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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 757 records · Page 42
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Composition-optimized TiO{sub 2}/CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} core/shell nanowire arrays for photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation

Core/shell heterostructured TiO{sub 2}/CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} nanowire arrays (NWAs) were prepared via physical vapor deposition of CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} layer onto the hydrothermal pre-grown TiO{sub 2} NWAs with FTO as conductive substrate. By change the sulfur content (x) in the TiO{sub 2}/CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} nano-composites, it was observed that the light absorption edge can be gradually tuned within a broad wavelength from 540 to 710 nm. When used as photoanodes for hydrogen generation, the as-prepared TiO{sub 2}/CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} NWAs show much higher photoelectroncatalytic activity than the pristine TiO{sub 2} NWAs. Moreover, the TiO{sub 2}/CdS{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} photoelectrode with x = 0.52 exhibited the highest photocurrent level and outstanding stability, which is more suitable for long-time hydrogen generation. This study may be useful in the design of alloy hetrostructure photoelectrodes with optimal chemical composition toward the more efficient solar conversion devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Band offsets of n-type electron-selective contacts on cuprous oxide (Cu{sub 2}O) for photovoltaics

The development of cuprous oxide (Cu{sub 2}O) photovoltaics (PVs) is limited by low device open-circuit voltages. A strong contributing factor to this underperformance is the conduction-band offset between Cu{sub 2}O and its n-type heterojunction partner or electron-selective contact. In the present work, a broad range of possible n-type materials is surveyed, including ZnO, ZnS, Zn(O,S), (Mg,Zn)O, TiO{sub 2}, CdS, and Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Band offsets are determined through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical bandgap measurements. A majority of these materials is identified as having a negative conduction-band offset with respect to Cu{sub 2}O; the detrimental impact of this on open-circuit voltage (V{sub OC}) is evaluated through 1-D device simulation. These results suggest that doping density of the n-type material is important as well, and that a poorly optimized heterojunction can easily mask changes in bulk minority carrier lifetime. Promising heterojunction candidates identified here include Zn(O,S) with [S]/[Zn] ratios >70%, and Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}, which both demonstrate slightly positive conduction-band offsets and high V{sub OC} potential. This experimental protocol and modeling may be generalized to evaluate the efficiency potential of candidate heterojunction partners for other PV absorbers, and the materials identified herein may be promising for other absorbers with low electron affinities.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Patterning of self-assembled monolayers by phase-shifting mask and its applications in large-scale assembly of nanowires

A nonselective micropatterning method of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on laser and phase-shifting mask (PSM) is demonstrated. Laser beam is spatially modulated by a PSM, and periodic SAM patterns are generated sequentially through thermal desorption. Patterned wettability is achieved with alternating hydrophilic/hydrophobic stripes on octadecyltrichlorosilane monolayers. The substrate is then used to assemble CdS semiconductor nanowires (NWs) from a solution, obtaining well-aligned NWs in one step. Our results show valuably the application potential of this technique in engineering SAMs for integration of functional devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Evaluation of third order nonlinear optical parameters of CdS/PVA nanocomposite

CdS nanoparticles dispersed in PVA are prepared by Chemical method at room temperature. The nonlinear optical parameters such as nonlinear absorption (β), nonlinear refractive index (n{sub 2}) and nonlinear susceptibility (χ{sup 3}) are calculated for this sample by using Z-scan technique. CdS/PVA samples show the two photon absorption mechanism. The third order nonlinear susceptibility is calculated from n{sub 2} and β and is found to be of the order of 10{sup −7} – 10{sup −8} m{sup 2}/V{sup 2}. The larger value of third order nonlinear susceptibility is due to dielectric and quantum confinement effect.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Multilayer-graphene-based amplifier of surface acoustic waves

The amplification of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by a multilayer graphene (MLG)-based amplifier is studied. The conductivity of massless carriers (electrons or holes) in graphene in an external drift electric field is calculated using Boltzmann’s equation. At some carrier drift velocities, the real part of the variable conductivity becomes negative and MLG can be employed in SAW amplifiers. Amplification of Blustein’s and Rayleigh’s SAWs in CdS, a piezoelectric hexagonal crystal of the symmetry group C{sub 6v}, is considered. The corresponding equations for SAW propagation in the device are derived and can be applied to other substrate crystals of the same symmetry. The results of the paper indicate that MLG can be considered as a perspective material for SAW amplification and related applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Arrays of ZnO/CuIn{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}Se{sub 2} nanocables with tunable shell composition for efficient photovoltaics

Arrays of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure are receiving much attention for their optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications due to their advantages in light absorption, charge separation, and transportation. In this work, arrays of ZnO/CuIn{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}Se{sub 2} core/shell nanocables with tunable shell compositions over the full range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 have been controllably synthesized. Chemical conversions of ZnO nanorods to a series of ZnO-based nanocables, including ZnO/ZnSe, ZnO/CuSe, ZnO/CuSe/In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}, ZnO/CuSe/(In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}){sub 2}Se{sub 3}, and ZnO/CuIn{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}Se{sub 2}, are well designed and successfully achieved. Composition-dependent influences of the CuIn{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}Se{sub 2} shells on photovoltaic performance are investigated. It is found that the increase in indium content (x) leads to an increase in short-circuit current density (J{sub SC}) but a decrease in open-circuit voltage (V{sub OC}) for the ZnO/CuIn{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}Se{sub 2} nanocable solar cells. An array of ZnO/CuIn{sub 0.67}Ga{sub 0.33}Se{sub 2} nanocables with a length of ∼1 μm and a shell thickness of ∼10 nm exhibits a bandgap of 1.20 eV, and yields a maximum power conversion efficiency of 1.74% under AM 1.5 G illumination at an intensity of 100 mW/cm{sup 2}. It dramatically surpasses that (0.22%) of the ZnO/CuIn{sub 0.67}Ga{sub 0.33}Se{sub 2} planar thin-film device. Our work reveals that 1D nanoarray allows efficient photovoltaics without using toxic CdS buffer layer.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Enhanced photocatalytic H{sub 2} evolution over CdS/Au/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} composite photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation

A novel heterojunction structured composite photocatalyst CdS/Au/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} has been developed by depositing CdS/Au with a core (Au)-shell (CdS) structure on the surface of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. The photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of the developed photocatalyst was evaluated under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) using methanol as a sacrificial reagent. As a result, its activity is about 125.8 times higher than that of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and is even much higher than that of Pt/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}. The enhancement in photocatalytic activity is attributed to efficient separation of the photoexcited charges due to the anisotropic junction in the CdS/Au/g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effect of dopent on the structural and optical properties of ZnS thin film as a buffer layer in solar cell application

In order to find the suitable alternative of toxic CdS buffer layer, deposition of pure ZnS and doped with Al by chemical bath deposition method have been reported. Further as grown pure and doped thin films have been annealed at 150°C. The structural and surface morphological properties have been characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).The XRD analysis shows that annealed thin film has been polycrystalline in nature with sphalerite cubic crystal structure and AFM images indicate increment in grain size as well as growth of crystals after annealing. Optical measurement data give band gap of 3.5 eV which is ideal band gap for buffer layer for solar cell suggesting that the obtained ZnS buffer layer is suitable in a low-cost solar cell.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cd{sub 0.9375}Mn{sub 0.0625}S diluted magnetic semiconductor: A DFT study

We studied the spin polarized electronic band structures and magnetic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor Cd{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}S in Zinc Blende phase (B3) with 0.0625 Mn by using ab initio method. The calculations were performed by using Density Functional Theory as implemented in the Spanish Initiative for Electronic Simulations with Thousands of Atoms code using local density approximation (LDA). Calculated electronic band structures and magnetic properties of Cd{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}S are discussed in terms of contribution of Mn 3d{sup 5} 4s{sup 2}, Cd 4d{sup 10} 5s{sup 2}, S 3s{sup 2} 3p{sup 4} orbitals. The total magnetic moment is found to be 5.00 µb for Cd{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}S at x=0.0625. This value indicate that Mn atom adds no hole carrier to the perfect CdS crystal. We found that Mn doped systems are ferromagnetic. Calculated results are in good agreement with previous studies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Characterization of total ionizing dose damage in COTS pinned photodiode CMOS image sensors

The characterization of total ionizing dose (TID) damage in COTS pinned photodiode (PPD) CMOS image sensors (CISs) is investigated. The radiation experiments are carried out at a {sup 60}Co γ-ray source. The CISs are produced by 0.18-μm CMOS technology and the pixel architecture is 8T global shutter pixel with correlated double sampling (CDS) based on a 4T PPD front end. The parameters of CISs such as temporal domain, spatial domain, and spectral domain are measured at the CIS test system as the EMVA 1288 standard before and after irradiation. The dark current, random noise, dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU), photo response non-uniformity (PRNU), overall system gain, saturation output, dynamic range (DR), signal to noise ratio (SNR), quantum efficiency (QE), and responsivity versus the TID are reported. The behaviors of the tested CISs show remarkable degradations after radiation. The degradation mechanisms of CISs induced by TID damage are also analyzed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Synthesis and characterization of Mn doped ZnCdS core shell nanostructures QDs using a chemical precipitation route

With advancement in time, researchers has drawn great attention in the synthesis and characterization of mono dispersed alloyed nanocomposites of II-VI compounds. Ternary semiconductor alloyed ZnCdS quantum dots (QD’s) exhibit properties intermediate between those of ZnS and CdS. It shows high absorption coefficients, a composition tunable and size tunable band gap. Moreover, ZnCdS alloyed NC’s display unique composition dependent properties distinct from those of their bulk counterparts. The most striking feature of the alloyed NC’s nanocrystals is their unusual long time stability in emission wavelength. ZnCdS alloyed QD’s at room temperature has been synthesized using chemical precipitation method. Undoped and Mn{sup 2+} doped ZnCdS QDs have been synthesized and studied. UV-visible absorption spectrum shows absorbance in the visible region and photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra of the doped ZnCdS QD’s shows orange emission in comparison to weak blue emission from undoped QDs. The crystallite size is calculated from the XRD patterns. The experimental results indicate that this easy synthesis route would prove a versatile approach for the preparation of doped and undoped ZnCdS QD’s.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

ZnO/CdS bi-layer nanostructures photoelectrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Simple chemical deposition method for the synthesis of ZnO/CdS bilayer photoelectrode on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate in aqueous medium at low temperature (< 373K) is described. The different preparative parameters such as deposition time, bath temperature, concentration of precursor solution and, pH of the bath etc. were optimized. Nanograined ZnO was deposited on FTO coated glass substrates by dip-coating method, whereas CdS nanorods were successfully synthesized on pre-deposited ZnO film by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method. The Photovoltaic properties of FTO/ZnO/CdS bilayer photo electrodes were also studied. A maximum short circuit current density of 9.1 mA cm-2 and conversion efficiency 1.05% are observed for ZnO/CdS-10min. Layer, which supports fast electron injection kinetics due to hetero structured nanorod, while minimum values of 0.53mA cm-2 and 0.01% respectively are observed for only ZnO deposited layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Point contacts at the copper-indium-gallium-selenide interface—A theoretical outlook

For a long time, it has been assumed that recombination in the space-charge region of copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) is dominant, at least in high efficiency solar cells with low band gap. The recent developments like potassium fluoride post deposition treatment and point-contact junction may call this into question. In this work, a theoretical outlook is made using three-dimensional simulations to investigate the effect of point-contact openings through a passivation layer on CIGS solar cell performance. A large set of solar cells is modeled under different scenarios for the charged defect levels and density, radius of the openings, interface quality, and conduction band offset. The positive surface charge created by the passivation layer induces band bending and this influences the contact (CdS) properties, making it beneficial for the open circuit voltage and efficiency, and the effect is even more pronounced when coverage area is more than 95%, and also makes a positive impact on the device performance, even in the presence of a spike at CIGS/CdS heterojunction.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Pinning down high-performance Cu-chalcogenides as thin-film solar cell absorbers: A successive screening approach

Photovoltaic performances of Cu-chalcogenides solar cells are strongly correlated with the absorber fundamental properties such as optimal bandgap, desired band alignment with window material, and high photon absorption ability. According to these criteria, we carry out a successive screening for 90 Cu-chalcogenides using efficient theoretical approaches. Besides the well-recognized CuInSe{sub 2} and Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} materials, several novel candidates are identified to have optimal bandgaps of around 1.0–1.5 eV, spike-like band alignments with CdS window layer, sharp photon absorption edges, and high absorption coefficients. These new systems have great potential to be superior absorbers for photovolatic applications if their carrrier transport and defect properties are properly optimized.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Emitter/absorber interface of CdTe solar cells

The performance of CdTe solar cells can be very sensitive to the emitter/absorber interface, especially for high-efficiency cells with high bulk lifetime. Performance losses from acceptor-type interface defects can be significant when interface defect states are located near mid-gap energies. Numerical simulations show that the emitter/absorber band alignment, the emitter doping and thickness, and the defect properties of the interface (i.e., defect density, defect type, and defect energy) can all play significant roles in the interface recombination. In particular, a type I heterojunction with small conduction-band offset (0.1 eV ≤ ΔE{sub C} ≤ 0.3 eV) can help maintain good cell efficiency in spite of high interface defect density, much like with Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) cells. The basic principle is that positive ΔE{sub C}, often referred to as a “spike,” creates an absorber inversion and hence a large hole barrier adjacent to the interface. As a result, the electron-hole recombination is suppressed due to an insufficient hole supply at the interface. A large spike (ΔE{sub C} ≥ 0.4 eV), however, can impede electron transport and lead to a reduction of photocurrent and fill-factor. In contrast to the spike, a “cliff” (ΔE{sub C} < 0 eV) allows high hole concentration in the vicinity of the interface, which will assist interface recombination and result in a reduced open-circuit voltage. Another way to mitigate performance losses due to interface defects is to use a thin and highly doped emitter, which can invert the absorber and form a large hole barrier at the interface. CdS is the most common emitter material used in CdTe solar cells, but the CdS/CdTe interface is in the cliff category and is not favorable from the band-offset perspective. The ΔE{sub C} of other n-type emitter choices, such as (Mg,Zn)O, Cd(S,O), or (Cd,Mg)Te, can be tuned by varying the elemental ratio for an optimal positive value of ΔE{sub C}. These materials are predicted to yield higher voltages and would therefore be better candidates for the CdTe-cell emitter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Using quantum dot photoluminescence for load detection

We propose a novel concept for an integrable and flexible sensor capable to visualize mechanical impacts on lightweight structures by quenching the photoluminescence (PL) of CdSe quantum dots. Considering the requirements such as visibility, storage time and high optical contrast of PL quenching with low power consumption, we have investigated a symmetrical and an asymmetrical layer stack consisting of semiconductor organic N,N,N′,N′-Tetrakis(3-methylphenyl)-3,3′-dimethylbenzidine (HMTPD) and CdSe quantum dots with elongated CdS shell. Time-resolved series of PL spectra from layer stacks with applied voltages of different polarity and simultaneous observation of power consumption have shown that a variety of mechanisms such as photo-induced charge separation and charge injection, cause PL quenching. However, mechanisms such as screening of external field as well as Auger-assisted charge ejection is working contrary to that. Investigations regarding the influence of illumination revealed that the positive biased asymmetrical layer stack is the preferred sensor configuration, due to a charge carrier injection at voltages of 10 V without the need of coincident illumination.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2018

Probing the CZTS/CdS heterojunction utilizing photoelectrochemistry and x-ray absorption spectroscopy

The importance of renewable resources is becoming more and more influential on research due to the depletion of fossil fuels. Cost-effective ways of harvesting solar energy should also be at the forefront of these investigations. Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) solar cells are well within the frame of these goals, and a thorough understanding of how they are made and processed synthetically is crucial. The CZTS/CdS heterojunction was examined using photoelectrochemistry and synchrotron radiation (SR) spectroscopy. These tools provided physical insights into this interface that was formed by the electrophoretic deposition of CZTS nanocrystals and chemical bath deposition (CBD) of CdS for the respective films. It was discovered that CBD induced a change in the local and long range environment of the Zn in the CZTS lattice, which was detrimental to the photoresponse. X-ray absorption near-edge structures and extended X-ray absorption fine structures (EXAFSs) of the junction showed that this change was at an atomic level and was associated with the coordination of oxygen to zinc. This was confirmed through FEFF fitting of the EXAFS and through IR spectroscopy. It was found that this change in both photoresponse and the Zn coordination can be reversed with the use of low temperature annealing. Investigating CZTS through SR techniques provides detailed structural information of minor changes from the zinc perspective.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

A low cost and large-scale synthesis of 3D photonic crystal with SP2 lattice symmetry

In this work, a novel lithographic method is proposed to prepare three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystal (PC) that is different from conventional top-down and bottom-up approaches. The method combines a 2D optical mask and off-the-axis double optical exposures to create a desirable 3D PC structure. Since the method uses only two optical exposures of a photo-resist layer, it is inherently a low-cost, high throughput and wafer-scale lithographic method. The method is implemented to make a slanted post 3D PC having the SP2 lattice symmetry. Three types of SP2 3D PC structures were successfully fabricated with a minimum feature size of d=1.5 μm over a large scale of 8x10 mm 2 , without any observable fabrication defects. The SP2 PCs are: (i) SU8 posts in air background, (ii) air pores in CdS background and (iii) Pt coated on SU8 SP2 templates. A spectroscopic study of the SP2 PCs shows select spectral regions of high reflectance, indicating the existence of a photonic stop band. This low-cost and large-scale method could enable broader technological impacts of 3D PC materials in areas such as thermo-photovoltaics and above room-temperature Bose-Einstein Condensation. Furthermore, this off-axis method could lead to the creation of an entirely new class of slanted-rod based photonic crystals, such as topological photonic crystal in 3D.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗