Highly transparent and flexible field electron emitters based on hybrid carbon nanostructure

We demonstrate a unique strategy to fabricate highly transparent and flexible field electron emitters (FEEs) based on combined carbon nanostructures, i.e., conical nanocarbon structures (CNCSs) and single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The combined structure was prepared by spray coating of 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCE) dispersed SWNTs onto neon ion (Ne⁺) irradiation induced CNCSs on nafion substrate. The field emission (FE) property of SWCNTs on both flat nafion and CNCSs surfaces increased with increasing the SWCNTs amount. The best FE result was attained for the highest amount of SWCNTs on the CNCSs substrate. This kind of collective structures is found to be effective emitters on transparent and flexible ion‐irradiated nafion substrate. Moreover, the combined carbon nanostructures showed improved transparency and emission performance compared to the individual nanostructures. The FE properties of 0.5 ml SWCNTs solution on CNCSs surfaces were equal to those of 1.5 ml SWCNTs solution on flat nafion surface. The hybrid structure based emitters (CNCSs and SWCNTs) produced by this method are lower‐cost cathode materials than hybrid structures of SWCNTs and flat nafion. Thus the combined nanostructures of SWCNTs/CNCSs might have huge prospects for the fabrication of efficient transparent and flexible FEEs and their broad application in next‐generation portable display devices. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Transparent and flexible field emission display device based on single‐walled carbon nanotubes

A fully transparent and flexible field emission device (FED) has been demonstrated. Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated on arylite substrate were used as electron emitters for the FED and a novel metavanadate phosphor coated on the SWCNTs/arylite film was used as transparent and flexible screen. The SWCNTs/arylite based emitters and the SWCNTs/arylite/metal‐vanadate‐based phosphor showed a transmittance value of 92.6% and 54%, respectively. The assembled device also showed satisfactory transparency and flexibility as well as producing significant current. Metavanadate phosphor is considered to be an excellent candidate due to its superior luminescence properties and easy fabrication onto transparent and flexible conductive substrate at room temperature while retaining reasonable transparency of the substrate. Thus, its transparency and flexibility will open the door to next‐generation FEDs. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Facile one‐step fabrication of highly transparent and flexible superhydrophobic substrate by room‐temperature ion irradiation method

Highly transparent (transparency 96.5%), flexible and antireflective superhydrophobic (water contact angle >150°) surfaces have been fabricated at room temperature by the ion irradiation method. This one‐step fabrication route was fairly easy to carry out without any heat or chemical treatment and can be completed within few seconds. This novel chemical free fabricating strategy could be extended to numerous polymeric substrates to achieve transparent and flexible superhydrophobic structures for their potential applications in diverse fields. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Coupled Ag nanocrystal-based transparent mesh electrodes for transparent and flexible electro-magnetic interference shielding films

In this study, we developed a fabrication method of conductive and transparent Ag mesh electrodes on flexible polymer film at temperatures lower than 100?°C. Random patterned Ag mesh film was fabricated on a flexible PET substrate over 15?×?15?cm² by a self-assembly process. It became conductive by a coupling process at low temperatures. The coupled Ag mesh film showed more than 88% transmittance in visible wavelength and less than 8.2?Ω?sq^?1 in sheet resistance with figure of merit (FoM) value of 350. This transparent flexible EMI shield film fabricated with a coupled Ag mesh pattern showed high EM shielding effectiveness of ?23?dB?at 1.5–10?GHz frequency with a high transparency of 88%.     

A flexible carbon nanotube field emitter fabricated on a polymer substrate by a laser separation method

The fabrication of a sparsely networked carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film on a polycarbonate substrate as the conductor electrode and the emitting cathode by a newly proposed laser separation method is reported. Based on this approach, numerous surface protruding tube tips can be structured straightforwardly, which results in favorable field-emission characteristics. A flexible field emitter with a low turn-on voltage of 1.0 V/μm can be obtained. This method also demonstrates the abilities for fabricating a film with precision patterns and varying CNT concentrations as well as the flexibility of direct film formation on a curved surface. Moreover, all fabrication steps are executed in the ambient environment and at room temperature.     

Transparent carbon nanotube coatings

Thin networks of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are sprayed onto glass or plastic substrates in order to obtain conductive transparent coatings. Transparency and conductivity at room temperature of different CNT material are evaluated. CNT coatings maintain their properties under mechanical stress, even after folding the substrate. At a transparency of 90% for visible light we observe a surface resistivity of 1 kΩ/sq which is already a promising value for various applications.     

Electrical and mechanical properties of graphene oxide on flexible substrate

Graphene oxide (GO) was deposited via the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method to lower the oxygen concentration of graphene sheets for large-scale production. In addition, the direct synthesis of large-scale GO films using transfer processes on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate was conducted. The thickness of the GO films was controlled to adjust the optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. The Young's modulus values of films with thicknesses of 100–200 nm were 324–529 GPa. Moreover, the GO films exhibited excellent conductivity, with a sheet resistance of 276–2024 Ω/sq at 23–77% transparency. Experiments show that transfer processes for flexible substrates can produce high-quality cost-effective transparent conductive films.     

Patterning of nanoparticulate transparent conductive ITO films using UV light irradiation and UV laser beam writing

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film is one of the most widely used as transparent conductive electrodes in all forms of flat panel display (FPD) and microelectronic devices. Suspension of already crystalline conductive ITO nanoparticles fully dispersed in alcohol was spun, after modifying with coupling agent, on glass substrates. The low cost, simple and versatile traditional photolithography process without complication of the photoresist layer was used for patterning ITO films. Using of UV light irradiation through mask and direct UV laser beam writing resulted in an accurate linear, sharp edge and very smooth patterns. Irradiated ITO film showed a high transparency (∼85%) in the visible region. The electrical sheet resistance decrease with increasing time of exposure to UV light and UV laser. Only 5 min UV light irradiation is enough to decrease the electrical sheet resistance down to 5 kΩ□.     

高功函数的钛酸镧掺杂氧化铟透明导电薄膜的制备与光电特性研究

制备了一种新型的具有高功函数的掺钛酸镧(LaTiO3)的氧化铟(ILTO)三元透明导电氧化物薄膜,并研究了其光电特性。EDX能谱测试结果证实了样品中In、La及Ti的存在,薄膜的掺杂具有良好的均匀性及一致性。由原子力显微镜测试可知,在一个5μm×5μm的扫描区域内,样品的表面粗糙度(RMS)较小,为1 nm量级。ILTO薄膜在可见光区域的平均透过率超过了85%,其功函数接近于金的功函数(5.2 eV左右),远高于目前商业化的ITO的功函数(4.5～4.7 eV)。由于导电薄膜的功函数在光电器件中对异质结界面的势垒高度有着直接影响,较高的功函数可以提高载流子的注入及抽取能力,因此采用ILTO作为光电器件的阳极将有望改善器件的性能。     

Direct writing of carbon nanotube patterns by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition on a transparent substrate

Dot array and line patterns of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully grown by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) on a transparent substrate at room temperature. In the proposed technique, a Nd:YVO₄ laser with a wavelength of 532 nm irradiates the backside of multiple catalyst layers (Ni/Al/Cr) through a transparent substrate to induce a local temperature rise, thereby allowing the direct writing of dense dot and line patterns of MWCNTs below 10 μm in size to be produced with uniform density on the controlled positions. In this LCVD method, a multiple-catalyst-layer with a Cr thermal layer is the central component for enabling the growth of dense MWCNTs with good spatial resolution.     

Conducting polymer based hybrid structure as transparent and flexible field electron emitter

An efficient cathode material with high transparency (93%) based on conducting polymer poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been developed for the fabrication of highly transparent and flexible field electron emitters (FEE). This kind of material showed superior field emission (FE) performance with very high current density (10^–3A/cm²) at very low electric field. The FE performance of the hybrid materials was dramatically improved compared to either SWCNTs and PEDOT:PSS. Thus the hybrid structures of conducting polymer and SWCNTs might be a good choice for use as a cathode material to enhance the FE performance and for potential application in future portable displays. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Long wavelength infrared photodetector design based on electromagnetically induced transparency

A novel long-wavelength infrared (IR) photodetector based on Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) which is suitable for operation in about room temperature and THz range is proposed and analyzed in detail in this article. The main point in this paper for operation in room temperature is related to convert the incoming long-wavelength IR signal to short-wavelength or visible probe optical field through EIT phenomena. For realization of the idea, we used 4, 5- and 6-level atoms implemented by quantum wells or dots. In the proposed structure long-wavelength IR signal does not interact directly with electrons, but affects the absorption characteristics of short-wavelength or visible probe optical field. Therefore, the proposed structure reduces and cancels out the important thermionic dark current component. So, the proposed idea can operate as long wavelength photodetector.     

Fabrication of transparent double-walled carbon nanotubes flexible matrix touch panel by laser ablation technique

This study reports on the fabrication of transparent double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) flexible matrix touch panel using the method of laser ablation. We employed an Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) to pattern transparent DWNT thin film pre-coated on a PET substrate and successfully fabricated a flexible matrix touch panel. By increasing the laser energy, the ablation depth of transparent DWNT flexible thin film is increased but the sheet resistance (Ω/sq) is decreased. When the laser energy intensity reaches 117 mJ/cm², the DWNTs can be completely ablated from transparent DWNT flexible thin film. This method is rapid, simple, applicable to large-area processing and thus is potential for mass production.     

Using Josephson vortex lattices to control terahertz radiation: tunable transparency and terahertz photonic crystals

The Josephson vortex (JV) lattice is a periodic array that scatters electromagnetic waves in the THz-frequency range. We show that JV lattices can produce a photonic band-gap structure (THz photonic crystal) with easily tunable forbidden zones controlled by the in-plane magnetic field. The scattering of electromagnetic waves by JVs results in a strong magnetic-field dependence of the reflection and transparency. Fully transparent or fully reflected frequency windows can be conveniently tuned by the in-plane magnetic field. These proposals are potentially useful for controllable THz filters.     

Au-Nanoparticle-Array/Aligned-Ag-Nanowire-Based Flexible Dual Plasmonic Substrate for Sensitive Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Detection

The fabrication of flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for sensitive detection on uneven or irregular surfaces is challenging. In this study, a flexible dual plasmonic SERS (FDPS) substrate rationally constructed using Au nanoparticle (AuNP) arrays/aligned Ag nanowires (AgNWs) and elastic polyurethane (PU) is demonstrated. It exhibits high sensitivity (detection limit of 10⁻⁸ m for melamine and 10⁻¹⁰ m for malachite green) and excellent reproducibility. The well-designed structure of AuNP arrays/aligned AgNWs fabricated using block copolymer self-assembly and oil–water–air interfacial self-assembly successfully enhances the electromagnetic field through plasmonic coupling. In addition, the FDPS substrate retains a high SERS sensitivity after exposure to air at room temperature for 30 days because of the high stability of AuNP arrays and antioxidation characteristic of the PU covered on the aligned AgNWs. Even after undergoing stretching, bending, and twisting for 100 cycles, the FDPS substrate maintains a stable SERS activity owing to the introduction of the elastic PU. This study demonstrates a potential application of SERS detection under practical conditions for irregular surfaces and may be helpful in the development of flexible sensors.     

Deposition of ITO Nanopowder Layers on Flexible Substrate by Spin Coating Using Pulsed Nd-YAG Laser for Crystallization and Bonding

A transparent thin layer of indium–tin oxide (ITO) is coated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by a spin coating process. The surface is treated by a pulsed Nd-YAG laser. We investigate the effect of laser treatment on crystallization and bonding processes of the thin layer using atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The best results are obtained when the pulse frequency, duration, and energy were 1000 Hz, 0.2 to 20 ms, and 25 to 40 J, respectively. The results show that the ITO layer coated on a flexible PET substrate is conductive and transparent. The sheet resistance obtained is 0.6 kΩ, and the transparency of a 350-nm layer in the visible range is more than 83.6%. Using the Nd-YAG laser treatment, we increase the conductivity by a factor of 100 times, and higher bonding performances are achieved.     

Visible photoluminescence of nanometer-sized SiGe/Si heterostructure fabricated by ion implantation

An innovative fabrication technique for the nanometer-sized SiGe/Si heterostructure was developed in this study. Ge was induced in Si substrate by two-step ion implantation. The spherical SiGe nanoclusters are self-assembled in the Si substrate by subsequent rapid thermal annealing at 1,100 °C. The diameter of the spherical SiGe nanoclusters is 5–7 nm. Visible photoluminescence from this nanometer-sized SiGe/Si heterostructure at room temperature was investigated. We found three peak energies of visible luminescence spectra at 1.97, 2.13, and 2.16 eV, respectively. The luminescence intensity depends on the number of the nanoclusters and will be decreased because of the micro-defects around the heterostructure, which is discussed in detail.     

Optical microstrip patch antennas design and analysis

This paper has presented transparent conductor oxide materials (TCOMs) based microstrip patch antennas with glass substrate and copper ground plane, which have been deeply analyzed in the visible spectrum region in comparison with the practical patch antenna model of indium tin oxide patch with glass substrate and different TCOMs based ground plane. As well as the study have investigated the effect of transparent oxide materials on patch antenna design instead of perfect conductor materials such as copper that has low cost and weight. The tradeoff between optical transparency and electrical conductivity will be evaluated for a range of visible regions. Microstrip transmission line feed method is used to predict the skin effects on a patch antenna and their impact on antenna efficiency, resonance frequency and optical transmission are also described. This study have discussed assessment of these tradeoffs and effect of TCOMs parameters on antenna design.     

Large scale silver nanowires network fabricated by MeV hydrogen(H~+) ion beam irradiation

A random two-dimensional large scale nano-network of silver nanowires(Ag-NWs) is fabricated by MeV hydrogen(H~+) ion beam irradiation. Ag-NWs are irradiated under H~+ion beam at different ion fluences at room temperature. The Ag-NW network is fabricated by H~+ion beam-induced welding of Ag-NWs at intersecting positions. H~+ion beam induced welding is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Moreover, the structure of Ag NWs remains stable under H~+ion beam, and networks are optically transparent. Morphology also remains stable under H~+ion beam irradiation. No slicings or cuttings of Ag-NWs are observed under MeV H~+ion beam irradiation.The results exhibit that the formation of Ag-NW network proceeds through three steps: ion beam induced thermal spikes lead to the local heating of Ag-NWs, the formation of simple junctions on small scale, and the formation of a large scale network. This observation is useful for using Ag-NWs based devices in upper space where protons are abandoned in an energy range from MeV to GeV. This high-quality Ag-NW network can also be used as a transparent electrode for optoelectronics devices.     

Electro-optical characteristics and field-emission properties of reactive DC-sputtered p-CuAlO2+x thin films

P-type transparent-conducting CuAlO_2+x thin films were deposited on silicon and glass substrates by reactive direct current sputtering of a prefabricated metal powder target having 1:1 atomic ratio of Cu and Al in oxygen-diluted argon atmosphere. XRD spectrum confirmed the proper phase formation of the material. UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometric measurements showed high transparency of the films in the visible region with direct and indirect band gap values around 3.90 and 1.89 eV, respectively. The room temperature conductivity of the film was of the order of 0.22 S cm⁻¹ and the activation energy was 0.25 eV. Seebeck coefficient at room temperature showed a value of +115 μV/K confirming the p-type nature of the film. Room temperature Hall effect measurement also indicated positive value of Hall coefficient with a carrier concentration 4.4×10¹⁷ cm⁻³. We have also observed the low macroscopic field emission, from the wide band gap p-CuAlO_2+x thin film deposited on glass substrate. The emission properties have been studied for different anode-sample spacing. The threshold field was found to be as low as around 0.5–1.1 V/μm. This low threshold is attributed primarily to the internal nanostructure of the thin film, which causes considerable geometrical field enhancement inside the film as well as at the film/vacuum interface.