic study of the plastic deformation of amorphous silicon under nonhydrostatic conditions induced by indentation

DOE PAGES

Gerbig, Yvonne B.; Michaels, C. A.; Bradby, Jodie E.; ...

2015-12-17

Indentation-induced plastic deformation of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films was studied by in situ Raman imaging of the deformed contact region of an indented sample, employing a Raman spectroscopy-enhanced instrumented indentation technique (IIT). The occurrence and evolving spatial distribution of changes in the a-Si structure caused by processes, such as polyamorphization and crystallization, induced by indentation loading were observed. Furthermore, the obtained experimental results are linked with previously published work on the plastic deformation of a-Si under hydrostatic compression and shear deformation to establish a model for the deformation behavior of a-Si under indentation loading.

X-ray imaging with amorphous silicon active matrix flat-panel imagers (AMFPIs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Mohri, Youcef; Antonuk, Larry E.; Jee, Kyung-Wook; Maolinbay, Manat; Rong, Xiujiang; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H.; Verma, Manav; Zhao, Qihua

1997-07-01

Recent advances in thin-film electronics technology have opened the way for the use of flat-panel imagers in a number of medical imaging applications. These novel imagers offer real time digital readout capabilities (˜30 frames per second), radiation hardness (>106cGy), large area (30×40 cm2) and compactness (˜1 cm). Such qualities make them strong candidates for the replacement of conventional x-ray imaging technologies such as film-screen and image intensifier systems. In this report, qualities and potential of amorphous silicon based active matrix flat-panel imagers are outlined for various applications such as radiation therapy, radiography, fluoroscopy and mammography.

Achieving thermography with a thermal security camera using uncooled amorphous silicon microbolometer image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu-Wei; Tesdahl, Curtis; Owens, Jim; Dorn, David

2012-06-01

Advancements in uncooled microbolometer technology over the last several years have opened up many commercial applications which had been previously cost prohibitive. Thermal technology is no longer limited to the military and government market segments. One type of thermal sensor with low NETD which is available in the commercial market segment is the uncooled amorphous silicon (α-Si) microbolometer image sensor. Typical thermal security cameras focus on providing the best image quality by auto tonemaping (contrast enhancing) the image, which provides the best contrast depending on the temperature range of the scene. While this may provide enough information to detect objects and activities, there are further benefits of being able to estimate the actual object temperatures in a scene. This thermographic ability can provide functionality beyond typical security cameras by being able to monitor processes. Example applications of thermography[2] with thermal camera include: monitoring electrical circuits, industrial machinery, building thermal leaks, oil/gas pipelines, power substations, etc...[3][5] This paper discusses the methodology of estimating object temperatures by characterizing/calibrating different components inside a thermal camera utilizing an uncooled amorphous silicon microbolometer image sensor. Plots of system performance across camera operating temperatures will be shown.

Band Offsets at the Interface between Crystalline and Amorphous Silicon from First Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarolimek, K.; Hazrati, E.; de Groot, R. A.; de Wijs, G. A.

2017-07-01

The band offsets between crystalline and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a -Si ∶H ) are key parameters governing the charge transport in modern silicon heterojunction solar cells. They are an important input for macroscopic simulators that are used to further optimize the solar cell. Past experimental studies, using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and capacitance-voltage measurements, have yielded conflicting results on the band offset. Here, we present a computational study on the band offsets. It is based on atomistic models and density-functional theory (DFT). The amorphous part of the interface is obtained by relatively long DFT first-principles molecular-dynamics runs at an elevated temperature on 30 statistically independent samples. In order to obtain a realistic conduction-band position the electronic structure of the interface is calculated with a hybrid functional. We find a slight asymmetry in the band offsets, where the offset in the valence band (0.29 eV) is larger than in the conduction band (0.17 eV). Our results are in agreement with the latest XPS measurements that report a valence-band offset of 0.3 eV [M. Liebhaber et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 106, 031601 (2015), 10.1063/1.4906195].

Elastic Measurements of Amorphous Silicon Films at mK Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fefferman, Andrew; Maldonado, Ana; Collin, Eddy; Liu, Xiao; Metcalf, Tom; Jernigan, Glenn

2017-06-01

The low-temperature properties of glass are distinct from those of crystals due to the presence of poorly understood low-energy excitations. The tunneling model proposes that these are atoms tunneling between nearby equilibria, forming tunneling two-level systems (TLSs). This model is rather successful, but it does not explain the remarkably universal value of the mechanical dissipation Q^{-1} near 1 K. The only known exceptions to this universality are the Q^{-1} of certain thin films of amorphous silicon, carbon and germanium. Recently, it was found that Q^{-1} of amorphous silicon (a-Si) films can be reduced by two orders of magnitude by increasing the temperature of the substrate during deposition. According to the tunneling model, the reduction in Q^{-1} at 1 K implies a reduction in P0γ 2, where P0 is the density of TLSs and γ is their coupling to phonons. In this preliminary report, we demonstrate elastic measurements of a-Si films down to 20 mK. This will allow us, in future work, to determine whether P0 or γ is responsible for the reduction in Q^{-1} with deposition temperature.

Photoemission studies of amorphous silicon induced by P + ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petö, G.; Kanski, J.

1995-12-01

An amorphous Si layer was formed on a Si (1 0 0) surface by P + implantation at 80 keV. This layer was investigated by means of photoelectron spectroscopy. The resulting spectra are different from earlier spectra on amorphous Si prepared by e-gun evaporation or cathode sputtering. The differences consist of a decreased intensity in the spectral region corresponding to p-states, and appearace of new states at higher binding energy. Qualitativity similar results have been reported for Sb implanted amorphous Ge and the modification seems to be due to the changed short range order.

Effect of silicon and oxygen dopants on the stability of hydrogenated amorphous carbon under harsh environmental conditions

DOE PAGES

Mangolini, Filippo; Krick, Brandon A.; Jacobs, Tevis D. B.; ...

2017-12-27

Harsh environments pose materials durability challenges across the automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing sectors, and beyond. While amorphous carbon materials have been used as coatings in many environmentally-demanding applications owing to their unique mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, their limited thermal stability and high reactivity in oxidizing environments have impeded their use in many technologies. Silicon- and oxygen-containing hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H:Si:O) films are promising for several applications because of their higher thermal stability and lower residual stress compared to hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H). However, an understanding of their superior thermo-oxidative stability compared to a-C:H is lacking, as it has beenmore » inhibited by the intrinsic challenge of characterizing an amorphous, multi-component material. Here, we show that introducing silicon and oxygen in a-C:H slightly enhances the thermal stability in vacuum, but tremendously increases the thermo-oxidative stability and the resistance to degradation upon exposure to the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit (LEO). The latter is demonstrated by having mounted samples of a-C:H:Si:O on the exterior of the International Space Station via the Materials International Space Station (MISSE) mission 7b. Exposing lightly-doped a-C:H:Si:O to elevated temperatures under aerobic conditions or to LEO causes carbon volatilization in the near-surface region, producing a silica surface layer that protects the underlying carbon from further removal. In conclusion, these findings provide a novel physically-based understanding of the superior stability of a-C:H:Si:O in harsh environments compared to a-C:H.« less

Effect of silicon and oxygen dopants on the stability of hydrogenated amorphous carbon under harsh environmental conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mangolini, Filippo; Krick, Brandon A.; Jacobs, Tevis D. B.

Harsh environments pose materials durability challenges across the automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing sectors, and beyond. While amorphous carbon materials have been used as coatings in many environmentally-demanding applications owing to their unique mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, their limited thermal stability and high reactivity in oxidizing environments have impeded their use in many technologies. Silicon- and oxygen-containing hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H:Si:O) films are promising for several applications because of their higher thermal stability and lower residual stress compared to hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H). However, an understanding of their superior thermo-oxidative stability compared to a-C:H is lacking, as it has beenmore » inhibited by the intrinsic challenge of characterizing an amorphous, multi-component material. Here, we show that introducing silicon and oxygen in a-C:H slightly enhances the thermal stability in vacuum, but tremendously increases the thermo-oxidative stability and the resistance to degradation upon exposure to the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit (LEO). The latter is demonstrated by having mounted samples of a-C:H:Si:O on the exterior of the International Space Station via the Materials International Space Station (MISSE) mission 7b. Exposing lightly-doped a-C:H:Si:O to elevated temperatures under aerobic conditions or to LEO causes carbon volatilization in the near-surface region, producing a silica surface layer that protects the underlying carbon from further removal. In conclusion, these findings provide a novel physically-based understanding of the superior stability of a-C:H:Si:O in harsh environments compared to a-C:H.« less

Direct measurement of free-energy barrier to nucleation of crystallites in amorphous silicon thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Frank G.

1994-01-01

A method is introduced to measure the free-energy barrier W(sup *), the activation energy, and activation entropy to nucleation of crystallites in amorphous solids, independent of the energy barrier to growth. The method allows one to determine the temperature dependence of W(sup *), and the effect of the preparation conditions of the initial amorphous phase, the dopants, and the crystallization methds on W(sup *). The method is applied to determine the free-energy barrier to nucleation of crystallites in amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin films. For thermally induced nucleation in a-Si thin films with annealing temperatures in the range of from 824 to 983 K, the free-energy barrier W(sup *) to nucleation of silicon crystals is about 2.0 - 2.1 eV regardless of the preparation conditions of the films. The observation supports the idea that a-Si transforms into an intermediate amorphous state through the structural relaxation prior to the onset of nucleation of crystallites in a-Si. The observation also indicates that the activation entropy may be an insignificant part of the free-energy barrier for the nucleation of crystallites in a-Si. Compared with the free-energy barrier to nucleation of crystallites in undoped a-Si films, a significant reduction is observed in the free-energy barrier to nucleation in Cu-doped a-Si films. For a-Si under irradiation of Xe(2+) at 10(exp 5) eV, the free-energy barrier to ion-induced nucleation of crystallites is shown to be about half of the value associated with thermal-induced nucleation of crystallites in a-Si under the otherwise same conditions, which is much more significant than previously expected. The present method has a general kinetic basis; it thus should be equally applicable to nucleation of crystallites in any amorphous elemental semiconductors and semiconductor alloys, metallic and polymeric glasses, and to nucleation of crystallites in melts and solutions.

A Self Consistent RF Discharge, Plasma Chemistry and Surface Model for Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-30

consists of three submodels for the electron kinetics, plasma chemistry , and surface deposition kinetics for a-Si:H deposited from radio frequency...properties. Plasma enhanced, Chemical vapor deposition, amorphous silicon, Modeling, Electron kinetics, Plasma chemistry , Deposition kinetics, Rf discharge, Silane, Film properties, Silicon.

Ferrofluids based on Co-Fe-Si-B amorphous nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tianqi; Bian, Xiufang; Yang, Chuncheng; Zhao, Shuchun; Yu, Mengchun

2017-03-01

Magnetic Co-Fe-Si-B amorphous nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by chemical reduction method. ICP, XRD, DSC, and TEM were used to investigate the composition, structure and morphology of Co-Fe-Si-B samples. The results show that the Co-Fe-Si-B samples are amorphous, which consist of nearly spherical nanoparticles with an average particle size about 23 nm. VSM results manifest that the saturation magnetization (Ms) of Co-Fe-Si-B samples ranges from 46.37 to 62.89 emu/g. Two kinds of ferrofluids (FFs) were prepared by dispersing Co-Fe-Si-B amorphous nanoparticles and CoFe2O4 nanoparticles in kerosene and silicone oil, respectively. The magnetic properties, stability and viscosity of the FFs were investigated. The FFs with Co-Fe-Si-B samples have a higher Ms and lower coercivity (Hc) than FFs with CoFe2O4 sample. Under magnetic field, the silicone oil-based FFs exhibit high stability. The viscosity of FFs under different applied magnetic fields was measured by a rotational viscometer, indicating that FFs with Co-Fe-Si-B particles present relative strong response to an external magnetic field. The metal-boride amorphous alloy nanoparticles have potential applications in the preparation of magnetic fluids with good stability and good magnetoviscous properties.

A silicon carbide array for electrocorticography and peripheral nerve recording.

PubMed

Diaz-Botia, C A; Luna, L E; Neely, R M; Chamanzar, M; Carraro, C; Carmena, J M; Sabes, P N; Maboudian, R; Maharbiz, M M

2017-10-01

Current neural probes have a limited device lifetime of a few years. Their common failure mode is the degradation of insulating films and/or the delamination of the conductor-insulator interfaces. We sought to develop a technology that does not suffer from such limitations and would be suitable for chronic applications with very long device lifetimes. We developed a fabrication method that integrates polycrystalline conductive silicon carbide with insulating silicon carbide. The technology employs amorphous silicon carbide as the insulator and conductive silicon carbide at the recording sites, resulting in a seamless transition between doped and amorphous regions of the same material, eliminating heterogeneous interfaces prone to delamination. Silicon carbide has outstanding chemical stability, is biocompatible, is an excellent molecular barrier and is compatible with standard microfabrication processes. We have fabricated silicon carbide electrode arrays using our novel fabrication method. We conducted in vivo experiments in which electrocorticography recordings from the primary visual cortex of a rat were obtained and were of similar quality to those of polymer based electrocorticography arrays. The silicon carbide electrode arrays were also used as a cuff electrode wrapped around the sciatic nerve of a rat to record the nerve response to electrical stimulation. Finally, we demonstrated the outstanding long term stability of our insulating silicon carbide films through accelerated aging tests. Clinical translation in neural engineering has been slowed in part due to the poor long term performance of current probes. Silicon carbide devices are a promising technology that may accelerate this transition by enabling truly chronic applications.

A silicon carbide array for electrocorticography and peripheral nerve recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Botia, C. A.; Luna, L. E.; Neely, R. M.; Chamanzar, M.; Carraro, C.; Carmena, J. M.; Sabes, P. N.; Maboudian, R.; Maharbiz, M. M.

2017-10-01

Objective. Current neural probes have a limited device lifetime of a few years. Their common failure mode is the degradation of insulating films and/or the delamination of the conductor-insulator interfaces. We sought to develop a technology that does not suffer from such limitations and would be suitable for chronic applications with very long device lifetimes. Approach. We developed a fabrication method that integrates polycrystalline conductive silicon carbide with insulating silicon carbide. The technology employs amorphous silicon carbide as the insulator and conductive silicon carbide at the recording sites, resulting in a seamless transition between doped and amorphous regions of the same material, eliminating heterogeneous interfaces prone to delamination. Silicon carbide has outstanding chemical stability, is biocompatible, is an excellent molecular barrier and is compatible with standard microfabrication processes. Main results. We have fabricated silicon carbide electrode arrays using our novel fabrication method. We conducted in vivo experiments in which electrocorticography recordings from the primary visual cortex of a rat were obtained and were of similar quality to those of polymer based electrocorticography arrays. The silicon carbide electrode arrays were also used as a cuff electrode wrapped around the sciatic nerve of a rat to record the nerve response to electrical stimulation. Finally, we demonstrated the outstanding long term stability of our insulating silicon carbide films through accelerated aging tests. Significance. Clinical translation in neural engineering has been slowed in part due to the poor long term performance of current probes. Silicon carbide devices are a promising technology that may accelerate this transition by enabling truly chronic applications.

Nanopattern-guided growth of single-crystal silicon on amorphous substrates and high-performance sub-100 nm thin-film transistors for three-dimensional integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Jian

This thesis explores how nanopatterns can be used to control the growth of single-crystal silicon on amorphous substrates at low temperature, with potential applications on flat panel liquid-crystal display and 3-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits. I first present excimer laser annealing of amorphous silicon (a-Si) nanostructures on thermally oxidized silicon wafer for controlled formation of single-crystal silicon islands. Preferential nucleation at pattern center is observed due to substrate enhanced edge heating. Single-grain silicon is obtained in a 50 nm x 100 nm rectangular pattern by super lateral growth (SLG). Narrow lines (such as 20-nm-wide) can serve as artificial heterogeneous nucleation sites during crystallization of large patterns, which could lead to the formation of single-crystal silicon islands in a controlled fashion. In addition to eximer laser annealing, NanoPAtterning and nickel-induced lateral C&barbelow;rystallization (NanoPAC) of a-Si lines is presented. Single-crystal silicon is achieved by NanoPAC. The line width of a-Si affects the grain structure of crystallized silicon lines significantly. Statistics show that single-crystal silicon is formed for all lines with width between 50 nm to 200 nm. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nickel-induced lateral crystallization (Ni-ILC) of a-Si inside a pattern is revealed; lithography-constrained single seeding (LISS) is proposed to explain the single-crystal formation. Intragrain line and two-dimensional defects are also studied. To test the electrical properties of NanoPAC silicon films, sub-100 nm thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated using Patten-controlled crystallization of Ṯhin a-Si channel layer and H&barbelow;igh temperature (850°C) annealing, coined PaTH process. PaTH TFTs show excellent device performance over traditional solid phase crystallized (SPC) TFTs in terms of threshold voltage, threshold voltage roll-off, leakage current, subthreshold swing, on/off current ratio, device-to-device uniformity etc. Two-dimensional device simulations show that PaTH TFTs are comparable to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices, making it a promising candidate for the fabrication of future high performance, low-power 3D integrated circuits. Finally, an ultrafast nanolithography technique, laser-assisted direct imprint (LADI) is introduced. LADI shows the ability of patterning nanostructures directly in silicon in nanoseconds with sub-10 nm resolution. The process has potential applications in multiple disciplines, and could be extended to other materials and processes.

A Step toward High-Energy Silicon-Based Thin Film Lithium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Reyes Jiménez, Antonia; Klöpsch, Richard; Wagner, Ralf; Rodehorst, Uta C; Kolek, Martin; Nölle, Roman; Winter, Martin; Placke, Tobias

2017-05-23

The next generation of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with increased energy density for large-scale applications, such as electric mobility, and also for small electronic devices, such as microbatteries and on-chip batteries, requires advanced electrode active materials with enhanced specific and volumetric capacities. In this regard, silicon as anode material has attracted much attention due to its high specific capacity. However, the enormous volume changes during lithiation/delithiation are still a main obstacle avoiding the broad commercial use of Si-based electrodes. In this work, Si-based thin film electrodes, prepared by magnetron sputtering, are studied. Herein, we present a sophisticated surface design and electrode structure modification by amorphous carbon layers to increase the mechanical integrity and, thus, the electrochemical performance. Therefore, the influence of amorphous C thin film layers, either deposited on top (C/Si) or incorporated between the amorphous Si thin film layers (Si/C/Si), was characterized according to their physical and electrochemical properties. The thin film electrodes were thoroughly studied by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. We can show that the silicon thin film electrodes with an amorphous C layer showed a remarkably improved electrochemical performance in terms of capacity retention and Coulombic efficiency. The C layer is able to mitigate the mechanical stress during lithiation of the Si thin film by buffering the volume changes and to reduce the loss of active lithium during solid electrolyte interphase formation and cycling.

High-performance flexible energy storage and harvesting system for wearable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostfeld, Aminy E.; Gaikwad, Abhinav M.; Khan, Yasser; Arias, Ana C.

2016-05-01

This paper reports on the design and operation of a flexible power source integrating a lithium ion battery and amorphous silicon solar module, optimized to supply power to a wearable health monitoring device. The battery consists of printed anode and cathode layers based on graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, respectively, on thin flexible current collectors. It displays energy density of 6.98 mWh/cm2 and demonstrates capacity retention of 90% at 3C discharge rate and ~99% under 100 charge/discharge cycles and 600 cycles of mechanical flexing. A solar module with appropriate voltage and dimensions is used to charge the battery under both full sun and indoor illumination conditions, and the addition of the solar module is shown to extend the battery lifetime between charging cycles while powering a load. Furthermore, we show that by selecting the appropriate load duty cycle, the average load current can be matched to the solar module current and the battery can be maintained at a constant state of charge. Finally, the battery is used to power a pulse oximeter, demonstrating its effectiveness as a power source for wearable medical devices.

High-performance flexible energy storage and harvesting system for wearable electronics.

PubMed

Ostfeld, Aminy E; Gaikwad, Abhinav M; Khan, Yasser; Arias, Ana C

2016-05-17

This paper reports on the design and operation of a flexible power source integrating a lithium ion battery and amorphous silicon solar module, optimized to supply power to a wearable health monitoring device. The battery consists of printed anode and cathode layers based on graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, respectively, on thin flexible current collectors. It displays energy density of 6.98 mWh/cm(2) and demonstrates capacity retention of 90% at 3C discharge rate and ~99% under 100 charge/discharge cycles and 600 cycles of mechanical flexing. A solar module with appropriate voltage and dimensions is used to charge the battery under both full sun and indoor illumination conditions, and the addition of the solar module is shown to extend the battery lifetime between charging cycles while powering a load. Furthermore, we show that by selecting the appropriate load duty cycle, the average load current can be matched to the solar module current and the battery can be maintained at a constant state of charge. Finally, the battery is used to power a pulse oximeter, demonstrating its effectiveness as a power source for wearable medical devices.

High-performance flexible energy storage and harvesting system for wearable electronics

PubMed Central

Ostfeld, Aminy E.; Gaikwad, Abhinav M.; Khan, Yasser; Arias, Ana C.

2016-01-01

This paper reports on the design and operation of a flexible power source integrating a lithium ion battery and amorphous silicon solar module, optimized to supply power to a wearable health monitoring device. The battery consists of printed anode and cathode layers based on graphite and lithium cobalt oxide, respectively, on thin flexible current collectors. It displays energy density of 6.98 mWh/cm2 and demonstrates capacity retention of 90% at 3C discharge rate and ~99% under 100 charge/discharge cycles and 600 cycles of mechanical flexing. A solar module with appropriate voltage and dimensions is used to charge the battery under both full sun and indoor illumination conditions, and the addition of the solar module is shown to extend the battery lifetime between charging cycles while powering a load. Furthermore, we show that by selecting the appropriate load duty cycle, the average load current can be matched to the solar module current and the battery can be maintained at a constant state of charge. Finally, the battery is used to power a pulse oximeter, demonstrating its effectiveness as a power source for wearable medical devices. PMID:27184194

Lithium concentration dependent structure and mechanics of amorphous silicon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sitinamaluwa, H. S.; Wang, M. C.; Will, G.

2016-06-28

A better understanding of lithium-silicon alloying mechanisms and associated mechanical behavior is essential for the design of Si-based electrodes for Li-ion batteries. Unfortunately, the relationship between the dynamic mechanical response and microstructure evolution during lithiation and delithiation has not been well understood. We use molecular dynamic simulations to investigate lithiated amorphous silicon with a focus to the evolution of its microstructure, phase composition, and stress generation. The results show that the formation of Li{sub x}Si alloy phase is via different mechanisms, depending on Li concentration. In these alloy phases, the increase in Li concentration results in reduction of modulus ofmore » elasticity and fracture strength but increase in ductility in tension. For a Li{sub x}Si system with uniform Li distribution, volume change induced stress is well below the fracture strength in tension.« less

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Nanocrystalline silicon film growth morphology control through RF waveform tailoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Erik V.; Verbeke, Thomas; Vanel, Jean-Charles; Booth, Jean-Paul

2010-10-01

We demonstrate the application of RF waveform tailoring to generate an electrical asymmetry in a capacitively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition system, and its use to control the growth mode of hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin films deposited at low temperature (150 °C). A dramatic shift in the dc bias potential at the powered electrode is observed when simply inverting the voltage waveform from 'peaks' to 'troughs', indicating an asymmetric distribution of the sheath voltage. By enhancing or suppressing the ion bombardment energy at the substrate (situated on the grounded electrode), the growth of thin silicon films can be switched between amorphous and nanocrystalline modes, as observed using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. The effect is observed at pressures sufficiently low that the collisional reduction in average ion bombardment energy is not sufficient to allow nanocrystalline growth (<100 mTorr).

Preceramic Polymers for Use as Fiber Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heimann, P. J.; Hurwitz, F. I.; Wheeler, D.; Eldridge, J.; Baranwal, R.; Dickerson, R.

1996-01-01

Polymeric precursors to Si-C-O, SI-B-N and Si-C were evaluated for use as ceramic interfaces in ceramic matrix composites. Use of the preceramic polymers allows for easy dip coating of fibers from dilute solutions of a polymer, which are then pyrolyzed to obtain the ceramic. SCS-0 fibers (Textron Specialty Materials, Lowell, MA) were coated with polymers from three systems: polysilsesquioxanes, polyborosilazanes and polycarbosilanes. The polysilsesquioxane systems were shown to produce either silicon oxycarbide or silicon oxynitride, depending on the pyrolysis conditions, and demonstrated some promise in an RBSN (reaction-bonded silicon nitride) matrix model system. Polyborosilazanes were shown, in studies of bulk polymers, to give rise to oxidation resistant Si-B-N ceramics which remain amorphous to temperatures of 1600 C, and should therefore provide a low modulus interface. Polycarbosilanes produce amorphous carbon-rich Si-C materials which have demonstrated oxidation resistance.

76 FR 78313 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-16

...)] Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China Determinations On the basis of the record \\1... injured by reason of imports from China of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, provided... imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China. Accordingly, effective October...

Electronic band-gap modified passive silicon optical modulator at telecommunications wavelengths.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Yu, Haohai; Zhang, Huaijin; Liu, Xiangdong; Lu, Qingming; Wang, Jiyang

2015-11-13

The silicon optical modulator is considered to be the workhorse of a revolution in communications. In recent years, the capabilities of externally driven active silicon optical modulators have dramatically improved. Self-driven passive modulators, especially passive silicon modulators, possess advantages in compactness, integration, low-cost, etc. Constrained by a large indirect band-gap and sensitivity-related loss, the passive silicon optical modulator is scarce and has been not advancing, especially at telecommunications wavelengths. Here, a passive silicon optical modulator is fabricated by introducing an impurity band in the electronic band-gap, and its nonlinear optics and applications in the telecommunications-wavelength lasers are investigated. The saturable absorption properties at the wavelength of 1.55 μm was measured and indicates that the sample is quite sensitive to light intensity and has negligible absorption loss. With a passive silicon modulator, pulsed lasers were constructed at wavelengths at 1.34 and 1.42 μm. It is concluded that the sensitive self-driven passive silicon optical modulator is a viable candidate for photonics applications out to 2.5 μm.

Color-selective photodetection from intermediate colloidal quantum dots buried in amorphous-oxide semiconductors.

PubMed

Cho, Kyung-Sang; Heo, Keun; Baik, Chan-Wook; Choi, Jun Young; Jeong, Heejeong; Hwang, Sungwoo; Lee, Sang Yeol

2017-10-10

We report color-selective photodetection from intermediate, monolayered, quantum dots buried in between amorphous-oxide semiconductors. The proposed active channel in phototransistors is a hybrid configuration of oxide-quantum dot-oxide layers, where the gate-tunable electrical property of silicon-doped, indium-zinc-oxide layers is incorporated with the color-selective properties of quantum dots. A remarkably high detectivity (8.1 × 10 13 Jones) is obtained, along with three major findings: fast charge separation in monolayered quantum dots; efficient charge transport through high-mobility oxide layers (20 cm 2  V -1  s -1 ); and gate-tunable drain-current modulation. Particularly, the fast charge separation rate of 3.3 ns -1 measured with time-resolved photoluminescence is attributed to the intermediate quantum dots buried in oxide layers. These results facilitate the realization of efficient color-selective detection exhibiting a photoconductive gain of 10 7 , obtained using a room-temperature deposition of oxide layers and a solution process of quantum dots. This work offers promising opportunities in emerging applications for color detection with sensitivity, transparency, and flexibility.The development of highly sensitive photodetectors is important for image sensing and optical communication applications. Cho et al., report ultra-sensitive photodetectors based on monolayered quantum dots buried in between amorphous-oxide semiconductors and demonstrate color-detecting logic gates.

Durable crystalline Si photovoltaic modules based on silicone-sheet encapsulants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hara, Kohjiro; Ohwada, Hiroto; Furihata, Tomoyoshi; Masuda, Atsushi

2018-02-01

Crystalline Si photovoltaic (PV) modules were fabricated with sheets of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (silicone) as an encapsulant. The long-term durability of the silicone-encapsulated PV modules was experimentally investigated. The silicone-based modules enhanced the long-term durability against potential-induced degradation (PID) and a damp-heat (DH) condition at 85 °C with 85% relative humidity (RH). In addition, we designed and fabricated substrate-type Si PV modules based on the silicone encapsulant and an Al-alloy plate as the substratum, which demonstrated high impact resistance and high incombustible performance. The high chemical stability, high volume resistivity, rubber-like elasticity, and incombustibility of the silicone encapsulant resulted in the high durability of the modules. Our results indicate that silicone is an attractive encapsulation material, as it improves the long-term durability of crystalline Si PV modules.

Method for processing silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Y.S.; Landry, M.D.; Pitts, J.R.

1997-05-06

The instant invention teaches a novel method for fabricating silicon solar cells utilizing concentrated solar radiation. The solar radiation is concentrated by use of a solar furnace which is used to form a front surface junction and back-surface field in one processing step. The present invention also provides a method of making multicrystalline silicon from amorphous silicon. The invention also teaches a method of texturing the surface of a wafer by forming a porous silicon layer on the surface of a silicon substrate and a method of gettering impurities. Also contemplated by the invention are methods of surface passivation, forming novel solar cell structures, and hydrogen passivation. 2 figs.

Method for processing silicon solar cells

DOEpatents

Tsuo, Y. Simon; Landry, Marc D.; Pitts, John R.

1997-01-01

The instant invention teaches a novel method for fabricating silicon solar cells utilizing concentrated solar radiation. The solar radiation is concentrated by use of a solar furnace which is used to form a front surface junction and back-surface field in one processing step. The present invention also provides a method of making multicrystallline silicon from amorphous silicon. The invention also teaches a method of texturing the surface of a wafer by forming a porous silicon layer on the surface of a silicon substrate and a method of gettering impurities. Also contemplated by the invention are methods of surface passivation, forming novel solar cell structures, and hydrogen passivation.

Solar cell structure incorporating a novel single crystal silicon material

DOEpatents

Pankove, Jacques I.; Wu, Chung P.

1983-01-01

A novel hydrogen rich single crystal silicon material having a band gap energy greater than 1.1 eV can be fabricated by forming an amorphous region of graded crystallinity in a body of single crystalline silicon and thereafter contacting the region with atomic hydrogen followed by pulsed laser annealing at a sufficient power and for a sufficient duration to recrystallize the region into single crystal silicon without out-gassing the hydrogen. The new material can be used to fabricate semiconductor devices such as single crystal silicon solar cells with surface window regions having a greater band gap energy than that of single crystal silicon without hydrogen.

77 FR 72884 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-06

... Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China, provided for in subheadings 8501... silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China. Chairman Irving A. Williamson and Commissioner Dean A...

Fracture-induced amorphization of polycrystalline SiO2 stishovite: a potential platform for toughening in ceramics

PubMed Central

Nishiyama, Norimasa; Wakai, Fumihiro; Ohfuji, Hiroaki; Tamenori, Yusuke; Murata, Hidenobu; Taniguchi, Takashi; Matsushita, Masafumi; Takahashi, Manabu; Kulik, Eleonora; Yoshida, Kimiko; Wada, Kouhei; Bednarcik, Jozef; Irifune, Tetsuo

2014-01-01

Silicon dioxide has eight stable crystalline phases at conditions of the Earth's rocky parts. Many metastable phases including amorphous phases have been known, which indicates the presence of large kinetic barriers. As a consequence, some crystalline silica phases transform to amorphous phases by bypassing the liquid via two different pathways. Here we show a new pathway, a fracture-induced amorphization of stishovite that is a high-pressure polymorph. The amorphization accompanies a huge volume expansion of ~100% and occurs in a thin layer whose thickness from the fracture surface is several tens of nanometers. Amorphous silica materials that look like strings or worms were observed on the fracture surfaces. The amount of amorphous silica near the fracture surfaces is positively correlated with indentation fracture toughness. This result indicates that the fracture-induced amorphization causes toughening of stishovite polycrystals. The fracture-induced solid-state amorphization may provide a potential platform for toughening in ceramics. PMID:25297473

Fracture-induced amorphization of polycrystalline SiO2 stishovite: a potential platform for toughening in ceramics.

PubMed

Nishiyama, Norimasa; Wakai, Fumihiro; Ohfuji, Hiroaki; Tamenori, Yusuke; Murata, Hidenobu; Taniguchi, Takashi; Matsushita, Masafumi; Takahashi, Manabu; Kulik, Eleonora; Yoshida, Kimiko; Wada, Kouhei; Bednarcik, Jozef; Irifune, Tetsuo

2014-10-09

Silicon dioxide has eight stable crystalline phases at conditions of the Earth's rocky parts. Many metastable phases including amorphous phases have been known, which indicates the presence of large kinetic barriers. As a consequence, some crystalline silica phases transform to amorphous phases by bypassing the liquid via two different pathways. Here we show a new pathway, a fracture-induced amorphization of stishovite that is a high-pressure polymorph. The amorphization accompanies a huge volume expansion of ~100% and occurs in a thin layer whose thickness from the fracture surface is several tens of nanometers. Amorphous silica materials that look like strings or worms were observed on the fracture surfaces. The amount of amorphous silica near the fracture surfaces is positively correlated with indentation fracture toughness. This result indicates that the fracture-induced amorphization causes toughening of stishovite polycrystals. The fracture-induced solid-state amorphization may provide a potential platform for toughening in ceramics.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Custer, Jonathan S.; Fleming, James G.; Roherty-Osmun, Elizabeth

Refractory ternary nitride films for diffusion barriers in microelectronics have been grown using chemical vapor deposition. Thin films of titanium-silicon-nitride, tungsten-boron-nitride, and tungsten-silicon-nitride of various compositions have been deposited on 150 mm Si wafers. The microstructure of the films are either fully amorphous for the tungsten based films, or nauocrystalline TiN in an amorphous matrix for titanium-silicon-nitride. All films exhibit step coverages suitable for use in future microelectronics generations. Selected films have been tested as diffusion barriers between copper and silicon, and generally perform extremely weH. These fiIms are promising candidates for advanced diffusion barriers for microelectronics applications. The manufacturingmore » of silicon wafers into integrated circuits uses many different process and materials. The manufacturing process is usually divided into two parts: the front end of line (FEOL) and the back end of line (BEOL). In the FEOL the individual transistors that are the heart of an integrated circuit are made on the silicon wafer. The responsibility of the BEOL is to wire all the transistors together to make a complete circuit. The transistors are fabricated in the silicon itself. The wiring is made out of metal, currently aluminum and tungsten, insulated by silicon dioxide, see Figure 1. Unfortunately, silicon will diffuse into aluminum, causing aluminum spiking of junctions, killing transistors. Similarly, during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of tungsten from ~fj, the reactivity of the fluorine can cause "worn-holes" in the silicon, also destroying transistors. The solution to these problems is a so-called diffusion barrier, which will allow current to pass from the transistors to the wiring, but will prevent reactions between silicon and the metal.« less

GaAs photovoltaics and optoelectronics using releasable multilayer epitaxial assemblies.

PubMed

Yoon, Jongseung; Jo, Sungjin; Chun, Ik Su; Jung, Inhwa; Kim, Hoon-Sik; Meitl, Matthew; Menard, Etienne; Li, Xiuling; Coleman, James J; Paik, Ungyu; Rogers, John A

2010-05-20

Compound semiconductors like gallium arsenide (GaAs) provide advantages over silicon for many applications, owing to their direct bandgaps and high electron mobilities. Examples range from efficient photovoltaic devices to radio-frequency electronics and most forms of optoelectronics. However, growing large, high quality wafers of these materials, and intimately integrating them on silicon or amorphous substrates (such as glass or plastic) is expensive, which restricts their use. Here we describe materials and fabrication concepts that address many of these challenges, through the use of films of GaAs or AlGaAs grown in thick, multilayer epitaxial assemblies, then separated from each other and distributed on foreign substrates by printing. This method yields large quantities of high quality semiconductor material capable of device integration in large area formats, in a manner that also allows the wafer to be reused for additional growths. We demonstrate some capabilities of this approach with three different applications: GaAs-based metal semiconductor field effect transistors and logic gates on plates of glass, near-infrared imaging devices on wafers of silicon, and photovoltaic modules on sheets of plastic. These results illustrate the implementation of compound semiconductors such as GaAs in applications whose cost structures, formats, area coverages or modes of use are incompatible with conventional growth or integration strategies.

Synthesis of quenchable amorphous diamond

DOE PAGES

Zeng, Zhidan; Yang, Liuxiang; Zeng, Qiaoshi; ...

2017-08-22

Diamond owes its unique mechanical, thermal, optical, electrical, chemical, and biocompatible materials properties to its complete sp 3-carbon network bonding. Crystallinity is another major controlling factor for materials properties. Although other Group-14 elements silicon and germanium have complementary crystalline and amorphous forms consisting of purely sp 3 bonds, purely sp 3-bonded tetrahedral amorphous carbon has not yet been obtained. In this letter, we combine high pressure and in situ laser heating techniques to convert glassy carbon into “quenchable amorphous diamond”, and recover it to ambient conditions. Our X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy experiments on themore » recovered sample and computer simulations confirm its tetrahedral amorphous structure and complete sp 3 bonding. This transparent quenchable amorphous diamond has, to our knowledge, the highest density among amorphous carbon materials, and shows incompressibility comparable to crystalline diamond.« less

Synthesis of quenchable amorphous diamond

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeng, Zhidan; Yang, Liuxiang; Zeng, Qiaoshi

Diamond owes its unique mechanical, thermal, optical, electrical, chemical, and biocompatible materials properties to its complete sp 3-carbon network bonding. Crystallinity is another major controlling factor for materials properties. Although other Group-14 elements silicon and germanium have complementary crystalline and amorphous forms consisting of purely sp 3 bonds, purely sp 3-bonded tetrahedral amorphous carbon has not yet been obtained. In this letter, we combine high pressure and in situ laser heating techniques to convert glassy carbon into “quenchable amorphous diamond”, and recover it to ambient conditions. Our X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy experiments on themore » recovered sample and computer simulations confirm its tetrahedral amorphous structure and complete sp 3 bonding. This transparent quenchable amorphous diamond has, to our knowledge, the highest density among amorphous carbon materials, and shows incompressibility comparable to crystalline diamond.« less

First principles prediction of amorphous phases using evolutionary algorithms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nahas, Suhas, E-mail: shsnhs@iitk.ac.in; Gaur, Anshu, E-mail: agaur@iitk.ac.in; Bhowmick, Somnath, E-mail: bsomnath@iitk.ac.in

2016-07-07

We discuss the efficacy of evolutionary method for the purpose of structural analysis of amorphous solids. At present, ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) based melt-quench technique is used and this deterministic approach has proven to be successful to study amorphous materials. We show that a stochastic approach motivated by Darwinian evolution can also be used to simulate amorphous structures. Applying this method, in conjunction with density functional theory based electronic, ionic and cell relaxation, we re-investigate two well known amorphous semiconductors, namely silicon and indium gallium zinc oxide. We find that characteristic structural parameters like average bond length and bondmore » angle are within ∼2% of those reported by ab initio MD calculations and experimental studies.« less

Stable solar-driven oxidation of water by semiconducting photoanodes protected by transparent catalytic nickel oxide films.

PubMed

Sun, Ke; Saadi, Fadl H; Lichterman, Michael F; Hale, William G; Wang, Hsin-Ping; Zhou, Xinghao; Plymale, Noah T; Omelchenko, Stefan T; He, Jr-Hau; Papadantonakis, Kimberly M; Brunschwig, Bruce S; Lewis, Nathan S

2015-03-24

Reactively sputtered nickel oxide (NiOx) films provide transparent, antireflective, electrically conductive, chemically stable coatings that also are highly active electrocatalysts for the oxidation of water to O2(g). These NiOx coatings provide protective layers on a variety of technologically important semiconducting photoanodes, including textured crystalline Si passivated by amorphous silicon, crystalline n-type cadmium telluride, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Under anodic operation in 1.0 M aqueous potassium hydroxide (pH 14) in the presence of simulated sunlight, the NiOx films stabilized all of these self-passivating, high-efficiency semiconducting photoelectrodes for >100 h of sustained, quantitative solar-driven oxidation of water to O2(g).

Charge transport and activation energy of amorphous silicon carbide thin film on quartz at elevated temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinh, Toan; Viet Dao, Dzung; Phan, Hoang-Phuong; Wang, Li; Qamar, Afzaal; Nguyen, Nam-Trung; Tanner, Philip; Rybachuk, Maksym

2015-06-01

We report on the temperature dependence of the charge transport and activation energy of amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) thin films grown on quartz by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. The electrical conductivity as characterized by the Arrhenius rule was found to vary distinctly under two activation energy thresholds of 150 and 205 meV, corresponding to temperature ranges of 300 to 450 K and 450 to 580 K, respectively. The a-SiC/quartz system displayed a high temperature coefficient of resistance ranging from -4,000 to -16,000 ppm/K, demonstrating a strong feasibility of using this material for highly sensitive thermal sensing applications.

Enhanced electrochemical etching of ion irradiated silicon by localized amorphization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dang, Z. Y.; Breese, M. B. H.; Lin, Y.

2014-05-12

A tailored distribution of ion induced defects in p-type silicon allows subsequent electrochemical anodization to be modified in various ways. Here we describe how a low level of lattice amorphization induced by ion irradiation influences anodization. First, it superposes a chemical etching effect, which is observable at high fluences as a reduced height of a micromachined component. Second, at lower fluences, it greatly enhances electrochemical anodization by allowing a hole diffusion current to flow to the exposed surface. We present an anodization model, which explains all observed effects produced by light ions such as helium and heavy ions such asmore » cesium over a wide range of fluences and irradiation geometries.« less

Optimal atomic structure of amorphous silicon obtained from density functional theory calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedersen, Andreas; Pizzagalli, Laurent; Jónsson, Hannes

2017-06-01

Atomic structure of amorphous silicon consistent with several reported experimental measurements has been obtained from annealing simulations using electron density functional theory calculations and a systematic removal of weakly bound atoms. The excess energy and density with respect to the crystal are well reproduced in addition to radial distribution function, angular distribution functions, and vibrational density of states. No atom in the optimal configuration is locally in a crystalline environment as deduced by ring analysis and common neighbor analysis, but coordination defects are present at a level of 1%-2%. The simulated samples provide structural models of this archetypal disordered covalent material without preconceived notion of the atomic ordering or fitting to experimental data.

Amorphous Silicon Nanowires Grown on Silicon Oxide Film by Annealing.

PubMed

Yuan, Zhishan; Wang, Chengyong; Chen, Ke; Ni, Zhonghua; Chen, Yunfei

2017-08-10

In this paper, amorphous silicon nanowires (α-SiNWs) were synthesized on (100) Si substrate with silicon oxide film by Cu catalyst-driven solid-liquid-solid mechanism (SLS) during annealing process (1080 °C for 30 min under Ar/H 2 atmosphere). Micro size Cu pattern fabrication decided whether α-SiNWs can grow or not. Meanwhile, those micro size Cu patterns also controlled the position and density of wires. During the annealing process, Cu pattern reacted with SiO 2 to form Cu silicide. More important, a diffusion channel was opened for Si atoms to synthesis α-SiNWs. What is more, the size of α-SiNWs was simply controlled by the annealing time. The length of wire was increased with annealing time. However, the diameter showed the opposite tendency. The room temperature resistivity of the nanowire was about 2.1 × 10 3  Ω·cm (84 nm diameter and 21 μm length). This simple fabrication method makes application of α-SiNWs become possible.

77 FR 35425 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China; Scheduling of the Final Phase of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-13

... Silicon Photovoltaic Cells and Modules From China; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Countervailing Duty... silicon photovoltaic cells and modules, provided for in subheadings 8501.31.80, 8501.61.00, 8507.20.80... photovoltaic cells, and modules, laminates, and panels, consisting of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells...

Solar photovoltaic charging of lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Thomas L.; Kelly, Nelson A.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) charging of batteries was tested by using high efficiency crystalline and amorphous silicon PV modules to recharge lithium-ion battery modules. This testing was performed as a proof of concept for solar PV charging of batteries for electrically powered vehicles. The iron phosphate type lithium-ion batteries were safely charged to their maximum capacity and the thermal hazards associated with overcharging were avoided by the self-regulating design of the solar charging system. The solar energy to battery charge conversion efficiency reached 14.5%, including a PV system efficiency of nearly 15%, and a battery charging efficiency of approximately 100%. This high system efficiency was achieved by directly charging the battery from the PV system with no intervening electronics, and matching the PV maximum power point voltage to the battery charging voltage at the desired maximum state of charge for the battery. It is envisioned that individual homeowners could charge electric and extended-range electric vehicles from residential, roof-mounted solar arrays, and thus power their daily commuting with clean, renewable solar energy.

Tribological properties of amorphous alloys and the role of surfaces in abrasive wear of materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.

1982-01-01

The research approach undertaken by the authors relative to the subject, and examples of results from the authors are reviewed. The studies include programs in adhesion, friction, and various wear mechanisms (adhesive and abrasive wear). The materials which have been studied include such ceramic and metallic materials as silicon carbide, ferrites, diamond, and amorphous alloys.

Anharmonicity Rise the Thermal Conductivity in Amorphous Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Wei; Henry, Asegun

We recently proposed a new method called Direct Green-Kubo Modal Analysis (GKMA) method, which has been shown to calculate the thermal conductivity (TC) of several amorphous materials accurately. A-F method has been widely used for amorphous materials. However, researchers have found out that it failed on several different materials. The missing component of A-F method is the harmonic approximation and considering only the interactions of modes with similar frequencies, which neglect interactions of modes with large frequency difference. On the contrary, GKMA method, which is based on molecular dynamics, intrinsically includes all types of phonon interactions. In GKMA method, each mode's TC comes from both mode self-correlations (autocorrelations) and mode-mode correlations (crosscorrelations). We have demonstrated that the GKMA predicted TC of a-Si from Tersoff potential is in excellent agreement with one of experimental results. In this work, we will present the GKMA applications on a-Si using multiple potentials and gives us more insight of the effect of anharmonicity on the TC of amorphous silicon. This research was supported Intel grant AGMT DTD 1-15-13 and computational resources by NSF supported XSEDE resources under allocations DMR130105 and TG- PHY130049.

Conceptual design of a lunar base solar power plant lunar base systems study task 3.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The best available concepts for a 100 kW Solar Lunar Power Plant based on static and dynamic conversion concepts have been examined. The two concepts which emerged for direct comparison yielded a difference in delivered mass of 35 MT, the mass equivalent of 1.4 lander payloads, in favor of the static concept. The technologies considered for the various elements are either state-of-the-art or near-term. Two photovoltaic cell concepts should receive high priority for development: i.e., amorphous silicon and indium phosphide cells. The amorphous silicon, because it can be made so light weight and rugged; and the indium phosphide, because it shows very high efficiency potential and is reportedly not degraded by radiation. Also the amorphous silicon cells may be mounted on flexible backing that may roll up much like a carpet for compact storage, delivery, and ease of deployment at the base. The fuel cell and electrolysis cell technology is quite well along for lunar base applications, and because both the Shuttle and the forthcoming Space Station incorporate these devices, the status quo will be maintained. Early development of emerging improvements should be implemented so that essential life verification test programs may commence.

Silica nanoparticles on front glass for efficiency enhancement in superstrate-type amorphous silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Sonali; Banerjee, Chandan; Kundu, Avra; Dey, Prasenjit; Saha, Hiranmay; Datta, Swapan K.

2013-10-01

Antireflective coating on front glass of superstrate-type single junction amorphous silicon solar cells (SCs) has been applied using highly monodispersed and stable silica nanoparticles (NPs). The silica NPs having 300 nm diameter were synthesized by Stober technique where the size of the NPs was controlled by varying the alcohol medium. The synthesized silica NPs were analysed by dynamic light scattering technique and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The NPs were spin coated on glass side of fluorinated tin oxide (SnO2: F) coated glass superstrate and optimization of the concentration of the colloidal solution, spin speed and number of coated layers was done to achieve minimum reflection characteristics. An estimation of the distribution of the NPs for different optimization parameters has been done using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the transparent conducting oxide coated glass with the layer having the minimum reflectance is used for fabrication of amorphous silicon SC. Electrical analysis of the fabricated cell indicates an improvement of 6.5% in short-circuit current density from a reference of 12.40 mA cm-2 while the open circuit voltage and the fill factor remains unaltered. A realistic optical model has also been proposed to gain an insight into the system.

Optical properties of metal nanoparticles embedded in amorphous silicon analysed using discrete dipole approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fantoni, Alessandro; Fernandes, Miguel; Vygranenko, Yuri; Vieira, Manuela; Oliveira-Silva, Rui P.; Prazeres, D. M. F.; Ribeiro, Ana P. C.; Alegria, Elisabete C. B. A.

2018-02-01

Localized surface plasmons (LSP) can be excited in metal nanoparticles (NP) by UV, visible or NIR light and are described as coherent oscillation of conduction electrons. Taking advantage of the tunable optical properties of NPs, we propose the realization of a plasmonic structure, based on the LSP interaction of NP with an embedding matrix of amorphous silicon. This study is directed to define the characteristics of NP and substrate necessary to the development of a LSP proteomics sensor that, once provided immobilized antibodies on its surface, will screen the concentration of selected antigens through the determination of LSPR spectra and peaks of light absorption. Metals of interest for NP composition are: Aluminium and Gold. Recent advances in nanoparticle production techniques allow almost full control over shapes and size, permitting full control over their optical and plasmonic properties and, above all, over their responsive spectra. Analytical solution is only possible for simple NP geometries, therefore our analysis, is realized recurring to computer simulation using the Discrete Dipole Approximation method (DDA). In this work we use the free software DDSCAT to study the optical properties of metal nanoparticles embedded in an amorphous silicon matrix, as a function of size, shape, aspect-ratio and metal type. Experimental measurements realized with arrays of metal nanoparticles are compared with the simulations.

Light-trapping surface coating with concave arrays for efficiency enhancement in amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Daiming; Wang, Qingkang

2018-08-01

Light trapping is particularly important because of the desire to produce low-cost solar cells with the thinnest possible photoactive layers. Herein, along the research line of "optimization →fabrication →characterization →application", concave arrays were incorporated into amorphous silicon thin-film solar cell for lifting its photoelectric conversion efficiency. In advance, based on rigorous coupled wave analysis method, optics simulations were performed to obtain the optimal period of 10 μm for concave arrays. Microfabrication processes were used to etch concave arrays on glass, and nanoimprint was devoted to transfer the pattern onto polymer coatings with a high fidelity. Spectral characterizations prove that the concave-arrays coating enjoys excellent the light-trapping behaviors, by reducing the reflectance to 7.4% from 8.6% of bare glass and simultaneously allowing a high haze ratio of ∼ 70% in 350-800 nm. Compared with bare cell, the concave-arrays coating based amorphous silicon thin-film solar cell possesses the improving photovoltaic performances. Relative enhancements are 3.46% and 3.57% in short circuit current and photoelectric conversion efficiency, respectively. By the way, this light-trapping coating is facile, low-cost and large-scale, and can be straightforward introduced in other ready-made solar devices.

Thin film silicon by a microwave plasma deposition technique: Growth and devices, and, interface effects in amorphous silicon/crystalline silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagannathan, Basanth

Thin film silicon (Si) was deposited by a microwave plasma CVD technique, employing double dilution of silane, for the growth of low hydrogen content Si films with a controllable microstructure on amorphous substrates at low temperatures (<400sp°C). The double dilution was achieved by using a Ar (He) carrier for silane and its subsequent dilution by Hsb2. Structural and electrical properties of the films have been investigated over a wide growth space (temperature, power, pressure and dilution). Amorphous Si films deposited by silane diluted in He showed a compact nature and a hydrogen content of ˜8 at.% with a photo/dark conductivity ratio of 10sp4. Thin film transistors (W/L = 500/25) fabricated on these films, showed an on/off ratio of ˜10sp6 and a low threshold voltage of 2.92 volts. Microcrystalline Si films with a high crystalline content (˜80%) were also prepared by this technique. Such films showed a dark conductivity ˜10sp{-6} S/cm, with a conduction activation energy of 0.49 eV. Film growth and properties have been compared for deposition in Ar and He carrier systems and growth models have been proposed. Low temperature junction formation by undoped thin film silicon was examined through a thin film silicon/p-type crystalline silicon heterojunctions. The thin film silicon layers were deposited by rf glow discharge, dc magnetron sputtering and microwave plasma CVD. The hetero-interface was identified by current transport analysis and high frequency capacitance methods as the key parameter controlling the photovoltaic (PV) response. The effect of the interface on the device properties (PV, junction, and carrier transport) was examined with respect to modifications created by chemical treatment, type of plasma species, their energy and film microstructure interacting with the substrate. Thermally stimulated capacitance was used to determine the interfacial trap parameters. Plasma deposition of thin film silicon on chemically clean c-Si created electron trapping sites while hole traps were seen when a thin oxide was present at the interface. Under optimized conditions, a 10.6% efficient cell (11.5% with SiOsb2 A/R) with an open circuit voltage of 0.55 volts and a short circuit current density of 30 mA/cmsp2 was fabricated.

Optical switching system and method

DOEpatents

Ranganathan, Radha; Gal, Michael; Taylor, P. Craig

1992-01-01

An optically bistable device is disclosed. The device includes a uniformly thick layer of amorphous silicon to constitute a Fabry-Perot chamber positioned to provide a target area for a probe beam. The probe beam has a maximum energy less than the energy band gap of the amorphous semiconductor. In a preferred embodiment, a multilayer dielectric mirror is positioned on the Fabry-Perot chamber to increase the finesse of switching of the device. The index of refraction of the amorphous material is thermally altered to alter the transmission of the probe beam.

Modeling of amorphous SiCxO6/5 by classical molecular dynamics and first principles calculations.

PubMed

Liao, Ningbo; Zhang, Miao; Zhou, Hongming; Xue, Wei

2017-02-14

Polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) presents excellent performance for high temperature and lithium-ion battery applications. Current experiments have provided some information on nano-structure of SiCO, while it is very challenging for experiments to take further insight into the molecular structure and its relationship with properties of materials. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) based on empirical potential and first principle calculation were combined to investigate amorphous SiC x O 6/5 ceramics. The amorphous structures of SiCO containing silicon-centered mix bond tetrahedrons and free carbon were successfully reproduced. The calculated radial distribution, angular distribution and Young's modulus were validated by current experimental data, and more details on molecular structure were discussed. The change in the slope of Young's modulus is related to the glass transition temperature of the material. The proposed modeling approach can be used to predict the properties of SiCO with different compositions.

Modeling of amorphous SiCxO6/5 by classical molecular dynamics and first principles calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Ningbo; Zhang, Miao; Zhou, Hongming; Xue, Wei

2017-02-01

Polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide (SiCO) presents excellent performance for high temperature and lithium-ion battery applications. Current experiments have provided some information on nano-structure of SiCO, while it is very challenging for experiments to take further insight into the molecular structure and its relationship with properties of materials. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) based on empirical potential and first principle calculation were combined to investigate amorphous SiCxO6/5 ceramics. The amorphous structures of SiCO containing silicon-centered mix bond tetrahedrons and free carbon were successfully reproduced. The calculated radial distribution, angular distribution and Young’s modulus were validated by current experimental data, and more details on molecular structure were discussed. The change in the slope of Young’s modulus is related to the glass transition temperature of the material. The proposed modeling approach can be used to predict the properties of SiCO with different compositions.

Mechanical properties and structure evolution of single-crystalline silicon irradiated by 1 MeV Au+ and Cu+ ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Wei; Zhu, Fei; Ling, Yunhan; Liu, Kezhao; Hu, Yin; Pan, Qifa; Chen, Limin; Zhang, Zhengjun

2018-05-01

Mechanical and structural evolutions of single-crystalline silicon irradiated by a series of doses 1 MeV Au+ ions and Cu+ ions are characterized by Surface laser-acoustic wave spectroscopy by (LA wave), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and channeling (RBS/C) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The behavior of implanted Au+ and Cu+ ions was also simulated by using Stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM) software package, respectively. It is demonstrated that LA wave and RBS could be applied for accurate evaluation of the TEM observed amorphous layer's thickness. The modified mechanical properties depend on the species and the dose of implantation. For 1 MeV Au+ ions, the threshold dose of completely amorphous is 5 × 1014 atoms/cm2, while the one for Cu+ ions is 5 × 1015 atoms/cm2. Upon completely amorphous, the young's modulus and layer density decreased significantly while saturated with the dose increasing sequentially.

Revealing lithium-silicide phase transformations in nano-structured silicon-based lithium ion batteries via in situ NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ogata, K; Salager, E; Kerr, C J; Fraser, A E; Ducati, C; Morris, A J; Hofmann, S; Grey, C P

2014-01-01

Nano-structured silicon anodes are attractive alternatives to graphitic carbons in rechargeable Li-ion batteries, owing to their extremely high capacities. Despite their advantages, numerous issues remain to be addressed, the most basic being to understand the complex kinetics and thermodynamics that control the reactions and structural rearrangements. Elucidating this necessitates real-time in situ metrologies, which are highly challenging, if the whole electrode structure is studied at an atomistic level for multiple cycles under realistic cycling conditions. Here we report that Si nanowires grown on a conducting carbon-fibre support provide a robust model battery system that can be studied by (7)Li in situ NMR spectroscopy. The method allows the (de)alloying reactions of the amorphous silicides to be followed in the 2nd cycle and beyond. In combination with density-functional theory calculations, the results provide insight into the amorphous and amorphous-to-crystalline lithium-silicide transformations, particularly those at low voltages, which are highly relevant to practical cycling strategies.

Method of making selective crystalline silicon regions containing entrapped hydrogen by laser treatment

DOEpatents

Pankove, J.I.; Wu, C.P.

1982-03-30

A novel hydrogen rich single crystalline silicon material having a band gap energy greater than 1.1 eV can be fabricated by forming an amorphous region of graded crystallinity in a body of single crystalline silicon and thereafter contacting the region with atomic hydrogen followed by pulsed laser annealing at a sufficient power and for a sufficient duration to recrystallize the region into single crystalline silicon without out-gassing the hydrogen. The new material can be used to fabricate semi-conductor devices such as single crystalline silicon solar cells with surface window regions having a greater band gap energy than that of single crystalline silicon without hydrogen. 2 figs.

Method of making selective crystalline silicon regions containing entrapped hydrogen by laser treatment

DOEpatents

Pankove, Jacques I.; Wu, Chung P.

1982-01-01

A novel hydrogen rich single crystalline silicon material having a band gap energy greater than 1.1 eV can be fabricated by forming an amorphous region of graded crystallinity in a body of single crystalline silicon and thereafter contacting the region with atomic hydrogen followed by pulsed laser annealing at a sufficient power and for a sufficient duration to recrystallize the region into single crystalline silicon without out-gasing the hydrogen. The new material can be used to fabricate semi-conductor devices such as single crystalline silicon solar cells with surface window regions having a greater band gap energy than that of single crystalline silicon without hydrogen.

Silicon in Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv: content, distribution, and ultrastructure.

PubMed

Rufo, Lourdes; Franco, Alejandro; de la Fuente, Vicenta

2014-07-01

Silicon concentration, distribution, and ultrastructure of silicon deposits in the Poaceae Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv. have been studied. This grass, known for its medicinal uses and also for Fe hyperaccumulation and biomineralization capacities, showed a concentration of silicon of 13,705 ± 9,607 mg/kg dry weight. Silicon was found as an important constituent of cell walls of the epidermis of the whole plant. Silica deposits were found in silica bodies, endodermis, and different cells with silicon-collapsed lumen as bulliforms, cortical, and sclerenchyma cells. Transmission electron microscope observations of these deposits revealed an amorphous material of an ultrastructure similar to that previously reported in silica bodies of other Poaceae.

Measurement of the Electron Density and the Attachment Rate Coefficient in Silane/Helium Discharges.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

materials -- in this case hydrogenated amorphous silicon . One of the biggest problems in such a task is the fact that the discharge creates complex radicals...electron density is enhanced -- even on a time-averaged basis, and the silicon deposition rate is also increased. The physical process for the density...etching and deposition of semiconductor materials. Plasma etching (also known as dry etching) Of silicon using flourine bearing gases has made it possible

Liquid junction schottky barrier solar cell

DOEpatents

Williams, Richard

1980-01-01

A mixture of ceric ions (Ce.sup.+4) and cerous ions (Ce.sup.+3) in an aqueous electrolyte solution forms a Schottky barrier at the interface between an active region of silicon and the electrolyte solution. The barrier height obtained for hydrogenated amorphous silicon using the Ce.sup.+4 /Ce.sup.+3 redox couple is about 1.7 eV.

Shrinking of silicon nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous silicon oxide matrix during rapid thermal annealing in a forming gas atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Sebille, M.; Fusi, A.; Xie, L.; Ali, H.; van Swaaij, R. A. C. M. M.; Leifer, K.; Zeman, M.

2016-09-01

We report the effect of hydrogen on the crystallization process of silicon nanocrystals embedded in a silicon oxide matrix. We show that hydrogen gas during annealing leads to a lower sub-band gap absorption, indicating passivation of defects created during annealing. Samples annealed in pure nitrogen show expected trends according to crystallization theory. Samples annealed in forming gas, however, deviate from this trend. Their crystallinity decreases for increased annealing time. Furthermore, we observe a decrease in the mean nanocrystal size and the size distribution broadens, indicating that hydrogen causes a size reduction of the silicon nanocrystals.

The Preparation and Characterization of Natrolite Synthetized by Purified Attapulgite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H. J.; Zhou, X. D.; Zhang, J. M.; Wu, X. Y.; Gao, H. B.

2017-06-01

This paper mainly researched the hydrothermal synthesis of Natrolite, using amorphous silicon source from the purified attapulgite. The effects of silicon source, silicon aluminum ratio, crystallization time and crystallization temperature on the synthesis of natrolite were investigated. The results showed that the optimal synthesis condition of natrolite was: Hydrothermal activated ATP with NaOH was silicon source, silicon aluminum ratio was 10:1, crystallization time lasted to 72h and crystallization temperature was 150°C, the template was removed by calcining 8 hours at 550°C. The structural formula of obtained natrolite is Na2Al2Si3O10•2H2O.

An in-situ analytical scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigation of structure-property relationships in electronic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Andrew James

As electronic and mechanical devices are scaled downward in size and upward in complexity, macroscopic principles no longer apply. Synthesis of three-dimensionally confined structures exhibit quantum confinement effects allowing, for example, silicon nanoparticles to luminesce. The reduction in size of classically brittle materials reveals a ductile-to-brittle transition. Such a transition, attributed to a reduction in defects, increases elasticity. In the case of silicon, elastic deformation can improve electronic carrier mobility by over 50%, a vital attribute of modern integrated circuits. The scalability of such principles and the changing atomistic processes which contribute to them presents a vitally important field of research. Beginning with the direct observation of dislocations and lattice planes in the 1950s, the transmission electron microscope has been a powerful tool in materials science. More recently, as nanoscale technologies have proliferated modern life, their unique ability to spatially resolve nano- and atomic-scale structures has become a critical component of materials research and characterization. Signals produced by an incident beam of high-energy electrons enables researchers to both image and chemically analyze materials at the atomic scale. Coherently and elastically-scattered electrons can be collected to produce atomic-scale images of a crystalline sample. New specimen stages have enabled routine investigation of samples heated up to 1000 °C and cooled to liquid nitrogen temperatures. MEMS-based transducers allow for sub-nm scale mechanical testing and ultrathin membranes allow study of liquids and gases. Investigation of a myriad of previously "unseeable" processes can now be observed within the TEM, and sometimes something new is found within the old. High-temperature annealing of pure a Si:H films leads to crystallization of the film. Such films provide higher carrier mobility compared to amorphous films, offering improved photovoltaic performance. The annealing process, however, requires exceptionally high temperature (> 600 °C) and time (tens of hours), limiting throughput and costing energy. In an effort to fabricate polycrystalline solar cells at lower cost, large ( 30 nm) silicon nanocrystals were incorporated into hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a Si:H) thin films. When annealed, the embedded nanocrystals were expected to act as heterogeneous nucleation sites and crystallize the surrounding amorphous matrix. When observed in the TEM, an additional and unexpected event was observed. At the boundary between the nanocrystal and amorphous matrix, nanocavities were observed to form. Continued annealing resulted in movement of the cavities away from the nanocrystal while leaving behind a crystalline tail. The origins and fundamental mechanisms of this phenomenon were examined by in-situ heating TEM and ex-situ crystallographic TEM techniques. We demonstrate a mechanism of solid-phase crystallization (SPC) enabled by nanoscale cavities formed at the interface between an hydrogenated amorphous silicon film and embedded 30 nm to 40 nm Si nanocrystals. The nanocavities, 10 nm to 25 nm across, have the unique property of an internal surface that is part amorphous and part crystalline, enabling capillarity-driven diffusion from the amorphous to the crystalline domain. The nanocavities propagate rapidly through the amorphous phase, up to five times faster than the SPC growth rate, while "pulling behind" a crystalline tail. It is shown that twin boundaries exposed on the crystalline surface accelerate crystal growth and influence the direction of nanocavity propagation. The mechanical properties and mechanisms of plasticity in these same silicon nanocubes have also been investigated. The strain-dependent mechanical properties and the underlying mechanisms governing the elastic-plastic response are explored in detail. Elastic strains approaching 7% and flow stresses of 11 GPa were observed, significantly higher than that observed in other nanoscale volumes of Si. In-situ imaging revealed the formation of 5 nm dislocation embryos at 7% strain, giving way at 20% strain to continuous nucleation of leading partial dislocations with {111}-habit at the embryo surface.

Improved amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation for heterojunction solar cells by low-temperature chemical vapor deposition and post-annealing treatment.

PubMed

Wang, Fengyou; Zhang, Xiaodan; Wang, Liguo; Jiang, Yuanjian; Wei, Changchun; Xu, Shengzhi; Zhao, Ying

2014-10-07

In this study, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films are deposited using a radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) system. The Si-H configuration of the a-Si:H/c-Si interface is regulated by optimizing the deposition temperature and post-annealing duration to improve the minority carrier lifetime (τeff) of a commercial Czochralski (Cz) silicon wafer. The mechanism of this improvement involves saturation of the microstructural defects with hydrogen evolved within the a-Si:H films due to the transformation from SiH2 into SiH during the annealing process. The post-annealing temperature is controlled to ∼180 °C so that silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ) could be prepared without an additional annealing step. To achieve better performance of the SHJ solar cells, we also optimize the thickness of the a-Si:H passivation layer. Finally, complete SHJ solar cells are fabricated using different temperatures for the a-Si:H film deposition to study the influence of the deposition temperature on the solar cell parameters. For the optimized a-Si:H deposition conditions, an efficiency of 18.41% is achieved on a textured Cz silicon wafer.

Evolution of a Native Oxide Layer at the a-Si:H/c-Si Interface and Its Influence on a Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell.

PubMed

Liu, Wenzhu; Meng, Fanying; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Liu, Zhengxin

2015-12-09

The interface microstructure of a silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell was investigated. We found an ultrathin native oxide layer (NOL) with a thickness of several angstroms was formed on the crystalline silicon (c-Si) surface in a very short time (∼30 s) after being etched by HF solution. Although the NOL had a loose structure with defects that are detrimental for surface passivation, it acted as a barrier to restrain the epitaxial growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) during the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The microstructure change of the NOL during the PECVD deposition of a-Si:H layers with different conditions and under different H2 plasma treatments were systemically investigated in detail. When a brief H2 plasma was applied to treat the a-Si:H layer after the PECVD deposition, interstitial oxygen and small-size SiO2 precipitates were transformed to hydrogenated amorphous silicon suboxide alloy (a-SiO(x):H, x ∼ 1.5). In the meantime, the interface defect density was reduced by about 50%, and the parameters of the SHJ solar cell were improved due to the post H2 plasma treatment.

Silicon-zinc-glycerol hydrogel, a potential immunotropic agent for topical application.

PubMed

Khonina, Tat'yana G; Ivanenko, Maria V; Chupakhin, Oleg N; Safronov, Alexander P; Bogdanova, Ekaterina A; Karabanalov, Maxim S; Permikin, Vasily V; Larionov, Leonid P; Drozdova, Lyudmila I

2017-09-30

Nanoparticles synthesized using sol-gel method are promising agents for biomedical applications, in particular for the therapy and diagnosis of various diseases. Using silicon and zinc glycerolates as biocompatible precursors we synthesized by the sol-gel method a new bioactive silicon-zinc-containing glycerohydrogel combining the positive pharmacological properties of the precursors. In the present work the structural features of silicon-zinc-containing glycerohydrogel and its immunotropic properties were studied. The advanced physical methods, including XRD, TEM, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, were used for studying the structural features of the gel. Hydrolysis of zinc monoglycerolate was investigated under gelation conditions. Evaluation of the efficiency of silicon-zinc-containing glycerohydrogel in providing immune functions was carried out using a model of the complicated wound process behind immunosuppression induced by hydrocortisone administration in the Wistar rats. It has been shown that zinc monoglycerolate exists in the state of amorphous nanoparticles in the cells of 3D-network formed due to incomplete hydrolysis of silicon glycerolates and subsequent silanol condensation. Zinc monoglycerolate is not hydrolyzed and does not enter 3D-network of the gel with the formation of Zn-O-Si groups, but it forms a separate phase. Immunotropic action of silicon-zinc-containing glycerohydrogel was revealed by the histology and immunohistochemistry methods. Amorphous nanoparticles of zinc monoglycerolate, water-soluble silicon glycerolates, and products of their hydrolytic transformations, which are present in a aqueous-glycerol medium, are in the first place responsible for the pharmacological activity of hydrogel. The results obtained allow us to consider silicon-zinc-containing glycerohydrogel as a promising immunotropic agent for topical application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pressure-induced transformations in amorphous silicon: A computational study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcez, K. M. S.; Antonelli, A.

2014-02-01

We study the transformations between amorphous phases of Si through molecular simulations using the environment dependent interatomic potential (EDIP) for Si. Our results show that upon pressure, the material undergoes a transformation from the low density amorphous (LDA) Si to the high density amorphous (HDA) Si. This transformation can be reversed by decompressing the material. This process, however, exhibits clear hysteresis, suggesting that the transformation LDA ↔ HDA is first-order like. The HDA phase is predominantly five-fold coordinated, whereas the LDA phase is the normal tetrahedrally bonded amorphous Si. The HDA phase at 400 K and 20 GPa was submitted to an isobaric annealing up to 800 K, resulting in a denser amorphous phase, which is structurally distinct from the HDA phase. Our results also show that the atomic volume and structure of this new amorphous phase are identical to those of the glass obtained by an isobaric quenching of the liquid in equilibrium at 2000 K and 20 GPa down to 400 K. The similarities between our results and those for amorphous ices suggest that this new phase is the very high density amorphous Si.

Progress in passive solar energy systems. Volume 8. Part 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hayes, J.; Andrejko, D.A.

1983-01-01

This book presents the papers given at a conference sponsored by the US DOE, the Solar Energy Research Institute, SolarVision, Inc., and the Southern California Solar Energy Society. The topics considered at the conference included sizing solar energy systems for agricultural applications, a farm scale ethanol production plant, the EEC wind energy RandD program, the passive solar performance assessment of an earth-sheltered house, the ARCO 1 MW photovoltaic power plant, the performance of a dendritic web photovoltaic module, second generation point focused concentrators, linear fresnel lens concentrating photovoltaic collectors, photovoltaic conversion efficiency, amorphous silicon thin film solar cells, a photovoltaicmore » system for a shopping center, photovoltaic power generation for the utility industry, spectral solar radiation, and the analysis of insolation data.« less

Influence of plasma conditions on the defect formation mechanism in amorphous hydrogenated silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kounavis, P.; Mataras, D.; Spiliopoulos, N.; Mytilineou, E.; Rapakoulias, D.

1994-02-01

The variation of a-Si:H film quality, deposited by a rf glow discharge of pure silane, is examined as a function of the interelectrode distance for two different pressures. Constant photocurrent and modulated photocurrent methods are used to estimate the magnitude and the shape of the defect states in the valence band and the conduction band, respectively. An effort is made to correlate the film quality parameters and the defect formation with the plasma macroscopic and microscopic parameters. The results suggest that, at low interelectrode distances, high sticking coefficient radicals modify the film growth and the defect formation mechanisms, leading to the deterioration of the film quality. The conclusions drawn are compared with the predictions of recent theoretical models concerning the defect formation in a-Si:H.

Production and reactions of silicon atoms in hot wire deposition of amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Wengang; Gallagher, Alan

2003-10-01

Decomposing silane and hydrogen molecules on a hot tungsten filament is an alternative method of depositing hydrogenated microcrystal and amorphous Si for thin-film semmiconductor devices. This "hot-wire" method can have significant advantages, such as high film deposition rates. The deposition chemistry involves Si and H atoms released from the filament, followed by their reactions with the vapor and surfaces. To establish these deposition pathways, we measure radicals at the substrate with a home built, threshold ionization mass spectrometer. The design and operation of this mass spectrometer for radical detection, and the behavior of Si atom production and reactions, will be presented. This work is supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401

Stable solar-driven oxidation of water by semiconducting photoanodes protected by transparent catalytic nickel oxide films

DOE PAGES

Sun, Ke; Saadi, Fadl H.; Lichterman, Michael F.; ...

2015-03-11

Reactively sputtered nickel oxide (NiO x) films provide transparent, antireflective, electrically conductive, chemically stable coatings that also are highly active electrocatalysts for the oxidation of water to O 2(g). These NiO x coatings provide protective layers on a variety of technologically important semiconducting photoanodes, including textured crystalline Si passivated by amorphous silicon, crystalline n-type cadmium telluride, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Finally, under anodic operation in 1.0 M aqueous potassium hydroxide (pH 14) in the presence of simulated sunlight, the NiO x films stabilized all of these self-passivating, high-efficiency semiconducting photoelectrodes for >100 h of sustained, quantitative solar-driven oxidation of watermore » to O 2(g).« less

Demonstration of low power penalty of silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator in long-haul transmission.

PubMed

Yi, Huaxiang; Long, Qifeng; Tan, Wei; Li, Li; Wang, Xingjun; Zhou, Zhiping

2012-12-03

We demonstrate error-free 80km transmission by a silicon carrier-depletion Mach-Zehnder modulator at 10Gbps and the power penalty is as low as 1.15dB. The devices were evaluated through the bit-error-rate characterizations under the system-level analysis. The silicon Mach-Zehnder modulator was also analyzed comparatively with a lithium niobate Mach-Zehnder modulator in back-to-back transmission and long-haul transmission, respectively, and verified the negative chirp parameter of the silicon modulator through the experiment. The result of low power penalty indicates a practical application for the silicon modulator in the middle- or long-distance transmission systems.

Understanding the Structure of Amorphous Thin Film Hafnia - Final Paper

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miranda, Andre

2015-08-27

Hafnium Oxide (HfO 2) amorphous thin films are being used as gate oxides in transistors because of their high dielectric constant (κ) over Silicon Dioxide. The present study looks to find the atomic structure of HfO 2 thin films which hasn’t been done with the technique of this study. In this study, two HfO 2 samples were studied. One sample was made with thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) on top of a Chromium and Gold layer on a silicon wafer. The second sample was made with plasma ALD on top of a Chromium and Gold layer on a Silicon wafer.more » Both films were deposited at a thickness of 50nm. To obtain atomic structure information, Grazing Incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) was carried out on the HfO 2 samples. Because of this, absorption, footprint, polarization, and dead time corrections were applied to the scattering intensity data collected. The scattering curves displayed a difference in structure between the ALD processes. The plasma ALD sample showed the broad peak characteristic of an amorphous structure whereas the thermal ALD sample showed an amorphous structure with characteristics of crystalline materials. This appears to suggest that the thermal process results in a mostly amorphous material with crystallites within. Further, the scattering intensity data was used to calculate a pair distribution function (PDF) to show more atomic structure. The PDF showed atom distances in the plasma ALD sample had structure up to 10 Å, while the thermal ALD sample showed the same structure below 10 Å. This structure that shows up below 10 Å matches the bond distances of HfO 2 published in literature. The PDF for the thermal ALD sample also showed peaks up to 20 Å, suggesting repeating atomic spacing outside the HfO 2 molecule in the sample. This appears to suggest that there is some crystalline structure within the thermal ALD sample.« less

Analysis of energy production with different photovoltaic technologies in the Colombian geography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muñoz, Y.; Zafra, D.; Acevedo, V.; Ospino, A.

2014-06-01

This research has analyzed the photovoltaic technologies, Polycrystalline silicon, Monocrystalline Silicon, GIS, Cadmium Tellurium and Amorphous Silicon; in eight cities of the Colombian territory, in order to obtain a clear idea of what is the most appropriate for each city or region studied. PVsyst simulation software has been used to study in detail each photovoltaic technology, for an installed capacity of 100kW knowing the specific data of losses by temperature, mismatch, efficiency, wiring, angle inclination of the arrangement, among others

Photovoltaic Device Including A Boron Doping Profile In An I-Type Layer

DOEpatents

Yang, Liyou

1993-10-26

A photovoltaic cell for use in a single junction or multijunction photovoltaic device, which includes a p-type layer of a semiconductor compound including silicon, an i-type layer of an amorphous semiconductor compound including silicon, and an n-type layer of a semiconductor compound including silicon formed on the i-type layer. The i-type layer including an undoped first sublayer formed on the p-type layer, and a boron-doped second sublayer formed on the first sublayer.

Process to produce silicon carbide fibers using a controlled concentration of boron oxide vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnard, Thomas Duncan (Inventor); Lipowitz, Jonathan (Inventor); Nguyen, Kimmai Thi (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A process for producing polycrystalline silicon carbide by heating an amorphous ceramic fiber that contains silicon and carbon in an environment containing boron oxide vapor. The boron oxide vapor is produced in situ by the reaction of a boron containing material such as boron carbide and an oxidizing agent such as carbon dioxide, and the amount of boron oxide vapor can be controlled by varying the amount and rate of addition of the oxidizing agent.

Process to produce silicon carbide fibers using a controlled concentration of boron oxide vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnard, Thomas Duncan (Inventor); Lipowitz, Jonathan (Inventor); Nguyen, Kimmai Thi (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A process for producing polycrystalline silicon carbide includes heating an amorphous ceramic fiber that contains silicon and carbon in an environment containing boron oxide vapor. The boron oxide vapor is produced in situ by the reaction of a boron containing material such as boron carbide and an oxidizing agent such as carbon dioxide, and the amount of boron oxide vapor can be controlled by varying the amount and rate of addition of the oxidizing agent.

Effect of starting point formation on the crystallization of amorphous silicon films by flash lamp annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Daiki; Ohdaira, Keisuke

2018-04-01

We succeed in the crystallization of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films by flash lamp annealing (FLA) at a low fluence by intentionally creating starting points for the trigger of explosive crystallization (EC). We confirm that a partly thick a-Si part can induce the crystallization of a-Si films. A periodic wavy structure is observed on the surface of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) on and near the thick parts, which is a clear indication of the emergence of EC. Creating partly thick a-Si parts can thus be effective for the control of the starting point of crystallization by FLA and can realize the crystallization of a-Si with high reproducibility. We also compare the effects of creating thick parts at the center and along the edge of the substrates, and a thick part along the edge of the substrates leads to the initiation of crystallization at a lower fluence.

Deposition of amorphous silicon using a tubular reactor with concentric-electrode confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conde, J. P.; Chan, K. K.; Blum, J. M.; Arienzo, M.; Cuomo, J. J.

1992-04-01

High-quality, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is deposited at room temperature by rf glow discharge at a high deposition rate using a tubular reactor with cylindrical symmetry (concentric-electrode plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, CE-PECVD). Using the novel CE-PECVD design, room-temperature deposition of a-Si:H with growth rates up to 14 Å s-1, low hydrogen concentration (≲10%), and the bonded hydrogen in the Si-H monohydride configuration, is achieved for the first time using an rf glow-discharge technique. The influence of the deposition parameters (silane flow rate, pressure, and power density) on the growth rate, optical band gap, and silicon-hydrogen bonding configuration, is quantitatively predicted using a deposition mechanism based on the additive contribution of three growth precursors, SiH2, SiH3, and Si2H6, with decreasing sticking coefficients of 0.7, 0.1, and 0.001, respectively. The low hydrogen concentration is due to the enhanced ion bombardment resulting from the concentric electrode design.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride photonic crystals for improved-performance surface electromagnetic wave biosensors.

PubMed

Sinibaldi, Alberto; Descrovi, Emiliano; Giorgis, Fabrizio; Dominici, Lorenzo; Ballarini, Mirko; Mandracci, Pietro; Danz, Norbert; Michelotti, Francesco

2012-10-01

We exploit the properties of surface electromagnetic waves propagating at the surface of finite one dimensional photonic crystals to improve the performance of optical biosensors with respect to the standard surface plasmon resonance approach. We demonstrate that the hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride technology is a versatile platform for fabricating one dimensional photonic crystals with any desirable design and operating in a wide wavelength range, from the visible to the near infrared. We prepared sensors based on photonic crystals sustaining either guided modes or surface electromagnetic waves, also known as Bloch surface waves. We carried out for the first time a direct experimental comparison of their sensitivity and figure of merit with surface plasmon polaritons on metal layers, by making use of a commercial surface plasmon resonance instrument that was slightly adapted for the experiments. Our measurements demonstrate that the Bloch surface waves on silicon nitride photonic crystals outperform surface plasmon polaritons by a factor 1.3 in terms of figure of merit.

Silica substrate or portion formed from oxidation of monocrystalline silicon

DOEpatents

Matzke, Carolyn M.; Rieger, Dennis J.; Ellis, Robert V.

2003-07-15

A method is disclosed for forming an inclusion-free silica substrate using a monocrystalline silicon substrate as the starting material and oxidizing the silicon substrate to convert it entirely to silica. The oxidation process is performed from both major surfaces of the silicon substrate using a conventional high-pressure oxidation system. The resulting product is an amorphous silica substrate which is expected to have superior etching characteristics for microfabrication than conventional fused silica substrates. The present invention can also be used to convert only a portion of a monocrystalline silicon substrate to silica by masking the silicon substrate and locally thinning a portion the silicon substrate prior to converting the silicon portion entirely to silica. In this case, the silica formed by oxidizing the thinned portion of the silicon substrate can be used, for example, as a window to provide optical access through the silicon substrate.

Large-area triple-junction a-Si alloy production scaleup. Annual subcontract report, 17 March 1993--18 March 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oswald, R.; Morris, J.

1994-11-01

The objective of this subcontract over its three-year duration is to advance Solarex`s photovoltaic manufacturing technologies, reduce its a-Si:H module production costs, increase module performance and expand the Solarex commercial production capacity. Solarex shall meet these objectives by improving the deposition and quality of the transparent front contact, by optimizing the laser patterning process, scaling-up the semiconductor deposition process, improving the back contact deposition, scaling-up and improving the encapsulation and testing of its a-Si:H modules. In the Phase 2 portion of this subcontract, Solarex focused on improving deposition of the front contact, investigating alternate feed stocks for the front contact,more » maximizing throughput and area utilization for all laser scribes, optimizing a-Si:H deposition equipment to achieve uniform deposition over large-areas, optimizing the triple-junction module fabrication process, evaluating the materials to deposit the rear contact, and optimizing the combination of isolation scribe and encapsulant to pass the wet high potential test. Progress is reported on the following: Front contact development; Laser scribe process development; Amorphous silicon based semiconductor deposition; Rear contact deposition process; Frit/bus/wire/frame; Materials handling; and Environmental test, yield and performance analysis.« less

Transparent electrodes in silicon heterojunction solar cells: Influence on contact passivation

DOE PAGES

Tomasi, Andrea; Sahli, Florent; Seif, Johannes Peter; ...

2015-10-26

Charge carrier collection in silicon heterojunction solar cells occurs via intrinsic/doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer stacks deposited on the crystalline silicon wafer surfaces. Usually, both the electron and hole collecting stacks are externally capped by an n-type transparent conductive oxide, which is primarily needed for carrier extraction. Earlier, it has been demonstrated that the mere presence of such oxides can affect the carrier recombination in the crystalline silicon absorber. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the impact of this phenomenon on both the electron and hole collecting sides, including its consequences for the operating voltages of silicon heterojunction solarmore » cells. As a result, we define guiding principles for improved passivating contact design for high-efficiency silicon solar cells.« less

Transparent electrodes in silicon heterojunction solar cells: Influence on contact passivation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tomasi, Andrea; Sahli, Florent; Seif, Johannes Peter

Charge carrier collection in silicon heterojunction solar cells occurs via intrinsic/doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer stacks deposited on the crystalline silicon wafer surfaces. Usually, both the electron and hole collecting stacks are externally capped by an n-type transparent conductive oxide, which is primarily needed for carrier extraction. Earlier, it has been demonstrated that the mere presence of such oxides can affect the carrier recombination in the crystalline silicon absorber. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the impact of this phenomenon on both the electron and hole collecting sides, including its consequences for the operating voltages of silicon heterojunction solarmore » cells. As a result, we define guiding principles for improved passivating contact design for high-efficiency silicon solar cells.« less

Elastic a-silicon nanoparticle backboned graphene hybrid as a self-compacting anode for high-rate lithium ion batteries.

PubMed

Ko, Minseong; Chae, Sujong; Jeong, Sookyung; Oh, Pilgun; Cho, Jaephil

2014-08-26

Although various Si-based graphene nanocomposites provide enhanced electrochemical performance, these candidates still yield low initial coloumbic efficiency, electrical disconnection, and fracture due to huge volume changes after extended cycles lead to severe capacity fading and increase in internal impedance. Therefore, an innovative structure to solve these problems is needed. In this study, an amorphous (a) silicon nanoparticle backboned graphene nanocomposite (a-SBG) for high-power lithium ion battery anodes was prepared. The a-SBG provides ideal electrode structures-a uniform distribution of amorphous silicon nanoparticle islands (particle size <10 nm) on both sides of graphene sheets-which address the improved kinetics and cycling stability issues of the silicon anodes. a-Si in the composite shows elastic behavior during lithium alloying and dealloying: the pristine particle size is restored after cycling, and the electrode thickness decreases during the cycles as a result of self-compacting. This noble architecture facilitates superior electrochemical performance in Li ion cells, with a specific energy of 468 W h kg(-1) and 288 W h kg(-1) under a specific power of 7 kW kg(-1) and 11 kW kg(-1), respectively.

UV-visible sensors based on polymorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guedj, Cyril S.; Cabarrocas, Pere R. i.; Massoni, Nicolas; Moussy, Norbert; Morel, Damien; Tchakarov, Svetoslav; Bonnassieux, Yvan

2003-09-01

UV-based imaging systems can be used for low-altitude rockets detection or biological agents identification (for instance weapons containing ANTHRAX). Compared to conventional CCD technology, CMOS-based active pixel sensors provide several advantages, including excellent electro-optical performances, high integration, low voltage operation, low power consumption, low cost, long lifetime, and robustness against environment. The monolithic integration of UV, visible and infrared detectors on the same uncooled CMOS smart system would therefore represent a major advance in the combat field, for characterization and representation of targets and backgrounds. In this approach, we have recently developped a novel technology using polymorphous silicon. This new material, fully compatible with above-IC silicon technology, is made of nanometric size ordered domains embedded in an amorphous matrix. The typical quantum efficiency of detectors made of this nano-material reach up to 80 % at 550 nm and 30 % in the UV range, depending of the design and the growth parameters. Furthermore, a record dark current of 20 pA/cm2 at -3 V has been reached. In addition, this new generation of sensors is significantly faster and more stable than their amorphous silicon counterparts. In this paper, we will present the relationship between the sensor technology and the overall performances.

Tribological evaluation and analysis of coating materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

1992-01-01

A physical characterization of coating materials by analytical techniques such as XPS, AES, ellipsometry, and nuclear reaction analysis can contribute to the understanding of adhesion and friction of the coatings and can partially predict the tribological properties of the coatings. This two-part paper describes the tribological properties and physical characteristics of (1) diamondlike carbon (DLC) films and (2) silicon nitride (SiN(x)) films. Emphasis is to relate plasma deposition conditions to the film chemistry and composition and to the adhesion and friction of the films. With the DLC films, the higher the plasma deposition power, the less the hydrogen concentration and the greater the film density and the hardness. The friction behavior of DLC films deposited at higher deposition powers (200 to 300 W) is similar to that of bulk diamond. Even in a vacuum, the DLC films effectively lubricate ceramic surfaces (Si3N4) at temperatures to 500 C. With SiN(x) films, the silicon to nitrogen ratios and the amount of amorphous silicon depend on deposition frequency. The presence of rich amorphous silicon in the high-frequency plasma-deposited SiN(x) films increases their adhesion and friction above 500 C in vacuum.

Compositions of corrosion-resistant Fe-based amorphous metals suitable for producing thermal spray coatings

DOEpatents

Farmer, Joseph C; Wong, Frank M.G.; Haslam, Jeffery J; Ji, Xiaoyan; Day, Sumner D; Blue, Craig A; Rivard, John D.K.; Aprigliano, Louis F; Kohler, Leslie K; Bayles, Robert; Lemieux, Edward J; Yang, Nancy; Perepezko, John H; Kaufman, Larry; Heuer, Arthur; Lavernia, Enrique J

2013-09-03

A method of coating a surface comprising providing a source of amorphous metal that contains manganese (1 to 3 atomic %), yttrium (0.1 to 10 atomic %), and silicon (0.3 to 3.1 atomic %) in the range of composition given in parentheses; and that contains the following elements in the specified range of composition given in parentheses: chromium (15 to 20 atomic %), molybdenum (2 to 15 atomic %), tungsten (1 to 3 atomic %), boron (5 to 16 atomic %), carbon (3 to 16 atomic %), and the balance iron; and applying said amorphous metal to the surface by a spray.

Compositions of corrosion-resistant Fe-based amorphous metals suitable for producing thermal spray coatings

DOEpatents

Farmer, Joseph C.; Wong, Frank M. G.; Haslam, Jeffery J.; Ji, Xiaoyan; Day, Sumner D.; Blue, Craig A.; Rivard, John D. K.; Aprigliano, Louis F.; Kohler, Leslie K.; Bayles, Robert; Lemieux, Edward J.; Yang, Nancy; Perepezko, John H.; Kaufman, Larry; Heuer, Arthur; Lavernia, Enrique J.

2013-07-09

A method of coating a surface comprising providing a source of amorphous metal that contains manganese (1 to 3 atomic %), yttrium (0.1 to 10 atomic %), and silicon (0.3 to 3.1 atomic %) in the range of composition given in parentheses; and that contains the following elements in the specified range of composition given in parentheses: chromium (15 to 20 atomic %), molybdenum (2 to 15 atomic %), tungsten (1 to 3 atomic %), boron (5 to 16 atomic %), carbon (3 to 16 atomic %), and the balance iron; and applying said amorphous metal to the surface by a spray.

Coherent scatter-controlled phase-change grating structures in silicon using femtosecond laser pulses.

PubMed

Fuentes-Edfuf, Yasser; Garcia-Lechuga, Mario; Puerto, Daniel; Florian, Camilo; Garcia-Leis, Adianez; Sanchez-Cortes, Santiago; Solis, Javier; Siegel, Jan

2017-07-04

Periodic structures of alternating amorphous-crystalline fringes have been fabricated in silicon using repetitive femtosecond laser exposure (800 nm wavelength and 120 fs duration). The method is based on the interference of the incident laser light with far- and near-field scattered light, leading to local melting at the interference maxima, as demonstrated by femtosecond microscopy. Exploiting this strategy, lines of highly regular amorphous fringes can be written. The fringes have been characterized in detail using optical microscopy combined modelling, which enables a determination of the three-dimensional shape of individual fringes. 2D micro-Raman spectroscopy reveals that the space between amorphous fringes remains crystalline. We demonstrate that the fringe period can be tuned over a range of 410 nm - 13 µm by changing the angle of incidence and inverting the beam scan direction. Fine control over the lateral dimensions, thickness, surface depression and optical contrast of the fringes is obtained via adjustment of pulse number, fluence and spot size. Large-area, highly homogeneous gratings composed of amorphous fringes with micrometer width and millimeter length can readily be fabricated. The here presented fabrication technique is expected to have applications in the fields of optics, nanoelectronics, and mechatronics and should be applicable to other materials.

FDTD simulation of amorphous silicon waveguides for microphotonics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fantoni, A.; Lourenço, P.; Pinho, P.; Vieira, M.,

2017-05-01

In this work we correlate the dimension of the waveguide with small variations of the refractive index of the material used for the waveguide core. We calculate the effective modal refractive index for different dimensions of the waveguide and with slightly variation of the refractive index of the core material. These results are used as an input for a set of Finite Difference Time Domain simulation, directed to study the characteristics of amorphous silicon waveguides embedded in a SiO2 cladding. The study considers simple linear waveguides with rectangular section for studying the modal attenuation expected at different wavelengths. Transmission efficiency is determined analyzing the decay of the light power along the waveguides. As far as near infrared wavelengths are considered, a-Si:H shows a behavior highly dependent on the light wavelength and its extinction coefficient rapidly increases as operating frequency goes into visible spectrum range. The simulation results show that amorphous silicon can be considered a good candidate for waveguide material core whenever the waveguide length is as short as a few centimeters. The maximum transmission length is highly affected by the a-Si:H defect density, the mid-gap density of states and by the waveguide section area. The simulation results address a minimum requirement of 300nm×400nm waveguide section in order to keep attenuation below 1 dB cm-1.

Formation of porous silicon oxide from substrate-bound silicon rich silicon oxide layers by continuous-wave laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Nan; Fricke-Begemann, Th.; Peretzki, P.; Ihlemann, J.; Seibt, M.

2018-03-01

Silicon nanocrystals embedded in silicon oxide that show room temperature photoluminescence (PL) have great potential in silicon light emission applications. Nanocrystalline silicon particle formation by laser irradiation has the unique advantage of spatially controlled heating, which is compatible with modern silicon micro-fabrication technology. In this paper, we employ continuous wave laser irradiation to decompose substrate-bound silicon-rich silicon oxide films into crystalline silicon particles and silicon dioxide. The resulting microstructure is studied using transmission electron microscopy techniques with considerable emphasis on the formation and properties of laser damaged regions which typically quench room temperature PL from the nanoparticles. It is shown that such regions consist of an amorphous matrix with a composition similar to silicon dioxide which contains some nanometric silicon particles in addition to pores. A mechanism referred to as "selective silicon ablation" is proposed which consistently explains the experimental observations. Implications for the damage-free laser decomposition of silicon-rich silicon oxides and also for controlled production of porous silicon dioxide films are discussed.

Silicon Nitride for Direct Water-Splitting and Corrosion Mitigation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Head, J.; Turner, J.A.

2006-01-01

Todays fossil fuels are becoming harder to obtain, creating pollution problems, and posing hazards to people’s health. One alternative to fossil fuels is hydrogen, capable of serving as a clean and efficient energy carrier. Certain semiconductors are able to harness the energy of photons and direct it into water electrolysis in a process known as photoelectrochemical water splitting. Triple junction devices integrate three semiconductors of different band gaps resulting in a monolithic material that absorbs over a broader spectrum. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is one such material that, when stacked in tandem, possesses water-splitting capabilities. Even though a-Si is capable ofmore » splitting water, it is an unstable material in solution and therefore requires a coating to protect the surface from corrosion. A stable, transparent material that has the potential for corrosion protection is silicon nitride. In this study, silicon nitride thin films were grown using DC magnetron sputtering with varying amounts of argon and nitrogen added to the system. X-ray diffraction indicated amorphous silicon nitride films. Current as a function of potential was determined from cyclic voltammetry measurements. Mott-Schottky analysis showed n-type behavior with absorption and transmission measurements indicated variation in flatband potentials. Variation in band gap values ranging from 1.90 to 4.0 eV. Corrosion measurements reveal that the silicon nitride samples exhibit both p-type and n-type behavior. Photocurrent over a range of potentials was greater in samples that were submerged in acidic electrolyte. Silicon nitride shows good stability in acidic, neutral, and basic solutions, indicative of a good material for corrosion mitigation.« less

Experimental investigation of the response of an amorphous silicon EPID to intensity modulated radiotherapy beams.

PubMed

Greer, Peter B; Vial, Philip; Oliver, Lyn; Baldock, Clive

2007-11-01

The aim of this work was to experimentally determine the difference in response of an amorphous silicon (a-Si) electronic portal imaging device (EPID) to the open and multileaf collimator (MLC) transmitted beam components of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) beams. EPID dose response curves were measured for open and MLC transmitted (MLCtr) 10 x 10 cm2 beams at central axis and with off axis distance using a shifting field technique. The EPID signal was obtained by replacing the flood-field correction with a pixel sensitivity variation matrix correction. This signal, which includes energy-dependent response, was then compared to ion-chamber measurements. An EPID calibration method to remove the effect of beam energy variations on EPID response was developed for IMRT beams. This method uses the component of open and MLCtr fluence to an EPID pixel calculated from the MLC delivery file and applies separate radially dependent calibration factors for each component. The calibration procedure does not correct for scatter differences between ion chamber in water measurements and EPID response; these must be accounted for separately with a kernel-based approach or similar method. The EPID response at central axis for the open beam was found to be 1.28 +/- 0.03 of the response for the MLCtr beam, with the ratio increasing to 1.39 at 12.5 cm off axis. The EPID response to MLCtr radiation did not change with off-axis distance. Filtering the beam with copper plates to reduce the beam energy difference between open and MLCtr beams was investigated; however, these were not effective at reducing EPID response differences. The change in EPID response for uniform sliding window IMRT beams with MLCtr dose components from 0.3% to 69% was predicted to within 2.3% using the separate EPID response calibration factors for each dose component. A clinical IMRT image calibrated with this method differed by nearly 30% in high MLCtr regions from an image calibrated with an open beam calibration factor only. Accounting for the difference in EPID response to open and MLCtr radiation should improve IMRT dosimetry with a-Si EPIDs.

Quantitative HAADF STEM of SiGe in presence of amorphous surface layers from FIB preparation.

PubMed

Grieb, Tim; Tewes, Moritz; Schowalter, Marco; Müller-Caspary, Knut; Krause, Florian F; Mehrtens, Thorsten; Hartmann, Jean-Michel; Rosenauer, Andreas

2018-01-01

The chemical composition of four Si 1-x Ge x layers grown on silicon was determined from quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The chemical analysis was performed by a comparison of the high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) intensity with multislice simulations. It could be shown that amorphous surface layers originating from the preparation process by focused-ion beam (FIB) at 30 kV have a strong influence on the quantification: the local specimen thickness is overestimated by approximately a factor of two, and the germanium concentration is substantially underestimated. By means of simulations, the effect of amorphous surface layers on the HAADF intensity of crystalline silicon and germanium is investigated. Based on these simulations, a method is developed to analyze the experimental HAADF-STEM images by taking the influence of the amorphous layers into account which is done by a reduction of the intensities by multiplication with a constant factor. This suggested modified HAADF analysis gives germanium concentrations which are in agreement with the nominal values. The same TEM lamella was treated with low-voltage ion milling which removed the amorphous surface layers completely. The results from subsequent quantitative HAADF analyses are in agreement with the nominal concentrations which validates the applicability of the used frozen-lattice based multislice simulations to describe the HAADF scattering of Si 1-x Ge x in STEM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Passivation of c-Si surfaces by sub-nm amorphous silicon capped with silicon nitride

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wan, Yimao, E-mail: yimao.wan@anu.edu.au; Yan, Di; Bullock, James

2015-12-07

A sub-nm hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film capped with silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) is shown to provide a high level passivation to crystalline silicon (c-Si) surfaces. When passivated by a 0.8 nm a-Si:H/75 nm SiN{sub x} stack, recombination current density J{sub 0} values of 9, 11, 47, and 87 fA/cm{sup 2} are obtained on 10 Ω·cm n-type, 0.8 Ω·cm p-type, 160 Ω/sq phosphorus-diffused, and 120 Ω/sq boron-diffused silicon surfaces, respectively. The J{sub 0} on n-type 10 Ω·cm wafers is further reduced to 2.5 ± 0.5 fA/cm{sup 2} when the a-Si:H film thickness exceeds 2.5 nm. The passivation by the sub-nm a-Si:H/SiN{sub x} stack is thermally stable at 400 °C in N{sub 2} formore » 60 min on all four c-Si surfaces. Capacitance–voltage measurements reveal a reduction in interface defect density and film charge density with an increase in a-Si:H thickness. The nearly transparent sub-nm a-Si:H/SiN{sub x} stack is thus demonstrated to be a promising surface passivation and antireflection coating suitable for all types of surfaces encountered in high efficiency c-Si solar cells.« less

The status of lightweight photovoltaic space array technology based on amorphous silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanak, Joseph J.; Kaschmitter, Jim

1991-01-01

Ultralight, flexible photovoltaic (PV) array of amorphous silicon (a-Si) was identified as a potential low cost power source for small satellites. A survey was conducted of the status of the a-Si PV array technology with respect to present and future performance, availability, cost, and risks. For existing, experimental array blankets made of commercial cell material, utilizing metal foil substrates, the Beginning of Life (BOL) performance at Air Mass Zero (AM0) and 35 C includes total power up to 200 W, power per area of 64 W/sq m and power per weight of 258 W/kg. Doubling of power per weight occurs when polyimide substrates are used. Estimated End of Life (EOL) power output after 10 years in a nominal low earth orbit would be 80 pct. of BOL, the degradation being due to largely light induced effects (-10 to -15 pct.) and in part (-5 pct.) to space radiation. Predictions for the year 1995 for flexible PV arrays, made on the basis of published results for rigid a-Si modules, indicate EOL power output per area and per weight of 105 W/sq m and 400 W/kg, respectively, while predictions for the late 1990s based on existing U.S. national PV program goals indicate EOL values of 157 W/sq m and 600 W/kg. Cost estimates by vendors for 200 W ultralight arrays in volume of over 1000 units range from $100/watt to $125/watt. Identified risks include the lack of flexible, space compatible encapsulant, the lack of space qualification effort, recent partial or full acquisitions of US manufacturers of a-Si cells by foreign firms, and the absence of a national commitment for a long range development program toward developing of this important power source for space.

Amorphous silicon research. Final technical progress report, 1 August 1994--28 February 1998

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guha, S

1998-05-01

This report describes the status and accomplishments of work performed under this subcontract by United Solar Systems. United Solar researchers explored several new deposition regimes/conditions to investigate their effect on material/device performance. To facilitate optimum ion bombardment during growth, a large parameter space involving chamber pressure, rf power, and hydrogen dilution were investigated. United Solar carried out a series of experiments using discharge modulation at various pulsed-plasma intervals to study the effect of Si-particle incorporation on solar cell performance. Hydrogen dilution during deposition is found to improve both the initial and stable performance of a-Si and a-SiGe alloy cells. Researchersmore » conducted a series of temperature-ramping experiments on samples prepared with high and low hydrogen dilutions to study the effect of hydrogen effusion on solar cell performance. Using an internal photoemission method, the electrical bandgap of a microcrystalline p layer used in high-efficiency solar cells was measured to be 1.6 eV. New measurement techniques were developed to evaluate the interface and bulk contributions of losses to solar cell performance. Researchers replaced hydrogen with deuterium and found deuterated amorphous silicon alloy solar cells exhibit reduced light-induced degradation. The incorporation of a microcrystalline n layer in a multijunction cell is seen to improve cell performance. United Solar achieved a world-record single-junction a-Si alloy stable cell efficiency of 9.2% with an active area of 0.25 cm{sup 2} grown with high hydrogen dilution. They also achieved a world-record triple-junction, stable, active-area cell efficiency of 13.0% with an active area of 0.25 cm{sup 2}.« less

Glass breaking strength: The role of surface flaws and treatments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, D.

1985-01-01

Although the intrinsic strength of silicon dioxide glass is of the order of 10 to the 6th power lb/sq in, the practical strength is roughly two orders of magnitude below this theoretical limit, and depends almost entirely on the surface condition of the glass, that is, the number and size of flaws and the residual surface compression (temper) in the glass. Glass parts always fail in tension when these flaws grow under sustained loading to some critical size. Research associated with glass encapsulated crystalline-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules has greatly expanded our knowledge of glass breaking strength and developed sizeable data base for commercially available glass types. A detailed design algorithm is developed for thickness sizing of rectangular glass plates subject to pressure loads. Additional studies examine the strength of glass under impact loading conditions such as that caused by hail. Although the fundamentals of glass breakage are directly applicable to thin film modules, the fracture strength of typical numerical glass must be replaced with data that reflect the high temperature tin oxide processing, laser scribing, and edge processing peculiar to thin film modules. The fundamentals of glass breakage applicable to thin film modules and preliminary fracture strength data for a variety of 1 ft square glass specimens representing preprocessed and post processed sheets from current amorphous-Si module manufacturers are presented.

Amorphization driven by defect-induced mechanical instability.

PubMed

Jiang, Chao; Zheng, Ming-Jie; Morgan, Dane; Szlufarska, Izabela

2013-10-11

Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we perform a comparative study of the defect accumulation process in silicon carbide (SiC) and zirconium carbide (ZrC). Interestingly, we find that the fcc Si sublattice in SiC spontaneously and gradually collapses following the continuous introduction of C Frenkel pairs (FPs). Above a critical amorphization dose of ~0.33 displacements per atom (dpa), the pair correlation function exhibits no long-range order. In contrast, the fcc Zr sublattice in ZrC remains structurally stable against C sublattice displacements up to the highest dose of 1.0 dpa considered. Consequently, ZrC cannot be amorphized by the accumulation of C FPs. We propose defect-induced mechanical instability as the key mechanism driving the amorphization of SiC under electron irradiation.

Tritiated amorphous silicon films and devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosteski, Tome

The do saddle-field glow discharge deposition technique has been used to bond tritium within an amorphous silicon thin film network using silane and elemental tritium in the glow discharge. The concentration of tritium is approximately 7 at. %. Minimal outgassing of tritium from tritiated hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H:T) at room temperature suggests that tritium is bonded stably. Tritium effusion only occurred at temperatures above the film's growth temperature. The radioactive decay of tritium results in the production of high-energy beta particles. Each beta particle can generate on average approximately 1300 electron-hole pairs in a-Si:H:T. Electrical conductivity of a-Si:H:T is shown to be due to a thermally activated process and due to the generation of excess carriers by the beta particles. p-i-n betavoltaic devices have been made with a-Si:H:T in the intrinsic (i-) region. The i-region consisted of either a-Si:H:T, or a thin section of a-Si:H:T (a Delta layer) sandwiched between undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The excess carriers generated in the i-region are separated by the device's built-in electric field. Short-circuit currents (Isc ), open-circuit voltages (Voc), and power have been measured and correlated to the generation of excess carriers in the i-region. Good devices were made at a substrate temperature of 250°C and relatively large flow rates of silane and tritium; this ensures that there are more monohydride bonds than dihydride bonds. Under dark conditions, Isc, and Voc have been found to decrease rapidly. This is consistent with the production of silicon neutral dangling bonds (5 x 1017cm-3 per day) from the loss of tritium due to its transmutation into helium. Dangling bonds reduce carrier lifetime and weaken the electric field in the i-region. The short-circuit current from Delta layer devices decreased more slowly and settled to higher values for narrower Delta layers. This is because the dangling bonds are isolated to the Delta layer and the lifetime of excess carriers generated in the a-Si:H remains unaffected. Annealing a-Si:H:T at 120°C for approximately one hour is shown to remove dangling bonds produced from the decay of bonded tritium.

76 FR 81914 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-29

... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Postponement of... investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from the People..., 2012. \\1\\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the...

Effect of silane dilution on intrinsic stress in glow discharge hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harbison, J. P.; Williams, A. J.; Lang, D. V.

1984-02-01

Measurements of the intrinsic stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si : H) films grown by rf glow discharge decomposition of silane diluted to varying degrees in argon are presented. Films are found to grow under exceedingly high compressive stress. Low values of macroscopic film density and low stress values are found to correlate with high growth rate. An abrupt drop in stress occurs between 2 and 3% silane at precisely the point where columnar growth morphology appears. No corresponding abrupt change is noted in density, growth rate, or plasma species concentrations as determined by optical emissioin spectroscopy. Finally a model of diffusive incorporation of hydrogen or some gaseous impurity during growth into the bulk of the film behind the growing interface is proposed to explain the results.

Using rapid-scan EPR to improve the detection limit of quantitative EPR by more than one order of magnitude.

PubMed

Möser, J; Lips, K; Tseytlin, M; Eaton, G R; Eaton, S S; Schnegg, A

2017-08-01

X-band rapid-scan EPR was implemented on a commercially available Bruker ELEXSYS E580 spectrometer. Room temperature rapid-scan and continuous-wave EPR spectra were recorded for amorphous silicon powder samples. By comparing the resulting signal intensities the feasibility of performing quantitative rapid-scan EPR is demonstrated. For different hydrogenated amorphous silicon samples, rapid-scan EPR results in signal-to-noise improvements by factors between 10 and 50. Rapid-scan EPR is thus capable of improving the detection limit of quantitative EPR by at least one order of magnitude. In addition, we provide a recipe for setting up and calibrating a conventional pulsed and continuous-wave EPR spectrometer for rapid-scan EPR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Magnetic field effect on the optoelectronic response of amorphous hydrogenated silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaughlin, Ryan; Sun, Dali; Zhang, Chuang; Ehrenfreund, Eitan; Vardeny, Zeev Valy

We have studied the magneto-photoluminescence and magneto photoconductivity in amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) thin films and devices as a function of temperature up to field of 5 Tesla. The magnetic field effects (MFE) are interpreted as spin mixing between spin-singlet and spin-triplet charge pairs due to the ''delta- g'' mechanism that is based on the g-value difference between the paired electron and hole, which directly affects the rate of radiative recombination and charge carrier separation, respectively. We found that the MFE(B) response does not form a Lorentzian (that is expected from the ''delta- g'' mechanism) due to disorder in the film that results in a broad distribution of e-h recombination rates, which could be extracted directly by time-resolved photoluminescence.

Silicon optical modulators for optical digital and analog communications (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lin; Ding, Jianfeng; Zhang, Lei; Shao, Sizu

2017-02-01

Silicon photonics is considered as a promising technology to overcome the difficulties of the existing digital and analog optical communication systems, such as low integration, high cost, and high power consumption. Silicon optical modulator, as a component to transfer data from electronic domain to optical one, has attracted extensive attentions in the past decade. In this paper, we review the statuses of the silicon optical modulators for digital and analog optical communications and introduce our efforts on these topics. We analyze the relationship between the performance and the structural parameters of the silicon optical modulator and present how to optimize its performance including electro-optical bandwidth, modulation efficiency, optical bandwidth and insertion loss. The fabricated silicon optical modulator has an electro-optical bandwidth of 30 GHz. Its extinction ratios are 14.0 dB, 11.2 dB and 9.0 dB at the speeds of 40 Gbps, 50 Gbps and 64 Gbps for OOK modulation. The high extinction ratio of the silicon optical modulator at the high speed makes it very appropriate for the application of optical coherent modulation, such as QPSK and 16-QAM. The fabricated silicon optical modulator also can be utilized for analog optical communication. With respect to a noise floor of -165 dBc, the dynamic ranges for the second-order harmonic and the third-order intermodulation distortion are 90.8 dB and 110.5 dB respectively. By adopting a differential driving structure, the dynamic range for the second-order harmonic can be further improved to 100.0 dB while the third-order intermodulation distortion remains the same level.

Phase transformations induced by spherical indentation in ion-implanted amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haberl, B.; Bradby, J. E.; Ruffell, S.; Williams, J. S.; Munroe, P.

2006-07-01

The deformation behavior of ion-implanted (unrelaxed) and annealed ion-implanted (relaxed) amorphous silicon (a-Si) under spherical indentation at room temperature has been investigated. It has been found that the mode of deformation depends critically on both the preparation of the amorphous film and the scale of the mechanical deformation. Ex situ measurements, such as Raman microspectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, as well as in situ electrical measurements reveal the occurrence of phase transformations in all relaxed a-Si films. The preferred deformation mode of unrelaxed a-Si is plastic flow, only under certain high load conditions can this state of a-Si be forced to transform. In situ electrical measurements have revealed more detail of the transformation process during both loading and unloading. We have used ELASTICA simulations to obtain estimates of the depth of the metallic phase as a function of load, and good agreement is found with the experiment. On unloading, a clear change in electrical conductivity is observed to correlate with a "pop-out" event on load versus penetration curves.

Realistic inversion of diffraction data for an amorphous solid: The case of amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Anup; Biswas, Parthapratim; Bhattarai, Bishal; Drabold, D. A.

2016-12-01

We apply a method called "force-enhanced atomic refinement" (FEAR) to create a computer model of amorphous silicon (a -Si) based upon the highly precise x-ray diffraction experiments of Laaziri et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3460 (1999), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.3460]. The logic underlying our calculation is to estimate the structure of a real sample a -Si using experimental data and chemical information included in a nonbiased way, starting from random coordinates. The model is in close agreement with experiment and also sits at a suitable energy minimum according to density-functional calculations. In agreement with experiments, we find a small concentration of coordination defects that we discuss, including their electronic consequences. The gap states in the FEAR model are delocalized compared to a continuous random network model. The method is more efficient and accurate, in the sense of fitting the diffraction data, than conventional melt-quench methods. We compute the vibrational density of states and the specific heat, and we find that both compare favorably to experiments.

Silicon and aluminum doping effects on the microstructure and properties of polymeric amorphous carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaoqiang; Hao, Junying; Xie, Yuntao

2016-08-01

Polymeric amorphous carbon films were prepared by radio frequency (R.F. 13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering deposition. The microstructure evolution of the deposited polymeric films induced by silicon (Si) and aluminum(Al) doping were scrutinized through infrared spectroscopy, multi-wavelength Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The comparative results show that Si doping can enhance polymerization and Al doping results in an increase in the ordered carbon clusters. Si and Al co-doping into polymeric films leads to the formation of an unusual dual nanostructure consisting of cross-linked polymer-like hydrocarbon chains and fullerene-like carbon clusters. The super-high elasticity and super-low friction coefficients (<0.002) under a high vacuum were obtained through Si and Al co-doping into the films. Unconventionally, the co-doped polymeric films exhibited a superior wear resistance even though they were very soft. The relationship between the microstructure and properties of the polymeric amorphous carbon films with different elements doping are also discussed in detail.

Red-luminescence band: A tool for the quality assessment of germanium and silicon nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraj, I.; Favre, L.; David, T.; Abbarchi, M.; Liu, K.; Claude, J. B.; Ronda, A.; Naffouti, M.; Saidi, F.; Hassen, F.; Maaref, H.; Aqua, J. N.; Berbezier, I.

2017-10-01

We present the photoluminescence (PL) emission of Silicon and Germanium nanocrystals (NCs) of different sizes embedded in two different matrices. Formation of the NCs is achieved via solid-state dewetting during annealing in a molecular beam epitaxy ultra-high vacuum system of ultrathin amorphous Si and Ge layers deposited at room temperature on SiO2. During the dewetting process, the bi-dimensional amorphous layers transform into small pseudo-spherical islands whose mean size can be tuned directly with the deposited thickness. The nanocrystals are capped either ex situ by silicon dioxide or in situ by amorphous Silicon. The surface-state dependent emission (typically in the range 1.74 eV-1.79 eV) exhibited higher relative PL quantum yields compared to the emission originating from the band gap transition. This red-PL emission comes from the radiative transitions between a Si band and an interface level. It is mainly ascribed to the NCs and environment features deduced from morphological and structural analyses. Power dependent analysis of the photoluminescence intensity under continuous excitation reveals a conventional power law with an exponent close to 1, in agreement with the type II nature of the emission. We show that Ge-NCs exhibit much lower quantum efficiency than Si-NCs due to non-radiative interface states. Low quantum efficiency is also obtained when NCs have been exposed to air before capping, even if the exposure time is very short. Our results indicate that a reduction of the non-radiative surface states is a key strategy step in producing small NCs with increased PL emission for a variety of applications. The red-PL band is then an effective tool for the quality assessment of NCs based structures.

Ultralow-power all-optical processing of high-speed data signals in deposited silicon waveguides.

PubMed

Wang, Ke-Yao; Petrillo, Keith G; Foster, Mark A; Foster, Amy C

2012-10-22

Utilizing a 6-mm-long hydrogenated amorphous silicon nanowaveguide, we demonstrate error-free (BER < 10(-9)) 160-to-10 Gb/s OTDM demultiplexing using ultralow switching peak powers of 50 mW. This material is deposited at low temperatures enabling a path toward multilayer integration and therefore massive scaling of the number of devices in a single photonic chip.

Wet-Chemical Preparation of Silicon Tunnel Oxides for Transparent Passivated Contacts in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

PubMed

Köhler, Malte; Pomaska, Manuel; Lentz, Florian; Finger, Friedhelm; Rau, Uwe; Ding, Kaining

2018-05-02

Transparent passivated contacts (TPCs) using a wide band gap microcrystalline silicon carbide (μc-SiC:H(n)), silicon tunnel oxide (SiO 2 ) stack are an alternative to amorphous silicon-based contacts for the front side of silicon heterojunction solar cells. In a systematic study of the μc-SiC:H(n)/SiO 2 /c-Si contact, we investigated selected wet-chemical oxidation methods for the formation of ultrathin SiO 2 , in order to passivate the silicon surface while ensuring a low contact resistivity. By tuning the SiO 2 properties, implied open-circuit voltages of 714 mV and contact resistivities of 32 mΩ cm 2 were achieved using μc-SiC:H(n)/SiO 2 /c-Si as transparent passivated contacts.

Silicon Modulators, Switches and Sub-systems for Optical Interconnect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qi

Silicon photonics is emerging as a promising platform for manufacturing and integrating photonic devices for light generation, modulation, switching and detection. The compatibility with existing CMOS microelectronic foundries and high index contrast in silicon could enable low cost and high performance photonic systems, which find many applications in optical communication, data center networking and photonic network-on-chip. This thesis first develops and demonstrates several experimental work on high speed silicon modulators and switches with record performance and novel functionality. A 8x40 Gb/s transmitter based on silicon microrings is first presented. Then an end-to-end link using microrings for Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation and demodulation is shown, and its performance with conventional BPSK modulation/ demodulation techniques is compared. Next, a silicon traveling-wave Mach- Zehnder modulator is demonstrated at data rate up to 56 Gb/s for OOK modulation and 48 Gb/s for BPSK modulation, showing its capability at high speed communication systems. Then a single silicon microring is shown with 2x2 full crossbar switching functionality, enabling optical interconnects with ultra small footprint. Then several other experiments in the silicon platform are presented, including a fully integrated in-band Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR) monitor, characterization of optical power upper bound in a silicon microring modulator, and wavelength conversion in a dispersion-engineered waveguide. The last part of this thesis is on network-level application of photonics, specically a broadcast-and-select network based on star coupler is introduced, and its scalability performance is studied. Finally a novel switch architecture for data center networks is discussed, and its benefits as a disaggregated network are presented.

Ion beam deposition of amorphous carbon films with diamond like properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angus, John C.; Mirtich, Michael J.; Wintucky, Edwin G.

1982-01-01

Carbon films were deposited on silicon, quartz, and potassium bromide substrates from an ion beam. Growth rates were approximately 0.3 micron/hour. The films were featureless and amorphous and contained only carbon and hydrogen in significant amounts. The density and carbon/hydrogen ratio indicate the film is a hydrogen deficient polymer. One possible structure, consistent with the data, is a random network of methylene linkages and tetrahedrally coordinated carbon atoms.

Light-induced changes in silicon nanocrystal based solar cells: Modification of silicon-hydrogen bonding on silicon nanocrystal surface under illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ka-Hyun; Johnson, Erik V.; Cabarrocas, Pere Roca i.

2016-07-01

Hydrogenated polymorphous silicon (pm-Si:H) is a material consisting of a small volume fraction of nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix. pm-Si:H solar cells demonstrate interesting initial degradation behaviors such as rapid initial change in photovoltaic parameters and self-healing after degradation during light-soaking. The precise dynamics of the light-induced degradation was studied in a series of light-soaking experiments under various illumination conditions such as AM1.5G and filtered 570 nm yellow light. Hydrogen effusion experiment before and after light-soaking further revealed that the initial degradation of pm-Si:H solar cells originate from the modification of silicon-hydrogen bonding on the surface of silicon nanocrystals in pm-Si:H.

Low temperature electrodeposition of silicon layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauporté, Thierry; Qi, Shuo; Viana, Bruno

2018-02-01

The electrodeposition of silicon at room temperature in 1-Butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and N-Propyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ionic liquids containing SiCl4 salt is shown. The electrodeposition window has been determined by cyclic voltammetry. Layers have been deposited in a three electrode cell placed in an inert atmosphere and at constant applied potential. The characterizations by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed the formation of a layer made of amorphous silicon. The scanning electron microscopy examination revealed that the layers were featureless and well-covering.

Atomic Structure of Interface States in Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, B. M.; Behrends, J.; Schnegg, A.; Schulze, T. F.; Fehr, M.; Korte, L.; Rech, B.; Lips, K.; Rohrmüller, M.; Rauls, E.; Schmidt, W. G.; Gerstmann, U.

2013-03-01

Combining orientation dependent electrically detected magnetic resonance and g tensor calculations based on density functional theory we assign microscopic structures to paramagnetic states involved in spin-dependent recombination at the interface of hydrogenated amorphous silicon crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) heterojunction solar cells. We find that (i) the interface exhibits microscopic roughness, (ii) the electronic structure of the interface defects is mainly determined by c-Si, (iii) we identify the microscopic origin of the conduction band tail state in the a-Si:H layer, and (iv) present a detailed recombination mechanism.

Specific spice modeling of microcrystalline silicon TFTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustapha, O.; Bui, V. D.; Bonnassieux, Y.; Parey, J. Y.

2008-03-01

In this paper we present a specific spice static and dynamic model of microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si) thin film transistors (TFTs) taking into account the access resistances and the capacitors contributions. The previously existing models of amorphous silicon and polysilicon TFTs were not completely suited, so we combined them to build a new specific model of μc-Si TFTs. The reliability of the model is then checked by the comparison of experimental measurements to simulations and by simulating the characteristics of some electronic devices (OLED pixels, inverters, and so on).

Evaluation of Amorphous Transformer by Optimum Capacity Selection based on the Load Curve Pattern of Customers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, Masaaki; Yamamoto, Hiromi; Yamaji, Kenji

Energy loss in transformer is composed of no-load loss and load loss. No-load loss of amorphous transformer (i.e. amorphous metal-based transformer) is less by about 70% compared with traditional transformers (e.g. silicon steel-based transformer). However, amorphous transformers have disadvantages of high cost and high load loss parameter compared with traditional transformers. Furthermore, there are varieties of transformer capacities, and the customers who would buy new transformer have many choices. In this paper, the authors propose an algorithm for optimum transformer selection based on the load curve patterns of customers. It is possible to select the capacity that minimizes the total cost by measuring equivalent load Qe that is the root mean square of load. It becomes clear that amorphous transformer is effective in achieving substantial energy saving compared with traditional transformer.

Evaluation of the MTF for a-Si:H imaging arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yorkston, John; Antonuk, Larry E.; Seraji, N.; Huang, Weidong; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H.; El-Mohri, Youcef

1994-05-01

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon imaging arrays are being developed for numerous applications in medical imaging. Diagnostic and megavoltage images have previously been reported and a number of the intrinsic properties of the arrays have been investigated. This paper reports on the first attempt to characterize the intrinsic spatial resolution of the imaging pixels on a 450 micrometers pitch, n-i-p imaging array fabricated at Xerox P.A.R.C. The pre- sampled modulation transfer function was measured by scanning a approximately 25 micrometers wide slit of visible wavelength light across a pixel in both the DATA and FET directions. The results show that the response of the pixel in these orthogonal directions is well described by a simple model that accounts for asymmetries in the pixel response due to geometric aspects of the pixel design.

Photovoltaic Subcontract Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Surek, Thomas; Catalano, Anthony

1993-03-01

This report summarizes the fiscal year (FY) 1992 progress of the subcontracted photovoltaic (PV) research and development (R D) performed under the Photovoltaic Advanced Research and Development Project at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-formerly the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI). The mission of the national PV program is to develop PV technology for large-scale generation of economically competitive electric power in the United States. The technical sections of the report cover the main areas of the subcontract program: the Crystalline Materials and Advanced Concepts project, the Polycrystalline Thin Films project, Amorphous Silicon Research project, the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT)more » project, PV Module and System Performance and Engineering project, and the PV Analysis and Applications Development project. Technical summaries of each of the subcontracted programs provide a discussion of approaches, major accomplishments in FY 1992, and future research directions.« less

Low temperature surface passivation of crystalline silicon and its application to interdigitated back contact silicon heterojunction (ibc-shj) solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Zhan

With the absence of shading loss together with improved quality of surface passivation introduced by low temperature processed amorphous silicon crystalline silicon (a-Si:H/c-Si) heterojunction, the interdigitated back contact silicon heterojunction (IBC-SHJ) solar cell exhibits a potential for higher conversion efficiency and lower cost than a traditional front contact diffused junction solar cell. In such solar cells, the front surface passivation is of great importance to achieve both high open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Jsc). Therefore, the motivation of this work is to develop a low temperature processed structure for the front surface passivation of IBC-SHJ solar cells, which must have an excellent and stable passivation quality as well as a good anti-reflection property. Four different thin film materials/structures were studied and evaluated for this purpose, namely: amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H), thick amorphous silicon film (a-Si:H), amorphous silicon/silicon nitride/silicon carbide (a-Si:H/a-SiN x:H/a-SiC:H) stack structure with an ultra-thin a-Si:H layer, and zinc sulfide (ZnS). It was demonstrated that the a-Si:H/a-SiNx:H/a-SiC:H stack surpasses other candidates due to both of its excellent surface passivation quality (SRV<5 cm/s) and lower absorption losses. The low recombination rate at the stack structure passivated c-Si surface is found to be resulted from (i) field effect passivation due to the positive fixed charge (Q fix~1x1011 cm-2 with 5 nm a-Si:H layer) in a-SiNx:H as measured from capacitance-voltage technique, and (ii) reduced defect state density (mid-gap Dit~4x1010 cm-2eV-1) at a-Si:H/c-Si interface provided by a 5 nm thick a-Si:H layer, as characterized by conductance-frequency measurements. Paralleled with the experimental studies, a computer program was developed in this work based on the extended Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) model of surface recombination. With the help of this program, the experimental injection level dependent SRV curves of the stack passivated c-Si samples were successfully reproduced and the carrier capture cross sections of interface defect states were extracted. Additionally, anti-reflection properties of the stack structure were optimized and optical losses were analyzed. The Voc over 700 mV and Jsc over 38 mA/cm2 were achieved in IBC-SHJ solar cells using the stack structure for front surface passivation. Direct comparison shows that such low temperature deposited stack structure developed in this work achieves comparable device performance to the high temperature processed front surface passivation structure used in other high efficiency IBC solar cells. However, the lower fill factor (FF) of IBC-SHJ solar cell as compared with traditional front a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction cell (HIT cell) greatly limits the overall performance of these devices. Two-dimensional (2D) simulations were used to comparatively model the HIT and IBC-SHJ solar cells to understand the underlying device physics which controls cell performance. The effects of a wide range of device parameters were investigated in the simulation, and pathways to improve the FF of IBC-SHJ solar cell were suggested.

Thin films with disordered nanohole patterns for solar radiation absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Xing; Lou, Minhan; Bao, Hua; Zhao, C. Y.

2015-06-01

The radiation absorption in thin films with three disordered nanohole patterns, i.e., random position, non-uniform radius, and amorphous pattern, are numerically investigated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Disorder can alter the absorption spectra and has an impact on the broadband absorption performance. Compared to random position and non-uniform radius nanoholes, amorphous pattern can induce a much better integrated absorption. The power density spectra indicate that amorphous pattern nanoholes reduce the symmetry and provide more resonance modes that are desired for the broadband absorption. The application condition for amorphous pattern nanoholes shows that they are much more appropriate in absorption enhancement for weak absorption materials. Amorphous silicon thin films with disordered nanohole patterns are applied in solar radiation absorbers. Four configurations of thin films with different nanohole patterns show that interference between layers in absorbers will change the absorption performance. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the whole radiation absorbers although single thin film with amorphous pattern nanohole has reached optimal absorption.

Silicon-ion-implanted PMMA with nanostructured ultrathin layers for plastic electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjichristov, G. B.; Ivanov, Tz E.; Marinov, Y. G.

2014-12-01

Being of interest for plastic electronics, ion-beam produced nanostructure, namely silicon ion (Si+) implanted polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) with ultrathin nanostructured dielectric (NSD) top layer and nanocomposite (NC) buried layer, is examined by electric measurements. In the proposed field-effect organic nanomaterial structure produced within the PMMA network by ion implantation with low energy (50 keV) Si+ at the fluence of 3.2 × 1016 cm-2 the gate NSD is ion-nanotracks-modified low-conductive surface layer, and the channel NC consists of carbon nanoclusters. In the studied ion-modified PMMA field-effect configuration, the gate NSD and the buried NC are formed as planar layers both with a thickness of about 80 nm. The NC channel of nano-clustered amorphous carbon (that is an organic semiconductor) provides a huge increase in the electrical conduction of the material in the subsurface region, but also modulates the electric field distribution in the drift region. The field effect via the gate NSD is analyzed. The most important performance parameters, such as the charge carrier field-effect mobility and amplification of this particular type of PMMA- based transconductance device with NC n-type channel and gate NSD top layer, are determined.

Improving Translation Models for Predicting the Energy Yield of Photovoltaic Power Systems. Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-13-526

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Emery, Keith

2015-08-04

The project under this CRADA will analyze field data of various flat-plate and concentrator module technologies and cell measurements at the laboratory level. The field data will consist of current versus voltage data collected over many years on a latitude tilt test bed for Si, CdTe, amorphous silicon, and CIGS technologies. The concentrator data will be for mirror- and lens-based module designs using multijunction cells. The laboratory data will come from new measurements of cell performance with systematic variation of irradiance, temperature and spectral composition. These measurements will be labor-intensive and the aim will be to cover the widest possiblemore » parameter space for as many different PV samples as possible. The data analysis will require software tools to be developed. These tools will be customized for use with the specific NREL datasets and will be unsuitable for commercial release. The tools will be used to evaluate different translation equations against NREL outdoor datasets.« less

Intense photoluminescence from amorphous tantalum oxide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Minmin; Zhang, Zhengjun; Miao, Wei

2006-07-01

Tantalum oxide films were deposited on silicon substrates at a temperature of ˜450°C by heating a pure tantalum foil in a rough vacuum. The films were amorphous in structure and consisted of fully oxidized Ta2O5 and (TaOx, x <2.5) suboxides. This feature resulted in strong visible light emission from the films further oxidized in the air at temperatures of 200-300°C. The mechanism for this photoluminescence behavior of the amorphous tantalum oxide films was also investigated and discussed. This study suggests that wide-band-gap materials could act as effective visible light emitters and provides a simple route to synthesize such materials.

Dose dependence of radiation damage in nano-structured amorphous SiOC/crystalline Fe composite

DOE PAGES

Su, Qing; Price, Lloyd; Shao, Lin; ...

2015-10-29

Here, through examination of radiation tolerance properties of amorphous silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and crystalline Fe composite to averaged damage levels, from approximately 8 to 30 displacements per atom (dpa), we demonstrated that the Fe/SiOC interface and the Fe/amorphous Fe xSi yO z interface act as efficient defect sinks and promote the recombination of vacancies and interstitials. For thick Fe/SiOC multilayers, a clear Fe/SiOC interface remained and no irradiation-induced mixing was observed even after 32 dpa. For thin Fe/SiOC multilayers, an amorphous Fe xSi yO z intermixed layer was observed to form at 8 dpa, but no further layer growth wasmore » observed for higher dpa levels.« less

Amorphization resistance of nano-engineered SiC under heavy ion irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imada, Kenta; Ishimaru, Manabu; Xue, Haizhou; Zhang, Yanwen; Shannon, Steven C.; Weber, William J.

2016-09-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) with a high-density of planar defects (hereafter, 'nano-engineered SiC') and epitaxially-grown single-crystalline 3C-SiC were simultaneously irradiated with Au ions at room temperature, in order to compare their relative resistance to radiation-induced amorphization. It was found that the local threshold dose for amorphization is comparable for both samples under 2 MeV Au ion irradiation; whereas, nano-engineered SiC exhibits slightly greater radiation tolerance than single crystalline SiC under 10 MeV Au irradiation. Under 10 MeV Au ion irradiation, the dose for amorphization increased by about a factor of two in both nano-engineered and single crystal SiC due to the local increase in electronic energy loss that enhanced dynamic recovery.

Room-temperature low-voltage electroluminescence in amorphous carbon nitride thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, R.; Legnani, C.; Ribeiro Pinto, P. M.; Cremona, M.; de Araújo, P. J. G.; Achete, C. A.

2003-06-01

White-blue electroluminescent emission with a voltage bias less than 10 V was achieved in rf sputter-deposited amorphous carbon nitride (a-CN) and amorphous silicon carbon nitride (a-SiCN) thin-film-based devices. The heterojunction structures of these devices consist of: Indium tin oxide (ITO), used as a transparent anode; amorphous carbon film as an emission layer, and aluminum as a cathode. The thickness of the carbon films was about 250 Å. In all of the produced diodes, a stable visible emission peaked around 475 nm is observed at room temperature and the emission intensity increases with the current density. For an applied voltage of 14 V, the luminance was about 3 mCd/m2. The electroluminescent properties of the two devices are discussed and compared.

Fluoroethylene Carbonate as a Directing Agent in Amorphous Silicon Anodes: Electrolyte Interface Structure Probed by Sum Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopy and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics.

PubMed

Horowitz, Yonatan; Han, Hui-Ling; Soto, Fernando A; Ralston, Walter T; Balbuena, Perla B; Somorjai, Gabor A

2018-02-14

Fluorinated compounds are added to carbonate-based electrolyte solutions in an effort to create a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The SEI mitigates detrimental electrolyte redox reactions taking place on the anode's surface upon applying a potential in order to charge (discharge) the lithium (Li) ion battery. The need for a stable SEI is dire when the anode material is silicon as silicon cracks due to its expansion and contraction upon lithiation and delithiation (charge-discharge) cycles, consequently limiting the cyclability of a silicon-based battery. Here we show the molecular structures for ethylene carbonate (EC): fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) solutions on silicon surfaces by sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, which yields vibrational spectra of molecules at interfaces and by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations at open circuit potential. Our AIMD simulations and SFG spectra indicate that both EC and FEC adsorb to the amorphous silicon (a-Si) through their carbonyl group (C═O) oxygen atom with no further desorption. We show that FEC additives induce the reorientation of EC molecules to create an ordered, up-right orientation of the electrolytes on the Si surface. We suggest that this might be helpful for Li diffusion under applied potential. Furthermore, FEC becomes the dominant species at the a-Si surface as the FEC concentration increases above 20 wt %. Our finding at open circuit potential can now initiate additive design to not only act as a sacrificial compound but also to produce a better suited SEI for the use of silicon anodes in the Li-ion vehicular industry.

77 FR 4764 - Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-31

... Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Second... preliminary determination of the countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells... February 13, 2012.\\1\\ \\1\\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules...

N-type nano-silicon powders with ultra-low electrical resistivity as anode materials in lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Zhihao; Zhou, Lang; Jin, Chenxin; Xu, Guojun; Liu, Liekai; Tang, Hao; Li, Xiaomin; Sun, Fugen; Huang, Haibin; Yuan, Jiren

2017-06-01

N-type silicon wafers with electrical resistivity of 0.001 Ω cm were ball-milled to powders and part of them was further mechanically crushed by sand-milling to smaller particles of nano-size. Both the sand-milled and ball-milled silicon powders were, respectively, mixed with graphite powder (silicon:graphite = 5:95, weight ratio) as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. Electrochemical measurements, including cycle and rate tests, present that anode using sand-milled silicon powder performed much better. The first discharge capacity of sand-milled silicon anode is 549.7 mAh/g and it is still up to 420.4 mAh/g after 100 cycles. Besides, the D50 of sand-milled silicon powder shows ten times smaller in particle size than that of ball-milled silicon powder, and they are 276 nm and 2.6 μm, respectively. In addition, there exist some amorphous silicon components in the sand-milled silicon powder excepting the multi-crystalline silicon, which is very different from the ball-milled silicon powder made up of multi-crystalline silicon only.

Correlations between properties and applications of the CVD amorphous silicon carbide films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleps, Irina; Angelescu, Anca

2001-12-01

The aim of this paper is to emphasise the correlation between film preparation conditions, film properties and their applications. Low pressure chemical vapour deposition amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) and silicon carbonitride (SiCN) films obtained from liquid precursors have different structure and composition depending on deposition conditions. Thus, the films deposited under kinetic working conditions reveal a stable structure and composition. Deposition at moderate temperature leads to stoichiometric SiC, while the films deposited at high temperatures have a composition closer to Si 1- xC x, with x=0.75. These films form a very reactive interface with metallic layers. The films realised under kinetic working regime can be used in Si membrane fabrication process or as coating films for field emission applications. SiC layers field emission properties were investigated; the field emission current density of the a-SiC/Si structures was 2.4 mA/cm 2 at 25 V/μm. An Si membrane technology based on moderate temperatures (770-850 °C) a-SiC etching mask is presented.

Optical properties of p–i–n structures based on amorphous hydrogenated silicon with silicon nanocrystals formed via nanosecond laser annealing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krivyakin, G. K.; Volodin, V. A., E-mail: volodin@isp.nsc.ru; Kochubei, S. A.

Silicon nanocrystals are formed in the i layers of p–i–n structures based on a-Si:H using pulsed laser annealing. An excimer XeCl laser with a wavelength of 308 nm and a pulse duration of 15 ns is used. The laser fluence is varied from 100 (below the melting threshold) to 250 mJ/cm{sup 2} (above the threshold). The nanocrystal sizes are estimated by analyzing Raman spectra using the phonon confinement model. The average is from 2.5 to 3.5 nm, depending on the laser-annealing parameters. Current–voltage measurements show that the fabricated p–i–n structures possess diode characteristics. An electroluminescence signal in the infrared (IR)more » range is detected for the p–i–n structures with Si nanocrystals; the peak position (0.9–1 eV) varies with the laser-annealing parameters. Radiative transitions are presumably related to the nanocrystal–amorphous-matrix interface states. The proposed approach can be used to produce light-emitting diodes on non-refractory substrates.« less

On the Discontinuity of Polycrystalline Silicon Thin Films Realized by Aluminum-Induced Crystallization of PECVD-Deposited Amorphous Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Qingtao; Wang, Tao; Yan, Hui; Zhang, Ming; Mai, Yaohua

2017-04-01

Crystallization of glass/Aluminum (50, 100, 200 nm) /hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) (50, 100, 200 nm) samples by Aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) is investigated in this article. After annealing and wet etching, we found that the continuity of the polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin films was strongly dependent on the double layer thicknesses. Increasing the a-Si:H/Al layer thickness ratio would improve the film microcosmic continuity. However, too thick Si layer might cause convex or peeling off during annealing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) are introduced to analyze the process of the peeling off. When the thickness ratio of a-Si:H/Al layer is around 1 to 1.5 and a-Si:H layer is less than 200 nm, the poly-Si film has a good continuity. Hall measurements are introduced to determine the electrical properties. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the poly-Si film is completely crystallized and has a preferential (111) orientation.

Characterization of Silicon Nanoparticles Formed from a Fluidized Bed Reactor and Their Incorporation onto Metal-Coated Carbon Fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zbib, Mohamad B.; Sahaym, Uttara; Bahr, David F.

2014-01-01

Enhancing the light trapping using nonwoven arrays of fibers has the potential to improve the photocurrent of silicon solar cells. In this work, amorphous and crystalline Si nanopowders (30-300 nm) were embedded in carbon fibers and fixed in place with electrodeposited nickel. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques have been used to study the morphology of the Si particles and their interactions with the coatings. Two types of nanoparticles are identified, homogeneous nucleated particles (amorphous particles with some crystalline regions) and attrition particles (mostly crystalline products formed from fracture of particles as they grow in a fluidized bed reactor). Using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique, the surface area and the pore diameter of these agglomerated Si nanoparticles were calculated to be 6.4 m2/g and 9.8 nm, respectively. After embedding the Si particles into the carbon matrix with the metal coatings, the electrical resistivity decreases, suggesting it is possible to enhance the light extraction of silicon solar cells using Si nanoparticles.

The effect of PECVD plasma decomposition on the wettability and dielectric constant changes in silicon modified DLC films for potential MEMS and low stiction applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ogwu, A. A.; Okpalugo, T. I. T.; Nanotechnology Institute, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland

We have carried out investigations aimed at understanding the mechanism responsible for a water contact angle increase of up to ten degrees and a decrease in dielectric constant in silicon modified hydrogenated amorphous carbon films compared to unmodified hydrogenated amorphous carbon films. Our investigations based on surface chemical constituent analysis using Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), SIMS, FTIR, contact angle / surface energy measurements and spectroscopic ellipsometry suggests the presence of hydrophobic chemical entities on the surface of the films. This observation is consistent with earlier theoretical plasma chemistry predictions and observed Raman peak shifts in the films. Thesemore » surface hydrophobic entities also have a lower polarizability than the bonds in the un-modified films thereby reducing the dielectric constant of the silicon modified films measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Ellipsometric dielectric constant measurement is directly related to the surface energy through Hamaker's constant. Our current finding is expected to be of benefit to understanding stiction, friction and lubrication in areas that range from nano-tribology to microfluidics.« less

The effect of PECVD plasma decomposition on the wettability and dielectric constant changes in silicon modified DLC films for potential MEMS and low stiction applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogwu, A. A.; Okpalugo, T. I. T.; McLaughlin, J. A. D.

2012-09-01

We have carried out investigations aimed at understanding the mechanism responsible for a water contact angle increase of up to ten degrees and a decrease in dielectric constant in silicon modified hydrogenated amorphous carbon films compared to unmodified hydrogenated amorphous carbon films. Our investigations based on surface chemical constituent analysis using Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), SIMS, FTIR, contact angle / surface energy measurements and spectroscopic ellipsometry suggests the presence of hydrophobic chemical entities on the surface of the films. This observation is consistent with earlier theoretical plasma chemistry predictions and observed Raman peak shifts in the films. These surface hydrophobic entities also have a lower polarizability than the bonds in the un-modified films thereby reducing the dielectric constant of the silicon modified films measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Ellipsometric dielectric constant measurement is directly related to the surface energy through Hamaker's constant. Our current finding is expected to be of benefit to understanding stiction, friction and lubrication in areas that range from nano-tribology to microfluidics.

Silicon and Civilization,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-04

less form, or so-called amorphous, as strata of diatomaceous earth , or also in the form of the precious stone--opal. As mentioned, silicon dioxide...skeletons and those of water creatures, which after mortification fall to the bottom of the waters creating strata of diatomaceous earth are also built of...reactions. Likewise, diatomaceous earth has a well developed surface and great adsorptive capa- bility, among others it can absorb a triple excess of

Crystal growth in supercritical ammonia using high surface area silicon nitride feedstock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaskel, Stefan; Khanna, Meikh; Zibrowius, Bodo; Schmidt, Hans-Werner; Ullner, Dirk

2004-01-01

The use of amorphous high surface area silicon nitride is proposed as a raw material for crystallization experiments in supercritical ammonia. Compared with earlier studies, the use of highly dispersed solids results in the crystallization of inorganic nitrides under relatively mild conditions (673 K). Mineralizers such as amides (LiNH 2, NaNH 2, KNH 2) are found to be effective crystallization aids. The crystalline products, detected using powder X-ray diffraction, are either MSi 2N 3 (M=Li, Na) or Si 2N 2NH. Si 2N 2NH is also characterized using 29Si MAS NMR. The spectrum shows a narrow line located at -44.7 ppm, whereas for amorphous silicon nitride-based materials the line is broad. The ammonothermal reaction of NaAl(NH 2) 4 and high surface area silicon nitride at 673 K affords a new orthorhombic phase, isostructural with NaSi 2N 3, but with extended lattice constants ( a=9.634, b=5.643, c=5.011 Å). Effective crystallization is also achieved using fluoride mineralizers (KF, CsF) at 673 K. A new small scale autoclave, suitable for laboratory syntheses at temperatures up to 873 K, is presented that can be loaded under inert gas.

Controllable Si (100) micro/nanostructures by chemical-etching-assisted femtosecond laser single-pulse irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaowei; Xie, Qian; Jiang, Lan; Han, Weina; Wang, Qingsong; Wang, Andong; Hu, Jie; Lu, Yongfeng

2017-05-01

In this study, silicon micro/nanostructures of controlled size and shape are fabricated by chemical-etching-assisted femtosecond laser single-pulse irradiation, which is a flexible, high-throughput method. The pulse fluence is altered to create various laser printing patterns for the etching mask, resulting in the sequential evolution of three distinct surface micro/nanostructures, namely, ring-like microstructures, flat-top pillar microstructures, and spike nanostructures. The characterized diameter of micro/nanostructures reveals that they can be flexibly tuned from the micrometer (˜2 μm) to nanometer (˜313 nm) scales by varying the laser pulse fluence in a wide range. Micro-Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy are utilized to demonstrate that the phase state changes from single-crystalline silicon (c-Si) to amorphous silicon (a-Si) after single-pulse femtosecond laser irradiation. This amorphous layer with a lower etching rate then acts as a mask in the wet etching process. Meanwhile, the on-the-fly punching technique enables the efficient fabrication of large-area patterned surfaces on the centimeter scale. This study presents a highly efficient method of controllably manufacturing silicon micro/nanostructures with different single-pulse patterns, which has promising applications in the photonic, solar cell, and sensors fields.

Travelling wave resonators fabricated with low-loss hydrogenated amorphous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipka, Timo; Amthor, Julia; Trieu, Hoc Khiem; Müller, Jörg

2013-05-01

Low-loss hydrogenated amorphous silicon is employed for the fabrication of various planar integrated travelling wave resonators. Microring, racetrack, and disk resonators of different dimensions were fabricated with CMOS-compatible processes and systematically investigated. The key properties of notch filter ring resonators as extinction ratio, Q-factor, free spectral range, and the group refractive index were determined for resonators of varying radius, thereby achieving critically coupled photonic systems with high extinction ratios of about 20 dB for both polarizations. Racetrack resonators that are arranged in add/drop configuration and high quality factor microdisk resonators were optically characterized, with the microdisks exhibiting Q-factors of greater than 100000. Four-channel add/drop wavelength-division multiplexing filters that are based on cascaded racetrack resonators are studied. The design, the fabrication, and the optical characterization are presented.

Periodic molybdenum disc array for light trapping in amorphous silicon layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Jiwei; Deng, Changkai; Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 99 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210 China

2016-05-15

We demonstrate the light trapping effect in amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layer by inserting a layer of periodic molybdenum disc array (MDA) between the a-Si:H layer and the quartz substrate, which forms a three-layer structure of Si/MDA/SiO{sub 2}. The MDA layer was fabricated by a new cost-effective method based on nano-imprint technology. Further light absorption enhancement was realized through altering the topography of MDA by annealing it at 700°C. The mechanism of light absorption enhancement in a-Si:H interfaced with MDA was analyzed, and the electric field distribution and light absorption curve of the different layers in the Si/MDA structure under lightmore » illumination of different wavelengths were simulated by employing numerical finite difference time domain (FDTD) solutions.« less

Decorative power generating panels creating angle insensitive transmissive colors

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae Yong; Lee, Kyu-Tae; Seo, Sungyong; Guo, L. Jay

2014-01-01

We present ultra-thin (6 to 31 nm) undoped amorphous silicon/organic hybrid solar cell structure, which can transmit desired color of light. The transmitted colors show great angular tolerance due to the negligible optical phase associated with light propagating in ultra-thin amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers. We achieved the power conversion efficiency of the hybrid cells up to 2 %; and demonstrated that most of the absorbed photons in the undoped a-Si layer contributed to the extracted electric charges due to the suppressed electron-hole recombination in the ultra-thin a-Si layer. We also show the resonance is invariant with respect to the angle of incidence up to ±70° regardless of the polarization of the incident light. Our exploration provides a design to realize energy harvesting colored photovoltaic panels for innovative applications. PMID:24577075

Optoelectrical Properties of a Heterojunction with Amorphous InGaZnO Film on n-Silicon Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, D. L.; Ma, X. Z.; Li, L.; Xu, Z. K.

2017-10-01

An a-IGZO/ n-Si heterojunction device has been fabricated at room temperature by depositing amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) film on n-type silicon substrate by plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition and its optoelectrical properties studied in detail. The heterojunction showed distinct rectifying characteristic with rectification ratio of 1.93 × 103 at ±2 V bias and reverse leakage current density of 1.6 × 10-6 A cm-2 at -2 V bias. More interestingly, the heterojunction not only showed the characteristic of unbiased photoresponse, but could also detect either ultraviolet or ultraviolet-visible light by simply changing the polarity of the bias applied to the heterojunction. The variable photoresponse phenomenon and the charge transport mechanisms in the heterojunction are explained based on the energy band diagram of the heterojunction.

Decorative power generating panels creating angle insensitive transmissive colors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jae Yong; Lee, Kyu-Tae; Seo, Sungyong; Guo, L. Jay

2014-02-01

We present ultra-thin (6 to 31 nm) undoped amorphous silicon/organic hybrid solar cell structure, which can transmit desired color of light. The transmitted colors show great angular tolerance due to the negligible optical phase associated with light propagating in ultra-thin amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers. We achieved the power conversion efficiency of the hybrid cells up to 2 %; and demonstrated that most of the absorbed photons in the undoped a-Si layer contributed to the extracted electric charges due to the suppressed electron-hole recombination in the ultra-thin a-Si layer. We also show the resonance is invariant with respect to the angle of incidence up to +/-70° regardless of the polarization of the incident light. Our exploration provides a design to realize energy harvesting colored photovoltaic panels for innovative applications.

Decorative power generating panels creating angle insensitive transmissive colors.

PubMed

Lee, Jae Yong; Lee, Kyu-Tae; Seo, Sungyong; Guo, L Jay

2014-02-28

We present ultra-thin (6 to 31 nm) undoped amorphous silicon/organic hybrid solar cell structure, which can transmit desired color of light. The transmitted colors show great angular tolerance due to the negligible optical phase associated with light propagating in ultra-thin amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers. We achieved the power conversion efficiency of the hybrid cells up to 2 %; and demonstrated that most of the absorbed photons in the undoped a-Si layer contributed to the extracted electric charges due to the suppressed electron-hole recombination in the ultra-thin a-Si layer. We also show the resonance is invariant with respect to the angle of incidence up to ± 70° regardless of the polarization of the incident light. Our exploration provides a design to realize energy harvesting colored photovoltaic panels for innovative applications.

Driving Method for Compensating Reliability Problem of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Transistors and Image Sticking Phenomenon in Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode Displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Min-Seok; Jo, Yun-Rae; Kwon, Oh-Kyong

2011-03-01

In this paper, we propose a driving method for compensating the electrical instability of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistors (TFTs) and the luminance degradation of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices for large active matrix OLED (AMOLED) displays. The proposed driving method senses the electrical characteristics of a-Si:H TFTs and OLEDs using current integrators and compensates them by an external compensation method. Threshold voltage shift is controlled a using negative bias voltage. After applying the proposed driving method, the measured error of the maximum emission current ranges from -1.23 to +1.59 least significant bit (LSB) of a 10-bit gray scale under the threshold voltage shift ranging from -0.16 to 0.17 V.

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Studies of n-i-p Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Based Photovoltaic Devices

PubMed Central

Karki Gautam, Laxmi; Junda, Maxwell M.; Haneef, Hamna F.; Collins, Robert W.; Podraza, Nikolas J.

2016-01-01

Optimization of thin film photovoltaics (PV) relies on characterizing the optoelectronic and structural properties of each layer and correlating these properties with device performance. Growth evolution diagrams have been used to guide production of materials with good optoelectronic properties in the full hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) PV device configuration. The nucleation and evolution of crystallites forming from the amorphous phase were studied using in situ near-infrared to ultraviolet spectroscopic ellipsometry during growth of films prepared as a function of hydrogen to reactive gas flow ratio R = [H2]/[SiH4]. In conjunction with higher photon energy measurements, the presence and relative absorption strength of silicon-hydrogen infrared modes were measured by infrared extended ellipsometry measurements to gain insight into chemical bonding. Structural and optical models have been developed for the back reflector (BR) structure consisting of sputtered undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) on top of silver (Ag) coated glass substrates. Characterization of the free-carrier absorption properties in Ag and the ZnO + Ag interface as well as phonon modes in ZnO were also studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Measurements ranging from 0.04 to 5 eV were used to extract layer thicknesses, composition, and optical response in the form of complex dielectric function spectra (ε = ε1 + iε2) for Ag, ZnO, the ZnO + Ag interface, and undoped a-Si:H layer in a substrate n-i-p a-Si:H based PV device structure. PMID:28773255

Non-negligible Contributions to Thermal Conductivity From Localized Modes in Amorphous Silicon Dioxide

PubMed Central

Lv, Wei; Henry, Asegun

2016-01-01

Thermal conductivity is important for almost all applications involving heat transfer. The theory and modeling of crystalline materials is in some sense a solved problem, where one can now calculate their thermal conductivity from first principles using expressions based on the phonon gas model (PGM). However, modeling of amorphous materials still has many open questions, because the PGM itself becomes questionable when one cannot rigorously define the phonon velocities. In this report, we used our recently developed Green-Kubo modal analysis (GKMA) method to study amorphous silicon dioxide (a-SiO2). The predicted thermal conductivities exhibit excellent agreement with experiments and anharmonic effects are included in the thermal conductivity calculation for all the modes in a-SiO2 for the first time. Previously, localized modes (locons) have been thought to have a negligible contribution to thermal conductivity, due to their highly localized nature. However, in a-SiO2 our results indicate that locons contribute more than 10% to the total thermal conductivity from 400 K to 800 K and they are largely responsible for the increase in thermal conductivity of a-SiO2 above room temperature. This is an effect that cannot be explained by previous methods and therefore offers new insight into the nature of phonon transport in amorphous/glassy materials. PMID:27767082

Amorphous silicon-carbon nanospheres synthesized by chemical vapor deposition using cheap methyltrichlorosilane as improved anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

PubMed

Zhang, Zailei; Zhang, Meiju; Wang, Yanhong; Tan, Qiangqiang; Lv, Xiao; Zhong, Ziyi; Li, Hong; Su, Fabing

2013-06-21

We report the preparation and characterization of amorphous silicon-carbon (Si-C) nanospheres as anode materials in Li-ion batteries. These nanospheres were synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition at 900 °C using methyltrichlorosilane (CH3SiCl3) as both the Si and C precursor, which is a cheap byproduct in the organosilane industry. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, thermal gravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the synthesized Si-C nanospheres composed of amorphous C (about 60 wt%) and Si (about 40 wt%) had a diameter of 400-600 nm and a surface area of 43.8 m(2) g(-1). Their charge capacities were 483.6, 331.7, 298.6, 180.6, and 344.2 mA h g(-1) at 50, 200, 500, 1000, and 50 mA g(-1) after 50 cycles, higher than that of the commercial graphite anode. The Si-C amorphous structure could absorb a large volume change of Si during Li insertion and extraction reactions and hinder the cracking or crumbling of the electrode, thus resulting in the improved reversible capacity and cycling stability. The work opens a new way to fabricate low cost Si-C anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

Experimental exploration of the hydrodynamic effect polishing machinability for different types of material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, W. Q.; Li, Y.; Wang, Z.; Li, S. Y.

2018-01-01

Hydrodynamic effect polishing (HEP), in which the material removal relies on the chemisorption between nanoparticles and the workpiece surface in elastic mode, can realize automatic level smooth surface without surface/subsurface damage. The machinability of different types of optical material (such as monocrystalline silicon and crystalline quartz, amorphous silicate glass, Zerodur and so on) were investigated experimentally. The workpiece surfaces before and after being polished by HEP was observed by atomic force microscopy. The experimental results show the surface roughness of monocrystalline silicon and quartz, amorphous silicate glass have decreased from Rms 0.737nm to Rms 0.175nm, Rms 0.490nm to Rms 0.187nm, Rms 0.469nm to Rms 0.157nm respectively, and meanwhile all the defects and bumpy structures have been removed clearly. However the surface roughness has increased from Rms 0.213nm to Rms 0.321nm with the obvious increment of micro unevenness. By comparison, we can conclude that excellent performance is shown when HEP is applied on the optical material structure with a single monocrystalline or amorphous component. However the ultrasmooth surface cannot be obtained when HEP was applied on the combinational materials such as Zerodur glass. The micro unevenness increases gradually along with polishing process due to the different material removal of the monocrystalline and amorphous component.