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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Selenization of Sb{sub 2}Se{sub 3} absorber layer: An efficient step to improve device performance of CdS/Sb{sub 2}Se{sub 3} solar cells

Sb{sub 2}Se{sub 3} appeared as a very promising solar absorber because of their attractive material, optical and electrical properties. Previously, we reported thermal evaporated superstrate CdS/Sb{sub 2}Se{sub 3} solar cell achieving 1.9% efficiency. In this letter, we improved device performance to 3.7% (Voc = 0.335 V, Jsc = 24.4 mA/cm{sup 2}, and FF = 46.8%) by an additional selenization step. Careful external quantum efficiency, capacitance-voltage profiling, and photoresponse study indicated selenization probably compensated selenium loss during thermal evaporation, reducing V{sub Se} associated recombination loss and improving device performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Specific Features of the Electrochemical Capacitance–Voltage Profiling of GaAs LED and pHEMT Structures with Quantum-Confined Regions

GaAs light-emitting (LED) and HEMT structures with δ-doped regions, InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells, and surface layers of InAs/GaAs quantum dots were studied by means of the electrochemical capacitance- voltage profiling technique. The concentration depth profiles of free charge carriers were obtained. Charges accumulated in quantum wells and quantum dots, as well as the doping levels of the emitter and δ layers were determined. The band structure and free carrier density distribution over the depth of the samples with different quantum well geometry were simulated. The specific features of electrochemical capacitance- voltage profiling in different heterostructure types are analyzed. A method of integration of capacitance- voltage curves at each etching stage was suggested. This method provides the efficient separation of responses from closely located layers, particularly the quantum well and δ layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

The study of quantum efficiency in PIN photodiodes in terms of temperature and capacitive effects under non-uniform illumination conditions

In this article the impacts of quantum efficiency and bandwidth of PIN photodiodes under non-uniform illumination conditions are investigated. An absorption region is divided into the number of arbitrary layers and the continuity equations for each layer are solved with assuming that the carrier’s drift velocity is constant in each layer. Also the impact of transit time and capacitive effects of bandwidth were studied with considering the bias voltage, width of absorption region and temperature. The results show that with considering the capacitive effects, the bandwidth is increased by increase in temperature and bias voltage. We observe the effect of incident optical radiation from two n and p sides and also its impact on bandwidth and quantum efficiency. The results show more impact of radiation from n region compared to p region.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2000

Efficient Multi-Dimensional Simulation of Quantum Confinement Effects in Advanced MOS Devices

We investigate the density-gradient (DG) transport model for efficient multi-dimensional simulation of quantum confinement effects in advanced MOS devices. The formulation of the DG model is described as a quantum correction ot the classical drift-diffusion model. Quantum confinement effects are shown to be significant in sub-100nm MOSFETs. In thin-oxide MOS capacitors, quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. As a result, the inclusion of quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. As a result, the inclusion of quantum effects in simulations dramatically improves the match between C-V simulations and measurements for oxide thickness down to 2 nm. Significant quantum corrections also occur in the I-V characteristics of short-channel (30 to 100 nm) n-MOSFETs, with current drive reduced by up to 70%. This effect is shown to result from reduced inversion charge due to quantum confinement of electrons in the channel. Also, subthreshold slope is degraded by 15 to 20 mV/decade with the inclusion of quantum effects via the density-gradient model, and short channel effects (in particular, drain-induced barrier lowering) are noticeably increased.

Biegel, Bryan A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Engineered MXene quantum dots for micro-supercapacitors with excellent capacitive behaviors

Micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) have drawn tremendous attention as promising candidates to power miniaturized portable/wearable electronics, but they still suffer from unsatisfactory electrochemical performance (e.g., insufficient energy density, mediocre rate capability), thus impeding their widespread applications. Here, a synergistic surface and structure engineering strategy achieved by downsizing to quantum dot scale, doping of heteroatoms, and introducing defects and functional groups is proposed to regulate the physicochemical properties of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene. Encouragingly, the resulting MSCs based on defect-rich nitrogen-doped Ti 3 C 2 T x quantum dots (QDs) possess excellent electrochemical performance as demonstrated by large operating voltage (3.0 V in ionic liquid and 1.0 V in aqueous electrolyte), perfect rectangular CV shape even at 1000 V·s -1 , high volumetric capacitance of 33.1 F·cm -3 , and superior cycling stability after 10000 cycles. By employing experimental characterizations and density functional theory calculations, the remarkable performance of the MSCs is mainly due to the special chemical states as well as the unique surface and structural features of Ti 3 C 2 T x QDs, which offer abundant active sites, shorten ion diffusion pathways, promote ion/electron transports, and provide enhanced capacitance. Finally, this work provides a new strategy for the design of high-performance MSCs and a reference for the applications of MXene QDs in other energy-related fields.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1998

Simulation of Ultra-Small MOSFETs Using a 2-D Quantum-Corrected Drift-Diffusion Model

We describe an electronic transport model and an implementation approach that respond to the challenges of device modeling for gigascale integration. We use the density-gradient (DG) transport model, which adds tunneling and quantum smoothing of carrier density profiles to the drift-diffusion model. We present the current implementation of the DG model in PROPHET, a partial differential equation solver developed by Lucent Technologies. This implementation approach permits rapid development and enhancement of models, as well as run-time modifications and model switching. We show that even in typical bulk transport devices such as P-N diodes and BJTs, DG quantum effects can significantly modify the I-V characteristics. Quantum effects are shown to be even more significant in small, surface transport devices, such as sub-0.1 micron MOSFETs. In thin-oxide MOS capacitors, we find that quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. The inclusion of quantum effects in simulations dramatically improves the match between C-V simulations and measurements. Significant quantum corrections also occur in the I-V characteristics of short-channel MOSFETs due to the gate capacitance correction.

Biegel, Bryan A.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Reduced defect density at the CZTSSe/CdS interface by atomic layer deposition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}

The greatest challenge for improving the power conversion efficiency of Cu{sub 2}ZnSn(S,Se){sub 4} (CZTSSe)/CdS/ZnO thin film solar cells is increasing the open circuit voltage (V{sub OC}). Probable leading causes of the V{sub OC} deficit in state-of-the-art CZTSSe devices have been identified as bulk recombination, band tails, and the intertwined effects of CZTSSe/CdS band offset, interface defects, and interface recombination. In this work, we demonstrate the modification of the CZTSSe absorber/CdS buffer interface following the deposition of 1 nm-thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers by atomic layer deposition (ALD) near room temperature. Capacitance-voltage profiling and quantum efficiency measurements reveal that ALD-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface modification reduces the density of acceptor-like states at the heterojunction resulting in reduced interface recombination and wider depletion width. Indications of increased V{sub OC} resulting from the modification of the heterojunction interface as a result of ALD-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} treatment are presented. These results, while not conclusive for application to state-of-the-art high efficiency CZTSSe devices, suggest the need for further studies as it is probable that interface recombination contributes to reduced V{sub OC} even in such devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

On the influence of polarization effects in predicting the interfacial structure and capacitance of graphene-like electrodes in ionic liquids

The electric double layer (C{sub D}) and electrode quantum (C{sub Q}) capacitances of graphene-based supercapacitors are investigated using a combined molecular dynamics and density functional theory approach. In particular, we compare an approach that includes electronic polarization to one that is polarization-free by evaluating both C{sub D} and C{sub Q} using [EMIM][BF{sub 4}] ionic liquid as a model electrolyte. Our results indicate that the inclusion of polarization effects can yield higher C{sub D} values—in this study by up to 40% around ±2 V—which we attribute primarily to the presence of charge smearing at the electrode-electrolyte interface. On the other hand, we find that the polarization-induced distortion of the electronic structure of graphene does not noticeably alter the predicted C{sub Q}. Our analysis suggests that an accurate description of the spatial charge distribution at the graphene interface due to polarization is necessary to improve our predictive capabilities, though more notably for C{sub D}. However, the conventional polarization-free approximation can serve as an efficient tool to study trends associated with both the C{sub Q} and C{sub D} at the interface of various graphene-like materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Quantum dot microscope apparatus comprising a nanoscale semiconductor on the tip of a fiber, a tunneling electrical lead and a capacitive electrical lead on the fiber

A quantum dot microscope apparatus is provided. A further aspect employs a tilted or tapered end or tip on a microscopic probe. Another aspect of the present apparatus employs a probe including a quantum dot with only one tunneling lead connected to a power source. A manufacturing aspect includes creating a tapered or asymmetrically shaped specimen-facing end of a probe where a quantum dot is located on the end. A further manufacturing aspect includes using focused ion-beam milling to create a tip or end of a quantum dot microscope probe.

Tessmer, Stuart Holden↗
DOE OSTI2014

Full control of quadruple quantum dot circuit charge states in the single electron regime

We report the realization of an array of four tunnel coupled quantum dots in the single electron regime, which is the first required step toward a scalable solid state spin qubit architecture. We achieve an efficient tunability of the system but also find out that the conditions to realize spin blockade readout are not as straightforwardly obtained as for double and triple quantum dot circuits. We use a simple capacitive model of the series quadruple quantum dots circuit to investigate its complex charge state diagrams and are able to find the most suitable configurations for future Pauli spin blockade measurements. We then experimentally realize the corresponding charge states with a good agreement to our model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Image Processing Algorithms for Tuning Quantum Devices and Nitrogen-Vacancy Imaging

Semiconductor quantum dot devices can be challenging to configure into a regime where they are suitable for qubit operation. This challenge arises from variations in gate control of quantum dot electron occupation and tunnel coupling between quantum dots on a single device or across several devices. Furthermore, a single control gate usually has capacitive coupling to multiple quantum dots and tunnel barriers between dots. If the device operator, be it human or machine, has quantitative knowledge of how gates control the electrostatic and dynamic properties of multiqubit devices, the operator can more quickly and easily navigate the multidimensional gate space to find a qubit operating regime. We have developed and applied image analysis techniques to quantitatively detect where charge offsets from different quantum dots intersect, so called anticrossings. In this document we outline the details of our algorithm for detecting single anticrossings, which has been used to fine-tune the inter-dot tunnel rates for a three quantum dot system. Additionally, we show that our algorithm can detect multiple anticrossings in the same dataset, which can aid in the coarse tuning the electron occupation of multiple quantum dots. We also include an application of cross correlation to the imaging of magnetic fields using nitrogen vacancies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2000

Efficient Multi-Dimensional Simulation of Quantum Confinement Effects in Advanced MOS Devices

We investigate the density-gradient (DG) transport model for efficient multi-dimensional simulation of quantum confinement effects in advanced MOS devices. The formulation of the DG model is described as a quantum correction to the classical drift-diffusion model. Quantum confinement effects are shown to be significant in sub-100nm MOSFETs. In thin-oxide MOS capacitors, quantum effects may reduce gate capacitance by 25% or more. As a result, the inclusion or quantum effects in simulations dramatically improves the match between C-V simulations and measurements for oxide thickness down to 2 nm. Significant quantum corrections also occur in the I-V characteristics of short-channel (30 to 100 nm) n-MOSFETs, with current drive reduced by up to 70%. This effect is shown to result from reduced inversion charge due to quantum confinement of electrons in the channel. Also, subthreshold slope is degraded by 15 to 20 mV/decade with the inclusion of quantum effects via the density-gradient model, and short channel effects (in particular, drain-induced barrier lowering) are noticeably increased.

Biegel, Bryan A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Dielectric Relaxation by Quantum Critical Magnons

We report the experimental observation of dielectric relaxation by quantum critical magnons. Complex capacitance measurements reveal a dissipative feature with a temperature-dependent amplitude due to low-energy lattice excitations and an activation behavior of the relaxation time. The activation energy softens close to a field-tuned magnetic quantum critical point at H = H c and follows single-magnon energy for H > H c , showing its magnetic origin. Furthermore, our study demonstrates the electrical activity of coupled low-energy spin and lattice excitations, an example of quantum multiferroic behavior.

1-dimensional spin chains↗
DOE OSTI2015

High-efficiency, flexible CdTe solar cells on ultra-thin glass substrates

Flexible, high-efficiency, low-cost solar cells can enable applications that take advantage of high specific power, flexible form factors, lower installation and transportation costs. Here, we report a certified record efficiency of 16.4% for a flexible CdTe solar cell that is a marked improvement over the previous standard (14.05%). The improvement was achieved by replacing chemical-bath-deposited CdS with sputtered CdS:O and also replacing the high-temperature sputtered ZnTe:Cu back contact layer with co-evaporated and rapidly annealed ZnTe:Cu. We use quantum efficiency and capacitance-voltage measurements combined with device simulations to identify the reasons for the increase in efficiency. Both device simulations and experimental results show that higher carrier density can quantitatively account for the increased open circuit voltage (V{sub OC}) and Fill Factor (FF), and likewise, the increase in short circuit current density (J{sub SC}) can be attributed to the more transparent CdS:O.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Inversion gate capacitance of undoped single-gate and double-gate field-effect transistor geometries in the extreme quantum limit

We present first-principle analytical derivations and numerically modeled data to show that the gate capacitance per unit gate area C{sub G} of extremely thin undoped-channel single-gate and double-gate field-effect transistor geometries in the extreme quantum limit with single-subband occupancy can be written as 1/C{sub G} = 1/C{sub OX} + N{sub G}/C{sub DOS} + N{sub G}/ηC{sub WF}, where N{sub G} is the number of gates, C{sub OX} is the oxide capacitance per unit area, C{sub DOS} is the density-of-states capacitance per unit area, C{sub WF} is the wave function spreading capacitance per unit area, and η is a constant on the order of 1.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Photovoltaic Properties of Selenized CuGa/In Films with Varied Compositions

Thin CuGa/In films with varied compositions were deposited by co-evaporation and then selenized in situ with evaporated selenium. The selenized Cu(In, Ga)Se2 absorbers were used to fabricate 390 solar cells. Cu/(Ga+In) and Ga/(Ga+In) (Cu/III and Ga/III) were independently varied, and photovoltaic performance was optimal at Cu/III of 77-92% for all Ga/III compositions studied (Ga/III ~ 30, 50, and 70%). The best absorbers at each Ga/III composition were characterized with time-resolved photoluminescence, scanning electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry, and devices were studied with temperature-dependent current density-voltage, light and electrical biased quantum efficiency, and capacitance-voltage. The best cells with Ga/III ~ 30, 50, and 70% had efficiencies of 14.5, 14.4, and 12.2% and maximum power temperature coefficients of -0.496, -0.452, and -0.413%/degrees C, respectively. This resulted in the Ga/III ~ 50% champion having the highest efficiency at temperatures greater than 40 degrees C, making it the optimal composition for practical purposes. This optimum is understood as a result of the absorber's band gap grading- where minimum band gap dominates short-circuit current density, maximum space charge region band gap dominates open-circuit voltage, and average absorber band gap dominates maximum power temperature coefficient.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Negative capacitance switching via VO{sub 2} band gap engineering driven by electric field

We report the negative capacitance behavior of an energy band gap modulation quantum well with a sandwich VO{sub 2} layer structure. The phase transition is probed by measuring its capacitance. With the help of theoretical calculations, it shows that the negative capacitance changes of the quantum well device come from VO{sub 2} band gap by continuously tuning the temperature or voltage. Experiments reveal that as the current remains small enough, joule heating can be ignored, and the insulator-metal transition of VO{sub 2} can be induced by the electric field. Our results open up possibilities for functional devices with phase transitions induced by external electric fields other than the heating or electricity-heat transition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Reconfigurable quadruple quantum dots in a silicon nanowire transistor

We present a reconfigurable metal-oxide-semiconductor multi-gate transistor that can host a quadruple quantum dot in silicon. The device consists of an industrial quadruple-gate silicon nanowire field-effect transistor. Exploiting the corner effect, we study the versatility of the structure in the single quantum dot and the serial double quantum dot regimes and extract the relevant capacitance parameters. We address the fabrication variability of the quadruple-gate approach which, paired with improved silicon fabrication techniques, makes the corner state quantum dot approach a promising candidate for a scalable quantum information architecture.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗