Observation of band structure on amorphous silicon surface and performance of solar cells with controlled band offsets on hetero-junctions

Control of band offsets on hetero-junctions is important to achieve a higher efficiency amorphous silicon-based solar cell. It is expected to improve cell's properties of Voc and FF by suppressing band offsets on the junction. The configuration of conduction band level (Ec), valence band level (Ev) and Fermi level (Ef) based on vacuum level governs the formation of band offset on the junction. We show that the configuration of the band structure on the surface of amorphous Si thin film is deposited by plasma-CVD equipment with a VHF power supply. Ec and Ev were obtained from ionization energy and energy band gap observed by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and optical measurement, respectively. Ef was measured as work function by means of Kelvin probe method. As a result, it is found that shifts of energy levels originate from change of bonding characteristics in the amorphous Si network. This phenomenon is peculiar to amorphous Si-based materials. The results indicate that the upper shift of Ec and Ev are effective in suppressing band offsets on the hetero-junction. We show the performance of solar cells with controlled band offsets on hetero-junctions and discuss the possibility of higher Voc and FF by employing amorphous Si-based materials.     

Preparation of mesoporous silicas using food grade emulsifiers and its application for enzyme supports

A novel mesoporous silica (TMPS) was synthesized via self-assembly using a myristic acid ester of pentaglycerol. The ester is obtained from catalytic esterification and it is commercially available as a food grade emulsifier. TMPS material was employed for preparation of a biocatalyst in order to examine the ability as an enzyme support in comparison with the other mesoporous silica materials having a channel or a cage-like pore system. The used TMPS materials possessed the interconnected channel-like pore system with the pore sizes of 9.2, 12, and 16 nm. The materials successfully entrapped lipase into their mesopores with the high loadings. The resultant lipase/TMPS conjugates functioned as the biocatalyst for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl propionate (p-NPP), having the higher activity than those of the used mesoporous silica conjugates. The high activities were ascribed to the textural properties such as the small particle length, large pore size and the three-dimensional pore connectivity that permit the accessibility of p-NPP to the immobilized lipases during the reactions. Consequently, we concluded that TMPS materials are of the suitable mesoporous support for the enzymes.     

Singularities with the highest Mather minimal log discrepancy

This paper characterizes singularities with Mather minimal log discrepancies in the highest unit interval, i.e., the interval between $d-1$ and $d$ , where $d$ is the dimension of the scheme. The class of these singularities coincides with one of the classes of (1) compound Du Val singularities, (2) normal crossing double singularities, (3) pinch points, and (4) pairs of non-singular varieties and boundaries with multiplicities less than or equal to 1 at the point. As a corollary, we also obtain one implication of an equivalence conjectured by Shokurov for the usual minimal log discrepancies.     

Geometric Properties of Jet Schemes

This article shows how properties of jet schemes relate to those of the singularity on the base scheme. We will see that the jet scheme's properties of being ?-factorial, ?-Gorenstein, canonical, terminal, and so on are inherited by the base scheme.     

Electron-Impact Fragmentographic Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Ethanol,Acetaldehyde, 1- and 2-Propanol and Acetone

Abstract

Gaseous ethanol, acetaldehyde, 1-propanol, 2-propanol and acetone at pressures of 2 × 10^?5 to 5 × 10^?4 torr were irradiated with electrons of energies 0-1000 eV. The visible-region fluorescence of the excited fragments was then measured. Studies included pressure dependence, electron energy dependence, threshold energy measurements, and excitation curve measurements. The aim of the research was to ascertain if molecules of similar structure could be differentiated by their spectra.     

The Adaptive Projected Subgradient Method over the Fixed Point Set of Strongly Attracting Nonexpansive Mappings

This paper presents an algorithmic solution, the adaptive projected subgradient method, to the problem of asymptotically minimizing a certain sequence of non-negative continuous convex functions over the fixed point set of a strongly attracting nonexpansive mapping in a real Hilbert space. The method generalizes Polyak's subgradient algorithm for the convexly constrained minimization of a fixed nonsmooth function. By generating a strongly convergent and asymptotically optimal point sequence, the proposed method not only offers unifying principles for many projection-based adaptive filtering algorithms but also enhances the adaptive filtering methods with the set theoretic estimation's armory by allowing a variety of a priori information on the estimandum in the form, for example, of multiple intersecting closed convex sets.     

Low-Temperature Form (Phase II) of Ionic Conductor Ag7TaS6 Analyzed using High-Resolution Synchrotron X-Ray Powder Diffraction Data

Abstract

The ternary sulfide Ag₇TaS₆ displays high Ag-ion conductivity at ambient temperature, and the framework TaS₆ and Ag ions can be respectively regarded as the host structure and guest ions. Two low-temperature phases, i.e. Ag₇TaS₆ II and Ag₇TaS₆ III, were found. The Rietveld analysis of Ag₇TaS₆ II has been performed based on the X-ray data measured at 240K using a wave length 0.64997Å by a high-resolution powder diffraction instrument combined with the beam line BMlB at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facilities. Smooth convergence has been obtained (R_WP=0.066), and the crystal structure was described based on a space group Pn with monoclinic lattice constants a=7.4462, b=7.4013, c=10.5296Å and β=90.069°. The narrow widths of reflections even at high angle have made possible the analysis of individual thermal parameters for Ag ions. In Ag₇TaS₆ II, Ag-Ag linkage rather than Ag-S coordination seem to affect the thermal parameters of Ag ions. The guest-guest interaction can be important for mobility of guest ions in the ionic conductor.     

Sensitivity enhancement in solid state (15)N NMR by indirect detection with high-speed magic angle spinning

Enhancement of sensitivity in solid state (15)N NMR by indirect detection through (1)H NMR signals under high-speed magic angle spinning and high-field conditions is demonstrated experimentally on two (15)N-labeled peptides, polycrystalline AlaGlyGly and the helix-forming, 17-residue peptide MB(i + 4)EK in lyophilized form. Sensitivity enhancement factors ranging from 2.0 to 3.2 are observed experimentally, depending on the (15)N and (1)H linewidths and polarization transfer efficiencies. The (1)H-detected two-dimensional (1)H/(15)N correlation spectrum of AlaGlyGly illustrates the possibility of increased spectral resolution and resonance assignments in indirectly detected experiments, in addition to the sensitivity enhancement.