Wide-Range Synaptic Current Responses with a Liquid Ga Electrode via a Surface Redox Reaction in a NaOH Solution at Different Molar Concentrations.

A liquid Ga-based synaptic device with two-terminal electrodes is demonstrated in NaOH solutions at 50 °C. The proposed electrochemical redox device using the liquid Ga electrode in the NaOH solution can emulate various biological synapses that require different decay constants. The device exhibits a wide range of current decay times from 60 to 320 ms at different NaOH mole concentrations from 0.2 to 1.6 M. This research marks a step forward in the development of flexible and biocompatible neuromorphic devices that can be utilized for a range of applications where different synaptic strengths are required lasting from a few milliseconds to seconds.

Synaptic Current Response of a Liquid Ga Electrode via a Surface Electrochemical Redox Reaction in a NaOH Solution.

An ionic device using a liquid Ga electrode in a 1 M NaOH solution is proposed to generate artificial neural spike signals. The oxidation and reduction at the liquid Ga surface were investigated for different bias voltages at 50 °C. When the positive sweep voltage from the starting voltage (V S) of 1 V was applied to the Ga electrode, the oxidation current flowed immediately and decreased exponentially with time. The spike and decay current behavior resembled the polarization and depolarization at the influx and extrusion of Ca2+ in biological synapses. Different average decay times of ∼81 and ∼310 ms were implemented for V S of -2 and -5 V, respectively, to mimic the synaptic responses to short- and long-term plasticity; these decay states can be exploited for application in binary electrochemical memory devices. The oxidation mechanism of liquid Ga was studied. The differences in Ga ion concentration due to V S led to differences in oxidation behavior. Our device is beneficial for the organ cell-machine interface system because liquid Ga is biocompatible and flexible; thus, it can be applied in biocompatible and flexible neuromorphic device development for neuroprosthetics, human cell-machine interface formation, and personal health care monitoring.

Improved Light Harvesting of Fiber-Shaped Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Using a Bacteriophage Doping Method.

Fiber-shaped solar cells (FSCs) with flexibility, wearability, and wearability have emerged as a topic of intensive interest and development in recent years. Although the development of this material is still in its early stages, bacteriophage-metallic nanostructures, which exhibit prominent localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties, are one such material that has been utilized to further improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. This study confirmed that fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs) enhanced by silver nanoparticles-embedded M13 bacteriophage (Ag@M13) can be developed as solar cell devices with better PCE than the solar cells without them. The PCE of FDSSCs was improved by adding the Ag@M13 into an iodine species (I-/I3-) based electrolyte, which is used for redox couple reactions. The optimized Ag@M13 enhanced FDSSC showed a PCE of up to 5.80%, which was improved by 16.7% compared to that of the reference device with 4.97%.

Fast-Response Colorimetric UVC Sensor Made of a Ga2O3 Photocatalyst with a Hole Scavenger.

A fast-response colorimetric ultraviolet-C (UVC) sensor was demonstrated using a gallium oxide (Ga2O3) photocatalyst with small amounts of triethanolamine (TEOA) in methylene blue (MB) solutions and a conventional RGB photodetector. The color of the MB solution changed upon UVC exposure, which was observed using an in situ RGB photodetector. Thereby, the UVC exposure was numerically quantified as an MB reduction rate with the R value of the photodetector, which was linearly correlated with the measured spectral absorbance using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Small amount of TEOA in the MB solution served as a hole scavenger, which resulted in fast MB color changes due to the enhanced charge separation. However, excessive TEOA over 5 wt.% started to block the catalytical active site on the surface of Ga2O3, prohibiting the chemical reaction between the MB molecules and catalytic sites. The proposed colorimetric UVC sensor could monitor the detrimental UVC radiation with high responsivity at a low cost.

Effects of Moisture-Proof Back Passivation Layers of Al2O3 and AlxTi1-xOy Films on Efficiency Improvement and Color Modulation in Transparent a-Si:H Solar Cells.

In this study, the back passivation layers (BPLs) were developed to protect hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films of transparent solar cells from humidity and contaminants. Metal oxide compound films with Al (Al2O3) and Ti (AlxTiyOz (ATO)) were fabricated by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition for the BPLs on transparent solar cells. The BPLs of Al2O3 films applied to the transparent solar cells were deposited in different thicknesses to evaluate the performance, and the ATO film thickness was fixed at 30 nm. Even at the thinnest thickness of 30 nm, the water vapor transmission rates of BPLs were very low at 1.96 × 10-3 (Al2O3) and 1.23 × 10-2 g/m2·day (ATO). In addition to moisture protection, measures of cell performance, including open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density, were improved by blocking the leakage current and through the optical interference effects of the BPLs. The solar cell with ATO BPLs exhibited an increase in efficiency of more than 12% compared with those of conventional reference cells. Furthermore, by varying the refractive index and thickness of the BPLs, the reflection and transmission spectra were modulated to implement various cell colors without serious loss in cell efficiency.

Impact of Al doping on a hydrothermally synthesized ß-Ga2O3 nanostructure for photocatalysis applications.

Aluminum (Al)-doped beta-phase gallium oxide (ß-Ga2O3) nanostructures with different Al concentrations (0 to 3.2 at%) are synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The single phase of the ß-Ga2O3 is maintained without intermediate phases up to Al 3.2 at% doping. As the Al concentration in the ß-Ga2O3 nanostructures increases, the optical bandgap of the ß-Ga2O3 increases from 4.69 (Al 0%) to 4.8 (Al 3.2%). The physical, chemical, and optical properties of the Al-doped ß-Ga2O3 nanostructures are correlated with photocatalytic activity via the degradation of a methylene blue solution under ultraviolet light (254 nm) irradiation. The photocatalytic activity is enhanced by doping a small amount of substitutional Al atoms (0.6 at%) that presumably create shallow level traps in the band gap. These shallow traps retard the recombination process by separating photogenerated electron-hole pairs. On the other hand, once the Al concentration in the Ga2O3 exceeds 0.6 at%, the crystallographic disorder, oxygen vacancy, and grain boundary-related defects increase as the Al concentration increases. These defect-related energy levels are broadly distributed within the bandgap, which act as carrier recombination centers and thereby degrade the photocatalytic activity. The results of this work provide new opportunities for the synthesis of highly effective ß-Ga2O3-based photocatalysts that can generate hydrogen gas and remove harmful volatile organic compounds.

The Characteristics of Transparent Non-Volatile Memory Devices Employing Si-Rich SiOX as a Charge Trapping Layer and Indium-Tin-Zinc-Oxide.

We fabricated the transparent non-volatile memory (NVM) of a bottom gate thin film transistor (TFT) for the integrated logic devices of display applications. The NVM TFT utilized indium-tin-zinc-oxide (ITZO) as an active channel layer and multi-oxide structure of SiO2 (blocking layer)/Si-rich SiOX (charge trapping layer)/SiOXNY (tunneling layer) as a gate insulator. The insulators were deposited using inductive coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition, and during the deposition, the trap states of the Si-rich SiOx charge trapping layer could be controlled to widen the memory window with the gas ratio (GR) of SiH4:N2O, which was confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). We fabricated the metal-insulator-silicon (MIS) capacitors of the insulator structures on n-type Si substrate and demonstrated that the hysteresis capacitive curves of the MIS capacitors were a function of sweep voltage and trap density (or GR). At the GR6 (SiH4:N2O = 30:5), the MIS capacitor exhibited the widest memory window; the flat band voltage (ΔVFB) shifts of 4.45 V was obtained at the sweep voltage of ±11 V for 10 s, and it was expected to maintain ~71% of the initial value after 10 years. Using the Si-rich SiOX charge trapping layer deposited at the GR6 condition, we fabricated a bottom gate ITZO NVM TFT showing excellent drain current to gate voltage transfer characteristics. The field-effect mobility of 27.2 cm2/Vs, threshold voltage of 0.15 V, subthreshold swing of 0.17 V/dec, and on/off current ratio of 7.57 × 107 were obtained at the initial sweep of the devices. As an NVM, ΔVFB was shifted by 2.08 V in the programing mode with a positive gate voltage pulse of 11 V and 1 µs. The ΔVFB was returned to the pristine condition with a negative voltage pulse of -1 V and 1 µs under a 400-700 nm light illumination of ~10 mWcm-2 in erasing mode, when the light excites the electrons to escape from the charge trapping layer. Using this operation condition, ~90% (1.87 V) of initial ΔVFB (2.08 V) was expected to be retained over 10 years. The developed transparent NVM using Si-rich SiOx and ITZO can be a promising candidate for future display devices integrating logic devices on panels.

Defect Analysis of Solution-Based Process CIGS Thin-Film Solar Cells Using Technology Computer-Aided Design.

Copper indium gallium sulfur selenide (Cu(In1-xGax)SeS, CIGS) thin film solar cells are fabricated using a solution-based process, and their defect models are studied through a computer-aided design method. Cu(In1-xGax)SeS is structured with a graded bandgap by controlling the ambient gas and precursor composition, during the fabrication process. The defects in the CIGS are modeled as two donor-like defects, which are differently distributed as per the CIGS grain size (large and small grains at upper and bottom layers, respectively), whereas those in the cadmium sulfide (CdS)/CIGS interface are modeled as a complex model of both donor- and acceptor-like defects in the CdS, near the interface. By measuring the external quantum efficiency and current density-voltage characteristics, the best-fitting match of the simulated values with the measured values are obtained. The simulation results demonstrate that the defects (defect density of ~7 × 1018) in the CdS interface are more serious, compared to the CIGS defects (defect density of ~2 × 1015 in the bottom), which were initially expected to be more severe because of grain nonuniformity. For increasing the cell efficiency, we establish that the process and material quality need to be further improved not only during CIGS formation using a multistep spin-coated precursor but also during the initial deposition of the CdS buffer. This numerical approach can enable better understanding of the defect behavior in solar cells, and indicate directions for improvement in the fabrication process and device structure, for developing high-efficiency solution-based CIGS solar cells.

Impedance Spectroscopy Analysis and Equivalent Circuit Modeling of Graphene Oxide Solutions.

The optical and electrical characteristics of a graphene oxide solution (GS) with different graphene oxide (GO) concentrations in de-ionized water are investigated via the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. The measurement results produced by the EIS for the GS are represented with both Bode and Nyquist plots in a frequency range from 1 kHz to 10 MHz. Using these results, we develop an equivalent circuit model as a function of the GO concentration, representing the GS as a mixed circuit of two-dimensional (2D) GO dispersed in parallel in de-ionized (DI) water. The underlying physics of the current-flowing behavior in the GS are explained and interpreted using empirical circuit models; the circuit model also shows that highly resistive GO becomes conductive in GS form in the DI water. The findings in this work should draw new attention toward GSes and related applications, including functional composite materials, catalysts, and filter membranes.

Method for Fabricating Textured High-Haze ZnO:Al Transparent Conduction Oxide Films on Chemically Etched Glass Substrates.

We developed a technique for forming textured aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films on glass substrates, which were etched using a mixture of hydrofluoric (HF) and hydrochloric (HCl) acids. The etching depth and surface roughness increased with an increase in the HF content and the etching time. The HF-based residues produced insoluble hexafluorosilicate anion- and oxide impurity-based semipermeable films, which reduced the etching rate. Using a small amount of HCl dissolved the Ca compounds, helping to fragment the semipermeable film. This formed random, complex structures on the glass substrates. The angled deposition of three layers of ZnO:Al led to the synthesis of multiscaled ZnO:Al textures on the glass substrates. The proposed approach resulted in textured ZnO:Al TCO films that exhibited high transmittance (-80%) and high haze (> 40%) values over wavelengths of 400-1000 nm, as well as low sheet resistances (< 18 Ω/sq)..Si tandem solar cells based on the ZnO:Al textured TCO films exhibited photocurrents and cell efficiencies that were 40% higher than those of cells with conventional TCO films.

A luminescent down-shifting and moth-eyed anti-reflective film for highly efficient photovoltaic devices.

Adhesive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films were developed to increase the performance of photovoltaic devices. The films combined two separate features of moth-eye patterns to reduce the reflection of incident light at the film surface and luminescent down-shifting (LDS) CdZnS/ZnS-core/shell quantum dots (QDs) to convert ultraviolet (UV) radiation into visible light at 445 nm. The films were both flexible and self-adhesive, easily attachable to any surface of a solar cell module. By simply attaching the developed films on high-efficiency GaAs solar cells, the short circuit current density and power conversion efficiency of the solar cells increased to 33.8 mA cm(-2) and 28.7%, by 1.1 mA cm(-2) and 0.9 percentage points in absolute values, respectively. We showed that the enhancement of the GaAs solar cells was attributed to both the anti-reflection (AR) properties of the moth-eye patterns and the LDS of QDs using a scattering matrix method and external quantum efficiency measurements. The developed films are versatile in application for solar cells, and expected to aid in overcoming limits of material absorption and device structures.

Scattering matrix analysis for evaluating the photocurrent in hydrogenated-amorphous-silicon-based thin film solar cells.

A scattering matrix (S-matrix) analysis method was developed for evaluating hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based thin film solar cells. In this approach, light wave vectors A and B represent the incoming and outgoing behaviors of the incident solar light, respectively, in terms of coherent wave and incoherent intensity components. The S-matrix determines the relation between A and B according to optical effects such as reflection and transmission, as described by the Fresnel equations, scattering at the boundary surfaces, or scattering within the propagation medium, as described by the Beer-Lambert law and the change in the phase of the propagating light wave. This matrix can be used to evaluate the behavior of angle-incident coherent and incoherent light simultaneously, and takes into account not only the light scattering process at material boundaries (haze effects) but also nonlinear optical processes within the material. The optical parameters in the S-matrix were determined by modeling both a 2%-gallium-doped zinc oxide transparent conducting oxide and germanium-compounded a-Si:H (a-SiGe:H). Using the S-matrix equations, the photocurrent for an a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H tandem cell and the optical loss in semitransparent a-Si:H solar cells for use in building-integrated photovoltaic applications were analyzed. The developed S-matrix method can also be used as a general analysis tool for various thin film solar cells.