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At least 1,045 records · Page 58

Self-formed copper oxide contact interlayer for high-performance oxide thin film transistors

Oxide thin film transistor employing copper source/drain electrodes shows a small turn on voltage and reduced hysteresis. Cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy image confirmed the formation of ∼4 nm CuO{sub x} related interlayer. The lower bond-dissociation energy of Cu-O compared to Si-O and In-O suggests that the interlayer was formed by adsorbing oxygen molecules from surrounding environment instead of getting oxygen atoms from the semiconductor film. The formation of CuO{sub x} interlayer acting as an acceptor could suppress the carrier concentration in the transistor channel, which would be utilized to control the turn on voltage shifts in oxide thin film transistors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Molecular orientation of copper phthalocyanine thin films on different monolayers of fullerene on SiO{sub 2} or highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The interface electronic structures of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) have been studied using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy as different monolayers of C{sub 60} were inserted between CuPc and a SiO{sub 2} or highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate. The results show that CuPc has standing up configuration with one monolayer of C{sub 60} insertion on SiO{sub 2} while lying down on HOPG, indicating that the insertion layer propagates the CuPc-substrate interaction. Meanwhile, CuPc on more than one monolayers of C{sub 60} on different substrates show that the substrate orientation effect quickly vanished. Our study elucidates intriguing molecular interactions that manipulate molecular orientation and donor-acceptor energy level alignment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Characterization of submonolayer film composed of soft-landed copper nanoclusters on HOPG

Preformed Copper nanoclusters are deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at very low energy. For the study of chemical composition X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is performed for a wide range of binding energy without exposing the sample in the ambient. Morphological aspects of the supported clusters are characterized employing high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM). Different types of morphology are observed depending on the nature of the substrate surface. Big fractal islands are formed on terraces while at the step edges small islands are found to form. Ex-situ cathodoluminescence (CL) measurement shows peak at 558 nm wavelength which corresponds to the band gap of 2.22 eV which is due to Cu{sub 2}O nanocrystals formed due to oxidation of the deposited film in ambient.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Efficient organic solar cells using copper(I) iodide (CuI) hole transport layers

We report the fabrication of high power conversion efficiency (PCE) polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic cells using solution-processed Copper (I) Iodide (CuI) as hole transport layer (HTL). Our devices exhibit a PCE value of ∼5.5% which is equivalent to that obtained for control devices based on the commonly used conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate as HTL. Inverted cells with PCE >3% were also demonstrated using solution-processed metal oxide electron transport layers, with a CuI HTL evaporated on top of the BHJ. The high optical transparency and suitable energetics of CuI make it attractive for application in a range of inexpensive large-area optoelectronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Graphene-enhanced intermolecular interaction at interface between copper- and cobalt-phthalocyanines

Interfacial electronic structures of copper-phthalocyanine (CuPc), cobalt-phthalocyanine (CoPc), and graphene were investigated experimentally by using photoelectron spectroscopy. While the CuPc/graphene interface shows flat band structure and negligible interfacial dipole indicating quite weak molecule-substrate interaction, the CuPc/CoPc/graphene interface shows a large interfacial dipole and obvious energy level bending. Controlled experiments ruled out possible influences from the change in film structure of CuPc and pure π–π interaction between CoPc and CuPc. Analysis based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory reveals that the decrease in the work function for the CuPc/CoPc/graphene system is induced by the intermolecular interaction between CuPc and CoPc which is enhanced owning to the peculiar electronic properties at the CoPc-graphene interface.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Theoretical design of a novel copper doped gold cluster supported on graphene utilizing ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations have been used to inspect the adsorption of O{sub 2} to a small gold-copper alloy cluster supported on graphene. The exposed Cu atom in this cluster acts as a crucial attractive site for the approaching of O{sub 2} and consequently widens the reaction channel for the adsorption process. Conversely, a pure Au cluster on the same graphene support is inactive for the O{sub 2} adsorption because the corresponding reaction channel for the adsorption is very narrow. These results clearly indicate that doping a different metal to the Au cluster is a way to enhance the oxygen adsorption and to promote catalytic reactions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Non-equilibrium modeling of UV laser induced plasma on a copper target in the presence of Cu{sup 2+}

This work is a contribution to the understanding of UV laser ablation of a copper sample in the presence of Cu{sup 2+} species as well as electronic non-equilibrium in the laser induced plasma. This particular study extends a previous paper and develops a 1D hydrodynamic model to describe the behavior of the laser induced plume, including the thermal non-equilibrium between electrons and heavy particles. Incorporating the formation of doubly charged ions (Cu{sup 2+}) in such an approach has not been considered previously. We evaluate the effect of the presence of doubly ionized species on the characteristics of the plume, i.e., temperature, pressure, and expansion velocity, and on the material itself by evaluating the ablation depth and plasma shielding effects. This study evaluates the effects of the doubly charged species using a non-equilibrium hydrodynamic approach which comprises a contribution to the understanding of the governing processes of the interaction of ultraviolet nanosecond laser pulses with metals and the parameter optimization depending on the intended application.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Optical basicity and polarizability for copper-zinc doped sol-gel glasses

CaO-SiO{sub 2}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} glasses have been studied by varying ratios of Copper oxide and Zinc oxide. Glasses were prepared using Sol-Gel technique. Opitical Basicity and oxide ion Polarizability were calculated and discussed in relation with non bridging Oxygen ions (NBOs). Optical basicity is average electron donating capability of an oxide atom. All glasses had a little difference in optical basicity and polarizability values but CZ8 glass (20CaO-60SiO{sub 2}-5B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-5P{sub 2}O{sub 5}-2CuO-8ZnO) came out to show highest optical basicity and polarizability with value 0.5177 and 0.9798 respectively. This showed the highest electron donating tendency of CZ8 glass and highest number of NBOs. These were minimum for CZ2 glass with 8CuO and 2ZnO. In aspect of optical basicity and polarizability glasses follow the series CZ2 < CZ4 < CZ6 < CZ8. Increasing concentration of ZnO and decreasing concentration of CuO lead to higher optical basicity and oxide ion polarizability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electroreduction of CO{sub 2} using copper-deposited on boron-doped diamond (BDD)

Electroreduction of CO{sub 2} was studied at copper-modified boron-doped diamond (Cu-BDD) electrodes as the working electrode. The Cu-BDD electrodes were prepared by electrochemical reduction with various concentrations of CuSO{sub 4} solutions. FE-SEM was utilized to characterize the electrodes. At Cu-BDD electrodes, a reduction peak at around -1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) attributtable to CO{sub 2} reductions could be observed by cyclic voltammetry technique of CO{sub 2} bubbled in water containing 0.1M NaCl. Accordingly, electroreduction of CO{sub 2} was conducted at -1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) using amperometry technique. The chemical products of the electroreduction analyzed by using HPLC showed the formation of formaldehyde, formic acid, and acetic acid at Cu-BDD electrodes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

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↗

Heterojunction between the delafossite TCO n-copper indium oxide and p-Si for solar cell applications

Junction formation of n-copper indium oxide (CIO) (extrinsically undoped) with p-Si leading to conversion of photons in the UV-Vis range is being reported for the first time. I-V and temporal photoconductivity data confirm positively the carrier generation in CIO under irradiation while optical absorbance data furnish its band gap to be ~ 3.1 eV. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy is used to study the electronic band structure of CIO on Si and to construct a schematic diagram of the hetero-junction to explain the observed photovoltaic phenomena.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Highly conductive grain boundaries in copper oxide thin films

High conductivity in the off-state and low field-effect mobility compared to bulk properties is widely observed in the p-type thin-film transistors of Cu{sub 2}O, especially when processed at moderate temperature. This work presents results from in situ conductance measurements at thicknesses from sub-nm to around 250 nm with parallel X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An enhanced conductivity at low thickness is explained by the occurrence of Cu(II), which is segregated in the grain boundary and locally causes a conductivity similar to CuO, although the surface of the thick film has Cu{sub 2}O stoichiometry. Since grains grow with an increasing film thickness, the effect of an apparent oxygen excess is most pronounced in vicinity to the substrate interface. Electrical properties of Cu{sub 2}O grains are at least partially short-circuited by this effect. The study focuses on properties inherent to copper oxide, although interface effects cannot be ruled out. This non-destructive, bottom-up analysis reveals phenomena which are commonly not observable after device fabrication, but clearly dominate electrical properties of polycrystalline thin films.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Copper bromide vapour laser excited by an electron beam

Lasing on self-terminating copper atom transitions is obtained for the first time by pumping the Ne – CuBr mixture by regular pulses and by a pulse train of low-energy electron beams formed in an ‘open’ discharge. In these regimes in a range of experimental conditions, a growth of power and radiation energy is demonstrated with an increase in the electron beam current and pulse repetition rate. In a double pulse excitation regime, the lasing energy is completely recovered in ∼2.5 μs. In a central zone of the active element where CuBr molecules are totally dissociated, the specific lasing energy of ∼44 μJ cm{sup −3} is obtained at a physical efficiency of 8.5 %. (paper)

42 ENGINEERING↗

Structure in multilayer films of zinc sulfide and copper sulfide via atomic layer deposition

Multilayer film stacks of ZnS and Cu{sub x}S (x ∼ 2) were made via atomic layer deposition. The precursors were bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)zinc, bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)copper, and H{sub 2}S generated in situ for sulfur. Samples were deposited at 200 °C, in layers ranging from approximately 2 to 20 nm thick, based on binary growth rates. The properties of the film stacks were studied with atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and extended x-ray absorption fine structure. The results demonstrate that the structure of films with the thinnest layers is dominated by Cu{sub x}S, whereas in the thicker films, the structure is determined by whichever material is first deposited. This can be attributed to the crystal structure mismatch of ZnS and Cu{sub x}S.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Synthesis of copper nitride films doped with Fe, Co, or Ni by reactive magnetron sputtering

Copper nitride (Cu{sub 3}N) and Fe-, Co-, and Ni-doped Cu{sub 3}N films were prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering. The films were deposited on silicon substrates at room temperature using pure Cu target and metal chips. The molar ratio of Cu to N atoms in the as-prepared Cu{sub 3}N film was 2.7:1, which is comparable with the stoichiometry ratio 3:1. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the films were composed of Cu{sub 3}N crystallites with anti-ReO{sub 3} structure and adopted different preferred orientations. The reflectance of the four samples decreased in the wavelength range of 400–830 nm, but increased rapidly within wavelength range of 830–1200 nm. Compared with the Cu{sub 3}N films, the resistivity of the doped Cu{sub 3}N films decreased by three orders of magnitude. These changes have great application potential in optical and electrical devices based on Cu{sub 3}N films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The Influence of Copper Impurity on the Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of TmNi{sub 5} Compound

Investigations of the electronic structure and optical properties of TmNi{sub 5–х}Сu{sub x} (х = 0, 1, 2, 3) compounds were performed. Self-consistent calculations of the band spectrum have been performed in the local electron-spin-density approximation with a correction on strong electron interactions within the LSDA + U method. Total and partial densities of electron states associated with thulium, nickel, and copper atoms have been calculated. Optical conductivity, the behavior of which is interpreted for each compound taking into account the performed calculations, has been measured by the ellipsometry method in a wide wavelength range of 0.22–16 μm. Concentration dependences of plasma and relaxation frequencies of conduction electrons have been determined.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Synthesis and crystal structure of a copper complex with (E)-2-(4-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)benzylidene)-3, 4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one ligand

The title compound, C{sub 35}H{sub 23}CuF{sub 6}N{sub 3}O{sub 5}S{sub 2} (1), was synthesized by the reaction of Cu(tta){sub 2} and L{sup 1}, (L{sup 1} = (E)-2-(4-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)benzylidene)-3, 4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one) in the dichloromethane solution. It crystallizes in the monoclinic, space group P2{sub 1}/c with a = 33.8388(5), b = 9.3874(2), c = 21.8194(4) Å, β = 95.522(2), V = 6898.9(2) Å{sup 3}, Z = 8, D{sub x} = 1.554 Mg/m{sup 3}, F(000) = 3272, µ = 0.834 mm{sup –1}, R{sub 1} = 0.0639, wR{sub 2} = 0.1637. The copper(II) ion of 1 is in a distorted square-pyramidal environment with four O atoms of the two tta ligands and one N atom of triazole ligand L{sup 1}. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data revealed that the hydrogen bonds, weak C–H···π and π···π interactions in the crystals link the coordination units to form 3D supramolecular structures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Maturation of Rhodobacter capsulatus Multicopper Oxidase CutO Depends on the CopA Copper Efflux Pathway and Requires the cutF Product

Copper (Cu) is an essential cofactor required for redox enzymes in all domains of life. Because of its toxicity, tightly controlled mechanisms ensure Cu delivery for cuproenzyme biogenesis and simultaneously protect cells against toxic Cu. Many Gram-negative bacteria contain extracytoplasmic multicopper oxidases (MCOs), which are involved in periplasmic Cu detoxification. MCOs are unique cuproenzymes because their catalytic center contains multiple Cu atoms, which are required for the oxidation of Cu 1+ to the less toxic Cu 2+ . Hence, Cu is both substrate and essential cofactor of MCOs. Here, we investigated the maturation of Rhodobacter capsulatus MCO CutO and its role in periplasmic Cu detoxification. A survey of CutO activity of R. capsulatus mutants with known defects in Cu homeostasis and in the maturation of the cuproprotein cbb 3 -type cytochrome oxidase ( cbb 3 -Cox) was performed. This revealed that CutO activity is largely independent of the Cu-delivery pathway for cbb 3 -Cox biogenesis, except for the cupric reductase CcoG, which is required for full CutO activity. The most pronounced decrease of CutO activity was observed with strains lacking the cytoplasmic Cu chaperone CopZ, or the Cu-exporting ATPase CopA, indicating that CutO maturation is linked to the CopZ-CopA mediated Cu-detoxification pathway. Our data demonstrate that CutO is important for cellular Cu resistance under both aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. CutO is encoded in the cutFOG operon, but only CutF, and not CutG, is essential for CutO activity. No CutO activity is detectable when cutF or its putative Cu-binding motif are mutated, suggesting that the cutF product serves as a Cu-binding component required for active CutO production. Bioinformatic analyses of CutF-like proteins support their widespread roles as putative Cu-binding proteins for several Cu-relay pathways. Our overall findings show that the cytoplasmic CopZ-CopA dependent Cu detoxification pathway contributes to providing Cu to CutO maturation, a process that strictly relies on cutF .

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗