Nano-structured photon management is currently an interesting topic since it can enhance the optical absorption and reduce the surface reflection which will improve the performance of many kinds of optoelectronic devi...Nano-structured photon management is currently an interesting topic since it can enhance the optical absorption and reduce the surface reflection which will improve the performance of many kinds of optoelectronic devices, such as Si-based solar cells and light emitting diodes. Here, we report the fabrication of periodically nano-patterned Si structures by using polystyrene nano-sphere lithography technique. By changing the diameter of nano-spheres and the dry etching parameters, such as etching time and etching power, the morphologies of formed Si nano-structures can be well controlled as revealed by atomic force microscopy.A good broadband antireflection property has been achieved for the formed periodically nano-patterned Si structures though they have the low aspect ratio(<0.53). The reflection can be significantly reduced compared with that of flat Si substrate in a wavelength range from 400 nm to 1200 nm. The weighted mean reflection under the AM1.5 solar spectrum irradiation can be as low as 3.92% and the corresponding optical absorption is significantly improved, which indicates that the present Si periodic nano-structures can be used in Si-based thin film solar cells.展开更多
Combining a progressive tandem junction design with a unique Si nanowire(SiNW)framework paves the way for the development of high‐onset‐potential photocathodes and enhancement of solar hydrogen production.Herein,a r...Combining a progressive tandem junction design with a unique Si nanowire(SiNW)framework paves the way for the development of high‐onset‐potential photocathodes and enhancement of solar hydrogen production.Herein,a radial tandem junction(RTJ)thin film water‐splitting photo‐cathode has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time.The photocathode is directly fab‐ricated on vapor‐liquid‐solid‐grown SiNWs and consists of two radially stacked p‐i‐n junctions,featuring hydrogenated amorphous silicon(a‐Si:H)as the outer absorber layer,which absorbs short wavelengths,and hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium(a‐SiGe:H)as the inner layer,which absorbs long wavelengths.The randomly distributed SiNW framework enables highly efficient light‐trapping,which facilitates the use of very thin absorber layers of a‐Si:H(~50 nm)and a‐SiGe:H(~40 nm).In a neutral electrolyte(pH=7),the three‐dimensional(3D)RTJ photocathode delivers a high photocurrent onset of 1.15 V vs.the reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE),accompanied by a photocurrent of 2.98 mA/cm^(2) at 0 V vs.RHE,and an overall applied‐bias photon‐to‐current effi‐ciency of 1.72%.These results emphasize the promising role of 3D radial tandem technology in developing a new generation of durable,low‐cost,high‐onset‐potential photocathodes capable of large‐scale implementation。展开更多
Self-oscillation is an intriguing and omnipresent phenomenon that governs a broad range of growth dynamics and formation of nanoscale periodic and delicate heterostructures.A self-oscillating growth phenomenon of cata...Self-oscillation is an intriguing and omnipresent phenomenon that governs a broad range of growth dynamics and formation of nanoscale periodic and delicate heterostructures.A self-oscillating growth phenomenon of catalyst droplets,consuming surface-coating a-Si/a-Ge bilayer,is exploited to accomplish a high-frequency alternating growth of ultrathin crystalline Si and Ge(c-Si/c-Ge)nano-slates,with Ge-rich layer thickness of 14–19 nm,embedded within a superlattice nanowire structure,with pre-known position and uniform channel diameter.A subsequent selective etching of the Ge-rich segments leaves a chain of ultrafine standing c-Si nanosheets down to~6 nm thick,without the use of any expensive high-resolution lithography and growth modulation control.A ternary-phase-competition model has been established to explain the underlying formation mechanism of this nanoscale self-oscillating growth dynamics.It is also suggested that these ultrathin nanosheets could help to produce ultrathin fin-channels for advanced electronics,or provide size-specified trapping sites to capture and position hetero nanoparticle for high-precision labelling or light emission.展开更多
Eu3+ions embedded in silica thin films codoped with SnO2 nanocrystals were fabricated by sol–gel and spin-coating methods.SnO2 nanocrystals with controllable sizes were synthesized through precisely controlling the S...Eu3+ions embedded in silica thin films codoped with SnO2 nanocrystals were fabricated by sol–gel and spin-coating methods.SnO2 nanocrystals with controllable sizes were synthesized through precisely controlling the Sn concentrations.The influences of doping and annealing conditions on the photoluminescence intensity from SnO2 nanocrystals are systematically investigated.The effective energy transfer from the defect states of SnO2nanocrystals to nearby Eu3+ions has revealed by the selective photoluminescence excitation spectra.The efficiency of the Forster resonance energy transfer is evaluated by the time-resolved photoluminescence measurements,which is about 29.1%based on the lifetime tests of the SnO2emission.展开更多
Low dimensional Si materials have attracted much attention because they can be developed in many kinds of new-generation nano-electronic and optoelectronic devices, among which Si nanocrystals-based mul- tilayered mat...Low dimensional Si materials have attracted much attention because they can be developed in many kinds of new-generation nano-electronic and optoelectronic devices, among which Si nanocrystals-based mul- tilayered material is one of the most promising candidates and has been extensively studied. By using multilayered structures, the size and distribution of nanocrystals as well as the barrier thickness between two adjacent Si nano- crystal layers can be well controlled, which is beneficial to the device applications. This paper presents an over- view of the fabrication and device applications of Si nanocrystals, especially in luminescent and photovoltaic devices. We first introduce the fabrication methods of Si nanocrystals-based multilayers. Then, we systematically review the utilization of Si nanocrystals in luminescent and photovoltaic devices. Finally, some expectations for further development of the Si nanocrystals-based photonic and photovoltaic devices are proposed.展开更多
A series of Si-rich amorphous silicon carbide （a-SiC：H） thin films were deposited in conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system with various gas ratio R = [CH4]/[SiH4]. The microstructural, optic...A series of Si-rich amorphous silicon carbide （a-SiC：H） thin films were deposited in conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system with various gas ratio R = [CH4]/[SiH4]. The microstructural, optical and electronic properties of as-deposited films were investigated in this study. It was found that optical band gap was linearly proportional to carbon content in the films and it could be controlled in a range of 1.8-2.4 eV by changing the gas ratio, R. Both dark and photo conductivities in room temperature were decreased with the increasing of carbon content in the films, and the photosensitivity reached as high as 104 for the film with the optical band gap of 1.96 eV. The as-deposited samples were subsequently annealed at the temperatures of 900℃ and 1000℃. The formation of nanocrystalline silicon （nc- Si） dots in amorphous silicon carbide （a-SiC） host matrix was shown. The dark conductivity was enhanced by five orders of magnitude after annealing compared with that of as-deposited films. The result of temperature-dependent conductivity suggested that the property of carrier transport was dominated by conduction process between the extended states. Furthermore, room temperature electroluminescence （EL） was achieved from nc-Si/SiC system and the possible mechanism of radiative recombination mechanism was discussed.展开更多
基金supported by NSFC(Nos.61036001and 11274155)"973"pro ject(2013CB632101)NSF of Jiangsu Province(BK2010010)and PAPD
文摘Nano-structured photon management is currently an interesting topic since it can enhance the optical absorption and reduce the surface reflection which will improve the performance of many kinds of optoelectronic devices, such as Si-based solar cells and light emitting diodes. Here, we report the fabrication of periodically nano-patterned Si structures by using polystyrene nano-sphere lithography technique. By changing the diameter of nano-spheres and the dry etching parameters, such as etching time and etching power, the morphologies of formed Si nano-structures can be well controlled as revealed by atomic force microscopy.A good broadband antireflection property has been achieved for the formed periodically nano-patterned Si structures though they have the low aspect ratio(<0.53). The reflection can be significantly reduced compared with that of flat Si substrate in a wavelength range from 400 nm to 1200 nm. The weighted mean reflection under the AM1.5 solar spectrum irradiation can be as low as 3.92% and the corresponding optical absorption is significantly improved, which indicates that the present Si periodic nano-structures can be used in Si-based thin film solar cells.
文摘Combining a progressive tandem junction design with a unique Si nanowire(SiNW)framework paves the way for the development of high‐onset‐potential photocathodes and enhancement of solar hydrogen production.Herein,a radial tandem junction(RTJ)thin film water‐splitting photo‐cathode has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time.The photocathode is directly fab‐ricated on vapor‐liquid‐solid‐grown SiNWs and consists of two radially stacked p‐i‐n junctions,featuring hydrogenated amorphous silicon(a‐Si:H)as the outer absorber layer,which absorbs short wavelengths,and hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium(a‐SiGe:H)as the inner layer,which absorbs long wavelengths.The randomly distributed SiNW framework enables highly efficient light‐trapping,which facilitates the use of very thin absorber layers of a‐Si:H(~50 nm)and a‐SiGe:H(~40 nm).In a neutral electrolyte(pH=7),the three‐dimensional(3D)RTJ photocathode delivers a high photocurrent onset of 1.15 V vs.the reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE),accompanied by a photocurrent of 2.98 mA/cm^(2) at 0 V vs.RHE,and an overall applied‐bias photon‐to‐current effi‐ciency of 1.72%.These results emphasize the promising role of 3D radial tandem technology in developing a new generation of durable,low‐cost,high‐onset‐potential photocathodes capable of large‐scale implementation。
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.92164201,61921005,61974064,61934004,and 11874198)。
文摘Self-oscillation is an intriguing and omnipresent phenomenon that governs a broad range of growth dynamics and formation of nanoscale periodic and delicate heterostructures.A self-oscillating growth phenomenon of catalyst droplets,consuming surface-coating a-Si/a-Ge bilayer,is exploited to accomplish a high-frequency alternating growth of ultrathin crystalline Si and Ge(c-Si/c-Ge)nano-slates,with Ge-rich layer thickness of 14–19 nm,embedded within a superlattice nanowire structure,with pre-known position and uniform channel diameter.A subsequent selective etching of the Ge-rich segments leaves a chain of ultrafine standing c-Si nanosheets down to~6 nm thick,without the use of any expensive high-resolution lithography and growth modulation control.A ternary-phase-competition model has been established to explain the underlying formation mechanism of this nanoscale self-oscillating growth dynamics.It is also suggested that these ultrathin nanosheets could help to produce ultrathin fin-channels for advanced electronics,or provide size-specified trapping sites to capture and position hetero nanoparticle for high-precision labelling or light emission.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(2013CB632101)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11274155)
文摘Eu3+ions embedded in silica thin films codoped with SnO2 nanocrystals were fabricated by sol–gel and spin-coating methods.SnO2 nanocrystals with controllable sizes were synthesized through precisely controlling the Sn concentrations.The influences of doping and annealing conditions on the photoluminescence intensity from SnO2 nanocrystals are systematically investigated.The effective energy transfer from the defect states of SnO2nanocrystals to nearby Eu3+ions has revealed by the selective photoluminescence excitation spectra.The efficiency of the Forster resonance energy transfer is evaluated by the time-resolved photoluminescence measurements,which is about 29.1%based on the lifetime tests of the SnO2emission.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11774155,11274155)
文摘Low dimensional Si materials have attracted much attention because they can be developed in many kinds of new-generation nano-electronic and optoelectronic devices, among which Si nanocrystals-based mul- tilayered material is one of the most promising candidates and has been extensively studied. By using multilayered structures, the size and distribution of nanocrystals as well as the barrier thickness between two adjacent Si nano- crystal layers can be well controlled, which is beneficial to the device applications. This paper presents an over- view of the fabrication and device applications of Si nanocrystals, especially in luminescent and photovoltaic devices. We first introduce the fabrication methods of Si nanocrystals-based multilayers. Then, we systematically review the utilization of Si nanocrystals in luminescent and photovoltaic devices. Finally, some expectations for further development of the Si nanocrystals-based photonic and photovoltaic devices are proposed.
基金Acknowledgements This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No. 61036001）, the National Science Foundation of Jiangsu province （No. BK2010010） and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities （No. 1112021001）.
文摘A series of Si-rich amorphous silicon carbide （a-SiC：H） thin films were deposited in conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system with various gas ratio R = [CH4]/[SiH4]. The microstructural, optical and electronic properties of as-deposited films were investigated in this study. It was found that optical band gap was linearly proportional to carbon content in the films and it could be controlled in a range of 1.8-2.4 eV by changing the gas ratio, R. Both dark and photo conductivities in room temperature were decreased with the increasing of carbon content in the films, and the photosensitivity reached as high as 104 for the film with the optical band gap of 1.96 eV. The as-deposited samples were subsequently annealed at the temperatures of 900℃ and 1000℃. The formation of nanocrystalline silicon （nc- Si） dots in amorphous silicon carbide （a-SiC） host matrix was shown. The dark conductivity was enhanced by five orders of magnitude after annealing compared with that of as-deposited films. The result of temperature-dependent conductivity suggested that the property of carrier transport was dominated by conduction process between the extended states. Furthermore, room temperature electroluminescence （EL） was achieved from nc-Si/SiC system and the possible mechanism of radiative recombination mechanism was discussed.
