Regular arrays of triangular‐microstructure formed on silicon (111) surface via ultrafast laser irradiation in KOH solution

The regular micrometer‐scale triangular arrays were formed using ultrafast femtosecond laser irradiation on (111) surface of silicon wafer immersed in KOH solution (0.1 g/ml). At low laser fluence, the resulting surface is covered by triangular pits microstructures, whereas at high laser fluence, the structures are transformed to multilayer‐triangular stacks‐microstructures. The number of triangular stacks layer increased as the laser fluence increased. The formation of triangle microstructure arrays depends on both silicon surface crystallographic orientation and the concentration of KOH solution. Either for lower KOH solution concentration (0.02 g/ml) or other silicon crystallographic orientation, triangle arrays cannot be obtained. We attribute the formation of triangular microstructure arrays to the laser‐assisted chemical etching process. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Facile Preparation of the Co3O4 Villiform Nanostructure

A Co₃O₄ villiform nanostructure was prepared by the aid of the cobalt oxalate precursor and characterized with x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis spectrum. It is found that the villiform structure obtained consists of Co₃O₄ nanorods with diameters of 50–80 nm. Moreover, the UV-vis absorptions of the villiform Co₃O₄ show the apparent blue shifts by comparison with the bulk Co₃O₄, indicating a quantum size effect similar to the free Co₃O₄ nanoparticles.     

湿式催化氧化处理含高浓度甲醛的草甘膦废水

草甘膦结晶母液经蒸发或纳滤浓缩回收后,产生大量含有高浓度甲醛的废水,常规的废水处理方法难以达到回用或排放要求.以过量溶液浸渍法制备的Pt-Bi-CeO2/AC为催化剂,采用湿式催化氧化法处理2.5%的HCHO溶液,HCHO去除率高达99.9%以上,COD去除率达到96.6%.采用Pt-Bi-CeO2/AC催化剂对含低浓度草甘膦(PMG,50 mg/L)的生产废水直接进行湿式催化氧化处理,催化剂使用23次后,HCHO去除率稳定在85%左右,COD去除率稳定在87%左右,催化剂具有良好的稳定性.湿式催化氧化处理后的废水可直接回用于PMG生产.采用固定床湿式催化氧化装置处理HCHO溶液以及PMG生产废水,处理效果也非常理想,连续使用720 h,催化剂的稳定性能良好.通过XRD、N2吸附-脱附、HRTEM、ICP-OES和XPS等分析手段对催化剂进行了系统表征.     

PCB酸性蚀刻液中缓蚀剂对厚铜线路制作的影响

以2-巯基苯并噻唑(2-MBT)、 苯并三氮唑(BTA)和苯氧基乙醇(MSDS)作为缓蚀剂, 研究了其加入在酸性蚀刻液后对PCB厚铜线路的缓蚀效果。通过接触角测试、电化学测试和蚀刻因子得出缓蚀状态,并结合扫描电子显微镜观察铜表面形貌。通过分子动力学计算和量子化学模拟分析缓蚀剂在铜表面的吸附机理。结果表明,2-MBT + MSDS与BTA + MSDS的分子结构可有效地平行吸附在铜表面,且吸附能高于单一缓蚀剂。加入了2-MBT + MSDS的蚀刻液,对厚度约为33 μm铜线路进行刻蚀,铜线路的蚀刻因子提高到6.59,可有效应用于PCB厚铜线路制作。     

Wet-Chemically Prepared Porphyrin Layers on Rutile TiO2(110)

Porphyrins are large organic molecules that are interesting for different applications, such as photovoltaic cells, gas sensors, or in catalysis. For many of these applications, the interactions between adsorbed molecules and surfaces play a crucial role. Studies of porphyrins on surfaces typically fall into one of two groups: (1) evaporation onto well-defined single-crystal surfaces under well-controlled ultrahigh vacuum conditions or (2) more application-oriented wet chemical deposition onto less well-defined high surface area surfaces under ambient conditions. In this study, we will investigate the wet chemical deposition of 5-(monocarboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin (MCTPP) on well-defined rutile TiO₂(110) single crystals under ambient conditions. Prior to deposition, the TiO₂(110) crystals were also cleaned wet-chemically under ambient conditions, meaning none of the preparation steps were done in ultrahigh vacuum. However, after each preparation step, the surfaces were characterized in ultrahigh vacuum with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the result was compared with porphyrin layers prepared in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) by evaporation. The differences of both preparations when exposed to zinc ion solutions will also be discussed.     

Hybrid process for texturization of diamond wire sawn multicrystalline silicon solar cell

Acid texture is difficult for diamond wire sawn (DWS) multicrystalline silicon (mc‐Si) wafer owing to the inhomogeneous distribution of damage layer on the surface. In this article, metal‐assisted chemical etching (MACE) has been selected for introducing a porous seeding layer to induce acid texturing etching. SEM results show that the oval pit structures coverage get obvious improvement even on the smooth areas. Owing to the further improved light absorption ability by second MACE and nanostructure rebuilding (NSR) process, nanostructured DWS mc‐Si solar cell has exhibited a conversion efficiency of 17.96%, which is 0.45% higher than that of DWS wafer with simple acid texture process. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Multi‐crystalline silicon solar cells with metal‐assisted nano‐texturing using HNO3 as hole injection agent

In this study, metal‐assisted etching (MAE) with nitric acid (HNO₃) as a hole injecting agent has been employed to texture multi‐crystalline silicon wafers. It was previously proven that addition of HNO₃ enabled control of surface texturing so as to form nano‐cone shaped structures rather than nanowires. The process parameters optimized for optically efficient texturing have been applied to multi‐crystalline wafers. Fabrication of p‐type Al:BSF cells have been carried out on textured samples with thermal SiO₂/PECVD‐SiN_x stack passivation and screen printed metallization. Firing process has been optimized in order to obtain the best contact formation. Finally, j_sc enhancement of 0.9 mA/cm² and 0.6% absolute increase in the efficiency have been achieved. This proves that the optimized MAE texture process can be successfully used in multi‐crystalline wafer texturing with standard passivation methods.

J –V curves and SEM images of the nano and iso‐textured samples. j_sc enhancement of 0.9 mA/cm² together with 0.6% absolute efficiency gain was observed on nano‐textured samples.     

Excellent passivation of thin silicon wafers by HF‐free hydrogen plasma etching using an industrial ICPECVD tool

In this work, hydrogen plasma etching of surface oxides was successfully accomplished on thin (～100 µm) planar n‐type Czochralski silicon wafers prior to intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon [a‐Si:H(i)] deposition for heterojunction solar cells, using an industrial inductively coupled plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ICPECVD) platform. The plasma etching process is intended as a dry alternative to the conventional wet‐chemical hydrofluoric acid (HF) dip for solar cell processing. After symmetrical deposition of an a‐Si:H(i) passivation layer, high effective carrier lifetimes of up to 3.7 ms are obtained, which are equivalent to effective surface recombination velocities of 1.3 cm s^–1 and an implied open‐circuit voltage (V_oc) of 741 mV. The passivation quality is excellent and comparable to other high quality a‐Si:H(i) passivation. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy shows evidence of plasma‐silicon interactions and a sub‐nanometre interfacial layer. Using electron energy‐loss spectroscopy, this layer is further investigated and confirmed to be hydrogenated suboxide layers. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nanotextured multicrystalline Al‐BSF solar cells reaching 18% conversion efficiency using industrially viable solar cell processes

We report recent achievements in adapting industrially used solar cell processes on nanotextured surfaces. Nanostructures were etched into c‐Si surfaces by dry exothermic plasma‐less reaction of F species with Si in atmospheric pressure conditions and then modified using a short post‐etching process. Nanotextured multicrystalline wafers are used to prepare Al‐BSF solar cells using industrially feasible solar cell proc‐ essing steps. In comparison to the reference acidic textured solar cells, the nanostructured cells showed gain in short circuit current (J_sc) of up to 0.8 mA/cm² and absolute gain in conversion efficiency of up to 0.3%. The best nanotextured solar cell was independently certified to reach the conversion efficiency of 18.0%. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Selective etching of ZnTe in HF:H2O2:H2O solution: Interpretation of extended defect‐related etch figures

HF:H₂O₂:H₂O solution (40%wt.HF: 30wt.%H₂O₂: H₂O, 3:2:1 by volume) was used to reveal extended defects (line, face and volume defects) in bulk ZnTe crystals grown from Te solution. The etch patterns were analyzed based on their size, shape and distribution. The etch figures, both in the shape of pits and hillocks with high resolution, show forms controlled by the symmetries of the respective faces were produced. Two different sizes of pits were observed, the larger‐size pits correspond to dislocations penetrating the surface, however, the smaller‐size texture pits are produced on the defect‐free region, which serve as standard pits on respect faces. The face defects, such as grain boundaries, sub‐grain boundaries, dislocation walls, twins and stacking faults, can be all displayed clearly. Another essential feature of the etchant is that, it can effectively dissolve Te‐rich phase (Te inclusion/precipitates), which makes it promising to reveal the shape of this volume defect.