New material phases formed under non-equilibrium conditions at pressures above 100 GPa and temperatures exceeding 104K, the conditions of the warm dense matter (WDM), have become accessible using micro-explosions triggered by ultra-short sub-1 ps pulses tightly focused into micro-volume with cross sections comparable with the wavelength of light. Laser-induced micro-explosions convert a material in a focal volume into a non-equilibrium disordered plasma state confined inside the bulk of pristine crystal. Ultra-high quenching rates overcome kinetic barriers to the formation of new metastable high pressure phases, which are preserved in the surrounding pristine crystal for following recovery and exploitation. Direct laser writing was used to pattern large areas by closely packed arrays of the microexplosion modified sites for structural characterisation of the minute volumes of nano-materials with transmission electron microscopy, diffraction and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The method of ultrafast-laser induced confined microexplosion is demonstrated for modification and creation of new phases in case of bcc-Al inside sapphire, valence change of Fe-ions in olivine, formation of new tetragonal bt8 and st12 phases of silicon, Ge and O separation in GeO2 glass and molecular oxygen formation inside voids at the site of microexplosion inside glasses.

The high-temperature performance of electronics packages was studied at 180°C, 200°C and 240°C for 3,000h. The structure tested consisted of a fairly large silicon chip attached with anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) onto an adhesiveless PI substrate. These structures showed good electrical reliability at 180°C. Several early failures were seen at the other temperatures. However, only 23% of the test samples failed at 200°C, while considerably more failures were seen at 240°C. The results showed that good high-temperature reliability can be achieved with polymer interconnections. However, the exposure time should be limited, especially at very high temperatures, to avoid failures caused by the materials becoming brittle.

In this work, ionic liquid gel polymer electrolyte is used to fabricate solid-state hybrid supercapacitors with microporous PEDOT and graphene asymmetric electrodes. The PEDOT electrode was prepared by ultra-short pulsed current electro-polymerization over flexible graphite sheets. The graphene electrode of 600 m2g-1 surface area was formed by slurry coating using graphene platelets of thickness 8 nm and size <2 μm. The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIBF4) was mixed with poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) P(VdF-HFP) to form gel electrolyte. The quasi rectangular cyclic voltammetry (CV) plots in the voltage range -0.2 to +2.0V and the charge-discharge (CD) curves show highly capacitive behavior. The optimized 0.1M LiClO4 doping of IL gel electrolyte increases specific capacitance to 70.4 mF.cm-2. Increase in IL electrolyte thickness from 30 to 54 µm improves discharge capacitance from 10.6 to 23.3 mF.cm-2 and energy density from 2.90 to 5.86 Wh.kg-1. Hybrid solid-state supercapacitor has a flat stackable platform which easily integrates with solar cell module for direct storage of solar electricity. This paper describes the electrode synthesis, design and electrochemical properties of PEDOT/graphene hybrid supercapacitor and the charging characteristics by solar cells for evaluating energy storage performance in backing up the solar cell generated electricity.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) has been used extensively for numerous biomedical applications. However, there is not enough information in the literature on the wettability and hygroscopic properties of electrospun PNIPAM fibers, relevant for water harvesting applications. This study focuses on investigating the wettability and hygroscopic properties of electrospun PNIPAM fibers at room temperature and elevated temperature. The wettability properties of electrospun PNIPAM fibers were compared to spin-coated PNIPAM thin films. The wettability properties of the electrospun fibers were enhanced by 56% compared to spin-coated films. Water contact angle (WCA) measured on electrospun fibers was determined to be 137° at elevated temperatures while WCA on spin cast PNIPAM film was determined to be 81° at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, hygroscopic properties of the electrospun PNIPAM fibers were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The PNIPAM fibers are seen to exhibit moisture absorption capacity of about 16.6 wt. % under humid conditions.

A paradigm for the synthetic manipulation of composition and crystallite size ofbimetallic composites via a low-temperature, aqueous co-precipitation techniqueemploying non-stoichiometric ratios of starting materials, AgNO3 andFe(NO3)3, is introduced. In-situ formation ofcomposites containing crystalline silver ferrite, AgFeO2, andnanocrystalline maghemite, γ-Fe2O3 isdemonstrated and established by Raman spectroscopic and X-ray absorptionanalyses. As a cathode, the lowest silver content composites exhibitedprofoundly improved electrochemical performance, with reversible capacitiesapproximately 100% higher relative to stoichiometric AgFeO2, anddemonstrate the lowest capacity fade.

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers is a promising alternative nanolithographic technology aimed at producing sub-40 nm patterns. One important opportunity for DSA is the creation of periodic arrays of lines and spaces. The two most common methods for line-space applications are chemoepitaxy (typically using a lamella-forming PS-b-PMMA diblock) and graphoepitaxy (typically using cylinder-forming block copolymers with a Si-containing minority block). Mesoscale modeling, such as Self-Consistent Field Theory (SCFT), has by now become an important tool in formulation screening and predicting polymer morphologies and defect types and probabilities. Here, we use SCFT to study the morphology of cylinder-forming PS-b-PDMS diblocks in rectangular trenches with grafted PS-brushes. The targeted morphology is 2 cylinders per trench (3X multiplication). We compute phase diagrams and determine equilibrium morphologies as a function of brush thickness and guiding weir height. Using those equilibrium morphologies as starting points, we also compute structures and free energies of typical defects, including dislocation and disclination dipoles, broken lines, and bridges. The predicted defect structures and probabilities are in a reasonable qualitative agreement with recent experimental results.

Operation of single crystalline Ca3TaGa3Si2O14 (CTGS) and La3Ga5SiO14 (LGS) bulk acoustic wave resonators is demonstrated up to 1270 °C and 1470 °C, respectively. The mass sensitivity of such devices is about 35 cm2 Hz/μg at 800 °C. Therefore, they are sensitive transducers suited to monitoring, for example, mass deposition processes at high temperatures. The electromechanical loss in CTGS is found to be significantly lower than that in LGS. Platinum coated CTGS samples show a remarkable long-term stability at 1000 °C in air. After an initial period of 300 h, the conductivity is found to remain nearly constant for at least 2400 h. Measurements of resonance frequency of CTGS for 1000 h show a qualitatively similar sequence, with an initial systematic increase followed by nearly constant values. In contrast, measurements on platinum-coated LGS plates show a conductivity decreasing by 15 % over a period of 5000 h.

Germanene, the 2D graphene-like Ge nanosheet, has been recently the subject of many theoretical studies and experimental attempts to synthesize it on Ag(111), Au(111) and Pt(111) surfaces. The experimental and theoretical evidences of germanene show a 2D continuous honeycomb layer with a buckled conformation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have predicted a larger buckling for germanene than silicene whose origin is also associated with a pseudo Jahn–Teller (PJT) effect. In this work we show that despite the fact that both, silicene and germanene possess a buckled conformation with a PJT origin, their vibronic coupling have different origins. The analysis is based on the PJT puckering instability of the hexagermabenzene molecule, the single hexagonal unit of germanene. This is done through the linear vibronic coupling model between the ground and the lowest excited states, which leads to a puckering distortion of the more symmetric cluster. We study both, the multilevel superposition vibronic model and possible mixing of excited states of different irreducible representations, which have been used to show the origin of similar structural transitions in hexagonal silicon and gold ring systems respectively. We show that contrary to other cases with one six-member rings, for the hexagermabenzene molecule a mixture of both the multilevel PJT and a ground state coupling with two quasi-degenerate excited states is necessary for a satisfactory explanation of puckering. Our model allows a determination of the coupling constants and predicts simultaneously the Adiabatic Potential Energy Surface (APES) behavior for the ground and excited states around the maximum symmetry point. The analysis is based on a scalar relativistic DFT and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations in the Zero Order Regular Approximation (ZORA) using the B3LYP hybrid functional.

Eumelanins, the black insoluble pigments of human skin, eyes and substantia nigra (neuromelanin), stand today as a unique source of inspiration for the design and implementation of soft biocompatible multifunctional materials for bio-optoelectronic devices. Interest in eumelanins stems from bioavailability, biocompatibility and a peculiar set of physicochemical properties, i.e. broadband absorption in the UV-visible range, intrinsic free radical character, water-dependent hybrid ionic–electronic conductor behaviour, supporting optimistic feelings about a possible rise of eumelanin-mimics as innovative bioinspired solutions for organic bioelectronics.

However, a number of conceptual and technological gaps still hinder a rapid progress of melanin-based organic electronics and bioelectronics, including in particular the limited contribution of electronic conductivity and current decay with time under biasing. Herein, we provide a concise overview of the structural and optoelectronic properties of melanins with a view to bringing to focus main issues and challenges en route to bioelectronic applications.

Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics are generally not specificallydesigned to perform in extremely transient high impact scenarios. This researchfocused on the development of a silver-decorated carbon black-based polymericnanocomposite with properties such as high conductivity, flexibility, and shockabsorbency. Polymeric rubber materials are generally very flexible and shockabsorbing, however, most polymeric materials are electrical insulators. Thedispersion of the silver-decorated carbon black into the polymeric matrix couldsignificantly improve the electrical conductivity. The processing andfabrication of Ag-CB (silver-carbon black)/Epoxy (thermosetting epoxy polymer)and Ag-CB/TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) will be reported. Both Ag-CB/Epoxyand Ag-CB/TPU mixtures with solvents showed the shear-thinning behavior, whichwas an important characteristic for direct printing of traces and AdditiveManufacturing (AM). The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites weremeasured using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) over a wide range oftemperatures. These nanocomposite materials were also successfully used to printflexible circuits using a 3D-printing machine. The electrical resistance changefor the Ag-CB/Epoxy on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Ag-CB/TPU on PDMS understrain was studied, and the results will be discussed.

Group 6 transition metal oxide thin films are in large demand for photocatalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, fuel cell, battery and electronic applications. Pulsed laser deposition offers an inexpensive method for the preparation of nanostructured thin films that may be suitable for heterogeneous catalysis. We have synthesized molybdenum oxide thin films using two types of pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The first method utilizes femtosecond laser-based PLD (f-PLD) while the second method uses an excimer (nanosecond) laser-based PLD (n-PLD). The PLD films have been deposited using f-PLD and, separately, n-PLD on glass and silicon substrates and subsequently annealed to 450 °C for up to 20 hours in air using a Linkam stage. SEM, XRD and Raman spectroscopic characterization shows that the f-PLD films are substantially more textured and partially crystalline prior to annealing whereas the n-PLD-grown thin films are much smoother and predominantly amorphous. A 3-dimensional nano-crystalline structure is evident in the post-annealed f-PLD synthesized thin films, which is desirable for catalytic applications. XPS elemental analysis shows that the stoichiometry of the f-PLD and n-PLD thin films is consistent with the presence of MoO2 and MoO3. Our results are discussed in terms of thin film growth models suitable for f-PLD vs n-PLD.

Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) are quantum dots that do not contain toxic metals and exhibit a photoluminescent response that may be tailored via changes in particle dimension as well as surface chemistry. Herein, we present a promising hybrid nanomaterial that combines the favourable properties (e.g., photoluminescence, biocompatibility, and surface chemistry) of SiNCs with the magnetic characteristics of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). Linking these two complementary nanomaterials via DCC coupling has yielded a new advanced hybrid material that possesses the characteristics of its constituents and affords a photoluminescent system that responds to permanent magnets.

Development of transparent electrodynamic screens (EDS) printed on ultrathin flexible glass film substrates for retrofitting on solar panels and solar mirrors to perform self cleaning function is reviewed. Large-scale solar plants are generally installed in semi-arid and desert areas where dust layers build up on solar collectors causes major energy-yield loss. Maintaining designed plant capacities requires more than 90% reflectivity for CSP mirrors and 90% transmission efficiency for PV modules; solar collectors must therefore be cleaned at a frequency depending on the rate of dust deposition. Scarcity of water in these regions requires a cleaning method that drastically reduces or eliminates water and the associated labor costs for high efficiency operation of large-scale solar plants. An EDS film consists of rows of interdigitated, transparent conducting parallel electrodes embedded within a flexible ultrathin glass film and an optically clear adhesive film used for retrofitting the film on the surface of solar collectors. When phased voltage pulses activate the electrodes, the dust particles are first electrostatically charged, then repelled and removed from the surface of the solar collectors by Coulomb force, restoring transmission efficiency greater than 90%. The electrodes of EDS are either made from silver nanowire or another conductive transparent material printed on a highly transparent, ultrathin (100-μm thick), flexible borosilicate glass film. Applications of different conducting transparent electrodes and methods of printing are reviewed for optimizing self-cleaning function of solar panels and mirrors.

Carbon nanotube arrays were grown in the presence of an applied mechanical stress (30 min, 60 mN/mm2 mechanical pressure) and dispersed in aqueous solution (0.08 - 2.3 mm2/mL). Optical (450-950 nm) transmission and right angle scattering measurements were performed on these dispersions and on an analogous set of conventional (non-stressed) carbon nanotubes. Results show similar transmission behavior and different right angle scattering dependence on concentration for stress-grown and conventional carbon nanotubes. This investigation provides the first evidence of differentiation between stress-grown and conventional carbon nanotubes in the optical regime, suggesting a point of departure for future applications.

Both synthesis and photocatalytic potential of an innovative catalyst-powder type composite material based on the Zn or/and ZnO dispersed in a matrix of amorphous-carbon have been investigated. Zn/ZnO/amorphous-carbon nanostructured-matrix composite was prepared by partial pyrolysis method based on the Pechini method. The amorphous character of composite was characterized X-ray diffraction, while chemical bond investigated by infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity directed to the degradation of the phenol red dye of small fraction of commercial ZnO, Zn/C and Zn/ZnO/C composites were evaluated as a function of the degradation reaction of the phenol red dye, in the alkaline medium pH = 9. A mass concentration of 1:10,000 was selected being considered 30 and 150 min of reaction A comparison between photocatalytic activity showed that the degradation rate of phenol red dye is more efficient at both ZnO/Zn/C and Zn/C amorphous composites when compared to the pristine ZnO. The efficiency obeys the following order C/Zn ≥ C/ZnO/Zn > commercial ZnO with conversion equal to 70% for C/Zn and C/ZnO/Zn, while for the ZnO is around 55%. The kinetic of degradation is discussed.

By reducing the number of dimensions that light can propagate in from three down to two, one may gain control over the characteristics of propagation. This control can allow for “Stopped Light” (SL), where wavepackets of light are slowed down to a zero group velocity. This is achieved by designing planar metal-dielectric structures that are stacked in one dimension allowing for waveguide modes in the other two, and engineering the dispersion relation of these structures. Stopped light structures can be further optimized to reduce their dispersion and increase the number of spatial frequencies supported, which allows for confinement of electromagnetic energy over volumes smaller than the diffraction limit over fixed regions in space. If this electromagnetic energy is confined over a region that provides gain, the question arises, can amplification of this light energy occur? and indeed can a regime of lasing be entered into? We show that stopped light lasing is indeed possible, despite there being no resonant cavity in 2d to confine the light, and explore the properties of this new type of laser.

We studied the InGaP/GaAs//InGaAsP/InGaAs four-junction solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), which were fabricated by the novel wafer bonding. In order to reach a higher conversion efficiency at highly concentrated illumination, heat generation should be minimized. We have improved the device structure to reduce the thermal and electrical resistances. Especially, the bond resistance was reduced to be the lowest value of 2.5 × 10-5 Ohm cm2 ever reported for a GaAs/InP wafer bond, which was obtained by the specific combination of p+-GaAs/n-InP bonding and by using room-temperature wafer bonding. Furthermore, in order to increase the short circuit current density (Jsc) of 4-junction solar cell, we have developed the quality of InGaAsP material by increasing the growth temperature from 490 °C to 510 °C, which leads to a current matching. In a result, an efficiency of 42 % at 230 suns of the four-junction solar cell fabricated by room-temperature wafer bonding was achieved.

Solar thermophotovoltaic (STPV) systems convert sunlight into electricity via thermal radiation. The efficiency of this process depends critically on both the selective absorber and the selective emitter, which are controlled by both the materials and the photonic design. For high concentration solar TPV applications, 2D photonic crystals (PhCs) made of refractory metals such as tungsten have demonstrated promising results. For even higher performance, we propose two photonic crystal-based designs to both collect solar heat and reradiate above-gap photons. First, a PhC selective structure (IPSS), which combines 2D photonic crystals and filters into a single device. Second, an Er-Yb-Tm co-doped fused silica coated with a 17-bilayer structure also offers significant selectivity with greater ease of fabrication. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) and rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) simulations show that both can significantly suppress sub-bandgap photons. This increases sunlight-to-electricity conversion for photonic crystal-based emitters above 24.3% at 100 suns concentration or 27% at 1000 suns concentration using a Ga0.42In0.58As PV diode with a bandgap of 0.7 eV (nearly lattice-matched to InP).

AlN thin film structures have many useful and practical piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. The potential enhancement of the AlN piezo- and pyroelectric constants allows it to compete with more commonly used materials. For example, combination of AlN with ScN leads to new structural, electronic, and mechanical characteristics, which have been reported to substantially enhance the piezoelectric coefficients in solid-solution AlN-ScN compounds, compared to a pure AlN-phase material.

In our work, we demonstrate that an analogous alloying approach results in considerable enhancement of the pyroelectric properties of AlN - ScN composites. Thin films of ScN, AlN and Al1-x ScxN (x = 0 – 1.0) were deposited on silicon (004) substrates using dual reactive sputtering in Ar/N2 atmosphere from Sc and Al targets. The deposited films were studied and compared using x-ray diffraction, XPS, SEM, and pyroelectric characterization. An up to 25% enhancement was observed in the pyroelectric coefficient (Pc = 0.9 µC /m2K) for Sc1-x Alx N thin films structures in comparison to pure AlN thin films (Pc = 0.71 µC/m2K). The obtained results suggest that Al1-x ScxN films could be a promising novel pyroelectric material and might be suitable for use in uncooled IR detectors.

Cleanliness is a prerequisite for obtaining economically feasible yield levels in the semiconductor industry. For the next generation of lithographic equipment, EUV lithography, the size of yield-loss inducing particles for the masks will be smaller than 20 nm. Consequently, equipment for handling EUV masks should not add particles larger than 20 nm. Detection methods for 20 nm particles on large area surfaces are needed to qualify the equipment for cleanliness. Detection of 20 nm particles is extremely challenging, not only because of the particle size, but also because of the large surface area and limited available time.

In 2002 TNO developed the RapidNano, a platform that is capable of detecting nanoparticles on flat substrates. Over the last decade, the smallest detectable particle size was decreased while the inspection rate was increased. This effort has led to a stable and affordable detection platform that is capable of inspecting the full surface of a mask blank.

The core of RapidNano is a dark-field imaging technique. Every substrate type has a typical background characteristic, which strongly affects the size of the smallest detectable particle. The noise level is induced by the speckle generated by the surface roughness of the mask. The signal-to-noise ratio can be improved by illuminating the inspection area from nine different angles. This improvement was first shown on test bench level and then applied in the RapidNano3. The RapidNano3 is capable of detecting 42nm latex sphere equivalents (and larger) on silicon surfaces. RapidNano4, the next generation, will use 193 nm light and the same nine angle illumination mode. Camera sensitivity and available laser power determine the achievable throughput. Therefore, special care was given to the optical design, particularly the optical path. With RapidNano4, TNO will push the detection limit of defects on EUV blanks to below 20nm.