Liquid-solid spinodal decomposition mediated synthesis of Sb2Se3 nanowires and their photoelectric behavior.

The convenient synthesis of one-dimensional nanostructures of chalcogenide compounds with a visible band-gap is an essential research topic in developing next-generation photoelectronic devices. In particular, the design of a theoretically predictable synthesis process provides great flexibility and has a considerable ripple effect in nanotechnology. In this study, a novel rational growth approach is designed using the spinodal decomposition phenomenon for the synthesis of the Sb2Se3 nanowires, which is based on the thermodynamic phase diagram. Using a stacked elemental layer (Sb/Sb-Se/Se) and heat treatment at 623 K for 30 min under an N2 atmosphere, the vertically inclined one-dimensional nanostructures are experimentally demonstrated. An additional annealing process at 523 K in a vacuum effectively removed excess Se elements due to their high vapor pressure, resulting in highly dense single crystal Sb2Se3 nanowire arrays. Adaption of our synthesis approach enables significantly improved photocurrent generation in the vertically stacked structure (glass/ITO/Sb2Se3 nanowires/ITO/PEN) from 6.4 (dark) to under 690 µA (at 3 V under AM 1.5G). In addition, a photoelectrochemical test demonstrated their p-type conductivity and robust photocorrosion performance in 0.5 M H2SO4.

Composition Control of CuInSe2 Thin Films Using Cu/In Stacked Structure in Coulometric Controlled Electrodeposition Process.

Cu/In bi-metal stacked structures were prepared on Mo coated soda lime glass substrates using electrodeposition method. These metallic precursors were selenized at 550 °C for 60 min to synthesize the CuInSe2 (CIS) thin films in a thermal evaporator chamber with an Se overpressure atmosphere. The composition ratios of CIS thin films were systematically controlled using the coulometric method of the electrodeposition, where the accumulated coulomb of In layers was varied from 1062 to 6375 mC/cm2. As a result, the stoichiometric CIS film was obtained in the Cu/In coulomb ratio of 0.6. Highly crystallized CIS films were produced from the liquid Cu-Se phase in the Cu/In coulomb ratio of ≥0.6. In contrast, the crystallinity and grain size were degraded in the In-rich region. We found that the Cu/In composition ratio of CIS films was linearly proportional to the precursor thickness determined by the coulomb ratio.

p-Channel oxide thin film transistors using solution-processed copper oxide.

Cu2O thin films were synthesized on Si (100) substrate with thermally grown 200-nm SiO2 by sol-gel spin coating method and postannealing under different oxygen partial pressure (0.04, 0.2, and 0.9 Torr). The morphology of Cu2O thin films was improved through N2 postannealing before O2 annealing. Under relatively high oxygen partial pressure of 0.9 Torr, the roughness of synthesized films was increased with the formation of CuO phase. Bottom-gated copper oxide (CuxO) thin film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated via conventional photolithography, and the electrical properties of the fabricated TFTs were measured. The resulting Cu2O TFTs exhibited p-channel operation, and field effect mobility of 0.16 cm2/(V s) and on-to-off drain current ratio of ∼1×10(2) were observed in the TFT device annealed at PO2 of 0.04 Torr. This study presented the potential of the solution-based process of the Cu2O TFT with p-channel characteristics for the first time.