Correction
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Federico Chianese, Sandra Fusco, Mario Barra, Fabio Chiarella, Antonio Carella, Antonio Cassinese
Summary: The study investigated space-charge accumulation and band bending at conductive P3HT/PDIF-CN2 interfaces using scanning-Kelvin probe microscopy, providing valuable insights for researchers in this field.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
F. Villavicencio, J. M. Ferreyra, G. Bridoux, M. Villafuerte
Summary: This study proposes a simple and unexplored model for describing the semiconductor band bending, aiming to obtain a simple expression for calculating the energy spectrum and analytical expressions for wave-functions of confined levels. The model takes into account the charge balance and is applicable to electron or hole confinement potential.
SEMICONDUCTOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Ke Li, Hang Yin, Chi Song, Ming Hu, Shun Wang, Pengshun Luo, Zebing Zhou
Summary: The patch effect plays a crucial role in ultra-sensitive experiments involving closely spaced conducting surfaces. In this study, a method based on single- and double-frequency signal injection modes was proposed to improve the measurement precision and efficiency by optimizing the amplitude and frequency of the injected signal in the probe.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Wang, Junqi Lai, Qi Chen, Fujun Zhang, Liwei Chen
Summary: Charge injection is a crucial transport process that impacts the performance of optoelectronic devices. In this study, scanning Kelvin probe microscopy was used to visualize the interfacial band bending in organic photodetectors, revealing a significant enhancement in the photomultiplication factor due to photoinduced interfacial band bending.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Artur Kosonowski, Ashutosh Kumar, Karol Wolski, Szczepan Zapotoczny, Krzysztof T. Wojciechowski
Summary: This study investigates the influence of electrical contact resistance on the electrical properties of PbTe/CoSb3 composite. The presence of contact resistance leads to a decrease in carrier mobility and electrical conductivity. Additionally, the study explores the phase and chemical stability of the composites and prepares band diagrams to guide the design of efficient thermoelectric materials.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Hao Zhang, Haibo Gao, Junyuan Geng, Xianghe Meng, Hui Xie
Summary: This article presents a torsional harmonic Kelvin probe force microscopy (TH-KPFM) working in amplitude modulation (AM) mode for high-sensitivity mapping of surface potential (SP). TH-KPFM can effectively suppress the artifacts induced by the cantilever homogenization effect and coupling crosstalk caused by topography measurement. It has higher potential sensitivity and scanning speed compared to traditional AM-KPFM.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Albert Minj, Karen Geens, Hu Liang, Han Han, Celine Noel, Benoit Bakeroot, Kristof Paredis, Ming Zhao, Thomas Hantschel, Stefaan Decoutere
Summary: The structural and electrical properties of a- and a+c-type threading dislocations in Si-doped GaN (0001) grown by metal-organic vaporphase epitaxy are investigated using multiple scanning probe microscopy techniques. The study reveals the influence of the space-charge region (SCR) formed around dislocation cores on local recombination, surface-potential characteristic, and conductivity. Experimental measurements supported by theoretical calculations show quantitative differences in trap densities of identified dislocations. Additionally, a cross-section investigation of p-n GaN vertical diodes demonstrates that dislocations within the depth limited by the screening of their SCRs significantly affect the homogeneity of dC/dV contrast in the low-doped n-type drift layer, raising concerns for quantification efforts in GaN on Si with high dislocation density.
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yury Turkulets, Ilan Shalish
Summary: The previous exponential decay of surface photovoltage needs further accurate modeling, the new model can expand the applicability of Kelvin probe method, solving the issue that was previously restricted to slow-responding semiconductors.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Zhang Qu, Yasuhiro Sugawara, Yanjun Li
Summary: Studies of the physics behind carrier transport characteristics and band bending in semiconductors are critical for the development of new devices. This study investigated the physical properties of Co ring-like cluster (RC) reconstruction on a Si(111)-7 x 7 surface at atomic resolution using atomic force microscopy/Kelvin probe force microscopy. The applied bias dependence of frequency shift was compared between Si(111)-7 x 7 and Co-RC reconstructions, and the accumulation, depletion, and reversion layers were identified in the Co-RC reconstruction. It was found for the first time that the Co-RC reconstruction on the Si(111)-7 x 7 surface exhibits semiconductor properties. These findings are valuable for the development of new materials for semiconductor devices.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tuan-Hoang Tran, Raul D. Rodriguez, Marco Salerno, Aleksandar Matkovic, Christian Teichert, Evgeniya Sheremet
Summary: Freshly cleaved HOPG shows time-evolving domains with surface potential contrast, attributed to locally different hydrocarbon adsorption driven by structural defects likely related to rotational mismatch. Raman spectroscopy results support the hypothesis of bilayer graphene behavior due to broken symmetry at the top surface. This indicates that the chemical and electrical properties of HOPG are more complex than generally believed.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Patrick Gruenewald, Niclas Hautz, Christian Motz
Summary: A full understanding of hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms requires knowledge of local hydrogen distribution. Grain boundaries are one of the microstructural features where hydrogen segregates, leading to a transition from transgranular to intergranular fracture. The type of grain boundary affects the segregated hydrogen and its diffusion rates. Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (SKPFM) is a tool that can qualitatively measure local hydrogen contents, and potentially quantitatively in the future. This study uses SKPFM to detect hydrogen at grain boundaries in situ in a permeation setup, and investigates the influence of operation mode and atmosphere on the Contact Potential Difference V-CPD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Johannes Mahl, Oliver Gessner, Johannes Barth, Peter Feulner, Stefan Neppl
Summary: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials are important components in chemical and biological sensors, photocatalytic conversion, and photovoltaic technologies. By studying the temperature-dependent surface electronic structure of nanoporous ZnO, researchers have revealed the crucial role of nanoscale confinement of conduction-band electrons in the charge transport and photocatalytic function of complex ZnO nanomaterials.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junxi Yu, Rajiv Giridharagopal, Yuhao Li, Kaichen Xie, Jiangyu Li, Ting Cao, Xiaodong Xu, David S. Ginger
Summary: By studying graphene with ABAB and ABCA stacking, it was found that the surface potential of ABCA regions is approximately 15 mV higher than that of ABAB regions, due to stacking-dependent electronic structure. The moire superlattice visualized by LPFM can change with time, while imaging the surface potential distribution via SKPM appears more stable for mapping ABAB and ABCA regions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mario Navarro-Rodriguez, Elisa Palacios-Lidon, Andres M. Somoza
Summary: The ability to retain localized charges at the surface or interface of dielectric materials is a universal property that has applications in various fields. In this study, equations are derived to model the decay of localized charge distributions, and a useful tool for determining material conductivities is proposed. Experimental verification of the predicted behavior is conducted.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Junyuan Geng, Hao Zhang, Xianghe Meng, Haibo Gao, Weibin Rong, Hui Xie
Summary: This paper presents a multimode 3D-KPFM based on an orthogonal cantilever probe (OCP) that can achieve surface potential (SP) imaging of 3D micronano structures. The proposed method integrates three working modes and has comparable performance to traditional methods. It is applicable for 3D detection from the nanometer to micrometer scale and has the potential for further exploration of 3D micronano devices.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shahriyar Safat Dipta, Md Habibur Rahaman, Walia Binte Tarique, Ashraful Hossain Howlader, Ayush Pratik, John A. Stride, Ashraf Uddin
Summary: Implementing a double-sided passivation approach can enhance the performance of n-i-p structured PSCs and improve the stability and photovoltaic properties of the cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Ourinson, Andreas Brand, Andreas Lorenz, Marwan Dhamrin, Sebastian Tepner, Michael Linse, Nathalie Goettlicher, Kosuke Tsuji, Jonas D. Huyeng, Florian Clement
Summary: This work presents two approaches to reduce the amount of silver on the rear side of M2-sized industrial iTOPCon solar cells. The Cu-based approach shows promise with similar power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional approach, while the Al-based approach exhibits some limitations but demonstrates the potential of such type of contact for iTOPCon solar cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abasifreke Ebong, Donald Intal, Sandra Huneycutt, Thad Druffel, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Kevin Elmer, Apolo Nambo
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful metallization of a PERC silicon solar cell using screen-printable copper (Cu) paste. The Cu paste contains antioxidant additives and diffusion inhibitors to prevent oxidation and diffusion of Cu. The Cu-printed cells achieved an efficiency of 19% and showed no Cu diffusion after characterization tests. The long-term stability and effectiveness of the Cu diffusion barrier were also confirmed.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Senami Zogbo, Wilfried Favre, Olivier Bonino, Marie-Estelle Gueunier-Farret
Summary: Measuring specific contact resistivity (pc) is crucial for interface engineering in high efficiency solar cells. The Transfer Length Method (TLM) is commonly used for evaluating layer sheet resistance (Rsheet) and pc, but it is not suitable for metal/Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) interface evaluation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This study investigates the parameters that restrict current confinement within the TCO, including mid-gap trap density (Dit) at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and the activation energy (Ea = Ec - EF) variation of a-Si:H contact layers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: The phenomenon of ribbon lengthening in PV modules exposed to thermal cycling is not well explained in the literature. In this study, a three layers model is proposed to explain this effect, and the predictions of the model are validated through finite element method simulations and experiments. The results show that the model predictions are consistent with the indirect measurements, but not with the direct measurements. Additionally, it is inferred that the encapsulant plays a role after the solder failure.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: This study investigates the problematic ribbon lengthening observed in PV modules exposed to high amplitude thermal cycling. A simplified system model is proposed and accurate predictions are obtained using the Finite Element Method. The results show that the thickness of the encapsulant has a substantial impact on the lengthening of the ribbons.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Catalan-Gomez, E. Martinez Castellano, M. Schwarz, M. Montes Bajo, L. Dorado Vargas, A. Gonzalo, A. Redondo-Cubero, A. Gallego Carro, A. Hierro, J. M. Ulloa
Summary: This study investigates the use of core-shell gallium nanoparticles as functional light scatterers on solar cells. By optimizing the nanoparticle size, the short-circuit current of the solar cells is significantly improved. The underlying physical mechanism is studied through optical measurements and simulations, and a method to reduce the plasmonic effect of the nanoparticles is demonstrated.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Gamel, G. Lopez, A. M. Medrano, A. Jimenez, A. Datas, M. Garin, I. Martin
Summary: In this study, a highly reflective ohmic contact to p-type c-Ge material is demonstrated, which can improve the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic devices. The experimental results show that this contact can simultaneously meet the requirements of good back surface passivation, low electrical resistivity, and high reflectivity. Moreover, simulations suggest that implementing these back contacts has the potential to achieve conversion efficiencies comparable to high-efficiency c-Ge TPV cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Wei, Qing Xu, Dongchu Chen, Min Chen, Menglei Chang, Xiufang Ye
Summary: This study prepared solar selective absorption films based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) photonic crystals using a unique electrodeposition method. The Co-Ag electrodeposited film exhibited superior solar selective absorption properties and thermal stability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ankit Kumar, Ankit Chauhan, Jordi Llobet, Helder Fonseca, Patricia C. Sousa, Carlos Calaza, Gil Shalev
Summary: This study found that decorating subwavelength arrays with SiO2 quasi-nanolenses (qNL arrays) can enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum. Optical absorption mechanisms in qNL arrays were investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), revealing that the enhancement is a result of the combination of effective antireflection coating, increased optical interactions between adjacent dielectrics for elevated light trapping, and strong light concentration due to the presence of qNLs.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Pingel, T. Wenzel, N. Goettlicher, M. Linse, L. Folcarelli, J. Schube, S. Hoffmann, S. Tepner, Y. C. Lau, J. Huyeng, A. Lorenz, F. Clement
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential to reduce silver consumption in highly efficient SHJ cells through fine-line screen printing using low temperature paste with various screens. The results show that using finer mesh allows for narrower grid fingers and lower resistance, leading to improved cell efficiency. Simulation results indicate that module wire configuration is crucial for reducing silver consumption.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xibo He, Jun Qiu, Wei Wang, Yicheng Hou, Yong Shuai
Summary: This paper proposes a novel phase change material with high thermal conductivity and stability for fast photo-thermal conversion and storage. The experimental results demonstrate excellent durability and stability of the phase change material, with good performance in thermal conductivity and thermal storage efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyuan Liu, Lin Wang, Zheng Liu, Guohua Liu
Summary: A new evaporating structure consisting of liquid marble with tunable nanowire array is proposed to enhance solar evaporation. The experiments show that the liquid marble with nanowire array exhibits outstanding evaporation performance, which has significant implications for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Liu, Qiming Liu, Jinpei Liu, Yonggang Zhao, Yingjie Yu, Yue An, Ganghui Wei, Yanzheng Li, Yujun Fu, Junshuai Li, Deyan He
Summary: Moisture in the air is identified as the main cause of performance degradation in organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Exposure to air leads to the growth of thin oxide layer on the interface and the formation of silver sulfide, increasing the series resistance and decreasing the fill factor, thus degrading the cell performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
E. Blanco, P. Martin, M. Dominguez, P. Fernandez-Palacios, I. Lombardero, C. Sanchez-Perez, I. Garcia, C. Algora, M. Gabas
Summary: This study addresses the lack of optical parameters for p-type Ge wafers by determining the complex refractive indices of commercial Ge wafers with varying doping levels. The obtained data successfully reproduces the critical points associated with interband transitions and absorption features below the bandgap. The refractive indices were validated through experimental measurements and solar cell simulations.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)