We applied an automated semiconductor synthesis and screen system to discover overcoating film materials and optimize coating conditions on the BiVO4/WO3 composite photoelectrode to enhance stability and photocurrent. Thirteen metallic elements for overcoating oxides were examined with various coating amounts. The stability of the BiVO4/WO3 photoelectrode in a highly concentrated carbonate elec...

Charge carrier dynamics in amorphous semiconductors has been a topic of intense research that has been propelled by modern applications in thin-film solar cells, transistors and optical sensors. Charge transport in these materials differs fundamentally from that in crystalline semiconductors owing to the lack of long-range order and high defect density. Despite the existence of well-established...

We report the thermal conductivity and specific heat of amorphous silicon thin films measured from 5-300 K using silicon-nitride membrane-based microcalorimeters. Above 50 K the thermal conductivity of thin-film amorphous silicon agrees with values previously reported by other authors. However, our data show no plateau, with a low T suppression of the thermal conductivity that suggests that the...

We have observed nanoscale phase separation in amorphous arsenic trisulfide As2S3 films produced by ultrafast pulsed laser deposition and its effect on the surface morphology of the film after plasma etching. When the film was etched in CF4–O2 plasma, a grainy structure was observed on the surface. From Raman and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, we concluded that the grainy structure of the ...

In this paper, we present a new method for direct-write laser fabrication of thin-film amorphous silicon (a-Si) on crystalline silicon substrate induced by femtosecond laser irradiation. Using megahertz frequency femtosecond laser pulses makes it possible to control laser fluence in the amorphization range of silicon under ambient condition. Finally, a thin-film of amorphous silicon is generate...

CrSiN films with various Si contents were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering using the codeposition of Cr and Si targets in the presence of the reactive gas mixture. Comparative studies on microstructure and mechanical properties between CrN and CrSiN films with various Si contents were carried out. The structure of the CrSiN filmswas found to change from crystalline to amorphous struct...

Mixed-phase hydrogenated silicon oxide (SiOx:H) is applied to thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe:H) solar cells serving as both p-doped and n-doped layers. The bandgap of p-SiOx:H is adjusted to achieve a highly-transparent window layer while also providing a strong electric field. Bandgap grading of n-SiOx:H is designed to obtain a smooth transition of the energy band e...