Silicon nitride/silicon oxide interlayers for solar cell passivating contacts based on PECVD amorphous silicon

This Letter demonstrates improved passivating contacts for silicon solar cells consisting of doped silicon films together with tunnelling dielectric layers. An improvement is demonstrated by replacing the commonly used silicon oxide interfacial layer with a silicon nitride/silicon oxide double interfacial layer. The paper describes the optimization of such contacts, including doping of a PECVD intrinsic a‐Si:H film by means of a thermal POCl₃ diffusion process and an exploration of the effect of the refractive index of the SiN_x. The n⁺ silicon passivating contact with SiN_x /SiO_x double layer achieves a better result than a single SiN_x or SiO_x layer, giving a recombination current parameter of ～7 fA/cm² and a contact resistivity of ～0.005 Ω cm², respectively. These self‐passivating electron‐selective contacts open the way to high efficiency silicon solar cells. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Application of a process friendly morpholine synthesis to (S,S)-Reboxetine

We report our results on the construction of a morpholine ring system from the corresponding epoxide and amino alcohol. From this study, we were able to convert a previous four-step synthesis into a more efficient two-step process.     

Hemostatic efficacy and tissue reaction of oxidized regenerated cellulose hemostats

Oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) has been used as an absorbable hemostat since World War II. In the present study, hemostasis time was determined in a spleen incision model in swine. The effect of mass on absorbable hemostat efficacy and hemostasis time was evaluated by standardizing the ORC materials on a mass basis. The median hemostasis time for a single layer of the new nonwoven ORC was as much as 51 % shorter than woven ORC (P < 0.001). The mean hemostasis time for nonwoven ORC was not affected by the mass of hemostat applied to the wound. The hemostatic efficacy of woven ORC increased with the mass (layers) of hemostat applied to the wound. Nonwoven ORC is significantly faster in achieving hemostasis than woven ORC, and its hemostatic efficacy is not influenced by the mass of material applied. Tissue reaction was minimal and the material was fully absorbed by 14 days.